Under The Skin!!!!

Under The Skin.

Hearing nothing but good reviews from a film, you kind of think to yourself that it can't be true but I have to admit that it did live up to the reviews. If not it surpassed my expectations as a film and will definitely go straight into my top films of all time as this film is incredible in its own rights. 

Starting with the most haunting of strings sounds you see the formation of what looks like a black pupil becoming a human eye but could be portrayed as an alien egg into birth. Watching a naked woman character (Scarlett Johansson) strip the clothes off the body off her dead doppelgänger and put them on just to confuse you. Dropped off in the countryside by a lone biker and left the keys to a white transit van the woman drives off into the unknown. 

Walking through busy shopping centres and looking around at the world you feel the character is learning how to adapt, language, mannerisms and how to act are all absorbed. Driving along the roads she stops and talks to men at the side of the road, asking for directions and giving them a lift to places she plays on their vulnerability. They are soon enticed by her as she takes them back to her house where she takes them for her own. Walking along and stripping off her clothes the men follow only to slowly walk into a thick black liquid never to be seen again.

As she learns about the world she starts to slip up and is soon enough rescued by a random stranger, having sex and being shocked at the realisation she has a vagina she is still learning more and more. The film for me is able to show two different sides to our woman character at the start and at the end. She starts off confident knowing what she has to do and becomes the predator but soon enough by the end is insecure about herself and becomes the prey.

The way in which the film is made is not only clever but it makes you feel uncomfortable and also amazed at times. The use of hidden cameras is what gives it that edge and gives her character a feel of loneliness in such a busy environment. Showing hidden camera footage of her picking up men in her transit van Scarlett is able to be confident and get the right information out of the men, using her charm and looks she portrays her perfectly. 

Another aspect that really has you on the edge and affects your viewing is the music, never has a film needed the right soundtrack and this has an incredible score. Whining and scratchy violin sounds bring the tense moments in well, if it wasn't for the music some of the scenes would be seen as throwaway but add the creepy music and it changes the mood of the scene.

Scarlett Johansson is perfect in this film, you feel it has that double alien feel to the film in which Scarlett is an alien in an unknown Glasgow and her character is also an alien in a new world. This has to be one of the strongest performances from her and will go down as one of her greatest films of her career so far. But it will obviously be overshadowed by other bigger named films which is a shame really. 

For any fans of intense, gripping, weird and at times uncomfortable films then PLEASE I urge you to go and watch this film. One thing you will do after seeing this film is you will leave the cinema and still be thinking about it hours after, an incredible, mesmerising, unsettling yet intense film.

10/10.

Enders Game!!!!

Enders Game.

Sci-fi films have been coming thick and fast this year and this an adaptation of Orson Scott Card's book is another one to add to the list. Set in the future it sees the human race devastated by an alien attack, with a future much bigger attack imminent the government seeks out a young mind to lead them. 

Andrew 'Ender' Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is a young demure character who is nothing but tormented every day while on the program. Being shunned as an outcast he struggles to socialise with his other cadets and is soon kicked off the program as he didn't make the grade to advance to the next level of training. Finally back home he is visited by Colnel Graff (Harrison Ford) and Major Gwen Anderson (Viola Davis) who decided to recruit Ender to come back as he showed great potential. 

As Ender again struggles to fit in he finally finds a friend in Petra (Hailee Steinfeld) with whom he trains with and strikes up the one true friend he can rely on. Moved onto lead his own Dragon Army he finally starts to earn the respect from his fellow cadets and again shows promise working on tactics in practice sphere's and also impressing Colonel Graff in simulation alien attacks. 

Ender of course has psychological problems to overcome as well, vivid dreams and a relationship with his sister Valentine (Abigail Breslin) that is constantly strained with long periods of lost contact with her. He not only has the moral dilemma of what he should do during the finally battle with the alien race but also what the aliens are trying to tell him in his dreams. 

Showcasing what is a more younger style sci-fi film it is an interesting take on the future of the human race when an alien race threatens to attack. Asa Butterfield plays Ender really well and brings across a very confused and conflicted but strong character who values his family alot especially his sister. 

I have to say the ending was to be desired it just felt too up in the air and no particularly nailed down but it was an overall goo film. The special effects were great and brought the film to life, a better more elaborate back story for the alien race would have made the film more interesting but then sticking to a story from a book and not deviating from the text can be hard to do. 

An overall good sci-fi film that showcases alot of younger up and coming actors with an interesting future of the human race.

7/10.

Oblivion!!!!

Oblivion.

What is to be the first proper major big budget Sci-Fi film of the year comes Oblivion, set in the future it shows a desolate earth after a War has been waged between humans and an alien race called Scavs (Scavengers). As the Scavs destroyed the moon causing Earthquakes and Tsunamis on Earth the humans used nuclear weapons to destroy the alien race. As the humans won and parts of the Earth became irradiated and unlivable the few remaining humans who survived start a colony on the moon planet Titan, powered by hydro fusion power from the seas on Earth.

You see the last of two humans still on Earth, Jack (Tom Cruise) and Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) who are stationed on a base to keep a check on the security bots that keep Earth safe and kill off any last remaining Scavs. As Jack goes out and repairs the various security bots he starts to have flashbacks to his life before his mind was erased five earlier. 

Soon enough a Jack is captured by the scavs and finds out the truth about the war between the humans and the Scavs. As a mysterious ship crash lands on Earth and he saves the woman Julia (Olga Kurylenko) from his flashbacks he finally learns about his own existence on Earth and what he has to do next to save Earth. 

This review isn't much because the storyline opens up alot nearly halfway through the film itself and to give exactly what happens away wouldn't be good. Lets just say alot of the storyline is revealed like Jack and Vic's existence and how they arrived at their designated base high up in the sky. The history and intentions of the scavs is also revealed and the film twists and turns at alot of turns and leaves you thinking after the film has finished.

Being directed by the Tron Legacy director Joseph Kosinski it has that impressive CGI feel to it and shows some of Earth's landmarks in ruins and utilises what Earth would like if it was desolate and invaded by Aliens. The characters are good but not overly impressive, Tom Cruise plays Jack really well as it has to be said it's his film. Andrea Riseborough plays a very strict conformist well and is a great addition to balance and bring in Tom Cruise's character. Olga Kurylenko  and Morgan Freeman aren't particularly utilised well in the film and feel like their just in the background to boost viewing figures with their name mentioned on the film poster. 

Overall a very enjoyable sci-fi film but nothing too impressive, for anyone who enjoys a sci-fi film with plenty of twists and turns that has some well known top actors then you'll love this film.

7/10.

The Host!!!!

The Host.

After the hype and success of the Twilight series of films taken from the books by Stephanie Meyer her other book 'The Host' has been picked up and given the same hollywood treatment. This time round the book and film itself is set in the distant future where the Earth itself has been taken over by an alien life form. The alien life form then takes over and possess the main majority of the Earth and make them into "hosts".

The film begins with the main character Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) is running away from a group of silver suited people. As she runs through the corridors she eventually jumps through a window and falls to her death, led out on a metal slab she is sprayed with some healing spray and a new host is inserted into the back of her neck. Soon enough she wakes up, her eyes turn grey and she is alive again but this time being controlled by a new host (Wanderer).

Wanderer's job is to extract information about the location of the last remaining humans on Earth who have not yet been captured and taken over by an alien host. As Wanderer goes on through life she soon enough starts hearing Melanie's voice telling her not to do certain things and she is trying to fight back with everything that she does or says. As an incident takes place and she's stranded in the desert she lets Melanie take over and lead her to a safe place, finally meeting up with the other humans she is taken in by them. 

Re-united with her uncle, aunty and younger brother Melanie struggles to show them that she is still inside her own body and the alien host is just an outside shell. As the film progresses on and the whole story of Melanie, her brother, her love of her life Jake Howe (Max Irons) and of the other humans is told you learn about how they survive. The struggle for her family and loved ones to truly understand that she is still inside her body is also shown on screen. 

Of course their has to be a bad guy in the film which is Seeker (Diane Kruger) who goes to almost any length to catch and capture the free humans. As she gets closer and closer too them will it all end happy?, will Melanie ever get her own body back, will they all survive and not get caught and what will happen to Wanderer (Wanda)?

The film overall is a great teenage film as it is targeted towards the same demographic as the Twilight films, it's a simple sci-fi storyline that isn't too complicated. Their are other threads of story that I have missed out like how Wanderer falls in love with someone else but Melanie inside her dissagrees with it and stops her everytime they get close. The story of how to safely take out a alien host from a body is also touched upon and also the fate of Melanie's younger brother. 

The storyline is ok, at the start it has action and shows some good action sequences that get you hooked then in the middle it becomes linnear and slows right down, soon enough picking up with action sequences it then finishes. If more time was taken for the middle it would be a much better film but it has to be said it's interesting enough for people. 

Saoirse Ronan plays Melanie and Wanda really well and is able to portray two people who are in control of just one body. Her native irish accent doesn't even seep out and she passes off an american accent very well. Her fellow actors are at times a little bit wooden and seem to have only a certain ammount of facial expressions kind of like Kristen Stewart but they do a good job in the end. 

Overall a great teenage film that would be thoroughly enjoyed by a twihard fan or for someone who enjoys a simple, basic sci-fi film that you can watch, leave for a few days and watch again and not forget a thing. 

7/10.