Review: The BFG (2016)

Steven Spielberg is an icon of cinema. Pretty much my favourite director for a long long time, he has delivered some remarkably varied films.

Here Spielberg draws on his immense talent to bring to life a classic children's story. Admittedly, I don't think I have ever read the story, but I do know of it.

The BFG is the 'Big Friendly Giant', played brilliantly by Mark Rylance using motion capture. He is discovered by Sophie, an orphan that likes to wander during the night in the orphanage she stays in. Sophie is played by newcomer Ruby Barnhill.

The film is a very family friendly fantasy adventure. I have no idea how close it is to the structure of the book, but it is a beautifully realised adaptation. I wish I could say it is a great film though, but unfortunately it is not. The actual story and progression of it is missing a bit in the first half. I felt like it was almost going nowhere until the plot takes a turn about mid way. From then on, it shifts a gear and becomes more enjoyable. The pairing of Rylance with a great debut by Barnhill, and the direction from a man that definitely knows what he is doing in this genre provides an overall magical film going experience.

3.5/5

Review: Me Before You (2016)

Cliched, cheesy, soppy - and I loved it. Emilia Clarke is amazing in this film.

Sam Claflin plays Will Traynor, young rich playboy type that is involved in a tragic accident - one that leaves the once adventurous man a quadriplegic. Clarke plays Louisa Clark, a small town girl struggling to get a job. Their paths cross when Louisa is hired to look after Will at his family mansion.

What makes the film work is the pairing of Clarke and Claflin, and in particular, the beautiful performance by Clarke. She is as unlike Daenerys Targaryen as you could possibly get. The chemistry between the two and the thoroughly engaging story just makes this film a joy to watch. As I mentioned, it is cliched and cheesy, but damn it delivers that shot of love to your heart.

4/5

Review: Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

20 years later, we get a long awaited sequel to what was a massive blockbuster of the mid 90s. Independence Day absolutely blew audiences away with a level of destruction not really seen before then. It was cheesy and fun, but really, it was about spectacle. I recently revisited the film, and although the scale of destruction is still quite cool, the overall film is not as exciting as I remember it to be when I was 16.

Resurgence picks up 20 years later, with the people of Earth now living more harmoniously with each other. Sharing knowledge and existing as one people. They've used the technology that the aliens brought with them in 1996 to fuel their own needs for advancement in day to day life and of course, protection from future invasions.

Jeff Goldblum makes a welcome return as well as some other members of the original cast. It is nice to see these old characters return, but it was a shame not seeing Will Smith come back for more. Liam Hemsworth leads the newer cast members, accompanied by Jessie T Usher and Maika Monroe.

Well, so was the 20 year wait worth it? Sort of. I wish I could be more definitive. I enjoyed seeing the continuation of the story with some new ground covered, but, it just wasn't really enough. The impact that ID had in 1996 is not going to be felt here. The story is fine, it is just not executed in a way that really makes you care. The majority of that problem probably comes down to the characters and script. I honestly didn't really care much for them. I cared more for the older characters, but they take a backseat for the most part.

The film is fun, the action is good, the special effects as you would expect them to be, but, the film fails to deliver anything that you could love about it. That unfortunately is due to a script that fails to engage the audience like it should.

3/5