House Of Cards

House Of Cards

Developed By: Beau Willimon

Produced By: David Fincher, Michael Dobbs, Kevin Spacey, Eric Roth, Joshua Donen, Dana Brunetti, Andrew Davies, John Melfi, Beau Willimon, David Manson

Cast: Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Kate Mara, Corey Stoll, Michael Kelly, Sakina Jaffrey, Kristen Connelly, Constance Zimmer

Plot: When Congressman Frank Underwood is betrayed by both the President and his staff, he designs an intricate plan that will span years, and that will hopefully gain the presidency for himself.

When Netflix first announced that they were releasing the entire season of House Of Cards in one go, I thought this was on odd idea. Surely this would defeat the object of suspense, and to gain a larger audience? Apparently not. The series has proved highly popular, and for good reason. My initial reaction to the first episode was a confused one, with lots of terminology relating to US politics. However, once you grasp what the characters are talking about, it becomes relatively easy to understand.

The main character, played by the fantastic Kevin Spacey, is simply astounding. He comes across as ruthless, charming, impressive and completely devoted to his cause. His Southern American charm hides the deviousness that is hidden under his steely exterior image. As Shrek greatly described himself as being like an onion, with layers, the same applies to the character of Frank Underwood. We see the person he portrays in front of his colleagues, but the way he interacts with the audience shows his underlying hatred for the majority of people he works with. 

The rest of the cast show an extreme amount of talent, ranging from the hardworking journalist to Frank's wife. The producers truly have brought together a group of extraordinary actors and actresses. 

The story is fantastic, with each few episodes revolving around a goal that Frank works towards, and it's only within the last two episodes that we realize that literally everything that he does is to further his efforts in taking the presidency (That by the way, isn't a spoiler or at any means a reveal). The season has been adapted from a novel and British mini-series, applying the story to American politics. The season genuinely fascinated and intrigued me about the workings of The White House.

If you're a fan of high pace, action shows then this might not be the thing for you. The series mainly takes place within The White House, Congress, and offices. There isn't much violence of any kind. And this is genuinely where I was surprised at how hooked I became on the show (My usual favorites are things such as Dexter, Fringe, Lost etc). Both the underlying themes of corruption, and the outlining of how a man can be broken, are completely fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of each episode, and was entertained throughout. 

Genuinely one of the best television shows around at this time.

9/10

Written By Eammon Jacobs

Looper

Looper 

Directed By: Rian Johnson

Written By: Rian Johnson

Produced By: Ram Bergman

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt

Plot: In the year 2044, a man working for a group of killers called "Loopers" (they work for the mob and kill people who are sent blindfolded back in time from the year 2074 by their bosses) recognizes a victim as himself. He hesitates resulting in the escape of his older self. He must quickly find and kill his future self, but there is more at stake than he initially realizes.

Rian Johnson's style of filming somehow feels unique and different to the majority of films that are released. He has created an anti-hero through Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis, a character who must kill his future self to preserve his own life. This concept is intriguing and subtlety asks the audience 'What would you do?'. It felt slightly reminiscient of Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner'. With some of the city shots and technology featured in it could be a potential nod of the head.

I was first extremely surprised when it was announced that Joseph Gordon-Levitt would be playing a younger Bruce Willis. The two actors roles are usually polar opposites. Even if Levitt has moved more into the action genre with films such as Inception and The Dark Knight Rises. They definitely do not seem to align as each other's former/future self. However, I was impressed with the outcome, and I feel that I, like most people, underestimated Levitts' acting potential to portray a younger Willis. 

There is plenty of character development, with the audience being able to see the humanity that hides behind Joe's rough exterior. However there is a certain plot device that seems to be taken from the first Terminator film, with Bruce Willis giving out rough justice to certain individuals. I also love the transition between the city of the future and the rough farmland of America. This is also where my favourite character (other than Joe), comes into play, portrayed by the wonderful Emily Blunt. I feel that her performance is fantastic, and the way that she shows the lengths that a mother would go so as to protect her child is astounding.

The film has some interesting concepts, with telekinesis, hover bikes and time-travelling hit-men...this is no small movie. And whilst there are some blockbuster grade effects, the film has a very 'indie' feel to it. The finale is full of pulse-pounding action and suspense, Rian Johnson has crafted a modern classic. The performances of the entire cast are pitch perfect, the cinematography is seamless and the whole thing fits and works together like clockwork. 

8/10

Written By Eammon Jacobs



Man Of Steel

Man Of Steel

Directed By: Zack Snyder

Written By: David S.Goyer

Produced By: Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Deborah Snyder

Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane

Plot: An infant Kryptonian is sent to Earth moments before his home planet is destroyed. Thirty years later, and the boy has honed his skills, and strives to become a symbol of hope for the people of our planet. That is until a group of violent beings from his homeworld come looking for him, threatening annihilation.

Superman has entertained the world over ever since his appearance in 'Action Comics' in 1938. We've seen numerous films, television series, animations and comics featuring the hero. This reboot aims to create something deeper in the character, and it attempts to show the emotional side of him. It also tries to show the difficulties he faces in becoming the man of steel, and coming to terms with having to hide his true self. 

The film shows (via flashback) the hardships that the young Clark Kent has to go through, and slowly we see the aggression that builds up within him (an aggression that is later released upon General Zod's face). In terms of character development, the film is fantastic. Each character has at least one moment where we see an insight into their lives outside of the film. The first half of the script is beautifully written, especially dialogue between Clark and Martha Kent (His earth mother). Unfortunately, this first half feels extremely slow, and their isn't a particular build up.

Once Zod enters, the film feels very rushed, as if it wants to just jump to the end. The arrival of the villains comes out of nowhere, and it was at this point the film didn't seem to have a general direction. Michael Shannon portrays the villain brilliantly, however, the majority of the lines he is given are generic 'bad guy' threats. And whilst he is completely separate from the Terence Stamp version of 'Zod', he just doesn't feel original. The film looks quite dark and moody, but the overuse of the J.J. Abrams 'lens flare' becomes annoying. I also feel like the film is trying too hard to be 'The Dark Knight' for Superman. 

If the producers are trying to create a more realistic version of the hero, I don't think the way they introduced Zod was the option for this. It felt too 'space age', and the armor the Kyrptonians wear looked as if someone had stolen the costumes from Prometheus. The film was enjoyable, and I think that Henry Cavill's performance was probably one of the best since Christopher Reeve, but is this a milestone in the Superhero genre? It doesn't seem that way, if anything, it feels rather generic. I also feel like the acting talents of both Laurence Fishburne and Russell Crowe were squandered, their roles were ridiculously minimal considering their characters are both important factors within the story Superman.

Like I mentioned previously, the film is quite enjoyable, but is a disappointment. I felt as if they could've done something alot better with the legendary hero. Don't go in expecting the next Dark Knight trilogy.

6.5/10

Written By Eammon Jacobs

The Hangover Part III

The Hangover Part III

Directed By: Todd Phillips

Written By: Todd Phillips, Craig Mazin

Produced By: Todd Phillips, Daniel Goldberg

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor, John Goodman,

Plot: When Alan becomes emotionally unstable after the death of his father, the Wolfpack agree to get him back on the road to recovery. What could go wrong?

The first film in the series was a breath of fresh air to comedy films. The idea, the location, the cast, the plot, the jokes were all perfect. It was the perfect one off that Hollywood needed to revive comedy once again. However, it was very much a one trick pony. Whilst the first film offers a premise we haven't seen before, and gags that were simply hilarious, Part II copied it, becoming stale whilst being mildly amusing. So where would Part III go? Surprisingly, the main cast don't get drugged by accident and wake up trying to find a lost cast member. 

Like the majority of film franchises lately, the series goes a little darker. With Doug (Justin Bartha) being held hostage by Marshall (John Goodman) and to get him back, the Wolfpack have to bring him a certain Mr. Leslie Chow. In 'The Hangover' Chow was a brilliant character, outrageous, funny and bold. But it seems as if the filmmakers are trying to hard with his character, trying to create ways of making him more crazy and funny. It doesn't really work. The film tries to take a darker tone, with gangsters after the guys, and people being gunned down in the desert, and it feels out of place amongst the series' comedic genre.

The characterization of Alan was quite interesting, showing the effects of his fathers' death and how deals with those. He is still quite amusing, but there aren't any "belly laugh" moments within the film. Don't get me wrong, there are funny parts of the film but it just doesn't feel original anymore. Instead of the tiger or the monkey, they have the giraffe and the roosters. Instead of throwing a mattress from the roof, they scale down the building using bed sheets.  It just seems to me like they're copying their earlier work. Midway through the film, I thought how much bad luck do these guys have for so much bad stuff to happen to them, it's becoming literally unbelievable.

Like I said, there are some laughable scenes in the film (The giraffe). But don't go in expecting to be rolling on the floor laughing. 

Written By Eammon Jacobs

4.5/10

Star Trek: Into Darkness

Star Trek: Into Darkness

Directed By: J.J. Abrams

Written By: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof

Produced By: J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof

Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Alice Eve, Simon Pegg, Bruce Greenwood

Plot: When an enemy (Cumberbatch) emerges from within Earths forces, and threatens to cripple Starfleet, Kirk and his crew must battle against the seemingly unstoppable foe, no matter the cost.

Star Trek was once looked down upon, made only for fans of the previous long standing television series. J.J. Abrams changed that in 2009 with the successful Star Trek reboot. He made Star Trek cool again. The sequel was inevitable, and boy, this is one hell of a sequel. It feels like a much bigger film, visiting bigger planets, bigger action sequences and even bigger character development. This could be one film that is genuinely better than the original.

Benedict Cumberbatch genuinely played the best villain I've seen since The Dark Knight. The much loved British actor, best known for his role as Sherlock Holmes, turns bad. His sinister performance as John Harrison was cold, calculating and downright scary. There isn't anyone he isnt afraid to hurt, children's fathers, women, the list goes on. There were various moments when Sherlock shined through the persona of Harrison, which might not always be a good thing, but he's certainly created a brilliant foe for the film. He certainly steals the show.

The ensemble crew of the starship Enterprise are lovable as always, and it was interesting to see Uhura and Spock's relationship progress throughout, with some heartwarming moments between the two. Simon Pegg is hilarious (as per) and the scenes he shares with his own little sidekick are amusing. The visuals are absolutely astounding, with brutal adrenaline fueled fights and high octane space action, all this film does is entertain again and again. With a running time of just over two hours, there's not much to disappoint, apart from the ending.

Now, I won't spoil anything, but the ending seems extremely rushed it's almost as if they're trying to tie up all the loose ends as quick as possible. The resolve of all the events doesn't seem severe enough either, but as a finale it's still rather impressive. The ensemble cast work well together, and if J.J. Abrams doesn't make another Trek film, he's certainly left it in a great place.

Written By Eammon Jacobs

8/10

Evil Dead (2013)

Evil Dead

Directed By: Fede Alvarez

Written By: Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues, Diablo Cody

Produced By: Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell

Cast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Elizabeth Blackmore, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas

Plot: A group of teenagers agree to help their friend kick her heroin addiction, and take her to a remote lodge within the mountains. They unknowingly release a terrifying entity, that wants them all dead by dawn, with horrifying consequences.

The original Evil Dead film shocked audiences the world over, and now it's average among modern horror films but still a fan favourite. This remake/sequel/reboot/chapter of Evil Dead re-invents the story with our hero being both heroine and heroin addict. The film starts with a rather unnerving scene involving a father killing his possessed daughter, setting the chilling tone for the film. 

Once our (rather stupid) teens enter the cabin, it's pretty much downhill from there. There are the usual, average jump scares throughout, but there are some genuinely horrifying moments that will make you cringe. I did like the way the writers included the possibility that this could be some heroin fueled fantasy or a schizophrenic episode, it was a nice little spin on the idea. Nobody leaves this film unscathed, not even the dog. 

There are some truly brutal killings involved, and some of the torture is possibly worse. The harrowing scene involving the main character is absolutely horrific, and is quite difficult to watch, so be warned, this is not a film for the faint hearted. As for blood, there's lot's of it, in fact it covers the whole set. 

However, it did seem a little bit stale, not the terrible farce that a remake could've been, but we've seen all of this before in a previous list of horror films. There are also moments in which the audience will want to shout "DON'T GO INTO THE CELLAR". The majority of the characters are pretty much two dimensional and are just lambs for the slaughter. I was impressed with the central character of Mia, she was the only one who had any characterization to her whatsoever. A rather chilling film, but this genre is getting a little bit 'same old, same old' now.

Probably the best horror remake, but don't expect it to win any oscars.

Written By Eammon Jacobs

6.5/10
Ps. If you're a fan of the original films, stay till after the credits.

Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3

Directed By: Shane Black

Written By: Drew Pearce, Shane Black

Produced By: Kevin Feige

Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, Jon Favreau, Don Cheadle

Plot: Recovering from the events of 'The Avengers', Tony Stark develops Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He must juggle difficulties from all sides, his relationship, his work, perfecting his suits and a Terrorist threatening to destroy everything he holds dear.

The latest eagerly awaited Marvel film had fans all over the globe in a frenzy, it looked as if the enigmatic Tony Stark had finally met his match with a more realistic opponent rather than another man in a metal suit. The Mandarin is a fantastic, unexpected villain for our hero to face, and Ben Kingsley gives both a sinister and almost humorous performance. 

The dynamic Mr Stark has a lot to deal with. I was really impressed with the way the character was fleshed out, by showing the after-effects he has to cope with from what he endures in The Avengers. it shows the human side to the billionaire, playboy, philanthropist that we all know and love. The film has the witty dialogue that we expect from an Iron Man film, with some amusing quips regarding the visually impressive Iron Patriot (Listen out for Rhodes' password).

Whilst I mentioned the more realistic villain of The Mandarin, the film manages balance some sci-fi elements alongside this, via the research of one Maya Hansen, an old flame of Tony's. I also thought it was interesting to show Pepper Potts' conflicted views on Tony, so she's not just the ever faithful girlfriend.

The action is no less than impressive, with a portion of the film showing Tony without his suit. Showing us that the suit does not make the man. Robert Downy Jr's performance is once again on top form. However, there are some points that will make you sit up and think "Surely not?". But then again, this is Hollywood.

A highly enjoyable entry into the Marvel Universe.

Written By Eammon Jacobs

8/10

Ps. Stay till after the credits.