Run, Fatboy, Run (David Schwimmer, 2007) Review

I think that there is something wrong when you have a title like Run, Fatboy, Run and then have it star a man who is not fat...kind of defeats the point of the title, if you ask me. I hear that Jack Black was supposed to star and that would've probably made it better in my opinion. Anyway, let's take a look at a solo Simon Pegg film what with the impending release of The World's End and all that...

After leaving his pregnant wife, Libby at the alter, out of shape Dennis (Simon Pegg) works as a security guard and lives in the basement of Mr. Goshdashtidar (Harish Patel). He does get time to spend with his son, however, but things begins to turn when Libby gets a new boyfriend in the form of Whit (Hank Azaria). Whit is the complete opposite of Dennis and Dennis, with motivation from his best friend Gordon (Dylan Moran), enters the London Marathon in order to win over Libby and look better than Whit.

This is alright....yeah...just alright. It's really nothing special though. To begin, it certainly has a predictable plot because you could probably guess what happens as we live in a world where comedies aren't given shocking endings. I'm also not the biggest fan of Hank Azaria since I just see (or...hear) him as one for the Simpsons voice actors although he does pull off the role of being a dick. Simon Pegg doesn't really fit in to this film either considering that this is clearly an American film with an British skin.

It's not all bad. I absolutely enjoyed Dylan Moran's performance even if he is typecast (I enjoy Black Books so I guess it isn't a problem). In fact, a lot of the side characters such as Mr. Goshdashtidar are also very enjoyable (you even get a Stephen Merchant cameo in there! That's always a good thing). There are also some very funny moments which is to be expected form a comedy even if some jokes are a little immature (that's fine by me!). You do feel attached to these characters so the film does a good job of making likable characters.

Run, Fatboy, Run is an okay comedy. It does do it's job of making jokes and creating likable characters with some enjoyable cast members such as Dylan Moran however Simon Pegg is completely out of place. He's not bad, he's just out of place. I also wasn't hooked by Hank Azaria but all in all, it's okay. It's nothing special though.

Veridct:
6.5/10
An okay comedy that is filled with laughs but has a questionable cast and a few missed jokes

Monsters University (Dan Scanlon, 2013) Review

I think that this is the very first prequel that I've reviewed (I said that now but I'm probably wrong) maybe because it's the first prequel that I went out of my way to watch (Star Wars was more of an obligation) as well as another iteration of my favourite Pixar film. Can Pixar reclaim their lost passion after the likes of Cars 2 and Brave or is this strike three for them. Let's find out.

Set before the events of Monsters, Inc., a young Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) discovers a passion and follows his dream to become the worlds best scarer. He enrolls into the eponymous university where we must prove himself worthy of being on the scare program. When there, he meets his new roommate, Randy Boggs (Steve Buscemi), the head of the university, Dean Hardscrabble (Helen Mirren) and James P. Sullivan (John Goodman), a slacker who uses his famous family name to get fame. Mike and Sully now go head to head in order to become the worlds best scarer.

Writing the synopsis for this film was actually quite difficult because each act of the film has it's own story. Act 1 has the class work, Act 2 has the scare games and Act 3.....would be giving a lot away. I believe this helps the film a lot as it keeps it from getting stale and I generally had no idea which way the film was going to go. It's god to see that films still aren't afraid to throw in a twist or two in like how The Dark Knight Rises and Wreck-it Ralph did. Just like the first film, Pixar shows off how creative it can be and even ups the creativity level in the design aspect. The campus looks really nice which is filled with imaginative creatures on a higher scale than the first. Helping this is the colour of the film which makes me glad I didn't see this in the darkened 3D showing. The acting is also just as good as the first with Billy Crystal swapping with John Goodman for the main focus and therefore giving the stronger performance. The last third reminds me of what Pixar do best and is easily the highlight of the movie.

It definitely feels like a Pixar film. Cars 1, 2 and Brave just didn't feel like a film Pixar would make (Turbo and Wreck-it Ralph feel more like Pixar than them!) but Monsters University has the look, the sound (with great use of music from the first film), the tone and the message. The message itself was exactly what I needed to here on my way to university this Autumn and I felt was very well handled. There are a few flaws though. I feel that Randall was VERY underused and warranted his own sub-plot. He is glanced over with a few appearances that don't connect well making me think that there were many deleted scenes and he was a huge missed opportunity. I also feel that there were maybe one too many throwbacks to Monsters, Inc to the point where it feels a little bit forced.

Monsters University was a pleasant surprise. While some people may be turned off my the slightly goofy first half, the second half is definitely where the film shines, bringing me back to that mindset of "yes, I am definitely watching a Pixar film". The actors are just as good as before as well as great new actors and characters to the Monsters franchise. It does, however, feel like there are a few scenes missing which stop sit from being a great Pixar film but, for what it is, it's pretty good. It seems as though Pixar have their brain back.

Verdict:
8/10
While the first half may turn people away and it feels like there are scenes missing, the new and old cast are great, the third act is fantastic and it feels very much like a Pixar film.

Ohhh...I forgot about The Hobbit...that's a good prequel.......(how did I forget that?)

Monsters, Inc. (Pete Docter, David Silverman and Lee Unkrich, 2001) Review

Pacific Rim....Monsters University....Pacific Rim....Monsters University *sigh* Why can't Disney be fair with their film release dates especially after what happened with Wreck-it Ralph. Ultimately I have picked Monsters University to watch because I have more chance of liking it than Pacific Rim (I will try to watch both but to guarantees) so with that in mind, let's take a look at what I think about the film that start it all...and by all I mean two films.

In a world filled with monsters, the main power for the city comes from Monsters Inc., a company run by Henry J. Waternoose (James Coburn), where monsters go into the human world in order to scare kids to use their screams as their power source. James P. "Sully" Sullivan (John Goodman) and Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) are a duo who currently hold the record for best scarers much to the dismay of rival Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi). Kids have bcome harder to scare and as a result, there is an energy shortage but things get even worse when a child, who Sully names Boo (Mary Gibbs), enters the monster world and Sully and Mike are left to hide her and get her home.

I'll be blunt, this is my favourite Pixar film however this doesn't mean that it's the best one. For the good, this film is very creative. I love the design of the main characters like Waternoose and Randall and, while I have seen the whole 'monsters in an office environment' in things like Beetlejuice, it's still done in a way that feels fresh. I also feel that there is true chemistry between Sully and Boo that feels genuine and therefore is engaging as well as the relationship between Sully and Mike which may be due to Mike being my favourite Pixar character...yes a lot of my favourite Pixar stuff emerges from this film.

As much as I love it, there is one thing that prevents the film from reaching a 9. Even I'm not blind to how bland the villains are. Unless Monsters University brings a new light to this, the villains aren't very well developed with a surprise second villain who was really uncalled for BUT this is all made up for by a very energetic and creative third act that will stick with you for a while. The actors, primarily John Goodman and Billy Crystal, do pretty well too and I'm glad Goodman and Crystal did their voices together in the same booth as it adds to the chemsitry in the same way The Road to El Dorado did, making for one the films highlights.

Monsters Inc. is still my favourite Pixar film due to the creative designs of characters, the third act is a ton of fun, the main characters are very likable, the ending is one of Pixar's strongest however the villains are pretty bland. So only one things prevents this from being a 9 but the rest is great and I will gladly rewatch this many times again. I also cannot wait to see Monsters University in order to see more of my favourite Pixar characters.

Verdict:
8.5/10
A fun and creative film that JUST falls short of a 9 due to the bland villains but that's my only complaint!

Despicable Me 2 (Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, 2013) Review

I wish it wasn't so nice outside recently otherwise I wouldn't have ignored the inevitable review of a film that I saw well over a week ago now. I'm really late on this one but at least I'm finally tackling this one, right?.......right? Aw well, I think this will do well considering that my review of the first film was my most popular review on the build up to this one's release but now I've seen it and have an opinion to deliver. Let's take a look at Despicable Me 2.

A while after the defeat of Vector, Gru (Steve Carrell) has become a better dad to his adopted daughters and has given up on villainy. Agent Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wigg) arrives and takes Gru to the secret hideout of the Anti-Villain League, headed by Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan...heh...bottom), who hire Gru in order to investigate a new villain currently working at the mall. Gru and Lucy team up in order to take out this villain with shop owners such as Floyd (Ken Jeong) and Eduardo (Benjamin Bratt).

Kudos to this film. I went into this film with no clue what was going to happen and I have the trailers to thank for that. Most trailers give away a lot (I've seen enough trailers for Monsters University to piece it together) but the trailers for this film gave away nothing, thank you. Anyway, this is a hilarious film. This is such a funny film to the point to tears at some points. This Is the End is more crude humour while this relies on more off-the-wall humour which is definitely a highlight. It also expands on what made the one good. It went from a good to a great film. It also makes great use of side characters.

One thing I love especially is the animation. It's very lively and jumpy which films like Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and Hotel Transylvania benefit from. Problem wise, this film ends VERY anti-climatically with a lot going unaddressed. People may also find Kristen Wigg annoying in this but personally I enjoyed her in things like Paul and The Looney Tunes Show so I was used to her style but...yeah, she can get annoying.

Despicable Me 2 is definitely better than the first as it's stronger in tone, animated better, makes great use of side characters and has a stronger cast. It shines in its comedy that had in tears. It does have some problems in the ending and some characters being a bit overdone or underused (definetly a huge problem there) but all in all, it was a fun film that I do recommend.

Verdict:
7.5/10
A funny, well animated film that expands on the previous film while lacking in the third act and underused characters.

This Is the End (Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, 2013) Review

Back into the swing of current films with This Is the End (..."hold your breath and count to ten"...sorry). For those unaware, this is an American end of the world comedy which would be fine if there wasn't a British end of the world comedy at the end of this month (time will tell which is better) and since I can't come up with a better introduction, let's just move on with this (what? Were you expecting formal reviews? You've definitely come to the wrong place).

Jay Baruchel (no point putting the cast since they're playing themselves) arrives at LA in order to hang out with his best friend, Seth Rogen. After a night of hanging out, Seth decides to drag Jay to James Franco's house warming party. They meet with old friends such as Craig Robinson and Jonah Hill however things get worse when a hole going straight to Hell opens up and kills a majority of the celebrity guests leaving Jay, Seth, James, Jonah and Craig left to survive the end of the world (and Eddie McBride is in there too...).

It's so nice to see something fresh (sure it's not 100% original since it's based on Jay and Seth's short) film but I think lots of people will be in agreement that I love the different, over the top interpretations of these celebrities from James Franco's egotistical attitude to Jonah Hill being the nicest guy ever. I also love how it's such a 'meta' film with many film references (yes, I spotted the poster for Milk when they were in Franco's basement) and naturally, this is a very funny film but what did you expect from the minds behind Superbad? Although that does mean that it relies a bit on gross-out humour however the film does know when to stop the humour (one scenes is actually very suspenseful).

Like I just said...it relies a bit on gross-out humour. That should never be an option (I really hate it). I also feel that the third act was a little bit ridiculous as I enjoyed the set up it began with by having them holed up in Franco's house. It's the reason I love Dawn of the Dead because it has focus. Some could also argue that it may be a little predictable because of the context and setting (end of the world...guess what happens) but I personally didn't have that problem.

This Is the End is only for those who like comedy films with the likes of Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen. Others do stand out among them though (Craig Robinson is my personal favourite) but this is definetly not for everyone. I will say that it is funny and surprisingly gripping at times. It's not a perfect film but it's good enough to say that it was worth a watch. Next time, we continue on with 2013 films! YEAH!

Verdict:
7/10
A funny film that has focus and knows when to be humourous with some great film references. It does have a few problems stemming from the last third and is definitely not a film for everybody.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Rob Marshall, 2011) Review

Everything in the series is tied up! Why are you still here? What are you doing, Pirates of the Caribbean? About half of the recurring characters don't even come back. I know the third film ended with Jack stealing Barbossa's map to the fountain of youth but that was done in a way like The Incredibles where it's not a cliffhanger, it's just a way of saying "and so their adventures go on". You don't follow those up but apparently they decided to for On Stranger Tides...let's finish this.

Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) clashes with a woman from his past, Angelica (Penélope Cruz), when escaping from custody but is suckered into working with in her in order to find the location of the Fountain of Youth. Jack is also lured by Angelica onto a ship named the Queen Anne's Revenge which is rumoured to be helmed by Blackbeard (Ian McShane) who also wishes to find the fountain. All the while, Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is in hot pursuit of Jack. 

I'm going to start with the bad stuff fist by starting with how disappointed I was in Ian McShane. Blackbeard is surprisingly bland and not very developed. Maybe I was spoilt by how well Davy Jones was done that it would make any villain that comes next bland. There is also a subplot that is just a repeat of Elizabeth and Will's story in the original trilogy and is pretty pointless since I can't imagine they will come back in the next one...if there is a next one. Speaking of Elizabeth and Will, Keira Knightly and Orlando Bloom did add something to the series for me so them being missing, along with a majority of the crew of the Black Pearl, doesn't help the film at all.

As for the good, Penélope Cruz is surprisingly good and offers a new character for the series that works well off of Jack. Barbossa is still as good as he's always been and the film is certainly less complex than the previous two however that could be seen as bad considering that I felt it worked in the last one...a lot of people didn't so I guess it's a good thing...maybe. It is also a creative film with the great use of mermaids and Blackbeard's ship.

On Stranger Tides is definitely the black sheep of the series but it's not terrible, it's just lacking in comparison to the other three.  The villain is really bland, it's smaller in content and scale, it's not as developed, it's lacking what made the first three work but there is still some good stuff here such as the recurring stars being great and it's also creative. Ok, we're finally done with this series...let's check out some films from this year...

Verdict:
6.5/10

Also what was with that Judi Dench cameo?

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Gore Verbinski, 2007) Review

I always hate it when I start reviewing a whole franchise because I always end up watching a brand new film in cinema and, since I like consistency, I have to wait. Aw well, we've made it half way through the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise so It's time to take a look at the third (and what should have been last) film in the series subtitled At World's End...is this the one with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost or Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel?

After Elizabeth (Keira Knightly), Will (Orlando Bloom) and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) rescue Jack (Johnny Depp) from Davy Jones' Locker, Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) has obtained the heart of Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) and forms an alliance between him and Jones in order to finish off pirates once and for all. The crew of Black Pearl now have meet with all the pirate leaders in order to free the sea Goddess Calypso, who Davy Jones has a history with, and finally go to war against Beckett and Davy Jones.

I know that a lot of people hate this film and normally gets an "eh, it's okay" response...honestly, this is my favourite of the trilogy and, as I prepare for the hatedom (that's not a word...) that I will conjure, I think it's the greatest one too. The presentation of this film is fantastic with use of excellent costumes, make-up (Oscar nominated make-up!), visual effects (Oscar nominated visual effects!) and truly the greatest music in the series (one of Hans Zimmer's best). There are hardly any new characters which means that they have to rely on character development in this one and good God does this film work well at that! Jack Sparrow actually shows a more serious side in this film (one shot is especially good but I dare not ruin it), Barbossa's return offers some great moments, Keira Knightly and Orlando Bloom give a much more varied performances, Beckett is given an amazing send-off but Davy Jones is where the film shines. He is given a more developed background and a reason for his current state that I think works so well. For me, Davy Jones makes this franchise.

I hear the biggest complaint is that it's too cluttered and complex but with films like The Dark Knight Rises, I would say that it's a moot point considering that it's basically the norm for films now. I could counter-argument that it's ahead of it's time...but I'm not gonna. People also complain that there are some stupid moments and...yeeeaaah that is probably the films only major flaw and these moments aren't clearly justified but the serious moments counter them so I say it equals out. We also get some top notch action linked into a spectacular finale (two ships fighting across each other on a giant maelstrom!). The finale alone is more than enough reason to watch this film from "what shall we die for" to "it's just good business".

At World's End seems to get a lot of hate but, if you couldn't tell, I disagree wholeheartedly. I feel this is where the series was at it's best. It clears up from Dead' Man's Chest very well, it has some amazing music, spectacular action, brilliant character development, tremendous acting and great visual effects. So why is't it a 9? There are some unneeded moments that do make it a bit long (again, that's then norm for films) and it isn't a very clear film at times. So the trilogy is done...why was there a fourth? I have no idea...

Verdict:
8.5/10
There is so much in this film that I love that makes it my personal favourite of the series.