Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Film Review

Image found on Google.

'He said welcome to the freaking Guardians of the Galaxy, only he didn't use freaking.'

Guys it's here, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is finally here! This film has 100% been my most anticipated film of 2017 - sorry Beauty & the Beast & The Last Jedi. I literally ran to see this film as soon as possible when it came out, and then wanted to gather my thoughts and watch it again before I shared my review. 

When the first film came out back in 2014 I was in awe. I found it to be a refreshing change from the Marvel films that came before it and it quickly became my favourite Marvel film. The humour, the characters and the soundtrack were so spot on. I was instantly so excited to see how they would develop the franchise, although I did have slight concerns as to whether a sequel would live up to the first film. (It did.)

I love how they used this film to develop the characters and the dynamic of the group. One of the main themes throughout this film seems to be relationships, and how our whacky bunch deal with an all manner of relationships that they are not used to. One of the things that drew me to the first film was the mix of characters - a bunch of odd balls from all different situations, who don't really like each other but team up to save the world. I love how they have developed these characters and their relationships as well as adding in new characters for our Guardians to get to grips with. Some of the developments we witness are the relationships between Peter & his father, Peter & Gamora and Gamora & Nebula. All very different, which come with their own struggles and tensions.

I loved, loved, loved Rocket, Yondu & Nebula's character development. We are treated into an insight into the character's motivations and how they have turned out how they have and the inner turmoil that each are faced with when they are thrown face to face with situations and relationships that they don't know how to deal with emotionally. I also enjoy how we are given a taste of how Peter Quill could turn out, the kind ego(lol)tistical, cocky character has the potential for darkness and it is interesting to see what or who prevents that. And it's not who you think.

One of my favourite things about the first film was how funny it is, this film definitely follows suit and is on par comedy-wise. As always the one liners and pop culture references were absolutely on point: 'I'm Mary Poppins y'all.' I loved how literal Drax was in the first film, but I feel they slightly lost that for this one, but he was still incredibly funny. Rocket and Groot will forever be my favourite comedic duo in this film, their chemistry and banter just makes for comedy gold. For extra funny make sure you stick around during the credits to see the next Groot development.

The soundtrack was an absolute masterpiece, it had the perfect amount of 70's/80's nostalgia that the first one did. I have already downloaded it and added it to my GOTG playlist...yes I have one of them, is that weird?

Going into the film I read that people had found it a bit too long, and admittedly it is a very long film, but honestly I didn't notice it. I was having such a good time that I didn't even realise how far in it was.

Obviously this is what I wore to go see the film.

I hope you enjoyed my spoiler free thoughts on Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. I would thoroughly recommend going to see it. Whether or not you are as an avid fan as I am I can guarantee you will leave feeling pretty good about life. It's a feel good film for all the family to enjoy, with some extra added depth and development for us Guardians' fans to sink our teeth into. I am already excited for the 3rd installment and to see them thrown into the world of The Avengers in Infinity War - now there is an opportunity for comedy gold.

Did you enjoy the film?
Who is your favourite Guardian?

Speak Soon
Char xx

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Beauty & The Beast | Film Review

Beauty and The Beast came out so long ago now, but I am still completely obsessing over it. I realised I never shared my thoughts on the film here, so I decided now would be the perfect time, because I'm hoping that most people have seen it by now and the risk of me being the fucker who accidentally ruins it for somebody is low. 

The Good

How stunning was this film though? The cinematography and the CGI was absolutely spot on in my opinion, I was a bit concerned that it would be a bit over the top and it would look way to superimposed, but I thought they got the balance just right. The 'Be Our Guest' scene was so beautiful to look at I nearly forgot to appreciate the song (which was also fabulous.) I thought the costumes were absolutely stunning - that yellow dress! Oh my goodness, what a thing of beauty (aha) I'm so glad they didn't try to mimic the animated dress, and instead brought it to life in it's own way.

When you think of Beauty & The Beast, one of the first things that comes to mind is the songs, I must admit I was nervous that they were adding new songs in and whether or not they would do the original songs justice, and in my opinion they did. As soon as I heard the intro to 'Belle' I burst in to tears, so much nostalgia. As I mentioned briefly before I thought 'Be Our Guest' was perfect, I loved 'Gaston' - bravo Josh Gad, and I don't even know how to begin to describe how I felt about 'Evermore.' That song is so beautiful, I cried numerous times. I thought it fit so well with the theme of the film, and if that song doesn't win the Oscar next year then I will be severely disappointed. 

I actually really liked that we got a bit of backstory into The Beast & Belle's pasts, I know that has been a bit of a controversial decision to some people, but I thought it gave the characters a bit more context and helped to cement it more as a stand alone film.

The casting for this film was impeccable in my opinion. Dan Stevens as The Beast was perfect, so sarcastic and funny, and really gave the beast an actual human side with a personality and had just the right amount of character development, the change in his demeanor felt realistic and not rushed at all. Also, that growl at the end. Swoon! I loved Ian Mckellen & Ewan McGregor as Cogsworth & Lumiere respectively. They were the perfect double act, nearly as good as the original's. Emma Thompson had some big shoes to fill, but I really loved her take on Mrs Potts and her rendition of 'Beauty and The Beast' was beautiful. One of the stand out characters for me was Le Fou. I loved what they did with his character, how he had real character development, becoming more and more uncomfortable with Gaston's actions and eventually showing himself to be a goody. I was so happy when Disney announced that Le Fou would be openly gay, and I feel like they did it in such a tasteful way. I'm also so happy he got a happy ending. 

The Not So Good

There really wasn't that much that I didn't like, there were a few plot holes here and there, and some moments that I felt were unnecessary. My major issue with the film - and it's a really petty issue - why were the 'bimbettes' (the girls pining after Gaston) not blonde?! That's their trademark look, I feel like the point of them is that they are percieved as being SO different from Belle. Making them brunette had them sort of blend in with her and I didn't like it.

I feel like I might get some stick for this opinion but... I wasn't a massive fan of Maurice. I thought the actor did a really good job, and I see what they were trying to do with him, I just wasn't drawn in by his character. 

The Surprise

I was so pleasantly surprised by Dan Stevens and Luke Evans' singing voices. Damn, those fellas can hit some notes. I had major heart eyes during their musical numbers.

Emma Watson was a surprise for me, I really didn't rate the decision to cast her, but I was pleasantly surprised by her performance. Her singing was a bit hit and miss, but I actually really enjoyed her take on Belle and I can tell that a lot of young children being introduced to this version of the story will really relate to her.

I've never really been a massive fan of live action Disney remakes so when this film was first announced I didn't feel that fussed about seeing it, I thought it might be a bit cringey and I was worried Disney would ruin it, because the original animated version is so well loved. I completely eat my words. I absolutely loved it, I found the whole thing so nostalgic, it really took me back to my childhood and reminded me of the magic of seeing it for the first time. It was the perfect homage to it's predecessor whilst being incredibly magical in it's own right. It's paved a way for a new generation of Beauty and The Beast fans,

I also made a video talking more about what I thought about the film, it's slightly rambley as I filmed it the day after I'd seen it, so I was still full of excitement. 

Have you seen the film?

Did you love it as much as I did?

Speak Soon

Char x 

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Film Review | Suicide Squad.

Image found on Google.

After months and months of waiting and a crazy amount of hype I finally got to see Suicide Squad. Considering how excited I was about seeing it and the absolute slating it got in the reviews, I thought I would share my opinion on the film and let you know if it was really, really bad or if it kicked ass.

Warning! This post will contain spoilers, so if you've not seen the film yet and don't want it ruined, Look away now!

I actually really loved all the character portrayals, which is surprising considering how big a cast this film has. But of course there are some performances who for me completely stole the show.

Image found on Google

The one, the only, the infamous Harley Quinn (i'm sorry I couldn't resist.) I've been waiting for a film featuring Harley Quinn for years, she is one of my most favourite comic book characters, so I was over the moon that she has finally appeared on the big screen. Portrayed by the fabulous Margot Robbie I was desperate for this rendition to be a success, and in my opinion it is. This version of Harley is the perfect mixture of psychotic, vulnerable and completely bad ass. I know there was a lot of criticism regarding her revealing costume, I personally love it. For me its quirky, cute but is also bad ass, I can completely picture the character picking that for herself. Don't get me wrong I'd have loved to see her rock the classic jester outfit, which we were teased with, but this modern version suited both the character and the film perfectly.

Image found on Google.

Another stand out performance for me was Harley's Puddin' himself Mr J aka the Joker. Arguably DC's most famous bad guy, played this time by 30 seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto. This performance came under huge criticism before the film had even been released, in fact once the casting had been announced. Now I can see why people were concerned about how the character was going to be portrayed considering the powerful performance by the late Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. Having watched Suicide Squad I think Jared Leto has taken the Joker so far away from other representations that its impossible and actually really unfair to compare the them.

 I loved this performance so much, Jared Leto is such a talented method actor that I couldn't see even the tiniest ounce of him in this, its all joker. I loved the look, its so creepy but also kind of hot (I can't be the only one who thinks this?) My only criticism of the Joker is that he is not in it enough, considering that a huge amount of the promotion and marketing featured the Joker he's hardly in it. I was gutted to find out that a lot of the characters scenes were cut and I pray we get to see them somewhere. I understand why he doesn't feature too heavily considering he doesn't massively fit into the story. I just pray this isn't the last we see of him.

I want to talk about the relationship between Harley & the Joker in the film. Margot Robbie and Jared Leto quite clearly have palbable chemistry and fed off each other wonderfully to demonstrate such a passionate, toxic relationship. Now before I get head ripped off for saying that I'd like to clarify that I don't condone or romanticize abusive relationships. I think its important to remember that these are fictional characters and are meant to be so far away from reality. I love the artistry of this toxic relationship which is almost a game of cat and mouse, these performances show the obsessive element of their relationship, but also demonstrate elements of genuine care, concern and love for one another which I think gives the characters extra dimension. I really enjoyed that the roles were kind of reversed in which The Joker is the character in the sideline shown as Harley's boyfriend rather than the other way round. 

I would love a stand alone film featuring these two as I think there is so much more to explore with them. I want to see more backstory. I loved David Ayer's interpretation of the King & Queen of Gotham.

Image found on Google.

I think the soundtrack needs a quick mention, as one of my favourite movie soundtracks ever. I've been listening to the album non stop. I love it. My personal favourite songs are: Sucker for Pain, Heathens & You don't own me. If you've not listened to the album I would 100% recommend it.

There were some things about the film that I didn't like of course. I found at points the pacing was a bit slow and it took a while to get into the flow of things. There were moments that weren't placed quite right so therefore didn't completely make sense. In my opinion the film was nowhere near dark enough. Jared Leto mentioned in an interview that the film should have been rated R (in America) and I completely agree. There was so much opportunity to make it gritty and dark, which considering it focuses on the bad guys I think it should have been. My main criticism of Suicide Squad was the choice of 'villain.'  I hated that they made Cara Delevigne's Enchantress into the big bad, it just really didn't work for me. 

My face while watching this film.
Image found on Google.

Obviously this film was never going to be perfect and there were some serious flaws, but I think the negative reviews and overwhelming criticism has been harsh. I really enjoyed the film, it was fun and enjoyable and for me stayed close to the comic book representation. I hope the reviews haven't destroyed the chances of revisiting this bad guy gang or for future stand alone character films (cough Harley Quinn/Joker cough) because I think there is so much more to see.

Have you seen Suicide Squad?

What were your thoughts?

Who is your favourite DC character?

Speak Soon

Charlotte xx

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Film Review | Wreck it Ralph.

I do not own this image.

                                                                            "I am bad and that's good. 
                                                                 I will never be good and that's not bad. 
                                                                   There's no one I'd rather be than me" 

                   This Review may contain spoilers, so if you don't want anything ruined then see the film first!

A couple of days ago I took my little sister and two of her friends to see the new Disney film: Wreck-it Ralph. I love everything Disney so obviously had to see it when it came out, having an eight year old sister is a handy excuse to see these films. I didn't really know what the film was about when I went to see it so didn't really have any expectations on what it would be like. So I went in with a completely open mind & thought I'd share my thoughts about it with you.

I quickly want to mention the short film that's shown before the film itself: Paper Man, it shows a man and a woman who meet by chance through some paper and a gust of wind. They part ways but the man spots her on numerous occasions and tries to get her attention by throwing paper airplanes, the amount builds up and he eventually gives up. The paper planes then seemingly come to life and guide the couple back to one another where they eventually meet again. I really enjoyed this short film I thought it was very cute and sweet, the animation was really good. I really enjoyed the fact that the entire short was in black and white apart from the female character's red lipstick. I'd definitely say its one of the best Disney/Pixar shorts there has been.

Now onto the main film, I love the concept of Wreck-it Ralph, the fact that it is set inside the gaming world is in my opinion, inspired. This concept allows incredible animation and design but also gives the opportunity to create some rather exciting characters which I think they definitely did. Wreck-it Ralph is reminiscent of Toy Story in the way that it utilizes the interest of children, but it develops it further to be more suited for the audience. Toy Story was a big phenomenon when I was a child and I'm sure for alot of you, Go 90's kids! One of the reasons that I think it was so successful is because of the fact that it included the use of toys which were pretty much our pass times as children. As technology has moved on computer games and digital games have captured the interest of today's young children, so a film in that setting is a clever way of attracting the audience. This advancement in technology and the mix between traditional Disney ideas & values allows the makers to create a creatively beautiful and heartwarming family film for all to enjoy.

As for the story line of the film, I think its rather refreshing that the story is centered around a 'villain' who doesn't want to be considered a villain in his game anymore and leaves his game in an attempt to become a hero and get a medal so that he can become accepted by the other characters in his game. He journeys through many games including a shooting game in which Ralph quips: "When did video games become so violent and scary." A joke that I'm sure the older viewers will appreciate. He then journeys into the candy fulled world that is Sugar Rush, which is likely to give any body a sugar craving. Along the way Ralph must come to terms with what it really means to be a hero and whether or not he can achieve it.

Their is an abundance of fantastic characters in this movie all linked within the video/arcade game world, we see Sonic & Pac man with references to Mario & Lara Croft, it really is a spectacular sight as characters old and new join together to create a vibrant video game world. It is definitely fun to play spot the video game character and there is definitely something for everyone. The four main characters however are Wreck-it Ralph, Sargent Calhoun, Fix-it Felix Jr & Vanellope von Schweetz. Each dynamic & wonderfully animated to appeal to all genres. Wreck-it Ralph & Fix-it Felix Jr are the classic retro characters, Sargent Calhoun is the kick-ass fighting character & Vanellope von Schweetz is the feisty but lovable racer who very much reminds me of Coco Bandicoot in Crash Team Racing (90's kids will know who I mean.)

Wreck-it Ralph played by John C. Reilly, I think he puts a brilliant spin on the 'bad guy' character and creates a really love able and relatable good guy. He has you feeling for the character of Ralph the whole way through and is absolutely hilarious as always.

Fix-it Felix Jr is played by Jack McBrayer, I must to be honest I hadn't really heard of him or his work before so didn't really know what to expect from him or the character. But I really liked his portrayal of this character, he creates the character of a typical good guy, his country charm adds both like ability and comedy and he becomes a crucial and well liked member of the team.

Jane Lynch's portrayal of Sargent Calhoun, unsurprisingly adds wonderfully comedic one liners which suits perfectly to her character. A Bad Ass, fighter aiming to destroy all the Cy-Bugs from her game Hero's Duty, but gets alot more than she bargained for when Wreck-it Ralph enters her game.

Vanellope von Schweetz is played by the talented Sarah Silverman, her portrayal of the love able glitch Vanellope is brilliant she captures the aspects of the character really well, creating hilarious comedy & also heartbreaking vulnerability at times. She manages to play the character of a 9 year old girl very well indeed.

I thought the animation as a whole was incredible, there was so much attention to detail and every part of it looked realistic as part of a game it really is a brilliant sight to behold. Particularly in the game sugar rush, the creativity behind that world is unbelievable. It's one of few films which I'm glad I saw in 3D as it just made everything so vibrant and exciting. It is not surprising that it has been nominated for so many awards as the work that must have gone into it to create such a wonderful piece of animation must have been alot, but it most definitely payed off in my opinion.

Wreck-it Ralph is such a brilliant film for the whole family to enjoy. It is heart warming, funny & at points tear jerking. It has a wonderful message behind it, and it is relate able for those who have ever felt misunderstood, unappreciated and who just wants a chance to show what they've got. It really is a beautiful story and reminds us all to keep "taking life one game at a time"

                                                   Here's the trailer for anyone interested.

                                        Have you seen Wreck-it Ralph? What did you think of it? 
                                            How do you think it compares to other Disney films?

                                                                         Speak Soon
                                                                         Charlotte xx

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Film Review | Les Miserables

I don't own this image

I finally got to see Les Miserables this week, I've literally been so excited to see this film since I saw the first trailer. I am a massive musical geek so of course it was at the top of my list of films to see. The reviews I'd heard were really good and all my friends who had seen it were raving about it and they were most definitely right. I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to see the film in the cinema as the cinematography was incredible and the beautiful singing sounded amazing with surround sound, I literally had shivers every time they opened their mouths. So if you haven't seen it please do so it really is brilliant and definitely worth seeing on the big screen.

I think as its a musical it only seems right to first of all comment on the singing and the songs. I love the fact that they filmed the songs live, I think it adds such depth and emotions to all the songs. I think everyone did a really good job with the songs, obviously I'm not a singing expert so I don't know how good they all were technically but to my ears all the songs sounded very good. I was pleasantly surprised when I watched it because I didn't really know the songs before seeing it, apart from On my own & I dreamed a dream because I'd sung them previously at the theater company I was in. I thought every single song was amazing, there wasn't really any that I found boring or dull, which is surprising as in musicals there is normally one or two I'm not a fan of. So the fact that I liked them all is very good in my opinion.

In terms of performance I think every actor did a wonderful job but there are a few standout performances which I'd like to mention:

Anne Hathaway - It is no surprise that she has been nominated for and won awards for her role as Fantine, I definitely felt the most emotion towards her character aka pretty much cried buckets when she was on screen. Her performance of Dreamed a dream was epic and the raw emotion in her voice was heartbreaking. The fact that she actually cut her hair for the role shows her seriousness about the character and you can definitely see that in her performance. Bravo Anne, you go girl!

Amanda Seyfried - I have always been a massive fan of Amanda and her work, but I must admit I was abit skeptical when I first heard she had been cast in the film, as I'd obviously heard her singing in Mamma Mia and so wasn't sure how she'd do in this sort of film. Bear in mind that I didn't know much about the character of Cosette prior to seeing the film. I was very very wrong I think she suits the character perfectly and in my opinion her voice was remarkable and meshed so well with the portrayal of the character.

Helena Bonham Carter & Sacha Baron Cohen - The partnership between these two was great, I know they had a more minor role in the film, but I thought that they did a really good job at lightening the mood of the film as most of you will know it is rather a depressing film but I thought the two of them really added that much needed comic relief. I've had Master of the house in my head constantly since I went to see it, so they must be doing something right.

The film as a whole was beautifully filmed and really was amazing to watch, I loved the barricade scenes as I thought the set looked really wonderful. I really think this film has been a massive success and it is definitely well deserving of all the awards its been nominated for. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD so I can relive it all again, until then the soundtrack will have to do. I also now really want to see the show on the West end, as I've been told it is even better than the film which I can definitely imagine, better get saving the penny's.

What did you think of the film? Whats your favourite Les Mis song? If you've seen the show, how does it compare?

Speak Soon

Charlotte xx

(please bear in mind that this review is purely my own opinions)

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