THE DUFF
Tomboy high-school senior Bianca (Mae Whitman) has a rude awakening when she learns that her classmates secretly know her as the DUFF, designated ugly fat friend, to her prettier and more popular friends. Desperate to reinvent herself, Bianca enlists the help of Wesley (Robbie Amell), a charming jock. In order to save her senior year from becoming a complete disaster, Bianca must find the confidence to overthrow a judgmental student (Bella Thorne) and revolutionize the school’s social order.
Surprisingly, this typical teen comedy is fairly decent, it has your run of the mill storyline but the writers have brought something a little fresh to the table. It manages to avoid all those teen cliché moments and is pretty entertaining with many laugh out loud scenes. It’s pretty smart and doesn’t feel dated. You may be pleasantly surprised.
See If You Liked: Mean Girls, Easy A
LOST RIVER
In the virtually abandoned city of Lost River, Billy (Christina Hendricks), a single mother of two, is led into a macabre underworld in her quest to save her childhood home and hold her family together. Her teenage son Bones (Iain De Casestecker) discovers a mystery about the origins of Lost River that triggers his curiosity and sets into motion an unexpected journey that will test his limits and the limits of those he loves.
Ryan Gosling, makes his writing and directorial debut with this film. What he wanted to achieve was to make an “art” film and he has certainly succeeded on that front. It’s plain to see he has been heavily influenced by past directors he has worked with. Unfortunate for the audience, it’s a bit too pretentious, confusing and you will have no idea what the hell you’re watching.
See If You Liked: Drive, The Place Beyond The Pines
PAUL BLART MALL COP 2
Paul Blart aka Kevin James is back in the sequel Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 This time we see Paul, the security guard, head to Las Vegas to attend a Security Guard Expo with his teenage daughter Maya (Raini Rodriguez) before she departs for college. While at the convention, he inadvertently discovers a heist – and it’s up to Blart to apprehend the criminals.
If you’ve seen the first instalment of this film then you know what to expect, the formula works for Kevin James and the film studio so why change it right? Kevin James plays idiotic and hapless well and you’ll certainly find yourself laughing out loud throughout the whole film. One to watch if you just fancy switching off the brain and having a good old chuckle.
See if you liked: Here Comes The Boom, Paul Blart Mall Cop
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2
When Lou finds himself in trouble, Nick and Jacob fire up the hot tub time machine in an attempt to get back to the past. But they inadvertently land in the future with Adam Jr. Now they have to alter the future in order to save the past – which is really the present.
John Cusack is notable missing from this sequel, we’re hoping he read the script and said “HELL NO” Yes there are a few laughable moments but you’ll find yourself questioning whether is it because the film is funny or just because it’s so awful. Scenes are badly chopped up and thrown together, its crass and misogynistic least not to say homophobic. We just hope someone shoots the writers in the balls before they attempt a third film.
See If You Liked: This Is The End, Hot Tub Time Machine
WOMAN IN GOLD
Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), an elderly Jewish survivor of World War II, sues the Austrian government for the return of artwork the Nazis stole from her family with the aid of young man, Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) who helps her obtain justice.
With such strong leads in Mirren and Reynolds, who without question have an abundance of chemistry between them on screen, you should expect a highly enjoyable drama. It’s a compelling true story but have to say the storyline just lacks that little bit of energy in order for your concentration not to wonder off.
See If You Liked: The Reader, Monuments Men
JOHN WICK
Legendary assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) retired from his violent career after marrying the love of his life. Her sudden death leaves John in deep mourning. When sadistic mobster Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) and his thugs steal John’s prized car and kill the puppy that was a last gift from his wife, John unleashes the remorseless killing machine within and seeks vengeance. Meanwhile, Iosef’s father (Michael Nyqvist), John’s former colleague, puts a huge bounty on John’s head.
Who’d have thought Keanu Reeves best films are those were he plays a badass, lean mean killing machine? The plot may be a bit predictable like most action films but it’s certainly full of charisma. Loaded with tons of tension, great violent action pieces and thankfully lots of laughs to keep you entertained.
See If You Liked: The November Man, 47 Ronin
OUR PICK OF THE WEEK: JOHN WICK