Review: The Hunger Games - Mockingjay Part 1

Did anyone notice how it turned into Toast of London about halfway through when they filming the first propaganda video?

Come to think of, Clem Fandango sounds like the sort of name that would right in with the series.

Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Too long? Too many characters? A bit with the American flag? Sound familiar? On the plus side unlike Spider-Man 3 at least there isn't a bit where Peter Parker goes all Saturday Night Fever.

After the enjoyable first outing of this rebooted series, it's such a shame that sequel doesn't live up too expectations. Whilst Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone together on screen are once again the best part of the film, trying to cram in three separate villains for Spidey to battle results in the film lurching from one CGI battle to another just for the sake of it (Especially the bits with Paul Giamatti in it that seem especially pointless). Add on top of that the added backstory of Peter Parker's parents and you can see what a bloated mess the film is.

Review: Captain America 2 - The Winter Soldier

Seeing as he gets a name check in the title, you'd expect the Winter Soldier to have a bigger part in the second Captain America film - but in fact he ends someone playing second fiddle to the main villain and looks like he's spent too long listening to 30 Seconds To Mars and My Chemical Romance to be any real threat.

That's not the only problem with this sequel either, with the biggest problem facing this this film (and the Marvel Universe as a whole) is that since Agent Coulson's reappearance in Agents of Shield, it's tough to believe for a second that anyone is in any real danger at any point in the plot. That said the Marvel films have their formula down to a tee, with impressive action sequences interspersed with snappy one-liners to lighten the mood, meaning the Captain America 2 is always entertaining, but future films need to up their game to hit the heights of previous successes.

Review: American Hustle

Like Argo, American Hustle has a story that sounds too good to be true, but unlike Ben Affleck's Oscar winner American Hustle plays it more for laughs and is worse off for it to be honest.

It's still good fun, but Bale and Cooper play things so far over the top this crime-caper can never become anything more substantial - the star of the show is Amy Adams who as well as looking amazing, manages to add some layers to her character whilst not wearing that many herself.

Review: Sound City

Take out the final half hour, which is pretty much just and advert for the album they brought out at the same time and Dave Grohl's directorial début is an entertaining look behind the music made at the legendary Sound City studios.

Films like these sink or swim with the quality of the contributors and the film covers an eclectic mix of music, thankfully not just focusing too much on the heavy-hitters like Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty (as after watching the 4 hour film about him I've had my fix of how Damn The Torpedoes was made). The doc also touches on the analogue versus digital debate, but doesn't really go into that much depth with only Trent Reznor playing a slight devil's advocate, instead where the film shines is how the talking heads manage to convey how it was something more than bricks and mortar that managed to magic of the music recorded in the Los Angeles studio.

Albums of 2013: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Albums of 2013: Disclosure - Settle