Green Lantern (2011)

Two reviews in two days? You lucky people.

Running Time: 113 mins
Directed By: Martin Campbell
Starring:  Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong
Screenplay: Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Michael Goldenberg, Michael Green
UK Release Date: 17th June


Quick Plot: Hal Jordan walks away from every great opportunity life throws at him whether it be big or small but he holds something special inside him. Something dying alien like protector sees, dying on earth his green lantern ring chooses Hal to take his place among the rest of the protectors of the universe being the first human green lantern, will Hal through it all away?

Review: I've read tons of Green Lantern reviews and knew this film wasn't going to be good but it's the type of film, like No Strings Attached, where I still want to watch because of the cast and or storyline. This time round it's the cast and if you know me you'll know Ryan Reynolds is a favourite. But as you know a pretty face doesn't make a film good.
When I first heard about Green Lantern I was only ever interested because of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively if I'm really honest. The only DC comic book film I've seen are the Batman's everything else in the DC world I am oblivious too because I prefer Marvel. I'm not going to start or take part in the debate of which is better because I don't care they're the same and if they please their fans then they're doing their job it's no contest. I didn't and probably still don't know much about Green Lantern at all. As the months have gone on, the cast were still the only reason I kept an eye on the film and when Empire and Total Film's reviews were published I wasn't at all surprised at their 2/5 rating. And I'm probably just duplicating their rating here but it's true. It's a mess of a film. That's harsh and now I feel guilty because I don't like being mean on films (I don't know why I make such awful reviews anyway) and I've always been one to take a film as it is but I just didn't like Green Lantern at all. And this is coming from a girl who will watch any film about a pretty male superhero.
Ryan Reynolds is the type of actor who in 20 years time women everywhere would still list him as an attractive looking guy. Not only is he gorgeous but I honestly think he's a great actor. His role in last year's Buried was absolutely fantastic, I loved his egoistic character in Adventureland and so on. Now here's a problem Mr Reynolds' has...he is Hal Jordan from Green Lantern and Deadpool (X-Men) similarly Chris Evans is the Human Torch and Captain America. Not to get too sidetracked, I thought Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine was one of the best parts of the film and I hope that the Deadpool movie does happen and is good for Ryan Reynolds part. He's a perfect choice for a superhero it's just a shame that Green Lantern is all over the place. The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants is a guilty pleasure and favourite of mine, Blake Lively being one of my most cherished characters in the the films so I was quite excited to see what Lively could deliver as Hal Jordan's childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris. I can be a proud fan and say I think she played the role right although I do have to say I thought someone a little older would have been a better casting. In real life they have an age difference of 11 years which isn't a lot I know, but knowing them in other films it made me feel a little off when watching them embrace. Both look beautiful together and did a good job and sure they have chemistry but the age difference was a bit weird and I felt that a different casting would have maybe made the leading roles more realistic. I seem to have a sudden fondness of Peter Sarsgaard after my encounter with The Orphan two weeks ago and I think he was the best actor in Green Lantern. I understand how he got mutated slightly and why he turned evil but I don't really get it all nonetheless he had the best role. In all the Mark Strong films I've seen he's always the baddie and although Sinestro isn't evil he still has a hint of selfishness and power over Hal Jordan which was a good part of the film too. Overall acting wasn't too shabby, Sarsgaard was the better of them.

It's not even the effects I didn't like I think it's the storyline was too confusing- in a bad way. There was too many little story lines that weren't ever complete (maybe leading towards a sequel?) and I felt it was all a bit limp. I'm no expert on Green Lantern but is Hal Jordan meant to be kinda of unattractive or less good looking than Ryan Reynolds? When he says 'look at me' or something along the lines and looks down on himself as if to say he's nothing..was that intended? Did Hal Jordan have other motives because come on he's gorgeous! I also didn't like the whole eye changing thing Hal had going on. Again might be something in the comic but I like his eyes brown dammit! Did Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds use the same colour hair dye too? At the beginning their hair is dark brown but towards the end is was nearly black for both of them! Ok I'm being mean now, I won't say it's a disaster of a film or horrific but it's certainly not great and lacks almost everything. A good story, relatable characters and considering Hal Jordan wasn't in the frame for the whole film and the film has wider characters you'd think they'd more developed. Same for the Green Lantern planet, there is a big introduction to Green Lanterns and about the enemy but it's nothing that pulls the audience in..or maybe that was how I saw it.
Ryan Reynolds is beautiful as always and the rest of the cast are pretty and can act well. With the brilliant impact Thor and X-Men: First Class have had on the movie world it was only a matter of time until another comic book/superhero film didn't quite level up to it. If you're a fan of the comic I'm sure you'll enjoy but personally I didn't like it.
Sorry.
Don't ask why I'm apologising but I feel as if I should. Not for the film I apologise for not liking it very much.

2/5

Green Lantern official trailer -I liked the first trailer for this so this is what I'm posting.

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Bridesmaids (2011)

Running Time: 125 mins
Directed By: Paul Feig
Starring:  Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, John Hamm, Maya Rudolph, Jill Clayburgh, Ellie Kemper, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Melissa McCarthy
Screenplay: Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo
UK Release Date: 22nd June

Quick Plot: Annie's Mum seems to think her daughter's life has hit the bottom, her 'boyfriend' doesn't let her sleep over, her career isn't anything like she planned, her roommates are irritating and she hasn't a lot money. Then when her life long friend Lillian announces her wedding and that Annie is maid of honour, she's happy to oblige for her best friend and surely her life can't hit more of a bottom?

Review: Apologies for the poor plot above, there's a lot more to it but I don't want to spoil it for you now do I?

There has been an ongoing joke between my parents and I ever since we watched an Outnumbered special that explains how Mum's aren't funny. I don't believe this at all I only persist in this joke because I get a kick out of it against my Mum. Of course I can't believe it, it's ridiculous to even think women are less funny than men and even more ridiculous considering what I've just witnessed!
Bridesmaids is hilarious and a real treat. I won't bore you with my thoughts on The Hangover: Part II instead you can read it here, but Bridesmaids has without a doubt, made up for the slightly disappointing funny sequel. It's not even the every line is a gag, rolling on the floor type of comedy. Bridesmaids' humour is delicately fused with the plot which is what any type of good comedy should be. I'm not saying it's unique, I'm not saying it's perfect but it's enjoyable and one of the funniest films I've seen in a long time. Possibly the same wave length as the first Hangover film. The best thing about Bridesmaids is that it's not just for women, just like The Hangover isn't just for men. You may think it's just for women and if you're a man and think that, fine- you probably won't enjoy it, but it's the type of humour that gets everyone. Farts, sick, sex, normal people, normal lives and normal situations people find themselves under. My friend and I today were in fits of giggles in the cinema.
As expected the screenplay was brilliant written by Kristen Wiig who plays our main character Annie and her best friend Annie Mumolo. Kristen Wiig is one of my favourite actresses in comedy, her role in Paul was funny,, her parts in Whip It!, Date Night, the small role in Knocked Up and my favourite Adventureland, she's got it certainly going for her and I know she's not about to loose it for a long time. I've already said how this film is great but I will continue. I know there's many female screenwriters of today, but Bridesmaids was purely female ideas which I think shows through because women can relate to it as part of every day life or stuff they're familiar with as can men with the way some of the women act or how manly some of the female characters really are. On a personal note, I admit to not watching enough Saturday Night Live, it's harder living in the wrong country but I make my efforts and try as much as I can. Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig are known for their sketches on SNL (which if you get a chance to watch, please do) and are two of the most funniest comedienne's known. I could be wrong, but I felt as if their laughter in the film was real because their bond in the film is very relatable to the audience, they're funny off camera, they're funny on camera they are all round funny women and you will have a very weird sense of humour if you don't find them funny.
Paul Feig the director who has previous directed some great TV comedy shows which I'm sure you're familiar with, episodes of The Office, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, Nurse Jackie and was the creator of the widely popular Freaks and Geeks. Produced by Judd Apatow who I'm not even going to tell of the wonders he's made. If you haven't seen at least one Apatow production, stop reading this and watch one. This is purely Apatow humour but on a side we've never seen before-women. But it does no wrong. The cast and crew are known for their comedy and Bridesmaids definitely delivers it.
Let's not forget the rest of the ensemble who are included in the brilliant comedy that is Bridesmaids. Chris O'Dowd the Irish comedian actor I'm sure we all know of is fantastic in this. One of my favourite TV shows is IT Crowd in which O'Dowd's character is perfectly written and acted out. Sticking to Bridesmaids, Officer Nathan Rhodes is such a lovable character, the good guy who's obviously perfect for Annie. He's cute but nothing predictable, he's an out there character but funny and sensitive-like the storyline. The rest of female cast are just as good, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper are stereotypical but funny secondary characters, each with different lives but ones that are we're so use to in every day life. Rose Byrne, who I seem to have developed an admiration for, is great as the mean, bitchy enemy. Something I've never seen her do before but she can do it. I loved her role in X-Men: First Class and thought she was the real funny par of Get Him To The Greek but I've seen her play more deeply perceptive roles such as Adam. But the real source of the comedy in Bridesmaids is the beautiful Melissa McCarthy as Megan. Megan is the Alan of The Hangover (she's even the sister of the groom). The character is hysterically written and you just know Wiig and Mumolo had a blast in creating her just as much as McCarthy had in playing her. You're probably thinking 'I'm not even confident of which end that came out of' is Megan's best line and part of the film but you're mistaken, her character delivers the comedy in each part of the film she's in. I would explain but this is a non-spoiler review remember. Giving out the comedy but also just softening the storyline for the emotional speck Bridesmaids holds.
Weddings, bridesmaids, females, this film first off screams 'nooo not again' but it's such a great and. It's sweet, hilarious and enjoyable. I know you must enjoy a film to like it, but I had so much fun watching Bridesmaids and I just hope you have the same enjoyment I had. This is the type of comedy that in 2 years will be on ITV1 and ITV2 10pm on weekends that I will HAVE to watch. It's just as good as Knocked Up which I believe to be one of the greatest Judd Apatow creations.

4/5



Bridesmaids trailers

TRAILER MENTIONS
Hi so thanks for reading this too.
I saw a delightful full length trailer for The Inbetweeners Movie which looks fantastic I must say!
Also The Change-Up and Horrible Bosses which have good casts and look funny so they are must sees too!

(Great casts = Jason Bateman. That is all)

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X-Men: First Class (2011)

'Mutant and proud'

Running Time: 132 mins
Directed By: Matthew Vaughn
Starring:  James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Rose Byrne, Jason Flemyng, Lucas Till
Screenplay: Jane Goldman, Zack Stentz, Ashley Miller, Jamie Moss,
UK Release Date: Officially 1st June 2011

Quick Plot: It's 1962 and mutants are unknown to humans. With the evolution of human cells, more mutants are discovering their powers like Professor Charles Xavier and Erik Lansherr did back in the 40s. Mutant Sebastian Shaw and his team of mutants are using their powers to their advantage to try and bring the human world to a standstill and let mutants reign. Overseen by a secret US government organisation, Charles and Erik join forces with other young special individuals, in hope that their new team can stop Shaw and Frost.

Review: 5 stars? Yeah sure why not, I enjoyed it, loved it and it's a new favourite film. Read on to see why.
 If you read my review of Thor you know I love Marvel. Marvel films for that matter, I have yet to read more comics. Even so, the stories and the superheros fascinate me. The X-Men trilogy are my favourite Marvel films and I'm not just saying that. I was never fond of Spider-man (although all that will change I'm sure..) and Iron Man and the Hulk are fantastic but it's X-Men that I've obsessed over for a few years now. Sadly as most of us know, X-Men Origins: Wolverine wasn't exactly the prequel film us Marvel fans wanted (I liked it because of Wolverine but it wasn't a good film) but I'm typing this as a proud Marvel fan: this is the film we've been waiting for. It's fast, exhilarating, classic X-Men humour, the characters are so sophisticated and yes the action is all there.
Matthew Vaughn is, in my opinion one of the most fantastic directors of today. Kick Ass, Stardust and Layercake are incredible and come on, you really can't get much more of a wider genre than that! Unless of course his next film is maybe a musical, horror or animation. His partnership with Jane Goldman is a beautiful team in it's self. Stardust, Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class are all partly written by Jane Goldman who I'm going to be honest, I want to be. The way the story on screen is much more deeper and passionate than you first think really grabs the plot line for the audience and makes this collaborative film duo's final product perfect. Vaughn has a way of filming his films, with so much, power (hey maybe he's a mutant too?) and brilliance I even noticed a few actions were shot, edited and acted out in similar ways to Kick-Ass which you know has got to be good. Some of my favourite scenes were edited like Hulk was, as a comic book, with parallel editing (my media knowledge edging it's way in here) which I found more establishable with the superhero theme because you soon forget that at first after entering the film.

The thing I liked about this film is that it wasn't in 3D. Thor was and even in 2D I could tell from the scenes that would have powerfully been in 3D would have been good but X-Men: First Class still didn't need this. Vaughn isn't one for huge amounts of money, it's about making the cinematic experience for the audience worthwhile. A few months back I was reading an interview with Matthew Vaughn in Empire where he said that he didn't want to cast actors who looked like Sir Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart instead cast people who he felt were Erik Lansherr and Professor Charles Xavier which of course is the right way to cast actors. Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy take the iconic characters and take them back to where they originated. Why Magneto has so much anger, why Professor X is so kind and grateful to humans. The one thing I certainly enjoyed was their bonding. Erik and Charles are like any usual best friends, even brothers, but in First Class there was always that uncomfortableness between them on screen because of course deep down one is good and one is bad. But Fassbender's portrayal of a character I have always been weary of made me love his history, his sensitive side and the determination he has to be unique, to be iconic and use his powers to the best of his ability. Fassbender has certainly got a great career going, his small role in Inglorious Basterds was great as was  his fantastic role in the 2009 film Fishtank. But it's no wonder that I'm fascinated by James McAvoy as Charles Xavier. I've had a little McAvoy obsession going in the past few weeks after watching the delightful Starter For 10 and the surprisingly incredible Wanted, he really does have a talent. I bet that on the set of X-Men: First Class, without the effects and computer generated images, reading people's minds was tough. (Haha) To end this awkwardness..the lead roles are fantastically portrayed and Fassbender and McAvoy have done justice to the characters.
The younger actors were my favourites! Jennifer Lawrence for all you film fans out there must have by now heard the news of the truly great casting for her to be Katniss Everdeen in the great book trilogy The Hunger Games. Lawrence was even nominated for an Oscar last season for her fantastic role in Winter's Bone which she deserved just as much as Natalie Portman did for Black Swan I think. Mystique/Raven has been a character in X-Men I've never liked, I've hated her arrogance, her way of misleading genuinely nice characters and being the biggest suck up to Magneto but after X-Men: First Class I've got to be honest- she's my favourite character in the film. Her story is emotional, typical and it works so well but it's all down to the way Lawrence plays her, so passionately and effortless as if she's known her tale for a long time. Her bond with Professor X, Magneto and Beast/Hank McCoy really are beautifully crafted and delicate. This film really did make me like the later evil characters. Nicholas Hoult as Beast and even Lucas Till as Havoc were perfect. All the younger cast for that matter, perfectly fit their mutations and had their own individual minds that I think is sadly lost amongst most films nowadays.
I could go on and on about how I loved the cast, probably one of my favourite casts for a film this year in fact! But I'd be here all night. I've still got to mention the cameo. The other week my cousin and I were discussing what cameos we thought would be in it. My cousin decided on a very, very famous X-Men character that I wasn't really sure about but yes you guessed it- my cousin was correct. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about if you're reading this anyway, but let me not spoil it for those who have kind minds. Let's just say, the packed screen I was in, myself and my Mother were laughing..a lot. It's very smart and is probably..no wait it is..the best cameo of a film this year.

X-Men films have a reputation for being funny. Not laugh-out-loud-comedy-superhero-film-that-is-stupid but my type of funny. Reference funny. I can't repeat the lines without spoiling the film, but Charles Xavier, Magneto and all the other characters who later go on to appear in X-Men 1,2 and 3 make small references which are hilarious if you're a fan. Going back to my review of  The Hangover: Part II I said that it made too many jokes about the previous film and couldn't stand alone, you could say X-Men did this. Especially with the cameos, jokes and characters but X-Men: First Class can stand alone. The secondary characters and the fondness of the newly discovered mutations are the funny side of it and I heard a lot of adults laughing in the cinema laughing. If you're a fan you're obviously going to love it, it's a great new X-Men story, a fantastic prequel and who knows? Maybe an incredible start to a new trilogy but don't go mad if you haven't seen the previous films. You don't need to, this film stands alone and I hope it will forever be standing alone and not grouped up with the other films.
Yes the effects were a little dodgy (mostly on Beast) and yes the film isn't exactly the best way of telling the bromance of Professor X and Magneto, instead it travels slightly off task and plays it in a safer way than going all on on an extravagant storyline but it's excellent nonetheless. As a fan, I knew how the film was going to end but I didn't want it too. In my ideal world, X and Magneto would have become bestest friends forever and ever. Everyone would live happily ever after and humans and mutants would live in harmony. But this is a superhero film and nothing can ever be this ideal. Of course I wouldn't have really wanted it any other way.
Am still unsure about whether or not I would want another trilogy, I would probably be happy with it if it was Vaughn and Goldman but if this precious story gets into the wrong hands I will be very angry.
Thor and X-Men: First Class have set a level for Captain America and Green Lantern. I wonder if they'll even come close to being as good.


Everything you want a prequel to be. Funny, moving and a great storyline. The characters are unique and it's perfect for any X-Men/Marvel fan. But if you don't like superhero films. Don't watch it. Simple.
5/5

X-Men: First Class official Teaser Trailer

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