Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (December 2015)

Official Australian release date: 17/12/15. Viewed: 18/12/15.

Director: J.J. Abrams

Actors: Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver

Genre: Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure

Rating: M       

{Disclaimer = no spoilers here! May update it with more plot details in 2016}

It’s finally here – something that some fans have been waiting 32 years for! (Although the last theatrically-released Star Wars film, ‘The Clone Wars’, only came out seven years ago). Since I wasn’t born until after ‘Return of the Jedi’ and grew up watching them on VHS and am a pretty big fan, the sequel trilogy (as opposed to the prequel trilogy) and 'The Force Awakens' has long been hoped for.

OK, let’s see if I can do a vague storyline with no spoilers… 30 years after the Battle of Endor, Han (Ford) is the first ‘original’ we’re reintroduced to – well, technically Stormtroopers are, followed by the Millennium Falcon. But first, we meet Poe (Issac), an X-Wing pilot for “the Resistance” (the new Rebel Alliance); BB8, a ball-like droid; Finn (Boyega), a former Stormtrooper; and Rey (Ridley), a scavenger, barely surviving on the desert world of Jakku (which plays a role in the ‘Lost Stars’ novel, well worth a read!). BB8 holds some important data and needs to get it to Leia (Fisher), before the “First Order” (the new Empire) and Kylo Ren (Driver) get it, so they can all find Luke (Hamill). The only ones missing are Lando & Wedge.

It feels like a lot has changed, but also not much at all – it truly feels like the original Star Wars universe, with plenty of new aliens, spaceships and droids, but also plenty of old ones. Abrams has definitely nailed the tone, with plenty of adventure and zest, and also some humour and drama. The pace rarely sags and it doesn’t feel like two & a bit hours, but nor does it try to cram too much in. It’s not exactly a carbon copy of ‘A New Hope’, but definitely borrows a lot of themes from it.

Some questions are answered, but are lot are left unanswered, so the anticipation remains for the next films. While the film is definitely a great movie – and far better than any of the prequels – I sometimes didn’t feel as if as much was at stake as it was in the originals and a few things didn’t sit 100% right, also probably a by-product of my high expectations. Still, Ridley & Boyega are both very good to watch and valuable additions, and Driver’s intriguing – I look forward to watching their characters grow in Episodes VIII and IX.

Overall: A soon-to-be-classic entry in the greatest film series of all time!

Gav's Rating: 4 stars.   

The Good Dinosaur (December 2015)

Official Australian release date: 26/12/15. Viewed: 13/12/15.

Director: Peter Sohn

Actors: Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand

Genre: Comedy/Adventure

Rating: PG       

‘The Good Dinosaur’ is a fun kid’s movie that has a few strenuous moments, but I saw it with a five-year-old and she was fine, so its PG rating for “some scenes may scare young children” is probably fair. Fairly simple plot – the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago just misses Earth, hence allowing mammals & dinosaurs to evolve and coexist.

The story follows Arlo (Ochoa), an Apatosaurus, and his anthropomorphised family, of which Arlo’s the runt of the siblings. Wright & McDormand are mum & dad, who spend their time farming. Arlo falls in the river and gets swept away and begins a quest to get back home and is aided by an unlikely partner – Spot (Bright) the human, who’s really more of a puppy! Plenty of similarities to ‘The Adventures of Milo and Otis’ and ‘The Lion King’, with Arlo having to find his own courage before he can find his family.

There’s actually not that many dinosaurs (a few T Rex, Pteranodons, Velociraptor and Triceratops) as the film really sticks with Arlo & Spot. The backdrop they’re set against, which looks like the mountains of Canada, is superb, with all the scenery seemingly vividly real – truly exceptional CGI, with the only things looking cartoony are the characters! Some sad bits, some funny bits and some lessons for good measure.

Overall: Well-made family film.

Gav's Rating: 3.5 stars.   

The Night Before (December 2015)

Official Australian release date: 3/12/15. Viewed: 3/12/15.

Director: Jonathan Levine

Actors: Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie, Lizzy Caplan

Genre: Comedy

Rating: MA       

“It was ‘The Night Before’ Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse” – except for Isaac (Rogen) “tripping balls”! This is almost more of a drug film than a Christmas movie, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing – or a good thing. Simple concept – Ethan (Gordon-Levitt)’s parents died when he was 18, so his two best friends, Isaac & Chris (Mackie) have a Christmas Eve tradition where they go drinking in New York.

From there, it’s easy – people grow up & grow apart, so this is their farewell to the tradition. Drugs are taken, ridiculous situations ensue. Rogen didn’t write this, but there’s still plenty of jokes for him and his drug-addled self, even if he is playing the “responsible Dad” from Neighbours’, just with the night off. Lizzy Caplan needed more screen time and backstory, but it’s good to see Michael Shannon, Tracy Morgan & James Franco pop up.

A few great laugh out loud moments, particularly in the Midnight Mass scene, and some other chuckles throughout, but there’s not enough sustained hilarity, or heartfelt moments, even if the film gets there at the end. Not the worst Christmas film, but nor is it ‘Bad Santa’.

Overall: Solid Christmas adult comedy.

Gav's Rating: 3 stars.   

Spectre (November 2015)

Official Australian release date: 12/11/15. Viewed: 13/11/15.

Director: Sam Mendes

Actors: Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes

Genre: Action

Rating: M       

‘Spectre’ is the 24^th Bond film and Daniel Craig’s fourth – and final – outing as 007. Is not the best Bond, but nor is it the worst. It does play a lot on nostalgia and the villains/plots (Spectre) of the Moore/Connery eras. It has a lot of classic Bond attributes going for it: worldwide locations (Mexico, Italy, Austria, Morocco), great cars & car chases, plane/helicopter stunts, some sly humour, martinis, explosions and disobeying orders, but it also feels a little tired in places.

The plot does well to link in aspects of ‘Casino Royale’, ‘Quantum of Solace’ and ‘Skyfall’, but doesn’t really offer much of a driving force, as does Blofeld (Waltz)’s motive as the villain – it’s there, but poorly articulated and Waltz is not fully utilised as well as he could be, which is a shame, since we know he can be a great bad guy (‘Inglorious Basterds’ & ‘Django Unchained’). Swann (Seydoux) is also adequate, but never 100% convincing.

There’s probably too many “down”/slow moments in a 2 & a half hour film, but at times the score – or lack of, before it kicks back in – is excellent. Q (Whishaw) and M (Fiennes) are both good and get a bit more screen time than usual. The fight scenes are well done and there’s plenty of action, but I’m interested to see who the next Bond is – and hope they give us four or five years to anticipate it.

Overall: Does what a Bond film should.

Gav's Rating: 3.5 stars.   

Bridge of Spies (October 2015)

Official Australian release date: 22/10/15. Viewed: 24/10/15.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Actors: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Scott Shepherd, Austin Stowell

Genre: Drama

Rating: M       

‘Bridge of Spies’ is an espionage thriller at its finest. It’s set in the late 50s & early 60s and certainly looks the part – I always love seeing the old cars driving around New York, looking classy. Starts off like any classic spy film, but then Abel (Rylance) is caught. In comes Donovan (Hanks), an insurance lawyer who is asked to defend Abel, so he can receive due legal practice. The first 45min or so is a good courtroom drama and moves along fast enough, with Hanks giving a few great speeches and making some solid points about what’s right and what’s best.

The movie really captures well the Cold War tension in America and what families would’ve gone through. It helps that this is the best film Spielberg has made in a few years and the best film Hanks has been in for a while. Once the movie turns into political chess, with an exchange of Abel for Powers (Stowell) in Berlin, the stakes are raised and there’s plenty of great subterfuge.

Hanks basically owns the film, with everyone having some good moments (especially Rylance, with his “would it help?”s), but he really plays a great everyman who stands up to both Germany, Russia & his own country (mostly portrayed by the CIA/Shepherd) for what is morally right and just, not just what is politically acceptable at the current time.

Overall: Really well made Cold War true story.

Gav's Rating: 4 stars.   

The Martian (October 2015)

Official Australian release date: 1/10/15. Viewed: 2/10/15.

Director: Ridley Scott

Actors: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Michael Peña, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejifor

Genre: Action / Sci-Fi

Rating: M       

‘The Martian’ is based on Andy Weir’s excellent novel – one of my favourite books from last year. It’s a very simple concept – in the near-future, a manned-mission to Mars goes awry and Mark Watney (Damon) is presumed dead, as the rest of the team returns to Earth. However, rumours of Watney’s demise were exaggerated and he just manages to survive, only to be faced with the conundrum of how to stay alive on a freezing planet with almost no food, water or oxygen until he can be rescued?

It’s beautifully shot, with Jordan a good stand-in for Mars on most occasions, and the CGI doing the rest. And there’s obviously a few shots of Earth from space – always a great perspective to see. Scott directs well, with the pacing good, and time spread across the strong cast – Chastain, Peña, Mara, Stan and Hennie on the spaceship home; and Daniels, Ejifor, Bean and Wiig at NASA – showing how everyone involved deals with the initial tragedy and then attempted rescue mission(s).

However, the film belongs to Damon, who has to use all his charm and skills to make one man talking to a video journal interesting. The film’s possibly 15min or so too long, but luckily, it’s a great book & a good screenplay, so there’s plenty of levity to go along with the serious life-or-death/fingernail-chewing moments. Tense/great final 25min or so. Never quite reaches the heights of the book, but comes very close.

Overall: Great, realistic, space adventure.

Gav's Rating: 4 stars.   

Everest (September 2015)

Official Australian release date: 17/9/15. Viewed: 20/9/15.

Director: Baltasar Kormakur

Actors: Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emily Watson, Keira Knightley

Genre: Action / Drama

Rating: M       

‘Everest’ is a true survival – man vs nature – film. It’s not necessarily fun, but it is engrossing. Since it’s based on a true story (I haven’t read the ‘Into Thin Air’ novel), it’s a simple plot – in 1996, a group of experienced climbers engage the services of Rob (Clarke) to assist them in their climb to the summit of Earth’s highest mountain – Mt Everest in Nepal. The film spends 40min (probably too long) introducing the characters and staying at Base Camp, but it does give you the chance to get to know them and their motivations – especially Beck (Brolin) & Doug (Hawkes).

That’s the main question throughout – “why”? I think it boils down to ego – man’s desire to conquer everything, even nature’s most extreme obstacles – highest mountain, driest desert, deepest ocean trench, outer space, etc. It is nice to see them fulfilling their dreams on making it to the summit, but once the inevitable storm blows in, it really does make you think “these people are insane for being up there”! I definitely won’t be climbing Everest!

It’s a well-made film, with good pacing once they’re climbing and some truly beautiful shots of the Himalayas – very glad they shot a lot of it on-site. The devastating storm is one of the loudest and most ominous things you can imagine when at the top of a mountain. Rob’s calls with Jan (Knightley – worst Kiwi accent ever) slow things down, but add to the drama.

Overall: A solid character-driven survival epic.

Gav's Rating: 3.5 stars.   

A Walk In The Woods (September 2015)

Official Australian release date: 3/9/15. Viewed: 4/9/15.

Director: Ken Kwapis

Actors: Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson, Kristen Schaal

Genre: Comedy / Adventure

Rating: M       

‘A Walk in the Woods’ is basically a middle-aged “bromance” movie. It just happens to be based on Bill Bryson’s fantastic 1998 eponymous true-story book. Full disclosure – Bryson is one of my favourite authors, always having something interesting or funny to say. The film is not quite about Bryson (Redford)’s mid-life crisis (as he’s now in his 70s, not 40s like the book), but he and a formerly-estranged friend, Stephen Katz (Nolte) set off on the Appalachian Trail, which spans America’s east coast, from Georgia in the South to Maine in the North – 2,100 miles (~3,500km)!

From the director of ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’ and ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ – not a promising pedigree! – Kwapis nonetheless does a good job of keeping the pace up, which can be hard when it’s mostly two guys just walking and talking! But therein lies the beauty of the film – it’s simple and sweet, with plenty of jokes and wit between the two old friends, some quick interactions with other hikers on the Trail (such as Schaal, gratingly funny!) and some breathtaking wilderness shots.

It did remind me of my time in the U.S., when I did visit the Pisgah Forest in North Carolina and the Great Smoky National Park in Tennessee, where they start their hike. The scenery is helped by Lord Huron’s soundtrack, which is folky, but upbeat. The final third is not as engaging as it could be, but there’s some sincere moments to be found amongst the humour and everything is propelled by Nolte & Redford’s enjoyable chemistry.

Overall: As good as the book? Of course not, but fun and light

Gav's Rating: 3.5 stars.   

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (August 2015)

Official Australian release date: 3/9/15. Viewed: 23/8/15.

Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Actors: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Molly Shannon

Genre: Comedy / Drama

Rating: M       

‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’ is a solid coming-of-age film – it’s charming and funny and definitely not as depressing as the title may have you believe. It’s a simple concept – the not-quite nerdy, not-quite cool high-schooler, Greg (Mann), is forced by his mum to hang out with a classmate who has just being diagnosed with leukaemia, Rachel (Cooke). It’s starts off as an awkward friendship, but slowly turns into genuine friendship.

Earl (Cyler) is great as Greg’s only friend (or “co-worker” as he calls him) and lots of the film’s fun comes from the parodies they make together of classic films – such as ‘Senior Citizen Cane’, ‘The Seven Seals’, ‘A Sockwork Orange’, ‘Eyes Wide Butt’ & my favourite, ‘Grumpy Cul-de-Sacs’! – most featuring clever animation and hilarious ultra-low-budget imitations. Earl acts as Greg’s conscience when he turns into a shellfish teenager and forgets about Rachel’s actual problems. The parents (Shannon, Offerman & Britton) all have some great scenes.

The film’s score, by Brian Eno, is fantastic and really adds to the emotion, especially towards the end. The finale is handled well and shows impact we can have others’ lives by just being there for them. Sure, it’s sad in parts, but it’s realistic and it is nice to watch how Greg and Rachel handle the situation mostly with good-humour. The funny moments outweigh the sad ones and make this an enjoyable film.

Overall: Realistic, sometimes poignant, and mostly-fun film

Gav's Rating: 3.5 stars.   

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (August 2015)

Official Australian release date: 13/8/15. Viewed: 12/8/15.

Director: Guy Ritchie

Actors: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki

Genre: Action / Adventure

Rating: M       

‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ is a 60s spy film, based on a 60s cold-war-era TV show, and it is great! While spy movies might be overdone this year (‘Mission: Impossible’ 5 just came out, ‘Spectre’ is out in three months and ‘Kingsman’ is similar), there’s always room for fun, classy, well-made films – and Ritchie’s eighth film is up there with ‘Snatch’, in my opinion. It’s certainly as good as, if not better, than the two ‘Sherlock Holmes’ films.

UNCLE stands for “United Network Command for Law and Enforcement”, although you don’t see this until the final credits – it’s just another lame acronym, a la SHIELD. The film keeps lots of it’s 60s elements – the cars, clothes, editing/split screens, the cool yellow/bold subtitles when required and the fantastic score/soundtrack. The story is simple – a KGB agent (Hammer) and a CIA agent (Cavill – Superman himself) are forced to work together with a German (Vikander) to find the bad guys who are making their own nuclear weapons. It’s funny that Cavill is British, playing an American; Hammer is American, playing a Russian; and Vikander is Swedish, playing a German.

The film doesn’t mess around, and while it goes for almost two hours, it is very well paced, with never too much downtime – there’s a car chase in the first 5min, boat chases, plenty of fight scenes and always a joke or funny quip not far away, as the American and Russian take turns to emasculate each other. The chemistry between the three leads is great and makes the film – aided by the Italian scenery – as the film draws you in expertly and has a very satisfying ending. I hope there's more!

Overall: Genuinely fun, classic spy romp.

Gav's Rating: 4 stars.   

Man Up (July 2015)

Official Australian release date: 23/7/15. Viewed: 29/7/15.

Director: Ben Palmer

Actors: Lake Bell, Simon Pegg, Rory Williams, Ophelia Lovibond

Genre: Comedy

Rating: M       

‘Man Up’ is a really well made & executed romantic-comedy. It’s a simple story – the old blind-date mix-up, where Jake (Pegg) meets Nancy (Bell), both disillusioned with relationships, but they happen to find each other and have a great night out, before it’s revealed that she’s not his intended blind date.

Very fast-paced (only 85min long), with no time for dull moments, and plenty of laughs throughout to keep everyone happy. Williams is great as the creepy/stalker-ish ‘friend’ and Lovibond plays the starry-eyed, optimistic intended blind-dater. The soundtrack is great and there’s some fun/memorable scenes, including the teens running through the streets, the race to the bar and the fire extinguisher.

What really makes the film work is Pegg’s unflappable charm and his chemistry with Bell, who’s the real star – endearing and unassuming, she’s cute, but also witty and just enjoyable to watch. It’s also refreshing to see Pegg doing something simple. In this film’s case, easy doesn’t = poor.

Overall: The Brits still know how to make great comedies.

Gav's Rating: 3.5 stars.   

Ant-Man (July 2015)

Official Australian release date: 16/7/15. Viewed: 15/7/15.

Director: Peyton Reed

Actors: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll

Genre: Action / Sci-Fi

Rating: PG       

Another month, another Marvel film! (Well, it’s actually been two months since ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’). And although it may make me sound like a fanboy, I’m still not sick of them – especially when they’re still as fun as ‘Ant-Man’! Definitely not one of the bigger superheroes (no pun intended), but Ant-Man and Wasp were original Avengers in the 1960’s comics and have always been integral to the Marvel universe. The film does well by including the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym (Douglas, holding up well for a 70-year-old) and tying him in with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Howard Stark, as well as showing some of the Wasp. The film also sets up Ant-Man’s involvement in future ‘Avengers’/’Captain America’ films by having the Falcon (Mackie) involved too.

Brought to you by the director of ‘Bring It On’ & ‘The Break-Up’, it’s surprising it’s not a weak rom-com! Reed does an OK job, but it’s hard not to imagine what Edgar Wright, the original director (he still gets a writing credit) – famous for ‘Shaun of the Dead’ & ‘Scott Pilgrim vs the World’ – would have done with it. That’s not to say it lacks imagination or humour – as shown by the tank and the Thomas the Tank Engine scenes – but just that it at times feels a little pedestrian. I guess the PG (and not M) rating also contributes to this.

The story is pretty simple, as is fitting a non-super-powered/non-Mutant hero – Scott Lang (Rudd) is a burglar (not a “robber”!) who is trying to do right so he can be in his daughters’ life again. Luckily, Pym and his daughter, Hope (Lilly) come along and give him the opportunity to wear the Ant-Man suit, which has the ability to shrink, thanks to the “Pym Particle”. The film is fast and fun, with Rudd a great choice for the lead role, with his charm and humour (helped by one of the writers being Adam McKay, best known for ‘Step Brothers’ & ‘Anchorman’). There’s some ‘seriousness’ with Cross (Stoll) as the villain, but it is all very fast-paced and the stakes never seem too high. This won’t be anyone’s favourite Marvel movie, but it’s certainly not a bad one either.

Overall: Light and easy fun and action.

Gav's Rating: 3.5 stars.   

Terminator: Genisys (July 2015)

Official Australian release date: 1/7/15. Viewed: 29/6/15.

Director: Alan Taylor

Actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke

Genre: Action / Sci-Fi

Rating: M

‘Terminator: Genisys’ (or Terminator 5) is another sequel/prequel/reboot coming out in 2015 (‘Jurassic World’, ‘Fantastic Four’, ‘Jungle Book’, ‘M:I5’, ‘Transporter Refueled’, ‘Vacation’, etc. ), but it’s a very well-made film with plenty to offer long-time fans and anyone looking for a good action film. The film starts in 2029 (i.e. after the events of ‘Terminator: Salvation’) and John Connor is now played by Jason Clarke, with Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese – technically his dad, since he’s the guy in the first film that gets Sarah Connor (now Emilia Clarke) knocked up. It may take a little while to get your head around it, but the filmmakers are assuming you know some of the backstory!

Basically, John & Kyle win the post-“Judgement Day” war against the Terminators/SkyNet – which makes for an exciting opening 20min! – but not before a T-800 (Arnie) is sent back to 1984 to kill Sarah. This takes us full circle and we end up right where the first film starts! Pretty cool, but something’s change in the timeline and old Arnie is (somehow) there to stop just-arrived Arnie. From there, it slowly starts to make sense and fit together – in a parallel-universes kind-of way – but it doesn’t really detract from the story too much. The plot is pretty simple and the same as all the films – stop SkyNet, which involves lots of being chased, shooting, explosions and one-liners!

JK Simmons is funny as a ‘believer’ and gets a few good scenes, but Arnie gets some great lines and moments, especially with his “smiles”! But the main stars are Clarke & Courtney, who work well together and are both better than the actors that played them in the previous films. There’s a little bit of seriousness at the end, but action/fun/set-pieces galore throughout – on the Golden Gate Bridge, in helicopters, in trucks… always moving and fighting!

Overall: Fun and fast – better than the last two films in the series.

Gav's Rating: 4 stars.  

Jurassic World (June 2015)

Official Australian release date: 11/6/15. Viewed: 13/6/15.

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Actors: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson

Genre: Action / Sci-Fi

Rating: M

‘Jurassic World’ (or Jurassic Park 4) is set 22 years after the original film (and 14 years after the last film), on the same Costa Rican island, with it now a fully-functioning theme park. Why anyone would open or invest in it after the events is another story altogether and never really mentioned! Owen (Pratt) is the Sam Neil replacement and is charming and solid throughout and Claire (Dallas Howard) is the Laura Dern replacement and becomes less stuck-up and annoying as the film progresses. Jake Johnson (Nick off ‘New Girl’) is great as the computer tech in the control room and gets a few funny moments – a more than admirable job as the Jeff Goldblum replacement!

The film keeps a similar formula to ‘Jurassic Park’ – two kids, a concerned parent-figure (but not the actual parents – why are they never with their kids?), a dinosaur escaping and everyone running for their lives! There’s some nice throwbacks to the original too – the score motifs, the kids stumble into the foyer of the memorable final scene, the original/distinctive jeeps are seen, Dr Wu – the geneticist – is played by the same actor, Hammond is mentioned a few times and there’s a heard of Gallimimus at one point. I was glad to see more Stegosaurs and also to see Ankylosaurs for the first time in the series.

My main issue was the similarity to some aspects of ‘Jurassic Park III’ – there’s a dinosaur bigger than Tyrannosaurus Rex that kills everything; there’s Pteranodons that get loose and their consequences never properly dealt with; and the Velociraptors aren’t really treated as vicious killing machines until it’s needed in the story. However, it doesn’t really need to make much sense when there’s so many great moments of tension, then action, then surprise throughout – and some genuine wonder with the Deinosuchus in the Sea World part. A well done final scene(s) cap off an enjoyable experience.

Overall: An exciting return-to-form for the series – there will be more!

Gav's Rating: 4 stars. 

Entourage (June 2015)

Official Australian release date: 4/6/15. Viewed: 8/6/15.

Director: Doug Ellin

Actors: Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Dillon, Jeremy Piven

Genre: Comedy

Rating: MA

If you haven’t seen any of the ‘Entourage’ TV series (which ran from 2004–2011), then you may occasionally be at a loss during the film. The film starts off with a brief ‘where-are-they-now’ (on a yacht in the Mediterranean, surrounded by dozens of women, obviously), but doesn’t offer much background otherwise, assuming if you’re watching it, you already know the four main characters – Vince (Grenier), Eric (Connolly), Turtle (Ferrara) & Drama (Dillon) – plus Ari (Piven), who is almost more essential to the show/film than any of the others.

As usual, there’s plenty of guest stars – Wahlberg, Alba, Favreau, Neeson, Grammer, Busey, Saget, Spade, Hammer, various NFL players – which sometimes add something to the film, but often seem unnecessary and seem to be there purely to make it feel like Hollywood. There’s a minor plot for each of the entourage – Vince directing his first film; Drama hoping for a breakout role in that film (& getting embroiled in some online retribution); Turtle trying to get date a girl who happens to be a professional wrestler; and Eric doing pregnancy things with his currently separated wife. Nothing revolutionary plot-wise and – besides Royal Blood at the start, Jane’s Addiction at the titles and Tame Impala in the middle – there’s some very average music throughout.

Ari is slightly calmer and – even though he still screams and says mean things – he comes off as more charming and less abrasive than before. Great to see Piven & Thornton acting together – arguably to only two ‘real’ actors/stars in the film! Also, credit to Haley Joel Osment, who plays entitled, ignorant hick superbly. The main issue most people will have with this film is its portrayal of Los Angeles – young/skinny women in bikinis (or not), always a party, always sunny, always a brunch. Possibly true, but it does often feel plastic/forced. However, the film isn’t bad – it just feels like three episodes rolled into one, with no real sense of tension or resolution at all. It’s just a comfortable ride with familiar faces.

Overall: A fun, simple comedy and extension of the series.

Gav's Rating: 3.5 stars. 

Mad Max: Fury Road (May 2015)

Official Australian release date: 14/5/15. Viewed: 19/5/15.

Director: George Miller

Actors: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne

Genre: Action

Rating: MA

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ doesn’t – to the best of my recollection – pick up from where the third film ended, which is fine, seeing as ‘Beyond Thunderdome’ came out the year I was born! I don’t recall too many specifics from the original trilogy, other than it was a post-apocalyptic desert (Australian) wasteland and motorcycle and car gangs reigned supreme. ‘Fury Road’ keeps that tradition alive – at its core, it is a road/chase film, and is relentless throughout with everything it does, from the scenery, soundtrack, stunts, cars, violence and explosions.

The over-the-top-ness serves the film well, though – much in the same way ‘300’ was hyper-visualised, this is the same, but instead of heaps of slow-motion, some of it is sped up, keeping the pace of the chase buzzing. It also has the same silly-ness, in that none of it is remotely realistic, but it all works within the universe the film inhabits (except for where all the fuel comes from!). Miller must’ve dreamt up most of the car/truck hybrids when he was a kid – and kudos to him for making them a reality, especially the pole-swinging guys and the main rig – certainly great to watch.

Hardy is satisfactory as Max (there’s not many lines for the brooding hero) and Theron is good as the vengeful Furiosa, trying to protect a group of women from the evil Emperor (or whatever his name is – played by Keays-Byrne, with Billy Connolly hair). Not sure why Hardy had to have a Bane-like face covering for some of the film, after ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ – detracted a bit from the film. Favourite bit – the guitarist on the front of the truck! Loved how the drums and his riffs only came to the fore when the camera panned to them.

Overall: Exciting action/pursuit film. Beware driving after watching – “road rage” is a given!

Gav's Rating: 4 stars.

Pitch Perfect 2 (May 2015)

Official Australian release date: 7/5/15. Viewed: 10/5/15.

Director: Elizabeth Banks

Actors: Anna Kendrick, Hailee Steinfeld, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow

Genre: Comedy

Rating: M

‘Pitch Perfect 2’ (rare in the fact that it doesn’t have a sub-title!) is a decent sequel to the surprise 2012 hit comedy about a university a capella group. This film is obviously aimed at females and is going after a younger audience, introducing 18-year-old Emily (Steinfeld) into the mix now – probably to allow a third film in the series. However, these don’t make it a bad film – still plenty of enjoyable moments throughout.

There’s probably less of a focus on the singing this time round, because – let’s face it – a capella isn’t really that exciting and can get old pretty quick. Especially with some of the rival teams – “Das Sound Machine” – and some of the terrible song choices (depending on your point-of-view, obviously). This is usually a good thing, as it gives Amy (Wilson) a chance to drop more quick-witted remarks and have more awkwardness with Bumper (DeVine) and even Becca (Kendrick) has some funny moments with her new boss (Keegan-Michael Key). But the best bits are still between the commentators – Elizabeth Banks (also her first time directing) & John Michael Higgins – plenty of hilarious lines and inappropriate comments.  

It’s a little too long (almost two hours), has a few redundant scenes and is very predictable, but you’re going to get what you expect – lots of laughs, some young-adult-what-does-the-future-hold musing and plenty of extras in a Louisiana field pretending it’s a Danish festival! I wish the original song (‘Flashlight’) wasn’t by Jessie J, but there’s still some decent songs in it.

Overall: Up-tempo feel-good fun.

Gav's Rating: 3 stars.