Top 10 Albums of 2016

So we're finally at the end of 2016 and in terms of music it's been another solid year, I admittedly haven't listened to as much as I usually do, but I've managed to check out the things I'm most interested in and in turn have listened to some damn great albums. So here's my top 10 albums of 2016 and as usual expect it to just be made up of metal and prog.

Honourable Mentions

Alcest - Kodama

Serenity - Codex Atlanticus

Opeth - Sorceress

Megadeth - Dystopia

10. Circus Maximus - Havoc

Circus Maximus are a prog band I've never been all that into but I've always liked certain songs here and there, now with this new album Circus Maximus have a evolved their sound somewhat leading to a really good album. Now honestly when I first heard a track off it, I didn't think I was gonna like it much, but I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it and the more times I listen to it, the more I appreciate it. I think it's their best effort to date and show a band slowly trying to shift out of it's generic trends.

9. Sonata Arctica - Ninth Hour

The ninth album from one of my favorite bands and while it's not as great or as memorable as their previous effort (which is probably my favourite Sonata album), it's still a strong effort which shows the bands consistency, as one of the most unique power metals going today, their sound may not have evolved much here but they are still damn good at what they do.

8. Redemption - The Art Of Loss

Some straight up prog metal goodness here, featuring a range of guest guitarists filling in for the medically absent Bernie Versailles. The Art Of Loss is a very solid effort that pretty much sticks to the usual Redemption formula but never gets stale throughout it's 75 minute runtime. Just some damn good Prog metal that always makes my ears happy.

7. Insominium - Winter's Gate

This Latest album from Insomnium consists of just 1 single 40 minute track (though in some versions it is split into parts) and it is pretty darn great, just some awesome straight up melodic folk death metal that keeps you engaged throughout.

6. Death Angel - The Evil Divide

Death Angel deliver another great straight up thrash metal record, one that I think is better than their previous effort, but still not as great as Relentless Revolution. It has that familiar modern death angel sound that we've heard for a good number of years now and I personally love it and it never gets tiresome,as they always find a way to keep it interesting. Great stuff.

5. Dream Theater - The Astonishing

 Clocking in at a might 130 minutes, Dream Theater took a risk with their latest epic concept album and while it has split alot of people, I personally really liked it alot. While it's not something I can listen to fully often, I don't think it drags at all or has one bad track. I also find the lack of super long songs(the longest here being 7.40) a nice change of pace which I think is what helped make the album work so well. This album may be too much Dream Theater for some, but I think its a strong effort and I commend the band for what they managed to achieve.

4. Testament - Brotherhood Of The Snake

 Testament deliver one of their heaviest and arguably their best modern album to date. A straight up thrash metal assault with great riffs, vocals and everything. I was expecting something good but this far exceeded my expectations, everything just works and the return of some of the heavier elements we've seen before are happily welcome back. Just one of the best thrash records of the year.

3. Watchtower - Concepts of Maths: Book One

Okay, so this is technically an EP(and nearly all but 1 of the songs were released in 2015 as singles), but it was too good not to have on this list, Watchtower were one of the early forerunners of the tech metal genre and haven't released an album in almost 30 years, so this EP is a welcome return and absolutely awesome, featuring all the tech metal goodness the band are known for this, the 29 minutes flies by and leaves you wanting more and one can only hope that this is only taster of things to come,as this band are still as great as they've ever been.

2. Vektor - Terminal Redux

 This was very darn close to having the top spot in this list and in many ways it should be.Vektor are probably the best modern thrash band going today, their definitely one of the most creative and unique bands in the genre and every release has been outstanding. and this album is no different a cosmic thrash attack that is truly superb. The bands vocals do still grate on me a little every now and again but that's more down to my hearing rather than a criticism. Either way this is from start to finish a great listen and I highly recommend it to all fans of thrash alike.

1. Epica - Holographic Principle

Since first hearing The Quantum Enigma in 2014, Epic have quickly grew into one of my favourite bands, playing a brand of bombastic symphonic metal that I can't help but love and this album delivers exactly that yet again. While Quantum Enigma still remains my favourite by far, this is still a really great album from the beautiful vocals of Simone Simons to the great riffs and overt symphonics. This album has everything I want to keep my ears happy, I especially love the track Beyond the Matrix which might well also be my favourite song of the year. Just another great effort from a truly great band that are masters of their genre.

So that's 2016 list, I look forward to hearing more great music in 2017 and there are already a dozen of albums coming out that I highly anticipate will deliver that.
I'm hoping to deliver my top 10 film list today aswell, watch out for that one.
See you next post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Office Christmas Party (2016)

Office Christmas Party is exactly what it says on the tin, but that Tin is cheap, tacky and pretty darn useless. The films primary function is to make us laugh, but not once during its 105 minute runtime did I even laugh besides a slight smirk every now and again. I knew what to expect but I just struggled to connect to it, so all the humour just fell flat despite the cast having a good go at it. The film is honestly one of the worst I've seen this year, I went in looking for a fun time and I just got nothing, I'm sure it'll work better for alot of other people but for me this was a failure of a comedy.
*

Your Name (2016)

This latest offering from Makoto Shinkai is a piece of brilliance and perhaps the best film I have seen this year. It is a beautiful Sci-fi/Fantasy drama that is full of great drama, humour and emotion. The characters are super likable and you can't help but care for them. The film is also visually stunning with both natural and city landscapes looking absolutely gorgeous. Sure it may be a little sappy but I had no problems with that all.
It's also a very thematically rich and current movie dealing with our connections and relationships with people, an outlook of traditional and modern japanese culture and in some ways the breaking down of gender barriers.
From the get go it's just an engrossing experience with it's story constantly feeding our intrigue. It's just fantastic and I highly recommend it.
*****

Moana (2016)

Here's the latest animated offering from Disney, a beautiful musical adventure with a Polynesian setting. Visually the film is stunning, the vibrant CGI really makes the locations come alive with everything looking top notch. The voice acting is also solid, with a great debut for Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson bringing his usual likeable charisma, as well as a good support cast including the much welcomed talents of Jemaine Clement.
The musical score is also really good and consistent and fits in super well with the film overall, with none of the character songs ever feeling like a chore to get through.
Now the films plot is formulaic and doesn't cover much new ground, but it's so well executed with all it's other elements that the films stays super enjoyable from start to finish, also I'm sure it's message of female empowerment is sure to resonate well with audiences. Overall another solid effort from Disney.

The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

Her we have a nice little teen comedy-drama from Kelly Fremon Craig in her directorial debut. It's a solidly made film that's well written with a strong leading performance from Hailee Steinfeld and a good supporting cast. It's not without it's cliches or predictability but what makes it work well is the how genuine the characters feel making us care about them and their situation more. There's a good balance of drama and humour both of which are executed well, though I do feel the films more emotional moments aren't as hard hitting as they should have been. But overall this is a really good teen comedy drama, that I'd recommend especially to fans of this particular genre. ***1/2

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

One of the most beautiful films of the year and Laika's best film they've made so far, Kubo is a wondrous and totally compelling experience, featuring some incredible stop motion animation, that is utterly stunning and  awe-inspiring. Laika are clear masters of this craft and its something I'll always adore. The animation combined with some top notch voice acting and a story ripe with emotion, excitement and a heartfelt message, makes this a really great film and probably one of my favourites of the year. I was just hooked from the get go and it never let up, great stuff. ****1/2

Don't Breathe (2016)

Here's a tense home invasion thriller that is super good.  The film is directed by Fede Alvarez whose previous film was the Evil Dead remake and he actually made Don't Breathe in response to the criticism he received from Evil DEad and fair play to the man he has done a great job of proving himself. He's managed to create a very gripping experience, one that is filled with twists and tension and very solid acting across the bored with Stephen Lang playing the role of a blind war veteran perfectly.
The visual Aesthetic was is also very good including the cinematography which includes a great use of steadicam and lighting, with particular praise to one scene thats played out in total 'darkness'.
All in all this was a great horror thriller that utilises many of the genre tropes in its own interesting way and I highly recommend it.

Morgan (2016)

Ridley Scott's son makes his directorial debut and it's a pretty solid one at that. A sci-fi film that bears similarities with Ex-Machina (thought not as good) and has clear influences from his fathers work. The film is an engaging piece with some solid acting that lightly touches on the complex morals and questions regarding artificial intelligence. I say lightly because after fantastic scene involving Paul Giamatti the film loses some steam and turns into a more superficial thriller/action affair that is still rather enjoyable but lacks the same strength and intrigue as its first half, though it does end on a good note. Overall I think this is a well executed movie that is pretty solid and has a couple of great moments scattered throughout it. A good first effort from Luke Scott. ***1/2

Sausage Party (2016)

This balls out and vulgar adult animated comedy might well be my favourite comedy of the year so far (not that there's much competition). It was very funny and highly enjoyable from start to finish and I think what makes it so good, is how the food worlds reflects the real word in an obvious but funny way, rather than just be a random display of nonsense and vulgarity. It just seems like that kind of wacky film I would make except maybe not as crude and obscene as this was, which is sure to put off alot of people. All in all though I thought this was a lot of fun and really liked it alot. A very funny and entertaining comedy. ****

The Purge: Election Year (2016)

The lukewarm film series continues with it's new third entry that is another slight improvement over the previous two films but still nothing great. The story is pretty run of the mill but enjoyable enough and the acting is pretty decent, what brings the film is up though is the little details inhabiting the film's reality, like seeing how different people act on Purge night. Those details always seem to be the most interesting aspect of these films and they are especially intriguing here, its just a shame that the main story and characters don't have the same level of engagement or interest. It does have a nice amount of action though with lots of people getting shot up which is kind of fun. The series is definitely improving bit by bit with every film, so if it continues we may actually get a masterpiece by the 10th film. So all in all this is a pretty decent thriller that deals with timely themes (albeit in a superficial way) and has enough there to keep you entertained for it's run time, nothing outstanding but its fine for what it is. ***

Bollcrap? #2: Blackwoods (2001)

Uwe Boll directs a anti-drunk driving campaign dressed up as a psychological horror/thriller complete with rowdy rednecks. I actually quite enjoyed this, sure its a little messy and the acting is not that good but it was certainly fun.
The plot concerns a guy traveling to the Blackwoods with his girlfriend to meet her family for the first time, however things seem a little strange and we get flashes to something that may have happened in the past, so there's some intrigue and mystery that's all pretty easy to solve but still interesting to see unravel throughout the film with its little fun twists. The film is also quite well shot with some pretty good cinematography though there is a slight overuse of slow shutter speed shots. Overall the film is entertaining and runs at a good pace and I had a fun time watching it. ***

Bollcrap? #1: Sanctimony (2000)

Uwe Boll is notorious for being a terrible film director, who according to many, has made a few of the worst films ever made. Now I myself have never properly watched any of his films, but have always kind of been intrigued to, so I've decided to finally delve into as much of his filmography as possible and see what I think of his work.
So first up we have Sanctimony which was Boll's first English language feature. Its a very generic and straight forward crime thriller that kind of bland with not much going for it. It features a typical hard nosed detective who drives a Volkswagen Beetle and is tried to catch the culprit in a string of homicides. The film however lacks any mystery or intrigue and stuff just kind of happens in a rather bland way.
The acting is also not good and full of awkward deliveries which is mainly down to the bad dialogue which is sometimes quite laughable with everyone spouting awkward one liners and using cuss words in a forced un-natural way, this also this awkward rough/rapey sex scene which apparently got cut by the BBFC for the UK release for 'sexual violence' though I struggle to think many could take it seriously.
I will say however the visual side isn't bad, the cinematography is pretty decent overall and Boll does his best John Woo impression in the climax with lots of slow mo gun shooting which is one of the best scenes in the film. Overall this a rather flat thriller that's a little fun and laughable in places, but that's about it. **

The Shallows (2016)

Shark movies aside from Jaws can be regarded has one of the trashiest sub genres in films, but every now and then, someone has a go at making one that is genuinely good, which is exactly what the Shallows is. It's a one person survival movie like 127 hours that also  involves a shark and its very very good indeed. These kind films can be hard to get right as it all comes down to the central performance and how you keep it interesting and this film manages to keep things engaging throughout and has a very solid central performance from Blake Lively. The shark is mainly CG but there's also a small use of practical effects which is pretty cool. It also has a very satisfying climax and a nice little layer of character depth and overall it's just really entertaining and well crafted, definitely one of the best Shark movies since Jaws and worth a watch. ****

Nerve (2016)

Nerve is a techno thriller that focuses on the dangers of societies heavy use of technology and social media. It highlights these issues through the films online dare game which is at the centre of the films plot. In the game you either play and do dares for money, or you watch and decide the dares. It's a rather intriguing film with some pretty decent performances but it opts for a pretty safe ending that greatly decreases the films impact. But still is quite a fun 96 minutes with its vibrant neon colours, energy and quick pace which I'm sure will be good enough for it's target teenage audience. ***

Pete's Dragon (2016)

The remake of the 1977 Disney musical film that I don't think I've ever seen fully but apparently is not all that good and is one of Disney's weaker efforts. It would seem then that this time around, they have taken the material and made something much better with it, dropping the musical elements for a more grounded approach, the new Pete's Dragon is actually a decent piece of harmless family entertainment.
It's got pretty solid performances across the board and the dragon is also quite adorable and has a very dog like inspired look to him. The films story is very simple and well executed, with a few emotional moments laced through it, including it's very touching ending.
Its nothing outstanding by any means, but certainly well made and decent overall. ***

Suicide Squad (2016)

So here is the latest DC offering that has been bashed by many critics and people and while it is true that the film doesn't fit nicely into your typical critical framework, I found the film to be quite alright actually, nothing outstanding but decent, Sure it's a little rushed and messy and the script is a little weak, but it is undoubtedly entertaining. I think the strongest aspect of this film is the acting which is very solid, everyone makes best use of what they can to bring these characters to life and I would happily see them play them again in future films. I think Will Smith in particular is on top form and I quite enjoyed Leto's Joker, also I think it's the first time I've liked Jai Courtney in anything, so that an achievement. The actions alright, there's a nice dose of humour and all in all I had a fun time, which for now is good enough for me. ***

Jason Bourne (2016)

Jason Bourne returns after 9 years in a brand new thriller fronted once again by Paul 'Handheld or GTFO' Greengrass. Prior to seeing this movie I watched the first three Bourne films (Legacy don't matter) for the first time, now I quite enjoyed them all (see previous post) and was interested to see what we would get 9 years on in this latest outing. Turns out it's all pretty much the same thing again, that's not to say that its bad, the film is actually pretty decent overall, it just doesn't bring anything new or super interesting to the table. The acting is sold overall as per usual with some strong additions to the cast including Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel and Tommy Lee Jones and the story is pretty decent but lacking the same dramatic impact as the previous films. Action is also aright but largely forgettable, plagued by its 'signature' handheld shaky style.
Film kind of just goes through the motions and slowly starts to pick up towards the end, definitely the weakest of the actual Bourne films, struggling to escape from a formula that's just a little tiresome, a thriller thats all in all just fine. ***

The Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum (2002 - 2007)

In anticipation for the newest Bourne film, I decided to watch the first three films for the first time. I was always a little reluctant to watch the series due to the influence the films had in popularising the use of shakycam in modern action cinema, ruining many action sequences for years to come. Despite my doubts though, I did end up really enjoying this films and think they are all very good thrillers.

The Bourne Identity (2002)

I never realised that the first film in the series was not directed by Paul Greengrass, instead we get Doug Liman and hardly any of the shaky handheld aesthetic that dominates later films (hoorah!) . Anyway this is a really well executed thriller, with solid writing, acting and cinematography. I felt like it had a similar tone and vibe to the first mission impossible movie which might be why I liked it so much. Its just a very engaging film, that's well paced and put together with Matt Damon being a very compelling lead. A great start to the franchise. ****


 The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

 With the second film in the series Paul Greengrass takes over, implementing the 'realist' handheld shakycam aesthetic. Now I hate that kind of visual aesthetic, but Paul Greengrass kind of knows what hes doing with it, so it isn't too bad and is barely a distraction in this film . The acting again is really solid with more of the great Brian Cox which is always nice and I really like the way they continue the story from the first one. There's also more action which (shakycam aside) is pretty good overall, though I found the climax a little weak. And there's also a little more character depth that leads to a superb scene before the ending. Overall I thought this was great and the best film in the series, it does lose a bit of steam in the climax, but the scene afterwards more than makes up for it and really ups this films ranking. ****


The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

Most people regard this as the best of the series, I however think its the weakest of the three. watching this film I just already started to get tired of the with all this chasing round after Bourne and didn't really get invested until towards the end. I mean it's all solidly made still with the acting, story and action, but I just didn't care much at this point, still the ending is very strong and its still very entertaining, I just feel it doesn't match up as well to the first two.
 

 

Ghostbusters (2016)

So here it is the controversial Ghostbusters reboot featuring a female cast, that caused a mass negative outburst from many fans. I myself didn't really care much and went in expecting something potentially decent and that's a exactly what I got, nothing outstanding just a fun Paul Feig Ghostbusters film. The cast's themselves are likable and do a pretty good job and there's some cameos from original cast members which are a bit hit and miss but fun. The only person I didn't really like much Kate Mckinnon, I'm not sure what it was but everything she did just fell flat for me and I wasn't a fan. The comedy itself could also be very hit and miss but there's enough there to keep thing entertaining and the story is very run-of-the-mill but executed fine and visual effects aren't superb but not bad. Overall if you enjoyed Paul Feig's other movies your probably gonna enjoy this, it's just a fun little comedy that's harmless and does nothing to tarnish the original film in the slightest (not that, that was even possible in the first place). ***

The Neon Demon (2016)

Nicolas Winding Refn's latest effort, is a disturbing and beautiful horror about the sinister fantastical world of modelling, that is absolutely brilliant. Fronted by a great performance from Elle Fanning who is perfectly cast in the lead role, the film is engaging, immersive and hypnotic through out with beautiful cinematography and a great electronic soundtrack. It's chock full of tension with a sense of potential danger lurking through out. Overall it's just a bizarre and great movie that I loved and definitely one of my favourites from this year. ****1/2

The Legend Of Tarzan (2016)

Tarzan returns in a live action film that's kind of OK but a bit bland overall. Lets start with the casting, we've got Alexander Skarsgård in the lead role who has the brooding down to a T but lacks the presence to make for an engaging lead man, Margot Robbie works alright as Jane, Christoph Waltz plays his usual villainous self which is always enjoyable and Samuel L. Jackson add the much needed energy the film needs and thoroughly lacks.
The story itself is also a bit plain and generic but contains a few interesting elements that should have been focused and explored more to make for a much more compelling film.
There's actually a scene before the climax that I thought was really good and was going to set up an interesting climax, but instead gets thrown away for thousands of CGI Bisons, ugh. Overall it's a disappointing movie that had potential to be a whole lot better. **1/2

The Nice Guys (2016)

The Nice Guys is a neo-noir buddy comedy movie directed by Shane Black, which is hilarious and a joy to watch. It stars Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in the lead roles and they have great chemistry and are very compelling, with the rest of the supporting cast are also doing a good job and working well. The comedy is well written and executed, with lots of very funny moments spread throughout and the late 70's Los Angeles aesthetic is pulled of nicely. Overall there are a few minor issues with the script, but I found this to be a great comedy, that is very engaging,, funny and entertaining.
****

Warcraft (2016)

The film adaptation of the famous Warcraft game series is finally here. Directed by Duncan Jones, Warcraft is a CG heavy fantasy film that I thought was actually pretty decent. It's got some got some good action(yay horse throwing) and some good visual effects (Orcs look great), it is a little weak in terms of drama and riddled with cliches, but the story did unfold differently than I expected and there was  enough there to keep it intriguing and entertaining. The Warcraft universe is something I'm unfamiliar with, so I enjoyed learning about some of it's elements for the first time. Performances are ok, nothing too compelling, though I did quite enjoy Ben Foster as the guardian and the film sets up a few nice things for a potential sequel.
All in all it's far from being great, but I think it's decent enough for what it is, an adequate bit of fantasy. ***

X-men: Apocalypse (2016)

The X-men franchise returns, with another solid entry that doesn't reach the heights of Days Of Future Past, but is certainly on par with First Class. One again helmed by Bryan Singer, the film is set in the 80's and deals with popular X-men villain Apocalypse.
Now Apocalpyse was one of my favourites as a kid, but the issue with using him, is that he's not the most dynamic of villains and he fits the cliche 'I want to rule the world, cause I'm powerful' archetype.
This means the film struggles to make itself stand out from other superhero films by taking a more generic approach to things. Having said that I think Oscar Issac does a good job with his portrayal and Apocalypse definitely has a very demanding and threatening presence here, that makes him more compelling and memorable than most other generic supervillains.
The film also features more younger versions of characters from the previous films like Jean Grey, Cyclops and Storm all played well by their respective actors and I thought all performances across the board were fine too, with the one stand out being Michael Fassbender who as usual has the strongest performance, managing to really bring the emotion out in certain scenes.
I think the film has a good mix of drama, humour and action, with some fairly brutal moments for a 12A and is very entertaining throughout. It is a little inconsistent and messy, has some some hokey dialogue and more should have been done with the Four Horsemen but other than that, I  once again managed to become engrossed within this universe and thoroughly enjoyed the film. A solid entry in the franchise, nothing spectacular but still damn good. ***1/2

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

The latest offering from Marvel Studios and probably their best one yet. Captain America: Civil War is a great superhero film full of great drama, action and humour. It gives us a very character driven story, that makes for a much more compelling film. We've got all the previous characters being represented better than they ever have been, as well as great new additions like Black Panther and the new incarnation of Spiderman (who seems to be the best one yet). Everyone manages to fit and isn't out of place, even the 'villain' is well drawn out and has very good motivations behind him. There's a lot of really good action sequences too, that are decently shot with lots of cool moments sprawled throughout.
The whole thing just works great, it's well balanced, paced, written, acted and is just a super entertaining film overall. I really liked it. ****

Eye In The Sky (2016)

Here's a thriller about military personnel debating about a drone strike that was a lot better than I'd thought it be. In fact it is actually really good and probably one of the best modern warfare based films I've seen. Is it heavy handed? yes, but it is also tense and very engaging especially for a film that is mainly just people debating and arguing. It has solid performances from a good cast that includes Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul and Alan Rickman in his last (live action) film role. It displays the different arguments whether political, legal or personal to do with the films proposed drone strike and ultimately creates a discussion for the audience about this serious issue, though the film does clearly have a bias at the end.Overall though this was a really solid, that I enjoyed considerably. ***1/2

Criminal (2016)

This film is a good example of someone having an intriguing concept and using it to make a safe, generic thriller that has some interesting bits, but is ultimately a little bland. It has an all star cast featuring Kevin Costner, Ryan Reynolds, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones etc. So there's no real problems on the acting front and I really liked when Costner's character Jericho was an utter prick, but most of the movie feels like it's on autopilot with lots of cliche's thrown in. It's not terrible though and still somewhat enjoyable overall, just a an OK forgettable thriller. Though it does pose a great question 'Who punches someone in a patisserie?'**1/2

Midnight Special (2016)

Here's a decent bit of sc-fi from the director of Mud and Take Shelter. Featuring solid performances from a good cast, Midnight Special is a film that stays intriguing throughout but never manages to reach beyond its intrigue. It has some really good moments especially it's wonderful climax but I failed to fully connect with the movie overall, so while I enjoyed it all, it was mainly because of how intriguing it was and nothing more. Still it's not a bad film and is still really well made with some cool ideas and a somewhat worthwhile climax. So if your just looking for a small bit of enjoyable sc-fi I'd still recommend it. ***

Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

So here it is, the much anticipated superhero film directed by Zack Snyder and I'm just gonna jump right in and say that the film is a bit of a mess, but I enjoyed the hell out of it.
First off, I really liked Ben Affleck's take on Batman and how he is much darker and grittier than before. I know a lot of people hated it when he was first cast, but I thought he'd do a good job and he certainly did, Jeremy Irons as Alfred was also a good choice too.
I also really liked Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Lex Luthor, being a much more energetic mad scientist version of the character, that I think is a good contrast to the much sterner heroes. Henry Cavill is also still fine as Superman and the rest of the cast is pretty good too.
The film unfolds at a good pace and is never boring despite it's 151 minute runtime and includes a few unexpected moments and interesting dream sequences. It has a lot of great visuals and really good action too though the final fight does admittedly go on a little too long. It does actually go a little over the top in it's last act which will probably put a few people off, but I was totally on board with it. Soundtrack is good too and I still love Zimmer's Superman theme.
In terms of detractors it is a little over saturated and messy, there were a few points that could have been focused on more and handled a little better and it could have used with more of an emotional core. But other than that, I really enjoyed this and thought it was an epic thrilling spectacle.****

High-Rise (2016)

The latest offering from Ben Wheatley is a strange and chaotic experience, I overheard a guy sat behind me at the cinema calling it "the weirdest movie he had ever seen". Now I wouldn't go that far but it is a film that is certain to confuse a lot of casual viewers and if you go purely because Tom Hiddleston is in it, then be warned. The film jumps around alot and seems to deliberately have a disorienting structure which I found to be a little messy and clunky(not in  a good way) and is ultimately the films biggest flaw. Despite this though, the film is still compelling and has a good performances from it's large cast of notable actors and has a lot of intriguing things going on, as well as a few funny moments. Production design is also great with it's distinct 70's mixed with postmodern look and cinematography is all in all quite nice too.
Overall  it's a rather solid and strange dark comedy, that is uneven but enjoyable.

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

The unexpected second film in the Cloverfield franchise, 10 Cloverfield Lane drops the frantic found footage of the first film and instead delivers a more refined, self contained thriller. It features solid performances from its minuscule cast, particularly Jon Goodman who is on top form here. It's also well paced and features a lot of tense moments, especially the climax that is incredibly tense and engrossing. It's all just really well crafted and enjoyable and is just a really solid thriller, that is definitely worth checking out. ****

Zootropolis (2016)

Zootropolis (aka Zootopia) is Walt Disney Animation Studio's latest offering and is one of their best in recent years. A fun, vibrant film that looks great, is well paced and very funny throughout. What really makes the film stand out though, is the depth of it's subject matter and how it implements very current topics and issues like 'prejudice' and 'stereotyping' in a superb way by utilising the predator/prey dynamic of animals. It's a smart and interesting idea that is effective and easily digestible for anyone watching without being forceful in approach.
Add in some really good voice acting and you got yourselves a fantastic animated movie that I highly recommend. ****

Kaiju Fever: Son Of Godzilla (1967)

The second Godzilla film in a row set purely on an island location, Son of Godzilla and is a light and fun entry aiming to be more kid friendly. The film introduces Godzilla's son Minilla a horrible grey lump of rubber, that is far from the ball of cuteness it's meant to be. The Kamaracuras' and Kumonga on the other hand look great and are one of the films best highlights.
It's a just simple fun kaiju movie, with some enjoyable monster action. Nuff said.
***

The Witch (2015)

Talk about a great directorial debut. The Witch is a slow burning horror set in the 17th century with superb cinematography that is absolutely stunning, solid acting, good drama and a great eerie soundtrack. It's quite a minimal horror, one that unfolds steadily with a great atmosphere and I was totally compelled throughout. It's tense, unsettling with no reliance on jump scares(hoorah!) and I found it more disturbing than a lot of other films that are more explicit and full on. The fact that this is Robert Eggers first feature is great shows a lot of promise and i look forward to seeing what he does in the future.
Overall this is a beautiful and effective horror and one of the best I've seen in the cinema for a while.****

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

After almost 5 years Po and the gang return for the 3rd film in the Kung Fu Panda franchise. a solid sequel that looks great and has some nice additions to the voice cast. The plot is fairly conventional and offers nothing new, but is executed really well with good drama and action and comedy. Voice acting is pretty good too, though Jack Black can be a little overbearing at times and overall this is just a really entertaining sequel that has some great visuals and is a fun watch.
***1/2

Kaiju fever: Ebirah, Horror of the deep (1966)

Here the series takes a different turn with the first of several Godzilla films directed by Jun fukuda. A much more self contained movie than the rest of the series by being set on one island location, the film was originally written to star King Kong but instead got replaced by Godzilla, which is why in the film Godzilla acts more like King Kong than himself. Despite this I still think the film is still pretty fun, the plot is pretty enjoyable and the monster action is entertaining too and I think Ebirah looks pretty cool. It may not feel much like a Godzilla film, but it's still a fun watch overall.***