"Doctor Strange" Trailer Reaction

It's hard to believe that we're only two and a half weeks away from Captain America: Civil War (at least in the UK), a movie set to completely change the Marvel Universe as we know it. However, that's not the only movie primed to shake up that universe this year. The second comes in the form of "Doctor Strange," which follows the journey of Doctor Stephen Strange, a brilliant neurosurgeon who discovers the world of magic after a car accident ruins what he believes to be the tools of his trade: his hands. We now have the first trailer for the movie, and it does look to be a suitably mind boggling affair. Check out the trailer below.

The big difference between this movie and other movies in the MCU is the tone. Straight from the ominous opening showing Strange's overturned car to the new black Marvel logo to the music of the trailer. Something else that's complete absent from the trailer although I'm sure there'll be some: jokes. Light-hearted banter has become a staple of the Marvel franchise, so it was odd for me to see none of that in the teaser. Among the darkness, though, Marvel still manage to achieve a sense of wonder and mysticism, something quite essential in a movie about magic.

The teaser does not show every character in the movie (thankfully, I'm enjoying the guessing game going on on the Internet right now about the identity of Mads Mikkelsen's villain. I'm thinking Nightmare). However, it does show a fair bit of 3 main characters. Let's start with a fairly obvious one: Stephen Strange. Benedict Cumberbatch already seems like the perfect fit for this role, and he seems to be doing a great job of showing his arrogant nature before the accident (at least from the few scenes we saw), his determination to find a solution to his problem afterwards, and his shock at what he finds in doing so. Another smaller detail: his American accent is on point. The next character is the Ancient One, played by Tilda Swinton. This was a role originally filled by an old, Asian man in the comics, but has been switched to a woman for the movie. Nobody is complaining about this, and for good reason, as Swinton has got the mystical and mysterious nature of the character down to a tee. At least from this trailer, she comes across as one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel universe and the kind of person even the arrogant Strange might beg for tutelage. The third character we see considerably less of is Chiwetel Ejiofir's Baron Mordo. One of Strange's most famous villains, it doesn't look like Mordo will be starting off as a villain here, but will be one of Strange's allies. If this is done right, Mordo could eventually become one of the best developed villains in the MCU.

In addition to the tone I mentioned before, one of the most crucial things a movie about magic needs to get right is the visual effects. There aren't a lot of magic acts on display here since it is the set up trailer but we do see some, such as the kaleidoscope visuals of the scene featuring Mads Mikkelsen's villain. The scene with the Ancient One pushing Strange into seemingly another dimension (known as the Astral Plane in the comics) is also very impressive. However, they both have nothing on the money shot of the trailer featuring the 4 versions of New York (probably) and seeing a tiny Strange fall through the middle and back into the Ancient One's chamber. Director Scott Derrickson and his team seem to have achieved something special technically here, with not just the visuals, but also the cinematography looking amazing (especially those shots of Tibet from above).

I cannot emphasise enough how much I enjoyed this trailer. Director Scott Derrickson looks to have used his background in horror to his advantage to create an ominous atmosphere for this trailer and, from the concept art seen, to build a terrifying world for these characters to inhabit. From the trailer itself though, the acting and technical work of the movie seems on point with every other movie in the Marvel saga and can hopefully become one of their best since Guardians of the Galaxy. In short, bring on November! I'm ready to open my mind.

Doctor Strange is releasing on November 4th, 2016.

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton, Benedict Wong, Scott Adkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amy Landecker and Mads Mikkelsen. 

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" Trailer Reaction

I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter series, both books and movies, along with millions of other fans around the world. So when rumours came about that suggested that we may be seeing some more movies in the Harry Potter universe, I was very excited. My attitude changed to one of scepticism, however, when it was announced that this new movie would be focusing on the book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," a textbook from the Potter universe and released for Comic Relief. My concerns only grew after the glorified logo reveal late last year. This new trailer, on the other hand, has changed my attitude back to before the title was revealed. Check it out below, and then I'll give you my thoughts.

There's a lot of things to love here. However, the thing that really made this trailer special for me is the use of the music. Incorporating the main Harry Potter theme into a prequel to the series has come across as a bit off to some people, but it really works as a way to tie this movie into the other films and let general audiences know that they will be returning to the world of Harry Potter. That and the great reference to Dumbledore, delivered by Colin Farrell's Percival Graves.

Speaking of Graves, the trailer gave us a great look at all of the different characters that we'll be seeing in the movie. Colin Farrell may not be the star of the show, and may in fact be one of the antagonists (come on, the guy's name is Graves), but at least he doesn't look to be giving one of his over-the-top performances (I still remember Daredevil) and seems to fit right into this world. The main man here is Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander, the wizard carrying a case which contains all of the titular beasts. I don't have a lot of problems with this trailer, but Redmayne is one of them, and from what I can tell he is playing the same character once again: the socially awkward but very clever character. Hopefully, he can make the character something special nonetheless. The rest of the cast seem fine just now, but I need to see more of them in later trailers before I know what to think of them.

As a movie featuring magical creatures running rampant in 1920s New York, visual effects are pretty important. The trailer generally keeps the magical creatures themselves under wraps, besides a flying blue bird is an underground tunnel and a brief shot of a small, mole-like creature (potentially identified as a Niffler by die-hard Potterheads). However, just cause the beasts aren't on display, there best of the magic and effects are. The spells from wands and other magic such as the flying napkins and plates briefly glimpsed all look incredible. However, the CGI background of New York that Newt can briefly be seen walking through does not look real at all. This is probably not a finished effect though, so they've got 7 months to fix these small sections. The practical sets and costume designs of the movie also look phenomenal, but this has been a staple of the Harry Potter franchise since day one.

I had my concerns about this movie before seeing this trailer, and some of those concerns are still present (like why a small children's book with no plot has been split into a trilogy before the first movie has been released). However, this trailer has reassured me on a few levels, including the effects and acting. I don't know how this movie is going to turn out, but if this trailer is any indication, it has the potential to be on the same level as the best of the Harry Potter movies.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is releasing November 18th, 2016.

Starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Colin Farrell, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Ron Perlman 

"Suicide Squad" Blitz Trailer Reaction

Look, Batman v Superman wasn't the best it could have been. There's no getting around that. A lot of that was down to DC's apparent "no-jokes" policy, something heavily rumoured before the release of the movie. A lack of humour and fun hurt that movie dearly. Thankfully, David Ayer seems to be taking Suicide Squad in a completely different direction. Jokes, silliness, and a great team dynamic are everywhere to be found in this new trailer, which only continues to build my excitement for the next entry in the DCEU (the DC Extended Universe, which is what Warner Bros have named their cinematic universe). Wondering why it's called the Blitz trailer? Check it out below. You'll know soon enough.

The main thing that I'm taking away from this trailer is that it looks like more of the same from the last couple of trailers. Which is by no means a bad thing. Let's start with the main thing that differentiates this movie from Batman v Superman: the tone. As I previously stated, the use of jokes already sets it apart. However, so do all of the smaller touches in the trailer do as well, such as the use of Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz" for the main trailer theme. By using such a fun 70s song, rather than the dark and ominous music that came to be associated with BvS, the movie is already likely to draw a bigger audience due to it's comedic nature.

On the other hand, this movie continues DC's streak of perfect casting (besides Lex Luthor, for which there were much better choices than Jesse Eisenberg). Will Smith actually looks to be playing a character rather than just a reflection of himself, as has been argued by many critics over the last few years. Margot Robbie has proven herself to be a fantastic actress, having wowed critics in "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "Focus" (also starring Smith), and definitely looks to be a faithful version of fan favourite character Harley Quinn. The trailer focuses heavily on El Diablo (the one shooting fire from his hands) and suggesting that he may not be as evil as some of his teammates. Hopefully the whole squad is developed like this.

However, the most divisive casting choice is the Joker, played by Jared Leto. This seemed like perfect casting and nobody has a problem with Leto, but it was the first image that caused the Internet to explode. All of the images have caused the controversy to continue to grow and more fan theories to come up suggesting that he is not the real Joker. I had problems myself with the tattoos (particularly "Damaged" on the forehead). The more I see of him actually acting and speaking, the more I am sold on this completely different iteration of one of my favourite comic book characters. From what I can tell, this Joker shows up in the middle of their mission for no reason other than to cause utter chaos. Seems like classic Joker to me. 

Everything else about the movie also seems to be on point, the makeup in particular. Ayer has ensured that these characters look exactly like their comic counterparts. Joker and Harley Quinn look like they go hand in hand, while the full body makeup on Killer Croc is extremely realistic. The visual effects of the movie are equally excellent, such as Diablo's fire and the helicopter crash. Overall, though, the movie looks to be prioritising practical effects, with only really the aforementioned fire, the helicopter crash and the destruction of the subway featuring a heavy reliance on CGI. This is not bad, and the use of practical effects in modern Hollywood is something to be admired.

There are some people refusing to see this movie because they did not like Batman v Superman. That is completely absurd to me, especially with this trailer. They are welcome to do what they want, but with a completely different director and tone, Suicide Squad is shaping up to be a completely fresh take on the superhero genre and a far cry from the dreariness of Batman v Superman.
Suicide Squad is releasing on August 5th, 2016. Starring Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Cara Delevingne, Karen Fukuhara, Ben Affleck

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" Trailer Reaction

I never reviewed it, but I did actually see "The Force Awakens" last year, and it would have been a very high rating, a 9 at the lowest. While we still have year and a half away until the continuation of that story, Disney have got us covered with their new annual Star Wars model. What that means is that we now get treated to a Star Wars movie a year, with Gareth Edwards' anthology movie "Rogue One" taking the primetime Christmas spot this year. Check out the first trailer below.

In case this wasn't already clear, this is very different to any Star Wars movie we've seen before. The trailer has a noticeable absence of lightsabers and force powers, two of the main staples of this franchise. Gareth Edwards is obviously taking this series in a completely different direction, and I am on board. This is not just the usual sci-fi, fantasy flick that we're used to. This looks more like a war movie, somewhat unsurprising given that one of the inspirations for the movie was Saving Private Ryan. This is presenting a side of this universe that we have never seen below, when the Empire destroyed all opposition swiftly and the Rebellion was struggling in their efforts. A large part of that was down to Darth Vader, and if rumours prove true, we will see the brutality of the Sith lord against the helpless Rebel forces. 

That's not to say that the movie is completely separate from what has come before though, at least from what we're seeing here. The effects and aesthetic of the sets and worlds created fit right in with the Star Wars mythos. That's not even talking about the incredible new black Stormtrooper designs and the return of the imposing Imperial Walkers. Costume design also seems spot on. All of this will look familiar to fans of the original trilogy, with the rusted technology and dark sets only emphasising the state of this war-torn universe.

One final thing I'll say is that the casting looks excellent for this band of misfits as well as the Imperial general they are going up against. This general (possibly Ben Mendelsohn but it is difficult to tell) is already an intimidating and sinister character just from his few short appearances in the trailer while the lead (played by Felicity Jones) appears to be being set up to add some humour into the mix, while also having the obligatory emotional backstory.  

I had my concerns like most fans of the Star Wars licence when these so-called Anthology films were announced to be in production. Would they be fine additions to the series, or simple cash-grabs using the Star Wars name. From the looks of Rogue One so far, it's definitely the former. An interesting story, great visuals and a stellar cast, this looks like the perfect movie to tide fans over to Episode VIII next year.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is releasing on December 16th, 2016.

Starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelson, Donnie Yen and Forest Whitaker.  

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" Review

People are talking about superhero fatigue nowadays. Personally, this is something that I am not experiencing. Marvel have been ruling this section of the market for years now and they have kept me consistently entertained. However, I am also a comic book fan and my favourites characters do not come from Marvel, but from arguably their largest competitor, DC. It's fair to say that DC having been doing well in television, with shows like Arrow and the Flash being very popular, but have struggled to an extent in movies since the conclusion of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Even their first movie in this new DC Cinematic Universe, "Man of Steel," was met with mixed reactions. Now, 3 years after the initial announcement, and after endless controversial casting choices and strange decisions, the next step in this universe comes in the shape of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," pitting two of the biggest superheroes in the world against one another on the big screen for the first time. Somewhat unsurprisingly, this has also been met with mixed reactions and my thoughts are similar. There are sections and pieces that I loved, but then there are also sections which not only made me lower my score, but raise my concerns for this universe in the future.

Let's start with the acting and characters in the movie. I am still a fan of Henry Cavill as Superman. Yes, I would have liked to see another solo Superman movie first to develop the Clark Kent character and wrap up the story left from Man of Steel, but I was still satisfied with the emotional conflict Superman faces throughout the movie. This not only allows Superman to become a much more relatable character despite his alien heritage, but also provides an interesting dynamic that is going to keep being explored as more metahumans and superheroes enter this world. Amy Adams also does a good job as Lois Lane, despite not having much to do. However, let's talk about the big casting that had fans, including myself, really concerned: Ben Affleck as Batman. I am completely prepared to eat my words here as Ben Affleck has provided one of the best on-screen Batman performances ever. Brutal and unforgiving, this Bat gives audiences a reason to be scared, striking from the shadows and doing some things that may anger some fans. However, it's Affleck's portrayal of Bruce Wayne that sold me on this version, as the emotional insight we are given at the beginning with regards Wayne's hatred of Superman is understandable and makes sense. Another bit of casting met with some raised eyebrows was that of Gal Gadot (most notable for the Fast and the Furious franchise prior to this) as Diana Prince AKA Wonder Woman. And just like Ben, she knocks it out of the park as far as I am concerned. OK, so she is not a main player in the story but the small sections she does appear in are excellent, particularly through her interactions with Bruce Wayne and when she finally appears as the iconic heroine in the finale.

"Well, here I am"

However, for every yin there is a yang. For every heads there is a tails. Thus, for every Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot, there is a Doomsday and Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. The villains are a serious issue here. Doomsday's inclusion has been concerning fans on the Internet for months now and, after seeing the movie, these concerns were justified. The effects on Doomsday are atrocious and were quite right to be met with the outcry they received.  However, Doomsday is not the main villain. Look, I actually enjoyed Eisenberg's performance for the first half of the movie. A mix of insane and extremely intelligent, he initially seemed a match for Batman and Superman. However, then he started trying to be intimidating. Safe to say, I was laughing in my seat watching Jesse Eisenberg trying to scare Henry Cavill. At least there weren't any sinister real estate schemes this time round.

DC's Trinity finally united

One of the main concerns critics have continuously raised is that of the messy story. While I do not think it is a complete mess and is so fast paced that I cannot understand what is happening, there does appear to be at least 5 movies in here: a Man of Steel sequel; a Batman v Superman movie; a standard Superman/ Lex Luthor story; a political thriller in the Lois Lane side plot; and a Justice League prequel. While some of these go quite well together, others do not.  For example, you may have heard online by now that there are rumours of a few cameos from certain Justice League members to set up that movie next year. While I am not going to spoil these for you, what I can tell you is that these are so strange and so out of place in this overly dark story that any immersion you may have had will be completely broken. It seems like Warner Bros had a lot of good ideas for these movies but are so determined to catch up with Marvel and do their team-up movie that there just threw it all together.

"You should not pick a fight with this person..."

On the other hand, while director Zack Snyder may be criticised for his story direction, one thing he cannot be faulted on is his action sequences. These are some beautiful sections in terms of effects and cinematography, with everything moving at just the right pace that it seems real, but is not so fast that it is difficult to see what is actually happening, like lots of other modern action movies. The Batman/Superman fight itself is of course one of the main events of the movie. While a bit shorter than I would have liked, the fight is well done and looks incredible. However, writers Chris Terrio and David Goyer do not waste any opportunity to pull at your heartstrings, with the conclusion of the battle being just as satisfying as the fight itself.

Still scarier than a real estate agent

Another detail worth noting is the score for the movie, both emotional and booming when appropriate. Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL have done a great job here, particularly in composing iconic new themes for two famous superheroes - Batman and Wonder Woman -  which will have to be used in all of their on screen appearances. The costume and production design for the movie is also excellent, especially with Batman. The details on the suit not only show rough this version of the Dark Knight is, but also his history as a crime fighter, while his version of the Batcave may be my favourite design for this location yet.

Introducing the fifth Michael Bay Ninja Turtle!

There is no doubt that "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is a mixed bag. The movie is weighed down with both Doomsday and Eisenberg's over-the-top portrayal of Lex Luthor, as well as too many storylines to effectively balance, including a Justice League set-up guaranteed to irritate fans of the source material. However, there is still a lot to like here, not least Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill as the titular heroes (especially Affleck) and the highly entertaining action set pieces. If you weren't a fan of Man of Steel, I wouldn't recommend giving this a watch. However, if you are a fan of the genre and don't mind a dark tone and some twists on familiar characters, then Dawn of Justice will be an interesting - as well as worrying - next step into this new universe.

Pros

• Ben Affleck as Batman
• Action sequences
• Emotional in between the action
• The score

Cons

• An overabundance of subplots 
• Justice League set-up
• Eisenberg's Lex in the second half
• Doomsday

Rating: 7/10

Release Date: 25th March, 2016

Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Gal Gadot, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Holly Hunter

"Spectre" Review

The Bond franchise certainly has come a long way since "Dr. No" 53 years ago, hasn't it? Going from a once-new spy movie to the campy films of Roger Moore to the violent era of Timothy Dalton, it's great to just rewatch all of these movies and watch them evolve over time. Spectre is the latest entry in the Bond series and Daniel Craig's 4th outing as the famous spy. This is a special and highly anticipated movie though, because of the titular group: Spectre. After a long lawsuit over the rights to the name, Spectre is finally back where it belongs. Is this movie a worthy return for the organisation? Absolutely.

Daniel Craig is my favourite version of Bond, bringing the charm of Connery and the brutality of Timothy Dalton. Skyfall brought a new dimension to the character, exploring his past in a bit more detail, showing off his childhood home and his parents graves. Through all of that, he gave an emotional performance, but also kept the witty humour associated with the character. He continues to show off in this film, especially in his interactions with the rest of his team, such as Moneypenny, Q, or Ralph Fiennes' M (who gets the best line in the film, by the way). Lea Seydoux acts as the film's Bond girl, and also does a good job, particularly in some scenes in the middle of the action. Let's be honest, though, Bond is known best for it's iconic villains. And Christoph Waltz is best known for playing bad guys! A match made in heaven!  Waltz is great as the film's villain, Franz Oberhauser, but is unfortunately held back in the shadows too long to really let us get to know the character.

The plot of Spectre might seem familiar to fans of the franchise. Not the whole thing, mind you. I'm not saying at all that this is a rip-off of any classic Bonds. Don't be surprised though if you have seen Bond on the trail of a terrorist group before, and especially this group. That's not to say that it's not enjoyable, as it is kept full of action and humour. The writing in the movie is great, and gives a lot of development to the regular supporting cast in particular, fleshing out people like M and even bringing Q into the field with Bond. If I have one complaint regarding the plot, it is that this film feels long. Clocking in at 148 minutes (just under 2 and a half hours), sections of this movie feel like filler and completely unnecessary. 

Spectre is a technically brilliant film. Its sound design and lighting are great, but what it really deserves credit for is the camera work. As the film starts in New Mexico, the audience is greeted to an uninterrupted 4-minute long tracking shot that follows Bond through the crowd, into a hotel, up a lift, into his hotel room and onto the roof of the next building to get into a good position to kill his target. Then the film cuts. Maybe it's just me but that is incredible work by the cinematographers. Whatever they were getting paid, they should have gotten an extra pat on the back for their work here.

CGI has always been a slight issue for this series though. Even Skyfall, which some hail as the best Bond film, had its odd moments. Spectre is no exception, with some sections such as the much advertised plane sequence, have some strange effects in the background. That's only the computer effects, though. The practical effects, like the explosions and the car chase, still look great. Just keep looking at them, and you'll be fine.

James Bond is not the typical spy. Not so well known for how he uses gadgets to extract information without being seen, but rather the lines he comes up with to fit whatever crazy way he might find to kill someone, Bond is renowned for its action. Spectre is a little different from other Daniel Craig films, though. While Craig's films have focused a lot more on brutal hand-to-hand combat, Spectre adds in a few more fun sequences with great stuntwork and gadgets (unfortunately, no barrel role and kazoo whistle here). Thankfully, they still maintain the intensity of other Craig movies, and will keep you engaged the whole way through.

Overall, Spectre is a highly enjoyable and worthy addition to the Bond franchise. With great performances all round and some brilliant writing, the only thing holding this back is its bloated length. A good movie? It's fantastic. As good as Skyfall? I don't think so but I'm still looking forward to seeing Bond return in the future, hopefully with Daniel Craig for that one film he's still contracted for. That is, if he doesn't kill himself first like he keeps threatening.

Pros

• Tying up loose ends
• Great writing
• Performances
• Fun but intense action sequences

Cons

• A tad long
• Holds back villain too long

Rating: 8/10

Release Date: 26th October, 2015

Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Andrew Scott, Ralph Fiennes, Monica Bellucci

"Everest" Review

As we enter the second half of 2015, we enter the standard Oscar season, when the majority of films are competing for Academy attention after a block of summer blockbusters. And what do the academy love the most (not LEGO based on last years nominations, apparently)? True stories, of course (bonus points if its set during a war). Standing at 29,028 feet, Mount Everest is one of the most beautiful and deadly natural wonders the world has to offer. Director Baltasar Kormakur has opted to focus on the latter aspect in his new film "Everest." Based on the 1996 Everest disaster in which no less than 8 people died, Everest is a beautifully shot and brilliantly acted film unfortunately let down by some aspects of writing and an inconsistent tone.

The casting directors and the studio have managed to assemble a great cast to star in this picture, including Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal and John Hawkes. These four characters are the best developed in the movie, each being given an effective backstory for why they are climbing Everest. Each of the actors manage to convey strong emotions in each of their performances, particular Clarke and Hawkes towards the film's climax, while others such as Brolin excel at other parts during the course of the action. In disaster movies like these, it is crucial for directors and screenwriters to spend time in order to flesh out these people so as to allow the audience to emotionally connect with them, thus allowing any potential death scenes to have a much more powerful effect. However, the reason I highlight these four is partly so that I can contrast that with other supporting characters who are not as well developed. While some may receive a quick throwaway explanation as to why they are there in the first place, others are hardly touched on at all to the extent that I sadly could not remember some of their names. Unfortunately, that only means that any of their deaths which I will not spoil did not hit me as hard as they possibly should have.

As I mentioned at the start, we have now entered the race for Academy affections and, while it is far too early to call definite winners, I think it is pretty much assured that this movie will be recognised for its cinematography. The lighting, sound and set design in the movie are all impeccable but is difficult not to specially mention some of the early shots of the group walking up the mountain, with the camera starting from the leader's face and slowly panning down through the ranks until we get a full shot of the mountain. These shots are all spectacular and really help to emphasise the difficulty of the challenge these climbers face when tackling Everest. However, the mountain and views itself could not have been brought to life in such vivid detail without the help of modern computer effects. The CGI in the movie is stunning, in particular the sight from the top of the mountain through the clouds to the ground. Without the colossal amount of detail crafted into these sequences, the director would have been unable to fully immerse the audience in this scenario, no matter how good his actors were.

Everest is by no means meant to be a funny or light-hearted affair, mainly focusing on the helpless climbers at the mercy of nature. I have no problem with movies like this having a bit of humour at the start, allowing the audience to let their guard down and grow to like these people, making the inevitable disaster much more powerful and terrifying when it eventually hits. However, switching back and forth between them for an hour before the main set piece makes the movie seem more inconsistent than smart. For example, one moment people are collapsing halfway up the mountain due to exhaustion and exposure to the elements, and the next Jake Gyllenhaal is lying shirtless offering whiskey to Jason Clarke. This is the rough style that the writers have chosen to adopt for the first act, before moving on. It's a small gripe for sure, and I'm certain that some of you will disagree with me, but it did seem really strange to me at times how the film constantly shifted between them.

Everest should be commended for its cinematography and CGI. Of that, there is no doubt. However, it is still let down by some poorly written secondary characters and an uneven tone, which hold it back from greatness. Based on a horrifying true event and featuring a stellar cast, Everest is proof that the Oscar season has truly begun. Brace yourselves for even more award hungry films in the next few months. At least we've still got Star Wars to look forward to for some light-hearted fun, though.

Pros

• Cinematography
• The cast
• Visual effects

Cons

• Some poorly developed supporting characters
• Confusing tone

Rating: 8/10

Release Date: 18th September, 2015

Starring: Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Sam Worthington, Jake Gyllenhaal, Keira Knightley, John Hawkes, Emily Watson, Robin Wright