MiniG's Mini Movie Blog

Star Trek (2009)

2009-05-11T22:21:00.002+01:00

Rating 9 out of 10

Really wanted to see this film since i saw the trailers a few months back. I am not a big fan of Star Trek infact don't think i have ever watched the show. I have seen the old film Star Trek Nemisis and i enjoyed that i am a fan of spacey things so thought i would like this film!

OUTLINE:

This film goes back to the beginning and life of James T Kirk the eventual captain of USS Enterprise. It starts off with his father and his 12 minutes of being the captain of the Enterprise and then jumps forwad to James as a kid and follows his eventual enrollment in Space Academy. Whilst at the Academy he meets his friends Uhura, Bones and Spock. It also follows how each of the characters got into the crew of the Enterprise and the adventures they get up to battling the bad guy Nero.

REVIEW:

I really enjoyed this film. I liked how it went back in time to explain the whole start of the Star Trek story with all the characters and how they got together to be on the Enterprise. Even though i am not a Star Trek fan this did not hinder my enjoyment of the film. It is very well made, has humour and is also entertaining. I def must see in my opinion!

ACTORS:

James T Kirk - Chris Pine (Just My Luck, Smokin' Aces)

Spock - Zachary Quinto (Heroes, 24)

Nero - Eric Bana (The Other Boleyn Girl, Troy)

Uhura - Zoe Saldana (Pirates of the Caribbean, Drumline)

Scotty - Simon Pegg (How To Lose Friends & Alienate People, Hot Fuzz)

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)

2009-05-11T22:06:00.002+01:00

Rating 8 out of 10

I went to see this film with the bf (surprised me he picked it :P) but i wasnt going to say no to a good Matthew McConaughey film.....mmmmmmm ;)

OUTLINE:

Connor Mead is a bachelor through and through. He sleeps with umpteen women and never settles down. Connor's brother, Paul, is getting married and Connor decides to attend the wedding where he meets his best friend from childhood Jenny. However during the night Connor's dead uncle tells him he will be visited by 3 ghosts - ghost of girlfriends past, present and future - to help him see his ways!

REVIEW:

Despite the fact i adore Matthew (but then what female doesn't?!!!!) and also Jennifer Garner i thought this film looked quite good.....and it was! It has a simple story line but it is sweet a nice wee rom com which i like. It is amusing and Matthew does a very good job to keep you amused for the duration of the film. A good film for a night in!

ACTORS:

Connor - Matthew McConaughey (How to lose a guy in 10 days, Tropic Thunder)

Jenny - Jennifer Garner (Juno, Elektra)

Uncle Wayne - Michael Douglas (The Sentinal, Don't Say A Word)

Paul - Brekin Meyer (Garfield, Kate and Leopold)

17 Again (2009)

2009-05-03T23:28:00.002+01:00

Rating: 9 out of 10

Ok so when i saw the trailer for this film i HAD to see it as i love Zac Efron so my opinion for this film is slightly skewed towards my love for Zac but it was a good film...honest!!

OUTLINE:

Mike O'Donnell is not happy with how his life has turned out and the decisions he made after High School. His wife hates him and his two children don't want to be seen with him. All that Mike wishes is that he could go back to High School and make different decisions. One night he wakes up and finds out that he is seventeen again and has to deal with going back to High School with his children and seeing his life from another angle.

REVIEW:

So i loved this film. It has Zac Efron in it and quite frankly he is just HOT! ;) It is funny and has a really nice storyline. To be fair it is fairly predictable but it is entertaining enough to watch and even non Zac Efron fans enjoy it. The only thing i have against this film is that in the trailer for the film it shows Zac taking his shirt off in the garden and this DOES NOT appear in the film i was not happy about this but Zac dancing in just basketball shorts at the beginning of the film will do i suppose. I recommend for a good wee girlie romcom film :)

MAIN ACTORS:

Mike (young) - Zac Efron (High School Musical 1, 2, 3)

Mike (old) - Matthew Perry (Friends)

Monsters Vs Aliens 3D (2009)

2009-05-03T23:13:00.003+01:00

Rating: 9 out of 10

Have seen this film twice now (i do love childrens movies!) with it being in 3D and the adverts histerical i was sure it was going to be a good movie!

OUTLINE:

When a meteorite falls from the sky and lands on a woman it ends up turning her into a giant woman (susan/ginormica) She is taken to a secret unit when she meets the 4 other monsters who have had similar accidents and been turned into monsters - BOB, Dr. Cockroach, The Missing Link and Insectosaurus. When an alien lands on Earth the only solution is for the monsters to help save the Earth.

REVIEW:

MvsA was better than i thought. The 3D graphics were outstanding with the film looking like it was real life instead of a cartoon. It was just as funny as the trailers for the films showed it would be. I saw it twice and still found it just as funny the second time round. A fun family film but also a good film for a laugh!

MAIN ACTORS:

Susan - Reece Witherspoon (Four Christmases, Walk The Line, Just Like Heaven)

BOB - Seth Rogan (Step Brothers, Superbad, Knocked up)

Dr. Cockroach - Hugh Laurie (House)

I Love You, Man (2009)

2009-05-03T20:51:00.004+01:00

Rating: 6 out of 10

Went to see this film with two of my best mates. Wasn't sure what to think about it but like Paul Rudd so thought we would give it a go!

OUTLINE:

Peter Klaven has always been a ladies man and has never had any real guy friends or a best friend. When he proposes to his girlfriend he realises that he has no-one to be his best man. He sets out to find a guy friend to be just that. When he meets his new best friend Sydney and starts spending a lot of time with him his relationship with his fiance begins to be tesed. Peter struggles to work out if he can have both his fiance and new best friend in his life?

REVIEW:

This film was amusing. There were some funny parts and it was watchable but nothing special. Paul Rudd is funny but the problem i had with this film as both my 2 mates had as well (all of us female which i think might have been the problem!) was the stupid way the guys in the film always talked to each other. It was funny at first but when it carried on through the whole film it got very annoying. All in all is it an alright film a nice wee watch if you don't want to have to concentrate hard and have a wee giggle.

MAIN ACTORS:

Peter - Paul Rudd (Role Models, Knocked up, Over Her Dead Body)

Sydney - Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked up)

State of Play (2009)

2009-05-03T11:10:00.002+01:00

Rating: 8 1/2 out of 10

I went and saw this film with my boyfriend. We weren't sure what it was about but with a cast like Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck and Helen Mirren i presumed it was going to be a fairly good film. Even though we missed the first 5mins of the film it didn't affect understand the rest of the story and it turned out to be a very good film.

OUTLINE:

State of Play is an intense political thriller. It is about a journalist Cal McAffrey who works for The Washington Globe. A double murder happens in the city and Cal starts to investigate. However, the next day Cal's college roommate, a Congressman sitting on an important case, finds out that his researcher has been killed. Both deaths seem unrelated until Cal thinks that it is actually a conspiracy of a corporate cover-up that is happenening. Cal along with a new reporter on the Globe, Della Frye, have to uncover clues and work out whether it is worth risking their lives to get the ultimate story for the Globe in time for Publication.

REVIEW:

I really enjoyed this film. It is one of those gritty thrillers that keep your attention throughout. The film looks to be predictable but it has some good twists that manage to confuse the watcher until the end where the whole story is revealed. The 4 famous actors in this film really help to make it a very good film. Russell Crowe is very good as the tough journalist and Rachel McAdams makes a perfect new reporter to help Russell out on uncovering the story. There isn't much action in the film but still a very good film to go and see with an intense storyline.

MAIN ACTORS:

Cal - Russell Crowe (Gladiator, Cinderalla Man, Body of Lies)

Congressman Collins - Ben Affleck (Smokin' Aces, He's Just Not That Into You)

Della - Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Wedding Crashers, Red Eye)

Cameron Lynne - Helen Mirren (The Queen, National Treasure 2)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

2009-05-03T02:25:00.004+01:00

Rating: 10 out of 10

I saw the premier of Wolverine at Ashton Lane. The first time i have paid for a film in 3 years but it was well worth!

OUTLINE:

Wolverine is the first of the origin films that come before the X-Men trilogy. It follows the story of how Wolverine (and some other storylines) came about to be X-Men.

The movie starts with Logan (Wolverine) as a young boy discovering that he is different from normal children and able to grow claws in his hands when he is angry. Logan and his brother Victor Creed (who later becomes Sabertooth) run away together. They end up serving in many wars together until they are captured and found by William Stryker who runs a special unit for mutants. During an exercise where Stryker wants the unit to kill villagers who will not tell him where a special metal that he wants is, Logan turns his back on them and quits the unit refusing to kill innocent people. Logan runs off to live a peaceful life as a lumberjack in Canada with his girlfriend but is still disturbed by the nightmares of his life.

6 years go by and Logan has almost forgotten what he used to be until Stryker turns up and offers him a chance to be in the Weapon X Project. Logan refuses until Creed turns up and kills his girlfriend. Logan is so mad he wants revenge on Creed he agrees to go through with the transformation. Stryker uses the special metal adamantium to infuse to Logans' exoskeleton to make him indestructable and eventually Wolverine with his metal claws! However Stryker had an alterior motive and is trying to create the ultimate mutant with DNA from kidnapped mutants joined together to make mutant Weapon XI. He wants Logan's DNA however before he gets the chance Logan escapes.

Logan goes out to seek revenge on both Creed and Stryker. He finds the mutant Gambit (the first time he has been in an X-Men film!) and asks for his help to get to Three Mile Island, where Stryker is keeping the kidnapped mutants, as Gambit is the only mutant to have escaped. Logan finds all the captured mutants and confronts Stryker only to be set apon by Weapen XI. Not to give away too much the film ends with Logan having to defend himself against the ultimate mutant, save the captured mutants, kill Stryker and get revenge on Creed.

REVIEW:

I am a big fan of films about superheros and Marvel etc so i was expecting Wolverine to be up there with the X-Men films and Spiderman as some of my fave films and it exceeded my expectations!

I was sucked in from the very beginning and not just because Hugh Jackman is very hot and naked at one point ;) The film goes back in time and follows all the things that Logan had to go through that make him the mutant that he is in X-Men. It has twists and many points in the film where things just click and start to make sense from storylines in the X-Men films. It has action from the very start that carry on to very end and the graphics in the film are amazing. The introduction of new mutants such as Gambit and the start of the story of how mutants such as cyclops become to be in the X-Men Project run by Charles Xavier in the trilogy of X-Men make this film even better. The film keeps you engaged, has everything you need in a film from action to romance, so something for everyone - a definate MUST SEE!

TRIVIA:

Whilst making this film Hugh Jackman was taking part in a fight scene with a stunt woman as Wolverine. The woman misjudged a move at one point and didnt move out the way in time and ended up being speared in the arm by the real metal claws in Jackman's hand!

MAIN ACTORS:

Logan/Wolverine - Hugh Jackman (X-Men, Van Helsing, The Prestige)

Creed/Sabertooth - Liev Schreiber (Defiance, The Omen)

Stryker - Danny Huston (Children of Men, The Kingdom, The Aviator)

Deadpool - Ryan Reynolds (Definately Maybe, Just Friends)

Bolt - Dominic Monaghan (Lost, Lord of the Rings)

The Univited (2009)

2009-05-03T01:52:00.004+01:00

RATING: 9 out of 10

So i went and saw this film tonight with Leanne. We were originally going to see Ghosts of Girlfriends Past but it was full up! We didn't know what it was really about although i had heard it had got alright reviews. I was pleasantly surprised by the end of it just how good a film it actually was and well worth it!

OUTLINE:

The Uninvited is about 2 sisters who are dealing with their mothers tragic death. Anna, one of the sisters, takes it very badly and ends up spending time in a mental institution. She is unable to remember anything that happened on the night of the death and has recently been having very vivid weird dreams about certain things that she is unable to explain.

On her arrival home she finds out, from her elder sister Alex, that her father is now dating the nurse, Rachel, who was looking after their mother whilst she was sick. Rachel has now moved into their home and started to change things in their life to try get rid of the presence of their actual mother. However, Anna starts to see ghosts in her house telling her things and both her and Alex start to become suspicious that their mothers death wasn't really the accident that they think it was...!

REVIEW:

This film is jumpy, infact at one point i nearly died of a heart attack! It is not too scary though that it takes away from the storyline. As in most horror films that can be just out to scare the bejesus out of you this is a very well made film. Dreamworks were in on making it so that definately makes a difference! It has a very good story, easy to follow and a fantastic twist at the end. It is one of those films that just when you think you have sussed out what happened something else happens to throw you off the trail. By the end of this film you will be amazed as to what really happened that night and how clever the film really is plus you will be able to sleep at night!!

MAIN ACTORS:

Anna - Emily Browning (Lemony Snicket, Ghost Ship, Darkness Falls.)

Alex - Arielle Kebbel (Aquamarine, American Pie: Band Camp, John Tucker Must Die)

Steven - David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum, Fracture, Spiderwick Chronicles)

Rachel - Elizabeth Banks (Definately Maybe, Role Models, 40yr Old Virgin)

My Reviews and Ratings

2009-05-03T01:30:00.003+01:00

I thought i would explain how my movie reviews shall be set up....

I will title each blog with the movie that i have seen - it should then be easy for people to pick a specific film blog and read about it.
At the top of each blog will be the rating that i give the movie out of 10. 1 will be the worst movie in history i.e do not see!, 5 being an OK film watchable but nothing special and 10 being Oscar worthy a MUST SEE!!
I will then give a wee outline of the film and my review of it, trivia, actors (and other films they are in coz that is the most annoying thing when you are watching a film and don't know where you know someone from!) and anything else about it - IMDB.com is my usual place to check about films i would recommend there as well as mine of course ;)
I might even include a cheeky wee picture of the film as well.

As a side note: There are certain types of films (stupid humour, subtitled, old black and white etc) and actors (Will Ferrell etc) that i generally hate and try not to watch so i must say now that these reviews are my opinion. Saying that, i usually have a fairly good judge of movies and as of yet have not picked a bad film to see at the cinema in 3 years - a very good track record for a film critic i would say hehe :) Enjoy!

Movie, Film, Motion Picture...

2009-05-03T01:07:00.003+01:00

So here i am finally set up and ready to go! Now what to write....?.......?.....

Movies, films, motion picture all words to describe what is a big part of my life. I am a proud owner of a Cineworld Unlimited Cinema Card. This allows me to go and see as many films as i want, as often as i want for...wait for it....FREE!! Well thats not entirely true as you have to pay £13 a month but i get mine as a Christmas present every year so it is free for me :) Because of this marvellous and wonderous piece of card i have taken to abuse the system and go and see as many films as i can. Luckily i have yet to become a saddo and go on my own as my 3 best mates and boyfriend also own a card so i can usually always find someone to come with me!

My record so far was my cinema day where i went and saw 4 films in a day with Leanne. This was hard going starting at 10am and finishing at 1am! Infact i did fall asleep in the last film for about 10mins before i woke up with Leanne staring at me but it was a rubbish film (Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D incase you want to know!) I can easily go see every new film out in a week and go at least 3 times a week. I am willing to go see almost anything although before i go i always check up the film in IMDB.com to see how is in it and what rating it gives it. This is where i got my idea from!

As i go see so many films at the cinema, watch a lot of films on TV and currently own over 250 DVDs (all of which have their advantages and disadvantages!) people quite often ask me what i think of certain films, what are good films to see etc So i have decided that i shall start my own movie blog. I am planning on reviewing every film i see both in the cinema and on TV. As i have seen a lot of films as of today it might take me a while to review every film that i have seen but i shall start with the most recent and work my way back. So here goes.....