Ant-Man - Film Review

After quite a few Superhero films coming out over the last ten years there is the notion of seen it all before - how many times can lasers blast someone, a hero soars through the air, a bad guy being thrown through a wall?

There is a chance the genre could become fatigued but Ant-Man brings us a fresh approach with a tiny reluctant ant sized superhero who speaks to ants and has an healthy dash of comedy instead of glummy angst.

It starts with Michael Douglas as original Ant-Man Hank Pym leaving SHIELD as he is unwilling to share his Pym formula. 

Skip forward to present day and jailbird Scott Lang brilliantly played by Paul Rudd trying to go straight to see his daughter.   One last job has him breaking into Hank Pyms safe which sees him stealing the Ant-Man suit.  Hank thinks he's perfect to break into his old company and steal a new suit the Yellow Jacket which bad guy Darren Cross played by Corey Stoll has developed for war.

With the help of three friends which are failed gangsta wannabes and provide most of the comedy plus training from Hank and his daughter Hope played by the gorgeous Evangeline Lilly from Lost and thousands of tiny controlled ants they set out to steal the day.

The effects when Ant-Man goes small are fantastic and I now wish I had watched it in 3D.  With quips and humour plus nods to the rest of the Marvel universe including a cameo from Falcon and a mention of Spiderman this was a refreshing change.

Overall  - Ant-Man brings fun back to the small guys    9/10

Terminator - Genisys - Movie Review

Went to see the Fifth Terminator film in the series and have to say it's my favourite so far.
They have tried to soft reboot the franchise to freshen it up by changing the time line and  - SPOILERS - making the saviour of the human race John Connor the main bad!
How you may ask? Well you'll need to watch the film but it mostly makes sense.

The film embodies all the previous films from Terminator Salvations future apocalyptic siege of Sky net which has the John Connor we are familiar with sending Kyle Reece back to 1984 to save his Mom Sarah Connor played beautifully by the sexy Emilia Clarke (of GOT fame).

So far so familiar as when Kyle is sent back as per the original Terminator movie most shots are shot the same - at first it's like watching the first film.
Then it takes a strange twist with a cop who tries to kill Kyle turns out to be the shape shifting T1000.
Kyle is saved by Sarah Connor who is already a warrior woman as she has been trained by an old version of the Arnold Schwarznegger T800 Terminator who was sent even further down the timeline to save Sarah as a girl.  She affectionately calls him Pop.

A highlight of the film is seeing Pops Terminator take out the younger version who shows up in the first film.
It's all a bit timey wimey as Matt Smiths Doctor Who would say - interestingly enough Matt or as the credits call him Matthew Smith shows up as the embodiment of Skynet and attacks John Connor as he sends Kyle back affecting timeline and turning John into a new type of Terminator.  It's as Kyle travels back he has a new memory of his boy self saying Genisys is Skynet.

So in 1984 once Sarah, Kyle and Pops takes out the T1000 they use a time machine Pops has been making to hop forward to 2017. Pops has to take the long route and his human skin ages him naturally.

Anyway it's all great fun with excellent special effects and changes the timeline totally which gives it a fresh spin.  All the actors are good in the film even Arnie who can be hit and miss.

It also leaves loads of unanswered questions -
When did Skynet send the T1000 to the seventies to kill young Sarah and who sent Pops to save her?

What will happen to John Connor as he is not conceived anymore in 1984?

Have Emilia Clarke and Lena Headey - who are both in GOT and both now played Sarah Connor - Emilia here and Lena in Sarah Connor Chronicles had a fight to see who's the best?

Hopefully these questions and more will be answered in the next film.

Overall  -  A great refreshing take and new direction for the Terminator franchise - go see it.        Score   9/10

July Update

Howdy folks


Well been a while since I blogged but will be doing more posts soon including a review of the Excellent Terminator - Genisys.

I will also continue reviewing the excellent Cleckheaton Literary Festival which took place back in May - seems ages ago although nearly finished reviewing the events I attended,.

Also I need to catch up doing July's Camp Nano which I am 6/7 days behind so need to step up with that to hit at least 35,000 words by end of July.

Sadly I've been put back by the death of my pet gerbil Sam - his brother Frodo cuts a lonely figure.

Anyway onwards and upwards..........

P.s. will also finish reading Wizards First Rule - lol