Split (2016)

Split is the latest from director M. Night Shyamalan who I am happy to say is back on top form delivering a terrific thriller that is alot of fun.
The main thing that makes this movie is James Mcavoy's tremendous performance as the antagonist, he is just so utterly compelling and the film probably wouldn't have worked as well without him. He just manages to give life to Kevin's different personalities so incredibly well and he just shine through especially during the films great climax. The rest of the cast are pretty decent too and do a fine enough job.
I also really liked alor of the cinematography, it has lots of intricate camerawork that was quite intriguing and really fit in well with the film.
It's a little more predictable than you'd expect from M. Night Shyamalan but there is a nice surprise right at the end that kinda blew my mind but it may go over alot of audience members heads. Still the films constantly engaging, it's got humour, it's got tension and it thrills us like a good thriller should. Is it  a little O.T.T? sure but I love that and overall I thought this was great and one of the best things Shyamalan has done. Good Stuff. ****

Lion (2016)

So here's another one of this years Oscar contenders, It is a rather safe and conventional film but one that executes it's touching true story exceedingly well, making it a very solid drama.
For starters the acting is strong, the emotional moments hit well and both Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman definitely deserve their acting award nominations, though the rest of the cast are also very good and I'd particularly like to mention Sunny Pawar who plays a young Saroo and who is probably on screen more than anyone else and also deserves praise for his performance.
The film is also really nicely shot with the cinematography being very beautiful at times making it clear to see why its also got award nominations with lots of wonderful wide shots which is what I like to see.
I do think the first half is a little stronger and more consistent than the second half which I think unfolded a tad slower than it should have but overall this is a really good drama that runs exactly how you'd expect but it gets its message across clearly and is really well made and enjoyable. There's nothing there that would personally make me want to re-watch it, but I still have a strong appreciation for its execution. ***1/2

La La Land (2016)

What a an absolute wonderful film this is, a jazz musical full of charm and heart that is thoroughly engaging throughout. It takes inspiration from classic Hollywood musicals and blends that influence  into a more modern, real life setting. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone play the lead roles and their performances are great, with Emma Stone being a particular stand out especially during her one solo song towards the end.
Speaking of music the score is fantastic and works perfectly with the film and considering this is a musical it actually has quite a minimal amount of sung songs and the ones that there are have great purpose and never less than good.
The film also also beautifully shot with some great cinematography and set design that brings the films world to life incredibly well.
This was a project that Damien Chazelle had been wanting to make for a good few years and thanks to the success of his previous film Whiplash, he was able to and you can really see the passion and love that has been poured into making this, translating into a film that is truly wonderful film. A magnificent musical that is worthy of its awards buzz. ****

Manchester By The Sea (2016)

So here's one of the films currently riding the awards trail leading up to the Oscars. It's a little drama starring Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams and a few others, and its pretty darn great. The drama itself is very strong a mixture of Sadness and hope laying at its foundation, though it is the melancholy that is most prevalent and it is quite the emotional experience but it's certainly no heavy-handed tearjerker, its approach is a little more subtle and genuine and handled exceedingly well.
What really makes this film though is it's characters and performances, the characters are well fleshed out and interesting and are backed up by great performances by its entire cast. I give particular praise to Casey Affleck who is outstanding in the lead role and deserves all the nominations and awards he's been getting. He plays the most interesting character in film who on the surface it may not seem like he is but there's alot of depth going on beneath which we get because of the way Affleck embodies the role.
the film is also well shot with alot of nice static camera work being used particularly in the films first 10/15 minutes which I thought was done in an intriguing way. I also like the classical music that was used throughout which fit in very nicely with the films atmosphere and tone.
The film does run at 137 minutes so it's a little long, but it's certainly not boring and stays engaging thanks to the characters, performances and certain story elements. Overall this is a great piece of drama that is full of strong acting and characters and I'd definitely recommend it. ****

Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)

So here it is, the latest film in the Underworld series and straight off the bat I have to say this is the shoddiest film in the series and I mean this mainly in terms of execution as it has a lot of messy editing and bad pacing with everything feeling rushed. It once again stars Kate Beckinsale and features Charles Dance and Theo James reprising their roles from the previous film, as well as some new faces including Tobias Menzies and Lara Pulver and her various provocative outfits.
Now the story's a bit of a mess and very generic but I preferred it to the previous film as theres lots of deceit going on that keeps it a little fun and its more reminiscent of the first film. This is also the films problem as its all too samey and just it feels a little stale with the most interesting scenes happen when they are at Vador, its a nice little change from the rest of the film and feature some fun action moments as well as introducing a couple of ideas that I wished they had explored more.
In terms of action overall the film as a good amount of it as well as some gore, although most of it is not the best, mainly because of the execution, but there are some enjoyable bits scattered abour.
The acting also varies in quality ranging between fine and kind of bad, but nothing flat-out terrible or good.
Overall the film is only partly successful at being  fun piece of mindless escapism and is really let down by its execution. Had things been handled better I definitely would have preferred it to the previous film, but as it stand this film is the weakest of the series and I think its time to put a stake into the franchises heart, but much like Selene, it's hard to kill for good. **

Underworld: Awakening (2012)

The fourth entry in the series and this time the humans have joined the war after discovering Vampires and Lycans do exist and go on a mass purge. Plus we have the edition of research facilities and science stuff which all bring the film into more generic and bland territory. But stories have never been these films strong points, its more about if they deliver the expected action goods and the film does indeed have some solid action particularly in its climax with a nice amount of gore and I gotta give kudos for the film still using practicals for the Lycans at certain points, though alot less than previous installments.The acting is varying in quality but Kate Beckinsale is fine as usual and there's the nice addition of Charles Dance in a small role as an elder.
Overall this is definitely alot weaker than the first 3 films but still supplies some fun action moments.
**1/2

Underworld: Rise of The Lycans (2009)

The 3rd film in the Underworld series and one that is a prequel that shows the origin story of Lucian, who was the antagonist of the first film. It pretty much just shows what we see and hear about in the first movie and pads it out to a needless 90 minute movie. But these films have never wanted to amount to more than mindless escapism and I still quite enjoyed this. The acting is still pretty decent which is expectec when you have Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy, the effects are pretty good and there is a nice bit of action and gore. The old period setting is also a nice change of pace/though nothing particularly special and the story holds no surprises and goes as expected, especially if you have seen the first movie. Overall its not up to par with the first two movies but I still find it to be somewhat enjoyable for what it gives us. ***