Turkeys are coming off the menu... Scott Gentry reviews "Free Birds", a tacky animated film from the director of "Jonah Hex".

"Free Birds" (U)
Director: Jimmy Hayward.
Starring (voices only):  Woody Harrelson, Owen Wilson, Dan Fogler, and George Takei.
Rated: U for containing mild threat, slapstick and infrequent very mild language.
Running time: 91 minutes.
Out now in UK cinemas.

Thanksgiving. It's the time of year that Turkeys fear the most. For Reggie (Owen Wilson) however, he doesn't seem to fear it as much as all the other turkeys. When accidentally separated from his flock, Reggie is forced into teaming up with Jake (Woody Harrelson) and accidentally travels back in time, to change the thanksgiving menu forever. 

What begins as a fairly entertaining family comedy, "Free Birds" quickly becomes a one-way ticket into boredom. The plot is over-complicated and confusing at times, which just made me frustrated. 

The film's animation isn't the problem here, but the script is. Making hardly any sense at all (its fine taking turkeys off the Thanksgiving menu, what about the Christmas menu?) the film's best jokes are wasted in the opening scene, leaving hardly anything entertaining for the last two-thirds. 


Jimmy Hayward's previous films are quite a mixed bunch; however "Horton Hear's A Who" was surprisingly good and proved that Hayward is able to direct; but "Jonah Hex" was a set-back and opened to terrible reviews from critics.


Verdict

"Free Birds" is a particularly soulless animation which may entertain the less 'aware' of children, but could just send parents over the edge. To liken this to "Chicken Run" would be criminal.

2 stars out of 10.

Written by Scott Gentry.

Film Rating Key

1-2 stars out of ten = Awful.

3-4 stars out of ten = Average.

5-6 stars out of ten = Good.

7-8 stars out of ten = Excellent.

9-10 stars out of ten = Amazing.

Danny, not so dire... Scott Gentry reviews "Vendetta", starring Danny Dyer.

"Vendetta" (18)
Director: Stephen Reynolds.
Starring: Danny Dyer, Roxanne McKee, Vincent Regan and Alistair Petrie. 
Rated: 18, for containing strong sadistic violence and gore.
Running time: 106 minutes.
Out now in UK cinemas.


After returning home from a tour in Afghanistan, Jimmy Vickers (Danny Dyer) arrives in London to discover that his parents have been brutally murdered. After hearing this, he decides to unleash his revenge upon the (unsuspecting) criminals responsible; with graphic results.

For a low budget British film, "Vendetta" tries extremely hard to become a British answer to "Death Wish"; but fails in the long run. However, it is an admirable achievement. 

Despite having a budget of £100,000, the film looks and feels extremely professional; with cinematographer Haider Zafar adding quite a polished look to the film. 

The film is obviously (partly) tongue-in cheek, delivering funny one-liners from time to time. It's simply a film that you cannot take seriously.

He's not my favourite actor by far, but Danny Dyer acts considerably well; delivering numerous scenes of gripping on-screen presence. The supporting cast are also quite enjoyable to watch, with Alistair Petrie ("Cloud Atlas") providing an often-comedic approach to his character, Spencer Holland.

Verdict

Partly serious and to some degree quite witty, "Vendetta" has been made noticeably well. It's no "Death Wish" and I wouldn't particularly want to watch it again, but for what it's worth; it's an entertaining piece.

5 stars out of 10

Written by Scott Gentry.

Film Rating Key

1-2 stars out of ten = Awful.

3-4 stars out of ten = Average.

5-6 stars out of ten = Good.

7-8 stars out of ten = Excellent.

9-10 stars out of ten = Amazing.

The Mafia are less intimidating than I remember... Scott Gentry reviews "The Family" starring Robert De Niro.

"The Family" (15)
Director: Luc Besson.
Starring: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianna Agron, John D'Leo and Tommy Lee Jones.
Rated: 15 for containing, strong violence, strong language and sex. 
Running time: 111 minutes.
Out now in UK cinemas.

After betraying their friends in the Mafia, the Manzoni family (De Niro, Pfeiffer, Agron and D'Leo) are forced to re-locate to France, under a witness protection program; led by CIA agent Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones). However, it's not long before the family revert to their old habits and threaten their cover.

I honestly wanted to enjoy "The Family" to a certain degree, but it was impossible. Labelled as a black-comedy, "The Family" runs exceedingly thin on jokes and action. The whole cast (albeit a popular one) play their roles frustratingly, delivering terrible performances throughout the entire film. De Niro's acting is atrocious and instead of trying to re-brand himself, he continues to play the same character from the "Meet The Parents" series.

Is there a highlight? If I'm going to be generous, then it would be the scene in which Robert De Niro actually watches "Goodfellas" when attending a local film club.

If you think that's bad, well it only gets worse.

Verdict

As action/comedies go, it's abominable. There is no silver lining to this particular film, which so desperately wants to be something it isn't. My advice? Watch "Goodfellas". 

1 star out of 10.

Written by Scott Gentry.

A lot more Dystopia, a lot less Teen Fiction: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

(Sorry about the disproportionate amount of colons in the title)

Written by Jon Petre

Well well well, here we are again. Visiting the 2010's favorite Dystopian Science Fiction Movie series. It's been an interesting ride, Katniss.

When I first saw The Hunger Games, I was entertained. I liked the movie, and my friend told me that the books were good as well. However when I looked back at it I thought that, in actuality, the movie was quite bland; the Dystopian Autocracy Oppressive Technocracy seemed superfluous and secondary to the love triangle of Katniss and co.  

Now I see how wrong I was.

Without a doubt, Catching Fire was much better than Hunger Games. There was a lot more emphasis on the giant death government, and a greater sense of meaning to the whole film. In fact, the actual 75th Hunger Games doesn't even start until about halfway through the film (it's actually the 3rd Quarter Quell, but never mind *flicks hair affectionately*); before that it's all Dystopia and Revolutions.

I love Dystopia and Revolutions.

I actually felt affection for some of the characters! Which is interesting--often in movies, do you find that you really don't care about the characters?--well this time, I guarantee you'll go "pwahhh" (this is the sound of someone sucking air in through their teeth) at a painful scene. 

But now, I have to follow my tradition of giving you the setup.

One year on from their "victory" at the 74th Hunger Games, life is marginally better for Katniss and her family. They live in the Victor Village of District 12, but Peeta and Katniss have become estranged. Things are getting serious though; remember at the end of the first movie when Katniss raised her hand up and sort of ate the berries? Well, people are seriously misconstruing this--a revolution is brewing.

The Captiol's getting a tight collar, and with the Quarter Quell coming up (every 25 years, they hold a special massive Hunger Games that reaps its tributes from former victors; everyone in the Games has won before) things are about to go down.

I can't say a lot more without spoiling things; just go and see it. I promise you'll most likely enjoy it. My only problem came from the extreme length (like, three hours or so?) and the fact that Jennifer Lawrence was fairly placid as Katniss--slightly reminiscent of Kristen Stewart; I sincerely hope I'm wrong--but oh well. It worked quite well. 

All in all, I'd say four stars out of five. ( 4/5)

 

Who knew such a small horror film, could create such a long lasting effect? Scott Gentry reviews "In Fear", a new British horror, from first-time director Jeremy Lovering.

"In Fear" (15)
Director: Jeremy Lovering.
Starring: Alice Englert, Iain De Caestecker and Allen Leech.
Rated: 15, for containing strong violence, threat and language.
Running time: 85 minutes.
Out now in UK cinemas.

Two weeks after their first meeting, a couple, Tom and Lucy, decide to attend a music festival; all the way in Ireland. Whilst on their way to spend a night in a hotel, the couple soon find themselves lost in a maze of country roads. Before long, panic sets in and the possibilities of them being followed by someone or something, become ever more realised. 

British horror films have certainly grown in popularity over the past ten years. With fantastic examples like "Kill List" (2011) and "Eden Lake" (2008), Britain has proved it's capabilities for making decent horror films; has not been lost. 

However, "In Fear" is nothing quite like anything we've seen before. Filmed on a considerably lower budget (compared to "The Descent"), "In Fear" still creates fear, shock and the ability to entertain, without spending large amounts of money. 

Saying that, the film only offers a few new elements to the already crowded genre. This is simply unfortunate, but what the film lacks in large set pieces and a huge cast, is made up for in the tension and frighteningly shot close-ups. 

The main cast (who are on-screen nearly all of the time) develop their characters remarkably well, delivering a style which constantly keeps the audience hooked onto their every move. The stand out performance is from Englert, who has not starred in many films, but adapts her character; to suit the scene fantastically well. 

The soundtrack keeps the edginess as tight as a drum and helps to evolve the quieter scenes, into some particularly tension-filled moments, between the main leads. 

Verdict

The first two acts entertain perfectly well, but it's unfortunate that the last third of the film, partly loses it's momentum. Despite this, "In Fear" delivers everything it promised, dark and spooky shocks; for a small price. 

6.9 stars out of 10

Written by Scott Gentry.

Film Rating Key

1-2 stars out of ten = Awful.

3-4 stars out of ten = Average.

5-6 stars out of ten = Good.

7-8 stars out of ten = Excellent.

9-10 stars out of ten = Amazing.

Sci-Fi at it's best. Scott Gentry reviews the near perfect, "Gravity".

"Gravity" (12A)
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney and the voice of Ed Harris.
Rated: 12A, for containing sustained moderate threat, disturbing images and strong language.
Running Time: 91 minutes.
Out now, in UK cinemas.

After an accident in space, two members of the space shuttle named "Explorer" must fight for survival after they are left adrift, without any means of communication.

Space, is this really the final frontier? After viewing "Gravity", I'm sure that you will be able to agree, that it isn't. 

After waiting more than five years for "Gravity" to finally become a reality, it is safe to say that it is probably the most ambitious Sci-Fi film ever made. From the way it is shot, right down to the effects, "Gravity" is just a technical masterpiece. 

However, it's one small problem is it's dialogue. The script (written by Alfonso Cuarón and his son Jonás) is slightly less intelligent than it should be. Despite that, the main leads of Sandra Bullock and George Clooney perform brilliantly in roles which keep the viewer captivated on what is happening on the screen.

 It seems that Cuarón has pushed his acting leads to new heights, delivering a performance from Bullock (which reminds me of the character Ellen Ripley from the "Alien" franchise) who performs tremendously well, in what is possibly the most well-acted role of her career. From here on out, the less said about her "Miss Congeniality" days, the better. 
George Clooney is also on admirable form, bringing some much needed comic-effect to the film's dark tones in his classic style. 

The soundtrack is also something to be appreciated, as it sets the right tones for the film in many different ways. It also sounds different compared to music written for similar blockbusters, as it uses singular instruments for each sound to be electronically processed and mixed, which creates an effect which lingers. 

Personally, I surmise that the film is meant to be cliché. From the offset, there are constant nods to the disaster film; one being (a line which Clooney says) "Houston, I have a bad feeling about this". Despite being partly cliché, it honestly doesn't matter, as "Gravity" delivers a fantastic blockbuster on an epic scale. 

Despite enjoying the film to a large degree, it seems that other people inside the screening (which I attended), did not feel the same way as myself and decided that it bored them. Whilst leaving the film I heard one response which declared that "the film was boring and there wasn't much action to keep me entertained". It seems as though we were watching a completely different film. People forget that "Gravity" isn't about the performances, the CGI or script; it's about the triumph over adversity. 

Verdict

To continue writing about "Gravity" might spoil the film, or bore you (preferably spoil). Nevertheless, I will say that "Gravity" is an extraordinary achievement in filmmaking and I guarantee you will enjoy it. If you don't? Well, I dislike you very, very much.

9 stars out of 10. 

Written by Scott Gentry.

Film Rating Key

1-2 stars out of ten = Awful.

3-4 stars out of ten = Average.

5-6 stars out of ten = Good.

7-8 stars out of ten = Excellent.

9-10 stars out of ten = Amazing.

The first official "Death Walks" trailer has finally arrived...

Hello readers! Over the past three months, you may have learned that I've been working on a (zero-budget) horror film called "Death Walks". If you didn't know, you do now! 

Yes, it's It's been a complete blast; and finally all that hard work has delivered an exciting debut trailer. I can't give away important plot points, but what I can tell you is that it will contain language, guts and gore.


If you don't particularly like the aforementioned subjects, you might as well stop reading now. There will be no solace for people who find horror disturbing! 

Anyway, click on the link below my name, to watch the trailer. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I loved contributing towards it.

"Death Walks" will hopefully be released in May, 2014.


Many thanks,

Scott Gentry.

Watch the "Death Walks" Trailer, right here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiAaEh5Kg2A&feature=youtu.be&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DWiAaEh5Kg2A%26feature%3Dyoutu.be&app=desktop


Support the Death Walks Facebook Page!
 https://www.facebook.com/DeathWalksMovie


For more information, read my previous article regarding "Death Walks" right here - 

 http://utopiareviews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/a-shopping-mall-zombies-and-lot-of.html