Ex Machina (2015)

A young programmer is selected to participate in a breakthrough experiment in artificial intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a breathtaking female A.I.

Director: Alex Garland
Writer: Alex Garland
Stars: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac.

Storyline

Caleb, a 26 year old coder at the world's largest internet company, wins a competition to spend a week at a private mountain retreat belonging to Nathan, the reclusive CEO of the company. But when Caleb arrives at the remote location he finds that he will have to participate in a strange and fascinating experiment in which he must interact with the world's first true artificial intelligence, housed in the body of a beautiful robot girl.

User Reviews

Ex Machina has a simple story dealing with a deeply complex and philosophical topic: namely what makes humans human.

The increasingly omnipresent Oscar Isaac plays billionaire Nathan Bates, genius creator of 'Google' - my mistake - 'BlueBook', the world's "leading search engine". Bates lives in the middle of the American wilderness (in reality, a very picturesque Norway) and in a property that actually exists (BlueBook the Juvet Hotel). He is leading a one-man research project into the development of an Artificial Intelligence. Leading neatly on from the recent Cumbur-busting "The Imitation Game" the eccentric and erratic Nathan needs to share his work with someone external in order to perform 'The Turing Test' - the test to determine if a machine can genuinely pass itself off as human to another human.

Domhnall Gleeson' character (Caleb) works for BlueBook and wins the Wonka Golden Ticket to spend a week with Nathan, becoming the human side of the test. Ava is the beautiful and seductive android subject and the film clinically walks through the sessions between Caleb and Ava, watched over by Nathan via the villa's comprehensive CCTV system. The only other significant character in the film is Nathan's house maid Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno), who neither understands nor speaks English so drifts silently around offering various 'services'.

We have been here before: Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" and Spielberg's "AI" both covered similar ground, but in perhaps a less claustrophobic manner than Ex Machina. This serves the story well, ramping up the tension as an age old Sci-fi plot-point emerges (as covered by the trailer): how will a sentient machine feel about having its plug pulled. (No rain or doves are included in this one).

The acting is all up to snuff, with Isaac - this time hiding behind a Brian Blessed-style bushy beard - looking and acting for all the world like George Clooney. Domhnall Gleeson ("About Time", "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and getting all the roles that Paul Bettany is now too old for) makes the journey well from nice but naive employee to a much more world-wise freedom-fighter. Swedish-born Alicia Vikander, currently also leading in "Testament of Youth", is deliciously sensual as Ava (albeit - and trust me to notice this - that her significant assets seem to vary in size during the movie). She is also an excellent actress, having to reflect a wide range of emotions through little else than her eyes.

I really enjoyed this film. However, that is on the basis that Science Fiction is one of my favourite genres: I can see some audiences finding the philosophical plotting too slow and wordy to hold their interest. But if you like your films deep and thought-provoking, as well as deliciously tense in places, then this might be for you.

The writer and director is Alex Garland, and this is actually his impressive directorial debut. He is of course best known as a writer, having penned the novel of "The Beach" and the screenplays for films including "28 Days Later", "Sunshine" and "Never Let Me Go". Also hats off to the special effects crew (led by Richard Conway) since Ava is a miracle of visual effects. The effective keyboard score is by Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury.

The film pleasingly doesn't outstay its welcome, also leaving some loose ends to ponder on after the lights come on and the screeching credits song (sorry, but it's just AWFUL!) drives you from the auditorium. Also be aware that for those offended by full frontal female nudity, or indeed those that enjoy it, that there is a good deal of it in this film. (Lads, practise the excuse now: "But it's fine dear

- she's not a naked women… she's a robot!").

Last Knights (2015)

A fallen warrior rises against a corrupt and sadistic ruler to avenge his dishonored master.

Director: Kazuaki Kiriya
Writers: Michael Konyves (screenplay), Dove Sussman (screenplay)
Stars: Clive Owen, Morgan Freeman, Aksel Hennie.

Storyline

A fallen warrior rises against a corrupt and sadistic ruler to avenge his dishonored master in a sword-clashing adventure of loyalty, honor, and vengeance.

User Reviews

I am compelled to write my first review after 4 years on IMDb due to the bad reviews by critics. First off, I completely enjoyed this movie. I loved the initial setting which took about an hour which others complained to be too long but I felt that laid a good foundation for the plot to continue. 

The second half could've been better but I'm not complaining. This was much better than Ridley Scott's Robin Hood when compared to a medieval story. What lacked in this movie was more character development and overall depth to both the story and characters. The details of storming the castle are also just gone through quickly without any importance. I feel like this could've been a 3 hour saga of excellent medieval story had the director gone with it. A fully developed story with multidimensional characters would've been perfect. Both Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman gave wonderful performances and as someone who loves their movies I felt satisfied just to see them in these particular roles.

Overall, don't miss this one just because of some harsh critic ratings. I felt entertained and this is one movie which did not let me down at all when compared with other medieval stories of the past few years.

Divergent (2014)

In a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris learns she's Divergent and won't fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it's too late.

Director: Neil Burger
Writers: Veronica Roth (based on the novel by), Evan Daugherty (screenplay).
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet.

Storyline

Set in a futuristic dystopia where society is divided into five factions that each represent a different virtue, teenagers have to decide if they want to stay in their faction or switch to another - for the rest of their lives. Tris Prior makes a choice that surprises everyone. Then Tris and her fellow faction-members have to live through a highly competitive initiation process to live out the choice they have made. They must undergo extreme physical and intense psychological tests, that transform them all. But Tris has a secret that she is Divergent, which means she doesn't fit into any one group. If anyone knew, it would mean a certain death. As she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly peaceful society, this secret might help her save the people she loves... or it might destroy her.

User Reviews

Studios are constantly in search of the next "Twilight," "The Hunger Games," or "Harry Potter" franchise, with best-selling books being the primary source of episodic additions. They've found just such a novel (an entire trilogy by Veronica Roth), containing the similarities and elements so highly coveted – but originality definitely isn't one of them. "Divergent" is once again a teen-oriented science-fiction adventure, full of action, romance, and adolescent consternations. Instead of focusing on a love triangle, survivalist thrills, or a great magical evil, this derivation is all about independence, corporatism, and the dramatic coup d'état of a corrupt government. The setting is still a postapocalyptic dystopian remnant, the small gathering of heroes is still vastly outmatched, and unconvincing love banter is carelessly tossed about.

Hundreds of years after a war devastated the planet, Chicago is reduced to a small community walled off from an unknown outside threat and hidden amongst dilapidated buildings. The founder of this surviving civilization has divided all inhabitants into five factions, each with different skills and jobs. At an undisclosed age (sixteen according to the book), each member must choose between the path of an intellect, a farmer, a public servant, a politician, or a soldier. Youths are expected to follow their heritage and are discouraged from selecting a role unaligned with their birthright. Nevertheless, an archaic choosing ceremony (involving the ridiculous ritualistic cutting of the hand and squeezing blood drops into a symbolic bowl) allows everyone to select publicly, after having taken a mental test that informs of personal skills and mindset.

Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) originates from the selfless "Abnegation" faction, but chooses to pursue a career with the brave "Dauntless" clan (a controversial move instigated by her rare multi-faction tendencies, dubbed "divergent"). She's separated from her family, seemingly permanently, for a 10-week training period that isn't as militaristic or educational as it is gladiatorial, anarchical, and naturally nurturing for bullies. Rules of combat and scoring points are made up along the way, with failure rewarded with a casting out to the homeless, filthy, starving "factionless" throng (its existence is obvious evidence that the intended peaceful societal system in place spawns inequality, greed, and dictatorial leaders). Beatrice becomes "Tris" as she sets about learning how to fight and quell her fears. She finds herself drawn toward instructor Four (Theo James) while learning about a plot by conspiring, power hungry politician Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet) to violently overthrow a discordant sect.

This strange, totalistic world, full of peculiar traditions, is explained via bland voice-over narration, hindered further by rock beats, spontaneous running, and borderline parkour maneuvers conducted by the Dauntless pack (which serves as showy, daredevil guardians of the city). The premise, which has the unmistakable feel of "The Hunger Games," also borrows considerably from "Equilibrium," "1984," "City of Ember," and even "Bee Movie." The extended sequences of training, camaraderie, and simulated war games hints at "Starship Troopers," while a laughable introduction to coed showering facilities that is, of course, never alluded to or shown again, vaguely reminds of "Robocop" or "Aliens" – a desperation to compare with movies filled with mature characters that could actually cope with such an R-rated concept. There's absolutely nothing unique about "Divergent," though the action-packed finale desperately attempts to fix the staleness of lengthy exposition and unfamiliar environmental establishment.

Falling victim to the same problem of many science-fiction or fantasy epic startups, the story is 90% introduction. The majority of the movie is merely a first act. Resolutions aren't even attempted and many characters are clearly saved for subsequent chapters, which prevent the satisfaction of revenge or clarity for this mystifying society. "Let's just say they built the fence for a reason," insists Four. By the time the themes of free will, chemical brainwashing, and rebellion are put into action, it's too late. The plausibility of confronting an army, sneaking into a heavily defended command center, or conquering mind control drugs are at a low, especially when the lead hero is an unpersuasive, untoughened insurgent incapable of killing the villains that are in desperate need of dispatching.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

As Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with another super soldier, the black widow, to battle a new threat from old history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.

Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Writers: Christopher Markus (screenplay), Stephen McFeely (screenplay).
Stars: Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson.

Storyline

For Steve Rogers, awakening after decades of suspended animation involves more than catching up on pop culture; it also means that this old school idealist must face a world of subtler threats and difficult moral complexities. That becomes clear when Director Nick Fury is killed by the mysterious assassin, the Winter Soldier, but not before warning Rogers that SHIELD has been subverted by its enemies. When Rogers acts on Fury's warning to trust no one there, he is branded as a traitor by the organization. Now a fugitive, Captain America must get to the bottom of this deadly mystery with the help of the Black Widow and his new friend, The Falcon. However, the battle will be costly for the Sentinel of Liberty, with Rogers finding enemies where he least expects them while learning that the Winter Soldier looks disturbingly familiar.

User Reviews

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the third film in Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (after last year's Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World). Compared with the mighty giant green monster, the hammer wielding Norse thunder god or the 'genius, philanthropist, billionaire, playboy' armor man, the Captain was never quite as appealing as the rest of the 'Unusuals'. Steve Rogers is portrayed as an old-fashioned, straightforward, honest, courageous, sincere, patriotic superhero. This makes him a less-interesting, boring character. Moreover, as Tony Stark said it, "Everything special about you came out of a bottle!"

Most film-goers would know that Marvel films are famous for its bright, fun and not-so-serious approach to its storytelling, together with some catchy, witty dialogues. This film is a game changer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This time around, Marvel decided to take a different approach on things: To make a Captain America sequel with a more serious, darker plot development and more face-to-face close-range hand combat fights. What should have been a typical superhero film, now becomes a conspiracy-espionage thriller.

Two years after the events that happened in New York city, the Captain still struggles with adjusting himself to the modern world, with no apparent social life or girl friend, which is why Natasha/Black Widow tries to introduce or recommend him some cute girls in S.H.I.E.L.D. for him to date with. He is shocked when he learns that the very governmental organisation he is working for is not what it seems to be, as the Cap said in the trailer, "This isn't freedom. This is fear". Soon, he finds himself entangled in a conspiracy that puts millions of innocent lives at risk.

The film comes with excellent, fast-paced action choreography. Although the cinematography is a bit dodgy due to the shaky-cam techniques used for depicting the chaotic moments, the fight scenes between the Winter Soldier and the Captain is fantastic and serves as one of the film's highlights. The audience finally gets to see how the Captain's shield is utilised effectively in both offensive and defensive combat situations. It also good to see again how Natasha kicks ass in the film.

All actors delivered a pretty decent performance in the film. Once again, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johannson both proved that they fit their roles well, adding more depth to the characters they portray in the film. Sam Wilson/Falcon is a welcome addition to the Marvel franchise and hopefully he will appear again in the Avengers sequel. Unfortunately, despite the film's title, the winter soldier is not a complex villain and doesn't appear much in the film. It's such a shame to just show him as a formidable physical fighter who's capable of challenging the Captain.

The film is well-scripted, filled with suspense while highlighting some important socio-political issues such as government surveillance and control in its storytelling. Although the twists in the film is predictable and fairly easy to guess, the sequel is a marked improvement compared to its predecessor, Captain America: The First Avenger. The story unfolds gradually and comes with huge, surprising developments by the end of the film. Marvel Cinematic Universe is not going to be the same again. What's going to happen next? How the story is going to progress in Avengers: Age of Ultron, after what had happened in this film?

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.

Director: Bryan Singer
Writers: Simon Kinberg (screenplay), Jane Goldman (story).
Stars: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman.

Storyline

Sentinels, robots that were created for the purpose of hunting down mutants were released in 1973. 50 years later the Sentinels would also hunt humans who aid mutants. Charles Xavier and his X-Men try their best to deal with the Sentinels but they are able to adapt and deal with all mutant abilities. Charles decides to go back in time and change things. He asks Kitty Pryde who can send a person's consciousness into the person's past to send him but she can only send someone back a few weeks because if she sends someone back further it could harm them. So Logan decides to go back himself because he might be able to withstand it. So Charles tells him that it's Mystique who's responsible because when she learned about the Sentinels she sought out Bolivar Trask the man who created them and killed him. She would be caught and studied and her ability to change was somehow added to the Sentinels which is why they can adapt.

User Reviews

OMG!!! This movie cannot be simply described in words. If you loved X men first class then this movie is a treat for you. This is a movie even non-x men fans will enjoy. Go see this movie guys. Your mind will be blown. I've already seen this movie and looking forward to see it again. 

Hugh Jackman does the best wolverine ever. He became the wolverine i wanted to see on screen for ages. The interesting chemistry between James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender is more enjoyable than ever. But jennifer lawrence and Evan Peters at Quicksilver steal the movie. Quicksilver may not look so cool but he is the coolest guy in the whole movie. 

Believe me, this movie is worth your bucks. Moreover there are a bunch of new x men characters introduced in the movie which make it more enjoyable.Bryan Singer has done complete justice to this movie. And there is one scene just halfway through the movie which is worth watching fifty times. I am thoroughly excited to see the next entry entry in series which is being called Apocalypse.

The only shortcoming in the movie is the runtime which feels a little less being only 130 mins. Rest of the movie is a jigsaw which fits together in a wondrous puzzle.

So you must go to see this movie. Every element is in a balanced form. Even the soundtrack is fitting. 

Happy watching !!!!

Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

Autobots must escape sight from a bounty hunter who takes control of the human serendipity: Unexpectedly, Optimus Prime and his remaining gang turn to a mechanic and his daughter for help.

Director: Michael Bay
Writer: Ehren Kruger
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor.

Storyline

After the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons that leveled Chicago, humanity thinks that all alien robots are a threat. So Harold Attinger, a CIA agent, establishes a unit whose sole purpose is to hunt down all of them. But it turns out that they are aided by another alien robot who is searching for Optimus Prime. Cade Yeager, a "robotics expert", buys an old truck and upon examining it, he thinks it's a Transformer. When he powers it up, he discovers it's Optimus Prime. Later, men from the unit show up looking for Optimus. He helps Yeager and his daughter Tessa escape but are pursued by the hunter. They escape and Yeager learns from technology he took from the men that a technology magnate and defense contractor named Joshua Joyce is part of what's going on, so they go to find out what's going on.

User Reviews

Don't watch it. Extremely long, extremely boring. How many more parts are they gonna make? The story is very confusing and not well thought-through. Everything has already been chewed over and over and they keep squeezing the last bit out of the transformer-idea. The actors apparently didn't like it either because even my little sister could have done a better job. Especially the voice acting for the transformers is very weak and one just feels stupid listening to their voices. I had enough of this movie after a little more than 1 hour. That's more than 1 and 1/2 hours left which I still watched, thinking maybe something would still happen. Guess what? It didn't. Long story short, this movie is really, really bad.

The Gunman (2015)

A sniper on a mercenary assassination team, kills the minister of mines of the Congo. Terrier's successful kill shot forces him into hiding. Returning to the Congo years later, he becomes the target of a hit squad himself.

Director: Pierre Morel
Writers: Jean-Patrick Manchette (novel), Don MacPherson (screenplay).
Stars: Sean Penn, Idris Elba, Jasmine Trinca.

Story

A sniper on a mercenary assassination team, working for an unknown client, kills the minister of mines of the Congo. Terrier's (Sean Penn's) successful kill shot forces him to go into hiding to protect himself and the members of the team from retribution. This includes abruptly abandoning his girlfriend who has no idea what is going on. The assassination, paid for by a foreign mining company, triggers wide spread chaos and death in an already inflamed Congo. Terrier returns to the Congo years later working for an NGO, but eventually finds himself to be the target of a paid hit squad somehow connected to the ministers assassination. This leads to immediate deaths and the endangerment of the people working around him, and forces him back into hiding. In trying to discover who has put a price on his head, he begins to reconnect to the members of his old assassination team, including his old girlfriend.

User Reviews

I don't think I ever saw Sean Penn do an action movie.

Not sure if he's at that point in his career were he does not care or he just feels he can't be a well diverse actor without having this on his resume.

Either way he does a good performance as one, and was impressively built but not overdone for the role.

The movie does go over some political satire with his character playing a Metaphor of the guilt we all should all feel about our own involvement in what's going on in the Congo.

Guess he felt this will be a better way to spread his word to the masses. Penn was wrong about that. I got very little from this flick.

Although the movie is mostly laid with espionage and sprinkled with action, neither elements got my pulse pounding.

Javier Barton is good in this movie. He's a great actor and it's fun to see him on the big screen as Penn's rival for the affections of a woman. 

But if you are fans of Idris Elba, like I am, don't let his top billing fool you. He's barely in it, and his role does nothing to help the film.

I like the film but I snoozed though it. Penn brought nothing new to the genre and I was hoping he would but he did not.