Reviews by Kyle Ellis

I personally still hold that the original is the better one between the two games, but this is still a top tier gaming experience and a real treat for fans of the first game. Gorgeous graphics and environment, wonderfully engaging story and characters, another killer soundtrack and just a romping good time. I hope we'll get a Part III in the future.

'Hamilton' was a major surprise for me when seeing and hearing it. Music is such a big part of my life, being now a semi-professional singer and raised into a musical family, and am a fan of musicals, especially the golden age ones. History was also one of my favourite and best subjects in most of my up and down school life, until it didn't work out in sixth form when my confidence went and my comprehension and drive worsened. So having a musical to combine the two immediately intrigued me, despite not being the biggest fan of the dominant styles here (was raised on classical music and opera personally).

That is what was meant when saying that 'Hamilton' was a major surprise. Hearing that a filmed version of a production was coming to Disney+, which has been a much needed distraction, there was no doubt in my mind about seeing it. So that the mix of history and music, the meaningful and relevant lyrics, the brilliant performances and the energy and heart it has can be revisited again. It does play fast and loose with history, blame that on the musical and not the production, sure and the style(s) of music that dominates the score here are not my first choices usually, but actually for its entertainment value, emotional impact and how well crafted it is as an overall whole, 'Hamilton' was a real winner. As was this production. Which was very much needed after suffering through 'Artemis Fowl', a musical surprise adapted masterfully and so accessibly and through a particularly unsettling time in a terrible few years.

It, the production that is, looks great. The sumptuous and true to the respective periods costumes especially and the setting is not too elaborate or overblown while still never looking cheap. Personally thought that the production was very well filmed, certainly compared to other filmed productions of musical theatre, opera and ballet seen and have seen many of each (being a major fan of all three). It made me feel like a member of an audience seeing it live, expect seeing it far more accessibly in terms of money and locations. Which is what is so great about these live/streamed performances and they have proven to be invaluable. Of which 'Hamilton' has been a big highlight.

Musically, 'Hamilton' is on point. Those that don't like the styles are best staying away unless wanting to see what the hoopla is all about, but as someone that saw it with an open mind and wanting to stretch even more my musical horizons 'Hamilton' made me appreciate hip hop and rap much more because they were so well done in their own way. When they are well done and not too repetitive or preachy, yes it is dependent on how they're executed in my view rather than any bias towards the styles, that is when it is easy to appreciate them and that is what 'Hamilton' excels so well in. Also found it very well accompanied.

What also comes over brilliantly is how 'Hamilton' is written. The musical and performance are very song heavy, which some may not like dependent on what your feelings on musicals, hip hop and rap are (some love it, others hate it and it is all down to taste which is fair enough). Found the melodies very clever and easy to remember, amazing considering how many there are and not an easy thing to achieve these days. It was the lyrics though that made a bigger impression on me, these lyrics were vastly entertaining and also at times quite emotional but what is just as admirable are their honesty and how relevant they are. These are lyrics that are likely to connect for many, and from the sounds of it have done. Historically, it is far and loose but that didn't matter for me being somebody that watched not expecting a history lesson. 'Hamilton' does very well at making people more interested in history and the particular time periods depicted, that is from my experience from seeing it with people that felt exactly the same as me. What is great about this production is how it does so well in being true and capturing the spirited energy and heart of the musical itself, which is what filmed adaptations of musicals in my mind should do.

Really loved 'Hamilton's' performances. Have seen both love and hate for Lin Manuel Miranda's performance. Personally loved his work here, he was very heavily involved in making 'Hamilton' work, his dilligent efforts very much obvious here, and he gives the equivalent of the performance of his life here. He is charming and has great authority and comic timing and really do disagree that he doesn't have singing ability, he proved in 'Mary Poppins Returns' in my view that he could and he does great in this regard too. Dramatically he is the stuff of legends as is the joy that was Leslie Odom Jr. Daveed Diggs brings tremendous energy in Act 2 especially and Jonathan Groff is absolutely hilarious here. Phillipa Soo and Renee Elise Goldsberry shouldn't be overlooked either, Soo is especially good. Okieriete Onaodowan has great chemistry with Diggs and holds his own against him when they're together, especially as Madison.

Concluding, truly brilliant in my view. It won't be for all tastes but even if one is put off by the first twenty minutes if not knowing what to expect my advice really is to stick with it. It is not worth certainly not bragging about turning it off about 15 minutes or something, that is the equivalent of barely seeing it. One of the easiest 10/10's given recently.

I can't think of a better summary for this film, but this is not only one of the more enjoyable superhero films recently, but also of the overall year of 2010. I had heard it was good, but I wasn't sure whether it would be my thing. I needn't have worried.

Kick-Ass was hugely enjoyable from start to finish. The production values from the photography and editing to the glorious costumes are striking, and the soundtrack has a lot of energy. As does the fast pace, the smart and witty dialogue and a fun and unpredictable story. The characters are also at least engaging, the action is fantastically choreographed and edited and the acting even from Nicholas Cage(who I have found resume-wise inconsistent) is much better than one would hope.

Overall, truly wonderful and totally kicks ass. 10/10 Bethany Cox

That is not to knock the first Captain America film because I enjoyed that too, just that Captain America: The Winter Soldier personally came off as superior. Some of the second half does try to cram in too much giving off an at times bloated and convoluted quality, other than that Captain America: The Winter Soldier was excellent. It is a great-looking film with stylish cinematography and editing that give off a gritty and audacious look, and the special effects and the stunts are of the quality that you can't take your eyes off them. The music is not quite as good as it was in the first but it has enough of the rousing excitement and haunting intensity to make it a good score that matches what is going on on screen. The action sequences are spectacularly choreographed and of edge-of-your-seat calibre whether it is a highway car chase or a sky battle with some of the destruction authentically harrowing, and the screenplay is one that is smart and snappy with heart aplenty. The story is mostly compelling and very cleverly constructed, it mixes action, comic-book adventure and political thriller and does it in a way that is well-balanced, that is alive with nimble nuances and in a way that the film gives off a sense that it knows what it's trying to be. It's suspenseful and exciting with its fair share of themes that gives the film emotion and depth. The characters are engaging and interesting, with their personalities deeper and more expansive, and there is a much more believable villain this time around(the big reveal was actually quite surprising). A great thing considering that the cast of cast is quite large if not quite to the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink extent; the interplay between the characters works a treat also. Anthony and Joe Russo direct astutely and the acting is fine, with Chris Evans even more confident than he was in the first, Scarlett Johansson at her fearless and Anthony Mackie fitting comfortably in his role. Samuel L. Jackson is as dependable as ever, Robert Redford in a bold move gives seasoned support and is not stiff at all and Sebastian Stan is similarly authoritative. All in all, while there are a couple of issues with the second half Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an excellent sequel and manages to outdo the enjoyable first film. 9/10 Bethany Cox

For me, The Sixth Sense is M Night Shyamalan's best film, but Unbreakable comes very, very close. Maybe it is not a movie for everybody, due to some parts dragging and rambling on just a tad, but it is a thoughtful, moving and compelling film.

It is a very well made film with beautiful, brooding cinematography and striking scenery. Unbreakable also features my personal favourite James Newton Howard score for any of his collaborations with Shyamalan, it is so gorgeous and subtle. Even with the odd draggy moment, Unbreakable does have a very enthralling story that resonated with me a lot. Like The Sixth Sense, it deals with the supernatural genre but takes it to a thought-provoking and surreal level.

The pace is measured, and for the most part it works. The script is thoughtfully written as well, the characters are interesting(I don't think Willis has had a more involving character than the one he has here) and Shyamalan's confidence and assurance further adds to the many impressive things about Unbreakable. Bruce Willis and Samuel L.Jackson are both fantastic, and one wonders why they didn't do more together.

Some have been dismissive of the ending, I actually thought it was fine, though I was underwhelmed by it on my first viewing a few years back. I did say before that The Sixth Sense's ending was the only one of a Shyamalan film that worked, after re-watching Unbreakable I take that back. I still think though the others were either needlessly melodramatic(Signs), laughable(The Village) or both(The Happening). All in all, a great film and one of Shyamalan's better ones. 9/10 Bethany Cox

The first X-Men film was fun and well-made though with a beginning-of-the-franchise-not-yet-properly-finding-its-feet feel; X-Men 2 was very, very good indeed and an example of a bigger and darker sequel better than the original(even if it wasn't quite perfect either) and X-Men 3 The Last Stand while nowhere near as bad as its reputation was disappointing(after being so impressed by the previous two) and a step-back in the franchise. X-Men Origins: Wolverine had much going for it but while it is nowhere near a bad film it could have delivered more, considering that this was an origins prequel story. X-Men Origins: Wolverine does have good things, it's well shot and edited(if a little rapid in a couple of the fighting sequences), the special effects are nicely executed and not used too much and the dark, gritty style of the previous three films is wisely maintained, nothing overblown or static here. The opening sequence is robust and exciting and gives you the sense of "looks like we're in for a treat here", most of the action sequences have tension and thrills especially at the end(which also makes a real effort to tie up loose ends), Sabretooth/Victor and Stryker are well-realised and there are a few good performances. Wolverine may be too ambivalent character-development-wise but Hugh Jackman's charisma and grizzled demeanour is pitched perfectly, Liev Schreiber brings real meat, toughness and menace to Victor/Sabretooth and Danny Huston as the villain Stryker is both classy and ruthless and does them very effectively, Stryker avoids being too one-dimensional. Ryan Reynolds and Taylor Kitsch do what they can and are quite good.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine does suffer however from a lot of the same things that X-Men The Last Stand had. The script is very contrived and in a worse way than X-Men The Last Stand, emotional moments are forced, exposition and any explanations are underdeveloped and any bits of humour are on the broad side(X-Men 2 especially avoided this and had a much more even balance). The story has some good atmosphere and good scenes and has some tension, but it does try to cram in too much and things feel rushed and not as developed as they ought. Gavin Hood does reasonably admirably in the action but very like Brett Ratner he is surprisingly not as comfortable in the non-action scenes, in a way that the writing and story, that should give the film depth, are sacrificed by the action(again mostly very good, apart from ones that did lag and you couldn't always tell who was who). Apart from Sabretooth and Stryker (Wolverine was written much better in the first two films but Jackman's presence did make up for things), the characters are disappointingly written, especially Deadpool who had a lot of potential but disappears just like that and appears even more abruptly much later at a stage where you think they've forgotten all about him. Gambit was also treated fairly insignificantly, and other characters like Blob and Kayla(Lynn Collins' acting is wooden in this part) are pretty useless. It doesn't have the too many characters problem like The Last Stand did but it like that film doesn't develop or write the characters well but not as insultingly. On a side note one positive review said that they couldn't understand why The Last Stand and this got criticised for the characters and the first two get a free pass; actually the first two films have been criticised for under-utilising characters and bad acting in them, namely Cyclops and Storm, but at least they tried to respect the characters and not distort them or deprive them of personality like this and Last Stand did(and this is NOT coming from a comic-book purist, far from it, you don't even need to have read an X-Men comic to have this criticism). Harry Gregson-Williams' score has some excitement and induces some suspense but at other points it's too over-bearing and strident, of the X-Men films this film had the least effective score in my opinion. Will.i.Am being cast in an X-Men film would cause alarm bells and his performance is not any better, it felt out of place.

To conclude, could have been better but it's not that bad. 5/10 Bethany Cox