Reviews

Entering the movie with low expectations was key to my enjoyment of the movie because I can tell you that by the end of it – I was blown away. When watching Fast & Furious 5/Fast Five somehow I just had the feeling like the director believed that this was going to be the last F&F movie and he decided to pull out all the stops when making it. In my opinion, this movie is the best one out of the five.

Fast Five reunites the cast from all the previous movies when Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) decide to pull off the final and largest heist of their lives. All your favorite characters from the series are back in this movie that is pretty much just Oceans with fast cars and hot babes and also with half the intelligence and double the action.

The characters are all pretty likeable with the actors doing their jobs well. There’s nothing to complain about here, but one thing got me wondering – I see it happening all the time in movies: why are girls so reluctant to tell their baby’s daddy that junior is on the way? And when they do, it’s right before a big decision so the man doesn’t leave her. That’s not how things work in real life, you get knocked up, you go knocking on his door as soon as you find out! But I digress.

The movie had its fair share of unrealistic scenes, but this is F&F after all – don’t expect anything less, but it also had one of the most interesting car chases in movie history. A bank safe attached to two cars by a couple of chains, and a switcheroo stunt in the middle of the highway? Impossible? Probably. Exciting as hell? Most definitely.

One thing long time fans might be disappointed with is the lack of emphasis on the cars. This movie had more to do with story and character interaction than metal boxes with wheels. But if you’re in the mood for an exciting summer blockbuster, Fast Five isn’t going to disappoint you. Fast & Furious 5 gets a 7/10.

Oh yeah, stay for an extra scene after the credits. Mmhmm.

Going into the cinema, I didn’t really know what to expect. I don’t read the Thor comics, so I can’t tell you how good the movie is compared to the comic but what I can tell you is – the movie just set the new standard for Marvel Comic adaptations. The bar was raised pretty high with Iron Man back in 2008 but Thor kicks it up a notch this year. Hopefully Marvel doesn’t let this standard drop with their upcoming movies.

Thor tells the story of a Norse god, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) who was banished to earth. While back home in Asgard, Thor’s brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has a plan to wipe out the Frost Giants of Jotunheim by destroying their planet. Thor has to find a way back to Asgard and save them.

Director, Kenneth Branagh, known for highly complex and intricate movies like Hamlet and Sleuth does a great job with Thor. It’s not very deep movie but it’s not overly simple either, and the pacing is great, with enough action to keep the summer action blockbuster fans happy.

One thing I enjoyed about the movie is that the big supporting name actors didn’t steal the limelight from the relatively unknown main cast – which shows that Hemsworth and Hiddleston can hold their own up against A-list actors. Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings are there to look pretty as usual – substance wise, not so much but it’s okay because they provide the comic relief.

When you take the story and break it down to its simplest form, Thor is basically the story about a brother trying to outdo his brother in order to earn his father’s attention. But Branagh and the cast wrap the plot with enough layers and action sequences to make it more than just a rehashed story, and do a great job with it. It definitely sets the standard for Marvel movies to come. Oh, and like every Marvel movie – remember to stay for the extra scene after the credits. Thor gets a 7/10.

“From the director of Twilight,” clearly states the movie’s poster. So I kinda knew what I was getting myself into when I stepped into the cinema. I had low expectations for the movie and was pleasantly surprised the movie didn’t suck.

Red Riding Hood tells the story of Valerie (Amanda Seyfried), a girl that’s been arranged to wed a rich man, Henry (Max Irons) but is in love with her childhood sweetheart, Peter (Shiloh Fernandez). Valerie plans to run away with Peter, but their plans stop short when her sister is murdered by a wolf – the same wolf that the village has been offering monthly sacrifices to keep appeased. The movie revolves around the plot of trying to figure out who the big bad wolf is. Loads of red herrings are purposely placed in the movie to throw the audience off – which is fine, but some seem a bit forced. Especially Valerie’s grandmother.

The cast does a decent job, with Gary Oldman standing out as the overzealous Father Solomon leading the wolf hunt. Peter and Henry – two guys who are supposedly competing for Valerie’s affection don’t seem to be doing much and you can hardly sense the rivalry between them.

The movie somehow reminds me of a less complex The Usual Suspects/Identity/Lucky Number Slevin – but when you discover who the wolf is, it doesn’t really take you by surprise. However, Red Riding Hood is a movie that is decent at best, and Twilight’s director Catherine Hardwicke somewhat redeems herself with this offering. Hopefully she continues to improve with time. Red Riding Hood gets 5/10.