My most anticipated films of 2011!

Hello again, I’m back with another sort of review. Instead of doing a film this time, I’m going to do a rundown of the top 10 films I’m looking forward to in 2011! There are thousands of films that will be release over the coming months, however a few of these have caught my eye, and I can’t wait to see them! With 2011 promising to be a massive year for films, I want to give you a heads up on what to look out for. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

*please note that these are not in any kind of order. I’d be interested to know your thoughts on what order you would put them in though!

1. Sucker Punch – I saw the trailer for this many months ago, and was instantly blown away by it. A great trailer that sucks you in straight away (no pun intended, honest.) It follows the story of Baby, who is unjustly incarcerated in a mental institution. The only way for her to escape is through her imagination, along with the help of the other prisoners. I’m imagining a film where you never know what is going to happen next, with many twists and turns throughout. Definitely one to look out for.

2. X-Men: First Class – A prequel to the much loved X-Men franchise, which has spanned 9 years. Starting with X-Men in 2000 to X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009; the franchise has pleased existing fans, as well as gaining a whole new fan base. (I must say though, X-Men: The Last Stand, what went wrong?) The trailer for this has been released recently, and from what it shows, they have kept the timeline from the original films. It goes back to the beginning, when Professor X could walk, and Magneto wasn’t evil. I am hoping for big things from this! 

3. Thor – The next thing to come from the Marvel Studios. They have turned the classic Greek God into a Marvel superhero! After being cast from Asgard, Thor finds himself on Earth and soon becomes one of Earth’s greatest defenders. I urge you to have a look at the trailer for this film, as it looks sensational. Shot in 3D, it looks to be paving the way for 3D superhero films. Obviously there was the Green Hornet, but that was a different sort of superhero film. Fans of the Marvel films will have seen hints of Thor after the credits of Iron Man 2. If you haven’t seen that, give it a watch! It’s building up to a much larger film, set to be released in coming years.

4. Captain America: The First Avenger – Can you see a pattern yet? I’m quite partial to the comic book adaptations. I couldn’t not mention this one though; it has been a long time coming! Chris Evans stars as the unfit hero Steve Rogers, who gains his superhero status after undergoing a top secret research experiment to create a “Super Soldier.” Taking on the persona of Captain America, the film follows Rogers as he fights for America against the Red Skull. It will be interesting to see how Evans is going to play this character, as we all know and love him for playing The Human Torch in the FF franchise. Only time will tell...

5. Unknown – Liam Neeson’s latest acting offering sees him playing Martin Harris, a man who seemed to have it all until one fateful car crash turns his life around. Upon waking from a 4 day coma, he finds out that another man has replaced his life. To find out what has happened, he has to track down anyone who may be involved. Promising plenty of action and a clever plot; Unknown looks to be another great movie under Neeson’s belt.

6. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 – it seems like an eternity since Eclipse but before we know it, Twilight will once again be gracing cinema screens across the world. And love it or hate it, you cannot deny the huge fan base the film has attracted! Stephanie Meyer should be proud of her creation. The films have grossed hundreds of millions at the global box office, often dividing the fans between Team Edward and Team Jacob. The fourth instalment promises to be even more gripping than its predecessors and will bring the story to a close. Fans of the books will know what to expect, so if you haven’t read them I won’t spoil anything. Bring on the trailer!

7. The Adjustment Bureau – Matt Damon seems to be back on fine form with this latest release from him. After the somewhat disappointing Hereafter, Damon needed something pretty spectacular to pull him back, and this could be it. He plays David Norris who is a politician on the verge of gaining a seat on the U.S Senate when Fate intervenes. The film follows the story that our destiny is planned out for us, but Damon doesn’t like the one that he has seen. To change it, he must fight for the only woman he has ever loved, Elise Sella (Emily Blunt). The film is based on the short story “Adjustment Team” written by author Phillip K Dick. I will be checking both of these out for sure!

8. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – 2011 sees the return of Captain Jack Sparrow in the fourth instalment of the POTC line. This time they are after the fountain of youth, not knowing that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too. Johnny Depp will no doubt bring another spectacular performance to the big screen as always, especially when doing Jack Sparrow! Look out for the posters starting to creep through and a release date of 18^th May 2011 in the UK.

9. Battle: Los Angeles – amazing trailer. Seriously, stop what you are doing and go and watch it. Then come back and finish reading this! ....
All done? Cool. Well, this looks like an alien invasion film to rival all alien invasion films! After attempting to watch District 9, (really what was the point?) I have been wary of alien films. Skyline didn’t do anything to reaffirm my faith in them either. However this one looks to restore any of that lost faith! From the trailer it looks like a Marine platoon is battling some fierce looking aliens. We will have to wait and see what’s in store! Release date 11^th March 2011

10. Cars 2 – had to have an animated film in there! It has been way too long since the last Cars film. (In my opinion, one of Disney Pixar’s best films to date) In this one we see Lightning McQueen and his new best bud Mater travelling around the globe battling the fastest cars out there. Get ready for classic lines from Mater and that adult exclusive humour we know and love in Disney films! Release date 22^nd July 2011.

As you can imagine, there are a ton of films that I have missed out of this list, and it has taken me so long to decide what to leave in. I would love to know your top 10 films, and what your thoughts are of films nowadays! And don’t forget, tell your friends about us, and like the page on Facebook!

Gnomeo and Juliet Film Review

Hey again everyone. Time for my second bash at this, and this time I'm reviewing Gnomeo and Juliet. The film is based on the classic Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet (obvious, right?), with reference to many of his other works running through it. It has been tossed about that this film is the English version of Toy Story, however, in my humble opinion; the Toy Story franchise is one that will take a hell of a film to beat! That said, there is an all star line up of top British talent, including some that you wouldn't have imagined in a gnome based film! Michael Caine, James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Jason Statham, and wait for it, Ozzy Osbourne! (He's actually pretty good as a dopey Deer)

The film opens with a shot of semi detached houses, one painted blue, the other painted red. As the shot comes in closer on the houses, we see the mailboxes showing one named Montague, the other named Capulet. There’s also house numbers on there. 2B, and the other has 2B but with a no entry sign painted over (to be or not to be, clever, no?) We see the owners of the houses leaving for their daily routines and whilst they lock their front doors and go to their cars, they are arguing. Shaping up to be pretty bang on of the classic play so far! I won’t go too much into what happens; need to leave something for you to watch.

What I liked about this film was it appeals to adults as well as kids. That’s the beauty of British films; we have a unique sense of humor that Americans just can’t seem to get right! One of the highlights for me was Gnomeo ends up in a park for reasons that I won’t go into, where some kids find him. In true British style, a kid says “Hey a Gnome,” to which his friends respond “looks like your sister!” Sums up the youth of nowadays perfectly.

Now apart from the Shakespearian link, you will also notice that there are a lot of Elton John songs running through the film. This is partly due to the fact that Elton John has produced the film, so kind of has a bit of an influence on it. And in a weird way, it works!
So, if you’re looking for a Gnome based version of a classic play, with a hint of Elton John, you’re in luck! Gnomeo and Juliet is the one for you.

Overall rating: :) :) :) out of 5. Great for the kids, and you’ll get a giggle or 2 yourself.

Never let me go

Hi all. I'm Adam, thought I'd give this blogging business a go, and what better to do than what I love, films! These reviews will be what the average cinema fan thinks, not some film critic who won't enjoy a film unless it has artistic merit blah blah blah...

So the first film is never let me go. I went into this film knowing next to nothing about it, apart from the odd thing on the radio. I'd heard it had something to do with the sundance film festival last November, and so was a bit wary of what to expect. After seeing it, I can say I'll be trusting these film festival choices more often! It was a powerful and moving piece of art, that portrayed the ups and downs of three friends, growing up to be 'donors'.'Donors' are clones of other humans, who are raised for the sole purpose of harvesting their vital organs. Now you would he forgiven for thinking the main focus of the film would be on this, however I found myself more drawn to to the relationships between the 3. The donor factor sort of came to be 'normal'. A lot of people are saying that Knightley has really established herself in this film as a serious actress,  and I couldn't agree more! Her character Ruth is in a relationship with Tommy (Garfield) for the main part. Tommy though, is really in love with Cathy (Mullagan) who feels the same about Tommy. I won't say much more as I don't want to spoil it for you! Mullagan is superb in this film, as is Garfield. You could tell that the cast genuinely got along, as the on screen chemistry was sublime. Props also have to go to the children who played their younger versions. I'm always dubious about child actors, only few can get the emotions right and be believable, but these guys hit the nail on the head!

Anyway, I'm off now. If you like the review, or if.you didn't, let me know. Also if you want anything reviewing, send your suggestions in.

The film gets :) :) :) :) ( 4 smileys out of 5 ) one to watch!