Guardians of the Galaxy: Review

Let's be honest: before the movie was announced, nobody but a small minority knew of the Guardians of the Galaxy. I for one was completely unaware of their existence, which is why many were confused at Marvel's decision to make a film revolving around the seemingly B-movie Avenger team. But with the huge success of this film mere days into its release and the acclaim its already received, I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more from the Guardians. 

The film begins with Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) - a 'ravager' whom collects ancient relics and objects of value and then sells them to the highest bidder. Peter also goes by the alias of 'Starlord', and is ambushed by some thugs while he is acquiring a small orb which is supposedly worth unimaginable amounts of wealth. It turns out this orb contains an infinitely powerful stone which is capable of immense destruction, which isn't the best news when it's being contested by the sinister Ronan (Lee Pace). Ronan wants the stone so he can exact violence upon planets, and so Starlord must team up with the other Guardians to keep it from falling into evil hands. 

Peter Quill / Starlord (Chris Pratt)

Although the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy is fairly engrossing and entertaining throughout, it isn't the aspect which is most memorable about the movie. Many Marvel films incorporate humour in some form to keep things relatively light-hearted, but Guardians does it to such an extent that it wouldn't be a stretch to call this a comedy movie. There were countless moments which made the entire cinema erupt with laughter, which is usually a rarity rather than a common occurrence when other Marvel films are brought into question. This doesn't detract from the urgency of the plot however. Even during some of the funnier moments, the film never fails to convey a sense of urgency and meaning to the story - despite the comedic tone - and this isn't a 'the best moments were in the trailer' affair either. In fact, the funny moments shown in the numerous trailers for the film were probably the flattest in the whole movie, which should definitely be commended in this age of trailers revealing far too much. 

Another thing which Guardians of the Galaxy has going for it is its soundtrack. As of late, I've rated the effectiveness of a movie partly on its soundtrack being catchy and memorable, as I would value this just as much as solid acting (which the film also features). Luckily, Peter Quill was born in the 1980s, and so he carries around a cassette tape which features classics such as 'Ooh Child', 'Ain't no Mountain High Enough', and of course, 'Hooked on a Feeling' which was featured in the original trailer for the film. This inclusion of 70s and 80s pop music makes the movie stand out from typical space-operas, and is another welcome feature which conveys the sense that the film never takes itself too seriously. 

Groot (Vin Diesel) 

The only real complaint which I have about Guardians of the Galaxy is that the film focuses largely on Peter Quill / Starlord within the Guardians, leaving the other members considerably mysterious in comparison. Obviously the source material for the film such as comics and graphic novels would expand the other's back-story, but it's unfortunate the film doesn't do this quite as much. Hopefully this means that future instalments will delve into their respective pasts, especially as the brief things hinted at sound pretty interesting. 

Verdict
Guardians of the Galaxy is probably one of the biggest surprises to come out of Marvel in a long time. It manages to elevate the Guardians from relatively unknown and then some, and is definitely worth your time. With the huge success of this film, it's a safe assumption to expect more in terms of a sequel, and hopefully an inclusion in a future Avengers movie. As with every Marvel film, a post-credits sequence is present, but it features by far one of the strangest cameos I've ever seen in a movie. 

"So here we are: a thief, two thugs, an assassin and a maniac. 

But we're not going to stand by as evil wipes out the galaxy. 

I guess we're stuck together, partners."

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Review

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes takes place roughly 10 years after its predecessor, and continues the story of an ever-growing ape population, contrasted with the dwindling humans that remain. A devastating virus spawned from simians caused a huge majority of the human population to die-out, leaving only a fraction behind. The apes however, have lived in peace within the isolated forests surrounding any previous man-made cities now reclaimed by nature, and have done nothing but develop and thrive within their own communities. All this tranquillity is not infinite though, and after a small group of surviving humans stumble across a mass of apes, tensions begin to rise. 

Caesar (Andy Serkis)

This is possibly the most bare-bones summary of the plot I could provide, as giving anything else away would probably spoil the movie. This is because it's largely unpredictable in its plot, which is nothing but a huge benefit to the film as a whole. Just as events seem to point towards a clear conclusion or development in the story, something else happens which completely throws any pre-conceived ideas out of the window. I went in to the film with very little knowledge of how the story would play-out, and this is by far the best way to view it. Aside from some minor foreshadowing, it's unlikely anybody will be able to predict the ending before the final act begins at the very least. 

Now, although it may seem from the trailers that Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a largely action-driven movie, this is certainly not the case. In fact, when the action does become the centrepiece of the film, I was longing for it to end sooner rather than later. This is entirely thanks to the numerous outstanding performances presented by the stellar cast. Jason Clarke plays Malcolm, the leader of the human group, and is accompanied by Gary Oldman as his violent, jaded 'friend' Dreyfus. Although it could be argued that it comes down to the special effects being spectacular, the best performance in the film by far (and possibly one of the best this year) is that of Andy Serkis as Caesar - leader of the apes. Caesar is a prime example of how outstanding the film looks visually, as there are numerous scenes in which very little dialogue is spoken, and yet the viewer understands entirely what is happening solely due to the emotions conveyed on Caesar's face. This is the same for all of the apes, as none appear generic or boring. Each is given a unique and distinctive personality almost entirely through their appearances, and these beautifully mirror characters within the human group. For example, Malcolm's dubious friend Dreyfus is excellently paralleled with the warmongering ape Koba (Toby Kebbell), something which is apparent for many members of each respective species. 

Malcolm (Jason Clarke)

I'm finding it very difficult to think of any considerable negatives within the movie. The cinematography and special effects were jaw-dropping, and the acting was considerably above-average. Even for a film that runs for over two hours, there was never a moment throughout in which I felt genuinely bored, which definitely isn't something I can say for other releases this year. The only flaws that the movie really suffers from are typical film-tropes, such as main characters surviving almost certain death, and practicalities allowing certain events to progress. However, when compared to everything the film does right, these seem almost ignorable at the very most. 

Verdict
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes manages to surpass its already great predecessor and then some. Some may find the abundance of drama over action slightly dragging, but the film does such a good job of conveying conflict through dialogue that I really didn't find myself longing for more explosions or fighting. When there is violence it remains entertaining, but where the film really succeeds is with its characters and symbolism. I'd definitely recommend seeing this movie - especially if you enjoyed the first. 

"If we go to war, we could lose all we've built.

Home. Family. Future."

Watch_Dogs: Game Review

Watch_Dogs seemed like it would be a hugely unique and enthralling sandbox-game. It seemed like it would merge the open-world depth of the Grand Theft Auto games with the interesting concept of hacking a fictional Chicago to your every will. Although the game doesn't completely disappoint, it's quite far from what could have been. 

The story revolves around a damaged, moody hacker by the name of Aiden Pearce (Noam Jenkins). Aiden's niece is murdered after a job he carries out goes wrong, and he's determined to discover the course of events which led to this tragedy, and avenge his niece's death. To achieve this, Aiden enlists the help of fellow hackers Clara (Isabelle Blais) and eventually the crazy 'T-Bone' (John Tench). However, things inevitably become tangled and Aiden's sister and nephew are soon being threatened by some sinister characters from his past. 

Aiden Pearce

If it sounds like a fairly average, stereotypical story, it's largely because it is. Aiden himself comes off as a fairly dislikeable character, and his overly-gruff voice is more comical than anything else. His strange, borderline incestuous relationship with his sister is regularly off-putting, and his nephew is nothing more than an irritating inconvenience. Thankfully, some of the supporting characters in this monotonous story actually salvage certain portions of the game, such as Aiden's 'assistant' Jordi Chin (Aaron Douglas), who is criminally under-used, but for the majority of the story, nobody really stands-out as memorable. 

The game has a few things working in its favour, though. The hacking, although very limited compared to it's initial prospect, is at times very fun and really makes Watch_Dogs feel like a genuinely unique experience. Whether you're raising a bridge to use as a ramp and slow your perusers, or hacking through security cameras to get a feel for your surroundings, the ability to infiltrate into the city's infrastructure is an engaging aspect of the gameplay. This also contributes to an issue I have with the game however, as the hacking options really boil-down to a mere handful of choices, usually either to distract or harm your enemies. 

This lack of meaningful choice flows over into the combat and driving of the game as well. You can amass a fairly hefty arsenal of weapons and vehicles, both of which are very enjoyable to use, but neither are even slightly customisable which just feels out of place in a modern sandbox experience. This becomes especially noticeable when carrying out one of the many stealth sequences contained within Watch_Dogs, as you can only use a couple of silenced weapons or a single-button take-down to dispatch enemies. That's not to say these segments lack enjoyable gameplay, but some sort of customisation would be hugely beneficial in such a huge, detailed world. 

Clara

And it is certainly detailed. Thanks to Aiden's phone having the capabilities of a super-computer, every single citizen of the city has a small biography available whenever you hover your reticule over them. Some may be porn-addicts, and others may spend thousands of dollars on cleaning products, but all of this culminates to a truly 'living' city. These are no longer just empty members of the public for you to gun down, but instead individuals, each with a unique (if slightly limited) personality. Sometimes you may even eavesdrop on a phone call through the use of the 'CTos' system which ties the whole city together, which will then automatically locate a side-mission for you to take part in. It becomes slightly underwhelming after a while, but early on it's a cool feature which adds more depth to the bustling city.

I suppose in that lies my main issue with Watch_Dogs. If I had reviewed the game a few hours after owning it, I probably would be singing its praises to no end. Unfortunately, the content which is featured becomes stale before too long, which is surprising considering how much content there actually is. There's a breadth of variety within the game, but there's almost too much to remain coherent. You could potentially spend hours between one story-mission and the next, which makes the lacklustre plot seem even more mundane. 

Verdict
Watch_Dogs is initially a very fun experience, but one which is eventually let-down by a boring story and intimidating amount of familiar content. One aspect which remains fun however is the "seamless" multiplayer which is integrated into the single-player game, but even this isn't enough to justify the large next-gen price-tag. I'd recommend Watch_Dogs if you manage to pick it up for a considerably reduced price, but otherwise, I can't say you'd be missing out if you gave this one a miss. 

Edge of Tomorrow: Review

For a film relatively out of the blue, Edge of Tomorrow has a very interesting plot going for it. Lieutenant Cage (Tom Cruise) is sent to England to meet with a high-ranking general (Brendan Gleeson) to plan a strategy which will help humanity defeat a dangerous alien threat, but the general has other plans and soon Cage is being sent to the front-line to push forward humanity's last hope of victory. Due to incredibly little training however, Cage quickly dies. 

And then he wakes up. And then he dies. This repeats for a seemingly infinite loop, with Cage retaining all his knowledge from his 'past-life', and soon he becomes more than just an untrained soldier; he becomes an expert in predicting precisely where the enemy are and will be. After surviving more than a few minutes, Cage eventually meets the resistance's poster-girl Rita (Emily Blunt), who is seemingly the only person alive who understands his predicament, and soon they begin planning to put an end to the invasion permanently. 

Cage (Tom Cruise)

For a premise which practically revolves around repeating the same day over and over, Edge of Tomorrow does an exceptional job of keeping things engaging and entertaining. Near the beginning of the film, the same scenes are shown repeatedly to get a feel for how the mechanics actually work, but soon we are only shown Cage's perfection as a fighting machine, and this is definitely a high point of the movie. Seeing him going from a useless victim to a perfect soldier is incredibly satisfying, and thanks to the movie limiting how much is shown more than once, things never become stale. 

The technology within the film is also imagined just right so that it doesn't alienate audiences, which can be a common theme within sci-fi. Similar to last year's Elysium, a lot of the futuristic features within the film are dirty and gritty, making it less jarring when shown on-screen. This is a world clearly a long way off our own, but one which isn't a complete impossibility, making the action all the more enthralling. 

It's difficult to consider many negative aspects within the film. I went in with no expectations and little-to-no knowledge of how things would play-out, and I was pleasantly surprised when I left. The only minor issues I have would be ones stereotypical with many futuristic alien-invasion films, such as the fact the invaders themselves are never really given any sort of motivation for their violence aside from the simple goal of taking over Earth, but even this is excusable thanks to the enjoyable manipulation of time throughout. 

Rita (Emily Blunt)

Verdict 
Edge of Tomorrow is a film which genuinely surprised me with how good it was. Not to say I had drastically low expectations, but I didn't think that it would be such a unique and engrossing story. The dynamic between Cage and Rita is also really engaging to watch, considering Cage remembers everything about her and yet to her, he is nothing more than a confusing soldier. Even the ending wraps up nicely, with no open-ended scenes for a forced sequel. Overall, I'd definitely recommend seeing this film, especially if you're in the need for a good, unique sci-fi. 

"What I am about to tell you sounds crazy. But you have to listen to me. 

Your very lives depend on it. You see, this isn't the first time."

X-Men Days of Future Past: Review

I had no considerable issue with the recent X-Men films such as The Wolverine, but many felt that the series had lost its way. Because of this, expectations for Days of Future Past were considerably high in hopes that it would be the film to set this beloved franchise back on course. And in my opinion, it did so spectacularly. 

The film begins in 20th century, with a bleak vision of the future. Large, sinister beings known as 'Sentinels' have taken over the world, and have enslaved both human and mutant. Only a scarce few mutants still remain un-captured, including the iconic Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen), but their chance of survival is dwindling by the day. Another small group of mutants led by Bishop (Omar Sy) also live in this dangerous landscape, but their chance of surviving also grows unlikely. The only hope for all of human and mutant kind is to send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back to the year 1973 and stop the events which set this terrifying future in motion. 

Charles Xavier / Professor X (James McAvoy)

The plot of Days of Future Past sounds almost as complicated as the strange title when put down on paper, but the film manages to deliver such a story in a surprisingly coherent manner. In fact, the plot of the film is one of its strongest assets, as it allows numerous references and cameos which will appease long-time fans as well as entertain those newer to the series. The return of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as a young Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr is also very welcome, as both have proven themselves as incredibly talented actors to portray these iconic characters, as exhibited within First Class. The star of the show however is yet again Hugh Jackman as Wolverine / Logan, as he plays the pivotal role in this story of time-travel. Wolverine acts as a thread which ties both the future and past together, and no other actor could convey such a complex character to the standard of Jackman. 

Another asset of the film is its ability to switch seamlessly between genuinely funny humour and deadly serious drama. There were times the entire cinema was filled with laughter, which was then followed by eerily silent tension as one scene transitioned to the next. The main conduit of this humour is the character of Quicksilver (Evan Peters), who acts as a cocky, arrogant adolescent, despite being fairly important to the success of Logan's mission. The only problem with this is that Quicksilver was barely in the movie, but the scenes which he does feature in are amongst the most memorable. 

Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto (Michael Fassbender)

The only real issue I have with Days of Future Past are less about the film itself, but more about the topic of continuity. Without spoiling anything, the events that take place within the movie drastically throw-off events which have occurred in other films in the series, which makes some almost entirely redundant. Although this needed to happen for the plot in Days of Future Past to take place, it just felt a little strange. 

Verdict 
X-Men: Days of Future Past is not only an incredibly enjoyable movie, it is also my favourite amongst the X-Men franchise. The plot is interesting and unique, the acting is excellent, and the action is exciting. The only real issues I can think of aren't even explicitly about the film, which should speak for itself. Basically, if you are a fan of the X-Men or comic-book movies in general: see this film. 

"You'll need me as well. Side by side to end this war 

before it even begins." 

Godzilla: Review

Back in 1999, a Japanese nuclear power plant collapsed due to huge seismic activity below ground. Fast-forward to the year 2014, and scientist Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) who worked at the plant is determined to disprove any notions that it was merely an earthquake, and in turn discover what exactly killed his loving wife. Meanwhile, Joe's son Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is trying to live a normal life with his wife and son, who all see Joe as a crack-pot theorist. The events of 1999 soon begin repeating however, and it seems as if something far worse than an earthquake rests beneath the ground. 

Godzilla

Godzilla sets up a very unsettling, ominous tone from the start which is largely maintained throughout. Although there are numerous scenes of action, it's far from just an action movie. The actual creature itself only appears on-screen for a small portion of the entire run-time, and the rest of this is spent focusing on the characters and the building of tension. Some may be disappointed to hear that a movie titled 'Godzilla' only features the monster sparingly, but this is definitely not a negative. Due to the mere occasional glimpses of a tail or leg, the film manages to keep you engaged throughout far more than if it showed everything within the opening moments. When you do eventually get to see the destructive creature (or possibly creatures) that are attacking, Godzilla does an incredible job of conveying scale. This is the largest Godzilla has ever been featured in a movie, and it definitely shows, making the wait more than worthwhile. 

Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston)

When it's not focusing on colossal monsters fighting, the movie places a considerable focus on the human aspects of a nuclear disaster, and this is where the film fell down a little. None of the actors were blatantly awful, but nobody really stood out as particularly memorable. The critically-acclaimed Bryan Cranston was advertised as if he would hold a key role, but his interesting character of Joe only really features for the first quarter of Godzilla, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson being the main protagonist for the remainder of the film. 

The final segment of the film however is when things really begin to pick-up. Yes, the gradual build-up is relevant and necessary to engross an audience, but without a considerable pay-off, all of this would be pointless. Luckily, Godzilla delivers in masses. The gigantic fight-scenes near the end are better than any featured within last year's Pacific Rim and more than make up for any 'slower' moments, especially the very final scenes of the film. The action comes close to being a little too campy, but it's incredibly entertaining regardless. 

Verdict
Godzilla is a slow-burner in its build-up, but more than makes up for it with the closing scenes. Regardless of the lack of superb acting or constant action, it's a consistently entertaining film which managed to reach my expectations, even if it didn't completely surpass them. 

"The arrogance of man is thinking nature is in their control...

and not the other way around."

My Top 5 TV Shows

As with any list I compile, I'd like to start by saying I haven't seen every television programme. This includes critically-acclaimed classics like The Sopranos and even the much more recent Game of Thrones, so don't expect every show ever aired to be on this list. This is my personal top 5, and so it's entirely subjective. 

5) House of Cards (2013 - Current)
The only reason House of Cards is at number 5 in this list is because it has so much more to come. Season 1 built up the series reasonably well, but it wasn't until this Netflix-exclusive series entered its second running that things really exploded. Kevin Spacey plays the leading role of Francis Underwood incredibly well, and the rest of the cast support him to a very entertaining degree. With outstanding acting, production value and plot; this is really a series to keep an eye on in the near future. 

"Power is better than money for as long as it lasts...

but it never lasts."

4) The Simpsons (1989 - Current)
It's difficult to think of a beloved long-running cartoon without considering The Simpsons. Now in its 26th season, some may argue that it's well ran its course, but I can easily watch any episode of this hugely popular series and find copious amounts of entertainment. It's widely agreed that the earlier seasons (up till 8) were the pinnacle of The Simpsons' career, but the constant pop-culture references and consistently excellent animation makes me think that it'll be around for a long time to come. 

"Just for once I'd like someone to call me 'sir' without

adding 'you're making a scene'."

3) The Office: An American Workplace (2005-2013)
A lot of people seem to love the original, British version of The Office, and although I can find some enjoyable moments in it, the American interpretation completely blows it out of the water. With Steve Carell taking over Ricky Gervais as the lovable/detestable boss of a small company, The U.S Office is literally packed full of enjoyable content. Every single one of the 187 episodes made is funny, emotional and entertaining - something I can't say for the British version. 

"I wouldn't say I'm superstitious. 

I'm just a little-stitious." 

2) Luther (2010 - 2013)
When a friend of mine recommended Luther, I was initially apprehensive. I thought it would be a typical police drama which would be occasionally exciting but overall bland and predictable. And I couldn't have been more wrong. Yes, without Idris Elba, Luther may not be nearly anywhere as good as it is, but the detailed and intriguing plot of every single episode means they can be watched and re-watched numerous times. Combine this with multiple outstanding series finales and gut-wrenching twists, and you've got something truly special. The only problem is the length of each season, but the quality more than makes up for it. 

"Someone said to me once: hell is empty...and all the devils

are here."

1) Breaking Bad (2008 - 2013)
Was this really a surprise? Yes, I have a bit of an obsession where Breaking Bad is concerned, but anybody whom has seen the show will completely agree that it is by far one of the best pieces of entertainment ever made. Every single episode in this 5-season masterpiece is tense, well-acted and incredibly enjoyable. But I've already said this multiple times, so for anybody who hasn't seen Breaking Bad: go and watch it. Just try out the first episode. Then the next. Then the first few seasons. Then you ought to just watch it all. It really is more addictive than meth. 

"I am not in danger, I AM the danger."