Ip Man

Ip Man
The blurb: A semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the successful martial arts master who taught the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun to the world.
My rating: 4/5
Tagged: action, biography, drama
Date I watched this movie 03/04/2016

What did I think?I really wasn’t sure what I was going to think about this. Martial Arts movies, although I do karate, have never really appealed to me, but I agreed to let Faisal pick a movie and this is what he chose!

I will still say that this is definitely a slow starter, you have to wait a bit before you really get into it and you have to overlook the bad acting at the beginning. Once the movie kicks in, literally, then you really begin to appreciate it.

I think it tells a decent story of the life of Ip Man and the occupation of China by the Japanese at that time. Obviously I’m not sure how true to real life the movie is because I’m not familiar with the time period but it does add background to the character of Ip Man, so the movie wasn’t just about kicking ass and taking names.

As far as the fighting scenes are concerned, Donnie Yen does do his art justice. I just loved the way the story make him seem invincible and you root for him when he fights the baddie who beats all the other masters.

Surprisingly good and I’m actually looking forward to seeing the rest of the series

Deadpool

Deadpool
The blurb: A former Special Forces operative turned mercenary is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool.
My rating: 4/5
Tagged: action, adventure, fantasy
Date I watched this movie 13/02/2016

What did I think?I thought this was an 18 and I was going to have to try to sneak in but it was a 15 so I was all good and legal in attendance!

This movie is completely mad. Thanks to the brilliantly funny, no-holds-barred brand of comedy that is absolutely everywhere from start to finish, Deadpool is a consistently hilarious comedy, made even better by a very well-written plot, excellent performances, and amazingly directed action.

Deadpool is a movie made for the fans. In comic book lore, he’s the ultimate foul-mouthed, wise-cracking rogue superhero, and the movie takes that character and places him on-screen in exactly the same form. Therefore, rather than the more family friendly, action-oriented superhero movies that dominate the box office nowadays, prepare for something completely different.

Although the story and action are great, it’s the humour that’s the real stand-out of this movie. There’s so much bad language, and so much adult humour, but in this movie, it works like magic.

I didn’t think Deadpool was the funniest movie ever, but I was laughing on a consistent basis right the way through this movie. The shock value of the swearing, extreme violence, self-referential humour and countless fourth wall breaks didn’t wear off at all, which is testament to just how brilliant a script this film has. Even if you’re not into the world of superheroes, Deadpool can still be a fantastically enjoyable movie just because it’s so funny.

But don’t think that this is just a comedy, because it does shine on the story and action front too. Whilst tying into the X-Men Universe, Deadpool is a very unique superhero movie. It’s not all about saving the world, it’s just a story of a guy who wants to get revenge on a man who completely ruined his life. And because of that, you can actually relate to this guy more so than any other big blockbuster superhero because his determination is so simple and real.

As well as revenge story, Deadpool is also a bit of a love story. It’s the revenge that drives the film, but the relationship between Wade Wilson and his old girlfriend is a genuinely believable one (helped by the fact that Reynolds and Morena Baccarin work so well together), and is yet another brilliantly-written plot point that allows you to get more invested in what is a hugely entertaining film.

The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave
The blurb:Four waves of increasingly deadly alien attacks have left most of Earth decimated. Cassie is on the run, desperately trying to save her younger brother.

My rating: 3/5
Tagged: action, adventure, science fiction
Date I watched this movie 22/01/2016

What did I think?Even though I’m reading the book and I pretty much knew what was going to happen the whole time, I couldn’t stop watching it or awing and gawking at the two hunks (Evan and Ben) who reminded me very much of Jacob and Edward from The Twilight Saga Film series.

The lack of action in this movie is what made me rate the way that I did. Going into this movie you expect to see the 5 waves in full action, but instead they limit what they want you to see making it almost a downer. Instead this movie focuses mostly on Cassie and her long mile hike to this army base to rescue her brother from aliens, all the while running into different obstacles which eventually shape her into this strong, surviving, attractive young girl.

Will I continue to watch this trilogy? Of course, in hopes of a little more action. But even with Hunger Games there was minimal action up until the end. Be prepared to run into clichés but also a simple satisfaction that at least there are other sequels that hopefully bring good recognition to the novel.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The blurb:Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance.

My rating: 4/5
Tagged: action, adventure, fantasy
Date I watched this movie 01/01/2016

What did I think?The Force Awakens is everything we’ve come to love about Star Wars. It’s big, it’s epic, it’s spectacular. And underneath, there’s actually a big heart to it all. You get a sense from watching it, that it was made by true fans of the series.

The good guys are very likable, I thought the relationship between Ray and Finn worked out very well. It gave the film it’s emotional anchor.

The villains are pretty much what you would expect, but the filmmakers threw in a few twists about them that were interesting.

Add some terrific battle sequences, and you get a very welcome return to the greatness of Star Wars. Go and see it (but you already know you will). Take a friend or a family member. You’ll have a great time. Because that’s what these films are about when it comes down to it.

Overall, Force Awakens shows off some snazzy visual effects combined with a compelling story and great characters. It won’t disappoint.