Paul (2011)

Reece says:


It is 3:14am as I start to write this as I can't sleep so I apologise for any mistakes in this piece :) Anyway lets get started... Paul well some how Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have done three completely different film and just like all the others this one was epic! Who would have thought you could have written a script about two nerds a camper van and an alien. For some insane reason it worked so well, the film was hilarious with so many great unexpected jokes and also some unexpected celebrity appearances which added to the films sense of what the hell is coming next? I think I should take a second to mention Paul voiced by Seth Rogen, the character and animation were just brilliant, the take on Paul not looking like us but sounding and behaving in such a human way was a great take on extra terrestrials.


Hats off to Simon Pegg and Nick Frost for writing and acting out such a great film, you get the film that being a nerd is becoming cool and well accepted in society and this film shows this well. There are some classic moments in the film that won't be forgotten like the bird scene and the comic book store scene (I am laughing now as I recollect the scenes in my mind). I did watch this film on Sky Box Office but I think tomorrow my film collection will get another addition (for any body thinking what it could be its what I have been writing about for the last 10 minutes). So this is an easy conclusion with Paul you should watch it, buy it, own it... need I say anymore? (the time is now 3:25 goodnight).


Reece's rating: 

Tara says:

Paul is a very funny film, before watching I had people telling me that it wasn't as good as the other cornetto films (tbh I don't even know where the cornetto was in this one) well anyway... they were wrong. I felt that it held its own against Shaun of the dead and Hot Fuzz as I loved them all equally as much. I loved the character Paul, as he looked like the stereotypical 'alien' he certainly wasn't one. He lived more of a human life than the rest of the main characters did, but all he wanted to do was just go home. I thought the whole storyline where he falls from the sky and lands near a little girls home, to the geeks that go in search for alien life forms on holiday in america, to him leaving in almost an 'E.T' style moment (with added humour of course) was amazing and well written. 

I felt that by them giving Paul powers to bring dead things back to life wasn't going to work, but it did very well... and I too am laughing at the bird scene (watch it to find out). His power to show everyone what the truth was too was also a clever plot line by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as the characters that didn't want to believe in Paul had to and even through his rudeness you love him as a person and really don't wan't him to die at the end.... (I'm not saying he does... or am I?) 

It really is a must see, I could watch it over and over again and not get sick of it.. Need to get it on DVD :)

Tara's rating:  

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Tara says: 

Any body who find Johnny Depp the best looking man alive will love this Pirates of the Caribbean! It has gone back to the first film where Captain Jack Sparrow is the main character, with all his humour, his funny walk and all the rum. 

This is a proper pirate film with mermaids to make it even more amazing. In this film, the pirates are looking for the fountain of youth and with characters from the last three films it was no wonder that it has been rated so highly. There was no return from Elizabeth Swan and William Turner, and I think this was one of the reasons why it was almost as good as the first PotC. There was no complicated storyline like in the last film, where I had no idea what was going on, something about the world ending... meh! This one was an easy watch and you were able just to focus one person and that was Johnny Depp. A few new characters were chucked in Angelica Malon played by Penelope Cruz and Blackbeard played by Ian McShane, these two character fitted in so well especially with the fact Angelica and Jack had a past. My favourite scene being the one where the mermaids are all swimming in to shore to attack all the pirates. I felt that it was so cleverly done and was amazing to watch how these beautiful mermaids turned so violent in a split second. 


They have definately left it open for a Pirates of the Caribbean 5... lets just hope its more about our beloved main character rather than a love scene from Will and Elizabeth. Worth a watch :)


Tara's Rating:

Reece says:


Awesome, awesome, awesome! That is how I would describe this amazing reboot of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. I was a huge fan of The Curse of the Black Pearl but was disappointed with the 2nd and did not bother to watch At Worlds End. So I went into the cinema really hoping that they could sort things out with this 4th entry in the series and they 
did. Just when you thought the game was dead and buried, in extra time Disney came back and scored a blinder with this film. On Stranger Tides did what the 2nd and 3rd instalments failed to do and that is focus on Johnny Depps incredible character that is Jack Sparrow. Jack Sparrow (I think there should be a captain in there some where) along with some old faces and some new reignite the Pirates of the Caribbean canon with an explosive story line and some great ideas and cast additions. Ian McShane (Black beard) and Penelope Cruz (Angelica Malon) were two really good pieces of casting making great pieces of the Pirates of the Caribbean world.


On Stranger Tides had me hooked for the whole film, making me laugh and keeping me on my toes with a good amount of action and a few creepy moments. All in all the film was well balanced with plenty of classic Captain Jack moments. I also saw the film in 3D which was in my opinion well worth it, it just gives everything that little more detail and makes you feel that little more involved in the action. All in all this is one of those rare saviours for a film franchise, making me really wanting a number 5 (please Disney... pleeeeease). Granted after a long day I fell asleep in the last 2 minutes so I missed the set up for another instalment but Tara guarantees they did :)   


Reece's rating:

Mean Girls 2 (2011)

Tara says:
As good as the first one.... not at all! I was disappointed because the first one was so good. In this one the characters have become extremely cheesy and annoying. You even cringe and some of the lines they say. The plot wasn't exactly the best and no where near as funny apart from a few one liners which Reece laughed at, a lot more than I did. None of the original cast were in it except for the principal of the school, not that he had much to do with the film. It felt as though they were trying to hard to make it as good as the first one. The plot followed the new girl coming to the school and the 'plastics' making it difficult for her... blah blah blah! I kept comparing the cast from the first one.... Lindsey Lohan vs. Meaghan Martin. Lindsey's character playing a girl that has been home schooled by her parents whilst touring the world vs. Meaghan's character a tomboy who lives with her dad  who repairs cars?! I think thats right, well obviously wasn't paying that much attention... AND of course Rachel McAdams vs. Maiara Walsh... Rachel beating her character every time...All in all I thought it was a bad attempt at making a prequel when they could have made it amazing...


Tara's Rating: 

Reece says:
From the moment I first noticed the box in Tara's hands on the way to the checkout I could tell this film was going to be bad. I just had the feeling that watching this film was going to be a few hours of my life that I was never going to get back. These were all just pre-judgements though, so I sat there with an open mind trying and to be honest for the first time in a while my pre-judgements were... right! This film was truly tragic and does not deserve to have even a slight hold on the Mean Girls title. Now don't get me wrong I like chick flicks, the first Mean Girls was a good film but this was in a league of bad all on its own. The characters were weak, though credit where credits due the main character was well acted by Meaghan Martin, other than that the story was bad and the script was predictable. Granted I laughed a few times, though I felt ashamed at laughing at such a bad film so tried to hold it in so that Tara would not notice and be smug that I am laughing at a film I clearly don't like!


In comparison with the first one Mean Girls 2 just was not mean it was more lacklustre and half arsed. For any Mean Girls fan this film I am sure was a huge disappointment, so please no Mean Girls 3 unless they bring back the original cast and a mean script. So final verdict on Mean Girls 2 is an absolute shocker, a good film title dragged through dirt!


Reece's Rating: 

First Review: Star Trek (2009)

Reece says:
I am going to start by saying how excited I am to be starting this blog :) I really do love being with Tara so much, she is my World... love you babe, am byth! Anyway got that bit out of the way, now to let you know whether Star Trek should be respected or dejected. Well I can say that when I heard Star Trek was being rebooted the age old Trekkie inside me cringed! Now there is a but and this is the biggest but I have lobbed into a sentence for a while the film turned out to be absolutely brilliant :) Star Trek is one of the best reboots I have seen in so long, it breathed the life into a wrinkly old franchise that desperately needed a face lift.


I am sure that many die hard fans would be disappointed with the creation of an alternate reality that this take on the original series uses but I think it was genius, it allows the franchise to wander off in a new direction. Now where to start complimenting next, the story is great it was Star Wars epic with a good mix of classic Star Trekness chucked in. The CGI and new sets (especially the take on the bridge of the Enterprise) made a beautiful film to watch, it really helped to transform Star Trek from cheap Sci-Fi to a main stream blockbuster. Lets be honest who doesn't love to watch a starship be ripped to shreds in incredible realistic detail! The cast were brilliant with some really good casting and acting, I loved Simon Pegg's appearance as Scotty mainly because it's nice to see Brits in Hollywood. This film definitely left me with an urge I hadn't had for years and that was to pick up a tricorder, phaser and the keys to a starship and go warp round the universe (like the nerd I used to be).


All in all Star Trek (2009) easily relaunches Star Trek in my eyes back up to the peak of great sci-fi franchises. Star Wars and the millennium falcon watch out because the Enterprise is hot on your heels. All I can say is I know Star Trek 2 is in the pipeline... can't wait, definitely a film I'll be trekking out to watch.. verdict: damn good. 


Curious to see what Tara has to say considering she fell asleep at the end, so the last few scenes (which looked good) lacked sound due to some heavy snoring.


Reece's Rating:

Hot-Diggidy-Dog what a reboot :D

Tara says:
Okay, so this wasn't my choice of what film to watch last night, but I said I wouldn't complain until after I'd watched what ever Reece actually picked. Turns out he wanted to watch the one film that I didn't really want to watch from his collection, which was probably why he picked to watch it. Having not watched any full episode of the Star Trek series, I didn't really know what this film was going to be like... I heard people used to really follow star trek.. Trekkies were they called? and knew some weird language? and I remember constantly trying to do that thing where you separate your fingers in the middle, but failing badly. 

Anyway back to the film and the opening sequence. I had no idea who the characters were, from who died at the start to who was having a baby, so I was constantly annoying my hardcore trekkie fan boyfriend who was who, and what was actually happening because all I knew was the fact they were on a spaceship and there were people and aliens in strange jumpers. 


The film for me actually looked good when James or Jim Kirk raced a cop down a long deserted road in his dads classic car, and the fact he almost died off the edge of the cliff. Everything seemed to confuse me, like what was spock? and why couldn't they show any emotion? who were the evil people that kept killing everyone and placing black holes in worlds.... how does this fit in with the series? did trekkie fans actually like the fact Hollywood had taken their beloved series and changed it around a bit? 


There were some parts I liked, despite falling to sleep. Like seeing the actor that had played Spock his whole life make an appearance in the movie and I liked the relationship between the new Spock and Jim/James Kirk.... BUT I did fall asleep half way through the film (I think) ... maybe because I was tired or maybe because I just didn't understand the whole thing. Maybe if I watched it again I would think differently. 


Tara's Rating:

I can't speak Klingon