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Independence Day: Resurgence | Film Review

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Please note the following review attempts to not contain spoilers.

“We sacrifice for each other, no matter what the cost.”

Twenty years after the first film, they are back. Independence Day: Resurgence, follows the storyline twenty years after the attack on Earth. It is filled with explosive moments, dramatic build ups, iconic monuments being destroyed, and alien verses human fights.

It is an action packed film from the onset, and throughout. The cast does an excellent job, but is let down by the script due to the constant duelling between the characters attempting to be the hero, and outshine one another throughout the film. In a sense, it’s good because you don’t have a single “hero” to stand behind, as it’s a fight for the entirety of the human race, however for any good story, you need that one individual, instead of having a divided focus. In the original Independence Day, we were all standing behind and rooting for Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith), especially with his epic one liners.

The film has moved on from an American focus, and includes close up views of destruction across Earth, and has different nationalities portrayed. There is a bunch of new technology in the film, which is pretty epic as it reflects how far modern technology has come - especially within cinematic effects, which are pretty awesome for this film. We get to travel between Earth and the moon.

Independence Day: Resurgence is a great film, if you enjoy things getting blown up, millions of people dying, and a pretty predictable storyline. Parts of the film, feel like they were trying to reproduce the success of Independence Day. But with the great acting, and cinematography, the film isn’t all that bad overall. The film is in NZ theatres now so you can see whether or not the twenty years prepared us, and the longer than usual extended trailer is below for you to have a look over.

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Eddie the Eagle | Film Review

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Please note the following review does not contain spoilers.

“It’s a world that doesn’t want to know you!” “So, what’s new?”

Eddie the Eagle is a feel good film, inspired from true events. It is brilliantly brought to life, firstly by director Dexter Fletcher, and by the exceptionally talented Taron Egerton, and Hugh Jackman. The film is based on the true story of Michael “Eddie” Edwards, England’s own ski jumper competing in the 1988 Winter Olympics.

The film centres around the ideology of never giving up and pushing yourself to believe, even when everyone else doesn’t think you stand a chance. From a young age Eddie dreamt of being an Olympian, he just had to find the right sport. That sport, Ski Jumping. Eddie fights against his fathers constant disapproval, “Eddie, you are not an athlete!” He strives forwards to find his glorious moment. We follow his journey of sheer determination and an unstoppable amount of will power, to see Eddie push past the British Olympic Association’s attempts at stopping him to make it to the Calgary Winter Olympics.

Taron Egerton does an amazing job of lighting up the screen as Eddie, his spirit and determination is heartwarming, even in the darkest of moments. Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of coach Bronson Peary, allows for a slight love / hate relationship. You just want him to help Eddie from the get go and have to persevere along with Eddie for it to come about. The characters journey together, allows for many laughter moments throughout the film. The throwback 80s music along with the amazing cinematography make this film an absolute must see in my opinion. Along with that, I love the little throwback to the Jamaican national bobsleigh team and Cool Runnings in the film, so keep an ear out for that.

Filled with humorous and inspirational moments, it is a absolute delight to watch and I would definitely recommend it as an all rounder, and family film. So have a look at the trailer below and preorder your tickets as it hits NZ cinemas on 28th April.

“Fly. You’re Eddie the Eagle.”

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Film Review: The Martian

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Please note the following review contains spoilers throughout.

“I’m gonna have to science the shit out of this.”

The Martian starring Matt Damon, as astronaut Mark Watney, is a tale of survival. It contains great wit and spirit by Damon, and is a great film to watch. The film centres around Watney accidentally being left behind on a mission to Mars, presumed dead. If anything, it was lucky that Watney was the one left behind, as a Botanist he has the ability to increase his food supply, and have a real chance at surviving the harsh environment that is Mars.

It is an incredible tale, centring on Watney’s ability to keep himself sane enough to survive on a planet, alone, and deemed unsurvivable for humans. Watney goes against all odds, and totally “sciences the shit” out of Mars. However, if anything could go wrong, it most certainly would do.

Damon is an incredible actor in this film, and it is an amazing story to be witness to. In all honesty, it is amazing that someone has the emotional strength and determination to survive, and survive he does. Along with that, there are many facets of information that you learn from within the film. I found it fascinating, to see the workings of NASA and how it functions. Although the film is heavily dramatised, it was still an interesting portrayal of the inner workings of the agency.

The film effects are incredibly realistic, especially that of the tolls Watney’s body undergoes with rationing his food supply, and going over a year without a shower.

“It’s space… It doesn’t co-operate.”

The Martian is a film that evokes emotion from you. Whether it be a chuckle, or a tear you will definitely get some feels from the experiences undergone by Watney. The film is out in NZ theatres this Thursday, so have a look at the trailer below if you are interested in viewing an alternative space adventure.

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Film Review: Maze Runner The Scorch Trials

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This review is based on the film adaption of James Dashner’s book ‘The Scorch Trials’, and not on the book itself. The review is from the perspective of someone who has not read the book.

Just like the first film, The Scorch Trials, is a bit of a slow starter that builds up to be filled with action, betrayal, and new discoveries.

There is a lack of character development, but the performances of the young cast is grand. The story line still has massive holes in it - in the sense you aren’t entirely sure what’s going to happen next, or what has happened (prior to the memory wipes) - which is good as it will keep you on the edge of your seat in anticipation to discover the truth and see what unfolds.

The cast is amazing, and I definitely missed Minho’s quick wit and one liners that we had in the first film, he seems to be more so a background character in this film. The landscape is great, and makes it feel otherworldly and a tad scary. It seems to reflects the vastness and uncertainty of the fate that the Gladers face.

I really enjoyed the film and can’t wait for the next / final instalment. The most driving force of engagement for me, is how great the actors are that portray the characters, along with the fact that the director, Wes Ball, does a great job of reeling you in and keeping you wanting more.

The film ends with a curious note for the viewers as to what will be in store for us (and the Gladers) in the third instalment. The Scorch Trials hit NZ cinemas today, so check out the trailer below

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Film Review: Paper Towns

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PaperTowns Poster

This review is based on the film adaption of John Green’s book ‘Paper Towns’, and not on the book itself. The review is from the perspective of someone who has not read the book. Please note that therefore this review may contain spoilers.

“A paper town for a paper girl.”

Paper Towns reels you in right from the start. It is entertaining and engaging, with so many great moments in between. We are introduced to Quentin, or Q, as his friends call him. Then we learn about his relationship with the mysterious, yet formidable Margo. Tales are spun about her unbelievable and epic adventures. The film kicks off with the reasons why Margo and Q are no longer close. Some adventures were too big for him, which is understandable as he has his whole life planned out. However on one fateful night, Margo climbs into Q’s room requesting his assistance as she has 9 things she needs to do. Margo forces Q out of his very small and limited comfort zone, to show him how he should feel about life. The whole idea comes out of the film, is that life is worth living, not just existing in.

Over the next couple of days, Q and the audience realise that Margo is gone. The school has differing stories regarding what she is up to, but Q realises she is calling him out to come find her. Thus the epic love seeking adventure begins. Q and his best friends, Radar and Ben, do things for the first time during their last year of high school. When the year is full of lasts for most people, it is actually full of firsts for Q and his friends. We see the importance of friendship, along with the idea of being there for one another.

The ending was a tad disappointing in the fact that Q didn’t exactly get the happily ever after he was following, but it did end with a couple of realisations. Firstly, Margo wasn’t a miracle or an adventure… she was just a girl. A bit of a selfish one at that, in my opinion. However, she helps Q and the audience to realise something, that no matter how ‘planned out’ your life is, you should have moments where your heart beats uncontrollably because you did something completely out of your comfort zone.

“That is the way you should feel your whole life.”

I really enjoyed the film. It has so many laugh out loud moments, and it was great to see a set of friends get on so well with each other, that pushed each other and were there for one another. It was also nice to see actors who actually looked like young adults. Natural, without a heap of makeup on, and I think that helped to make you relate more to the characters that the actors were portraying. The music was amazing. The soundtrack was wicked and fitted in so well with the film. There aren’t many films that you actually notice the music in them, but this film had them placed so well you couldn’t miss some of the songs.

Paper Towns hits NZ cinemas this Thursday, July 16. Check out the trailer below and make time to check out the film - it’s too good to miss out on an adventure.

“Take a risk and stop playing it so safe.”

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Film Review: Aloha

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Aloha

“The future isn’t just something that happens. It’s a brutal force… with a great sense of humour, that will steam roll you, if you’re not watching.”

Aloha is quite a star studded film. The story centres around the ‘fallen’ Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper), a disillusioned ex-pilot and space aficionado. He is forced to return to Hawaii for a military contract, and is reminded of his failed relationship with his former lover, Tracy (Rachel McAdams). Tracy has since married Woody (John Krasinski), a man of very few words, and has two children - Grace and Mitchell. We are reminded that Brian has a shadowy past, and doesn’t seem to make the best decisions at times. He is guided by liaison Alison Ng (Emma Stone), an Air Force pilot, and who is 1/4 Hawaiian (which we are constantly told) throughout his travels around Hawaii. She is a firecracker, who is ferocious in her believes and yet also quirky. It is great having her along for the ride, as we discover the legends and stories of the Hawaiians and get a better understanding of parts of the storyline.

The film has the odd chuckle moments throughout. I like the unspoken narrative at the end of the film. It is a touching moment between father and child. The rest is a bit weird and nonsensical, but I think it was their attempt to have a bit of humour in the script.

Ideally, I think this film is more so a tale of redemption. It’s about Brian figuring out who he is, and what kind of man he wants to be. It’s about working through past issues, and seeing what you have now. This is reflected in not only Brian, but Tracy as well. She lives in the past, constantly reminding Brian of how he ruined everything. It is quite a sad element of the film, as the pain from the past seeps into the present, and affects everyone involved. The title of the film, Aloha, meaning goodbye and hello is a good reflection of the film. As the tag lines says, ‘sometimes you have to say goodbye before you can say hello’.

I quite enjoyed the film overall, but there were moments which didn’t flow very well for me. At times, the film seemed to have a lot of things going on in it, which made you forget some elements of the storyline. However, do check out the trailer below, as Aloha hits NZ theatres Thursday 4 June. Enjoy and Aloha.

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Film Review: Boychoir

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“Put everything you are into it.”

Boychoir is a film based on an emotional journey. It’s about overcoming challenges and seeing beyond what is in front of you. It’s the idea that even though those around you may doubt you, you should never doubt yourself. Their criticisms should be your driving force to excel. Your dreams and passions are worthy to be realised, and shown to the world.

The film starts of rather slowly and is fairly predictable, but trust me, it’s worth the wait. If nothing else, you are exposed to incredible music and a look inside competitive choir that most people would have no idea about. The music is the heart of the film. It helps to carry you through the obvious gaps in the storytelling.

We met Stet, an eleven year old boy who is obviously carrying a rather large chip on his shoulders. He is a troubled and angry youth, which is forced to audition for the American Boy Choir. The film begins as though it should be obvious to the viewer that he is a talented young man, but we are not allowed to see this. You watch a good chunk of the film before we actually see, well hear, Stet’s ability to sing. In all honesty, you are wondering if he can actually sing, but I think that is the clincher. That is what reels you in, and keeps you engaged.

The musical talent of each boy within the choir is incredible. The singing is uplifting and brings a tear, or two to the eye. Garrett Wareing, who plays Stet, is new to the acting world and the vulnerability of his character (along with himself as an actor) is greatly appreciated on screen. You can’t help but root for him.

Boychoir is a heart-warming, family friendly film. The music in astounding, and if you appreciate classical music then it’s right up your alley, but, if you are new to classical, then, what an opener for you. I don’t think I can go on about how beautiful the music is, so I’ll leave it up to your own judgements.

Boychoir hits NZ cinemas on Thursday 30 April. See the below trailer for a note of inspiration.