samlynn12 Reviews

Chappie (2015)

Funny and Emotional

[8/10 · 9 April 2015]

I really enjoyed this film. I had been excited about seeing it since I first saw the trailer, but was concerned it would not live up to my expectations after seeing some harsh reviews on it. I was extremely pleased to find these ungrounded (in my opinion). AI is something that interests me greatly, and I found the way that it was dealt with here was fantastic. It portrayed brilliantly both how unprepared humanity is for another form of significant intelligence in our lives, but also how it doesn't have to be the terrifying thing that many people believe it could become, if tackled with an open mind. The portrayal of Chappie made him seem extremely 'human', and the actors around him also produced stand-out performances. The film also showed the dangers of not properly controlling how AI is introduced into society (if and when it is discovered), and the vulnerability of the beings that we are bringing into the world to outside influences. The 'childhood' scenes with Chappie were definitely my favourite, as they brilliantly showcased this.

I did not know that Die Antwoord were in the film (I actually didn't know who they were outside of 'those people who did Enter the Ninja'), so perhaps went in with more of an open mind than people who appeared to have judged the film just because they were in it. I loved their characters. They are both funny and terrifyingly weird at times, and I this really made the film the enjoyable experience it was, for me at least. I can see how some people may not have liked them in the movie however, especially if they dislike their music.

If you are into your sci-fi, this definitely deserves a watch, as it is an interesting, and hugely entertaining, take on AI and what it could do to the world.

The Babadook (2014)

You can't get rid of the Babadook...

[9/10 · 5 November 2014]

So often films with great trailers end up disappointing. This was definitely not the case with The Babadook. Although not what I expected, the film lived up to, if not surpassed all of my expectations. The suspense is fantastic, although slow to start it brilliantly sets the tone in the first 40-50 minutes, with both the Mother and child giving extremely good performances. The creepy monster and old house routine produces some nice scares throughout, and I have to say I found the noises it made terrifying. So many horror films go way too far with the jumps and scares, but I often find, as I did with this film that less is more, and the lack visual representation of the Babadook (it is often just seen as a shadow or glimpsed briefly) allowed my imagination to flow, making the whole premise more scary. This isn't a conventional horror, and the focus on the characters instead of the Babadook made it scary in a much deeper way than ghosts and ghouls ever could. If you are looking to see this film with the intent of getting a few jumps and going home, then you will be disappointed. I have seen so many 1 star reviews of people who just didn't get the film at all. If you enjoy a psychological horror with a deep meaning behind it (and is terrifying) then you will love this film. The best horror, and in fact film I have seen in a while.

Oculus (2013)

Best horror film I have seen in a while

[9/10 · 19 June 2014]

This film was fantastic. I was creeped out the entire time, right from the introduction of the mirror. There has always been something slightly disconcerting about staring into a mirror at night, half expecting someone to jump out from over your shoulder. This film captured the essence of this perfectly. There was not a lot of action, not much blood or violence, but just enough to scare the audience. Just when you think that you have the mirror figured out, something else comes around to make you think otherwise. It makes you wonder if the characters are just crazy, that none of the film is actually real. You will never know exactly what is going on. That is what made it such a well done horror film, backed up by great acting performances from both adults and children. If you enjoy horror films as I do, go to see this film, you will not be disappointed!

Filth (I) (2013)

Crazy

[9/10 · 16 October 2013]

There is no other way that I could describe this film. It is filled with some of the most crazy and strange scenes that I have seen in film. There was weird sex, masturbating, murder, drugs. Pretty much everything offensive that you could think of is in this film.

It made me laugh, cringe and frown at some of the ridiculous stuff that happened in it.

Deep in the storyline though, was an utterly captivating, yet tragic story of a man loosing his mind to drugs, mental illness and grief. In many ways it was this that made the film all the more shocking, but brilliant at the same time.

I came out of the theatre speechless, I had no idea what to make of it or think. Now I have thought about it, I can see how good it really was.

James McAvoy gave a perfect performance in the lead role. Everything about the character that he portrayed was realistic, and I could feel the emotion coming out of him throughout his descent into madness.

This film is not for the faint of heart or easily disturbed, but if you can deal with the weird and wacky, then you are going to love it.

Sinister (I) (2012)

Well executed, not so well written.

[9/10 · 27 September 2013]

This was an interesting, and at some moments very creepy film, that fell short of the mark with some poor writing.

The film started very well, and the plot got off to an excellent start, the beginning scene was creepy straight away. I loved the idea of the film, with the crime writer discovering more grizzly crimes than he could have imagined. In the early parts of the film, the more that was uncovered the scarier the story became, suspense being built throughout, as we realise who the next victims will be.

This was all done with no supernatural apparitions, or any hints of some sort of ghostly presence. I was beginning to think that maybe the film had nothing to do with ghosts or demons, which would have been a fantastic idea, and really scary. This was not the case. The more "spooky" scenes that appeared the less believable the film seemed to become. Although a lot of these scenes were very jumpy, some of them were just downright weird.

I can't help but feel that this film would have been amazing, if the ghosts had just stayed away, and the crimes were committed by a person, or group of people. The idea that those horrific crimes could have been done by normal human beings is much more scary than a demon doing it.

I'm not sure if there was supposed to be a twist at the end or not, but if there was it was very predictable.

Having said this, the film was still scary, and was good for the most part. The lead actor was great, and the various uses of the filming techniques and music really built tension in the night time scenes. It just went downhill after the first half, and could have been a great film had the story been slightly more well written.

Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)

Brilliant Horror

[8/10 · 25 September 2013]

I went into this film with fairly high expectations. They clearly were not high enough. This easily matches, if not surpasses the first instalment. I loved the first film, and this is easily the best horror sequel I have ever seen.

The storyline was fantastic, the slightly ambiguous ending of the first film was brought to light nicely, and a deeper more complex meaning behind the haunting was revealed. The full extent of the main plot line was given in chunks, so that I was always kept guessing, right up until the end.

The actors played their roles well, child acting included. The roles were believable, and the characters were portrayed nicely.

The main thing that makes this film (and the first) so good is that it is actually scary. There is hardly any violence, no blood, but they are some of the most jumpy films that I have seen. The lower budget effects are used simply and to great effect. The low key nature of the scares make them all the more believable.

Overall this is a fantastic horror film, and matching the excellent original, if you haven't seen Insidious, see it so that you can see this! If you have seen Insidious, just see this!

The Avengers (2012)

Fantastic finish to a sequence of films.

[9/10 · 20 September 2013]

This was not a standalone film. This was the culmination of 5 excellent superhero films in their own right. The build up was cleverly done, with small bits and pieces here and there involving Nick Fury, agent Coulson etc.

For people who had seen the other films, no character intro was needed, but there was still easily enough development within the film itself for newcomers to get to know each character enough to see their importance in the team.

The story was good, with all actors involved putting in fantastic performances. Mark Ruffalo was an excellent new Hulk. Even the smaller characters, such as Coulson, were put forward well, for example in Coulson's case development through the previous films, culminating in his very emotional death (or not Agents of Shield!).

I was amazed at how they managed to portray all of the main characters individual struggles in such a short space of time. This made you feel even more for the characters as the film developed.

Of course, what the majority of people are looking for in superhero films is action. We got that. The alien invasion was done superbly, and on an epic scale.

This film is brilliant for people who know their superheroes, or people who don't. I loved it, and so will most who see it. Bring on the next round of films and Avengers age of Ultron!

Jeepers Creepers (2001)

Good, but could have been much better

[6/10 · 20 September 2013]

This film had all the makings of an excellent horror film, and it was enjoyable for the most part. The characters were strong, with good acting from the two main parts as well. The story was clever and creepy, you got a sense of dread building from the moment that truck showed up behind them. The suspense was excellently built throughout the film.

The thing that let it down was the ending. It was building up to a big finish, maybe some sort of stand off, I really wasn't sure what to expect. In the end it was a let down. They just let Jeepers Creepers fly off. The girl made her big speech for nothing. I will admit the very last scene was extremely creepy, but that should have been after a much more exciting finale.

All in all this film was good, but could have been so much better.

Monsters University (2013)

Enjoyable

[7/10 · 20 September 2013]

This film was great fun, very enjoyable and funny. The returning characters from Monsters Inc. were as good as they originally were, and I loved the small hints towards some of the main themes in the original. The story was solid, if very predictable, and the newer characters were well developed, and there were lots of funny moments. The character of Mike was very well developed, I like how they based the film around him, the first having Sully as the main character. His story was interesting, and there was a wonderful feel good vibe to the way that he realised his own talents.

It just lacked something to make it live up to the quality of the original. There wasn't a lot of tension in it, I know it is a children's film but Monsters Inc. has brilliant tension. Maybe this was due to the fact that it is a prequel, and we know that Mike and Sully will be fine.

I thought the ending was a little rushed. I felt it was a bit like they had written the film on as its own story, and then realised that they needed to find a quick way to get the characters into the job that they have in the original.

Overall this is a really enjoyable film, with most of the aspects of the original held intact, any fan of the first will love it.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Masterpiece

[10/10 · 20 September 2013]

There is no other word to describe this film. Everything from the casting to the choice of music is perfect in my opinion. There is humour, violence, shock, it has everything a film needs, and they are all portrayed in a sensational way.

For people who haven't seen the film, it is a collection of stories, all jumbled out of chronological order, and all are somehow intertwined. The individual stories themselves are wonderful, and I would watch them on their own. The way that Tarantino has put all the stories together, so that we still aren't sure how they all connect until right at the end, is amazing.

The film somehow has a gritty reality to it, even though some of the events that happen are ridiculous, they are believable all the same.

The amazing thing is that Tarantino always manages to produce incredible films. This is IMO the best film that he has made (and probably ever made!), and for any fan, or in fact anyone who has not seen this film yet, go out and buy it now!

Skyfall (2012)

Excellent

[8/10 · 15 September 2013]

I was dubious about this film. I enjoy the James Bond books immensely, and loved Casino Royal (film), feeling that it remained fairly true to the storyline and dark feel of the book. After Quantum of Solace, which was a disappointment in my opinion, I was worried that this would go down the same road, especially as it was not originally a book. I was very pleasantly surprised. Daniel Craig is fantastic in his role, he is pretty much the way that I imagine Bond to be. The film has just the right amount of over the top action scenes, without going too far like some films previously have. The storyline was excellent, tackling Bond's demons well, with both an ensnaring and entertaining story throughout. Overall a very good addition to the James Bond franchise.

You're Next (2011)

Fresh and exciting horror

[8/10 · 13 September 2013]

I went into this film looking forward to a good standard of horror after seeing some of the positive reviews. I was not disappointed. The film has all the qualities that a good slasher flick should have: suspense, jumps, large amounts of gore, and a tiny bit of humour.

It starts much like most horror films, some unknown characters get brutally murdered, leading into the beginning of the main film. Simple effects like the music in this opening scene made it really stand out against many horror openings, and I was exited to see more straight from the start.

The film continues where this opening scene left off, keeping the viewer in suspense until the motives of the masked men are revealed. At this point the film seems to change gear, becoming much more violent (before this part of the film much of the murders were not shown in their full gore), and in some cases mildly amusing.

Although generally predictable, I was still left slightly guessing what might happen throughout the film.

I haven't seen such an exciting horror film in a while, and I very much enjoyed it, a must watch for all horror fans.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Amazing

[9/10 · 13 September 2013]

I love JRR Tolkien. His works are incredible, and through the various posthumous releases, a world has been created that is simply epic. The Hobbit is a children's book (a phenomenal children's book) that is situated in this world. So much happens within the storyline of the book that is never mentioned. I think that the story has received a very necessary extension from the humble beginnings of the book. Everything that happened within the first 100 or so pages of the Hobbit was shown in this film, and the extensions were largely taken from the appendices of LOTR. I have seen a lot of people complain about the addition of Azog to the story, he is already well established in Middle Earth history, and although there have been changes to his story from the appendices, it is ultimately his (or his son's) army that acts in the battle of the 5 armies in the end of the book. It seems to me that people who are overly critical of this film know just enough about the Hobbit to know that there is extra material being used, but not enough to know that the majority of this is part of the Tolkien mythology, hence all the complaints. Even on the most basic level, the book to film transition needed more description and action, since most of this is never actually described in the book (Bilbo gets knocked out at the start of the battle and wakes up when it is over). A direct book to film change would have been no where near as exciting, which a film has to require, or people won't watch it!

I loved this film, and I think that PJ has done an amazing job, and I can't wait to see what he will do with the next two.