TAKEN 3
Ex-covert operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) and his ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen), are back together trying to patch up there problems when Lenore is brutally murdered. Bryan is framed for the crime and goes on the run, with the CIA, FBI and police all in hot pursuit. For the very last time, he channels his rage and particular set of skills into hunting down Lenore’s real killers, taking his revenge and protecting the one important thing left in his life: his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace).
This film is just another poor outing from the film industry where the onus is purely on just milking the franchise for all it’s worth than any worthwhile creativity. OK there may be an actual storyline with a few twists but if you’ve seen the first 2 films you should be ok with missing this instalment, even the amount of violence is a complete let down. It’s just a completely mind numbing mis-fire with a few nice scenes.
See If You Liked: Taken and Taken 2
FOXCATCHER
When wealthy John du Pont (Steve Carell) invites Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) to move to his estate and help form a wrestling team for the 1988 Olympics, Mark sees a way to step out of the shadow of his charismatic brother, Dave (Mark Ruffalo). However, du Pont begins to lead Mark down a dark road, causing the athlete’s self-esteem to slip. Meanwhile, du Pont becomes fixated on bringing Dave into the fold, eventually propelling all three toward an unforeseen tragedy.
Foxcatcher is a dark and disturbing biographical drama which takes hold of you, sucks you in and won’t let you go. Performances from the cast are worthy of any award nominations and you’re bound to see the likes of Tatum and Carell in a completely different light, this is certainly not what you would expect to see from these 2 actors. It’s totally refreshing to see the actual brutality and how power and wealth coming from the American dream can really affect those trying to achieve it.
See if you liked: Capote, Moneyball
INTO THE WOODS
“Into the Woods” is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. Following the classic tales of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy)—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife (James Corden & Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep) who has put a curse on them.
Into The Woods is a dark family film full of humour, musical numbers and a cast full of big names such as Streep, Chris Pine, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emily Blunt, James Corden and the delectable Johnny Depp. The one thing we can count on is the outstanding performances from these guys. Unfortunately you can’t help thinking the whole storyline has been thrown together in a blender and then splashed out onto the screen for the actors to do the best they can. It lacks any real dramatic impact. However, there is still just enough charm to leave a small smile on your face.
See if you liked: Maleficent, The Brothers Grimm
PICK OF THE WEEK: FOXCATCHER
