In Defence of X-Men

So the X-Men movies have had a pretty rough go of it, haven't they? It's got to the point that people are in agreement, the best one is the one about time travel! When was the last time you heard about a good time travel movie??? That's right, Men In Black 3 (And hark at all who thought I was going to say Back to the Future!). But we can agree that for the most part, when introduced into a franchise in which it has previously been unacknowledged, time travel is weird and feels like a bit of a cop-out and it takes someone or something very special to introduce it and use it without it feeling gimmicky or like a quick get-out-of-jail-free card. And X-Men: Days of Future Past did that well, thanks to Bryan Singer and co. Their story was well-rounded, full of character and charm, witty but emotional and conveyed a real sense of desperation and hopelessness while still giving our characters a way out.

Not so for Apocalypse.

Abrams brings a Franchise back to Form this December

I was surprised, even a week after it opened, that the cinema for The Force Awakens was not more crowded - it was almost empty, in fact. But I suppose that's what happens when it's just after Christmas, movies aren't exactly on people's minds.

But Star Wars. I remember as a kid being taken by the brightness and acrobatics of the prequel trilogies; as I grew older I saw through the colour and the extravagance to what was a pretty dull story, mired in politics and the science side of science-fiction, trying to explain what the original trilogy hadn't felt the need to. It's more or less a general consensus that the prequel trilogy isn't on par with the original, and it's clear that resident geek and nostalgia-artist J.J. Abrams feels the same way too.

And so the curtain rises, the screen lights up and, in total silence, the Lucasfilm logo sparkles across the scene, followed by those famous words: "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."

And suddenly the music swells and you feel your heart catch in your throat as you see, superimposed over a starry background, the two words you've been waiting for: STAR WARS.

This is the entirely spoiler-free review; I'll be posting a spoiler article later tonight where I can examine my thoughts more in depth.

Movies, Oscars and a pre-Valentine's Day Apology...

I feel like Inside Llewyn Davis has really drawn the short straw in being out this year. In time for the Oscars this February, it's netted just two nominations (for cinematography and sound mixing - how did this miss Best original score?!), coming up against such giants as American Hustle and Gravity. Which seems a shame, really, given my opinions.