Deadpool - OFFICIAL RED BAND Trailer

Let's get right to this. Any decent superhero/comic book fan will know of Deadpool. Above we see parts of the reveal trailers and the leaks all bundled into one hell of a package. From this small short, we can really begin to see how Ryan Reynolds fills the shoes of one of the most beloved characters of the universe. Down below is the trailer for the trailer which tears into Reynolds previous appearance as Wade in some of the best marketing I've seen in a very long time.

Now personally, I'm not sure how this movie will fair with the general public who don't know of the character and I worry that his reach and the violence may not appeal to them. Lets hope the Marvel community goes out in droves for this because we could be looking at a cult classic of the superhero universe!

Dracula Untold - No sparkly shit for Luke Evans today! - Review - SPOILERS

Considering that pretty much every film that involves vampires recently has been dominated by the gay, teen angst, sparkly shit, it is a blessing that Dracula Untold got funding. Something that portrays the king of vampires as a real monster rather than a sex symbol is a good start in my book and hell, I'd hope it would be in everyone else's. Rather than drag on about how much I hate modern vampire culture in media of recent, I shall simply sum it up in a small little section. Twilight is the scourge of modern media and its butchering of vampires actions infuriates me. As for True Blood, I find it piss poor. With some rather shocking motion blur and the constant barrage of sex, it leaves me begging for the return of Buffy and Angel.

Now to the real question. Is Dracula Untold good? Yes, in fact it is brilliant. Origin stories can go drastically wrong, especially when the history behind it from decades of film and TV appearances have shaped generations of media. Dracula Untold is the origin story of the one and only Vlad The Impaler who was turned into Count Dracula by author Bram Stoker. In the movie, much like the described events of his life, Vlad was enslaved at a young age by the Ottoman empire who he later fought against when he regained his power. Although what happens in Dracula Untold is not exactly what happened according to the history records, the simplified "Ottomans stole him, used him for war and Vlad killing a load of them" was actually true. This time around, Vlad was given 2 options, give up 1000 children or face the wrath of the Ottoman empire. Vlad had no choice considering the fact that he had no army to fight alongside, he agrees but soon retaliates once they threaten to take his son along with the other 1000. This eventually leads to Vlad becoming the vampire we all know and love in his attempt to save his people and more importantly, his family. Many writers tend to simply ignore history when the create a story but this way its refreshing to see someone consider the history behind the man but also tweak it a little to bring in the element of fantasy.

So we have a good story. Do we have good acting? Meeeh. Its alright. As per usual we get a unrecognisable child with the likeability Kim Jong Un to his republic. Vlad's wife spends more time looking clueless and vacant with absolutely no stage presence among the rest of the cast. As for the rest of the cast, it felt like they just didn't exist. We didn't particularly meet any of these but towards the end we are meeting a lot of people who are so anonymous, not even the NSA know who they are. I guess in reality, the movie wasn't about these people. After all it is named after him. I've been waiting for a good Dracula since Blade 3 (Also the reason I like to go by the name Drake!). Luke Evans isn't a man of incredible talent. Its safe to say that he is good, just good. In this, I feel he has actually managed to fill the role of a character that has a lot of heritage and actually make a character I would like to follow further. Now once again we meet Dominic Cooper. An actor who has appeared in many movies as of recently and typically plays the bad guy. Funnily enough, he still is playing the bad guy but now as the Ottoman leader. There's not a lot to really say about Cooper. He just about suffices as an evil doer but I want someone I can really hate or someone who can scare the audience. The one that was actually able to do so was the one who gifts his power unto Dracula; Charles Dance.

Visually the movie had a lot of work to do to create good scenes look even better. Unfortunately a lo of the screen had very little depth and it was obvious that most of it, if not all of it was recorded on a green screen. Apart from that, the action was great fun. A lot of the time it didn't appear very clear but it was very well choreographed considering some of the movements that would take place when Dracula would morph into different states to travel the battlefield. If you're an action junkie, you will love it. The general action is an almost constant state of brutality which has me giggling with glee from the get-go.

Sure, we didn't know many characters, those we did weren't particularly well acted and the real villain wasn't scary by any means. A little of the story didn't mean anything and some things didn't exactly work out correctly. However, its ending was something enjoyed. It left on a note that meant that we could be seeing a return of Luke Evans' Dracula with the Master Vampire, Charles Dance. If real vampires are your thing, you will get jiggy with this. Many complain about Dracula not needing an origin, but in reality, what's the point in just refreshing him without exploring something about him with a bit of history. I guess that's what you get from the Daily Mail and its ilk. Its a movie of good fun, violence and real vampires. 7.5/10!

300: Rise of an Empire - Review - SPOILERS

300: Rise of an Empire has quite the challenge to stand upon the shoulders of it's predecessor. 8 years after the original, Zack Snyder is back at the helm with an ensemble of shredded men and a puny teen. This time around, we take a different angle on the war, initially set up 10 years prior drifting through the events of 300 and the death of Leonidas all the way to the final navel battle of the conflict. So, yeah, expect news of a third 300 movie as the way it ends sets up so much more. Let's hope its not another 8 years from now and that Zack Snyder pulls his finger out to get it done for next year!

To begin, we enter the fray in battle that leads to Themistokles' (Sullivan Stapleton) killing of Xerxes father 10 years prior to the events of 300. With the narrative moving from this and Xerxes' move from human to God-king we drop into a political debate on the action needed by Greece to fend off the Persian forces. Upon trying to recruit the Spartans into the battle, we are notified that a squad of 300 has already left and Leonidas is among them. While this conflict rages, Xerxes' (Rodrigo Santoro) naval commander and right hand lady Artemisia (Eva Green) is launching an attack on Themistokles' limited ships and it is brutal. Themistokles' tactics are ingenious and his forces exact brutal skill upon the enemy. In terms of acting, the movie was actually very strong (Another crazy thing to see from an action film), Stapleton's voice sent ripples with every word. His huge build, powerful voice and commanding presence on screen makes him perfect for the role, never slipping up and managed the pressure of the main role without letting it get to him. Eva Green on the other hand is an actor I've never been drawn too but she's always been able to play the bitch without a hitch. She played the role convincingly enough but she still lacks presence when she's supposed to be this power house.

The flow of the story is great, although it is obvious how the outcome will be, everything feels like a surprise. For an action movie, it does create genuine bonds between characters and seeing them shattered really eggs you on for some revenge. Speaking of revenge, let's look at the violence and gore. Although I have never read the comic or seen it's art style, the blood looks incredibly glossy, almost paint-like and that really destroys the illusion when pitted with the actual ferocity of the combat. Albeit, the choreography of the fight scenes is perfect, it's fluid movement blended with slow motion shots exacerbate the extent of each hit and I couldn't stop giggling every time I saw someone get a Gladius blade to the face.

Probably one of the biggest and most violent blockbuster this year, Rise of an Empire stands as quite a triumph in my book. A bloody gorefest with a story that answers so many questions. I'm a little peeved with some of the visuals, the blood being one but a giant dog that looked like it had come from Ghostbusters and didn't even fit into place, nor was it even addressed. A sex scene that looks more like rape and a script that throws back to 300 in the cheesiest of fashion. Finally, I would have loved it to have been a bit longer but this desperate need to make a trilogy for something can stretch it very thin and it's removed all of the battles on land and replaced them with only naval scenes. Because of all this, I feel I should rate it more on my entertainment factor and 8/10 stands well with me. It's blood-pumping fun for almost all of the family.

Kickass 2 - Quicky Review & SPOILERS

This part is written solely on what I see and can tell from the trailer…Kickass is a guy dressed up as a superhero with no physical powers to fight crime. Essentially, he is a nerdy, weak and stupid version of batman in a florescent wetsuit and mask. Returning back to his world, we see that more and more people are turning into these “superheroes” since Kickass killed a mob boss in the previous movie. Since then, Red Mist (The mob bosses son) turns into “The Motherfucker” with the intent of becoming the world’s first super villain and have a collection of criminals to match the good guys and wiping kickass off the face of the earth. Aaron Taylor-Johnson decided that he wanted to beef up for this one but he still plays a character that seems inept at any sort of defense or sponging ability. Plus constantly getting his ass handed to him by Hitgirl (Chloë Grace Moretz) never makes this character look tough. I’m hoping that in this follow-up, we should see better fighting, funny jokes and an entertaining script as the previous one just seemed simple and lackluster with a lot of overly used swears. I’m hoping that the added cast of Jim Carrey and Donald Faison (Turk from Scrubs), weshall see a far stronger movie.

So, if you've been following my Twitter feed, you shall notice that I really enjoyed this follow up. Kickass 2 is one of the best sequels that I have seen in quite some time. My impression of these heroes have changed substantially since I've seen the original and its great to have a varying cast of new players with a collection of screwed up names that are borderline racist, especially in terms of the super villains. Jumping into the story, we follow on from the previous story. Kickass has retired his costume, Hitgirl is being looked after by Detective Williams and 'in' high school. It turns out that she is disappearing every day to go to an old outpost of her fathers that is heavily equipped with weaponry and training equipment that she spends everyday in. After convincing Dave (Kickass), Mindy (Hitgirl) starts to train him in the same fashion as her father. For instance, the iconic scene when he shoots her in the chest to form trust in the kevlar vest. Eventually found out, she is forced to back away and the roles switch as Dave tries to convince Mindy. While all this goes on The Motherfucker / Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) kills his mother by accident and plots the death of Kickass by forming an evil army run with his fathers fortunes and Mafia goons. Since Kickass left the game, he has inspired others to do the same and fight crime. Heroes popping up everyday end up

forming a team and fighting together, the squad leader, Captain Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey) is a reformed mob enforcer with a dislike to curse words but a fondness for comical violence. In the process of the story, The Motherfucker gets even with Kickass but still wants more and demands his death. While all of this goes on, there are sub-stories of friendship, companionship and the occasional argument between friends and this is just on Dave's side of the story. Mindy has a very different story. Forced to go back to high school, she is manipulated by the popular kids and is treated like shit to convey the reality of school life which sends a powerful message about how it affects a strong, independent girl. So, as a story it is fairly effective, a little basic but still good. With a few shock twists that really catch you out as they are so obscure, you couldn't have predicted it.

This time around, the script was a little less loud mouth Chav with Tourette's. Now it has tamed down the swearing quite substantially and I feel I know why. Jim Carrey is in very little movies with excessive swearing and violence, so he negotiated with the writers to reduced the level so his fan base would be able to attend which also helps to explain his characters dislike to swearing. The captain was quite a strong character and it was brilliant to see that at the time of his death, it sparked up fear and panic in realistic and plausible ways. You may have also heard about Jim Carrey backing away from Kickass with the recent shootings that convinced him to make a stand against it. In terms of the action and violence, it was exciting and fun. I was smiling on my way out of the cinema as it was amazing fun. Lots of blood, adrenaline filled fights with a variety of weapons and actions scenes that became badass in seconds. For instance, Dave is being beaten down at Dr. Gravity runs in blocking a blow and hell breaks loose. Its street fighter on drugs.

Acting wise, it wasn't going to be incredible but I really think Donald Faison and Jim Carrey dominated it and Dr. Gravity was Turk in a superhero costume, so he didn't venture to far from one of his best roles. A lot of weight was placed on Carrey and its a huge surprise when he is brutally murdered but they are pretty damn good at keeping the secrets and acting the scenes appropriately. Chole Moretz had to be different in this. She had to play a high school teen with issues alongside a hard girl with a dark past. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is very much the same but he has padded up substantially for this role, yet can't defend himself. This annoys me to no end. While the Motherfucker is now wearing his mothers gimp outfit swearing and throwing his money about to get more power and destroy Kickass for what he did. The multiple members that he collected were awesome. Mother Russia was massive. The most destructive of the bunch and she kept a straight face all the way through, no loss of character and a lot of focus on the Russian stereotype. The others also have borderline racist names combined with the equally racist outfit for the asian Yakuza.

I feel the whole movie deserves a 8/10. It's funny, varied, a massive improvement on the original with a great cast. I couldn't talk much more about it as 1, I'm tired. 2, work. 3, I have other things to do. Enjoy guys! 2 Guns review out later this week!

Only God Forgives - Review - SPOILERS

After the notorious booing at the Cannes festival earlier this year by the snooty French critics, I feel they were expediently wrong. Alongside the ratings on both Rotten Tomato and IMDB, I feel they are very inaccurate. Compared to Drive, I feel the directors and writers have done far better in achieving a plausible story with a distinctive style that illustrates a new avenue of cinematic trends and personally feel that this is far better than it's predecessor.

" Bangkok. Ten years ago Julian killed a man and went on the run. Now he manages a Thai boxing club as a front for a drugs operation. Respected in the criminal underworld, deep inside, he feels empty. When Julian's brother murders an under age prostitute, the police call on retired cop Chang - the Angel of Vengeance. Chang allows the father to kill his daughter's murderer, then 'restores order' by chopping off the man's right hand. Julian's mother Crystal - the head of a powerful criminal organization - arrives in Bangkok to collect her son's body. She dispatches Julian to find his killers and 'raise hell'. Written by www.joblo.com, sourced from IMDB "

Just looking at the story summary above helps to convey the potential for a dark and gritty portrayal of Bangkok's criminal underbelly. Yet this is only a simple breakdown compared to the actual complexity of it's fleshed out components. Coupled with the filming style and small sub-stories, the film can start off a little confusing and hard to grasp but looking over the whole focus plot, it eventually pieces itself together, yet the sub-story of Julian's (Ryan Gosling) and Mai's (Yayaying Rhatha Phongam) relationship is an eerily poetic but morally indifferent. Mai - a prostitute, is the women that Julian is fixated upon. The sexual relations between them could be considered professional, yet Julian's fixation portrays it as something far more complex. Even in one scene, Julian wants her to play the role of his partner for when he goes to meet his mother. He buys her a new dress and at the end of the night, have an argument that could be considered as a marital dispute. The story doesn't just follow Julian. It jumps to the retired cop Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm) and follows his pursuit to deal with the drug enterprise and it's destructive ways.

In terms of acting, it doesn't demand much spoken intensity from the cast. Ryan Gosling only has a few lines across the 90 minute spectacle and I wouldn't be surprised to see his part of the script only being 2 pages long. This plays well into Ryan's hands, simply because I feel he is the David Beckham of the acting world. He has the looks, he can portray himself as cool and collected and then emotionally scarred by love, he has the acting ability until he speaks. His voice - much like Beckham's, can be high and squeaky making it hard to take him seriously. However, in this, it felt natural. His silence added mystery to his character which makes him such a threat.

Silently walking to a pair of men and smashing a glass into his face with one foul swoop and dragging him out by his teeth solidifies this. It's much the same for Chang, yet he performs karaoke in front of his police force and rules with his violent capabilities. Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas) on the other hand is a loose cannon who chooses her favourite child and makes it quite clear. Vocally, she is aggressive, manipulative and psychotic. She treats Julian in ways that are inappropriate and almost sexual, making it really damn weird at points. Then suddenly, she snaps, lying and blaming others. There was one performance that I had a problem with, all of the rest were executed perfectly to fit the lines they were given and managed to keep very collected all the way through rather than losing it when it was needed the most.

Drive is notorious for it's violence, but it was a bit over zealous at points. This however is extremely plausible. Chang is obviously the most dangerous out of the group, armed with a razor sharp blade, he's cutting limbs off and slicing open a guys rib cage in one quick swipe. Slumping to the floor, we are given a shot right above his corpse, looking into his chest cavity as blood spills onto the ground. You can even see the actual ribs which made the whole cinema cringe. Minutes later, he is torturing a man with the use of various pin shaped utensils, pinning him to the chair as he screams, Chang digs a fruit blade into his eyes causing more blood curdling screens and many gasps by the viewers as we watch every minute cut with an extreme close-up of the guys faces. Finally ending him by plunging another utensil into this guys ear. Nervous chatter would erupt in the cinema with a few "Holy Shit, man!"'s coming from around the room. The vivid violence was stunning, increasingly fucked up and deeply disturbing. It easily outmatched many horror movies for its use of violence and the effect it had on the audience.

Finally we have the cinematography and the music. The music is fairly oriental with a twist from some synths and bass drops that create tension in just the right spots. The score is well composed and doesn't over power the visuals and had a brilliant collection of sounds and tempos. The framing of the scenes was always thought about when creating this. Using the natural surrounding to crop the screen is a funky idea. This is much the same with lighting. Ryan's position on screen is normally dictated by the light, especially when he is behind the carved wood wall and the light shines through illuminating small features on his face further connoting the dark and deluded mind of Julian. Colours were vivid and punchy. Neon in type, they fill the area with a seedy glow that extenuates the surrounding area and pops the wallpaper in the brothel scenes. The neon also helps to set certain scenes up with a sense of danger and so much more. When daylight comes, the light catches you out and it looks stunning when balanced with the rusty exterior of the market district.

As I stated before, this movie is brilliant but there a few little things that dragged on me. One was Chang's sword, it would appear from nowhere on his back and you could never see the sheath. Secondly was the amount of script, very little does make it feel a little empty at points but the positioning on screen and the lighting to help to maximise what happens. Thirdly, we have the story. At points it can be hard to grasp and I feel the love interest was fairly useless in the overall aspect and what the hell is with the karaoke and the ending. Why does Julian practically hand himself over to Chang. It leaves questions unanswered that should have been finished. So my overall ranking shall be an 8/10. It's a work of art and is one of Gosling's best roles to date. Catch it before it goes!