SPOILER-FREE REVIEW. Having avoided all trailers, I went in blind, and while it was still a fantastically enjoyable film (that totally beats Avengers: Age of Ultron), it had some flaws aswell.
Rampage is the latest Blockbuster hitting our screens, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as “Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson”, and Oscar-Nominated Naomi Harris as “Oh my God, what is Oscar-Nominated Naomi Harris doing in this film?”. It’s based on a video game (and this immediately rings warning bells) where animals are turned into vicious giant monsters thanks to a radioactive serum they’re accidentally exposed to.
Well, I’d like to rename 2017 “the year that Marvel killed it”. Having already watched Guardians 2 and Thor 3, I finally got around to seeing Spider-Man: Homecoming, and blimey was I impressed yet again.
I missed Thor: Ragnarok when it came out last November, but with Infinity War looming on the horizon, I invested in the Blu-ray to watch it first. Boy am I glad I did, not only for the story continuation that will occur in The Avengers 3, but also for the sheer joy of watching one of the best Marvel films to date.
Ready Player One is the new blockbuster film from Steven Spielberg, the man responsible for defining what a blockbuster film actual is. Having to follow up hits like Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones, just two of his countless hits, is a monumental task. It is with the biggest smile on my face that I announce that he has managed to add another amazing film to his legendary back catalogue.
I’m in a rare position where I have never seen any of the other Lara Croft films, or played any of the games. With only a slight bit of knowledge about the character of Lara Croft before seeing Tomb Raider, I felt I was able to go in with no premonitions, and have a very unbiased view of the film...OH MY GOD IS IT BORING.
Produced by Amazon Studios (you know, that online retailer that has decided to turn its hand to filmmaking), Gringo is a crime-comedy directed by Nash Edgerton (in his directorial debut). It stars David Oyelowo (who is by far the best part about the film) alongside Joel Edgerton, Charlize Theron and Amanda Seyfried.
Red Sparrow has been all over the media this week with criticism of overtly sexual scenes filled with gratuitous gore, mixed with a dull plot and lack of depth. I must admit, I don’t know what film everyone else was watching because I thought it was fantastic!
Everything about this film seemed like it was doomed to fail. For starters, it stars Jason Bateman, who though I love in Arrested Development, it can’t be denied his films have been very hit and miss. The premise looked like It would be weak, and it generally seemed like Game Night would be a really naff comedy. What a joy to say that this film is actually a genuinely brilliant comedy gem.
Reflect on a great year in film as I recall some of my favourite films of 2017, and look forward to what 2018 has to offer (click to read more)
Daniel Robinson: From Reel to Real 