TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION

The human race are left picking up the pieces after the conclusion of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” Autobots and Decepticons have all but vanished from the face of the planet. However, a group of powerful, ingenious businessman and scientists want to go that bit further to learn from past Transformer incursions and push the boundaries of technology beyond what they can control – all while an ancient, powerful Transformer menace sets Earth in his cross-hairs.

This is the fourth (yes fourth) movie in this franchise to hit our big screens, Seeing Mark Wahlberg in the lead role and a return to the director’s chair for Michael Bay and producer Steven Spielberg you can expect epic scenes of violence and special effects but is this enough? The storyline is poor, you’ve pretty much seen it all before, apart from Wahlberg and Stanley Tucci’s acting the rest of cast will pretty much leave your blood running cold. If you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all, I’m guessing it’ll do well at the box office though.

SEE IF YOU LIKED: The previous 3 Transformer films.

BEGIN AGAIN

Greta (Keira Knightley) and her long-time boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) are college sweethearts and song writing partners who decamp for New York when he lands a deal with a major label. But with his new-found fame the temptation put in his way leads Dave to stray, leaving Greta alone in a big strange city. Her world takes a turn for the better when Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a fallen record-label exec, stumbles upon her performing on an East Village stage and is immediately drawn into her sound and raw talent. From this chance encounter emerges an enchanting portrait of a mutually transformative collaboration, set to the soundtrack of a summer in New York City.

Brought to us by the Director and Writer of the film Once, John Carney unleashes yet another feel good, poetic and sincere film that is basically the same story just set in New York instead of Dublin. Expect a couple of surprises but unfortunately you will have to endure the wooden acting of one style Knightley but with a host of stars such as Ruffalo, James Corden, Mos Def, Adam Levine and Ceelo Green you won’t be short of a familiar face.

SEE IF YOU LIKED: Once, Crazy Heart

BOYHOOD

Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, this film is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (Ellar Coltrane), who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. This drama charts the rocky terrain of childhood like no other film has before. Snapshots of adolescence from road trips and family dinners to birthdays and graduations and all the moments in between become uplifting set to a soundtrack spanning the years from Coldplay’s Yellow to Arcade Fire’s Deep Blue. The film is both a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past and an ode to growing up and parenting. It’s impossible not to watch Mason and his family without thinking about our own journey.

This film is truly different in its making and quite an inspirational idea from the makers, starring not only Ellar Coltrane but Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke making this a tender, heartfelt, wise and funny masterpiece of modern day cinema.

SEE IF YOU LIKED: Carnage, The Perks of Being A Wallflower

MY PICK OF THE WEEK: BOYHOOD