The Dark Knight Rises, Skyfall, Chronicle

I've used up all my gold stars for this one...

#1 - THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Stars - Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine

Director - Christopher Nolan

Memorable Quote - "Death! By exile."

Review - As the final instalment of Nolan’s Batman trilogy, the expectations piled on this film were remarkably high – perhaps higher than they have ever been for a movie starring Bats – and it has certainly suffered for that in the way that many people have given it disappointed reviews. I loved it, however – silly plot holes aside and all of the rest of it, it was a fitting conclusion to the story arc and one that really brought out the best of both Bale’s character and the supporting characters. Hardy shone as Bane, and Cotillard of course always captures the attention, but Gordon-Levitt has to be the stand out character here – if only for that little twist at the end that revealed his identity, and who he might become. The fact that he appeared briefly in The Dark Knight is a testament to the vision and forethought put into place by Nolan, and above all it just makes you wish that he would come back and do some more. 5/5

#2 - SKYFALL

Stars - Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris

Director - Sam Mendes

Memorable Quote - "What did you expect, an exploding pen?"

Review - Skyfall is intense Bond at its modern best. As the film itself acknowledges, this is stripped back to basics: no gadgets, no exploding pens, just Bond and his superhuman ability to carry on fighting past the point of pain. With beautiful scenes such as the end sequence, featuring silhouettes against glowing orange mist, and a soundtrack that is bold and Bond during action but quiet and subtle otherwise, this is a masterclass in film making. The car is a fantastic and appropriate nod to the heritage of the series; the humour is as British as ever; and the switchover to a new era is handled with great style and grace. Overall, it is a hit worthy of the franchise. 5/5

#3 - CHRONICLE

Stars - Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan

Director - Josh Trank

Memorable Quote - "There's something wrong with Andrew."

Review - When I sat down to watch this film, I was expecting it to be the normal dull fare of the genre – but it completely blew me away. A filming style that is at once natural and yet also different to most films out there sets it apart right from the start, and rather than found footage movies like Cloverfield where the camera is clumsily dragged along so that someone might be documenting it this has a good reason for the camera to be there – which makes it all the more enjoyable, as you can really get into the film. The cast are all stellar, to the point that you actually mourn the loss of each of them when they are no longer part of the plot, and the storyline is fantastic as it both introduces drama and tragedy in a great way whilst also making you wish that things had turned out differently. This is the kind of film that you will find yourself watching again so that you can try to catch hints of the ending at the start. 5/5

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