My Top Gear Fear

So you might have seen recently that Chris Evans of Radio 1 fame (not the American actor, sadly - boo hoo!) has been joined on the new series of Top Gear by Matt LeBlanc of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Which, fair enough, is a bold move, especially since he set the fastest lap time as the star in a reasonably-priced car under the three stooges who are now ex-presenters.

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.

Book Review: The Quantum Universe...

Okay, so this is probably the most difficult review I've done, in part because I don't actually understand quantum physics, but also because this book took me months to read.

A Film to Make you Cry

Since my last review turned into a major cock-up with regards to research and stuff, I've decided to investigate Inside Out properly. So here goes nothing: Inside Out is a DreamWorks film about a group of emotions living inside...

Perhaps There's Hope in Franchising

Um, wow. I really got this wrong, didn't I? So it turns out Minions isn't a DreamWorks movie at all, but made by a studio called Illumination Entertainment. So let's rewrite this. I'm gonna try to keep this as close to the original review as possible, only taking out references to DW and maybe cleaning it up a little in the process. So, without further ado, the actual, proper, corrected review for Minions:

Road Warrior Remix is a Cinematic Storm

Like I said, I've saved the best for last. Mad Max: Fury Road was out today, and it was amazing. Seriously, I cannot recommend it enough. Before you read this review, go and see it - I promise no spoilers, but it just cannot wait, you've gotta go see this movie. See, here's the thing: it doesn't really do anything new, but it does Mad Max really, really well.

Playing the Same Old Tune

Well it hasn't been too long since Age of Ultron blasted across cinema screens, and was amazing in the process, although it's one of those retrospective movies which gets worse the more you think about it. But that's a post for another time. Remember a while ago when I said Pitch Perfect 2 and Mad Max: Fury Road came out on the same day? Well, that day was today! So I've got two reviews I'm writing today and, sad to say, I'm saving the best til last.