Top Ten Films Of 2015

The Top Ten Films of 2015 as chosen by Captain Raptor (Jake Boyle)

Well, my friends, it has been a hell of a ride. Not just this year, but this entire venture. Sorry-not-sorry for not posting anything for four months, but all good things (or average, at least? Come on, give me something) must come to an end, and I'd hate to leave without saying goodbye. So, one final outing before we put this silly moniker to bed, and then onto (hopefully) better things.

The rules, as always - the eligibility of a film is based on the date of its countrywide release date in the UK, and, as obvious at it should seem, this is based entirely on personal preference than any notion of objective artistic achievement, which serves as a nice excuse for what's actually something of a tame, uncontroversial selection of films. Without much further ado:

10. Star Wars: The Force Awakens - I spent several years predicting that this movie would be poor, or even catastrophically bad. I couldn't be happier to be wrong. A charismatic cast of fresh faces combined with all those fabled aspects of the beloved originals to create what felt like a tribute of Tenacious D proportions - a loving homage to one of cinema's greatest legends that reinterprets the magic of old in a manner both nostalgic and reinvigorated.

9. Mad Max: Fury Road - An even greater awakening of an old franchise. George Miller's commitment to full-on lunacy feels as pure and joyous as it's possible for any action movie to be. The stunts were genuinely breath-taking and the highly inventive world created in the process proves that there's still plenty of room for ingenuity and fun in the ever-swelling gamut of post-apocalyptic stories. The film's surprise role as one of the year's most celebrated feminist statements just adds further enjoyability to the resolute, perfectly-executed on-screen carnage.

8. The Lobster - Bananas. Bonkers. Batshit crazy. There is not a word in the English language to accurately describe the absurdity of Yorgos Lanthimos' comedy-drama, at once existentially horrifying and hilariously surreal. The emotionally anaesthetized atmosphere made every violent or touching moment resonate all the more strongly, and the loopy premise with the accompanying bizarre narrative progression is like nothing you've ever seen before. And any film that provides one of the year's rawest and most powerful moments of drama from a character named 'Biscuit Woman' deserves as much praise as humanly possible.

7. Still Alice - Taking a gentle and understated approach was the perfect way to explore the tragedy of degenerative disease. It afforded for a realistic, slow-burning descent into darker and darker drama without once feeling heavy-handed, and paved the way for a career-best performance from Julianne Moore, who gives a masterclass in the effectiveness of subtlety. Every moment of upset was made all the more dramatic by the sympathetic realism the film was framed with, and the intelligent and highly personal sense of perspective on the central issue from writer-directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland creates a simplistically haunting tone that no other film this year came close to.

6. Pitch Perfect 2 - The original's intoxicating blend of sweetness, sarcasm and vulgarity was heightened by doubling down on each element, with an end result that consequently offers some of the year's most heartfelt scenes and some of its most gleefully distasteful (Suck it, Ted 2). Elizabeth Banks proves herself a steady hand behind the camera with a pleasing sense of flair, and the unbeatable chemistry of the ensemble cast deserves as many outings as it can get. The musical routines are as spectacular as ever, the antagonists are far funnier, and the whole package comes with an additional sense of investment that makes a solid argument for the validity of franchises. 

5. Inside Out - Exploring emotions in a way that could be understood by children required an unabashed sincerity that turned an amusing, whimsical journey into the most affecting and touching movie of the year. Brimming with all of Pixar's customary imagination and charm, Inside Out paired their simplistic but elegant character design with pitch-perfect voice actors (see the links between paragraphs? God, I'm clever) and let their amazing creations loose in an environment that provides the company's most openly sentimental and engaging story yet.

4. Brooklyn - A sophisticated and captivating portrait; very few protagonists have ever felt as fully rounded and fundamentally human as the awkward, resilient, yearnful Eilis, brought to life by an exemplary performance from Saoirse Ronan, who expertly captures every note on the emotional spectrum. A tender but moving presentation of culture shock was elevated by Nick Hornby's trademark wit and some well-handled blunt tragedies, and it's rare to see romantic conflict shown so maturely and poignantly.

3. Avengers: Age Of Ultron - Blisteringly exciting, high-octane action combined with theatrical heroism, beloved characters and sharp humour - OK, so we saw all of this in 2012, but it remains nonetheless expertly executed and entrancingly exhilarating. The growing cast of characters adds further depth to the universe and the chemistry between the leads still possesses that unparalleled spark. Joss Whedon has always been a superlative creative force and allowing him access to the film industry's most expansive (and expensive) toy chest is a treat that never fails to entertain to the highest degree.

2. The Martian - The abundant sense of sarcastic and playful comedy provided the perfect counterpart to the awestruck, inquisitive tone of the movie, creating a perfect ode to human ingenuity and triumph through adversity - not just through grand, brave gestures (although there's plenty of those), but with co-operative spirit, an loving enthusiasm for science and a healthy dose of flippancy. The hilarity so often present in the dialogue allowed the moments of real fear and alienation to hit all the harder, yet there was still something uplifting, and dare I say it, inspiring about the defiant optimism that lay at the heart of the narrative.

1. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) - Wow, the Best Picture winner was the best film, how insightful.

But really, what a fucking film. The perfect combination of dark comedy, showbiz satire and creative drama, all presented with invigoratingly manic pacing courtesy of the innovative cinematography and sound techniques. Aggressively hilarious, enjoyably chaotic and totally unpredictable, Birdman found genius in all places, deploying intimidating close-ups, moments of quiet solemnity, wryly self-aware casting choices and brutalising monologues on any seemingly innocuous subject it chose to turn its critical gaze to. Emma Stone, Edward Norton and especially Michael Keaton formed a perfect trio of unbalanced, energetic performances, bouncing back and forth in the film's claustrophobic environment to build an ever-mounting tension that remained uproarious, unsettling and saddening from beginning to end. Masterful filmmaking and a brilliant exhibition of the importance of innovation in technique and form, as well as damn near perfection in writing and performance. 

'Trainwreck' review by Captain Raptor

'Trainwreck' review by Jake Boyle

Despite the brilliant works he's helped bring to the screen through his prolific production work, I'd contend that Judd Apatow does not have a strong record when it comes to directing. The 40-Year-Old Virgin was decent, but Funny People remains one of the most spectacular failures I've ever seen, and the self-pitying suburban dramedy of This Is 40 didn't fair a whole lot better. Handing writing duties over to comedy's fastest-rising star would be a step in the right direction, but I still have my reservations about Amy Schumer too - undoubtedly admirable social commentary, but too often underpinned by a solitary joke, or even less.

Amy Schumer proves to be a solid, grounding lead in a film that spends much of its first hour floundering. While there are some brilliantly funny scenes (most of which feature John Cena and Lebron James beautifully playing against their image), there are an equal number of scenes that feel underwritten or just fail to land - great concepts such as Daniel Radcliffe's film-within-a-film about an overly serious dogwalker, or a group of acidic journalists spitballing the most obnoxious concepts for articles possible all come to nothing, but Schumer possesses enough charm in both her acting and writing that these moments merely stall momentum instead of causing frustration. Curiously for a romantic comedy (even one self-consciously attempting to distance itself from the genre), there's not an abundance of chemistry between Schumer and Bill Hader, to the extent that the film has to rely on a voiceover to describe them falling in love because otherwise it wasn't really clear.

Romantic comedies have a typical formula to them, and where Trainwreck really excels is not by differing from it, but by simply being much better at it. The requisite second act break-up is portrayed with a genuine sense of hurt and dismay among the humour, and the equally essential romantic gesture to win their love back is as sweet as any Katherine Heigl or John Hughes film, and wonderfully completes Amy's character arc. For once, Apatow succeeds in his search for meaningful drama amid lewd jokes and celebrity cameos (the former of which are done smartly here, the latter being mostly pointless), and it's the few bittersweet scenes detailing Amy's complicated relationship with her family that cause the most captivation. It's at this point that the comedy also improves, or at least becomes more consistent, because with a more concrete story in play and the emotional investment ramped up, the occasional lapses in humour don't feel as obtrusive or unintentional, and the jokes that do land feel much stronger due to the juxtaposition against a slightly more serious backdrop. Previous annoyances also start to redeem themselves during this period - Hader and Schumer are more convincing in their affections for another, and Ezra Miller spends most of the film being utterly pointless but becomes worth all the unnecessary screentime in a hilarious scene that showcases better than anything else Schumer's mastery of the awkward and uncomfortable whilst still being watchable.

Trainwreck struggles to take off in its first half and could do with condensing a lot of the earlier material - although nothing that features Cena or Lebron, just so we're clear. It still has its moments and provides adequate set-up for a more enjoyable second hour that impresses with some added weightiness and crafting something new and invigorating within the parameters of familiar archetypes. It's not an exceptional movie but it's a definite step in the right direction for Apatow, a promising debut as a lead actress and scriptwriter for Schumer, and overall a beneficial thing to exist in the same universe as.

'Paper Towns' review by Captain Raptor

'Paper Towns' review by Jake Boyle

The Fault In Our Stars worked, so don't fix it, right? Take the same screenwriters, the same producers and the same Nat Wolff to another of John Green's books, call it a day. That's not intended to denigrate the effort that was presumably put into making the film, nor are the tones of the two films especially similar, but the film does have an air of confidence surrounding it that feels like a major contributor to some of its deepest flaws.

Unfortunately, one of those flaws would be the casting of Nat Wolff, who not only fails to summon up any of the charm he displayed in The Fault In Our Stars but frequently appears so lifeless and neutral that at times I genuinely questioned director Jake Schreier's decision to accept his performance as any sort of attempt at acting. It is in keeping with his role as the everyman, but there's an important difference between ordinary and boring. This further scuppers an already awkwardly judged sense of comic timing, and very few of the film's verbal jokes manage to raise a laugh. The story's narrative contains a lot of changes of pace, which doesn't seem to have been taken into account by anybody - the road trip sequence, wherein there is a concentrated and stable group dynamic, is by far the most enjoyable section of the movie, but there aren't any other scenes where any dialogue or performing seems to flow comfortably. Cara Delevingne acquits herself well with an endearing performance in the first act that is let down by the film's ending (coming up shortly) and in a more energetic film, Justice Smith's droll delivery would have been phenomenally funny; as it is, his low-key excellence doesn't have the counterpart necessary to make it properly work.

I don't have much time for book purists, but decisions made with the presentation of the film's ending, to my mind, utterly destroy the central concept and arguably the entire point of the story. Without wanting to give too much away, the protagonist's crucial mistake is treated not with any degree of hostility, bitterness or resentment, but instead immediate sympathy and an understanding correction, undermining the whole narrative purpose for having him make said mistake. It's a shame because it comes right after the movie was really beginning to build up some steam and genuine investment, something which the first hour, while more or less an agreeable experience, was sorely lacking. With this subversive moment of realisation at the end being so dulled down and mollified (which is saying something given than Green can hardly be considered a radical writer), all that is really left is a pile of tired high school movie clichés performed with very little charisma and inventiveness, although up until the catastrophic ending, the emotional tone of the movie is astutely constructed in its atmosphere and in one confessional bathtub scene actually manages to be thoughtful and touching for a brief period.

My immediate reaction to Paper Towns was a sense of overwhelming disappointment but tinged with enjoyment at particular elements, but the more I consider it the more negative my opinion becomes. Justice Smith did seem very promising, but so did Nat Wolff in The Fault In Our Stars, yet here he is giving one of the worst performances of 2015 so far. The road trip segment of the movie was funny, but it's still riddled with familiar mawkish sentiments, and a cameo is a pretty cheap way to gain laughs. There are fleeting moments and even whole scenes in which this film is good, both on dramatic and comedic levels, but the lack of imagination, chemistry and insight that possesses the majority of this movie means that it is, ultimately, a failure.

'The Legend Of Barney Thomson' review by Captain Raptor

'The Legend Of Barney Thomson' review by Jake Boyle

Heroin addiction, the apocalypse, institutional racism - Robert Carlyle's filmography reads like a categorized list of the bleakest possible topics. Even Eragon was depressing, albeit for reasons of quality rather than subject matter. Black comedy can be an awkward line to tread, with even seasoned contributors to the genre like Mark Millar and the Coen Brothers making the occasional misfire, but despite having previously only directed a single Stargate episode, Carlyle seems a perfect fit for both helming and starring in a comedy in which you see multiple dismembered body parts in the opening credits.

Directorial inexperience does cause a slight hitch in that little thought appears to have been put into visuals and framing, particularly with the abundance of eye-level, front-facing shots that make it hard to create much of an atmosphere in the early moments of the film when very little is happening. The initial slowness isn't capitalized on much, with a number of the jokes falling flat, but once the ball gets rolling, the film quickly picks up. As the situation becomes more and more convoluted and deadly, Barney's haplessness becomes all the more amusing, and in turn, his stony-hearted mother's unsympathetic reactions (which were incredibly funny to begin with) become even better. One achievement Carlyle can claim as a director is the truly magnificent performance he has coaxed out of Emma Thompson (barely recognisable, disguised with prosthetics and a highly authentic accent), who utterly inhabits her character and delivers her brilliant lines with a relaxed callousness that sounds far more devastating than any angry tirade. The panicked energy that Carlyle brings is his strongest contribution in a solid performance, which comes to life the most when he's bouncing off the more stoic members of the cast such as Ray Winstone and Brian Pettifer.

One of The Legend Of Barney Thomson's strongest attributes is the way it deals with its macabre themes. The darkness is mostly just limited to the murder-focused plot, not counting one brilliant joke about paedophiles, but there's enough homicide to keep the film's momentum unwavering (once it begins) without ever going into overkill (pun intended). The violence and the horror of it are treated with a degree of gleefulness but never one that verges on self-satisfied or lazy. The plot is very well constructed (although that is more praise for the original book's author Douglas Lindsay), escalating the danger and weaving elements together in a way that rarely feels convoluted, and the one plot twist that does test the bounds of credibility provides so much dramatic and comedic payoff that it's very easily excused. The resolution of the story is fantastic, although it's slightly scuppered by Barney's narration, which throughout the film presents information that the actors were quite easily capable of conveying themselves, with not much comedic value. As a whole, the dialogue is of quite a high standard albeit occasionally plain, but comedy is mostly drawn from contrasting Barney's uselessness with the seriousness of his situation, best exemplified in the brilliant sequence where he tries to dispose of a body in an inflatable dinghy.

The Legend Of Barney Thomson falters in the beginning while it's still establishing itself, but once the pace builds and the tone darkens, it quickly becomes an invigorating and consistently amusing exercise in black comedy. Those familiar with the genre won't find anything especially groundbreaking, but it's well-crafted and played out with enthusiasm and certainty. As a director, Carlyle shows no real interest in style, however more crucially he does get a firm grip on the substance of the film and has a good eye for material. His performance is as nuanced as the film's tone allows and balances intense pitfulness with a distant likability, and doesn't deserve to be overlooked just because Emma Thompson is so brilliant and brazen. There are small hiccups and perhaps a lack of ambition, so Barney might not be truly legendary, but it's a decent directorial debut, a vehicle for the finest comedic performance of the year, and a pleasantly unpleasant tale to be told.  

'Southpaw' review by Captain Raptor

'Southpaw' review by Jake Boyle

Man, Jake Gyllenhaal, right? What an actor. Donnie Darko, Nightcrawler...

OK, that's all I've seen him in, but still, those are two phenomenal, brilliant films, and his performance is the most fantastic element of both those masterpieces. As long as his next project was at least vaguely interesting, my attendance was practically guaranteed. Vaguely interesting does seem quite apt for describing Southpaw's allure - boxing drama is territory that is simultaneously well-trodden but open for new interpretations, and director Antoine Fuqua specialises in the realm of 'meh'-tier films, so adding such an accomplished actor into the mix was interesting. Vaguely.

Southpaw is a very familiar tale of fall and redemption, told with just a slightly darker, more emotionally exploratory edge to it. The journey of the protagonist (the laughably named Billy Hope) from success through tragedy to self-acceptance is not just archetypal of sports dramas but cinema in general, and while Gyllenhaal and Forest Whitaker are on hand to lend an additional sense of maturity and pathos, it's still nothing new. Gyllenhaal gives a consummate performance and really shines in some of the low-key scenes wherein he can demonstrate some subtlety in his character's frustration, but given that the man is capable of creating on-screen miracles it's still somewhat disappointing. The reoccurring theme of this movie is the actors outperforming the script, drawing attention to its weaknesses; child actress Oona Laurence emotes and expresses very believably, but the dialogue written for her is so clawingly one-dimensional and robotic that she's clearly been considered a plot device first and a character second. This is true of the majority of the film's supporting characters, who exist solely to motivate Billy, which leads to a worrying reoccurring issue in which characters are killed with very fanfare in order that they might serve their narrative purpose.

In related issues of stilted writing, Lord Almighty did Kurt Sutter (making quite the inauspicious debut as a writer of feature films) phone it in towards the end. The simplistic schmaltz of the film's ending can be forgiven, because there does seem to be an actual sense of heart to it, but there are numerous plotlines and character arcs that all remain unresolved, with no sign that this is intended as a realistic, 'life goes on' conclusion à la Bridge And Tunnel. More obnoxious than anything else is the dialogue of the climactic boxing match's commentators - when they're not recapping the plot of what you've already watched, they're practically instructing the audience how to feel, including one truly barbarous line in which there is an explicit mentioning of the fight's emotional subtext, just in case the audience was incapable of understanding anything that had happened over the previous two hours.

It's not wholly representative that this review mostly focuses on negative aspects of the film, especially the writing; Southpaw is, overall, a decidedly okay and sustainably enjoyable viewing, and for the most part, it is effectively if unambitiously written - it's just that when it does make mistakes, they're pretty monumental errors. Overall, Sutter and Fuqua have made a comfortable film with a few hints of edge to it, and strong performances - even from 50 Cent and especially from Gyllenhaal, making mumbling and sluggishness halfway compelling - both elevate the experience and highlight the inferiorities in its production.

'Ant-Man' review by Captain Raptor

'Ant-Man' review by Jake Boyle

I told myself I wouldn't get excited. I promised. They took the film Edgar Wright had been developing for nearly a decade and pushed him away from the project, but even their aggravation of the director I revere the most couldn't overcome my intrinsic Marvel fanboy nature. Besides, if the script has to be rewritten, Adam McKay and Paul Rudd are reassuringly competent hands, one would think. So, yeah, I did get excited for Ant-Man in the final month or so before its release, and as you've probably figured out by now, I'm feeling pretty foolish about that.

Perhaps the one thing that Ant-Man is most sorely lacking is the idiosyncrasies and occasional offbeat ticks that have made previous fan favourites such as Iron Man and Guardians Of The Galaxy so beloved. A thief who can shrink himself and communicate with ants is a promisingly oddball premise, but there aren't as many attempts at humour as there needs to be, and the jokes that are made often fall flat, neither written or delivered with much assurance. This might perhaps be an unavoidable consequence of changing the script and director midway through production, but nevertheless there's a dire lack of charisma on display. It's especially notable given that Ant-Man is understandably light on action for much of its runtime, meaning that great swathes of the movies are just dry exposition, despite the best efforts of an impressively energetic Michael Peña. The training sequence in the second act is nearly excruciatingly dull, and made me yearn for the days when a cheesy but brief montage would have sufficed. This section seriously calls into question the directing ability of Peyton Reed, seemingly incapable of carrying out even the simplest of jokes (apparently the way to execute a pratfall is not to see it at all and just see other characters roll their eyes). It's made worse by a truly miserable performance from Evangeline Lily, whose underwritten character is further diminished by her apparently having no comprehension of how human facial expressions work.

As damning as all that is, Ant-Man isn't spectacularly bad, really, just disappointing coming from the MCU. Things really pick up for the final half an hour, when the action starts flowing better and fully embracing the premise - the climactic showdown partially takes place inside a suitcase and on a toy train track, and while the interspersing wide shots showing how inconsequential their fighting appears is quite an obvious joke, it does regain the film a needed sense of knowing. Paul Rudd doesn't make as charming or funny a lead as expected of him, but he's not a total wash; some of the film's worst moments (such as a kiss at the end that truly pushes new boundaries for chemistry-free forced romances) are made less awkward by his natural affability, and while no aspect of his performance is as promising as Peña's, I do think he'll serve well in Markus and McFeely's presumably stronger script for Captain America: Civil War. In terms of visuals, the film is once again disappointingly bland until the end, where a highly predictable moment is immeasurably improved by the inclusion of some trippy kaleidoscopic special effects that could have been taken from the end of Interstellar.

Ant-Man is not a good film, but it is also not a truly bad film. That's damning with faint praise already, but given the general level of quality of Marvel films and the potential this film began with, it's hard not to feel that all things considered, this is a failure. It's not without merit and the last thirty minutes were unambiguously enjoyable,  but none of that is enough to overcome the significant flaws that riddle the movie. Without wanting to sound bitter, Edgar Wright would almost certainly have made a much better movie, and while the end product is mostly watchable with some encouraging moments, it's telling that the strongest of all these moments is Falcon making a joke about Captain America - completely unconnected to the main storyline and characters, and simply reminding the audience of the superiority of Marvel's other properties.

'Wet Hot American Summer' review by Captain Raptor

'Wet Hot American Summer' review by Jake Boyle

Looking back at the cast of Wet Hot American Summer, it's crazy to see how successful pretty much everybody involved with that movie has become. It seems like a minor miracle that the entire original cast has agreed to reunite for the upcoming prequel miniseries, an event that provides the perfect reason to become acquainted with one of this century's most culty indie comedies, and one last point-scoring opportunity for Paul Rudd before I get to see Ant-Man.

Wet Hot American Summer's starting territory is hormonal teenaged antics, and while it manages to obtain a fair share of genuine laughs out of hapless pursuits of the heart and groin (think more Animal House than American Pie), there's a definitively erratic tone, energetically transitioning between a multitude of characters and comedic stylings. There are silly, goofy moments interspersed with jokes about drowning children and heroin dens, and deadpan non-sequiturs. Mixing baser comedy with more abstract humour benefits both; the film can divulge in bizarre flights of fantasy and Airplane!-esque zaniness but remains grounded by the easily understood character motivations and more relaxed adult jokes. The dialogue has been confidently written and is delivered and reacted to with equal self-assurance, mostly with a straight-faced simplicity that lets the strength of the comedy speak for itself. However, this confidence also allows for incredibly exaggerated moments (Paul Rudd turns picking up a plate into a 30 second routine that had me giggling constantly) because the viewer can appreciate that the film understands subtlety, and has chosen to temporarily abandon it.

Rudd's unflappable moodiness is a piece of brilliance, and one that is matched by every member of the cast. They all possess the ability to switch from low-key to frenetic in a second, most notably David Hyde Pierce, and they gel together seamlessly. A special commendation, however, must be awarded to Christopher Meloni's intensely kooky performance as a perverted, delusional Vietnam veteran. He embeds every ridiculous line with a real sense of seething rage to beautifully contrast the absurdity of what he's saying, and steals the show with film's funniest scene, a monologue about self-acceptance that involves him talking to a tin of peas and dry-humping a fridge. Aside from these moments of unapologetic lunacy, the independent production further benefits Wet Hot American Summer by allowing for the relaxed inclusion of gay characters being intimate (rarely found nowadays, let alone in 2001) and deliberately terrible props. No matter what territory the plot strays into, the film remains permanently light (even when dealing with the aforementioned darker elements) and unsentimental, culminating in an ending that gleefully deconstructs stereotypical happy resolutions and undoes its major character arcs.

Wet Hot American Summer sold out four times on its premiere at Sundance, and it isn't hard to see why. Energetic, inventive, and unabashedly weird, it's a film that has torn up the comedy rulebook, but only after having studied it laboriously and mastered every style. Each moment of balls-to-the-wall foolishness is sandwiched by dry wit and highly self-aware writing, and the quick pace with which we move through the multitude of scenes bequeaths a aura of snappiness, although the relaxed performances of the film's fantastic ensemble never let proceedings get too out of hand. The outlandishness of it all might grate on some, especially towards the end where the craziness is ramped up to compensate for a slight running out of steam, but this is an incredibly funny movie and while the Netflix series is a risky move, it's one that I eagerly await.

'Ted 2' review by Captain Raptor

'Ted 2 review by Jake Boyle

I thoroughly enjoyed the first Ted movie when it came out, but it's highly likely that a large contributing factor was that I was 15 at its time of release. Now that I'm a little older and supposedly a little wiser, I was wary that being bombarded with jokes about weed and genitalia might not hold the same appeal it once did, especially given Seth MacFarlane's rather lacklustre form lately. However, the trailer suckered me in with something I could never refuse, a joke about Samuel L Jackson, and it'd been so long since I'd been to see anything that it still sounded like a good option. 

I guess I'm still actually 15 because I had a pretty good time with Ted 2. It's not that I'd misjudged it, entirely - the film's two funniest scenes (by a considerable margin) both revolve around semen - but there is evidence of craftsmanship to MacFarlane's method. There's a lot of puerility (although, to be fair, not as much as there easily could have been) but the scenes containing them are all precisely timed and built around the reveal of the grossness to provide a greater reaction from punchline moments. Not the most intellectual of techniques, perhaps, but certainly an effective one. Ted 2 doesn't provide as many moments of brilliance as its predecessor, partially from the law of diminishing returns, but the joke rate is high with most of them sticking to varying degrees. The whole affair is classic MacFarlane - race jokes (much less shocking than he's shown himself to be capable of, for better and for worse), pop culture references galore and a plot that more closely resembles a series of skits and asides than a focused story. These aren't always the best ingredients but MacFarlane knows his tools well, and while it does feel like he's playing it safe, the result is a film with a real sense of confidence that gleefully rhymes off joke after joke with very little flab. 

The myriad of references and in-jokes (Patrick Warburton redonning his Tick costume just to beat up nerds at Comic-Con is a particular treat) show the effort that's been put into this film, but sometimes it feels like overcomplication and a distraction; there are far too many earnest moments for a film that delights in cynicism and mocking. Amanda Seyfried's heartfelt plea for Ted's right to personhood is, to a point, a genuinely touching moment, but Morgan Freeman doing the exact same thing (with far less effort) 30 minutes later is totally void of any real substance. The sense of humour is very on point but in the moments where it's dropped it quickly becomes evident that there's nothing else to this film. The strength of MacFarlane and his cowriters' comic material is heightened by a cast that (barring Freeman's aforementioned pointlessness) gels well together and deliver every line with reassurance - Mark Wahlberg continues his impressively game performance in the series, and Seyfried helps form a strong trio dynamic with the Thunder Buddies. The weighty themes of identity and humanity make the non-comic scenes mismatchingly pensive, but they provide ample framework for humour to be built around, and the early scenes about Ted and Tami-Lynn trying to become parents are inventive and hilarious in equal measure. 

The verdict on Ted 2 comes down to a glass half-full or half-empty approach. You could view it as a retread of familiar. simplistic jokes with nothing new to offer or as a return to form by someone with a genuine passion for something so unashamedly dumb. I'd skew towards the latter, but whichever way you cut it, Ted 2 is a consistently funny movie with enough energy and panache to survive most criticisms. It's obviously not suited to all tastes, and if jokes about Jay Leno having "gay bathroom sex" don't sound appealing, then you'd be wise to steer clear of this. It's not as wild or inventive as one might have hoped for, but it's still far from disappointing and a reliably good source of laughs. 

'Inside Out' review by Captain Raptor

'Inside Out' review by Jake Boyle

There are very few things that are unquestionable. Conventional wisdom is often wrong; as the great Agent K so wonderfully put it "1,500 years ago everybody knew that the Earth was the centre of the universe. 500 years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was flat. And 15 minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet". There are, however, a few universal truths. Pixar films are awesome. They just are. Anybody who disagrees has never been a child and is some strange pod person who should not be trusted. 

Making a film about anthropomorphised emotions is a pretty crafty move, because the constant discussions of feelings and inner conflict means that a highly emotional tone automatically runs through the film, and the elements being discussed are pretty much the core of the human experience, so it's difficult not to feel sympathy. Obviously the film isn't some form of psychological drama; as heartfelt and touching as some moments are, it's still primarily goofy and sugary, the two blended together so as not to become irritating. The concept is nicely executed, and the visualisations of the human mind as a machine is genuinely interesting, as well as providing a lot of good jokes. The animation is of as high a quality as we've come to expect, but there's nothing exceptional about it. The character design, however, is fantastic, especially for Anger, and it's nice to see some new inventions coming out of Pixar's stable. Most of the film's best humour comes from the explorations of its concept, bizarre enough when actually experienced that there's no shortage of material, but the jokes that come from simpler dialogue and interactions are still passable enough.

The voice acting for Inside Out is simply superlative. Casting Amy Poehler as the physical embodiment of joy was an incredibly smart decision, her cheer and energy here putting Leslie Knope to shame. Phyllis Smith and Lewis Black both do perfect jobs of bringing their characters to life, each nailing their assigned emotion's tonality. Once you look past the setting, the actual story being told is predictable but it is told with conviction, and the message at the heart of the film is something that quite a few adults could benefit from having reiterated, not just children. None of the scenes have any of the gut-punching sadness of that moment from Toy Story 3, but the frequency of deep emotion in this film and the maturity with which they are handled still puts Inside Out in contention for Pixar's most affecting film. Occasionally some of the sentiment doesn't entirely work (there's a few intendedly cute moments between the family that just seem slightly awkward) but the feelings that are successfully conveyed are potent enough that anybody who remains stoic is another of the aforementioned pod people.

Inside Out is a very sweet film, gently funny and on occasion uproarious, but the primary strength is undeniably the unabashed and occasionally tearful emotional exploration. The concept at the core of the film is a strong one that is carried out competently, assisted in no small part by wonderful visuals and brilliant voice acting. The characters, plot and dialogue aren't so strong that Inside Out can stand side-by-side with other Pixar classics, but the experience is an enjoyable and genuinely uplifting one that should delight anybody with a heart, regardless of age. 

'Jurassic World' review by Captain Raptor

'Jurassic World' review by Jake Boyle

Okay, so, full disclosure. I've never seen any of the Jurassic Park movies. My interest in this film is based solely on seeing Chris Pratt ride a motorbike whilst leading a pack of velociraptors, because that is the single greatest idea any filmmaker has ever had. The thing I found most enjoyable about Jurassic World was just the execution of its concept, so it's worth bearing in mind that the thing that most impressed me about this film is something the rest of the world got acquainted with in 1993, and you should deflate any enthusiasm accordingly for adjustment.

Old Uncle Steven might only be on executive producing duties, but there's an undeniably Spielbergian quality to this film - precocious children and healthy sprinklings of suspense abound. Newcomer to Hollywood Colin Trevorrow understands that spectacle quickly becomes meaningless unless you have to wait for it, so no dinosaurs are properly seen until the 20th minute or so, and no real action with them for about twice as long. The time building up to that, while not exhilarating, passes along well enough - the characters are one-dimensional but there's enough of them that they never become weary, and the beautiful locales and sets provide plenty of visual stimulation by themselves. Jurassic World is a good-looking film in all aspects, with the CGI dinos being the obvious star feature. The fancy new dinosaur isn't any more impressive or scary in appearance than a common or garden T-Rex, but the slow reveal of its destructive abilities and behaviours make it suitably intriguing and a very believable threat. There are moments when proceedings do feel a little too stretched or ridiculous (which is saying something given that the central plot is about a dinosaur theme park), such as two young boys outrunning a genetically enhanced killing machine, or the cunning plan of Vincent D'Onofrio (on decent form as a snarling, smarmy security officer) to use raptors for military purposes. The dialogue on the reoccurring theme of family and togetherness is initially a little nauseating, but it grows on you as the film goes on.

The action is passable but nothing special, although the best was definitely saved until last with a Royal Rumble of prehistoric animals, while the humans gratifyingly don't get involved much. It's the human element that lets the film down a little - the film is packed with talented performers like Pratt, Lauren Lapkus and Omar Sy, but the characters are of fleeting interest at most, only held up by the coolness of what they do rather than the value of who they are. Jake Johnson does manage to rustle up a few laughs, but the sarcastic tech guy is a time-honoured role and it's been done far better before. They're never so dull as to inhibit an otherwise enjoyable moment (well, not frequently) but a little more personality and charm in the writing (or maybe an interesting alternative route with real pathos and emotion) could have made for a film that was both funnier and more engrossing. The film doesn't really excel at much, but neither are there any major weaknesses, and that's the beauty of having Chris Pratt hang out with dinosaurs - it's awesome no matter what you frame it with.

Jurassic World is of no higher quality than the average blockbuster, but it's distinct enough that it still feels exciting. For fans of the original, this might be a little disheartening, but for newcomers and the apathetic, it's a perfectly enjoyable, well-made movie that has a strong suit in minor suspense and incredible visuals. It's wonderful to see Pratt firmly cemented as a mainstream leading man and Treverrow makes a confident entrance into big-budget fare - but ultimately, despite being thoroughly fun and satisfying. that's probably the only lasting cultural impact this film will have, something that I am sure will keep the studio execs up at night, crying on their beds of money.

'Spy' review by Captain Raptor

'Spy' review by Jake Boyle

While they might not exactly be Scorsese and De Niro, Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy are cementing themselves as a formidable partnership. Or so I'm told. I've never seen either of their previous two movies and my experience with McCarthy comes only from This Is 40 and The Hangover III, both resolutely miserable attempts at comedy. Spy is the first film in years I've wanted to see purely through the strength of its trailer, even when combined with the bland name and seemingly tiresome premise.

The first half of the movie is a little sketchy, and the repeated jokes about how unglamorous McCarthy looks are only really made tolerable by her likeability as a leading lady. Midway through, the character suddenly gets much more violent and foul-mouthed, and then the real fun begins. Watching McCarthy lacerate henchmen with her fists and her acidic tongue (Metaphorically. Not like in X-Men) is a real treat to behold, especially because she dives into the more explicit elements with committed energy and aplomb. The other great joy of this film is a gloriously self-parodic turn from Jason Statham, exaggerating and belittling his entire image with a deadpan excellence unmatched by most comedians. However, it's McCarthy and Jude Law who acquit themselves as actual action stars here, and the film's fight scenes are well-choreographed and on a couple of occasions even pleasingly visceral. Law's performance is perfectly adequate but never anything to get excited about, and there are too many predictable twists surrounding his character to view him as anything that's really interesting. Spy as a whole never really attempts to escape a standard formula beyond its elements of ironic pastiche, and even some of those feel quite familiar. Sometimes it's not even parody, such as the distinctly Bond-esque, straight-faced opening credits, and brownie points are to be awarded for having the confidence to hold itself in a more serious, unironic contention for the odd moment or two.

It is still an unabashed comedy though, and every small moment of sentiment is really just a set-up for the ensuing punchline, the majority of which stick well enough. Allison Janney's delivery is just as superlative as has come to be expected of her by now, and Miranda Hart manages to hold her own in a room full of A-Listers. Peter Serafinowicz pulls a minor miracle by making his turn as a smarmy Don Juan-abe into something even vaguely bearable, let alone funny once or twice, and 50 Cent's appearance as himself provides a few strong moments of humour, but quite easily could have been much more amusing that it turned out being. A few of the jokes are pretty dumb but the puerility is outweighed by the dialogue and the parodying of quintessential spy movie tropes. Spare a thought, however, for Morena Baccarin, talented and on the rise yet relegated here to about seven lines and a pretty much pointless character. The occasional joke doesn't land and leads to some awkward instances, because there's not much to this film beyond the comedy to keep you interested, but some of the routines work so damn well (especially Statham's scenes) that they compensate plentifully for the weaker moments.

Spy gets its laughs confidently and frequently, and not only is Statham good in his comic turn but it's perhaps the greatest role of his entire career. McCarthy and Feig carry the proceedings though, and they do a solid job of it, crafting a movie that's funny, knowing when to be straight-faced and when to be provocative. It's a tad formulaic but not as much as the average action-comedy, and slightly dumb some of the time, but infrequently enough (and with enough good taste) that you never feel that creeping sense of shame for enjoying it. It's maybe not worth going out of your way to watch but Spy remains nonetheless a satisfactory and enjoyable experience.

'Pitch Perfect 2' review by Captain Raptor

'Pitch Perfect 2' review by Jake Boyle

Forget creating one of the few female-centric franchises in existence, inspiring a whole wave of viral videos and making a capella interesting again after the unbearable schmaltz of Glee; Pitch Perfect's principal achievement is the number of words it added to my lexicon in an hour and a half. Toner, aca-scuse me, queerballs and treble-boned all belong in the dictionary, and even aside from the strength of its dialogue, the original film was a joy to behold.

Thankfully, the new one is too. For the most part, everything that was good about the first film is just as good a second time around - Lilly's freaky non-sequiturs are still comically startling, Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson are still endlessly charismatic, and the song and dance routines are as excellent as ever. What has occurred is a process of doubling down on the previous film's strengths. One of the things that made the comedy so likeable was the heartfelt warm core at the centre, surrounded by sharper and more crass humours. As such, the sequel contains many moments of sincerity and emotional bonding, usually led by Brittany Snow's impressive performance - but to prevent things from ever getting Dixie Chicks serious, Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins' commentators are back on hand with some truly jaw-dropping quips of insensitivity. The occasional reliance on stereotypes is disheartening and lazy, but a couple of them are made easier to swallow when delivered by Flula Borg, who aside from possessing great comic timing, has also been making the exact same jokes about himself for years. Fat Amy, widely and correctly recognised as the funniest element of the first film, has unfortunately been overused, and at times her dialogue can feel either forced or just far less funny that it's supposed to be - luckily, Wilson's irrepressible flair mostly salvages this.

The new elements, while not abundant, are pleasant treats. Hailee Steinfeld's dorky freshman and Keegan-Michael Key's short-tempered producer are both welcome editions to an already strong ensemble, and the funniest scene in the film (a brand new Riff Off!) is primarily helmed by David Cross. There's also a greater sense of pop culture savviness, with more jokes about modern music and some fantastic as-themselves appearances by Snoop Dogg and various members of the Green Bay Packers. Banks, now in the director's chair as well as on screen, incorporates some nice touches of playfulness, filming a couple of shots on GoPros, inserting newsreel clips of Obama and splicing a montage into various sub-screens. It's a relatively compact film, but all events are given enough breathing room to be fully enjoyed, and it's always good having left the cinema wanting more. Still, it would have been preferable to see Anna Camp in a few more scenes, and she never really gets to flourish in the brief moments she does appear. The all-important final a capella performance has a slight lack of dynamism, but makes a bit of a risky and successful move in making it a more sentimental affair, and if there is to be no Pitch Perfect 3, then this a strong ending.

Pitch Perfect 2 should definitely please all returning fans, keeping things similar but staving away repetition by alternately increasing either the scale or the emotional impact. The cast and dialogue are still perfectly matched, and the high standard for musical performance is maintained. By building on what came before through callbacks and deepening the characters, Pitch Perfect 2 is an equally good film to its predecessor but elevates the franchise as a whole. Toe-tapping and side-splitting from beginning to end, and even tugging on the heartstrings a little, this film marks a strong directorial debut by Banks and provides a great opportunity to see the ever-charming Barden Bellas & co in all their sustained glory.

'Mad Max: Fury Road' review by Captain Raptor

'Mad Max: Fury Road' review by Jake Boyle

The Mad Max franchise has got increasingly bizarre with each new iteration, but even the high-octane anarchy of Fury Road pales in comparison to the insanity of Aaron Clarey's already notorious review. Taking issue with the fact that in this film "women are equal to men in all things" and that Charlize Theron's character "talked a lot", the gratifying backfire of his outrage is that it's brought the film's positive portrayal of women into sharp focus and attracted a more enlightened crowd to see the film just to piss off one guy.

When it's not espousing the radical bigotry that women can also drive, and that sex slavery is immoral, Mad Max: Fury Road is just generally having a bloody good time. It's the biggest and barmiest of all George Miller's films to date, and his penchant for vehicular violence undeniably benefits from the budget increase and improved computer graphics. The action is pleasingly over-the-top and frenetic, but it's also coherently pieced together, if lacking a certain finesse. The visuals are fantastic, from costume to props, and this helps to create one of the most credible and immersive post-apocalypses in an increasingly saturated market for them. Fury Road brings strong levels of creative detail to its own inventions, such as the culture and beliefs of the 'Warboys', who should seem completely alien but you quickly reach a solid understanding of. There is an issue with the pacing of the weirdness - the audience is just thrown into this madcap, chaotic world, which certainly makes for an exhilarating start, but it also means that the level of danger or insanity never really feels like it's building from where we began, and the final fight sequences just don't feel climactic enough. Because there's no great sense of progression or escalation, the few moments where the momentum does drop (to let the characters show a little depth and give the audience time to catch their breath) do feel a little longer and duller than they otherwise might.

The slower moments are still well-sustained, however, with Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron demonstrating an ability to convey a lot of emotional information whilst only slightly straying from the stony-faced stoic aura they project. Nicholas Hoult does a good job of doing exactly the opposite, hooting and screaming in such a convincingly manic manner that he's barely recognisable. Humour isn't as common as one might expect from a film that's so unabashedly gleeful in everything from crunching metallic behemoths together to displaying horrific mutations, but when comedy does occur it's effective and well-delivered. The earnest commitment to pure mayhem is both impressive and endlessly fun, but it helps my giving the plot and characters a grounding that is simple without being vague or stupid. There are sentimental moments sparsely scattered through proceedings, some of which work more than others, but garnering any real emotion from this experience is just icing on the cake rather than an expectation, A little exploration into Max's psyche might not be the most affecting of incidents, but it does finally suggest, four films into the franchise, that Max might be at least a little bit mad, and Hardy's panic-laden eyes prove a great counterpoint to his grizzled, unmoving bottom lip.

Aside from some neat feminist undertones and a slightly unexpected sense of occasional tenderness, what you see is what you get with Fury Road. If two hours of lunatic trying to run each other down in absurdly high-octane death machines sounds good to you (and I can't fathom why it wouldn't), then this film will not disappoint. The effort and sheer enthusiasm embedded into this fourth instalment by Miller is infectious, and there's few people who could make a desert full of death and decay feel so vivid and exciting. Mad Max: Fury Road is a worthy addition to one of action's most revered franchises and deserves a heap of bonus points for its distinct vision and brass balls - and now brass ovaries too. 

'Congo' review by Captain Raptor

'Congo' review by Jake Boyle

Nobody makes good old-fashioned, mildly stupid movies anymore. Action fare often either has to be po-faced and taken entirely seriously (Taken! Get it?), or as self-awarely ludicrous as Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter or Machete. Harkening back to the older days when films were genuinely dumb rather than 'ironically' dumb, I watched 1995's (practically prehistoric) Congo, a film about deadly apes from Frank Marshall, the man who brought the world Arachnophobia and produced absolutely every film of the last 30 years. 

It was immediately clear from the beginning that Congo was going to be the good variety of preposterous when one of the first faces on the screen is Bruce Campbell. Ash is on hand to help set up the 'killer ape' premise, which never actually shows up until the final fifteen minutes. That might sound like a recipe for boredom, but there's enough ludicrous filler material to keep momentum going - homing missiles, hippo attacks and civil war all interrupt the journey. It has to be said that even within Hollywood, this is an exceptionally stereotypical depiction of central Africa. The audience isn't shown a single African character who isn't either a rebel militant or a jungle-dwelling tribesman, and patience is tested further by Tim Curry's cod-accented Romanian, who despite being only mildly morally dubious is played with moustache-twirling camp evilness. Dylan Walsh and Laura Linney make decent leads, but it's the cool charm of Ernie Hudson that makes up for the more troubling elements of the film. His charisma is especially necessary given the briefness of Bruce Campbell's appearance.

The shooting locations and sets are very atmospheric and give the film a real sense of adventure, but the special effects are an embarrassment. The rubber monkey suits are bad enough, but the digitized lava looks like it was rendered on a ZX Spectrum, and this is all made especially disheartening as it's coming from the legendary Stan Winston. A good sense of humour and a commitment to its own ridiculousness helps to keep the film afloat - it's not quite self-aware but it is, at the very least, arch enough to know that anything vaguely serious went AWOL two seconds after the title card was shown. The characters, while familiar stereotypes, all have their own motivations and agendas, and at least of half of them are pleasingly amoral, which is one nice differentiation from the norm. The execution of the action is occasionally sloppy (often poorly shot in order to hide as much of the subpar special effects as possible) but passable enough to be enjoyable, and it's impressive that such a ridiculous premise can register any sort of palpable threat level at all.

Congo, really, is exactly what it says on the tin. It's pretty asinine and in some respects lazily made, but it's amusing and pleasingly silly and vaguely exciting, so in terms of quality it overall ekes out a positive experience. The only serious mark against the movie is its treatment of Congo itself and African characters, which while not mocking or overtly bigoted, could quite easily turn a frivolous experience nasty. It marrs an otherwise pleasant film that serves its purpose well enough as daft, cheesy entertainment.

'Avengers: Age Of Ultron' review by Captain Raptor

'Avengers: Age Of Ultron' review by Jake Boyle

The shoes to fill have never been bigger. Record-breakingly profitable, internationally adored and lauded by critics and fans alike. But enough about me. The first Avengers film was an unadulterated triumph, matching exhilarating action with charismatic humour and showing just how amazing the end  result can be when four years are spent putting all the pieces together. Three years on from that and the universe has grown even more, and new additions looking to be added - all dependant on the success of this film.

What is perhaps most remarkable about Age Of Ultron is how immensely scaled up everything is, yet still able to remain cohesive and unrushed. For a film with over a dozen key characters, everybody gets enough time to shine, and the CGI destruction reaches truly insane levels at times, but never feels overwhelming in a bad way or incomprehensible. The action is jaw-dropping both in its enormity and in its seamless choreography - especially the group shots when we see Earth's Mightiest Heroes kicking ass in unison. The returning actors uniformly give performances of the incredibly high calibre they have been doing throughout the franchise, but the enjoyability of some characters is marred by the occasionally wonky characterisation. However, even when that does occur, the day is saved (as always) by Joss Whedon's inimitable flair for witty, inventive dialogue, be it through excellent running jokes, monologues, comebacks and one-liners. T-shirt manufactures can rest assured that there's another fifty or so quotes for them to print (even if they are going to keep excluding Natasha).

However, despite the brilliance of the dialogue, there are a small number of touching moments done quietly and silently - an impressive move for big-budget Hollywood fare. Mostly this works (Jeremy Renner is finally given the opportunity to give Hawkeye more depth, and Robert Downey Jr continues to nail the downplayed confliction he exhibited in Iron Man 3); however there's a romantic sideplot that does contains some sweet moments, but ultimately still feels awkwardly shoehorned in. It does still kind of work, however, and that hiccup is the biggest flaw the film has. The other new inclusions are all solid: Aaron Taylor-Johnson is charming, the introduction of Vision is gripping and James Spader is suitably menacing as the titular villain, and delivers the comedic lines sharply. The real joy, however, is in seeing the extended universe culminate in one place - small appearances from Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell and a criminally underused Idris Elba should delight anybody who's been following the whole Marvel story, and the last few moments before the credits tease of some truly spectacular things to come.

The pressing question for any sequel is always 'was it as good as the first film?'. And no, it must be said, Age of Ultron does not quite match up to the Avengers' first team outing, be that a slightly worse script, weaker uses of fantastic characters or simply the law of diminishing returns. However, being slightly worse than The Avengers is still a pretty difficult level of quality to obtain, and Age of Ultron certainly contains all the dazzling action and razor-sharp humour that you could possibly hope for. In no way is it a disappointment; quite the contrary - it's an invigorating, captivating, quick-witted thrill ride. Absolutely everything we were hoping for.

'John Wick' review by Captain Raptor

'John Wick' review by Jake Boyle

The role of John Wick could hardly be any more suited to Keanu Reeves unless it turned out the character's middle name was '...dude'. A man of few words, understated emotion and forever decked out from head to toe in black - casting must have been a no-brainer. It's been a while since Keanu had a foray into mainstream box office fare (and even longer since he had a good one), but this particular post-Taken action thriller seems to have put everybody's favourite expressionless hero back on the map.

As well it should. John Wick is a well-oiled, tightly engineered machine, establishing character and motivation within the opening 15 minutes and then letting the film's plethora of goons and assassins just get on with it. The expertise of stunt actors turned directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski is evident; every blow resonates, every gunshot excites. The action comes thick and furious, and barring a laughably machismo final showdown, it's all very well-paced, engrossing and at a level of brutality that's neither overkill or underwhelming. The ideas behind the film fall on an indeterminable location between interesting and cheesy (a man's desire for bloody vengeance fueled by the loss of his dog, a hotel that exclusively caters for a secret society of assassins), and the whole 'dead wife' backstory is becoming teeth-gratingly tiresome with every 'new' iteration, but John Wick knows what kind of film it is and smartly chooses to focus on its claustrophobic fighting environments, bloody headshots and minimal dialogue. 

This is all carried not so much by Reeves' angsty stoicism (although his performance is perfectly fine) but by a plethora of supporting characters who do most of the emotional and expository heavy lifting, as much as there is any. Ranging from acclaimed character actors like David Patrick Kelly and Willem Dafoe to fresh-faced TV stars like Alfie Allen and Adrianne Palicki, it's these people who craft the dark and forboding atmosphere with solid performances all around, mostly based on how absolutely terrified they all are of John. Helping to shape the mood is focused cinematography courtesy of Jonathan Sela, who frames the setpieces wonderfully and tracks the movement and flow with a sharp eye for the most enthralling angles. It's a wisely compacted film, so some of the more eye-rolling moments don't have the breathing room to become truly annoying, and the occasional more consciously stylistic moments are suggestive of a film that's making a genuine effort with its visuals and technique.

John Wick's action (and the features that work to enhance that such as camerawork and lighting) are excellent. The acting and the story are good enough. Leitch and Stahelski have crafted a memorable and invigorating massacre of a film (although perhaps an overly serious one), that pulls no punches and only rarely strays into the territory of the exaggeratedly ridiculous. The upcoming sequel is needless and sounds like a bad idea, but that's to no detriment of this movie, which wears its heart on its sleeve and pulls it off extremely well. 

'The Drop' review by Captain Raptor

'The Drop' review by Jake Boyle

As casting choices go, Tom Hardy as a timid, mumbling New Yorker isn't the most obvious of decisions. But, armed with a thick Bronx accent and a less superhuman-looking physique, last year he waded into The Drop, Michaël R Roskam's tale of ordinary people doing their best not to get (too) involved in the Mafia's business. It also marks the last film appearance of James Gandolfini, and a role as a bitter, resentful failed criminal allowed for a final showcase of the man's talent for lacing every word with acid.

If The Drop had to be summed up in one word, it would be murky. Murky lighting, murky locales, murky morality. It creates an authentically grim experience, and the forlornness of the atmosphere makes it never seem questionable that the characters would allow such awful goings on around them. While Hardy is absolutely brilliant (more on that soon), it's only made possible because of realistic performances of everybody surrounding him - while Gandolfini's swansong might not be the most challenging role he's ever taken on, he plays the part to a T; John Ortiz imbues a little more depth into a fairly standard-issue character, and Noomi Rapace conveys all the unspoken emotions that need to be seen below the surface. This all sets Hardy up for a stalwart, tour de force of a performance, full of subtle little mannerisms and complexities that allow him both a sense of weakness and of great frustration.

The narrative is nothing spectacularly different but it's strongly told, starting off incredibly stark and getting more and more loaded until one climactic turning point. The lead-up to this excels at creating the necessary tension - the formerly plain cinematography becomes rapidly fluid and stylistic, violins start to swell in the background and Hardy gradually becomes less nervous and more angry. The whole event is really a dollar store Scorsese, but its engagingly told and if you're going to be strongly influenced by somebody, Marty's a hell of a good choice. The film's got a perfectly balanced tone: dark and serious enough to portray the stifling, uncomfortable standard of life, but there are enough offsetting beats of lighter stuff (a genuinely interesting story about an adopted dog, amusingly petty discussions about etymology) that it never veers into brooding territory.

Good from the beginning and fantastic by the end, The Drop is a film that manages to make a little from a lot. The theft of an umbrella will make your hair stand on end. A two minute monologue completely turns the entire film and the characters within it on their head. Hardy staring at his shoes and muttering is some of the most compelling acting of last year. While its themes and characters are hardly unique there are few films that present them with as much conviction and seriousness as Roskam's English language debut. Gandolfini might not have been stretching himself, but viewed as a whole it's a great film to leave your audience with. 

'Still Alice' review by Captain Raptor

'Still Alice' review by Jake Boyle

During the filming of Troy, Brad Pitt tore his Achilles tendon while playing the very character that the tissue was named after. Most instances of life imitating art are mildly amusing anecdotes like that, but occasionally they're a little more painful. While co-writing and co-directing a movie about Alzheimer's with his husband, Richard Glatzer contracted a degenerative disease of his own. His final movie talks deeply about the effects that conditions like this have on the individual and their loved ones, a sadly fitting departure from a man no longer with us.

Out of tragedy, however, comes triumph. Still Alice takes a delicate, understated approach to its subject matter and very rarely (if ever) makes attempts at overtly melancholic moments, and the tenderness of the disease's presentation feels deeply personal. While perhaps skimming over some of the realities of the problem, this does allow for incredible moments of drama from very small touches. At one point, Alice knocks over a stack of papers and its a genuinely nerve-racking moment of tension. The occasional appearance of lines such as "my brain is fucking dying" and "I wish I had cancer" feel like punches to the stomach, and they work fantastically, but drama is mainly created through a very slow-burning process. The worsening of Alice's condition is made very clear without being transparent about it, and Glatzer and Westmoreland use dramatic irony very effectively in the early scenes to make the audience wince. The pacing in general is incredible; Alice becomes practically unreconcilable to her former self but at no step along the way does the transition feel rushed, and neither is too long spent on one phase of her decline.

Of course, this complete transformation of character is only made possible through Julianne Moore's utterly remarkable performance. Her excellence in this role is the most widely known thing about Still Alice, and rightly so - the conveying of so much intensity and emotion whilst outwardly being downplayed and restrained is testament to Moore's impeccable confidence and skill. More subdued commendations are also in order for the supporting cast; Alec Baldwin is entirely convincing and provides strong support, and while Kristen Stewart's gestures occasionally slide into the robotic, unnatural style of body language she's oh so frequently accused of having, for the most part she gives a well-delivered and stirring performance. However, it's Moore's show front and centre, both because of how excellently she acts and because the rest of the characters really only exist to show us things about Alice. The film's tackling of Alzheimer's is nuanced and moving (although much more the latter than the former), but aside from one or two side dalliances about her daughter's acting career, there's no secondary plotlines or asides throughout the film.

Really, the only negative thing there is to say about Still Alice is that it isn't excellent. Overall it's a pretty great film that does everything to a very high standard, but as good as it is, there's nothing here that's exemplary or especially innovative. That's a fairly weak criticism, however, and not changing the entire landscape of film is obviously not a damnation. The praise piled upon Moore is entirely deserved, but what I found more captivating was not the portrayal Alice herself but the portrayal of Alice's disease. It's done intelligently, subtly, realistically yet still creates an optimum sense of regret and trepidation. The underplayed, relatively undramatic conclusion (which comes indirectly after two more climactic, heightened scenes that would be more obvious final scenes, but trite ways to end a narrative) best exemplifies this film's qualities - quiet, simple yet incredibly upsetting.

'Life After Beth' review by Captain Raptor

'Life After Beth' review by Jake Boyle

Zombies are the ultimate example of having too much of a good thing. More often than not it feels like they're being used as the sole ingredient of entertainment, a sort of Get Out Of Boredom Free card. It's remarkable that in the ten-and-a-half years since Shaun Of The Dead, supplanting zombies into more mundane situations has moved from an exciting new take to utterly uninspired. For every Death Valley, it feels like there's a dozen versions of the BBC's woeful I Survived A Zombie Apocalypse. 

Life After Beth moves around this by not really featuring much actual zombie-ing until over halfway through. It doesn't move it to anywhere funny, though, and eventually the whole charade just gets boring. The film is distinguished by this habit of making interesting albeit ultimately ineffective choices: the aura of creepiness from Dane DeHaan's protagonist is a nice departure from slacker everymen, but it's never really used to enhance the proceedings and only serves to make him significantly less likeable. The tone severely wavers between darkness and silliness, without ever really embracing either aspect for long enough to make something of it. There's probably good jokes to be made about burning corpses, and equally good ones about zombies liking smooth jazz, but the concepts are just brought up and left alone with no real attempts at constructing humour out of them. Aubrey Plaza's deadpan delivery can be phenomenally funny when paired with the right script, but when heard here it just sounds like she's as uninterested as the audience.

Life After Beth's most redeeming feature is Matthew Gray Gubler, mostly because his character's humour is derived from the ever-reliable 'being an asshole' variety of comedy, but his performance does seem a little more spirited than the others. By not asking us to feel much sympathy for him, he immediately becomes the most entertaining character, because everybody else in this movie is both so bland and so morally grey (and not in a complex way) that there's no real urge to give a damn about any of their dilemmas. Certain elements seem irrelevant altogether; delighted as I am to see Anna Kendrick in anything, her character adds absolutely nothing to proceedings, and one closing moment featuring her character threatens to completely overturn any dwindling sense of inventiveness and emotion that the film had clung on to. It's a scene that attempts to be sweet and optimistic but feels utterly forced, completely pointless and devalues any of the investment someone might have (hypothetically) had in the main characters. 

Save for a few amusing moments and some encouraging but fruitless methods of presenting characters, this is just a poor movie. A weak script, unsure direction and a basic lack of comedy are major problems that can't really be overcome by any film, let alone one with as many other flaws as Life After Beth. It's analogous to a zombie itself; lifeless, grey and limp, but still just about crawling along. There are worse films out there (and equally bad ones that are much longer), but this is something that should only really be watched in circumstances of extreme boredom. Hard to believe it may be, but quite seriously, one of the funniest things about this comedy is that stupid title.

'Chappie' review by Captain Raptor

'Chappie' review by Jake Boyle

Neill Blomkamp is, on aggregate, a good filmmaker, having created one modern classic and one waste of time. District 9's genius was so great that it made the flaws of similarly aspiring Elysium all the more obvious, so taking things in a different, lighter direction for a third film makes sense - although perhaps at the same time a little disheartening, Blomkamp being one of the few directors in science-fiction who still retains the genre's original socio-political colouring. 

Chappie is handicapped by an error so colossal that I can't be sure that anything else wrong with the film isn't just a ripple effect. Somewhere along the line, somebody decided it would be funny to have the unbelievably appalling rap duo Die Antwoord play themselves as two of the main characters. To fully discuss how disastrous, woeful, awful, deplorable and misjudged this is would require a review longer than War & Peace. They show as meagre a capability for acting as they do for music and basic human decency, and anything coming out of their mouths doesn't even have the semblance of any real human being, let alone a modicum of emotion. Further dragging down the tone is a script packed with dialogue very overtly explaining things that were painfully obvious, often because they'd already been said three or four times. The concept itself is interesting but it's significantly marred by the constant reiteration of basic information and things that really go without saying.

It's a shame that so much went wrong because Chappie himself is an absolute delight. His inhuman naivety makes him an appealing cute character, and the few jokes of the film that stick exploit this to the max, contrasting his good-natured enthusiasm with the street crime he gets tricked into committing.  The design and seamless CGI nicely brings the character to life, and the always brilliant Sharlto Copley perfectly embodies the character even while mostly restricted to posture and inflections. The rest of the characters aren't developed enough to really provide the other actors with much opportunity, but Dev Patel is convincing and likable in his role as the nebbish engineer/father figure, and Hugh Jackman seems to relish the opportunity to play such an obnoxious character, even if his level of evil seems to ricochet up and down as the plot demands it. 

'Lucy' review by Captain Raptor

'Lucy' review by Jake Boyle

Lucy received a fairly hostile reception upon its initial release, mostly based upon its portrayal of Asians and the now widely known to be bullshit 'you only use 10% of your brain' factoid. While the former of these criticisms makes perfect sense, in a world of superhero films that bear as much resemblance to scientific reality as climate change deniers, quite why this particular film's erroneous logic was a sticking point isn't clear to me, but we'll bypass that.

It's an easily forgiveable error because it's indicative of the genuine effort that's been made to make Lucy more intuitive and dramatic than its competitors. This particular example, aiming to achieve those qualities by grounding the film in a sense of authenticity, failed pretty miserably, but decisions made by Luc Besson such as splicing in footage of animals as (very blatant) symbolism do give the overall experience an edge of smarter drama and even thoughtfulness. I particularly enjoyed the film's steady descent into madness; starting off with some very tense scenes where 90% of the dialogue is unsubtitled Mandarin that makes the audience feel Lucy's bewilderment and trepidation, the film then journeys through superpowered beat 'em up and into existential thrillseeking before an ending that's so gloriously insane it defies description. It's all nonsense, obviously, but a refreshingly ambitious brand of nonsense. 

Scarlett Johansson's game performance anchors the film, and she comfortably does whatever's needed of her. Julian Rhind-Tutt's single scene is a particular treat, delightfully chewing the scenery as a villainous character far more entertaining than the primary antagonist. These characters are fun because they possess the silliness and energy that drives the film, something that the other characters sorely lack: Morgan Freeman appears in yet another film where nobody asks him to act and instead just spouts rhetoric about Besson's chosen themes, and Amr Waked's lifeless cop only exists so that Lucy has a reason to explain what's going on to the audience via proxy. Once the initial plot's served its purpose and the action sequences begin, the film quickly encounters the Superman problem wherein there's never any real sense of threat or danger because Lucy's newfound abilities are so overpowering. The obvious inferiority of her enemies is played nicely a few times for comic effect, but it quickly loses any impact to see her so easily overwhelm generic henchmen.

Lucy isn't by any measure a spectacular or eye-opening affair, but it's a highly fun, diverting piece of cinema. It's leaner and wiser than the average modern action movie, wisely sticking to a compact running time and injecting little doses of exploratory sci-fi or out-of-the-box thinking that don't make the film much smarter or adventurous but do give it just a little bit of extra flavour. It's definitely a flawed piece of cinema, but not to the extent that viewing it wasn't enjoyable, and the film is strong enough to stand up under the weight of its own absurdity. 

'Twelve Monkeys' review by Captain Raptor

'Twelve Monkeys' review by Jake Boyle

Television adaptations of movies seem to have no middle ground. They're either god-level classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the recent reimagining of Fargo, or lamentable works best allowed to fester in the forgotten garbage pits of entertainment history, like the series of Highlander and Planet of the Apes. The SyFy channel is about to debut it's remake of Terry Gilliam's revered Twelve Monkeys, and while I hold my reservations about the director (a man who has mastered the finer parts of film-making at the cost of neglecting the fundamentals), this seems like a good time to pass judgment on his original work. 

Crucially, Twelve Monkeys manages to keep itself fairly well grounded. Both time travel films and Terry Gilliam films have a tendency to become overly conceptual, bogged down in ethereal inventiveness - not a bad thing in and of itself, but it frequently leads to failing to engage the audience on an emotional or narrative level. Primarily this is avoided by a well-paced story that reveals information at a carefully controlled pace, its mysteries being solved not so quickly that we get information overload, but not so slowly that it's ever unintentionally confusing. The strong performances help give the film a more human side too; Bruce Willis playing a time-travelling criminal hoping to thwart the apocalypse as one of the most down-to-Earth characters of his career, showing depths of confusion and desperation. Madeline Stowe follows suit, and Brad Pitt is on hands to lend energy to the proceedings, an astounding physical performance that's frenetic and infectiously fun, if once or twice straying into cartoonishness.

It's Pitt's grandly gesturing vigor (the loopiness enhanced by nicely off-skew camera angles) that provides the film its major source of comedy, which is substantial, but nothing to boast about. Similarly good but not great, the film's plot is enjoyably twisty and turny although not altogether unpredictable at times (the meaning of Willis' hazily-remembered dream is very apparent, especially after the third or fourth time they've shown it). Gilliam's penchant for world-building is slightly curtailed, but his vision of a post-apocalyptic world is nicely realised and limiting the amount of time he spends on expansive components lets the focus remain tightly onto the story. David and Janet Peoples' script doesn't have much of a flair for dialogue, but there's a few witty lines, especially nearer the end when they're used as tension breakers. Personal investment in the characters is low, but Willis and Stowe display such vulnerability that they are at the very least sympathetic.

Twelve Monkeys is a wild ride of a story, but told very calmly and even ponderously. This allows it to be both exciting and intelligent, and the precision of the pacing gives a thoroughly engaging plot an approachable but thought-provoking slant. The acting does the excellent narrative justice, and while there is a few hitches in the dialogue and tone, they aren't problems that make any major impact on the overall quality of the film. SyFy have big boots to fill, and Gilliam's standing in my estimations has just skyrocketed. An inventive but pleasingly anchored movie. 

'Selma' review by Captain Raptor

'Selma' review by Jake Boyle

At present, it seems like Selma's near-absence from the Academy Awards might go down as one of the biggest Oscar snubs is history. Overblown and somewhat arbitrary as the ceremony may be, such furore at the exclusion certainly further piques interest in what was already an enticing prospect for a film that, really, has been a hell of a long time coming/was already adapted for the screen in 1999 but nobody's ever heard of that one.

Selma takes full advantage of the inherently present drama in its story - the institutional violence is shown in clear, unflinching brutality, but what Ava DuVernay wisely does to really intensify the impact is to immediately follow the outbursts with very slow, silent sequences, and the awfulness of what was just witnesses sinks in and can be fully appreciated. This tense but quiet atmosphere is what dominates the whole movie, showing real sophistication and an ability to provide drama beyond shocks and horrors. It permeates the acting too; David Oyelowo's exemplary performance as Martin Luther King contains as much understated silence and thoughtfulness as it does powerful orating and palpable, chill-inducing anger. There's ample support from Carmen Ejogo as a very strained Coretta Scott King, Oprah Winfrey plays Annie Lee Cooper with impressive stalwartness and Tim Roth embeds his racist governor with enough vigour to be interesting but never so much that it becomes cartoonish or detracts from the seriousness of the film. However, unsurprisingly, the film's focus on King means that Oyelowo has by far the most opportunities to amaze and to enrapture.

Most of the drama in the film comes naturally from the oppression and cruelty that abounds the events, once again heightened by DuVernay's confidently slow and contemplative pace, and from the plethora of emotions that this provokes from its principal characters. On multiple occasions, the film does depreciate its own sense of reality and nuance by talking so overtly about modern day applications of its message of progress and understanding that it's practically breaking the fourth wall, but given the political climate that this film was made and released in, it's a completely understandable decision. Occasional schmaltz is more than compensated for overall, as it still remains genuinely moving and there are glimpses of some emotional beauty here and there, in addition to all the tension that runs throughout.

As an issues movie, Selma is entirely on-point, dissecting the topic of racism with a firm precision and an unambiguous presentation of the problem. It venerates MLK without ever exaggerating, and this is one of the few biographical films that actually makes its subject feel like a real human being. As a drama in its own right, it's occasionally clunky but has guts and brains to see it through any of the minor problems it does encounter. Oyelowo's star turn is noteworthy in the extreme but the biggest salute of all belongs to DuVernay for presenting the subject matter both complexly and relaxedly. 

'Kingsman: The Secret Service' review by Captain Raptor

'Kingsman: The Secret Service' review by Jake Boyle

Kick-Ass. What a film, eh? I've extolled its many virtues on this blog on a few occasions, so I'll spare repeating myself and simply say that I think it's one of the most inventive, delirious and fantastic films of recent years, even of all time. So, when the director of that masterpiece decides to adapt another comic by Mark Millar, using one of the same actors and even bringing in that God of all things cool Samuel L Jackson, 'must-see' doesn't even begin to capture how high a priority this film was for me.

Far from simply being a tribute to old spy movies, Kingsman: The Secret Service is in many ways both an update and an improvement upon them. Sure, there's an enjoyably ostentatious villain, but one that retains the characteristic flare whilst still being nuanced in some small measurement, and his overblown evil scheme is shown in far more darkness than Connery or Moore ever witnessed. If we were to compare it to its inspirations than it's certainly infinitely more subversive and madcap than any of those. However, it's 2015; profanity, violence and sardonic self-awareness are not exactly rare commodities. While the film's commitment to over-the-top bloodiness and tongue-in-cheek references are amusing, it is by no means as daring or as different as its dialogue portends to be, repeatedly dropping out self-satisfied lines like "This isn't that kind of movie". It suffers too from the inevitable comparison to Kick-Ass, which is both a better movie in general and made several of the same jokes as Kingsman (such as violent, rapid massacres set to jaunty music) but to higher extremes, as well as making them 5 years earlier.

However, judged in their own right, the action is pleasingly visceral and the comedy mostly works; Jackson's fainthearted villain steals most of the film's best moments with his reluctance and even disgust at his own actions. It must be said, however, that with such an outlandish character paired to an actor who can be so delightfully bombastic when called upon, the results are a little disappointing and unnecessarily underplayed. The same could be said of Michael Caine's role, which only benefits from an actor of such merit on the delivery of his last line. Colin Firth, however, proves what Summer Glau, Liam Neeson and Chloe Moretz also have: namely that the greatest action stars are those who look least capable of it. Watching Firth demolish an entire room of enemies is made so much more entertaining by his perennial stiff upper lip and droll delivery. A sequence in a church that takes the most advantage of this is by far and away the best scene of the film, as sanguinary and far-out as anything from Millar and Matthew Vaughn's previous team-up.

A bit smug, a bit simple, and (most upsettingly of all, considering what was promised) a bit familiar, Kingsman: The Secret Service is not a fantastic film. It is, however, a highly satisfying one, possessing as much savviness as it does chutzpah, and an impeccable casting choice in Firth. While it doesn't really do much substandardly, it also doesn't do anything exceptionally, and for such a self-aware film, it often forgets to subvert or pastiche the clichés that it's running with. In an ideal world, this middling level of inventiveness and boldness would be average - as it is, it does remain a cut above much of the competion and certainly worth some attention

'Birdman' review by Captain Raptor

'Birdman' review by Jake Boyle

Aside from white dudes, the one thing dominating the Academy Awards this year is drums. In Whiplash, they're a central plot device. In a certain Republican's wet dream, sabre-rattling propaganda piece, the drums are metaphorical, and being banged by a deranged old man pissing over his own legacy. In Birdman, drum solos consist of 80% of the film's soundtrack, a wise move as the near constant tapping and rumbling perfectly suits the film, being in equal parts playful and unnerving. 

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) is marked by innovative and fascinating directorial choices. Aside from being sleek and damn stylish, the decision to make the film appear like a single take adds a sense of urgency and heightened energy to a film that's already fairly madcap in its own right. Equal parts showbiz satire, complex character study and a meditation on the nature of art, Alejandro González Iñárritu's dark comedy is inventive in its themes and narrative as well as being pioneering in technique. Michael Keaton's ever-increasing delirium is just as terrifying as it is humorous, and the whole film's balance between tense emotion and frenzied weirdness is spot-on, each magnifying the strength of the other through juxtaposition, as well being powerful in their own right. Incorporated into the film's single-shot aesthetic is some excellent framing and close-ups that really enhance the monologues, in particular Emma Stone's visceral, fantastically delivered rant about her father's irrelevance.

While Stone definitely holds the best single moment of brilliance, it's Edward Norton and especially Keaton who really steal the show, due to their level of commitment and sheer intensity (both comic and dramatic, and with Keaton the two are mostly simultaneous) coupled with their phenomenal casting in these particular roles. The characters can pretty easily be construed as exaggerated, ridiculous versions of the actors themselves, and it's sharply funny watching the two of them tear their own image apart so brutally, alongside the rest of Hollywood (which gets its fair share of lambasting, a move which is potentially irritatingly self-aggrandizing but primarily absolutely hilarious). Most surprising is the performance given by Zach Galifianakis, showcasing hitherto ability to not only do on-point dramatic acting, but a firm grasp of nuance, in a comedic role that still manages to retain the bitterness in the film's dark heart.

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) is a phenomenal film, one that makes very risky moves and consequently reaps the rewards for its bravery. Unique in its film-making approach, bold and fascinating in its narrative and dialogue, and packed with outstanding, ferocious performances, this is one of the smartest films of recent years whilst still retaining an excellent emotional depth, a fiery sense of humour and some exploratory philosophical musings about life. At times, yes, it's a little pretentious, but it has the courage of its convictions and all this subtle brilliance is just the underlying of a brave, groundbreaking and thoroughly exceptional film.

'Bridge And Tunnel' review by Captain Raptor

'Bridge And Tunnel' review by Jake Boyle

In an act of extreme (and potentially misplaced) trust, Glacier Road Productions have made their 2014 film Bridge And Tunnel free to watch this January, and are then asking for the viewer to donate however much they think the experience was worth. The film shows a year in the life of a group of young friends in a New York suburb, which isn't exactly groundbreaking but certainly gives the story plenty of options to explore. 

Those options are taken numerously. Despite the clearly defined time frame, this isn't a story with a beginning or end as such, more just a collection of scenes showing the progression of various plotlines. The audience is brought into the middle of them and most of them go unresolved. Adherence to reality runs throughout, both in the lack of sensation and closure on events, and then the general mundanity of the characters and their lives. This isn't exactly a criticism - the mature realness is quite refreshing, and investment comes easier when the situations are relatable - but there's often a struggle to imbue the events with any sense of drama or even relevance. Speaking of relevance, there's various topical references scattered throughout, and Jason Michael Brescia (the writer/director) very evidently has an axe to grind. I'm all for talking about serious issues in movies, but the way it's placed into the dialogue is so unnatural seeming and forced that when it's present, it completely pulls you out of any engrossment you were experiencing.

There are some strokes of invention. The irreverent graphics and voice-over used to advance the plot is thoroughly charming, and Wass Steven's permanently irate bartender is offbeat enough to shake things up, stealing all the film's best moments with a few fantastic monologues. The multiple plotlines allow the film to touch on many subjects, but some of them are worth more screentime than they get (a gut-punching moment of grief, a mirthsome but lightly tense scene at a fertility clinic), and others could do with being shortened or removed entirely. The scenes showing the initiations of new romances are far too familiar to entertain, and they're only elevated to any level of interest by the charisma of Mary Kate Wiles and Arjun Gupta.

Bridge And Tunnel was, on the whole, an enjoyable film but one that meanders around, occasionally stumbling. It's a nicely down-to-earth story with evidence of both heart and brains, but finds itself semi-regularly hampered by stilted dialogue, uneventfulness and a narrative that is all too often told rather than shown. A story consisting purely of a middle part does have its perks as well as the more obvious pitfalls, the humour is gentle but present, and much the same can be said for the drama. From an independent director it's a work that's not exactly promising, but certainly shows a fair amount of potential.

You can watch Bridge And Tunnel here: www.bridgeandtunnelfilm.com/watch/
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