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- Empire of Lies | Film Trailers
Empire of Lies arrives in UK cinemas and on digital platforms on 27th March.. Brand new film trailers. Empire of Lies The arrival of the trailer for Empire of Lies signals a compelling shift for director Matthew Hope. Known for the gritty, tactical pacing of The Veteran and All the Devil’s Men, Hope appears to have traded the high-stakes battlefield for the claustrophobic confines of an interrogation room. This first look suggests a film that is less about external conflict and more about the corrosive nature of grief and institutional distrust. Produced by Magus Films, the project marks a significant milestone as their debut UK theatrical and digital release, scheduled for 27th March. The trailer introduces us to David "Dave" Harris, portrayed by the versatile Joseph Millson. Harris is a man living on the fringes, haunted by the unresolved murder of his daughter. What begins as a standard interview quickly descends into a psychological tug-of-war. Millson, a veteran of high-octane productions like Casino Royale and The Last Kingdom, seems to be operating at a different frequency here. Matthew Hope’s signature exploration of paranoia remains intact, but the aesthetic has evolved. The trailer leans into a "two-hander" structure, focusing heavily on the dialogue and the mounting tension between Harris and his interrogator. It is a more intimate, performance-led approach that prioritises psychological depth over traditional action beats. By partnering with international sales agent Exit 44 Entertainment, Magus Films is clearly positioning this as a high-calibre independent feature with global appeal. If the trailer is any indication, Empire of Lies will be a somber, thought-provoking examination of where truth ends and self-deception begins. Empire of Lies arrives in UK cinemas and on digital platforms on 27th March 2026. Empire of Lies Empire of Lies arrives in UK cinemas and on digital platforms on 27th March. Undertone Undertone is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on Friday, March 13th, 2025. If the trailer is anything to go by, we suggest you keep the lights on and perhaps think twice before pressing play on your next favourite podcast. The Moment The Land of Sometimes Twins Alfie and Elise find a magical Wish Watch on Christmas Eve and are swept by the Wish Collector into the musical Land of Sometimes, where they learn that wishes have consequences. Avengers: Doomsday Fans are elated at the release of the first teaser trailer for Avengers: Doomsday. Set for a theatrical release on 18th December 2026, find out more here. Greenland 2: Migration Now, the first official trailer for the sequel, Greenland 2: Migration, has landed, promising to take that survivalist tension into even more treacherous territory. Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up Official Trailer. Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up will be in UK & Irish cinemas from 13th February 2026. Mother Mary Ultimately, the Mother Mary trailer establishes a compelling promise: a film that uses the theatricality of the music industry to explore something primal about identity and obsession. Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come In the trailer for Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come establishes a new, thrilling chapter. It’s a sequel that dares to go bigger, transforming a single family’s twisted tradition into a full-scale, world-controlling bloodsport. Shelter People We Meet On Vacation People We Meet On Vacation looks set to be a thoroughly British affair in its tone and appeal—a charming, heartfelt escape, promising both belly laughs and a good cry. Doctor Plague Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery This first glimpse of Wake Up Dead Man isn’t just a trailer; it’s a brilliant statement of intent. The film looks primed to be a festive treat for audiences looking for a compelling, cleverly constructed mystery. Michael Michael is set to arrive in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on the 24th of April 2026, and based on this compelling first look, the world will indeed be waiting. The Carpenter's Son We anticipate that The Carpenter's Son will be less of a retelling and more of a deeply disquieting examination of power, temptation, and the human cost of being chosen. It arrives on 21st November. Eternity Eternity looks set to be a sophisticated, imaginative film that avoids the usual genre clichés by grounding its absurd plot in stellar performances. Kontinental '25 The promotional material and critical buzz surrounding Kontinental ’25 confirm that the winner of the Silver Berlin Bear for Best Screenplay is not only back, but operating at a fever pitch of urgency and daring. Anniversary Kenny Dalglish It's rare for a documentary trailer to stir the soul quite as effectively as the first look at Kenny Dalglish, the upcoming feature focusing on the life and legacy of one of British football's most revered and complex figures. Is This Thing On? Searchlight Pictures has premiered the teaser trailer for Is This Thing On?, and it suggests we are in for a sharp, melancholic comedy that mines the humour and heartbreak of mid-life crisis through the lens of stand-up.
- Film Trailers | UK Film Review
Film trailers and movie reviews from some of the best cinema releases in the UK. Watch film trailers and movie clips here. Film Trailers Watch the Latest Movie Trailers Here! Alongside our passionate Film Reviews , we also like to promote the biggest and best film trailers from this year's upcoming theatrical releases. Here you will find some of the most exciting clips of films, from your dramas and romantic comedies, to superhero films and biopics. Fair warning, these movie trailers may contain spoilers or give you unreasonable expectations as to the quality of the full film. UK Film Review take no responsibility as to whether these trailers are appropriate to your sensibilities. If you are looking for movies off the beaten track, check out our other movie trailers pages for short and indie films. You can find these by looking under the Film Trailers drop-down in the main navigation. There you will find some of our favourite movie trailers from filmmakers in the UK and worldwide, doing our best to support indie films. If you would like to submit your trailer, there is an option at the bottom of those pages. Don't forget to FOLLOW us on Facebook and Twitter, where we promote the latest film trailers and film reviews. Also use the YouTube button below to SUBSCRIBE to our channel, which has tons of movie trailers, vlog film reviews, and clips. All that's left to say is enjoy these trailers, share with your friends (and enemies), and come back regularly for more. Empire of Lies Undertone The Moment The Land of Sometimes Avengers: Doomsday Greenland 2: Migration Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up Mother Mary Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come Shelter People We Meet On Vacation Doctor Plague Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Michael The Carpenter's Son Eternity Kontinental '25 Anniversary Kenny Dalglish Is This Thing On? Movie Trailers to Come Looking for a reason to check back? Well, this page will promote movies for the rest of the year and we will continue to unleash them as the months progress. Many film studios release their best movie trailers near the final stages of a film's release to tie in with their marketing which builds to a crescendo, like the final third of a Marvel superhero movie! If you would like to submit a trailer for our consideration, please do so to info@ukfilmreview.co.uk . If we like what we see we may put it on one of our pages. We may also promote it on social media, because that is where people love to engage with vids and clips...but mostly of pugs. Who doesn't love pugs? Spoilers in Movie Trailers Many film lovers get in touch with us to express their outrage at firstly studios who include way too many spoilers in their marketing material, and then at us for sharing such spoilerific clips. A totally understandable and reasonable feeling, especially given the recent popularity amongst trailer makers to show footage from the final third of a film! If you think one of the movie trailers on our website contains too many spoilers, please let us know (using the usual social media platforms) and we will investigate. It may be that we grab the pitchforks and turn up at the doors of Warner Bros demanding satisfaction. It may be that we take to Twitter and bombard the film's stars with the most aggressive emojis and hashtags we can muster. Or it may be that we do absolutely nothing. Either way, you can be sure that you did your darndest to effect massive change in the world for a genuinely important cause. What is a movie trailer? A movie trailer is a promotional piece of footage compiled using scenes or sequences from a film. The movie trailer may also include additional material or music to enhance the effec for the viewer. What is the purpose of a movie trailer? Movie trailers are used to build anticipation and excitement leading up to a film's release. Often they contain elements that will particularly appeal to fans of the genre they are targeting. How long should a movie trailer be? Typical movie trailers are around 2 minutes in length. Sometimes teaser trailers are used and these can be anything from 10 seconds to 1 minute plus. How do I make a movie trailer? You will need to have the footage material from the film you are planning to make a trailer for. You should also have video editing software, music (including the licence to use it), as well as any graphics you plan to use such as intro or outro sequences.
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Film Trailers Empire of Lies More Undertone More The Moment More The Land of Sometimes More Avengers: Doomsday More Greenland 2: Migration More Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up More Mother Mary More Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come More Shelter More People We Meet On Vacation More Doctor Plague More
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- New Movies On Netflix This Month - February 2026
Film Feature by Chris Olson This February, Netflix is offering a slate that ranges from the grim reality of British true crime to the delicate nuances of South Korean romantic drama. Having already promoted several other New Movies on Netflix 2026 , I was thrilled to see a few more added to their lineup. These additional offerings are a mixed bag of emotional weights and cultural perspectives. We have a documentary that has already sparked a firestorm of ethical debate, a historical biopic from Sweden that aims to rewrite a chapter of the Second World War, and two Asian features that explore identity and connection with remarkable tenderness. It is a month for viewers who like their entertainment with a side of introspection. The Investigation of Lucy Letby The Investigation of Lucy Letby Official Trailer Released on the 4th of February, The Investigation of Lucy Letby is perhaps the most high-profile and controversial addition to the platform this year. Produced by ITN Productions, this ninety-minute documentary arrives amidst a chorus of disapproval from Letby’s own parents, who have publicly condemned the film as an "invasion of privacy." From a filmmaking perspective, the documentary employs the kind of "unprecedented access" that has become a Netflix hallmark. It features previously unreleased footage of Letby’s arrest at her home in Chester, alongside interviews with the police officers and legal minds who navigated the complexities of Britain’s most prolific child serial killer case. What is most striking here is the shift in tone. While earlier coverage of the trial focused heavily on the horrific nature of the crimes, this film attempts to pull back the curtain on the procedural mechanics. However, one cannot ignore the ethical discomfort. By including footage of Letby in her domestic setting—the "dressing gown arrest" that has become a focal point of the family's criticism—the filmmakers tread a very thin line between public interest and sensationalism. As a critic, I find the craft of the documentary impressive, but as a viewer, there is a lingering question about whether some stones are best left unturned for the sake of the victims’ and families' dignity. This Is I This Is I Moving from the dark realities of the UK to the vibrant, neon-lit streets of Japan, This Is I (premiering on the 10th of February) offers a much-needed emotional counterpoint. Directed by Yusaku Matsumoto, this is a biographical drama centered on Ai Haruna, a beloved Japanese transgender icon. The film is a beautiful exploration of the human spirit. It follows Kenji, a young boy with dreams of becoming an idol like Seiko Matsuda, who eventually undergoes the first gender confirmation surgery in Japan performed by the pioneering Dr. Wada. Haruki Mochizuki, an eighteen-year-old newcomer, delivers a performance of incredible vulnerability and strength as Ai. Opposite her, the esteemed Takumi Saitoh brings a grounded, compassionate energy to the role of Dr. Wada. What makes This Is I stand out is its musicality. The film is peppered with hits from the Showa and Heisei eras, using J-pop as a narrative tool to express the protagonist’s inner joy and longing. There is a sequence where Ai steps out into the city in a red dress for the first time, choreographed by Akane, that is pure cinematic bliss. It reminds us why we watch films: to see the world through someone else’s eyes and feel their triumph as if it were our own. The Swedish Connection The Swedish Connection On the 19th of February, Netflix takes us back to the 1940s with The Swedish Connection . In the tradition of Schindler’s List or The Imitation Game , this film seeks to illuminate the life of a forgotten hero. That hero is Gösta Engzell, a bureaucrat within the Swedish Foreign Ministry during the Second World War. Sweden’s "neutrality" during the war has long been a subject of historical scrutiny, often painted with a brush of moral ambiguity. This film challenges that narrative by focusing on Engzell’s quiet rebellion. Through bureaucratic manoeuvring and sheer moral fortitude, Engzell helped save thousands of lives from Nazi persecution. The film is a taut, intellectual thriller. It doesn’t rely on explosive set pieces but rather on the tension of the "paper war." It explores how one man, working within a rigid and often indifferent system, can become a "moral superpower." For fans of historical dramas that value nuance over melodrama, this is essential viewing. It is a sombre, well-constructed piece of cinema that asks what we owe to our fellow man when the world is falling into darkness. Pavane Pavane (2026) Finally, on the 20th of February, we have Pavane , a South Korean romantic drama directed by Lee Jong-pil. Based on the novel Pavane for a Dead Princess by Park Min-gyu, the film is a delicate, melancholic study of beauty and perception. The story follows three individuals who have, for various reasons, retreated from the world. Mi-jung (played by Go Ah-sung) lives under the weight of society’s judgmental gaze regarding her appearance; Yo-han (Byun Yo-han) is a rock-loving free spirit; and Gyeong-rok (Moon Sang-min) is a man who has traded his dreams for the daily grind. Their lives intersect in the subterranean world of a department store car park. Lee Jong-pil has a knack for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. Pavane is a film of small moments—shared laughter, quiet observations, and the slow thawing of guarded hearts. It is a "melodrama" in the best sense of the word, focusing on the internal landscapes of its characters. The chemistry between the lead trio is palpable, making the central question of the film—whether one can truly love again after being hardened by life—feel deeply resonant. It is a poetic conclusion to a month of heavy hitters. February 2026 on Netflix feels like a month of confrontation. Whether it is confronting the ghosts of a criminal investigation in the UK, the rigid social structures of mid-century Europe, or the personal barriers we build around ourselves in modern-day Asia, these films demand something of the audience. As always, I encourage you to seek out the stories that challenge you. While the Letby documentary may be a difficult watch for many, the bravery shown in the narratives of This Is I and Pavane offers a hopeful balance.
- New Michael Jackson Movie Gets Official Trailer
Film Feature by Chris Olson The musical biopic has become a staple of the modern cinematic landscape, a genre that often teeters between hagiography and gritty realism. From the foot-stomping success of Bohemian Rhapsody to the psychedelic flourishes of Rocketman , audiences have proven they have a nearly bottomless appetite for the origin stories of their idols. However, none carry the cultural weight, the complexity, or the sheer visual potential of the latest subject to take centre stage. The official trailer for Michael has finally arrived, and if the first look is anything to go by, director Antoine Fuqua is aiming for nothing less than a definitive epic of the man who redefined the very concept of global stardom. Scheduled to arrive in UK and Ireland cinemas and IMAX on 24th April 2026, Michael promises to be a sprawling exploration of the King of Pop’s life and legacy. For those of us who track the trajectory of British and international film, this is the kind of project that demands attention not just for its subject matter, but for the formidable creative team assembled behind the camera. Produced by Graham King—the man who navigated the Freddy Mercury story to box office records—and written by three-time Academy Award nominee John Logan, the pedigree here is undeniable. The trailer opens with a haunting intimacy, immediately addressing the dual nature of Jackson’s existence: the immense public pressure and the internal drive for perfection. We hear voices of encouragement and demand—reminders of being "the greatest of all time" set against the harsh reality of Joe Jackson’s disciplinarian roots. "In this life, you’re either a winner or you’re a loser," bellows Colman Domingo’s Joe, grounding the film in the industrial grit of Gary, Indiana. It is a striking starting point that highlights the film’s intent to look "beyond the music," as the official synopsis suggests. The most anticipated element of this production is, of course, the lead performance. Casting a figure as physically and vocally unique as Michael Jackson is a Herculean task, yet the choice of Jaafar Jackson—Michael’s own nephew—feels like a masterstroke of both authenticity and poetic symmetry. In the footage provided, the resemblance is frequently uncanny. It isn’t just the prosthetics or the iconic costumes; it is the way he holds himself, the softness of the speaking voice, and the explosive energy of the choreography. This is Jaafar’s feature film debut, and the trailer suggests a performance of immense vulnerability and physical precision. Fuqua, known for his visceral directing style in films like Training Day and The Equalizer, seems to have traded his usual gritty palette for something more expansive and luminous. The trailer showcases a breadth of eras, from the Motown days of the Jackson Five—where Juliano Krue Valdi portrays a young Michael with startling charisma—to the solo heights of the 1980s. The cinematography captures the "magic" that Michael speaks of in the final moments of the teaser, promising a front-row seat to the creative process that birthed the visionary artist. The supporting cast is equally impressive, adding significant weight to the drama. Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo appears to be a formidable presence as Joe Jackson, while Nia Long portrays the family matriarch, Katherine Jackson, with a quiet strength that serves as the emotional anchor of the trailer. Miles Teller and Laura Harrier also feature, suggesting a film that isn't afraid to populate its world with heavy-hitting dramatic talent to match the scale of the production. What stands out most in this first look is the film’s focus on Michael’s personal philosophy. "I believe music can change the world," we hear him say, expressing a desire to spread "love, joy and peace." It is a sentiment that contrasts sharply with the glimpses of the media circus and the internal family pressures that sought to turn the Jackson name into a "brand" akin to Coca-Cola. By framing the story as a "relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world," John Logan’s screenplay appears to be examining the cost of that ambition. For UK audiences, the promise of an IMAX release is particularly enticing. Jackson was an artist who thought in terms of grand scale—short films rather than music videos, and spectacles rather than concerts. To see these iconic performances recreated on the largest possible screen will be a nostalgic trip for long-time fans and a revelation for younger viewers who only know him through digital archives. The trailer hints at recreations of legendary stage moments that look set to benefit from the immersive power of the IMAX format. As a film critic, one is always wary of the "sanitised" biopic, particularly when family members are involved in the production. However, the involvement of John Branca and John McClain, alongside the dramatic sensibilities of Fuqua and Logan, suggests a film that aims to be a serious piece of cinema rather than a mere tribute act. It seeks to humanise a man who was often treated as a myth or a tabloid fixture, returning the focus to the "visionary artist" and the "relentless pursuit" of his craft. In the final seconds of the trailer, as the lights go down and the iconic silhouette emerges, there is a palpable sense of excitement. Whether you grew up during the height of Thriller-mania or discovered his music decades later, the influence of Michael Jackson is inescapable. Come April 2026, cinema-goers in the UK and Ireland will have the opportunity to see if Fuqua has successfully captured that lightning in a bottle. If the trailer is any indication, Michael will be the cinematic event of the year—a complex, vibrant, and deeply moving portrait of a life lived in the blinding glare of the spotlight. This is where his story begins, and on the evidence of this footage, it is a story that still has the power to captivate the world.
- Lure Film Review
Star rating: 3/5 Writer: Oliver Cox Director: Oliver Cox Starring: Silvia Presente, Kit Eruso, Joe Lockhart, Paul David-Cough, Gregory Fung, Sammy Elkhatib and Reece Henderson. Lure is a convoluted, violent cinematic metaphor for searching for ‘the one’. It all starts very nicely. Tom, a young 20 something from London, is being driven by his father to a party where he will get the opportunity to find a new crowd. Or so he thinks. He arrives at a typical British country house, where he is greeted by Islay, who is supposedly hosting the party and who tells him he is the first to arrive where he asks where the others are. It turns out this is no party, and Tom is about to join the worst ‘game’ of his life, where his qualities will be tested in relation to other men’s, with a view to be the father of Islay’s ‘perfect’ future child. This ‘game’ at the centre of Lure is like a nasty version of The Traitors, the worst you’ve ever seen, and here is where the film becomes a really gratuitous piece, with near constant scenes of torture that are unpleasant to watch. The film is somewhat saved by the actor’s performances, and the set and costume design. In terms of the performances, Silvia Presente is rather brilliant as Islay, putting on an almost theatrical display. The whole cast responds with truly energetic performances- as much as performing about 60 minutes of tension and torture can be called ‘energetic’. But the quality of the cast is undeniable. The set design meanwhile is tasteful, and powerful, with an earthy though dark colour tones. These match the costume design, particularly Islay who wears a monochrome outfit that is at once beautiful but somehow also fitting the nasty occasion. Frustrated by her continued failed attempts at these games, Islay asks her mother ‘when will I find one?’. 'You cannot rush these things', is the answer given to Islay. This is a question that resonates deeply for my generation (just reached 30) who yearns for connection while on many occasions searching for it the wrong way, or in the wrong places. We are, on the whole, a violent generation. Perhaps we may even see Lure as a somewhat intelligent metaphor of the modern 'dating game', where it can go awfully wrong, be unpleasant as an experience and is taken as being all about the result, the end game (including having children), with massive disregard for feelings or actual connection. Lure has sparks of an interesting argument not just about dating but about navigating the pain and frustrations of 'searching' for a partner, and the feelings of those at the other end of our 'searching', but the gratuitous violence means I personally would not watch it again. Lure is on UK digital 2 February from Reel2Reel Films.
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- “YOUR MOVE” - REVIEW: Over the Edge, Into the DarknessIn Film Reviews·January 27, 2018There is an apocryphal saying - variously attributed to Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Mark Twain and a host of others - that there are only two stories we tell each other in our literature, our movies, our narrative arts. In the first, a person goes on a journey; in the second, a stranger comes to town. What matters is not which of these stories an artist chooses, but how it’s told, and how it illuminates another corner of the human soul, be it dark or light. With “Your Move” actor/director/writer Luke Goss effectively combines the two in the person of his protagonist, who must go on a journey to save what he loves most in the world, becoming a stranger in the dark underworld of a Mexican town where clues and danger are virtually indistinguishable. Goss - up to now known as an actor’s actor and platinum-selling musician - proves highly adept at this newest iteration of his abilities, guiding what in other hands might be a standard genre story forward with skill and subtlety. By keeping the focus on the inner workings of his characters Goss creates as much nerve-wracking tension with a quiet tableau between two people as he does with an all-out chase scene. Goss plays New York businessman David Miller, a man with a good life and a family he adores. While on a video call with his wife Isabel (Patricia De Leon) and young daughter Savannah (Laura Martin), who are in Mexico visiting Isabel’s parents, David - back home in New York - witnesses a brutal attack on them that ends in an apparent kidnapping. Stuck thousands of miles away and not knowing where to turn, David calls the local NYPD, whose skeptical response only makes him realize how dire his family’s situation actually is. As an actor Goss is deeply likable, exceptionally effective at translating what his characters are feeling, and the terror David experiences at not knowing what has happened to his loved ones is brutal and palpable. In Mexico he meets the cop in charge of the case, Detective Romero (the superb Robert Davi, in a richly nuanced performance). David wants answers, action, anything to make him feel that progress is being made. Romero, a good detective, understands the need to build his case on facts, and while Romero feels for David’s plight, the man is also his worst nightmare - an uncontrolled wild card who could blow the case at a moment’s notice by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Romero’s careful, low-key approach to the investigation seems like dangerous and deadly plodding from David’s point of view, sure to get his wife and daughter killed. On the other side of the coin is Isabel’s father, Señor Barrabas, a wealthy patrón of weight and gravity. Luis Gatica plays Barrabas with a quiet intensity that is at once civilized and menacing. Though he treats David and the detective as equals, he appears to engender fear and respect everywhere else. Accompanied at all times by a suited, hulking - and likely armed - bodyguard, who Goss subtley keeps just at the edge of the frame, Barrabas’ business dealings can only be guessed at. When it appears that he agrees with Romero’s method of handling the case, David panicks and takes matters into his own hands. Though fit and athletic, David has no “special set of skills” with which to make the bad guy’s life hell a’la the uber-hero in “Taken”, relying instead on instinct and sheer persistence, driven by the certain terror that if he doesn’t use every means at his disposal to track his family down, he will never see them again. Agonizing every step of the way over what he must become to get the job done, he isolates himself from both family and the authorities and relies instead on his gut. Goss’s abilities as a visual stylist and storyteller are well-matched to his subject matter and the camerawork is assured, but he doesn’t sacrifice character development for the sake of style. Goss - who also wrote the script - keeps the dialogue spare and measured, making wonderful use of the players’ inner lives to push the narrative and generate emotion. The acting is uniformly superb and the casting and directing are spot-on, with a touching and almost Fellini-esque sensibility, making scenes with even the most secondary characters satisfying and rewarding. The landscape of the human face as a map of the psyche clearly fascinates Goss at the deepest levels, and his painterly use of color, light and shadow add to the suspense and the unfolding story, while allowing the audience their own visual and emotional journey. And though the church is never explicitly mentioned there is a strain of lush religious iconography running through the film, implying religion as a particularly horrifying form of self-justification for the antagonist, played by Alain Mora in a performance that is a revelatory and disturbing portrayal of a man with a terrifying split in his psyche. The film may be billed as a psychological thriller, but the execution and performances defy simple genre categorization. It would appear that “Your Move” marks the auspicious start of yet another successful branch of Goss’s multi-hyphenate career. “Your Move” has its UK premiere on January 27, 2017. Watch the trailer, here: Writer: Kely Lyons - Los Angeles - January 27, 2018361965
- "Crazy Right" movie trailerIn Movie Trailers·March 5, 201824186
- Beauty and the Beast (2017) ReviewIn Film Reviews·November 1, 2017Disney is back with another live-action adaptation of one of their animated films. This time it was up to Beauty and the Beast to be remade and please the audience. But if we look at the final product that the film is, it seems to be that Disney did it more for the money than for the audience. Will the audience end up roaring for the new film or will it just be Disney happily roaring their victory over their audience? I think we all know the answer to that question. Beauty and the Beast is directed by Bill Condon and tells the tale of Belle. Belle (Emma Watson) is a young adult, who loves to read books and dreaming of playing a part in the adventures that are depicted on those pages. But when she leaves her small village to find her missing father (Kevin Kline), she encounters a large castle in which lives a horrifying Beast (Dan Stevens). As Belle stays with the Beast, she learns that true beauty is found within. Right from the beginning, the film wants to make very clear what kind of a jerk the Beast was before he came a Beast. Just like in the original animated film, where they spend a short monologue on the case. However, in this live-action adaptation they take more then a few minutes to make it clear that the Beast is a jerk. The problem is not that it is not well done, because making the Beast look arrogant is something the movie does is quite well, but the problem is that right from the beginning one of our main characters is an unlikeable prick, which creates a situation wherein you cannot root for the Beast to become normal again. You want him to stay a Beast, because that’s what he honestly deserves to be. He acts like a Beast for the first two acts of the movie. Then the filmmakers remembered that the Beast also must become a human at the end, so they quickly shoved moments in the movie trying to make the Beast look less like a prick and more like an misunderstood young adult. In the original animated film, the Beast had a compelling arc. In this film he does have an arc, but it’s not compelling because the Beast is arrogant throughout most of the film and acts like a prick to everyone around him. The arc is also rushed to the point that it makes you care even less for the Beast. Do you want examples of how much of a prick the Beast is? Well, the Beast doesn’t even give Belle a minute to say goodbye to her father, the Beast keeps correcting and interrupting Belle, the Beast wouldn’t give Belle a room, the Beast forces Belle to eat with him and lets her starve when she says she won’t eat with him etc. The thing with this movie is that they like to exaggerate everything the original did, to the point that this movie feels more like a dark cartoon then the original did.The scriptwriters Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos also try to add new story elements to the script. There is a new back-story how both Belle and the Beast lost their mothers and it adds nothing new to the story. The scriptwriters probably did this trying to make the Beast, after first writing him as such an unlikable character, look more sympathetic and to give Belle an arc. Only thing is that the new back-story doesn’t make Beast look more sympathetic, he still comes across, as a bitter young adult and Belle never gets a conclusion to her arc. Her mother died when she was just a baby. Belle never knew her mother and this has had a great impact on her. However when she finally finds out, what happened to her mother, the subplot is quickly moved aside to continue the main story. Her arc is never resolved or even started to be honest. It just a waste of time. The script also tries to give Belle more personality. They did this by making her amazing in everything. She is good in reading, good with children, good in teaching, good in inventing, good in drawing, good in taming wild beasts (get it?). However, as expected, being good in everything doesn’t count as a trademark for a character. She isn’t Leonardo Da Vinci. Belle is a dreamer, who gets inspired by the books she reads. Belle is intellectual. Indeed. But in this movie they exaggerated her intelligence to the point that this Belle feels more like a cartoon character then her animated counterpart. There are also some continuity errors. Belle on Phillipe, the horse, move like the Flash when needed. Belle just arrives shortly after the villagers arrive at the castle, while the villagers had a big head start. The sound effects are also sometimes off in the final battle. Oh right, forgot. To please the immature and the children, the movie also includes butt and poop jokes. Yeah! There is also a mystery subplot for the character Agathe, which turns out to be the witch that cursed the Beast. This is so poorly done and unnecessary. She just comes and goes when the story needs her to come an go. And her importance to the story is never explained. Which leaves another unsolved subplot.The CGI in this film is, in contrary to the beautiful The Jungle Book, more creepy than fantasy provoking. Nobody wants to see a CGI teapot smiling. They created some nice nightmare related visuals for the younger kids. Can’t wait to see this on a childhood trauma list.Not everything is bad though. The acting is on point. Especially Gaston is likeable, which feels weird because he’s supposed to be villain of the film. Well don’t worry, because for this first half of the film Gaston comes across as a normal, somewhat dimwitted, individual, but in the second half, he leaves Maurice for the wolves stuck at a tree. Something the animated Gaston would probably also be able to do. The Gaston song is also very amusing. Their is actually an illiterate joke in their that works. The song also contains one exciting, maybe little expectable, but still amusing shot. In the end, Beauty and the Beast, is another Disney remake that is poorly executed and is solely done for the money. This movie in particular felt more like a cash grab than the other Disney movies. That is probably because the effect of the original is still untouched by other Disney movies. It is the only animated movie to be nominated for best picture. It is one of the most well known Disney movies. These were the reasons for which Disney thought that their live-action version could earn some big money. Sadly, it did. Overall, it’s not a complete failure. There are some genuine emotional moments. Some new interesting ideas, that all don’t workout however. And sometimes a joke works. But in the end, the movie is still pretty bad, mostly thanks to the poor script.15182
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