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 Five-Year Engagement

After watching The Five-Year Engagement you may feel like you've sat through at least 2 or 3 of those years - which is a shame as there's a good film lost somewhere underneath a gruelling runtime that goes over 2 hours for no good reason.

As a result of the length, the film just doesn't feel funny enough, with the gaps between laughs too long and no real drama to hold your attention in between.

On the plus side the cast are all likeable and in particular Emily Blunt and Jason Segel have a great chemistry as the lead couple - bit odd to see Rhys Ifans play another Professor so soon after Spider-Man, the sliminess is more metaphorical this time around instead of his reptilian turn in the superhero story.

Often you get comedies promoting uncut versions for DVD and Blu-Ray release, in the case of The Five-Year Engagement - a version with 30 minutes cut would arguably be a superior effort.

The Taking of Pelham 123

It's kind of apt that a film with 123 in its title is such by the numbers fare - Denzel Washington appears to be phoning it in teaming up with director Tony Scott once again, who feels like the wrong choice behind the camera, whose visual style of his recent work sits uneasy with mood needed for a tense hostage thriller and seemingly unable to resist blowing up a load of police cars half way through for no real reason.

The film might've been more successful with someone stronger to go up against Denzel, but John Travolta's performance instead just makes you wish they'd managed to get hold of Nicolas Cage to deliver one of his more mental performances as the train-jacker.