Darkmatters Review: The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner (12a)

Dir. Wes Ball

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Read the Newspaper version of this review over at The Leighton Buzzard Observer

“I am sure by now you all must be very confused... angry, frightened. I can only assure you that everything that's happened to you... it was all done for a reason.”

Meet sixteen-year-old Thomas (Dylan ‘The Internship’ O'Brien), he’s your average cute teen – one day in the near future - for unexplained reasons he wakes up in a strange elevator with absolutely no memory of who he is…

The elevator delivers Thomas into a strange green clearing ringed with massive walls that form an intricate maze. This is a place known as ‘The Glade’ and it is led by a charismatic older teen chap named Alby (Aml ‘Kidulthood’ Ameen), who marshals a group of other boys, all stuck in the heart of this ever-changing labyrinth with dreams of escape.

"Ooh - they let a girl in!?"

That’s pretty much all you need to know plot wise – from the opening set up this is a dystopian Hunger Games alike survival challenge based on the Best Selling novel series by James Dashner.
So it’s game on to see who will survive or if any of the rag-tag bunch of boys can actually find an exit? The group include Alby’s 2nd in command Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), ‘maze runners’ Ben (Chris Sheffield) and Minho (Ki Hong Lee) and black sheep of the group Gally (Will ‘We’re The Millers’ Poulter).

The Maze itself has a dark side and no one has ever survived spending a night in its dark confines, which is why the boys have established a workable community in the Glade. Instead they dispatch ‘runners’ to probe and map the labyrinthine maze in the hope of finding a way out. Standing between the guys and any hope of escape though are a group of semi mechanical spider like monsters that are equipped with giant scorpion like stingers who patrol the maze.

"The boys"

To complicate matters further not long after Thomas’s arrival the first ever girl is delivered to the Glade and apparently she recognizes and has some link to Thomas. This girl is named Teresa (upcoming British actress Kaya ‘Moon’ Scodelario), and she brings two syringes filled with a mysterious substance. The ‘Gladers’ find out that these syringes actually carry a cure for the spider monsters (which they call Grievers).

There's much running about, some fighting and teenage angst dialogue in a vaguely Lord of the Flies kinda way. Even with a 'Piggy' substitute in the chubby form of Chuck (Blake Cooper), who lets face it... will be lucky to see the end credits roll...

The Maze Runner delivers some pretty ‘a-maze-ing’ solid teen-friendly future thrills, which are worth checking out and if you like it you’ll be delighted to know that the sequel is already in production.


Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööö1/2 

(3.5 - like temple run but for real)

Awesomeness ööö – Good action and seemless CGI

Laughs öö – Some lite relief

Horror ööö – The Grievers are bit grim

Babes ööö – Scodelario is lovely

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - Testing survival instincts

Recommended Hashtags: #RUN

"Kaya Scodelario"

Darkmatters Review: Gone Girl

Gone Girl (18)

Dir. David Fincher

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Read the newspaper version of this review at The Luton News
- other Darkmatters David Fincher Movie reviews: Zodiac (which was quoted by The Guardian),
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

" As you all know, my wife, Amy Elliot Dunn, disappeared three days ago. I had nothing to do with the disappearance of my wife. I have nothing to hide…”

Prepare for a scorching crime thriller that cuts through lies and pretense to the unsavoury secrets at the heart of a very modern marriage. Directed by David ‘Se7en’ Fincher, Gone Girl has been written for the screen by Gillian Flynn, who also wrote the best selling novel and it’s awesomely dark.

"worried partner or killer?"

The plot revolves around Nick Dunne (Ben ‘new Batman’ Affleck) who on the day of his 5th Wedding Anniversary reports that his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund ‘Jack Reacher’ Pike), has gone missing. But things quickly start to look dodgy for Nick as clues come to light that paint him as not just a potential suspect – but the main one.

Under pressure from the police and growing media frenzy, Nick's portrait of a blissful relationship begins to crumble. Soon his deceits and slightly unexpected behavior have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne actually kill his wife?

"she's over there - hiding in the bath!"

Affleck and Pike deliver fascinatingly watchable performances that demand your attention for the whole of the two and half hour running time. The plot (which it would be a crime to spoil for you) jumps back and forth with clever flashbacks and truly unnerving twists; your allegiance will be cleverly manipulated several times before the credits role. There are some strong supporting roles from Neil Patrick Harris as Amy’s deranged, seriously wealthy first boyfriend, the lovely Emily ‘Blurred Lines’ Ratajkowski and Tyler ‘Alex Cross’ Perry as Nick’s hot-shot lawyer.

Fincher is a master filmmaker and Gone Girl is a classy addition to his cannon of work. Everything is meticulously presented, and a superb sense of unease and creeping dread drips from the screen. The 18 rating is due mostly to one incredibly lurid and violent scene which brought gasps of shock from the audience I caught this with, but overall this is such an incredible ‘did-he-do-it-or-not-em-up?’ that even squeamish crime lovers should put this on their ‘must see’ list.

"happier times"

If you’re married, Gone Girl may well make you look at your partner in a very different way… The questions of just ‘how do you know what someone else is thinking, planning, scheming?’ will echo around your head after witnessing this twisted tale.

Are you living with a sociopath?

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööööö 

(5 - Expertly constructed thrill ride)

Awesomeness ööööö – Gripping and mesmerising

Laughs öö – Couple of funny moments

Horror öööö – 'that scene' will stay with you...

Babes öööö – Rosamund Pike is still lovely plus Emily ‘Blurred Lines’ Ratajkowski

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - Till death us do part?

Recommended Hashtags: #TrustYourPartner?

"what is she actually thinking?"

"Emily ‘Blurred Lines’ Ratajkowski's former 'acting'"

Darkmatters Review: The Equalizer

The Equalizer (15)

Dir. Antoine Fuqua

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

"Got a problem? Odds against you? Nowhere else to turn? Call the Equalizer…”

As a boy in the ‘80s I would fervently watch Edward Woodward righting wrongs as The Equalizer on TV – and dream of several things, which included owning Jaguar and trench coat, having shady CIA connections who I could call in favours from and generally being a total badass crime busting hero by the time I reached middle age. Of those dreams only the trench coat and the age thing actually happened (unless my job at the London School of Theology is just a front to throw you off the scent).

"this is not the face of a main you want to cross"

Anyway – here we have The Equalizer / Robert McCall reinvented for the big screen in the cool, calm, charismatic form of Denzel Washington. Director Antoine ‘Training Day’ Fuqua works well with Washington – delivering an epically violent take on the lone hero can save the day well worn plotline.

"just a walk in the park"

McCall is a retired intelligence officer who believes he has put his special forces past behind him by stacking shelves in hardware store. By night he reads in a local café, wracked with insomnia, it is here he meets a young girl named Teri (Chloë Grace ‘Kick Ass’ Moretz). Teri is in all sorts of trouble, being violently pimped out by nasty Russian gangsters, so McCall decides to help her – and by ‘help’ I mean wage a ferocious one-man war on the entire Russian mafia – as you do.


There is much to enjoy as Denzel goes to work, armed with various hidden skills and the occasional power tool borrowed from his day job that enable him to serve his vengeance initially on Teri’s behalf. By the end - and after a hefty body count - he has fully taken on the role of ‘The Equalizer’ to the point where people can contact him for help via the internet.

"worth saving"

Washington did a similar vengeful role in Tony Scott’s Man on Fire and The Equalizer could be seen as soul mate film to that master class in violent retribution. The criminals ‘equalized’ are some very dodgy characters so once you get past the fact that McCall’s methods of bringing justice almost always leave a trail of dead bad guys, the stage is set for some wish fulfillment for anyone who has ever been brutalized and unable to fight back.

If you have a film viewing choice problem, if no-one else can help - call the Equalizer.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

(4 - Denzel kicks serious ass, in fine style)

Awesomeness öööö – incredibly brutal action scenes

Laughs öö – not much funny business

Horror ööö –  grimly violence

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - fight for those who cannot

Darkmatters Review: The Guest

The Guest (15)

Dir. Adam Wingard

Reviewed by Matt Adcock


“Be careful who you let in…”

Adam ‘You're Next’ Wingard reanimates the spirit of the 80's with this slick action/horror thriller that sees impossibly sexy David (Dan Stevens of 'Downton Abbey' fame) as a mysterious ex-war hero who calls at the family home of his friend who was killed in combat.

But this David might not be who he is claiming and before you can say ‘don’t trust him’ pretty soon people connected to the family are dying… Yes, The Guest (written by Simon Barrett) is an engaging mix of John Carpenter alike cheap thrills, mixed with some truly kick ass action, all held together by the superbly charismatic Stevens who seems to really relish letting rip in a very different role here.

"friend or foe?"

What makes this much better than similar ‘stranger danger’ flicks is that it gleefully fuses multiple genres – revenge-em-up, psycho thriller, Arnie-eque shooter and even Captain America style super solider adventure – just one with some serious trust issues.

The set pieces are excellent offering up crunching violence, OTT titillation and some very funny moments, all set to a cool ‘Drive’ like synth soundtrack. This is the sort of movie that made BlockBuster (RIP) so successful in the VHS heyday.

"do you want fries with that?"

The rest of the cast provides admirable cannon fodder for David to chew through. Up and coming newcomers Maika Monroe and Brendan Meyer even steal some of their scenes as the children of David’s adoptive family. Lance Reddick pops up as a shadowy secret service operative towards the end on a mission to try and take David down –which sets up a nice climactic showdown.

My friend Tom who I saw this with was smitten with a serious man crush on Stevens, whose perfectly groomed stubble and twinkly blue eyes put him very much in the Ryan Gosling mold of leading men.

"this shot is for Tom"

The Guest is the perfect combination of old-school and cutting edge which delivers a wicked fun night out.

Everything cracks along at an enjoyable pace, and the plot builds its twist up well even if it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. The writer / director team of Barrett and Wingard are worth keeping a eye on – having made a superb full on horror with You’re Next and a creepy satisfying thriller with The Guest, I’m already anticipating what they might serve up next.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö 

(4 - Be our guest!!)

Awesomeness ööööö – crunching 80's action horror a go go

Laughs öö – amusing in parts

Horror ööö – gets a little nasty

Babes öööö – Maika Monroe

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - Trust issues can be justified

Recommended Hashtags: #TastyGuest

"Maika Monroe is going to be a star!"

Darkmatters Review: A Private Man

A Private Man 

Dirs. Paul Wade, Simon Wade

Reviewed by Matt Adcock


Prepare for a trip to the edge...

What happens when loner repairman (Matthew 'Waking the Dead' Jure) lets his voyeuristic tendencies get the better of him?

Well, how about creeping madness, obsession and potential danger?

Yes - dark things are afoot (or are they?) when a seemingly innocuous elderly tenant (Paul 'Hot Fuzz' Freeman) moves into the building... Just what is in the big stage box he brings in - and even more worryingly - why has he put three locks on one of the internal door, behind which are half glimpsed movements and utter darkness?

Part David Lynch-esque nightmare, part Hitchcock-alike slow burn tension nail biter, A Private Man is a quality nerve jangling viewing experience that went down very well at the select advance screening in Hitchin.

The Wade brothers (Paul and Simon) have created a stylish, slick and disturbing new short film that firmly puts them on the map as film-makers to watch.

Everything about A Private Man just works, the cinematography is tight and often startling - creative angles and clever shots are used to eerie effect. And speaking of 'eerie' the minimal dialogue and unnerving soundscape combine to instil a creeping dread. Think a condensed mash up of feeling that were evoked by a mixture of Eraser Head, The Double and the excellent 'Freeze Frame' which showed us Lee Evans' psycho side in 2004.

A Private Man is shot through with moments of humour, some interesting moral questions and a chilling climax that will stay with you.

Matthew Jure is superb in the lead, his expressive face was made to be bathed in the bluish nano-ray light. It is a joy to witness his illicit interest in the various tenants and the he sucks the viewers in to want him to risk everything to try and find out what veteran actor Freeman is hiding.

Highly recommended, this is one to seek out.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö 

(4 - a 'must see' short film)

Recommended Hashtags: #WhatsBehindTheDoor

Link: A Private Man on IMDB

Darkmatters Review: Sin City - A Dame To Kill For

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For (18)

Dirs. Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“Sin City's where you go in with your eyes open, or you don't come out at all…”

Nine years after the hard-boiled graphic novel sensation Sin City burst onto the big screen - co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller (who is also the writer) reunite to take us back to the mean black and white, hyper stylized streets.

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For weaves together two more of Miller's Sin City stories and combines completely new material written especially for this sequel. Yes it’s still choc full of ultra-violence, action, nudity and gruff noir antiheroes, but the clue is definitely in the name and if you’re adverse to anything ‘sinful’ this isn’t the movie for you.

As both a Christian and comic book fan I find the Sin City world fascinating for a wealth of reasons. Miller’s alternate universe is one where the only justice is brutal vengeance and absolutely nobody is safe. Dive a little deeper and you’re see that everyone here has something dark to hide or is broken in some way.

Back from the first film are seemingly indestructible Marv (Mickey Rourke) and charismatic righteous do-gooder Dwight (Josh Brolin – taking over from Clive Owen who played him in the first film), both of whom are put through the Sin City mangle once more.

Jessica Alba’s Nancy is back too – all grown up and still burning for revenge against the powerful returning Senator Roark (Powers Boothe), she’s watched over by a nice ghostly cameo appearance from Bruce Willis’ Hartigan.

New to the City are hotshot gambler Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt on great form) who may have crossed the wrong person when he also tries to take on Roark in segment called ‘The Long Bad Night’ which fully delivers what it suggests.

But stealing the show is the titular Dame To Kill For – Ava Lord (Eva Green) who spends a lot of the film undressed, manipulating the men around her to kill and die at her whim. She’s hypnotic to watch, packing evil green spot colour irises that stand out in the monochrome black and white cinematography.

Although the actual plots aren’t as rousing as the original – fans of Sin City will find much to enjoy here. Even the added 3D actually enhances the cinematic experience, rather than feeling like a gimmick it so often is.

Remember what they say: “There is no justice without sin.”

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

(4 - less classic but still compelling noir)

Awesomeness öööö – incredible action scenes

Laughs ööö – some real fun

Horror öööö –  bit of grim violence

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - sin is not a long term option

Darkmatters Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy (12a)

Dir. James Gunn

Reviewed by Matt ‘Star-Lord’ Adcock

“I come from Earth, a planet of outlaws. My name is Peter Quill. There's one other name you may know me by. ‘Star-Lord’.”

Prepare to be blown away by the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’!! Yes Marvel Comics’ new fantasy sci-fi feel good summer smash hits the screen from relative obscurity to go toe-to-toe with The Avengers as the best super hero team the world has ever seen…

"meet the team!"

The Guardians are: Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), an eccentric wisecracking maverick with more than little ‘Han Solo’ about him, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), is a walking female weapon with slinky looks, green skin and a host of deadly martial arts skills. The team’s comedy double act are bounty hunting genetically enhance raccoon Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and his muscle Groot (Vin Diesel) who is in fact a walking sentient tree. Finally there’s Drax (WCW’s Dave Batista) who is a violent rogue looking to avenge the death of his family.

Director James ‘Super’ Gunn should be applauded for taking a risk on this lesser known and slightly outlandish comic book tale. He delivers over and above the expectations – confidently using a huge budget and quality actors like Glen Close and Benicio Del Toro in cameo roles.

"wanted - at a cinema near you!"

The action is crunching and satisfying but not overly gruesome, the special effects are jaw dropping (especially in IMAX 3D) and the script crackles with well-observed humour (the Kevin Bacon references are especially hilarious if you’re of an age to remember his Footloose days). There is excellent chemistry between the characters that all seem to be having a great time delivering the sci-fi action film of the year.

The plot revolves around an ‘Infinity Stone’ - a source of unstoppable power – which is craved by evil alien warlord Ronan (Lee Pace) who plans to wipe the central planet of cosmos. He’s in league with major league Marvel baddie Thanos (Josh Brolin) – who popped up in the after credit scene of The Avengers / which also paves the way for a possible superhero team up of epic proportions…

"Nice spaceship"

But back to Guardians, this is just an insanely fun and highly entertaining two-hours which every comic book fan on the planet needs to see. It’s really rare that a film lives up to the hype but Guardians of the Galaxy sets new standards for superhero-em-up adventures – and is destined for immediate cult-classic status.


Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööööö 

(5 - Don’t deny yourself this incredible cinematic super treat!)

Awesomeness ööööö – some many jaw-dropping moments

Laughs öööö – very funny, very well judged

Horror öö – not too nasty

Babes öööö – green girlfriend anyone?

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - some things are worth fighting for

Recommended Hashtags: #You'reWelcome

"so scoundrels like you come here often?"

"Karen Gillan - gives good baldy baddie"

Darkmatters Review: The Purge Anarchy

The Purge: Anarchy (15)

Dir. James DeMonaco

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

"Traffic is building rapidly downtown…we advise you to get off the streets as quickly as possible. It'll soon be a war out there."

Imagine 2023 - crime is almost non-existent, homelessness and unemployment are below 5% and people value their very lives… This is the near future of The Purge: Anarchy, where thanks to an annual 12 hour period of sanctioned lawlessness – the poor are preyed upon, the defenceless are wiped out and the psychotic get to unleash and sate their bloodlust.

"your purge mates..."

The barbaric Purge initiative was introduced by the ruling party called ‘The New Founding Fathers’ – and despite the sheer utterly immorality of authorising mass murder, it seems to be getting results. But there are some who are planning to fight back and before the end of the night things may well be rather different.

This follows up last year’s The Purge taking the story to the streets rather than staying in the confines of a household – and the payoff is a wilder, nastier kinetic night of madness. We get to experience the macabre events through the eyes of a small bunch of people who find themselves on the streets and vulnerable due to various reasons.

"not a nice night for a walk"

Eva (Carmen Ejogo) is a poor waitress, trying to look after her sick father Rico (John Beasley) and teenage daughter Cali (Zoe Soul). Meanwhile Shane (Zach Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanchez) are an average couple on the verge of breaking up when their car breaks down leaving them stranded miles from their home, being tracked by a masked group of weapon toting thugs.
Finally meet Leo (Frank Grillo), he’s a man driven to violence who is packing a small arsenal and who seems to be on a mission of his own.

When this random group cross paths, all their lives will change as the Purge night is one that few trapped outside survive. Step forward for murder, mayhem and tension on a whole new scale. Oh and throw in the fact that the government may actually have their own kill teams on the streets targeting poor districts and you get a Hunger Games element to the mix.

"somebody call Mad Max?"

Writer / Director James DeMonaco certainly builds on the mythos he created with the original film and expands the twisted concept in all directions. Taking the carnage outside gives the heightened sense of ‘what would you do?’ especially as not everyone will potentially get to meet a tooled up hero such as Leo (who pretty much steals the whole movie with his Mad Max-esq lead role).

There are likely to be more Purges to come…

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

(4 - Recommended for sickos!)

Awesomeness öööö – exciting and tense moments aplenty

Laughs öö – dark humour present but not much

Horror ööö – nasty in places

Babes öö – limited

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - inner bloodlust (nature or nuture?)

Recommended Hashtags: #AnAmericanTradition

"The NFFA are watching"

Darkmatters Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (12a)

Dir. Matt Reeves

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Read the newspaper version of this review over at: The Hemel Gazette

“Apes, together, strong!”

Sci-Fi classics really aren’t what they used to be… Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the latest to get the Hollywood re-envisioning as a follow up to the excellent 'Rise of the Planet of Apes.'

Director Matt ‘Let Me In’ Reeves brings his AAA game to this sequel, which sees the story pick up ten years after lab boosted intelligent simians slipped the shackles of their human oppressors and escaped in the woodlands near San Francisco.

"we come in peace..."

Whilst the super-monkeys led by Caesar (Andy Serkis) were building an impressive treetop homestead, we humans have been having a bad time of it… Simian flu has wiped out many of us and those who survived have turned to a lawless ramble fighting over dwindling resources. So 'Dawn' takes us into an ape-pocalyptic future where the balance of power has shifted – and details what happens when the human remnant of San Francisco accidentally run into monkey territory – cue a knife edge potential for all out ape / human war…

The first thing that hits you when watching ‘Dawn’ is that the CGI effects have moved on to a whole new level. These monkeys are absolutely works of art – the real craftsmanship on display that uses painstaking motion-capture is something you really have to see on the biggest screen you can find. And I’m not a fan of 3D movies generally, but this one works a treat, giving impressive depth to the visuals and never trying the ‘oh watch out it’s coming out the screen’ cheap shots.

"last chance to be pals"

‘Dawn’ pulls you in to the horribly escalating conflict, then delivers a full on visceral showdown – where the victor is uncertain and the battle footage deeply unsettling. There is a beating heart of emotion that makes you really relate to characters on both sides of the conflict. I’d never have thought I’d be moved watching two apes interact…

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a master-class on how to recreate a film series, improving on every single element of the source material. We can finally put the memory of Tim Burton’s messy attempt away and revel in what is a new simian master race of sci-fi entertainment.

The acting, special effects and storytelling result in an astonishing cinematic achievement.

"horses on the apes side..."

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö1/2 

(4.5 - Superior monkey business all round!)

Awesomeness öööö – some many jaw-dropping moments

Laughs ööö – funny where you want it

Horror ööö – gritty conflict

Babes öö – hairy girlfriend anyone?

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - apes longing for souls?

Recommended Hashtags: #LastChanceForPeace

"Keri Russell - a survivor"

Darkmatters Review: BoyHood

BoyHood (15)

Dir. Richard Linklater

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Read the Newspaper version of this review at the: Hemel Gazette

“What’s the point of it all?”

Boyhood is something unique. A film that takes the everyday experiences of growing up and tracks one young man over 12 years, shooting scenes from each of his years from age 6 to 18. It’s an incredible feat of cinematography that will resonate with every parent on the planet and invoke memories of their childhood for every male.

Director Richard ‘Before Midnight’ Linklater uses four core actors led by the titular ‘boy’ Mason (Ellar ‘Fast Food Nation’ Coltrane), Mason’s Mom (Patricia ‘True Romance’ Arquette), Mason’s estranged Dad (Ethan ‘The Purge’ Hawke) and Mason’s sister Samantha (Lorelei ‘actual daughter of the director’ Linklater).

"we've all done it"

It’s a long film at almost three hours, but instead of dulling your senses like the overblown Transformers: Age of Extinction, BoyHood feels like an inside peek into a life worth investing some time in to see how it turns out.

Covering some harsh realities of life for many – including an abusive stepdad, a father who simply isn’t able to commit to his family, another stepdad that never quite bonds with Mason – be prepared for a heartrending experience. The way each of the father figures in Mason’s young life lets him down in one way or another is painful to watch – and leaves you intensely rooting for the young man.

Charting Mason’s school life is caught in super condensed snapshots – dealing with the widely experienced clichés of homework, crushes on female classmates, run-ins with bullies etc but somehow they don’t feel overly contrived.

"happy moments"

As the teenage years kick in we get ringside seats as Mason experiments with drugs, struggles with peer pressure and dabbles in first love as well as finding a passion for photography. There are often hints of danger and threat as Mason’s young naivety makes parents watching cringe, but the plot never gets too dark to bear.

There are some interesting interactions with religious step-grandparents (who buy Mason a shotgun and a bible for his 15th birthday) although this feels a bit tacked on.

Arquette and Hawke are consistently excellent and Coltrane gives a memorable lead performance.

Distilled adolescence in the form of a road trips and family dinners, birthdays and graduations and all the moments in between become transcendent - there is just so much to BoyHood – laughs, pain, romance and grief which you’ll get to empathize with and probably leave reminiscing over.

"kids eh?"

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööööö 

(5 - superb cinematic, heartfelt, lifetime impact which will stay with you)

Awesomeness ööö – the climactic fight is a winner

Laughs ööö – some great fun in places

Horror öö – tense but never too grim

Babes öö – girlfriends!?

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - be a good parent!!

Recommended Hashtags: #AboutABoy

Darkmatters Review Transformers: Age Of Extinction

Transformers: Age Of Extinction (12a)

Dir. Michael Bay

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“There are innumerable mysteries to the universe. But who we are, is not one of them. That answer lies inside us. I am Optimus Prime…”

Age of Extinction is an adventure sixty-five million years in the making – and one that feels almost that long to watch… I’m sure that the shady aliens referred to only as the "Creators" had little idea just what they were unleashing when the used special ‘Seeds’ to alter Earth with their transformable metal.
Years after the epic Battle of Chicago (detailed in Transformers: Dark of the Moon) which saw the heroic Autobots led by Optimus Prme (voiced by Peter Cullen) fighting to save us from the evil Decepticons.

"bring the Dinobots..."

Now the transformers of all shapes and sizes are all in hiding – being hunted by the government due to having been deemed a threat to the planet. One day plucky inventor Cade Yeager (Mark ‘2 Guns’ Wahlberg) obtains an old truck to strip it for parts but it’s not just any old truck… It’s actually Optimus Prime!?

"classic look for Bumblebee"

Cade repairs the boss Autobot but unwittingly ends up becoming a target for a shady government kill team backed up by a terminator like Transformer bounty hunter called Lockdown (voiced by Mark ‘Black Sails’ Ryan). The few remaining Autobots, namely: Bumblebee, Hound, Drift, and Crosshairs band together to try and thwart Lockdown and fight the renewed threat of man-made transformers led by Galvatron – who is harbours the personality of Megatron.

"robotic knight"

The plot always takes a back seat to the action in Transformers films but Age of Extinction is the weakest and most laborious yet. Alas the action is pretty lackluster too for the most part, only really redeemed (for transformer fans at least) by the climax that sees Dinobots thrown into the chaotic mix. It’s hard not to be impressed by the sight of Optimus riding in to battle on the back of metallic fire breathing dragon – gigantic sword in hand.

Director Bay though seems to have lost some of the love he has previously shown for his spectacular robotic heroes. Sure they still look superb and the occasionally even draw gasps as the special effects kick in with things we’ve never seen on screen before.

"Nicola Peltz - all American girl"

The Transformers franchise shows no sign of slowing down – and Age of Extinction delivers some heavy metal action thrills but let’s hope that part 5 amends for this overblown familiarity on screen here.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööö 

(3 - This is not war, it's extinction)

Awesomeness öööö – the climactic fight is a winner

Laughs öö – mildly amusing in parts

Horror ö – not grim really

Babes öööö– Nicola Peltz sizzles as Tessa Yeage

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - some metal guys are still on our side

Recommended Hashtags: #NotExtinctButAlmost

"Michael Bay - continues to empower women in this film"