It Follows

Here I find myself on a cold and damp Monday evening having just come out of the fourth film in Odeon's Screen Unseen series. There was the usual Twitter speculation as to what it was going to be and I was convinced it was Will Smith's latest 'Focus'. Luckily I was wrong..

This one centres on Jay (Maika Monroe), who after a sexual encounter is drugged and bound. She's then informed that she will be constantly followed and must keep moving to avoid being caught.. What then proceeds is 80 minutes where she tries to avoid the said supernatural force.

It appears that this film was not to everyone's taste, but it really freaked me out. The music (by Disasterpeace) also helped to set the mood.

Another excellent Odeon Screen Unseen **** movie.

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Jupiter Assending

Here's the thing with science fiction movies. Some times they've gotta push the boundaries otherwise it's just fiction. 

OK picture this.. It's the seventies and some one goes to Hollywood and pitches the following. ".. it's a story about an unhappy boy living on a desert planet. One day he finds two robots, one short and fat and the other tall and skinny. Together they get Alex Guinness and fly off with a man and a carpet beast. They rescue a princess on a plant sized spaceship and Alex Guinness disappears when struck with a light sword, welded by an asmatic half man, half robot.. stay with me... The boy fancies the Princess (who turns out to be his sister) and he joins her resistance fighters to take down the planet sized spaceship.. Eh? What do you think? In the sequel we introduce a green midget who harnessess an unseen power... 

Someone greenlit that.. And someone greenlit John Carter.. On paper they're both ridiculous but some how the one managed to tap into something..

OK, try this for a pitch. Mila Kunis plays an immigrant living in America who cleans toilets for a living.. Only, as it turns out she's related to a, recently departed Queen of the Universe and is now, consequently the inherited 'owner' of earth.. The Queen of the Universe' kids find out about her and, naturally are non to pleased.. Throw a couple of governmental Guardians to look after her in the shape of Channing Tatum (half man, half wolf) and Sean Bean (half man, half... erm... Bee) and you have all the makings of the next Star Wars...

The ideas are there, the cgi's there.. It just doesn't pull it off.. For every Star Wars there's a 'Blackhole'.. 

I'm sure, in time it'll be a cult classic... In time.. Just not at the moment.

OK here's a couple of downers.. Script and implausibility.. Some of the dialogue was just terrible.." bees don't lie..". Implausibility.. I can except Eddie Redmayne as a evil, overacting warlord.. I can even except Sean Bean and his bee genetics. But Channing' gravity boots and his uncanny knack of always being there to save Mila (particularly as the planet Jupiter imploded) just pushed it over the edge for me..

There was a few of good points.. Terry Gilliam made an entertaining cameo and, as mentioned the CGI was top notch.. Plus I don't think it took itself too seriously..

Overall ***

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Ex_Machina (2nd viewing)

Yeah, it's still good.. One of the best sci-fi's I've seen in a long time..

**** 

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Big Hero 6

I almost got a second viewing of Kingsman this morning but I fancied something new and so opted for an early showing of Big Hero 6.

I'm always a bit weary going in to a PG animated movie on the weekend of its release, as the cinemas usually packed with screaming kids. Luckily this was an early showing and practically empty..

It's primarily a Disney movie, but with Marvel in its DNA. Set in a city called San Frantoykeo it focuses on Hiro and his Brother, Tedashi. Hiro spends his time building robots and battling with them until he's persuaded by Tedashi to enrol in his local Tech college.  Here Hiro meet's Tedashi's work nerds and just as he decides to sign up at the college it goes up in smoke... Taking his brother with him.. It's then Hiro discovers his brothers medical robot he'd designed and decides to use it to investigate his brothers death..

This film was quite entertaining. I'm not the target audience that's for sure but there was still nods to the adults including a 'blink and you'll miss it' cameo from Mr Stan Lee himself halfway through.. The animation was flawless and colourful and I ended up watching it in 3D (although it would have been just as good in 2D). It was both touching and funny and theres the obligatory Marvel 'end of credit' sting which was definitely worth waiting for..

Overall and entertaining start to my Sunday viewing. ***1/2 Stars 

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