Film Review: Final Destination 5

(Published on Rushes Online Film Magazine, and read this in In Retrospect – Issue 1)

Final Destination 5, directed by Steven Quale, sets itself up to be the final film in the Final Destination franchise. Although the Final Destination series as a whole is very predictable, this latest instalment brings something new to its supposed end with the new rule of ‘kill or be killed’.

Beginning in the same way as the others, Sam Lawton (Nicholas D’Agosto) has a premonition of how he and his friends are going to die. This time around, Sam is sitting on a bus filled with his colleagues when he sees the bridge on which his bus is driving across collapse and all of his friends die in a variety of brutal and gore-filled ways. But death doesn’t like to be cheated, and one by one it begins to kill the eight survivors of the accident who are now living on death’s borrowed time. Can the group find a way of defeating death without turning against each other?

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Film Review: The Inbetweeners Movie

(Published on Rushes Online Film Magazine, and read this in In Retrospect – Issue 1)

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Directed by Ben Palmer, The Inbetweeners Movie topped the UK box office this week taking £13.2 million in its opening weekend, totalling £11.4 million more than Cowboys and Aliens this week and £4.9 million more than James Cameron’s hit film Avatar in 2009.

Based on the award-winning E4 comedy, Will (Simon Bird), Simon (Joe Thomas), Jay (James Buckley) and Neil (Blake Harrison) say goodbye to high school and prepare for a minge-tastic summer holiday before they split up for university. After three series of embarrassing adolescent experiences and geeky banter through their time at sixth form, will they finally achieve their almost impossible goal of losing their virginities after two years of their cringe-worthy attempts?

Film Review: Super 8

(Published on Rushes Online Film Magazine, and read this in In Retrospect – Issue 1)

From the incredible combination that is director and writer J. J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg, Super 8 is a sci-fi adventure about a young group of friends who witness a mysterious train crash. Resulting in a number of strange happenings around town, the group take it upon themselves to investigate into the creepy phenomenon. Here, their friendships are put to the test as bonds are developed and a romance blossoms. Whilst you may expect a scary creature-feature, Super 8 is all PG and it’s these relationships that are the focus of the story.

Film Review: Pirates of the Caribbean 4 – On Stranger Tides

(Published on Rushes Online Film Magazine)

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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, directed by Rob Marshall, is the fourth installment to Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) returns for another adventure, this time to find the Fountain of Youth. But he isn’t the only one. During his first, inevitable mission of having to find a ship, Jack bumps into a woman from his past, Angelica Malon (Penélope Cruz), who is trying to find the fountain for herself. Angelica forces Jack aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, Captained by her father, the fearsome Blackbeard (Ian McShane) where he is forced to cooperate, finding himself on an unexpected quest. Overseas, Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is setting off with a different plan in mind.

Film Review: Your Highness

(Published on Rushes Online Film Magazine)

Your Highness is a tale of chivalry with a twist; a hilarious comedy full of perverted mythical creatures, half-naked women and a vast amount of sexual innuendos. Danny McBride and James Franco team up in an epic comedy adventure set in a fantasy world of knights and wizards. The two play sibling Princes, Thadeous (McBride) and Fabious (Franco), who are sent on a quest to save their land and rescue Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), Fabious’ soon-to-be-wife who has been kidnapped by the evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux).

Film Review: Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go, directed by Mark Romanek, is an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel of the same title. Beginning in the late 1990s, the story is narrated by thirty-one-year-old Kathy (Carey Mulligan) who was brought up at the seemingly idyllic Hailsham school along with her closest friends, Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Ruth (Keira Knightley). Now a carer of organ donors, Kathy attempts to come to terms with her childhood at Hailsham and the fate that was set out for her and her friends in the wider world.

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Film Review: Toy Story 3

(Published on Rushes Online Film Magazine)

After an 11 year wait, Woody, Buzz and the whole toy box team are back on their final and most exciting adventure yet.

As 17-year-old Andy prepares for college, his loyal toys are accidentally shipped off to daycare where they meet a bunch of new characters, including Barbie’s counterpart Ken and a strawberry-scented teddy bear called Lots-o’-Huggin’. From the torture of toddlers’ sticky hands and drooling mouths, the team plan their escape from the not-so-nice gang of the daycare toys to return home before Andy leaves.

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Film Review: Killers

(Published on Rushes Online Film Magazine)

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Directed by Robert Luketic, Katherine Heigl (Jen) and Ashton Kutcher (Spencer) co-star as the funnier, yet less professional, version of Mr and Mrs Smith that’s just not quite as effective. A funny, romantic start with a topless Kutcher, but then a screaming wife and a few clumsy fighting scenes; a bit of decent comedy would have made it a little more worthwhile.

Spencer bumps into Jen whilst on a killing assignment at a holiday resort in France. Jen is taking a break with her alcoholic mother (Catherine O’Hara) and sympathetic, but cautious, father (Tom Selleck). The two instantly fall in love, and it’s not long before Spencer swaps his license to kill to live a luxurious life with her.

Film Review: She’s Out Of My League

(Published on Rushes Online Film Magazine)

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From the writers of Hot Tub Time Machine and Sex Drive, Sean Anders and John Morris have teamed up to give us another typical American boy-meets-girl teen plot that attempts to unfold a deeper meaning behind its predictable story line.

Jay Baruchel, recognisable from his smaller roles in films such as Tropic Thunder, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Knocked Up, takes the lead role as Kirk, a scrawny teen struggling to find a girlfriend, with not a lot going for him except for his job at an airport with his immature friends. That is until the gorgeous and successful Molly (Alice Eve) walks into his airport. Slow motion and wind blowing through her hair, Kirk undoubtedly catches her eye along with every other man on set. Coincidently, he finds Molly’s phone and has to keep hold of it until she returns, promising their foreseeable re-meet.

Film Review: Whip It

(Published on Rushes Online Film Magazine)

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Whip It is Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, based on Sue Cross’s novel, Derby Girl. The story follows Bliss Cavendar, played by Ellen Page (Juno), an unpopular teen from a boring town who doesn’t know where her life is going.

The film opens by introducing Bliss as an out-of-place character straight away. She walks onto the stage of a beauty pageant with dyed, bright blue hair as her mother stares in disappointment from the crowd. Her mother, Brooke (Marcia Gay Harden), is one of those American Mom’s who forces her “psychotic idea of 50’s womanhood” down her children’s throats. When she takes Bliss shopping, she refuses to buy her a pair of boots when she realises that the pretty vases she has been admiring around the shop are actually bongs. This is when a group of tattooed women with brightly coloured hair and ‘alternative’ clothing skate into the shop. Bliss’ mind fills with excitement as she discovers the roller derby team.