Les Miserables review

Review time! 

So in between my rather busy schedule recently, I (of course) just had to make time to see Les Miserables hit the big screen and I'll tell you simply now - I was blown away. 

Here's the trailer before, and caution - there are spoilers beyond it...

So I'll make a little confession before I start... Before I went and watched this film, I actually hadn't seen Les Mis before. I KNOW, I'M SORRY! But like most people, I had of course heard the majority of the songs and I had watched a little bit of my Mum's tenth anniversary DVD with her. But that was all my knowledge of Les Miserables expanded to.

So for my first time ever seeing Les Mis all the way through, I can tell you now I loved every second of it. I found the story was relatively easy to follow - probably a little easier than I may have done on the stage. Although the ending is sad (incredibly sad may I add), I left the cinema so happy because I was just blown away by what I had just watched; no wonder it has been nominated for so many awards, and any award it does win, will be fully deserved.

The cast was a stellar, blockbuster cast that you'd expect with a big film such as this, easily one of the many anticipated films to come out recently. Hugh Jackman was wonderful as the lead of Jean Valjean, displaying his versatility and talent within not just his singing voice, but also his acting. It was a wonderful performance; however, I feel that Jackman didn't have the best voice of the cast. I'd give this award to Eddie Redmayne, though I suppose it's hardly surprising with Redmayne having ample experience on the Broadway and West End. But his voice was to perfection, and I felt Redmaybe played Marius wonderfully - this performance has definitely proved he is one to look out for in the future. The women of the cast were equally as fantastic - Anne Hathway's rendition of 'I Dreamed A Dream' was beautiful enough to give anyone goosebumps, and Amanda Seyfried displayed her singing talent very well, despite having a lesser role. Even Helen Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen were hiliarious as the Thenardiers, a wonderfully cast pairing.

I mean, even Russell Crowe wasn't bad! I thought his singing voice was not too shabby at all - his performance of Javert was actually one of my favourite performances in the film, displaying the ruthless and cold persona you'd expect from his character. He and Jackman worked together very well, the relationship between their characters was very well exploited. So before you slate him, please take a look at the video underneath and remind yourselves of Pierce Bronson 'singing' in Mamma Mia.

Just so I thought.

Full credit must go to the producers and the director, Brit Tom Hooper, for the wonderful cinematography provided throughout the entire film. The beginning scene with the prisoners pulling the ship, to the ending scene with the entire cast who had deceased in the film singing "Do You Hear The People Sing?". Just stunning.

Rating out of 10 - I'd give it 9/10. I really couldn't find any flaws to this masterpiece and I for one, will be hoping it sweeps the board at the BAFTA's on Sunday. Bravo! 

Look out soon for more trailer reviews and for you Football fans, my top five transfer window deals - coming soon to a computer screen near you!

Films to watch out for in 2013!

First of all - happy new year one and all! Hope 2013 is a great year for you all.

And with a new year comes a new lot of films being released of course! I cannot wait, and 2013 is shaping up to be a good year for the film industry once more. So here is my quick guide for the films to look out nex- I mean this year!

• Iron Man 3 - the return of Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man is hugely anticipated, and the trailers so far promise to be an excellent journey with the self-confessed billionaire, genius and playboy all rolled into one. In Iron Man 3, we see Tony Stark's (RDJ) whole world as he knows it threatened by new villain the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), as he battles also his own personal demons. The trailer seems to show a certainly different and more subdued side of Tony Stark, and I for one cannot wait to see this film. Out in UK cinemas on the 26th of April and USA cinemas on the 3rd of May.

•  Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters - this story is said to be promising gore and comedy, and previously I did not quite what to think due to the trailers. But if your into fantasy and a certainly different twist on a old fairy-tale, then this is the film for you. Starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton, the cast is certainly hopeful of becoming a potentially good film if that is what you are interested in. It may be hit and miss, but hopefully the talents of both leads will carry this film through if needed be. Out in UK cinemas on the 22nd of February and USA cinemas on the 25th of January.

• The Impossible - This film tells the despairing true story of a family separated during the 2004 Tsunami in Thailand, who all survive and so begin a desperate search to be reunited with one another. Starring the marvellous Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts, this tale promises to be emotional which will tug at the heart-strings of many but which will hopefully be heart-warming too. Definitely one to watch. Out now in both UK and USA cinemas.

• Oblivion - This upcoming science fiction film stars Tom Cruise as drone repairman Jack Harper, after Earth was evacuated following a war with an alien kind. However after rescuing a female who seems to know him, he faces a whole host of questions and the very survival of humanity is then laid in his hands. It certainly looks very interesting, and the fact that the director also happens to be the same man who wrote the book (Joesph Kosinski) will bode well for the film. Well worth a watch if you like sci-fi. Out in UK and USA cinemas on the 12th of April.

• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - next installment in the Hunger Games trilogy is set to be released this year and it promises just to be as great and as jam-packed with action as the first film was. Based on the second book by Suzanne Collins, Katniss and Peeta are determined to prove that their actions in the arena was not to spark a rebellion, but with the 75th Hunger Games coming up, will the President of Panem punish them even more? Starring the fantastic Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, if the film is anything to go as a great as the book then we'll be in for a treat. Out in UK and USA cinemas on the 22nd of November.

Also watch out for films such as Man of Steel, Anchorman: The Legend Continues, Monsters University and many more!

Let me know what you think, and hope you all have a great 2013 once more! 

Top 5 best films of 2012!

So another year is ending - how quick it has flown by! It seems only yesterday we were welcoming 2012 now here we are, on the verge of saying goodbye to a wonderful 2012 (particularly if your a Brit) and hello to 2013.

It has also been a fantastic year for the film industry - so many big films have been released this year and all of them superb in their own ways. So I thought that I just had to do this: here is my list of the top five films of 2012!

1). Skyfall
Starting with no other than 007 himself; starring Daniel Craig in his third outing as MI6 operative James Bond, this film excelled. It was the perfect mix of grittiness, action and British humour, with a splash of emotion involved. It really stood out for me as my top film of this year; I had been waiting for 5 or so years for this film to be released after the rather disappointing Quantum of Solace and it exceeded even my opinion of it - I just loved every moment of it. Daniel Craig was utterly superb, he has really put forward a strong case to possibly being one of the best Bonds ever, if not the best. Judi Dench as M was brilliant as always, and one of the main aspects of the film that I loved was her relationship with Bond, but also with the villian Silva - played by the wonderful Javier Bardem. I just loved how the whole story came together at the end of the film; you just felt all loose ends were tied up and the story-line was so cleverly written. For me, this is definitely my film of the way.

2). The Dark Knight Rises
For me to pick second place was incredibly tough - I loved both this film and the following film but I decided that The Dark Knight Rises deserved this honour. The final installment in the Batman trilogy was arguably the best, and director Christopher Nolan did not disappoint; Christian Bale as always in this role was fantastic, but Tom Hardy as Bane really stole the show for me. A superb villian, who was frightful and ruthless yet had a sense of humour about him. The whole film was gritty and fantastically made - it was dark yet there was the odd bits of humour, which I believe makes the film all the more 'believeable'. A mention must also go to Anne Hathaway - I really don't like her that much but she was brilliant as Catwoman in this film. Epic story-line and equally as epically made and produced. Bravo DC.

3). Avengers Assemble
This film is easily one of my favourites by far - I just love Marvel superheroes and I cannot tell you how excited I was for this film after watching the films following up to this such as the Iron Man franchise. That's one of the things I loved most about this film; how cleverly written it is with all of the films before. All of those films are linked to the events of Avengers Assemble and also linked to one another, it's brilliant! With a stellar cast, with actors such as Robert Downey JR and Chris Evans, you get the feeling that this film was just never going to be a flop. Marvel have a massive fanbase, and this film broke numerous box-office records; it's funny but with all of the seriousness and grittiness you'd expect in a superhero genre film - I bet you all laughed until your side's ache like I did when The Hulk pummels the villian Loki to a plump! The effects were brilliant, the story-line and script was clever and witty, the cast was brilliant (in particular RDJ stood out for me) and I love the fact there is going to be a sequel. Yippee!

4). The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey
One of the most eagerly anticipated films of 2012 and it certainly disappoint - the prequel to the Lord of The Rings trilogy finally arrived on the big screen and boy, wasn't it good! Taken from the book of the same name by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit is split into a trilogy itself, with Martin Freeman in the lead, portraying Hobbit Bilbo Baggins - and it was a fantastic performance from Freeman. Peter Jackson moved the entire filming schedule just to fit around Freeman, who's excellent performances as Watson in the series Sherlock are warranting a big blockbuster film, and he was definitely the best person to play Bilbo. It was witty in parts with the legion of dwarfs but it was just like the Lord of The Rings films; it just absorbs you into a wonderful world of fantasy full of elves, dwarfs and the great Gandalf the Grey. The effects were fantastic and the whole setting of the film is just beautiful. A mention must also go to Richard Armitage, who put in a great performance of Thorin Oakenshield - his great acting over the years in shows such as Spooks certainly earned him this big part and he did not disappoint. Roll on the next film in the trilogy already!

5). The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games is the first installment in yet another trilogy from the book series - the film tells the story of a nation divided into 'districts' by war, and every year, each district must send two tributes (teenagers/children) to compete in a fight to the death which is broadcasted live on television... it's basically children killing one another, but so much more than that. I hadn't red the books before I went to see this movie but now I've red the trilogy, I can tell you it really does the book justice. The books are more violent than the film but I think that was just about right. I really loved this film; the action was great and the setting was superb. I was really impressed with the performances of the two tributes that the story follows the most - Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. Lawrence in particular was fantastic in this film as 'Katniss', and I just loved the whole story-line, as much as I loved the books when I got round to reading them. It's incredibly gritty but that's the nature of the story, and it captures the imagination. I really did love this film, and I believe the rest of the trilogy will be just as good.

So that's my top five - but there are a few other films which do deserve a quick mention...

The Bourne Legacy - starring break-out actor Jeremy Renner, it is the next installment in the Bourne Series but without Matt Damon... yes a entirely new character Aaron Cross, an agent on the CIA programme Outcome who takes 'chems' that enhance his physical being and his intelligence, who is attempting to evade death from the people who created his programme, led by Eric Byers (Ed Norton). Along with a stellar performance from Rachel Weisz as Dr Marta Shearing, Renner puts in an action-packed performance, and really states his claim to be the new action star in Hollywood.

Ted - Crude yet hiliarious, this film is different to other comedies; it follows grown man Josh Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) who, as a kid, wished for his teddy bear to come alive and low behold, it did by the name of Ted! (Seth MacFarlane) The story follows the two trying to balance their unusual yet immature friendship with the demands of commitment from Josh's long-term partner Lori (Mila Kunis) - which leads to a hiliarious journey. If your a fan of Family Guy, or just in need of a good laugh, this is for you!

The Amazing Spiderman - The relaunch of the Spiderman franchise proved to be an successful one, with British actor Andrew Garfield taking the reins as Peter Parker/Spiderman. This film shows the origin of Spiderman - the original comic story - with Parker still in high school and facing his past demands, whilst battling with Curt Connors - a scientist who transforms into 'Lizard' when a serum test goes wrong. Garfield really did a fantastic job as Spiderman; some actually believe that this one film is better than all of the Spiderman films with Tobey Maguire in them put together. His portrayal is brilliant, and the action in the film is great - there's wit and humour but that's to be expected in Marvel films! All in all, a great return for the Spiderman franchise.


So there you have it - my top films! As always I'd love to know what guys think so, if you could leave a comment below with your top five films of 2012, that'd be great. Also please accept my apologises for not writing sooner; I've been extremely busy with going to New York then heading back home for Christmas from university.

Hope you all had a great Christmas, and hope everyone has a happy 2013! 

Star Wars Episode 7... Really!?

It seems the majority of Star Wars fans around the world shuddered and cried out "whatttt?" when this news broke last night. Yes, LucasFilms have sold the Star Wars franchise to Disney - who are now planning a episode SEVEN film in 2015, along with the possibility of episodes 8 and 9 two to three years after that. Really?

I'm a little astonished that they want to do this. I didn't believe it at first then I red it properly; surely the six films they have are more than enough for the franchise? Don't get me wrong, I love Star Wars but there's a time when enough is enough with certain things and I feel this is one of them. How much else can improve the already excellent franchise? Is it mainly for money? Probably. I mean Disney already have some part of the Star Wars franchise, with the "Star Tours" ride in their theme parks. Epic ride by the way!

No it isn't. I think the current number of Star Wars films has finished the franchise off nicely, all rounding off the story line nicely together and that is that. It'll certainly be a challenge for the script writers to tie it all in with the old films and still keep the old scripts in tact; it'll just confuse people if they put in some irrelevant story line. That is my main concern - what story do they do to fit in with the others? I feel as if George Lucas has just signed his life anyway... Let me put this way. No George Lucas creating Star Wars movies anymore? It doesn't sound right.

And the old films are better. Sorry but it's true - I really dislike Hayden Christensen for one. He was good in the first film he did but after, it went downhill; I didn't think he was a good Anakin at all. So who else would be casted? Who will direct it? There's so much questions that needed answering and tying together and I just think maybe it's not right. It doesn't feel right that yet another lot of Star Wars films are being made... There is just something not right about it.

It'll definitely be interesting for sure, don't get me wrong - I'll be very interested and love to go see it being a Star Wars fan. Only the Force (or time) will tell whether this is a good move or not for Lucas and Disney.

Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters red-band trailer!

Now this is one film I really don't know what to think of. A spin on a classic fairy tale - yes the fairy tale characters Hansel and Gretel are now supposedly 'witch hunters' with this new film out early next year starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton.

Wanna see the trailer? Here is the new red band version, so a word of warning among the splatter of blood.

The plot is basically after their traumatic experience as children at the hands of a witch Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Artherton), decided to hunt witches in revenge. The mayor of Augsbury recruits to get rid of evil sorceress Muriel (Famke Janssen), who is planning to sacrifice local children at a witch gathering of some sort.

No idea what to think? Don't worry your not the only one - I feel the exact same.

I think it is a good idea in some respects; a modern twist on a classic fairy tale, where Gretel and her brother Hansel hunt witches instead of killing just the one witch, they kill multiple. It's a fresh idea, one that hasn't been used at all really in the film industry. But for that reason, will it be a hit or miss? I really don't know. 

With this new trailer, the gruesomeness of the film is shown. I had heard stories before this that the film was going to be almost Quentin Tarantino type blood and guts, so this film will obviously not be for the faint hearted. This film is clearly not going to be rated PG, and the gore is all a little OTT, with not much seriousness. It really is a little bit daft - the story line doesn't sound too great and has chunks in numerous places, and I didn't think much of the action either; that may change by the time the film actually comes around but at the moment, it all seems a little bit... well I don't really know how to put it!

I thought with the first viewing of the first trailer that it'll be a miss, and it'll be a shame if that is the case. It has got a pretty good cast - Jeremy Renner in my opinion is one of the best actors around at the moment and Gemma Artherton is an all-round good actress. To be honest, I think Jeremy Renner and his charisma shown so far in these trailers may just boost the film up a tad. I just get a sense that this film won't be popular - it seemed almost daft at times the trailer with the plot and the whole story line of hunting witches. I know it's an old fairy tale, but does it need extending?

But it could be just what the film industry needs - a daft yet gruesomeish film to spice things up a little bit. Who knows? It may be popular, it may draw in the crowds. But I just have a feeling that this is one film that won't last in the memories of many film goers. 

What do you think? As always, comment below for your views!

Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters is set for release on the 25th of January 2013.

Skyfall verdict!

This evening was the opening night in the UK of the new installment of the James Bond franchise "Skyfall", so naturally I had to go see it. And boy, was it worth the £6 ticket.

For those who need a reminder, here's the trailer for the highly anticipated return of 007. 

CAUTION - POSSIBLE SPOILERS AFTER THE TRAILER, DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM!

I had been waiting for this film to come out for FOUR years, ever since it had been announced. I stuck by and waited during the financial trouble and whatnot with the production company but at last, it was here. I think everyone else in the cinema felt the same as me - when the adverts finally finished and the opening appeared, there was literally a buzz around the place. Some critics had labelled this the "best Bond ever" - I tell you what, it was certainly that!

Firstly the leading man Daniel Craig (swoon). We all know he received a lot of criticism when he first got the role, but he has turned out to be a fantastic Bond. His performance in this film was outstanding, particularly at the beginning of the film. We see a Bond bored, almost fed up of life as a MI6 operative yet he is there. He portrays as almost deluded by being a spy, acting a little rusty at the start but then comes along the grittiness and the stellar action, and it truly is wonderful acting. It's as if he was made for this role almost, he really was that good. He also injected a lot of wit and humor into the role, just typical British 'banter'. Look out for his relationship with the new "Q" (Ben Whishaw) and also remarks about a rather distasteful Bulldog ornament. But Craig also shows an emotive and more personal side of Bond, particularly in the latter part of the film and that really stole the part for me - wonderful acted and if I say so myself, he can easily be the best Bond actor, not far of Sean Connery.

Then there's the villain - Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem). He is a fantastic villain; one with humor yet all of the ruthlessness you'd expect from a Bond villain. It's not all blowing up buildings and shooting people with this villain however; it's more to do with cyber terrorism and I liked that. But what really fascinated me was the relationship between Silva and Bond's boss "M" - played by the wonderful Judi Dench. Dench's character was brash in this film, more so than others - particularly when barking at Bond and her operatives. What I liked about this relationship which made it pretty much the core of the film - it wasn't so much Bond chasing the villain. It was more the villain chasing M, and it was a very interesting twist and different to other Bond films. The film becomes quite personal - with this developing relationship between the antagonist and one of the main characters, but also with the ending. We find out more about Bond's past and also what Skyfall really is. How important M's relationship with 007 is also shown, mostly towards the end of the film and I loved the little exchanges between Dench and Craig. The ending I found was incredible, and really is not expected; it'll have you gasping your seat! Fantastic acting all round!

What really did impress me though was how cleverly written the plot is - Quantum of Solace severely lacked in this in my opinion, with the writer's strike at the time of filming. This time however, they got it right and it really struck me (and I think the majority of the audience) how everything is tied together at the end of the film and truly how wonderful it is written. Even the new agent introduced "Eve" (Naomie Harris) is cleverly resolved by the end of the film, leaving everyone who knows past Bonds to go "ahhhh right!" Absolutely brilliant script and very well directed by British Sam Mendes; why he hasn't directed a Bond movie, I shall never know. It brings out the grittiness of a Bond movie and all the action you'd expect, yet it has the emotive and personal side; I think that is what makes the film, along with being just so British. Together with the wonderful performances from all of the cast, it really is a cracking film.  

Is it the best Bond film ever? In my opinion, yes. It's certainly the best outing from Daniel Craig yet, just shaving Casino Royale and I think it really is a fantastic film, one of the best this year. Go now... yes NOW to your local cinema and see it! I know I'll be seeing it again for sure. 

Keep a look out for my follow up blog - where I'll be answering the question on everyone's lips; is Daniel Craig potentially the best Bond ever?