The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies

SF: Finally a Hobbit film I liked! Just like the previously two installments there are plenty of added extras that really have no place being there but most of them I could live with. The pace was good, I didn't fall asleep or notice the three hours. A visual feast and a nice recovery for the series. As a bonus the ending doesn't take twenty hours! If your a Tolkien fan you've probably already seen it but if you haven't them I pleased to say this is worth a watch. 7.5/10

50Eggs: I reckon this is my favorite of the Hobbit trilogy, just edging Desolation of Smaug. There are some fantastic fight scenes but the best bits were again the added exposition that didn't appear in the original book, which add much needed weight to the story. So that's the end of the road for the Middle Earth films, but there's one more I'd like to see...a 'what if' story showing what would happen if Smaug had killed Bilbo and claimed the One Ring for himself. 8/10

DonkeyB: n/a

Overall: 7.75/10

How to Train your Dragon 2

SF: After seeing the trailer for this last year I knew I'd be in the cinema in a heartbeat. In fact I've now seen it twice and enjoyed it even more on the 2nd viewing. This has all the traits of its predecessor - decent plot, well crafted characters, amazing animation and the right amount of humor. A good watch for both adults and the kids alike. I have to admit I might like this one even more than the first. Definite cinema watch. 8.5/10

50 Eggs: Dreamworks have out-Pixared Pixar again, with Dragon 2 proving to be an equal to the brilliant original. This is funny, wonderful to look at, exhilarating and even scary at times. If the third film is as good it'll be a must-own trilogy. I am marking it down though for some dodgy character motivations: a mother runs out on her family for 20 years for no particular reason. Said family forgive her instantly, no questions asked. Similarly, a bad guy becomes a good guy in the blink of an eye. I'm guessing these were editing decisions to keep the running time down, but they prove to be the fly in the otherwise silky smooth ointment. 8.5/10

DonkeyB: Coming soon

Overall: 8.5/10

The Monuments Men

SF: This film had a lot going for it. The trailer is has to be said made this look like Oceans Eleven in the war. It certainly wasn't that. While Clooney is normally surprising me with how good a director he is this left me a tad underwhelmed. With such a star studded cast and the words "based on a true story" I was expecting more some how. Perhaps the very mute nature of the film was intentional but I found my mind wondering and having little to no investment in the characters. The acting was fine I guess and the plot passed the time but something was missing. Interesting premise but not one to rush and see. 5/10

50Eggs:

DonkeyB: Its not very good. It can't make up its mind if its a caper movie (al la Oceans [insert two digit number here]) or a film about the idea of the ownership of art, its more successful as a mildly amusing caper. Watch The Train instead. 5/10

Overall: 5/10