Boyhood

SF: A wonderfully moving filming. I've seen a huge amount of cinema and a lot have attempted to capture the same sense of realism and emotion that this does, but none are half as well conceived. It is an entirely character driven film and in reality very little happens while at the same time everything is changing. The acting is superb and direction flawless. To start with I was waiting for the pace to pick up or something shocking to happen but it never gives way to any cliche and I found myself being totally drawn in. I can't see there being another film like it - after all this only took about 10 years to film. While I'd be unlikely to buy this or watch again it is well worth  viewing 9/10

50Eggs: When so much time and effort has gone into a film such as this, it seems to me that a film fan has an obligation to see it. The story here is solid but really plays second fiddle to the passage of time, which is captured perfectly not only with the genuine ageing of its cast but also through it's little nods towards the changing technology, culture and politics. I hope they carry this on and release it every ten years with a new chapter. 8/10

DonkeyB: Linklater's masterpiece. Filmed over a few weeks every summer for 12 years with the same cast it manages to capture growing up in a way no other film I've ever seen does. Its definitely the best film we've seen this year. Everyone should see it, and unlike SF the first thing I wanted to do when I to out of the cinema was get another ticket and watch it again. 9.5/10

Overall: 9.25/10

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

SF: What struck me about this was how emotive this film was. At no point did the illusion disappear and if I can echo part of my review of Rise of the Planet of the Apes Andy Serkis's performance as Caesar is nothing short of amazing. The passage of time was nicely explained and the quick introduction of characters worked well so that the plot could move forward relatively quick. At no point did this lose me at all considering so much of it is CSG without real people. There were nice nods to the previous film and I really enjoyed this overall. A worthy sequel. 8/10

50 Eggs: The first 15 minutes of this contains not a single human, and virtually all words are communicated by Apes using sign language. And yet it's totally believable. It's a trait that continues throughout the film and the only surprise is that none of it seems surprising, but rather totally natural. The plot too is grown up and very engaging, an allegory for all wars. A must see that's as good as the first, if not better. 9/10

Donkey B: Its a terrific and thought provoking sequel to the first film. Serkis is magnificent. There are problems though and I did find myself thinking about them during the film so not quite up to the mark of the first one but still very good. 7.5/10

Overall: 8.17/10

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

22 Jump Street

SF: I enjoyed the first one so why not see the sequel? Well I wasn't disappointing, it was the same old thing and same old humor but I laughed during the whole film. It firmly had its tongue in its cheek and made a huge volume of self aware jokes. If you want a giggle then this is an enjoyable way to pass the time. 7/10

50 Eggs: This wasn't a priority for me to watch but I went along with my Channing Tatum loving partner anyway. I did enjoy the first one but wasn't expecting much here, so it was a Brucey bonus that I actually thought this was better. It is pretty much the same as 21, except for the extra self parodying digs that turned out to be the funniest parts. Well worth watching if you just need cheering up. 8/10

DonkeyB: n/a

Overall: 7.5/10

Jimmy's Hall

SF: I wasn't certain what to expect from this film and even after it was finished I wasn't sure what to make of it. The story is interesting at points, the life of an Irish communist and his struggle in the society of his day. I just didn't feel it had the emotional depth of Wind that shakes the Barley  or the enjoyable tone of The Angel's Share. The performances were fine but that is the most I can say because I forgot this film within days of seeing it. 5/10

50Eggs: n/a

DonkeyB: My fellow reviewers' paragraph above highlights my problem with the film. Irish politics is probably the most nuanced and difficult to disentangle as anywhere I have studied. The film certainly plays down James Gralton's (Jimmy) communist activities on his return from America and plays up the community activities of the hall; instead portraying him as persecuted and forced into exile (both of which are true). The Catholic church in Ireland is not getting a very good press in films at the moment, I shudder to think what we are in for when the revisionism starts. Without a PhD in Irish history I'm not sure how anyone is going to follow who's who let alone what the film is about. I certainly came out of the film and felt like I needed to go and look a whole load of things up- maybe thats a good thing? In this case I'm not sure. 6/10



Overall: 5.5/10

X-Men - Days of the Future Past

SF: This righted every wrong in all the X related movies for the past 10 years. Being a Marvel devotee, my love has been tested, again and again. Five minuets into this and all I can say is - you had me at Warpath. This is a fantastic blend of action, story telling, drama and humor. The effects are rather impressive too. Did it divert a lot from the original comic yes, but it remained tantalizingly good.  I've already been to see it twice and the post credit scene has me waiting eagerly for the next one. As there is nothing I can really fault...
10/10

50Eggs: I still remember watching the X-Men cartoon doing it's own version of 'Future Past' way back when I was a sweaty teenager. It was a great script then and it still is now, but for some reason I didn't love this as much as I loved the prequel 'First Class'. But considering I gave that 9/10, it's not really a criticism. This is another fine addition to the X-Men series and whets the appetite for the one I've been waiting for for 20 years...X-Men Apocalypse. 8/10

DonkeyB: I rather enjoyed this, I think I sort of understood the ludicrously unoriginal time travelling plot! Read SF's review if you're a comic book adaptation person because she is in a much better to judge on that aspect, but as someone who has universally hated every single one of the X-men films, and actually looked forward to Saturday morning swimming lessons when they clashed with the cartoon all I can say is that even I was pleasantly surprised. Its about as good as Winter's Soldier 7.5/10

Overall: 8.75/10

Godzilla

SF: I'm in two minds about this film. The special effects were nice, the build up was good blend of realism and fun madness (explaining the existence of the awesome Godzilla) but when you get down to what the audience wants - big monster fight...well you are left a bit short. The first fight cuts away before it even begins. The next one does the same thing and when the battle finally gets going everything was too dark. Having said that there was plenty to enjoy and compared to the 1997 offering this is a delight. This suffered from too much human screen time. And why is Aaron Johnson always there? His presence at all the right times just echoed the awful 2012 film I'd rather forget. Also anyone who dislikes Godzilla weight - let me remind you that isn't not easy being Zilla and comfort eating is bound to happen. 6/10

50 Eggs: I have to say I agree completely with SF. There's lots to like about this film but there's also a lot wrong with it, although it's a little difficult to put your finger on exactly what that is. After seeing the movie I went straight on the internet to read the plot synopsis because I was convinced I had missed some exposition somewhere. I hadn't, but I just felt that I hadn't seen the complete movie. Perhaps a directors cut will rectify it, but in the meantime there is some good stuff here - big monsters, great effects, and lots of sequel potential. 7/10

DonkeyB: n/a

Overall: 6.5/10

Blue Ruin

SF: This film can across as a mix of No Country for Old Men and Winters Bone, however its doesn't come near either in terms of delivery. Which is a real shame, I thought it started really well, peaks your curiosity has a good pace. All the potential was there to be a a gripping and interesting film. Instead the character development is shallow, the acting is just OK and though it should be intense its just rather dull. 3/10

50Eggs: n/a

DonkeyB: I very nearly left, I didn't like it, there are some very unpleasant scenes, I'm always very uncomfortable when it feels like the violence is played for laughs. Maybe it was just the audience we saw it with and a slight Alf Garnet effect was in operation but I was not happy when I left. 2/10

Overall: 2.5/10

Captain American: The Winter Solider

SF: This was as brilliant as its predecessor, in fact I've already seen it twice. Even if you are not a super hero fan this delivers a fun, action packed sky movie. Expect lots of fights, a little humour and some stunning effects. Plus nice use of Marvel in jokes to satisfy die hard fans. Excellently executed and one the best offering from the Avengers movies catalog. 8.5/10

50 Eggs: With the stench of the awful Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 still wafting in my nose, I almost didn't bother watching this. But clearly Marvel have been reading this blog because they massively changed the formula for this installment and it worked a treat. The story is intelligent but entertaining, and the action is more grounded and therefore visceral than anything they have done before. Chris Evans is good as Cap, but once again Scarlett Johansson steels the show as the Black Widow - she needs her own film asap. 9/10

DonkeyB: Captain America is the most successful of the recent Marvel reboot/re-imaginings, in fact its the most most successful of the comic book adaptations full stop. This film once again succeeds because it has a plot and once again you will be rewarded for attempting to follow it (wacky and preposterous as it is), it actually hints at making a serious point about the actual world which at its best sci-fi has always done. 7.5/10

Overall: 8.33/10

300: Rise of an Empire

SF: This offering is a pale shadow of its predecessor, the stylised visuals seem muted, which for me was half the appeal. The sea battle should be exciting but left me bored. I did enjoy the addition of another female lead, Eva Green does well to make such a clichéd character engaging. While it's very cinematic and has plenty to enjoy I just felt less invested in the film overall. Tad disappointed but not awful. 6/10

50 Eggs: I absolutely loved the original, a surefire 9/10, but this isn't in the same league. Gone is the propaganda storytelling that justified the exaggerations of the first, and so too is the strong underdog theme that meant you couldn't help but root for the 'good guys'. And though the action is bigger, the choreography is less balletic this time. Having said that Rise of an Empire is still a good watch with plenty to please the eye, not least Eva Greens slow motion boobs. On that subject, her character Artmesia is the best and most interesting thing about the film. Will be buying on DVD for the visuals. 7/10

DonkeyB: n/a

Overall: 6.5/10