Iron Man 3!!!!

Iron Man 3.

Following on from the massive success of the Marvel franchise  'Avengers Assemble' film, Iron Man 3 picks right back up months after the New York attack where Tony Stark's actions saved New York city and the world from total destruction.

The start of the film is narrated by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) and you hear the start of the story that is the main plot of the film. A few years earlier Tony was to be at a New Year's Eve party and approached by a spotty, ugly man Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) who asks for a private meeting with Tony to discuss his latest bio technology and wants to work with Tony. As Tony sets up a rooftop meeting just as the clock strikes midnight and the date changes to the year 2000 he leaves him standing alone in the cold.

Moving back to present day and you see a very happy Tony Stark but with one problem, he is still haunted by what happened in New York and goes through the motions of panic and anxiety attacks and chronic insomnia. Soon enough terrorist attacks are reported on the news and show massive explosions killing people. As a terrorist named The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) comes forward Tony is threatened and as catastrophic events take place his home is destroyed separating him from his girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and is now all alone. 

Set out to find and take down the mandarin he befriends a local boy Harley Keener (Ty Simpkins) and with the help of his old friend James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), working together they try to find the mandarin and take him down before he causes any more destruction and chaos. 

The film itself has a nice little storyline it, following on after the Avengers Assemble film was a great idea. Showing the more human side to Tony Stark going through anxiety and sleepless nights shows he can be all talk at times but deep down he's just like everyone else. In the film you see Tony on screen alot of the time out of the suit and you only see Tony in the suit for some of the big epic battles. The twist halfway through the film is very clever and certainly has me stunned, of course comic book purists will either like this or absolutely hate what they have done. 

It has to be said the action sequences when they come they come in massive and seriously impressive. The scenes have you hooked and have you looking around the screen to take it all in. Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark is on top form as usual and plays him with such charm and charisma but also some vulnerability as well. Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts works well and manages to pull out some good emotional scenes. Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin was a stroke of genius as he brings in a sinister yet at times funny character that everyone will love. 

Visually amazing backed up by a good story with a big twist in the middle it is a massive step-up from the oh so not too interesting Iron Man 2. With a clever little clip after the credits at the end showing who Tony is really telling his story to, lets just say a second Avengers film is soon on its way and we certainly haven't seen the last of Tony Stark.

8/10.

Spring Breakers!!!!

Spring Breakers.

The latest film release from acclaimed director of Kids and Gummo, Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers is shown to be a cornucopia of drink, party's, drugs and the sordid and explicit world of Spring Break for many college students in the United States.

Set in the state of Florida it shows four friends Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), Faith (Selena Gomez), Brit (Ashley Benson) and Cotty (Rachel Korine) who all want to go and party for spring break instead of being stuck in their dorm accommodation on campus. But as the girls put all their money together they realise they don't have enough money so they take drastic action. Holding up and robbing a local diner they finally have enough money to go to Florida for SPRING BREAK.

As the girls get into Florida the drinks start to flow and the party's happen the girls get pulled into the party world. As the party's get wilder they soon enough are arrested for drug possession with no way out of jail and no money for bail.

Soon enough the girls are bailed out by local gangster/rapper Alien (James Franco), a guy who befriends the girls and offers them the chance to have a time of their lives. As Alien brags about his guns, drugs and money and as he puts it the fact he has "Scarface on RE-peat" he is a crazy over the top guy.

With the girls being sucked into Alien's mad and crazy drink, drug and violence filled world they start working for him. Donning pink balaclavas and matching bikinis they join Alien in robbing and terrorising other local drug dealers. As the girls question their intentions of what they expected of Spring Break to what is unfolding in front of them they question their actions. Will the girls ever leave Florida and Alien's lifestyle, what will become of the friendship with him and between themselves?

The film is a vibrant neon drink and party filled world showing a coming of age story of the girls lives. Of course with the two Disney starletts Hudgens and Gomez starring in the film they both show a more adult, wilder and explicit characters not seen before. James Franco is un-recognisable in the film as Alien with corn-rolled hair and some metal grills on his teeth he plays the gangster/rapper perfectly and brings an almost at times ludicrous over the top character to life so well.

A great addition to director Harmony Korine's filmography and has to be said his best film by far. The opening scenes of the film with the aptly fitting Spring Break music from Skrillex it shows drinks in full flow, topless girls and explicit drinking games and shows just exactly what the film is about. The party scenes are shocking, full of alcohol, drugs and sex and portrays Spring Break perfectly.

In the end the film comes down to this, we as British people are reserved about sex and debauchery and avoid talking about such things so this film would be seen as not our cup of tea. If Spring Breakers was a cup of tea it'd contain 80% alcohol and 20% cocaine and be accompanied by a massive spliff with some Skrillex blasting in the background.

7/10.

Trance!!!!

Trance.

We all know of the man Danny Boyle who choreographed the Olympic ceremony in London in 2012 and wowed million's of people around the world. One thing people didn't know is that between planning and rehearsing the opening ceremony Danny was also off making a film, this one to be precise. 

Described by Danny himself as a mix of Inception meets Memento meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it's a great combination for a film and it interested me right away. Set in the present day it sees the character of Simon (James McAvoy) working at a auctioneers where he is the main security man. If a robbery takes place he is to take the painting on auction out of the room, into a case and place it into a metal safe. This of course all sounds normal until Frank is called into action and goes through the motions until he is held at gun point by Franck (Vincent Cassell), hitting him on the head Franck flees with the painting.

Soon enough Franck opens the case, picks up the frame and realises that the painting has gone. The story then goes back to Simon as you learn he was in on the robbery and because he was hit on the head suffers amnesia and doesn't remember where he put the painting. 

Trying to get him to remember is proving hard for Franck and so Simon suggests using a hypnotherapist Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson) to help he regain his memory and locate the painting. As the relationship between patient and Dr start to become more close and intimate Simon's world spirals out of control as he try's to remember where the painting is and hold onto his sanity. 

As the film moves along you learn about how the three main characters are linked, why Simon can't remember and of course where is the painting?. With some twists and turns mixed into the storyline it adds some great suspense moments and has you guessing what will happen next. 

The pace of the film is nice, it's only an hour and forty minutes long and doesn't have any scenes that feel as if they drag on and it keeps you on your toes. The overall feel of the film is just how Danny described it, it has hints of Inception and Memento to do with memory and the internal memories we have. The twists and turns in the story from the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind are there and all three blend well.

James McAvoy as Simon is perfect he plays a distraught, confused man who is doing and using all his brain power to work out whats going on and you do feel sorry for him. Vincent as Franck is a great addition as the desperate hitman who only wants one thing, the painting and will do anything to get it. Rosario as Elizabeth brings in a mysterious feel to the film and you can't quite work her out and what she's up to. 

Set in London for obvious reasons (Olympic Ceremony location) is adds a certain air of darkness as the sets are dark and claustrophobic and really make the film interesting. Being shot mainly at night it gives it that edgy feel. 

A great film addition to Danny Boyle's film back catalogue and another genre of film from the big UK director is ticked off on his list. Psychological thriller, DONE.

8/10.

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.