Movies: Us (15) & Hunt for the Wilderpeople (DVD – 12A)

Us (15) – what’s it about? A family go to their vacation home and are attacked by themselves

When I saw this advertised I thought hmm this looks interesting, I need to go see this. I wouldn’t say this is overly scary, its kind of amusing in bits and some is a little predictable. That said though it’s a good light horror film, filled with a will for survival, and a bit of a plot…and of course a good dose of killing! Yeah if you like a good bit of stabby stabby then go check this one out, don’t worry though you shouldn’t need to hide behind your coat.

Rating: ***

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (DVD – 12A) – what’s it about? A boy moves to a new foster family who live in the outback, where he and his foster father go on the run.

I was recommended this one so thought I’d give it a go, yeah, its one of those ones that is a little amusing but when the film was finished I didn’t know what I had spent the last couple of hours watching. Yeah, I’m on the fence with this one as I’m still not sure if I enjoyed it or not. It was good in some ways, but it didn’t seem to do much, maybe I thought it would be more amusing or I wasn't in the right frame of mind, I don’t know. Anyway, yeah it passed the time.

Rating: **

Movies: Cold Pursuit (15), Captain Marvel (12A), Instant Family (12A), Fighting With My Family (12A) & Aliens in the Attic (DVD – PG)

Cold Pursuit (15) – what’s it about? Nels goes on a revenge killing spree after his son is murdered by a drug lord and his gang.

Well if you like Liam Neeson and all his movies then you will like this one, it’s just again a film in the similar style. It’s filled with revenge, revenge, revenge with lots of killing, oh and a dash of revenge thrown in for good measure. It’s another action style film so you know the drill – it has violence and all that jazz with a bit of a story thrown in for good measure. It does also have a wicked comedy element, it has some bits you probably shouldn’t really be laughing at but you just can’t help yourself, so yep if you have a darker sense of humour then this will also give you a giggle. I don’t think it’s the best Neeson film but it’s still an enjoyable watch and worth seeing, yeah I liked it 😊

Rating: ***

Captain Marvel (12A) – what’s it about? The origin story of Captain Marvel.

I have to admit I’ve not really followed Captain Marvel and didn’t really know too much about her, mainly because I always thought growing up she was just the fem version of Captain America. Now I’ve seen this I kind of freaking regret not looking into her a little more, she’s a great character and has a different story that hasn’t just been his re-hashed. Yep so slap me with a large trout! Anyway onto the film, it is bloody good, it has some really amusing and nostalgia moments – for the 90s which are pretty cheesy. I can’t really say anything on the story as I don’t want to spoil it, but I’ll just say if you love all the Marvel movies then this is 100% worth checking out…and before End Game!

Rating: ****

Instant Family (12A) – what’s it about? A couple decide to adopt a child but end up fostering three kids.

So I hadn’t planned on seeing this as I thought it looked a little meh but someone said to me it was quite good and I was at a loose end so I thought I’d go check it out. I totally thought this wouldn’t be up my street as it looked like one of those comedies I don’t really like, and well I was actually surprised by it. For starters, yes it has a good handful of comedy moments, but it also has moments that really hit me in the feels. I’m not sure if I was just extra emotional that day but I had three or four moments where I had to reach for a tissue, you know it made me shed a few tears – not like balling crying though…but I think it’s because you know it’s based on a true story. God damn that’s why I don’t watch true story shit it’s too emotional. Anyway yeah it was an enjoyable watch, it’s kind of one of those you watched curled up on the sofa with a blanket.

Rating: ***

Fighting With My Family (12A) – what’s it about? The story of the wrestler Paige and her family.

Again this was one I wasn’t planning to see but it was recommended to me and I was told I’d like it, so I just went because what the hell something to do. It was pretty damn good, I was really surprised by it, it had some funny moments and a good story which kept me entertained. The family were quite an interesting bunch and I have to admit it rekindled my love for wrestling which I used to watch all the time. Again this is based on a true story, so some of it is quite heart-warming and it has some sad moments – it also had some moments where I held my breath. The actors were really good in it too and they made the family life really believable, it definitely gave a good emotional journey and one that gave me that feel good feeling at the end. If you used to watch wrestling or want to watch a good bunch of Brits and have a giggle along the way, then this is worth watching!

Rating: ***

Aliens in the Attic (DVD – PG) – what’s it about? A family take a summer holiday and their lodge gets invaded by a small group of aliens, the kids must save the day and stop the world from being invaded.

I thought I’d give this a go for a laugh as I hadn’t seen it before, it’s aimed at a younger audience – I’d say younger teens downwards really. It’s an ok film with a bit of a story and some humour with a little action thrown in. It has a bit of sibling rivalry and hashing stuff together to try to win the day, so it has a few bits that may make you giggle. It’s basically what would happen if aliens invaded and kids had to save the day. Its ok to pass the time and probably to keep your wee ones entertained but I don’t think it’s one of those that all ages will love.

Rating: **

Movies: How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (PG), Alita: Battle Angel (12A), The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (U) & Die Hard 2: Die Harder (DVD – 18)

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (PG) – what’s it about? Hiccup and his chums return, and this time they must stop an evil villain from killing Toothless.

This movie was totally what was expected really, it continues on in the same vein with lots of adventure and dragons, so you know exactly what to expect. If you liked the adventures of the gang before then you’ll enjoy this one, I kind of love how the dragons are like big kitties in some of their actions, it’s so cute. Though this one is underpinned by a love story, so it is a bit sickly but it’s not too bad as there is enough other stuff going on to keep everyone entertained. Yep it’s another good all round family movie, that’s worth looking into, especially if you’d like to keep the wee ones entertained for a bit!

Rating: ***

Alita: Battle Angel (12A) – Alita is restored to life and begins to re-discover her memories which leads her to an old enemy.

I wasn’t sure if this was going to be any good or not, it looked ok from the adverts, but I never knew if there would be much to it or if it’s just for flashy effect. I only loosely remember the manga from any a very long time ago, and not enough to compare it. As a movie I did think it was better than I thought it would be, it had some story to it, which was more than I thought, even though of course it was filled with some great action and animation. If you like a good bit of plot and action, then this is pretty good. If you liked the style of Ready Player one, then you know it’s that type of thing.

Rating: ****

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (U) – The Lego world is under threat and the gang must try to survive the ordeal.

The second movie after The Lego Movie of course and all that really needs to be said is this keeps to it and is a similar style and sense of humour as the first. So if you found that amusing you may have a couple of giggles in this one. I didn’t think it was as good as the first, but it was still an enjoyable movie and one that the little ones will probably enjoy. It’s got a nice little story so it’s not just a re-hash and there are a few bits to keep the adults entertained as well.

Rating: ***

Die Hard 2: Die Harder (DVD – 18) – a gang attacks an airport and John must battle them and save the day.

I thought I’d give this a re-watch after I watched Die Hard recently, so expect the other ones to follow too. Though this is a little bit dated compared to some of the current action movies now, so it can seem a bit meh, it’s still quite a nice leave your brain at the door action movie. If you enjoyed the previous one, then this continues on from there and you’ll probably enjoy it too. It’s also worth a re-watch if you haven’t seen it in a while…even if it’s not Christmas!

Rating: ***