Trailer Talk: Tammy, Teenagers and...Pudsey?

Tammy
With the film finally being released next Friday, New Line Studios bring out this, the last trailer for the film. And now that I've seen all the trailers and teasers, it's easy to say that it's a film not worth seeing. As I've mentioned before, it's typical McCarthey fodder following Bridesmaids in 2011. It wasn't funny the first time or the second (Identity Thief), and certainly isn't here.

The Expendables 3
With the trailer stating that this is the final chapter, it leaves me relieved as it looks no different to the previous instalments, which too put me off. It's simply another instalment of "out of work classic actors club", further proved by the box office results of all of these actors in recent years. Even new addition Harrison Ford is having a rough time, hence an appearance here. It does have a crowd,  but I'm not a member of it.

Guardians of the Galaxy
In this, the final trailer, the atmosphere is changed in comparison to the first two advertisements. Whilst it does initially rely on past Marvel hits and follow the usual dark tone of various superhero trailers, it does give an insight to the actual characters outside of the comedic aspects. Plus, Zoe Saldana finally shows off her acting chops after being mute in previous trails. The comedy at the end with Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Star Lord (Chris Pratt) is great, and it remains a film I look forward to this summer.

Let's Be Cops
"Oh boy, this looks fun", I'd say if it was actually funny or worthy of my time. It's incredibly unfunny to the point that it makes me look at the world and wonder "is this really what we call entertainment?"

The Judge
Robert Downey Jr's first major role since Iron Man 3, the trailer does open with another one of those jokes which makes everyone but me laugh, which did make me worry about the quality of this film. And whilst it does have a simple "father-son reunion" storyline going on, it does do it in a new way, and may well be an appealing film. Downey's performance looks stellar, as does the rest of the cast, and it may be a surprise hit.

The Inbetweeners 2
I'm probably one of the few British teenagers not to like The Inbetweeners. The 2011 film was poor despite all the popularity amongst my fellow adolescents, and here it looks no different. With previous character development right out the window, some terrible sex jokes and even some sound clips from a 1950s back-catalogue, it verges on the cringeworthiness that made the first film so lovable. Heck, there's even a joke which is already outdated in the form of parents being unable to use computers. An insta-pass.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
This is the trailer I've been looking forward to. It doesn't play on the unoriginal story of a truce being broken, and instead on how the apes themselves break said truce. The scene with one of the apes and the two guards is excellent stuff and came right out of nowhere. Add some beautiful motion capture design and performances, it could be the surprise hit of the summer.

The Good Lie
Well, this looks no different to any other modern true story trailer. Add some oddly chosen music, poor (and possibly racist) comedy and a rather wooden Reese Witherspoon, it does put viewers like myself off. It probably doesn't help that Witherspoon was apparently arrested during filming, which could further keep away potential consumers.

The Wedding Ringer
Hmm, what do you get when he try to modernise The Wedding Crashers with current hot talents Kevin Hart and Olaf the Snowman? Why, another racist comedy, that's what! No laughs, barely any coverage on the likes of Kaley Cuoco (odd considering how popular her flagship show The Big Bang Theory is), and it's very hard not see Josh Gad without seeing his infamous snowman from Frozen. Perhaps a step too big for Gad, but on par for Hart.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Ahead of Michael Bay's incoming Transformers: Age of Extinction comes the new trailer for everybody's favourite group of anthropomorphic turtles, taking a leaf out of The Amazing Spider-Man 2's publicity by including similar music, shots, and even dubstep (because nothing dates a film like dubstep). The turtles still look weird, Shredder has been turned into a Transformers-meets-Silver Samurai from The Wolverine, and Megan Fox remains as emotionless as ever. It does look like it's trying to follow Christopher Nolan with all the Batman links, but it really doesn't work. And just because you make a joke about the whole aliens rumour, Bay, doesn't mean you can be let off the hook.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One
Oh boy, this is risky. Whilst not a trailer per say, it is the first look we have to the penultimate instalment to the Hunger Games series, so it easily got the internet abuzz. And as someone who didn't like Catching Fire or the first Hunger Games, it easily came as on par with those two films. Does Peeta's (Josh Hutcherson) involvement confuse me? Yes. Am I intrigued as to what will happen? No. It's obvious for even those who haven't read the books like myself. Will I see Part One? Maybe; just to give it a chance.

Pudsey: The Movie
It seems clear that both itv and Simon Cowell are begging for more money outside their reality TV show line-up, as they bring the Britain's Got Talent-winning dog in a 90 minute "comedy". How can you tell a British film is bad? Add certain text, a specific voice over, and the director of Horrid Henry: The Movie being a reason to watch it. Heck, the film can't decide whether the animals should talk or think what they want to say! David Walliams clearly doesn't fit in the role either, likely cast because he's part of the show. It's a simple money-making scheme to follow suite with 2014's Postman Pat, Mrs Brown's Boys and The Inbetweeners. It seems the only good British film to come out of this year will be Paddington, but even then it's in trouble due to Colin Firth dropping out.

Into the Storm
This looks like a mix of Twister and Transformers, in which it involves natural disasters but to the point that it's absurd. The director can't make up his mind whether it's a found footage film or not, the destruction porn is straight out of a Michael Bay film, and performances do seem to be on the lower end of the spectrum. For a first trailer, it really isn't giving out much hype.

The Fault in Our Stars (2014) Movie Review

I want to clarify that I have not read the original novel by John Green. I read 2005's Looking for Alaska years ago, which was good, but Fault in Our Stars is a book which has a larger appeal. Spread all across the internet, with social media sites filled with major spoilers for the film, Fault was a film highly anticipated - opening to $48m at the US box office. Due to the big appeal it had, I wanted to go in without reading the book and judging the film as a film without considering the original aspects. But it's possible that all the coverage, particularly with major aspects of the film, has brought the film down, as I didn't enjoy the film as much as I could of. Whilst just about everyone in my screening sniffled and broke down into tears when all the major scenes in the third act occurs, I looked around in bewilderment with my dry eyes.

Now, I'm not saying the film is bad. It's not, there is a lot to like about it. The direction is good enough to play through the film, with the occasional artsy shot against narration from one of the characters fitting in with the rest of the film's imagery, so Josh Boone does do a good job. Ansel Elgort (Augustus Waters) and Shailene Woodley are likable leads amongst a good cast, but an unfortunately underused Willem Dafoe does bring the film down slightly with his rather off character. Yes, it follows the "never meet your idol" belief, but perhaps a bit too harshly. Outside of that, the cast do well. If any awards were to be given to them, it will likely be in viewer-nominated ceremonies like previous teen hits Twilight and The Hunger Games.

The film revolves almost entirely around the romance between Woodley and Elgort, two cancer patients who may fall further ill at any time, something which is thrown in from time to time to remind the audience that these characters are always at risk. And as great as this aspect is against all other romance films, it is still a generic romance film. You get the initial coldness from one of the characters, you get the big first kiss, you get a child-friendly sex moment, all that jazz. All it needed was a break up midway through and reunited at the end and it would be no different to the others. Yes, it's done really well and in a different manner, but it doesn't successfully hide these aspects. There is a minor subplot revolving around Nat Wolff (Isaac) which does give more of a comedic aspect to the film, but again I was in the minority as I sat in silence. He does a great job, but I couldn't get into his or the other characters' stories even in the face of death. It was incredibly sidelined and is only brought up twice within the film.

I couldn't get invested into The Fault in Our Stars. Whilst it had all the elements to be a great film and was unique, it still follows the same conventions as other films within its genre. Add some comedy which really doesn't fit into the film and some scenes which clearly crave emotional responses by the audience, and a small handful of moments did make my face abuzz with bewilderment, and it did make me a bit bored. But it's clear that I'm in the minority, as critics and audiences seem to eating this film up. Am I heartless? Possibly, but by no means is that worthy to criticise John Green's work, which clearly is popular. After all, I am only one viewer against the millions of adorers. Again, I'm not against the book, just this film adaptation, and it's likely that I'll give the book a chance. But for me, the film is quite simply okay.

Okay?

6/10.

The Fault in Our Stars is now in cinemas in the UK and US.

Trailer Talk: Dreamworks, Dwayne Johnson and Dumber

Hercules
Well, this looks terrible. It's clear that Dwayne Johnson is putting a lot into this film, but it comes to the point that it's almost laughable. Johnson's performance is overdone to the point that it looks like a pantomime show, the supporting cast are either badly cast or there just for the paycheck, and the direction and special effects look barely comprehensible. An easy miss.

Very Good Girls
This looks like any other teen film in which two girls pine over one guy, revolving around losing virginity amongst other events with family and the workplace. It's a feasible feature film but a probable pass, as it looks rather bland.

Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie
Oh Britian, I weep for your choices in feature films. This is going to just be 2014's answer to The Inbetweeners Movie, where the fans love it but non-fans despise. Thumbs down.

Love, Rosie
Why is it that Hollywood doesn't seem to grasp the idea that a boy and a girl can be friends without romantic entanglement? Here, Lionsgate uses the popularity of teen film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and the lacklustre The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by casting Sam Claflin and Lily Collins as two best friends who slowly realise that they love each other in a film which deserves to be airing in the 20th century rather than 2014. It's dumb, it's predictable, and it's unfunny.

The Giver
This is the first trailer I've seen for the film, and I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Sure, it does again fall into the teen novel genre of film which has been plaguing Hollywood for the past decade, but at least it's creative in its editing and cinematography against the likes of The Hunger Games and Twilight. Add the strong awards chops of Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges to give it a critical liking (if they forget the likes of RIPD and Hope Springs), it could be a successful film - if the genre isn't oversaturated by the point of release.

The November Man
A generic shoot-em-up thriller with Pierce Brosnan which will likely bring up dozens upon dozens of James Bond references by audiences and critics alike. Wait until a full trailer to get a good idea about the film.

The Boxtrolls
Laika is slowly becoming the king of stop-motion animation in the film industry. Whilst main rival Aardman tries to stay open by focusing on Shaun the Sheep, advertising various British organisations and rebooting Morph, Laika is becoming a critical darling with Coraline and Paranorman, and it's clear that their superb design work is worthy of praise. But something isn't quite right with The Boxtrolls, and that's the casting. Whilst Isaac Hempstead Wright does look right for the prominent role of Eggs, the likes of Elle Fanning and Richard Ayoade do bring you out of this trailer. The humour is also a little stale, but the final product may have stored some of its key gags within.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Nothing new to add really. It still looks like an impressive film in terms of design and performances. If I get round to seeing the first instalment before its sequel's release and enjoy it, I may go out and watch it.

The Interview
Unfunny as heck with a rehash of the chemistry shared between Seth Rogen and James Franco in This is the End, an equally unfunny film.

Dumb and Dumber To
Loads of people have been looking forward to this sequel, so it was expected that the trailer would gain huge appeal. And whilst I can easily see the humour to these gags and find a handful of them funny...I didn't laugh. A peculiar situation which I've not come across before. It might be the stupidity of the gags, which can be seen all over YouTube, which puts me off the film, or perhaps not seeing the original has made me oblivious to what's happening for the fans. Maybe I'll warm to future teasers.

Paddington
Another British icon is being brought to America, and it does seem a little off. Whilst Hugh Bonneville does add some much needed humour to this clip/teaser/trailer, the bathroom scene is an overdone comedic gag which appears in countless children's films/television programmes, and really doesn't look like a good enough enticer for potential audiences.

Penguins of Madagascar
Ahead of the American premiere of How to Train Your Dragon 2, 2 new trailers for upcoming Dreamworks Animation films have been let loose onto the internet, the first of which being the spin-off of the successful Madagascar franchise, focusing on the highly popular penguins. Whilst I can't say I'm a big fan of Madagascar (I passed on the third instalment and probably will do with the incoming fourth), the penguins are a large appeal for the series, so it could be a successful film. But you can see where corners have been cut, with the film being pushed forward and replacing Home for the holiday release date due to the poor performance of the original Dreamworks films as of late. There's issues with lip syncing and the designs of various characters outside the penguins is a little flimsy. Add a miscast Benedict Cumberbatch and some off gags (particularly the whole thing with the cheese puffs), it be another failure for Dreamworks.

Home
When the teaser short for Home was released in front of Mr Peabody and Sherman in early 2014, it worried many people, myself included. It looked like a poor piece of comedy made just to keep Steve Martin in work (his last film was 2011's The Big Year). And it looks to be the case with this trailer, only for Jim Parsons. It's obvious that his character is a rehash of Sheldon Cooper, who Parsons plays, but in an unfitting alien body. Add a cat who isn't a cat and some terrible alien designs, it could be poor. But at least Rihanna is finally being proven as a potential actor following the abysmal Battleship and her cameo in This is the End.

Birdman
An interesting concept, with Michael Keaton suiting the role well following his stint as Batman in the 80s and 90s. Whilst this trailer doesn't reveal much, it could be a huge insight to how the actors feel about being swarmed by fans and producers about their big roles in films, and how it could affect their entire career. If future trailers give off more of this idea, then I might go and see it.

Chef (2014) Movie Review

After being booted off the franchise that made him a household name (Iron Man) in 2010 and losing the box office battle in 2011 with Cowboys & Aliens against the Smurfs, Jon Favreau returns to his signature style of small scale as he serves up Chef, which he also produces and performs within - a trifecta which doesn't always succeed. And luckily for the actor-director, it's a well-prepared three course meal with a dash of heart amongst the strong comedic flavours.

The starter gives a strong insight to the life of the ambitious cook (Carl Casper, played by Favreau) as his life goes from bad to worse. The main course is slightly stale, as it's has all the ingredients that have been seen before in various films with father-son dynamics, but still has a strong punch with the humour, particularly with the brief but hilarious inclusion of Iron Man co-star Robert Downey Jr. By the dessert, it presents all the key aspects which has supported the film through its tale, but does still add the unnecessary side course of family bonding.

The meal does push away various characters from the starter, including sous chef Tony (Bobby Cannavale), boss Riva (Dustin Hoffman) and waitress Molly (Scarlett Johansson), but by keeping to a relatively small cast - mainly son Percy (Emjay Anthony) and co-chef Martin (a surprisingly enjoyable John Leguizamo) alongside the on-off presence of ex-wife Inez (Sofia Vergara) - it doesn't feel overstuffed with various ingredients. However, it does present the idea that Favreau cast Iron Man stars Robert Downey Jr and Scarlett Johansson just to bring out more appeal for the film, with the former co-cooks now going from strength to strength within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially with the two stars being prominent in the marketing of the product. A majority of characters are great to watch though, with a handful of them feeling a little pushed in delivery and brief characters leaving little lasting impact.

I'm not usually keen with films aimed primarily at comedy as they often feel like they are a late addition to the production and fail to grasp the slightest emotion outside of sheer boredom and disgust, so I'm pleasantly surprised by the dish Favreau has served up. It's slow to begin with, but as he comes to grasp the various social media platforms presented in the film - which is shown superbly through its editing and sound design but may easily date the film with future viewings - the comedy picks up too, particularly with the final two acts. Add the deliciously produced meals which would make any chef envious and some great direction to make even the highest budgeted movie makers green with jealousy (or food poisoning), it does succeed in rebooting Jon Favreau as an actor and a director.

Does the film have flaws? It is overcooked at 114 minutes, with various sequences being easy to remove from the mixture, and does feature the rather clichéd dynamic which can make any film mediocre. But outside of that, Chef is a four star establishment with a head worthy of praise. 8/10.

Chef comes out in the UK on 25th June and is currently out in America.