Phil’s 2018 Preview & Look Back At 2017 Predictions…

Phil’s 2018 Preview & Look Back At 2017 Predictions…

by Phil Hobden Quick Review Year In Review

Phil’s Quick look at what’s wetting his whistle for the upcoming year in films…

Well 2017 saw Marvel driver big and DC retain it’s patchy record.  Horror stood out overall as most of the big Blockbusters fell short.  2018 has the promise to be even more mixed… so here’s the films I’m most looking forward to in 2017. And a few that I’d be happy to miss.

 

 

 

Most Excited:  Avengers: Infinity War
Like it or not this is the biggest film of the year and whilst I have reservations (Age Of Ultron wasn’t great and the trailer did little for this latest instalment did little for me) BUT Marvel have been building to this for over 10 years and with the talent involved both on screen and off this could be a once in a life time film.  Or Justice League Mark 2. Time will tell.

 

 

2. Deadpool 2
The original Deadpool was brilliant and by all accounts if the trailer is anything to go by this could be as good if not better.  Enter Cable to the X-Men universe and with all the returning faces from part one Deadpool could be the last great 18 rated film Fox makes if the merger with Disney goes ahead.

 

 

 

3. Black Panther
Marvel bring a more unconventional Superhero tale to the screen, and with an excellent trailer and Marvel’s near flawless 2017 record this has the ability to be something quiet special indeed.

 

4. Bohemian Rhapsody
Yes it’s had production issues and yes Singer isn’t a nice guy but with Dexter Fletcher taking over and with Queens backing this could be the film about the great Freddie Mercury that we have ALL been wait for.

 

5.  The Incredibles 2
The Incredibles was, er, Incredible and this belated sequel looks like it could be another smash hit for Pixar.  Lets just hope its more Toy Story 2 than Cars 2.

 

Bubbling Under: Tomb Raider (Good Trailer, great cast), Ant Man & The Wasp (Ant Man was great fun), The Predator (Shane Black + Predator = Hell Yes!), Mission Impossible 6 (These films tend to always be fun), The Happytime Murders (Brian Henson + Muppets = Heaven), The Purge: Island (LOVE the Purge Films), The Irishman (Scorsese teams with DeNiro & Pacino), Halloween (New sequel that ignores previous. With Carpenter’s blessing AND music)

 

[divider]

 

 

Stinker Of The Year: Fifty Shades Freed
Yes I’ve watched BOTH Fifty Shades movies.  And yes BOTH have previously taken the WORST FILM of the year titles. Look this franchise has nothing.  Poor acting, poor direction and poor writing topped off with S&M so softcore you could see harder on Babestation. Thankfully this will bring this torrid series to an end and hopefully the careers of all involved.


Also Dreading: Solo – A Star Wars Story (fired directors, Ron Howard, total reshoots – this could be the first Disney Star Wars flop), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom  (Boring trailer and a sense of having done this before), Day of The Dead: Bloodline (please no), Ready Player One (Spielberg hasn’t made a truly interesting film for a while), X-Men: Dark Phoenix (X-Men films just don’t grab me anymore), Oceans 8 (Just WHY!), Scarface (Urban Scarface remake….a film NOBODY asked for), Pacific Rim: Uprising (God no)

 

[divider]


So how did I do last year?

 

This is the time of the year when I look back at my picks of the good, the bad and the ugly from 2017 and see how close I was (or as it often is the case, how far!)…

 

For best: I tipped  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Star Wars The Last Jedi, War For The Planet Of The Apes, T2: Trainspotting and John Wick Chapter 2 as my most anticipated of 2017.  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was good but eclipsed by both Spiderman Homecoming and Thor Ragnorok.   War For The Planet Of The Apes was good but fell a bit short of the rave reviews it was given. T2: Trainspotting was one of my top 5 films of the year (and film of the year for almost half of 2017) whilst John Wick 2 was a bit shit. Star Wars The last Jedi meanwhile.  As for the rest?  Silence, Spiderman: Homecoming, Alien: Covenant and Baywatch were all either great or enjoyable.

 

As for the Stinkers? Transformers: The Last Knight was picked as the stinker of the year but eventually was pipped by Fifty Shades Darker. Both were appalling. Wonder Woman was actually mostly excellent, Blade Runner 2049 ended up as one of teh years best and Logan knocked it out the park. XXX: Return Of Xander Cage was dumb fun but The Mummy, Power Rangers and Cars 3 all were in the worst of the year.

 

So here’s to 2017… see you again next year!

Phil’s 5 Worst Films of 2017

Phil’s 5 Worst Films of 2017

by Phil Hobden 2017: In Review Quick Review Year In Review

So 2017 is almost over and it’s that time a year again where everyone reflects back on their best and worst films of the year.

So first up… the 5 WORST films of 2017.  And, as always, there were quite a few to choose from..

 

Stinker of The Year: Fifty Shades Darker (2017)
In Brief: It’s so bad it’s not even fun. Yup Fifty Shades Darker takes off where 50 Shades Of Grey finished – mostly bad script writing, score core S&M and some Movie Channel poor acting. It’s totally amateur and I’m beyond gobsmacked that they made this film, let alone the upcoming sequel. Lets be honest if a film can beat a Michael Bay Transformers film to Worst film  it’s pretty bad.

 

 

 

2. Transformers The Last Knight
In Brief: Another year this would have romped it home, but few things can beat Fifty Shades in a shit film contest.  That said Hopkins slumming it, more Marky Mark and a pointless nonsensical story get’s pretty close.

 

3. Assassins Creed
In Brief: Video name adaptations don’t come more asinine than this. It’s dull, it’s silly, it makes no sense and you stop caring after a few seconds.

 

4. Underworld Blood War
In Brief:  The Underworld films have always been little more than OKAY but Blood War was a case of flogging a very dead horse.

 

5. The Mummy (2017)
In Brief:  CGI strewn humourless Pants… The Mummy is a hot mess of a film that even the usually robust star power or Cruise couldn’t save. It’s just terrible.

 

6. The Circle – Boring Netflix drivel

7. Power Rangers – Pointless

8. A Cure For Wellness – Pretentious, long and dull

9. Leatherface – A film you didn’t need or want

10. Hacksaw Ridge – Nice to see Mel back but this was just jingoistic war porn.

Dis-Honourable Mentions: King Arthur Legend Of The Sword , Live By Night,  Sing! , The Boss Baby, The Dark Tower , The Limehouse Golem,  Justice League 

 

The 2017 Films I just couldn’t Finish: Sleepless, The Ghoul, The Lost City of Z

Phil’s Best & Worst of 2017… So Far! FINAL Edition (1st December 2017)

Phil’s Best & Worst of 2017… So Far! FINAL Edition (1st December 2017)

by Phil Hobden All Things Film Blog Other Cr*p Year In Review

So this is my semi-regularly updated of the BEST and WORST of 2017’s movies, as well as the best films I missed from last year and the Phil’s Quick Capsule Review Sharknado Award.

This will be the LAST Edition until our final end of year Wrap up.

All in my very humble opinion…

 

BEST Films Of 2017… So Far:

  1. Baby Driver (9/10)
  2. T2 Trainspotting (9/10)
  3. Paddington 2 (9/10)
  4. Raw (9/10)
  5. OJ: Made In America (9/10)

Honourable Mentions:

Blade Runner 2049 (8/10), La La Land (8/10), IT 2017 (8/10); Thor: Ragnarok (8/10), Shot Caller (8/10); Dunkirk (8/10), Spider-Man Homecoming (8/10), Logan (8/10), Prevenge  (8/10), Logan Lucky (8/10), Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (8/10), Counterpunch (8/10), Jawbone (8/10), Silence (8/10), Hidden Figures (8/10), War For The Plant of The Apes (7/10), Wheelman (7/10), Happy Death Day (7/10)

 

WORST Films Of 2017… So Far:

 

  1. Fifty Shades Darker (2/10)
  2. Transformers The Last Knight (2/10)
  3. Sleepless (3/10)
  4. Assassins Creed (3/10)
  5. Underworld Blood War (4/10)

 

Dis-Honourable Mentions:

The Mummy (4/10), The Circle (4/10), Power Rangers (4/10), A Cure For Wellness (4/10), Gaga: Five Foot Two (4/10), Leatherface (4/10), Hacksaw Ridge (5/10), King Arthur Legend Of The Sword (5/10), Live By Night (5/10), Sing! (5/10), The Boss Baby (5/10), The Dark Tower (5/10), The Limehouse Golem (5/10), Justice League (5/10)

 

The 2017 Sharknado Award for Films So Good (!) They Cant Be Rated:  

2 Lava 2 Lantula & Sharknado 5: Global Swarming 

 


The 2017 Films I just couldn’t Finish…

 The Ghoul, The Lost City of Z

Great Films Of 2016 That I saw In 2017:

The Edge Of Seventeen, The Girl With All The Gifts, Train To Busan, Deepwater Horizon, Kubo & The Two Strings, Sing Street, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, 13th,  I Daniel Blake

 

 

Phil’s Best & Worst of 2017… So Far! 5th Edition (12th October 2017)

Phil’s Best & Worst of 2017… So Far! 5th Edition (12th October 2017)

by Phil Hobden Quick Review Year In Review

So this is my semi-regularly updated of the BEST and WORST of 2017’s movies, as well as the best films I missed from last year and the Phil’s Quick Capsule Review Sharknado Award.  All in my very humble opinion…

 

BEST Films Of 2017… So Far:

  1. Baby Driver (9/10)
  2. T2 Trainspotting (9/10)
  3. Raw (9/10)
  4. OJ: Made In America (9/10)
  5. Blade Runner 2049 (8/10)

Honourable Mentions:

La La Land (8/10), IT 2017 (8/10); Shot Caller (8/10); Dunkirk (8/10), Spider-Man Homecoming (8/10), Logan (8/10), Prevenge  (8/10), Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (8/10), Counterpunch (8/10), Get Out (8/10), Jawbone (8/10), Silence (8/10), Hidden Figures (8/10), War For The Plant of The Apes (7/10)

 

WORST Films Of 2017… So Far:

 

  1. Fifty Shades Darker (2/10)
  2. Transformers The Last Knight (2/10)
  3. Sleepless (3/10)
  4. Assassins Creed (3/10)
  5. Underworld Blood War (4/10)

 

Dis-Honourable Mentions:

The Mummy (4/10), The Circle (4/10), Power Rangers (4/10), A Cure For Wellness (4/10), Gaga: Five Foot Two (4/10), Hacksaw Ridge (5/10), King Arthur Legend Of The Sword (5/10), Live By Night (5/10), Sing! (5/10), The Boss Baby (5/10)

 

The 2017 Sharknado Award for Films So Good (!) They Cant Be Rated:  

2 Lava 2 Lantula & Sharknado 5: Global Swarming 

 

Great Films Of 2016 That I saw In 2017:

The Edge Of Seventeen, The Girl With All The Gifts, Train To Busan, Deepwater Horizon, Kubo & The Two Strings, Sing Street, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, 13th,  I Daniel Blake

 

 

Phil’s Best & Worst of 2017… So Far! 4th Edition (July 28th 2017)

Phil’s Best & Worst of 2017… So Far! 4th Edition (July 28th 2017)

by Phil Hobden Quick Review Year In Review

So this is my semi-regularly updated of the BEST and WORST of 2017’s movies, as well as the best films I missed from last year and the Phil’s Quick Capsule Review Sharknado Award.  All in my very humble opinion…

 

BEST Films Of 2017… So Far:

  1. Baby Driver (9/10)
  2. T2 Trainspotting (9/10)
  3. Raw (9/10)
  4. OJ Made In America (9/10)
  5. La La Land (8/10)

Honourable Mentions:

Dunkirk (8/10), Spider-Man Homecoming (8/10), Logan (8/10), Prevenge  (8/10), Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (8/10), Counterpunch (8/10), Get Out (8/10), Jawbone (8/10), Silence (8/10), Hidden Figures (8/10), War For The Plant of The Apes (7/10), Wonder Woman (7/10),

 

WORST Films Of 2017… So Far:

 

  1. Fifty Shades Darker (2/10)
  2. Sleepless (2/10)
  3. Assassins Creed (3/10)
  4. Underworld Blood War (4/10)
  5. The Mummy  (4/10)

 

Dis-Honourable Mentions:

The Circle (4/10), Power Rangers (4/10), A Cure For Wellness (4/10), Hacksaw Ridge (5/10), King Arthur Legend Of The Sword (5/10), Live By Night (5/10), Sing! (5/10), The Boss Baby (5/10)

 

The 2017 Sharknado Award for Films So Good (!) They Cant Be Rated:  

2 Lava 2 Lantula 

 

Great Films Of 2016 That I saw In 2017:

The Edge Of Seventeen, The Girl With All The Gifts, Train To Busan, Deepwater Horizon, Kubo & The Two Strings, Sing Street, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, 13th,  I Daniel Blake

 

 

Power Rangers (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

Power Rangers (2017) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Power Rangers is nothing like the small budget TV show that spawned a multi generation franchise.  What the original show lacked in budget it made up for in creative monsters, fun action set pieces and (mostly) light hearted fun.  Sadly the 2017 movie version replaces all this with a big fat budget, a couple of bits of stunt casting and, er, little else. Genuinely very little.  The rangers don’t even suit up until near the end when they are thrown straight into (with very little actual training as suited by Megazord wielding heroes) what should be the hardest fight of their lives. It’s cookie cutter stuff and whilst it’s not Transformers terrible it’s also not TMNT fun. In short then: little for new converts or old fans a like.

Best Bit: The Rangers FINALLY go into action

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Avoid

If You Liked this Try: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, GI Joe Rise Of Cobra

IMDB Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★

 

Author: Phil Hobden

Phil’s 2017 Preview & Look Back At 2016 Predictions…

Phil’s 2017 Preview & Look Back At 2016 Predictions…

by Phil Hobden Quick Review Year In Review

Phil’s Quick look at what’s wetting his whistle for the upcoming year in films…

Well 2016 was a bit… odd.  With most of the big films not quite hitting the mark, especially comic books films.  2017 looks like more of the same – big budget super heroes, franchises, remakes and sequels.  Here’s the films I’m most looking forward to in 2017.

 

Most Excited:  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Marvel continues to do solid work, with Doctor Strange being a highlight of 2016.  Also Guardians was, simply put, bloody terrific.  Oh and have you seen THAT trailer.  Baby Groot? Atomic Bomb? Yup. Sold.

 

2. Star Wars Episode 8
Lucasfilm in the hands of Disney have given us two very good Star Wars films in the shape of The Force Awakens and Rogue One.   With the original cast (mostly) returning, more promised on the origins of Kylo Ren and Rey as well as a full return to the movies of Luke Skywalker… Episode 8 should be pretty special.

 

3. War For The Planet Of The Apes
Rise was great.  Dawn even better.  And now War.  Based on THAT trailer and a synopsis which promises the final showdown between ape and man (which should lead to the end of the world/Charlton Heston) this could be one of the best films of the year.

 

 

4. John Wick Chapter 2
John Wick was old school, martial arts awesomeness.  John Wick 2 promises a LOT more of the same.  I have my seat booked.

 

 

5.  T2: Trainspotting
Trainspotting remains one of the best films of the 90’s and one of the best British films ever. Whether T2 follows the source material of Porno or not is still to be seen but either way with the cast returning and Boyle back behind the camera this should deliver a great film.

 

Bubbling Under: Baywatch (Excellent Trailer), Lego Batman (It’s Lego. Batman. Done), Spiderman: Homecoming  (this could go either way to be honest but I’m hoping…), Silence (Scorsese. I’m in), Alien: Covenant (come on it HAS to be better than Prometheus!), The Dark Tower (could be the King adaptation we’ve always waited for), Kingsman: The Golden Circle (Original was amazing, same team).

[divider]

 

 

Stinker Of The Year: Transformers: The Last Knight
The previous 3 Transformers films have each rated in AT LEAST the bottom 3 of year they were released (some even rock bottom). Looking at the trailer for the fifth (yes FIFTH!) Michael Bay Transformers film does little to convince me that this will be anything but an utter mess.  It’s a bit like shooting fish in a barrel sure but come on there has to be ZERO chance of this being any good.


Also Dreading: Wonder Woman (The trailer is lacking, the film just doesn’t grab me), Blade Runner 2049 (Silly title, a sequel we just don’t need), Power Rangers (Urm not needed, not wanted), Logan (Want tone wrong but so far these films have just not worked), XXX: Return Of Xander Cage (Diesel is back. Nobody cares), Cars 3 (1 & 2 weren’t great) , The Mummy (Tom Cruise. A Mummy. I’ll pass).

 

[divider]

So how did I do last year?

This is the time of the year when I look back at my picks of the good, the bad and the ugly from 2016 and see how close I was (or as it often is the case, how far!)…

For the best: I tipped Captain America Civil War, Creed, Finding Dory, Deadpool & London Has Fallen as my most anticipated of 2016. Somewhat of a mixed bag with Creed & Deadpool sitting close to my top 10 with Creed my film of the year for a few months near the start of 2016.  Finding Dory was good but not good enough.  London Has Fallen, well that ended up being one of the worst films of the year for me.  As for Captain America Civil War? It promised a lot but fell short of the far superior Winter Solider from a few years back and Marvel’s very own Doctor Strange which was the best superhero film of the year.

 

As for the Stinkers? Point Break was terrible as expected and landed firmly in my bottom 5 for 2016. Batman Vs Superman was actually pretty fun (if flawed), The Hateful Eight overrated as I expected but there were worse films in 2016, Ghostbusters was forgettable, Warcraft was everything that’s wrong with game movie adaptations and the combination of sequels Divergent Allegiant & Independence Day Resurgence showed that both franchises have zero fun left in them and even less commercial appeal.  Only Star Trek Beyond rose above the dross as a truly fun film (until the silly somewhat overblown ending).

 

So here’s to 2016… see you again next year!