Mac's Movies

UK Release Date:  28 April 2017 Certification:  12A Director:  James Gunn Cast:  Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Debicki, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff,  Chris Pratt, Michael Rooker, Kurt Russell, Zoe Saldaña, Sylvester Stallone Rating:   67 % Review: Following on from 2014's smash hit Guardians of the Galaxy , Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 replicated the majority of the film's success whilst failing to capture the magic of the first.  Similarly, to its predecessor Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 immediately involves you in the world with an energetic opening. Another dancing scene - this time to 'Mr Blue Sky' - focusing solely on Baby Groot rather than the action surrounding him. Instantly, making the audience aware that the Guardians haven't changed from their first outing. The rest of the soundtrack is magnificent with 'Come a Little Bit Closer', 'Father and Son' and an immaculate scene set to Fleetwood Mac's 'The Cha...

UK Release Date:  31 July 2014 Certification:  12A Director:  James Gunn Cast:  Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace,  Chris Pratt, Michael Rooker, Zoe Saldaña Rating:   88% Review: Back in 2014 no one could have anticipated the fame that James Gunn's Guardians trilogy would garnish. A breath of fresh air in a world saturated by unoriginal comic book movies made entirely for a cash-grab and riddled with Easter eggs. Guardians of the Galaxy is riveting. There's a magic quality surrounding the film that can't be escaped, full of heart and joy.  The soundtrack isn't the reason for the film's success but it sure helped contribute towards it. James Gunn created a delightful mix of music from the 60's and 70's, encapsulating the feel of the film during every scene. With every needle drop started through a speaker or walkman the characters are experiencing every sound along with the audience, immersing the viewer ...

UK Release Date:  12 April 2013 Certification:  15 Director:  Derek Cianfrance Cast:  Mahershala Ali, Rose Byrne, Emory Cohen, Bradley Cooper, Dane DeHaan, Ryan Gosling, Ray Liotta, Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn Rating:   49 % Review:   The Place Beyond the Pines is a mess. The film attempts to tell three interconnecting stories during its 140 minute runtime - a crime thriller, an unravelling of police corruption and a political campaign. This could've worked if each section of the film was compelling but that isn't the case. The first hour of this film is superb in my opinion. The themes bleed through, the action is well choreographed and scenes feel impactful. Afterwards, the rest of the film is just dull, boring and a major disappointment. The characters aren't particularly interesting and I struggled to remain engaged with the plot.  Ryan Gosling is great in the supposed lead role of Luke Glanton. The struggles of his personal lif...

UK Release Date:  03 May 2023 Certification:  12A Director:  James Gunn Cast:  Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Chukwudi Iwuji, Pom Klementieff,  Will Poulter, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña Rating:   87% Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3  is a breath of fresh air within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). So much so that it has already found its way to third place in my ranking of the franchise. James Gunn delivers the perfect ending to the Guardians with his swan song.  James Gunn never fails to deliver when it comes to the soundtrack of his films - it's became somewhat of a guarantee throughout his career. He often states that he writes in music before any dialogue, giving scenes added essence.  Each needle drop is executed both realistically and wonderfully.  The film began with one of my favourite openings of all time.  The way it built into the title crawl was epic.  I think the opening is perfect and is enhan...