Reviews

I will start by saying I have never read the book so I'm basing my review solely on the film.

I actually found the film very hard to watch and cried most of the way through. It is a very beautiful film but I think what is unfortunately overlooked my many is that the strongest relationship in the film is that between John and his father and it is this relationship that made the film very emotional for me. In particular scene following his fathers stroke where John was reading the letter was beautifully done and very well acted and was the scene I found most upsetting.

I think the film explores a number of important aspects in particular having an autistic parent which I could only imagine would be exceptionally difficult for any child, particularly when said parent is their only carer. As seen with the characters of both Aaron and Johns father relationships are often quite difficult for those with some types of autism, routine is important and going against a routine can cause a lot of angst and distress. Its unfortunate that a number of people continue to see autism as an excuse for peoples bad behaviour and I think this film brings and important note to an often misunderstood illness. It also points out the issue of autism in parents which is another issue often overlooked.

The relationship between John and Savannah is only secondary to that of John and his father and I think its well acted by Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. To me both actors seemed to really feel and understand their characters and the hurt between them and I did like how the ending between them was really left open to interpretation.

In all a very well done film which explores some important social issues but no review will ever truly do this film justice. I for one could not watch it again because it made me so upset but this just goes to show how emotive the film is. Its a film that needs to be watched, even if it is only once.

I have to say I'm a little late on the uptake with Twilight, I watched the film for the first time last week and admittedly wasn't too sure about it. I had never read the book and so had no idea what to expect.

Im a fan of Supernatural so I suppose I was expecting your typical vampire behaviour to be shown in the film. Hence upon first watching I couldn't quite figure out the flow and initially found it a little boring and strained. However after the first hour I was beginning to find it more compelling.

Since then I have watched the film a further few times and I've also bought all four books and have to admit it is becoming somewhat of an obsession. I've only just started the books but so far i think the film is an amazing adaptation, but maybe thats because i've essentially done things the wrong way round.

Anyway Im not reviewing the book so will move on to how my thoughts about the film changed on second and subsequent viewings. The film, in essence is a stunning, romantic viewing, the chemistry between Rob Pattinson and Kristin Stewart as Edward and Bella is amazing. You can feel the respect and admiration their characters have for one another coming through the screen and by the end I was left in complete awe.

AS the film goes on you get to know more and more about both the leads and find each quite endearing. By no means is Bella a damsel in distress looking for love and at first the relationship is more of a curiosity on both parts. Similarly Edward is not the usual movie love interest. Rob Pattinson in my view did an amazing job of communicating the battle Edward goes through on a daily basis, he lusts for her blood yet feels protective and loving of her.

The scene is which Bella tells Edward she knows what he is I found particularly powerful, the sexual tension and Bella's need for him, to understand him was truly evident. From then on the relationship deepens, Bella brings Edward "back to life" and the scene in which they kiss was beautifully shot and very poignant. The tension and lust is almost unbearable and you could truly feel how much they wanted each other but also how he was still unsure he could trust himself.

The scenes in the forest after Bella is taken to meet the Cullens family were also some I found particularly beautiful, the forest is Edwards world and Bella is now the centre of his world.

The Ballet studio scene was another favourite, considerably added to by Rob Pattinsons haunting song "let me Sign". Edward's love for Bella is truly evident in his protective role and her trust for him is so deep she doesn't struggle when he bites, she believes he can stop and that gives him the strength he needs to do so. The following hospital and prom scenes only strengthened the affinity I felt for each character. Their need and desire for one another was beautifully captured and a relationship i think many people can relate to.

If you like deeply romantic films then this is a must see. The location and sets are beautiful as is the movie score, the special effects are suited to the movie in the way they are not too flashy as this would detract from the storytelling. I found the character development to be particularly well shot also.

Overall an amazing film which has captivated me on such an emotional level I cant truly put words to how I feel when watching the film. I do apologise as this has probably come across in the review but it is for this reason I have given the film a 10/10.

I had heard very mixed reviews of 'The last stand' and so was unsure what to expect from the film and was worried that the trailer had shown the best parts of the film. However my hopes for this film were exceeded. It was brilliant, the special effects were unbelievable and the stunts were great.

It could be said that this film has less emotional development than the last two films but I don't believe this to be so. All the 'X-men' are fighting their own moral and ethical battles within the storyline of the film which gives a greater understanding behind the reasons for the actions they take.

Additionally it is revealed that a large number of the 'mutants' have far more evolved powers than we first thought, Jean in particular (but going into too much detail on that front will probably totally ruin the film for anyone who hasn't read the comics or internet spoilers). However i will say that her powers are far far more advanced than indicated in the first two instalments and her anger against certain characters came as quite a surprise. Additionally within the film the true extent of the powers of Iceman and Kitty Pride are revealed.

Furthermore the character development of Storm (which was perhaps slightly overdue) was magnificent and well played by Hallie Berry. Hugh Jackman was (as usual) superb as Wolverine and Kelsey Grammar was (for want of a better phrase) 'absolutley wickid' as The Beast. He brings presence to his role and the character itself is just brilliant. Also the respect that Magneto and the professor have for each other, and their commitment to their dream (via their own, quite different routes) was a really important touch which brought a far greater emotional explanation for each of their actions within all three films.

Therefore overall I would give the film a 9/10 simply because I feel it could have been slightly longer to allow greater character development but other than that it was a brilliant film which i would recommend fans of the films to see. I was hoping for a film to match the other two (both of which I gave an 8/10) but what I watched turned out to far exceed my hopes. Unbelievable special effects (on par with films such as Narnia and King Kong 2005)and superb emotionally driven plot line. A great film.

If you're a fan of the 'Goblet of fire book' don't bother with the film - you'll be sorely disappointed. The only redeeming feature is the realism of some of the effects (especially the dragons).

The film seems to rush through the triwizard tournament and the important Quidditch world cup (which is depicted and explained in over 110 pages of the book!) is exceptionally rushed - its almost like they put it in as an afterthought! Also many important characters such as Draco Malfoy, Winky the house elf, Barty Crouch and Barty Crouch Jr, Cedric Diggory, Cho Chang, Viktor Krum, Rita Skeeter, Snape and many more (i may go over my 1000 word limit if i keep going!) are either non-existent or the full importance of their characters is not revealed due to lack of screen time.

Furthermore the depiction of Dumbledore in this film is awful (it was far more on target in the previous films) - he shouts and barges into the students - something not even indicated in the book and much of his important explanational dialogues in the book (well, OK, nearly all of it!)is missed out in the film - which will make the next film exceptionally confusing especially if the viewer has not read the books.

I was also disappointed in the way the first scene (of harry's dream) and the graveyard scene as they too were very rushed.

In all the film was far too rushed - the original idea of making it two parts would have been far better received and only then could the film have been true to the book. Book fans will be sorely disappointed by the film - 3/10.