Previews: Pitch Perfect 3 Poster, Detroit, More!

This week’s preview of coming attractions includes the latest Pitch Perfect 3 poster, Battle of the Sexes, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Detroit, and more…

Pitch Perfect 3 Poster

 

The Bellas are back in this latest Pitch Perfect 3 poster. The film sees the return of Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and the rest of the gang for one last hurrah. Expect more a cappella tunes as made popular by the first film. The trailer for Pitch Perfect 3 will launch on 25th June, and the film is due for release at Christmas this year.

Battle of the Sexes Trailer

Here is the new Battle of the Sexes trailer. The film is based on the real-life match between women’s number one Billie Jean King (played by Emma Stone) and former men’s champion Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) in 1973. The film also stars Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman, and Bill Pullman. Battle of the Sexes is set for release in UK cinemas on 20th October 2017.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Poster

Here is the first poster for sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Not much is know about the film yet, but the film sees the return of Jeff Goldblum as Dr Ian Malcolm from the first series (hence his famous quote being appropriated for the tagline). This sequel to Jurassic World also sees Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard reprising their roles. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is scheduled for release in June 2018.

Annabelle: Creation Trailer

One of cinema’s creepiest dolls is back for another instalment. Annabelle: Creation is a prequel to 2014’s Annabelle, and tells the origins story of the doll. The film is produced by James Wan and directed by David F. Sandberg, who helmed last year’s Lights Out. Annabelle: Creation hits UK screens on 11th August 2017.

Daddy’s Home 2 Trailer

The sequel to 2015’s Daddy’s Home features even more dads. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg reunite for Daddy’s Home 2, and are joined by John Lithgow and Mel Gibson playing their respective dads. This film is set at Christmas, when the two families decide to spend the holidays together. Daddy’s Home 2 is set for release later this year.

Home Again Trailer

Home Again is a new romantic comedy from producer Nancy Meyers. The film stars Reese Witherspoon as a separated mother of two, who decides to take in three young filmmakers. The film also stars Nat Wolff, Michael Sheen, and Candice Bergen. Home Again will be released in UK cinemas on 29th September 2017.

Detroit Trailer

Detroit is about the civil unrest that rocked the city in the summer of 1967. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the film stars John Boyega, Will Poulter, Anthony Mackie, and Jack Reynor. Detroit will hit UK screens on 25th August 2017.

Previews: Detroit Trailer, 6 Days, More!

Lots to see in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including the new Detroit trailer, Transformers: The Last Knight, 6 Days, and more…

Detroit Trailer

Here is the Detroit trailer. Kathryn Bigelow’s latest film is about the civil unrest that rocked the city in 1967. The film stars John Boyega, Will Poulter, Anthony Mackie, and Jack Reynor. Detroit will be released in UK cinemas later this year.

Transformers: The Last Knight Trailer

Here is the latest Transformers: The Last Knight trailer. The film sees Mark Wahlberg and Josh Duhamel return from the last instalment. They are joined by Anthony Hopkins this time around. From the above trailer, it seems that the world this film is set in is rather different to previous incarnations. Transformers: The Last Knight will hit UK screens on 23rd June 2017.

Atomic Blonde Trailer

So far, all the Atomic Blonde promotion seems to be delivering style in spades. The film stars Charlize Theron as an MI6 agent sent to deliver a priceless dossier. Theron is joined by James McAvoy, John Goodman, and Eddie Marsan. Atomic Blonde will be released in UK cinemas on 11th August 2017.

The Mummy Poster

The Mummy is intended as a reboot of the Universal Monsters series of films which were successful in the 1930s. This film is meant to kick off the series, which will also see the return of famed creatures in a shared universe. This new version of The Mummy certainly has star power; Tom Cruise heads up a cast which includes Sofia Boutella, Courtney B. Vance, and Russell Crowe. The Mummy hits UK screens on 9th June 2017.

6 Days Trailer

6 Days is a new action thriller based on true events. The film focuses on the Iranian Embassy siege that took place in London in 1980. The film stars Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, and Abbie Cornish. 6 Days is out at UK cinemas on 4th August 2017.

My Cousin Rachel Trailer

My Cousin Rachel is an adaption of the Daphne du Maurier novel. The film is about a young man who plots revenge against his mysterious cousin, who he believes murdered his guardian. Starring Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, and Holliday Grainger, My Cousin Rachel will be released on UK screens on 9th June 2017.

Unlocked Clip

Here is a clip from upcoming thriller Unlocked. The film is about a CIA agent who must stop a biological attack in London. Noomi Rapace heads up the cast, and is joined by Orlando Bloom, Michael Douglas, Toni Collette, and John Malkovich. Unlocked hits UK cinemas on 5th May 2017.

Film Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a throughly entertaining instalment in the franchise, which lovingly pays homage to Star Wars: A New Hope.

Many years after the defeat of the Empire, a new threat is rising. The First Order wishes to rule the galaxy. It is down to an unlikely group of individuals to stop them, along with help of the Resistance…

The long-awaited sequel to the original Star Wars trilogy lives up to expectations in terms of entertainment and nostalgia. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is an enjoyable blockbuster that should satisfying fans and new viewers alike. The film reminds the audience how entertaining an action adventure can be.

Director J.J. Abrams is clearly a fan of the original films; this shines through in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. There are a lot of overt references to Star Wars: A New Hope in particular, in terms of characters and sets. Even in terms of narrative structure and set-up, there are allusions to the first trilogy.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens introduces new characters to the franchise, and a new battle to fight. The film follows a similar premise to the 1977 film in bringing these characters together, and setting up their mission. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is well paced. The film opens with an action sequence, and continues to build momentum whilst allowing for exposition.

The new characters introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens are a good fit for the franchise. These characters have good chemistry, particularly Finn and Rey. Abrams eschews the trap that the prequel films fell into by having supporting characters that aggravate. Droid BB8 is a delightful addition to the cast.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has the look of the original series in terms of settings and props. Production values are great; with CGI used sparingly. John Williams’ score is very memorable. John Boyega and Daisy Ridley have a little bit of the hokeyness of Luke Skywalker in the original, with their line delivery. However, even this is disarming; the pair bubble with enthusiasm. Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac also do well.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a most fitting follow-up in the Star Wars franchise. The film works well on its own, and will ignite zeal for the next instalment.

Star Wars Celebration – London

I was very excited to be invited to the Star Wars celebration in London yesterday evening, an event which featured a live stream to the Anaheim presentation of the brand new trailer for The Force Awakens, plus a q&a session with J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy and others. Here is what happened…

We were greeted by two ominous-looking Stormtroopers, however Any apprehension was soon eased by the appearance of everyone’s favourite robot duo. C3PO and R2D2 were on hand at the Star Wars Celebration to offer a more friendly welcome. Despite 38 years passing since the release of the first Star Wars film, these two looked sprightly as ever.

Before too long, the show began, with Willow Ofgood himself (aka Warwick Davis) presenting the Star Wars Celebration event for the London audience. Davis makes an excellent host; he was highly amusing throughout the evening. After some events for fans, the presentation was about to begin.

Director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy looked genuinely thrilled to be at the Star Wars Celebration event in Anaheim. The emphasis was definitely on going back to Star Wars’ roots with The Force Awakens. Numerous times, J.J. Abrams, mentioned going back to the original trilogy with both the look and the feel of the new film. It definitely felt as if both Abrams and Kennedy wished to steer away from memories of the less well-received prequel trilogy of the late nineties/early noughties.

After answering some questions, it was time to bring out more guests including the makers of the new R2D2, plus the robot himself and B8, a new robot addition to the Star Wars franchise. Fans at the Star Wars Celebration then got to meet the main stars of The Force Awakens; John Boyega (Finn), Daisy Ridley (Rey) and Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron). All three spoke of their memories of Star Wars growing up, and their excitement of working on the film at being at the Star Wars Celebration.

Next, it was time for some old faces to appear, in the form of Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Anthony Daniels (C3PO) and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca). The cast from the original franchise spoke of their affection for the films and their joy at coming back for the new films. The main event arrived at the every end of the presentation, with the first screening of the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer.

Reception to the trailer was extremely positive. Earlier spoken of “retro” aspects are apparent at this new glimpse, with the look of the film a great reflection of the original franchise. There are some wonderful shots, including the desert landscape opening shot, the image of Pol Dameron in the pilot seat (echoing Luke Skywalker) and decaying helmut of Darth Vader. The teaser also posed some interesting questions, particularly in who Luke is speaking to when he talks about family. I would assume it is a child or nephew/niece of his, which posits Rey or Pol Dameron as the likely audience of this speech. Then again, this teaser gives away so little that this may be a red herring. The final shot of Han Solo and Chewbacca, unsurprisingly got the biggest cheer of all; fans were certainly glad to see the return of this duo.

After the excitement of seeing the new teaser on the big screen at Empire Leicester Square, it was time for the Star Wars Celebration to conclude. There was a definite air of excitement about the new footage at the event; the venue was buzzing with discussion of what was screened as I left, goodies in hand.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is released in cinemas on 18th December 2015.

Film Review: Attack the Block

Alien invasion films are often grand in scale and set against an ostentatious backdrop. Attack the Block takes place on a council estate near Stockwell. Despite this, the movie shares many of the same conventions as its more glamorous predecessors.

On the same night that Moses and his gang of teens mug a young nurse on her way home, something strange falls from the sky. Moses kills the strange creature and returns with his friends to their south London council estate. Before they get home, the gang are interrupted by something that is attacking the block…

After a slow start, Attack the Block is plenty of fun once it gets going. Joe Cornish’s film follows a general invasion movie plot, adapting it to suit the setting. The film adheres to many of the conventions of this genre; not all the characters make it to the finale, for example. The characters are archetypal, with the unlikely hero, comedy sidekick and the innocent bystander caught in a usual situation.

The unlikely heroes of Attack the Block are a gang of teenage muggers. While unlikely heroes are commonplace in this type of movie, Cornish takes it a step beyond in asking viewers to empathise with and support these characters. The nature of the crime at the beginning of the film makes it difficult. These are not desperate teens committing crimes under duress. Rather, they are a group of teenage boys who pick on a single unarmed woman with the sole purpose of taking her valuables. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain a sense of affiliation with these characters, and to care too much about their plight later in the movie.

Cornish’s film is clearly a homage to earlier science-fiction/monster movies. Attack the Block can be quite gory at times, although these incidents are usually short lived. The method of dispatching the creatures certainly harks back to 1984’s Gremlins, among other films. The soundtrack is in keeping with the urban setting, and works well to generate atmosphere.

John Boyega is an adequate anti-hero as Moses. The young actor lacks conviction at times, but this is forgivable considering his lack of experience. Nick Frost brings humour in a small role, as does Luke Treadaway; the most amusing character in the film. Other performances are fairly good overall.

Attack the Block might mostly be appreciated by teens the same age as the protagonists. Sci-fi fans may find amusement in the references, while other viewers are likely to find the film entertaining, if not exactly captivating. It does not quite live up to the hype, but Attack the Block is enjoyable enough.