The Martian – the red planet in all its entertaining glory

Ridley Scott may be playing it safe with The Martian but that might not be a bad thing. After an erratic array of films over the past decade he appears to be sitting back and not trying too hard to say too much and instead just making good old fashioned popcorn entertainment. It’s all surface, and in no way an Oscar contender but The Martian is as entertaining as cinema gets.

In the near future man is finally on Mars, just about. This isn’t Star Trek with warp speed it’s still a hell of a long journey to get there with technology that’s always at risk of breaking. After a storm hits them unexpectedly, the Ares III manned mission, led by Commander Lewis (Jessica Chastain) makes an early departure from the planet. Unfortunately botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) has been struck by debris and presumed dead by Commander Lewis, reluctant to search for his body given the risks involved to her crew. As they set off on their home voyage the injured but very alive Wateny embarks on a mission to keep himself fed and heated until help can be sent to rescue him.

It is Gravity mixed with 127 Hours, but without the in depth psychology of either, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The film keeps moving and its insistence on not dwelling on things like weight loss or family are a reflection of Damon’s Watney, a man who pushes himself into a fix and move on routine in order to keep sane and get home. Dwelling just isn’t in his nature. After the clunky dialogue in Gravity where characters explain their own backstory in space it’s refreshing that this is barely a factor in The Martian. Again it reflects on the attitude of Watney and even if it means we don’t care for him as much as we could it keeps the film moving and never bogged down by a man looking at himself in the mirror and crying for five minutes.

Issues arise back in Earth, where the rescue teams at NASA and further afield are fleshed out even if they have little to do. Sean Bean and Donald Glover are perfectly fine as a mission director and astronomer respectively, but do they both need to be in the film? Surely their minor additions to the plot could have been given to someone else and kept the film ten minutes shorter. It’s excess without addition but fortunately we’re never there too long and the excellent Benedict Wong as a spacecraft designer is one of the films highlights.

As for the crew floating back to Earth in the middle of all this, they get their five minutes of fame but not much else, which again is fine it means the film never slows down as we go from Mars to Earth to space.

A perfectly entertaining piece of cinema, worth seeing it on a big screen for all the glory of Mars. Fun and exciting, you can’t go wrong with The Martian.

4 out of 5

Inside Out – Indie Pixar absolutely brilliant

It’s a miracle this got made. Barely a sellable figure in sight and a plot that for the most part will probably go over a lot of young children’s heads, but yet it somehow got made with the help of none other than the kings of marketing Disney. Luckily it did, as Inside Out is Pixar paving a new path for themselves and showing that not only are they masters of animation but also of storytelling. And it made a hell of a lot of money since its release so Disney can rest easy.

Taking place almost entirely inside the head of young girl Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) we see her very own ‘headquarters’ where all her emotions take form and work alongside each other in the busy office of her mind. Joy (Amy Poehler) likes to take charge and ensure Riley always wears a smile and reacts positively, but lately she’s been growing increasingly frustrated with sadness (Phyllis Smith) who can’t keep her curiosity at bay and accidentally turns Riley’s happy memories into sad ones. When cataloguing ‘core’ memories Joy and Sadness accidentally get sucked out of Riley’s ‘headquarters’ and find themselves on a journey through her memory banks to return home, as until then Riley is without their emotions.

There’s a lot going on in the concept, and one could spend hours explaining but Pixar as always manage to make it coherent and accessible to those that pay attention. To say anymore would be to ruin the plot as the plot is in the themes and how they unfold, its brilliant storytelling from a brilliant team.

All the voice work is great, particularly Smith as sadness who has found a role she was born for. The animation is a bit more limited than other Pixar outings due to the story and setting, it sometimes feels like Pixar have gone indie, but as always it looks amazing and it’s refreshing to not spend as long on the visuals as most animated outings and just roll on with the brilliant plot.

Lots of fun and made with an artistic quality animation deserves. Go see.

4 out of 5

Song of the Sea – Bravo by Cartoon Saloon

Part animation part art, Song of the Sea is one of the nicest thing’s you’ll ever look at. Kilkenny based Cartoon Saloon follow up 2009’s The Secret of Kells with a film that is every bit as well drawn and beautiful along with brilliant use of sound and music. Films like this don’t come into existence too often, especially in today’s market of now dull 3D animation, so go see and savour.

Growing up in a lighthouse on a small island off the coast of Ireland, Ben (David Rawle) has never been too kind to his sister Saoirse after her birth led to the death of his mother Bronagh (Lisa Hannigan). When an incident leads to their granny taking them to live in the city, Ben soon discovers Saoirse’s magical secret and embarks on a journey to return her to their home.

Full of folklore and fairy-tale every frame of Song of the Sea is smothered in magic. The beautiful drawings realise a story of witches and wonder with memorable sequences made all the stronger by the art supporting it.

The work of director Tomm Moore and his team will have enough amazement for both young and old in a story that is timeless and full of humour. Taking a leaf from Pixar’s UP, Moore makes a mature story that children will enjoy without dumbing it down for their sake.

The pace falls a bit in the middle but for the most part this is as enjoyable as cinema gets. Go to the cinema, sit back and let your eyes enjoy some of the finest animation ever put on film.

4 out of 5

Mad Max: Fury Road – carnage and chaos from the man that brought us Babe

No back-story, no setup, just straight to the chase. Mad Max: Fury Road does not care how much you know of the wasteland Mel Gibson occupied in the 80s, nor does it care that given how Marvel has conditioned us we were expecting a ‘reboot’ with some origin story. Instead this refreshing film gets on with an already established universe and gives us some crackin’ action without wasting time on introductions.

In a future wasteland of desert where oil and water are scarce, Max (Tom Hardy) finds himself the prisoner of the War Boys, an army of tumor infested psychopaths led by King Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). When driver Furiosa (Charlize Theron) goes rogue and makes a break for freedom with the King’s wives, Max finds himself involved in a chase across endless desert pursued by any kind of off-road vehicle you can imagine and all kinds of weaponry.

I haven’t seen the originals, so a lot of this surprised me. George Miller creates a fairly ‘out there’ universe with Mad Max, full of painted mutants, crazy weapons and guitar playing soldiers. It’s as much sci-fi as it is action, and while the universe might be jarring at first, we quickly forget as we’re thrown straight into some brilliant action.

This film is all about the chase, from beginning to end the tension is constant. Miller excellently develops character during the action, keeping dialogue to a minimum. The landscape is a character, and how they react to it says something about them. Using the desert of Namibia as a canvas Miller paints the stage with his imagination, with never a dull moment.

There isn’t much of Hardy here, which is fine because Theron is on fine form, as is Nicholas Hoult as Nux, a War Boy turned good. It’s a team effort and Miller deserves as much praise for this as anyone and will hopefully see his franchise kicked off again.

The sci-fi might seem a bit dated, but this is a refreshing two hours at the cinema that gets on with the goods. There is some clunky dialogue and an over-reliance on scenes fading out instead of ending, but for the most part this is as good an action film as you’ll see this year.

4 out of 5

Ex Machina – as good as cinema gets

This is how sci-fi should be told. Forget Interstellar’s clumsy exposition; Alex Garland manages to talk smart without sounding incomprehensible or dumb. A talented writer with a huge imagination he takes it the next level with his directorial debut Ex Machina. It’s rarely we get excited by a new director; they’re usually weighed down by studio orders, but Garland somehow manages to convey a unique vision with the precision of David Fincher and will get film fans excited for what he does next.

Computer coder Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) wins a competition to spend a week with the CEO of Bluebook; the world’s most popular search engine and Caleb’s employer. Situated at the foot of a glacier in a picturesque valley, Caleb arrives at the mansion of the isolated billionaire Nathan (Oscar Isaac). What was expected to be a week of fun and frolics isn’t what it seems though, when Caleb is made sign a secrecy agreement and educated in the security measures of the underground research bunker he’ll be working in. Nathan wants Caleb to test a fully functional robot called Ava (Alice Vikander) through a series of conversations to determine if she is advanced enough to pass the ‘Turing Test’ and convince the world she has feelings.

I’ve always struggled with films where humans feel for robots, as at the end of the day they have no consciousness. I went into Ex Machina wary of the same flaw but luckily it all has intention and Garland delivers a film that never insults. It looks beautiful; even at its most claustrophobic, Garland shows excellent skill in each shot and edit. He knows his visuals and manages them magnificently along with a fantastic score.

As always Domhnall Gleeson delivers more proof he’s one of the best actors working today. Isaac is fantastic too as the misleading genius manipulating both man and machine. The real star is Vikander though. It’s a tough role playing a half-built machine but she does an excellent job winning the audience’s support. Every facial expression no matter how small is being scrutinised at all times but she delivers a memorable role that both chills and charms. How Garland scripts and directs Ava is a thing of complex genius.

With sci-fi there is always plot holes, luckily they’re at an absolute minimum here. A small film but with big ideas. Garland is going to go on to do great things in cinema.

4 out of 5

Gone Girl – dem pesky women

I’ll never trust women again. Gone Girl twists the knife into the viewer’s expectations and leaves them feeling part of an indulgently sadistic ritual that they guiltily enjoyed. It’s full of greatness, and although flawed, is as much fun as one can have in the cinema.

In a sleepy Missouri town Nick (Ben Affleck) arrives home to find his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) missing and signs of a struggle. Although lacking a body the police, public and media come to suspect Nick of murder. Amidst a circus of celebrity and motives, Amy’s diary reveals the history of her and Nicks troubled marriage. That’s all you need to know. To say anymore would only spoil the delight.

Adapted from Gillian Flynn’s novel by the author herself, and with David Fincher directing, great things were always expected from Gone Girl. Luckily it delivers, with Affleck and Pike brilliant in their roles. Again to say any more about why they are brilliant would ruin the surprise, but both rise to the occasion delivering deliciously dark performances that are a joy to watch. As always Fincher is on top form, with his usual accomplice Trent Reznor blending the perfect music to the scenes. Fincher makes what is very difficult look easy; he truly is a director on top form at the moment.

It does get a bit too ridiculous at times, with Neil Patrick Harris a bit of a misfire as an over the top rich but pathetic pawn, and some of the dialogue, particularly in the scenes where Nick and Amy first meet, feels as cringe-worthy as a Cecilia Ahern novel. They are small flaws though in what is otherwise a great film.

Great fun to watch and great fun to talk about after. A rare gift of a film that everyone should enjoy.

4 out of 5

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – excellent sequel

It’s not often a summer blockbuster manages to make a lot of money while still keeping its intelligence. Luckily the latest Planet of the Apes franchise has managed to do just that. After 2011’s Rise, Dawn picks up the story and continues the high standards of its predecessor, with a massive improvement on the human characters. The apes still steal the show, and it’s far from perfect with several contrived plot points, but this is still as entertaining as a summer film gets and is never an insult to the audience like so many similar affairs.

Ten years after the outbreak of a deadly virus, mankind is down to a handful of survivors living in a desolate environment. In contrast the now intelligent apes have thrived and created a peaceful community under the rule of Caesar (Andy Serkis; again excellent in motion capture). When a dam is discovered at the ape’s home that could restore electricity to a desperate commune of humans, Malcolm (Jason Clarke) reaches out to Caesar to allow them access. Caesar accepts, trusting the humans, but ally Koba who experienced first-hand the evil of man in a lab, is less trusting and desperate for revenge.

Again the motion capture is seamless, with the apes looking, moving and feeling real. The interaction between CGI characters and real actors always convinces. New director Matt Reeves captures the world perfectly, with the slowly increasing intelligence of the apes reflected in their home, and giving each ape distinctive characteristics. The film is at its best when we’re in the ape’s community, observing their evolving way of life. When it switches to the humans in a rundown San Francisco it suffers a bit, with contrivances and typical predictable set-pieces. Luckily the apes are never far off and the drama between them is excellent, with a coo carefully built and executed preying on the apes fear of humans and their misuse of technology. Clarke is a welcome replacement for the terrible James Franco in Rise, giving Serkis a real character with motives to play against. Him and Caesar share some great moments that the predecessor lacked.

The dam plot is terribly contrived and unlikely, the second half develops a bit too fast, and it leaves the series pretty much right where the last one did, but this is still excellent cinema as enthralling and entertaining as it gets. Apes and humans have never been so tense and charged, go see.

4 out of 5

The Grand Budapest Hotel – both Anderson’s most colourful yet bleakest

Opening with a narrative within a narrative within a narrative, then becoming as straight-forward as storytelling can go, The Grand Budapest Hotel merely takes us from A to B, but luckily for us writer and director Wes Anderson takes time to detour to C as much as possible. Story-wise there’s not a lot going on here, with what weak threads there are merely existing to bring us from one elaborate moment to another, occupied by inspired characters and impeccably detailed sets, but as always with Anderson any trip to his world is a pure joy.

1932 in the fictional Eastern European country of Zubrowka, Gustave (Ralph Feinnes) is the concierge of The Grand Budapest Hotel, situated high in the mountains surrounded by snow, and occupied by the wealthy and elite. Gustave provides the best customer service possible to his guests, including an affectionate affair with the elderly Madame D (Tilda Swinton). When Madame D dies suspiciously and bequeaths Gustave a priceless painting, her family are outraged and have him locked up for her murder. With the help of new lobby boy Zero (Tony Revolori) and his young love Agatha (Saoirse Ronan) Guatave plans his escape and seeks justice.

As always with Anderson, every frame is filled with detail, every colour carefully selected, and every actor a massive star. The director never fails to impress with his cast and as always the usual players, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody are all fantastic, but the real star is a fantastic turn from Ralph Feinnes as Gustave, a man bursting with civility and wit belonging to another world. It’s great to see the actor having such fun and hopefully we can expect more projects with him and Anderson.

Although as cartoonish as ever, this is also Anderson’s most violent with several unexpected moments of bloodshed, unusual in his work. It’s also his bleakest, with moments of joy grounded by realities of the time. It’s a testament to the directors skills that he can weave such dark moments into his frantic tapestry of imagination without any erraticness.

If you don’t like Anderson this won’t change you, but for those of us who do this is another fantastic treat. Always a joy to be in your company Wes.

The Lego Movie – Joyful chaos

Opening with an obscure Jurassic Park reference that only the most dedicated of fans would get, I knew The Lego Movie was going to be a treat. Full of imagination, creation and plenty of humour that will keep adults entertained as much as kids, The Lego Movie is a rare breed. A blockbuster that aims to please everyone and succeeds.

Ordinary unexceptional citizen Emmett (Chris Pratt) is dedicated to being as good a citizen as possible to the seemingly harmless Lord Business, a sinister ruler intent on keeping all Lego world’s separate. When renegade WyldStyle (Elizabeth Banks) mistakes Emmett for a hero prophesied to save the world, he ends up on a crazy adventure encountering cowboys, spacemen, Abraham Lincoln and a very amusing Liam Neeson as BadCop/GoodCop.

It is literally a mess, as computer animation takes us from one Lego world to the next. Buildings explode and turn into spaceships. Submarines become a double-decker couch. It’s complete chaos, and all the better for it. This is a film full of imagination, that has both the script and design to be thrilling entertainment with a lot of big laughs. It is a Lego movie, and as such cannot take itself seriously, and luckily it doesn’t. Go see the choas and imagination and enjoy.

The ending is questionable, with a foray into the real world drilling the message a bit too much, and it’s hard to ignore that in a world increasingly lacking true art this is but a film to sell some Lego. Despite this though The Lego Movie is an absolute joy.

4 out of 5

Her – A beautifully designed sinister future

A love affair between a man and a body-less computer would just be stupid in anybody else’s hands but Spike Jonze. The director can take the silly and make it relevant and believable. With Her not only does he achieve the seemingly impossible of plausibly making a man fall in love with an OS, he also designs a near-future world with subtle hints of something sinister that if you blink you’ll miss. The world of Her is beautifully designed and acted, it might not be as involving as it should be, and there’s a major overuse of jump-cutting flashbacks, but it is definitely the work of a very skilled individual.

Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) writes emotional letters for those inept to no longer have the ability to do so, in a somewhat sterilised near-future. Listening to sad music and playing computer games, Theodore is pining for his ex Catherine (Rooney Mara) who wants a divorce. Stumbling across an interactive, and extremely useful OS; Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, Theodore begins to share in this relatively new technologies amazement of the world. Before long Samantha has developed its understanding of life and experiences feelings for Theodore, which he reciprocates. Unfortunately Samantha is body-less and overly curious, and free from time and body leading to a rapid development of her emotions.

Jonze designs a future full of soft finishes and elegant panelling. It seems comfortable and cosy, until you look closer. It’s a world where men and women dress the same, authority is strangely absent, and video game antics is acceptable drunken conversation when chatting up a woman. They’re simple touches, but Jonze really creates a world people live in, in which this story can take place. The story of Theodore and Samantha follows the usual love story trajectory, making the film often predictable, but due to Jonze’s imagination, never dull.

Another great addition to Jonze’s catalogue. One of the most unique and talented film-makers working today.

4 out of 5