FILMS: What We Watched #9

After a quiet few months on the film front we have a bumper post full of films today, and by bumper I mean we have 18 films in total for you so we’ve decided to split this post in two, you can come back and read the other half of the reviews on Saturday. OK we may have gone a little film crazy in April but we’re blaming the fact we had two weeks off work and partook in many film days and the fact that we’ve bought Now TV which basically has some pretty good films on it. So grab a drink and get comfy and read on for April’s film reviews.

 A Haunted House

2013 | 86 min | Comedy / Parody 

J: This is just a daft film. It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a
parody of other scary haunting films (ie Paranormal Activity), and
while it’s not fantastic cinema at all it has a good few laughs in it.
Not everyone is going to like it, and you shouldn’t expect much when you
put it on, but for me it provided plenty of daft chuckles!

L: When this popped up on Netflix, Josh convinced me to watch it and I went into it thinking it was going to be rubbish. A Haunted House is a parody on films such as Paranormal Activity, it’s definitely not scary in the slightest but then I didn’t expect it to be. It’s rude, crass, childish and definitely a little bit naff but I bloody loved it! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much at a film to the point where I was crying at times, it did exactly what it is intended to do and it completely appealed to my boyish sense of humour. There’s no way this will appeal to everyone but I loved it.

Rango

2011 | 107 min | Animation / Action / Comedy

J: I didn’t know what to expect from Rango, but as it turns out it’s a
really good film. It’s a good old fashioned Wild West flick but starring
a lost chameleon and various other desert-hardened critters who end up
relying on Rango to save their town. Also technically speaking the movie
is amazing…the animation is flawless and the attention to detail is
incredible. Yeah, these things impress me a hell of a lot!

L: The beauty of Netflix and Now TV is we have access to loads of films that we may not have watched before, Rango been one of them. It’s a western style film filled with cute little characters that’s definitely good for both adults and children. When Rango stumbles upon the town of Dirt he finds himself wrapped up in the towns affairs when he becomes the new sheriff and tries to save the residents from the water shortage. It’s an easy, fun watch. Perfect for when you don’t want to do too much thinking!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

2014 | 101 min | Science Fiction / Action / Comedy

J: Heroes in a half shell! Turtle power! While this movie is definitely
aimed at a younger demographic, what with the more silly jokes, overly
expositional dialogue and stuff like that, it’s still packed with plenty
of action to enjoy. Also the evil Shredder’s armour is pretty
neat…especially those hand-blade things. Not one that’s brilliant
enough for me to rush back to watch again, but if it was on TV I
wouldn’t instantly turn it off!

L: We sort of accidentally ended up watching this film as it is not something we would ever have picked but it was on for two children at a friends house so we ended up watching it. In all fairness it really isn’t a bad film and was enjoyable to watch but I couldn’t help feeling it didn’t do so well at catering for children and adults as well as so many other films do. It definitely felt geared towards a younger audience.

Toy Story of Terror!

2013 | 21 min | Animation / Comedy

and

Toy Story That Time Forgot

2014 | 22 min | Animation / Comedy

J: These are a couple of short Toy Story spinoffs that were definitely
worth talking about. If you love Toy Story, the characters, the humour,
then it’s all here in these two mini movies. Toy Story of Terror sees
the gang in a motel, disappearing one by one. The second, Toy Story The
Land That Time Forgot, finds them captured by strange, prehistoric
tribe toys. It’s not hard work watching them, it’s just plain fun. I
enjoyed them!

L: Toy Story films aren’t my favourite ever Disney Pixar films, I can pretty much take or leave them. These shorts were enjoyable though. They introduced a few new characters as well as bringing back the traditional cast of toys for two new mini adventures that pretty much centre just on the toys. Toy Story of Terror was my favourite of the two shorts but Angel Kitty in Toy Story That Time Forgot was super cute! These are definitely worth a watch for Disney Pixar fans.

The Call

2013 | 94 min | Thriller

J: Pure suspense, The Call has you on the edge of your seat. Like, there
are films where people get kidnapped and they do dumb stuff, but you’re
shouting suggestions at the screen and the girl is actually doing what
you’re shouting. She ain’t thick! I really enjoyed it but I thought the
ending was very Saw-like. Game over!

L: I love a good thriller film, one that gets me nervous and shouting at the TV and The Call did just that. When Halle Berry’s character handles a 911 call which leads to a girl dying she blames herself, 6 months on she works as a 911 operator trainer unable to handle calls herself until one comes through that mirrors the first case and Berry finds herself thrown into the whole thing. I was completely gripped with this film and although it is somewhat far-fetched towards the end, I still enjoyed it.

Monsters, Inc

2001 | 92 min | Animation / Comedy

J: Everyone loves a good Disney/Pixar movie, and to be honest I’ve never
really given Monsters Inc a fair chance. I saw it at the cinema and a
couple of times since, but I never really clicked with it. But watching
it again now I really enjoyed it. I don’t know why (could be because I
enjoyed Monsters University so much), but I think it’s a really great
movie. But then it’s Disney/Pixar…how could it NOT be?!

L: A Disney Pixar classic! It’s been a long time since I watched Monsters Inc and I’d forgotten just how good it is. I think it just shot back up to been one of my favourite Disney films. It’s such a great idea that children’s screams power a whole hidden monster world until Mike and Sulley turn the whole thing upside down and use children’s laughter instead after growing fond of a human girl, ‘Boo’.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

2004 | 100 min | Horror

J: I like this remake! I’ve seen the original and it’s a solid classic, but
like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or other films of that ilk, this is a
solid remake. The cast is good, and the zombies are pretty scary. And
they can run, not just amble. There’s something even worse about zombies
that can get a trot on!

L: We can’t remember if we’ve watched this film before or not but anyway, Dawn of the Dead centre’s on a group of human survivors living in a shopping mall whilst trying to figure out where to run to, to escape the zombie’s. It’s not a bad film but nor is it groundbreaking, it jumps straight in with the zombie action but you can’t help but feel that it doesn’t really go anywhere in that you spend the whole film watching the group planning their escape and survival only for it to end where they reach an island and are attacked by yet more zombies.

A Haunted House 2

2014 | 86 min | Comedy / Parody

J: Much like the original A Haunted House, this one is on very much the
same lines. The plot’s not even that much different, but still the silly
laughs are there. I think that because it’s so unpretentious and self
deprecating and stupid, you can overlook it and just plain chuckle to
something as silly as the guy over-over-overreacting to the death of his
dog (same as in the first movie!) Just enjoy it if it’s your kind of
thing!

L: Yes there’s a second one and it is quite possibly ruder than the first one! I laughed a lot and I enjoyed but for me the first one was miles better. I think if you’ve seen and enjoyed the first one then you have to watch this but the first one is much better. It completely rips off The Conjuring and Sinister too which with been a parody you expect. The Sinister parts were pretty funny though as I really like that film.

Freddy vs Jason

2003 | 99 min | Slasher / Fantasy

J: Not going to lie, I saw this film years back, and for some reason I
remember it being much better than it was. Like…MUCH better. It’s not
scary, it’s not suspenseful, it’s just a terrible mash-up of two
characters from two different franchises. I have nothing else to say.
Honestly, give it a miss.

L: I don’t even want to waste my time reviewing this. It was one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. I actually found myself laughing at how ridiculous it was. There was nothing scary about it, it was just utter trash. The sad thing is this somehow got 4 out of 5 stars on Now TV… Avoid this film at all costs I’m actually mourning the loss of the time I spent watching this.


If you only watch one of these films it should be…
J: Rango
L: Monsters, Inc

You can find part 2 of April’s film reviews here.