Big Hero 6

I am one of the laziest film fans around, I won’t go the cinema if it looks too cold outside, I won’t write a review if I can’t be arsed turning on my laptop and it has now got to the stage that I am too lazy to follow the build up to cinema releases.  The official party line is “sometimes knowing a film is coming is enough to make me want to see it”.  Big Hero 6 being a Disney adaptation of a Marvel comic was all I needed to know.

PLOT:  After his brother is killed fourteen year old genius Hiro (Ryan Potter) teams up with his group of friends to find out who is responsible and why.  END PLOT

All of the familiar origin story tropes are present in Big Hero 6 but there is enough heart and emotion to make up for a basic plot.  The relationship between Hiro and his robot Baymax is sweet and although the humour created from their friendship mostly boils down to fat and drunk jokes it hits the mark and creates quite a few giggles.

The action sequences are decent and it goes without saying that the team of heroes are all in sync with each other by the grand finale.  The set pieces are fun to watch but the final battle does feel like the film is just going through the motions.

As with all Disney films the animation is gorgeous and the futuristic setting of San Fransokyo is appropriately colourful and fun.  I like to see animation in 3D and it added the usual depth but nothing popped out of the screen which to me always feels like a wasted opportunity.

I left the cinema with a smile on my face but I can’t help but shake the feeling that my new fist bump handshake will have a greater lasting effect than the film.  Big Hero 6 gets 6/10.  I almost feel sorry for Big Hero 6 as it can’t be easy being the first Disney animation to follow Frozen, especially when it appears that Frozen is still growing in popularity a year after its release.  This speaks volumes.

Transformers: Age of Extinction

 

The Transformers franchise helmed by Michael Bay arrives for yet another instalment of chaos and shook awake a somewhat sleepy Summer Season in the cinema.

Did we ask for another Transformers film? No; but in keeping with tradition we will all bitch about Michael Bay then flock to the cinema with such robotic social conformity that we are one sequel away from a living in a Monty Python skit.

This is one occasion when I am not jumping on the bandwagon of hate.  I am standing in front of it aiming a bazooka at those who paid to see the film then took to the internet to express their mortal offense that the film was exactly as they expected it to be.  Old dogs learn new tricks quicker.

Run! The masses are coming with pitchforks and torches as you give them what they expected! Run!

PLOT:  After the war in Chicago (Transformers 3) the Autobots have gone into hiding and are being hunted down by Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammar) and his robot ally Lockdown.  Optimus Prime is broken and hiding out in an old cinema until he is purchased by inventor Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg). Once up and running again Prime reunites the Autobots and they find themselves being hunted by Lockdown and factory made Decepticons.  China. END PLOT

This is a very condensed plot because, in all honestly, I had no idea what was happening.  Attinger’s motives for joining forces with Lockdown and creating robots to kill robots in the name of preserving America didn’t make much sense and this is before we get the sub-plot between Optimus Prime and the Dino-Bots. 

I have no problem disengaging with reality and leaving my brain at the door.  I do it every day when I go to work so it is hardly a chore when I got to the cinema but the script of Transformers: Age of Extinction was a mess.  The shambolic plot threads became more noticeable due to the 2hours 45min running time.  We were treated to many battles between robots vs. robots and robots vs. dino-bots which all blended into one big metallic ball of confusion.  A good hour needed to be chopped off the running time and although this would not have improved the script it may have made the confusion less noticeable and easier to forgive.

Michael Bay does not understand subtlety but the cinema is the perfect place to experience his patented “the noisier the better” brand of action.  The effects were stunning and the even though the robot action became confusing in parts there can be no denying that the Autobots look amazing. Despite the impressive special effects the action was at its strongest when it involved the human characters – I will never find a character in peril at a great height anything less than stressful.

Transformers: Age of Extinction marked a complete change in cast which was sorely needed. Sam Witwicky, his girlfriends, his family and their yappy dog had outstayed their welcome after the first instalment.  Michael Bay deserves high-fives all around for replacing Shia LaBeouf with Mark Wahlberg.

I am a fan of Mark Wahlberg as he is always entertaining to watch and although I don’t believe that Wahlberg is capable of inventing anything more technical than a two layered meat sandwich I took to crackpot inventor Cade Yeager with ease.  Yeager is accompanied by his teenage daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz) and her oddly accented boyfriend Shane (Jack Reynor).  Their banter doesn’t always hit the mark but they were entertaining and the film was at its strongest when they were on screen.  TJ Miller was also a welcome addition to the cast but unfortunately his screen time was cut short.

Over on the dark side we had Kelsey Grammar and he was fine as a corrupt government agent but the undisputed star of the show was Stanley Tucci who was clearly having a blast.  Tucci got the obligatory 12A “fuck” and I was happy for him. 

The oddest double act of the year might just be  the best!

 

Overall Transformers: Age of Extinction is by no means the best that film I will see this summer but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy myself.  I can understand where the hate comes from but only up to a point - if you are still shocked by the quality of a franchise at the fourth instalment you are more at fault than the filmmaker.  Please feel free to remind me of this statement when I review Paranormal Activity 5.

Transformers: Age of Extinction gets 5/10 which is deservedly higher than Maleficent or Godzilla.  It would have scored higher if it were an hour shorter.  If there is to be a fifth film, and I have no reason to believe there won't be, I wouldn't be unhappy to see Tyrese Gibson and Josh Duhamel bring the rain once more.

How To Train Your Dragon 2

 

How To Train Your Dragon isn’t considered one of my favourite animated films, it is considered one of my favourite films.  I am still in love with How To Train Your Dragon and was not prepared for How To Train Your Dragon 2 to be anything less than the perfection of the first instalment.

Oddly, at the 12.30pm showing on the opening Saturday it was just me and my friends.  This was unexpected.

PLOT:  After the events of How To Train Your Dragon there are now dragons a plenty on the Island of Berk.  The only creatures living in fear are the sheep.  Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and Toothless begin to venture away from Berk to explore uncharted lands.  On their travels they meet a mysterious dragon rider and are introduced to a secret cave filled with wild dragons.  Unfortunately the villainous Drago (Djimon Hounsou) gets wind of their discovery and vows to take the dragons for his army.  END PLOT.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 takes place several years after How To Train Your Dragon and the first thing that struck me was how much I had missed the residents of Berk.  It was very satisfying, even at twenty-eight years of age, to join Hiccup and Toothless on another adventure.  Right from the opening dragon race sequence I was gone.  Time stood still and I was completely engrossed.

The plot is fine but with the benefit of hindsight the battle against Drago was probably very predictable but I care not.  I lived every moment of the story with the characters and genuinely grieved for the unexpected loss of a favourite. 

Jay Baruchel heads the returning cast of Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, America Ferrera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Kristen Wiig with each actor sliding right back into their roles with ease.  Djimon Hounsou is adequate as Drago however Cate Blanchett was awful as Valka with her accent veering from Scottish to Irish before settling on a general mishmash of something which sounded vaguely Celtic. It is a strange day when Cate Blanchett is the worst thing about a movie but she does have previous when it comes to dodgy accents.

There are more action set pieces in HTTYD2 and this comes as no surprise but the animation is stunning and was an absolute treat for the eyes.  The dragons playing in the background of some of the quieter moments meant that there was always something fun for the audience to watch.  Toothless is the star of the franchise and even my typically hardened heart has fallen in love with the character.  The eyes and facial expressions are perfect.

The relationship between Hiccup and Toothless is stronger than ever although it does hit a little rocky patch during the film.  The problem is they didn’t have this moment on par with this iconic scene from How To Train Your Dragon:

This moment is what cemented How To Train Your Dragon as one of my favourites.  I didn’t think it could be recaptured but How To Train Your Dragon 2 gave us this:

The flying scenes in this film have a real magical quality that I lose myself in.  The film could be a 90min montage of Hiccup and Toothless flying through the air and I would be happy.

In order to counteract the gushing adoration HTTYD2 did have one minor problem – the score.  John Powell is back and although the main musical theme can be heard throughout the film the score lacks the ferocity of “TestDrive” and the sweeping “Coming Back Around”.  The score feels watered down which is surprising given how important it seemed in the HTTYD.

Overall I cannot be disappointed with How To Train Your Dragon 2.  The sequel suffered slightly because it didn't have the surprise factor of How To Train Your Dragon but it will be loved just as much.  HTTYD2 gets 9/10.  There is something special about the mixture of friendship, dragons and flying that I completely fallen for.

The days are being counted until How To Train Your Dragon 3.