Sunshine on Leith
What’s it about?
Best buddies Davy and Ally return home to Edinburgh searching for love after their tour in Afghanistan ends in tragedy.
What did we think?
Stephen says: In a word: “twee”. In a sentence: It’s a musical version of EastEnders. In an odious comparison: Take Mamma Mia, replace ᗅᗺᗷᗅ with The Proclaimers, dumb down the story, and you have Sunshine On Leith.
Jokes aside, The Proclaimers music is infectious, so even if you only know the opening and closing songs, you’ll still be tapping along throughout. The main problem is the script: the current climate of creating musicals from popular bands’ back catalogues is stripped back to its ugliest form: “hey, they have a song about a Jean – let’s name on of the characters Jean… and one about sending a postcard back from America… and lots of songs about love”. Voila! Extremely flimsy and lacklustre plot written! Thankfully it’s performed and shot well. It’s just bland. Bland but fun. I’m sure mum will enjoy it.
X-Men: Days Of Future Past
What it’s about?
In the dystopian future, outlawed superhuman mutants are hunted down and killed, so gnarled and knuckle-clawed Wolverine is sent back to the 1970s to warn the younger versions of his fellow X-Men, thwart destiny and satiate the kidult Supanova crowd who still covet action figures in their 30s. Like me.
What did we think?
Careful, one of the mutants says of time travel, the mind can be stretched only so far before it snaps. Consider yourself warned. The exposition-and-character-heavy Days of Future Past could lose non-cosplayers fast. But hang in there. Paraplegic telepath Charles “Professor X” Xavier and metal-manipulating Erik “Magneto” Lehnsherr, again portrayed with impeccable dramatic heft by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender of 2011’s first-class X-Men refresh, make franchise rivals Thor and the Hulk look like the rather silly cartoons they are.
Returning director Bryan Singer adds flesh to his pioneering but outmoded early-2000s X-Men template, melding atomic-grade effects setpieces with Inception’s out-of-body mind-thumps (and Ellen Page), while introducing a tremendous take on the JFK magic-bullet theory. Oh, and there’s Tyrion.
So, Marvel’s latest mutation is both super AND cerebral? Your move, Avengers.
Godzilla
What’s it about?
A natural disaster that isn’t actually natural sparks off a chain of events which leads to a giant monster that could spell the end of the world for humanity.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: The new Godzilla is like a one-night stand. It’s fun and exciting while it lasts but the next morning you have questions and thoughts that are generally unsatisfying.
Great effects and the best finishing move of all time (OF ALL TIME) mask some deficiencies in characterisation and story. The main ‘hero’ follows a journey of interconnected events that is beyond the belief of even someone who’s happy to believe in giant monsters.
But for those who do it isn’t about the frailties of the script, it’s about the giant lizard. And although we don’t see enough of the big guy what we do see is simply good fun. There are some good twists (avoid spoilers beforehand if you can) and some genuine respect and love for the character and its history but just don’t think about it too much.
BONUS: Luckily for me the very talented Rob O’Connor was still awake when I got out of the preview screening and was kind enough to draw this for me.
Transformers 4: Age of extinction (new trailer)
Everybody’s favorite giant robots are back. Even better – there’s no more Shia and instead we have Markie Wahlberg. Thoughts?
And if that’s not enough check out the stills:
A Million Ways To Die In The West (NEW trailer)
To be honest I normally hate anachronistic references in films but I have laughed at every single trailer and clip of this movie. I simply cannot wait.
Check it out and let us know what you think of this new ‘tooth fairy’ trailer.
Lucy
Luc Besson and Scarlett Johansson? I’m there. I don’t even need to see the trailer.
(but here it is in case you need to see it)
What’s Popular
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children
What’s it about?
Imagine if Tim Burton made an X-Men movie.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: A delightful flight of fancy that will tickle both the heart and imagination, Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children is a welcome breath of fresh air. We’ve had a glut of children’s books becoming franchises but this one has the right mix of intelligence and whimsy that will leave people of all ages wanting more. Masterful performances from an all-star cast make it hard to single out individuals but special mention should be made of Eva Green whose sudden jerky movements mimic the peregrine flacon she transforms into wonderfully.
The few faults – the climax isn’t as big as one would hope and the concept of time is a bit ‘wibbly wobbly’ – are minor and easily overlooked once you lose yourself in a world of hidden secrets and incredible powers. It’s very understated for Tim Burton who seems more focused on the story than excessive quirk, but any movie that makes you want to immediately buy the books is doing something right.
Storks
What’s it about?
The storks have modernised and replaced their baby delivery service with an amazon-like corporation. The status quo is threatened however and the company’s heir apparent is tasked with making the final child delivery.
What did we think?
It’s an incredibly cute movie with genuine laugh-out-loud moments. The humour is unmistakably Andy Samberg’s so while the film lacks subtlety or real depth, it compensates with enough raw entertainment to overcome a predictable by-the-numbers plot. Good for all ages, it won’t go down as a classic but it’s fun enough.
Snowden
What’s it about?
From Snowden’s early days contracting for the US government, up until he becomes responsible for the largest leak in history.
What did we think?
Nick John Bleeker says: Oliver Stone’s interpretation of the most significant leak in history highlights its sheer magnitude by making the man behind it have less of an agenda and more of a personal obligation. Despite that, the film struggles to dive deep on the ethical questions …but you’ll still find yourself taping up your laptop’s camera afterwards.
Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years
What’s it about?
Beatlemania.
What did we think?
Elizabeth Best & Ben Bissett say: Four boys. Four years. That’s all it took to take the Beatles from the grimy basements of Liverpool to the centre of a claustrophobic global touring hurricane. This was the birth of teenagers losing their shit in epic proportions over the cult of celebrity, and the most revelatory moments are the screamed, sobbing reactions to the barely-out-of-their-teens-themselves Fab Four. The heady rush of the first tours quickly turn to jaded dissatisfaction: by the mid-’60s the mop-tops had become caged animals in the circus, and their final tour gig ends with them carted away in a literal meat locker. Beatles for sale, indeed. Cinema-goers (and only cinema-goers, we’re told) are treated to the previously unscreened ‘65 Shea Stadium concert after the credits, yet this film merely skirts the Beatles lore and footage available in the Anthology series. But then, that damn thing lasted nearly 12 hours. In limited cinemas, one week only.
Editor's Choice
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children
What’s it about?
Imagine if Tim Burton made an X-Men movie.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: A delightful flight of fancy that will tickle both the heart and imagination, Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children is a welcome breath of fresh air. We’ve had a glut of children’s books becoming franchises but this one has the right mix of intelligence and whimsy that will leave people of all ages wanting more. Masterful performances from an all-star cast make it hard to single out individuals but special mention should be made of Eva Green whose sudden jerky movements mimic the peregrine flacon she transforms into wonderfully.
The few faults – the climax isn’t as big as one would hope and the concept of time is a bit ‘wibbly wobbly’ – are minor and easily overlooked once you lose yourself in a world of hidden secrets and incredible powers. It’s very understated for Tim Burton who seems more focused on the story than excessive quirk, but any movie that makes you want to immediately buy the books is doing something right.
Storks
What’s it about?
The storks have modernised and replaced their baby delivery service with an amazon-like corporation. The status quo is threatened however and the company’s heir apparent is tasked with making the final child delivery.
What did we think?
It’s an incredibly cute movie with genuine laugh-out-loud moments. The humour is unmistakably Andy Samberg’s so while the film lacks subtlety or real depth, it compensates with enough raw entertainment to overcome a predictable by-the-numbers plot. Good for all ages, it won’t go down as a classic but it’s fun enough.
Snowden
What’s it about?
From Snowden’s early days contracting for the US government, up until he becomes responsible for the largest leak in history.
What did we think?
Nick John Bleeker says: Oliver Stone’s interpretation of the most significant leak in history highlights its sheer magnitude by making the man behind it have less of an agenda and more of a personal obligation. Despite that, the film struggles to dive deep on the ethical questions …but you’ll still find yourself taping up your laptop’s camera afterwards.
Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years
What’s it about?
Beatlemania.
What did we think?
Elizabeth Best & Ben Bissett say: Four boys. Four years. That’s all it took to take the Beatles from the grimy basements of Liverpool to the centre of a claustrophobic global touring hurricane. This was the birth of teenagers losing their shit in epic proportions over the cult of celebrity, and the most revelatory moments are the screamed, sobbing reactions to the barely-out-of-their-teens-themselves Fab Four. The heady rush of the first tours quickly turn to jaded dissatisfaction: by the mid-’60s the mop-tops had become caged animals in the circus, and their final tour gig ends with them carted away in a literal meat locker. Beatles for sale, indeed. Cinema-goers (and only cinema-goers, we’re told) are treated to the previously unscreened ‘65 Shea Stadium concert after the credits, yet this film merely skirts the Beatles lore and footage available in the Anthology series. But then, that damn thing lasted nearly 12 hours. In limited cinemas, one week only.