Snow White and the Huntsman

SF: There were many things I absolutely loved about this film, the effects, the costumes, cinematography all perfect. Reminds me of the well executed fantasy movies from when I was a kid. Sadly Snow White herself has zero screen presence or depth which is its downfall. Mainly she just stares at people/trolls whatever or the screen. It pulled me back from boredom thanks to the humorous dwarves otherwise I may have fallen asleep. So much wasted potential. Did anyone else spot the blatant Princess Mononoke bit? 5/10

50 Eggs: I'd actually been looking forward to this but it left me cold. I never felt that I cared about what happened to anyone, and the good ideas that were there (creepy mirror guy) were underused. 4/10

DonkeyB: Robin Hood (The Russell Crowe one with the great titles and wobbly accents) crossed with Joan of Arc. I really liked lots about it. Production design and directing were very good I thought. There is loads of potential to make interesting films by returning Grimm fairy tales to their Medieval roots. I think I was a bit too enthusiastic immediately after the film. 6.5/10

Overall: 5.17/10

Beauty and the Beast - 3D

21st Anniversary Special 3D Edition

SF: Beauty and the Beast is my favorite animated disney film (Pixar has its own list). Love the story, the songs, well everything. So how about 3D? The first 20 mins were akin to watching a brilliant popup book but it sort of fizzels out or I stopped noticing. However the Ballroom scene is still a master piece of animation. Overall the 3D was a novelty for major fans to play spot the difference. If you've never seen this before then it is well worth a cinema trip. As you can't improve on perfection 10/10

50 Eggs: n/a

DonkeyB: The magic inside a pop-up book part lasts about two minutes until the film proper starts. It's my favourite Disney film too, that's the only reason I agreed to go. It's a 9/10.

Overall: 9.5/10

The Cabin in the Woods

SF: A pleasant surprise. This reminded me of the 80s comedy horrors, a genre that has sadly vanished. Enough gore and humour to keep me happy. A very enjoyable bit of fun. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. 7/10

50 Eggs: This is why I go to the cinema! For 2 hours I totally forgot about life and then came out happier than I went in. This is such a good movie, somehow managing to tick all the horror boxes while simultaneously being utterly surprising (so no spoilers in this review). I can't fault it, and that is a very rare thing. Go see it. 10/10

DonkeyB: n/a

Overall - 8.5/10

Avengers Assemble

Sequel to Captain America, Iron Man 2, Thor and The Incredible Hulk

SF: For me this was either going to be fantastic or a horrid disappointment. I'm pleased to say I loved it. Perfect blend of action, humour and character. Joss Whedon did an amazing job, captured the essence of the Avengers (well Ultimates really which is fine). Also best Hulk so far. A well earned 10/10

50 Eggs: It would have been so easy to mess this up but instead Marvel have excelled themselves. All the characters mesh brilliantly whilst retaining their individual appeal in a storyline worthy of the Avengers name. A minor plot hole aside, this is the best superhero movie ever...and yes, that includes you Batman. 9.5/10

DonkeyB: It was fun, a good popcorn movie (if popcorn was an appropriate cinema food). It's still too long and too much crash bang wallop though. Not as good as Captain America but within the margin still gets 7/10

Overall - 8.83/10

Pirates in an adventure with scientists!

SF: This was amusing but nothing special. It felt more like a kids made for TV movie that went on a bit too long. I'm still trying to figure out why the last 20 mins became The Freshman. Lovely animation as always but story was dull. Just above average 5.5/10

50 Eggs: A couple of great scenes aside, Pirates doesn't have a great deal going for it. It's no where near as imaginative or clever as Wallace and Gromit, or even Flushed Away. I lost interest half way through so 4/10

DonkeyB: Some lovely sight gags, animation charming as always. However the plot and script and the direction and lighting were not up to Aardman's usually high standard. 5/10

Overall: 4.85/10

HeadHunters

SF: This film was all hype but no action. I felt the setup was interesting and if they'd stuck to the art thief angle it could have shaped up nicely but then in decended in to nonsense. After an hour I was ready to leave, I think it wanted to be gritty but missed the mark. 4/10

50 Eggs: n/a

DonkeyB: Preposterous. And not in a good way. 4/10

Overall: 4/10

Battleship

SF: I like trashy action and have a high tolerance for big budget special effects with no plot so Battleship was right up my alley. It does take a while to get going but once they flipped the cheesy switch I was giggling away and found myself entertained. Also thank you for not releasing this in 3D. Don't take it seriously and you might enjoy it too. 5.5/10

50 Eggs: The trailer featured Rhiana uttering the dialogue 'Boom'. I did not go to watch this movie. n/a

DonkeyB: Not so bad it's good. 3/10

Overall: 4.25/10

Wrath of the Titans

Sequel to Clash of the Titans (2010)
 
SF: I was not overly enthused about this movie but the trailer got me. This instalment was on a par with its predecessor, just ok. Plot, easy to follow. Action was alright but not particularly exciting. At least they gave a nice nod to Bubo. I'm still baffled as to how they got such an impressive cast. 5/10

50 Eggs: I'm a sucker for this genre of film and even own the admittedly lame Clash on DVD. Whilst Sam Worthing is still just as vacant, the sequel is superior in every other way. It's got it's issues but the plot is stronger, the action more intense, and the last 20 minutes is proper epic. I got to see it in 2d too, which helps. 8/10

DonkeyB: n/a

Overall: 6.5/10

The Hunger Games

SF: I'm very fond of the books so this film had a lot to live up to. I was rather please with how much was kept in the film, with the author writing the screenplay you'd hope for a faithful adaptation. So on that point I was satisfied, however I felt nothing from either of the main actors. No chemistry and nothing emotive at all and I desperately wanted to like them, to the point of projecting the depth that wasn't there. The random shaky camera work didn't help. I sincerely wish directors would stop doing this, don't you know the audience can't see anything? Its supposed to be raw but this is not a found footage movie. The lack of brutality in the film works to the detriment of the story. The point is, The Hunger Games are inhumane, barbaric and cruel, thus evoking empathy and horror in us the audience. The fact it's children highlights the darkness of this dystopian future. All of this was lost. Sadly they had all the pieces to make this great and ended up with a flat uninspiring film. Maybe there'll be uncut version that holds a bit more substance amd that missing spark but until then a disappointed 5/10

50 Eggs: A surprisingly good adaptation! The film keeps every major set piece from the book and does them justice, and the key roles are all cast well. Hopefully the same director will stay on-board for the sequels as that'll be the best chance of them not going horribly wrong like the books. I'd have given this a 9 if they'd have kept the blood in. 8.5/10

DonkeyB: n/a

Overall:  6.75/10

21 Jump Street

SF: I loved the series of 21 Jump Street so was curious to see how this would translate. Well I don't remember the TV show being like this but it didn't matter much and the cameos were a lovely touch. The plot was a little predictable but it didn't matter I laughed all the way through and with a comedy isn't that the point? Must given them credit for making the characters rather appealing and not going for the stereotypical approach to American high school we are all accustomed to. For actually making a silly movie I enjoyed, 7/10.

50 Eggs: I rarely laugh out loud in the cinema, even if I am liking the film. But there were at least half a dozen moments in this that made me do just that. 21 follows the Starsky & Hutch remake philosophy, and it works just as well as it did for that. Very funny. 8/10

DonkeyB: n/a

Overall: 7.5/10