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