Cabin in the Woods

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Andrew

Non-Spoiler write up here.

Slightly more in-depth write up here.

Pompeii

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Michael, Andrew

Paul W.S. Anderson tries his hand at a disaster epic. The first half plays out like Gladiator, the second like a melodramatic Dante's Peak with a terribly saccharine romance plastered over everything. Kiefer Sutherland is having a wonderful time playing an out and out villain. This is trying very hard to be a romance disaster like Titanic, and while I enjoyed the gladiator action and the effects, and the fact that it was shot natively in 3D and looks pretty shmick, Kit Harington and Emily Browning are hampered by some pompously schmaltzy dialogue and just can't overcome the terrible. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has fun though.

Bad Neighbours

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Beau

Universal treated us to a very early screening for the film. So early that there was still ungraded footage and no finished credits.

The film is delightfully hilarious from beginning to end. Seth Rogen has always been a favourite and here Rose Byrne matches him admirably. They even let her keep her Australian accent. She also gets her own comedic set piece that's easily the grossest part of the film and somehow manages to never have to resort to being the voice of reason for the stupid guys, instead instigating just as many hijinks as the other characters do.

Zac Efron leads the cast of frat boys and while they have their own college comedy he also gets a little coming of age drama, but nothing that ever stops the comedic flow. They manage to fit a lot into the this one without the jokes ever really stopping. 

There were a few obvious set ups that I expected but they didn't play out quite like I presumed which was nice. And the level of destruction and mayhem went beyond what I was expecting too. Nice to know that not everything is given away in the trailers. 

Definitely check this one out, very good fun indeed.

Cabin in the Woods

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Leith, Froud

Non-Spoiler write up here.

Slightly more in-depth write up here.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Michael

I was never really enamoured with the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons. I am more intrigued by the time travel but this is a kids film and they just make up their own rules to suit the story needs, not anything that actually makes sense. But if you're a fan of bad puns, just like the old cartoons, this film is full of them. There's also an allegory that could be made of the unusual parenting of a dog owning a boy but I don't know if the film makers were thinking that hard.