Film Review: X-Men: Apocalypse

18.05.16

A huge thank you to VOX Cinemas, Empire Movies and Middle East Film & Comic Con (MEFCC) for bringing us the premiere of X-Men: Apocalypse! A special thanks to the photo booth people for helping us saving some memories with hilarious poses 😂

{X-Men: Apocalypse Summary- With the emergence of the world's first mutant, Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan.}

(Source- http://m.imdb.com/title/tt3385516/)

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Evan Peters, Rose Byrne

Run-time: 2h 27m

To be honest, this movie wasn't really a fast-paced, action-packed movie, but the thing that is really cool was it was very visually and aesthetically appealing. Another important thing is that the storyline is extremely compelling and you're drawn into the new world of the X-Men with new possibilities and new stories to come. 

The acting, of course, was incredible and we highly appreciated that Egyptians were played by Egyptians (or at least people who knew how to speak proper Arabic 😁) and that Storm was true to her heritage. Besides that, we wish that she were more like her kick-ass self, but she still didn't disappoint. Psylocke was awesome and I wish we could've seen more of her and more in action, and Olivia Munn is just precious. Of course the rest of the X-Men were brilliant as usual, and the new kids who joined in did a fantastic job, but I think two characters that stood out (to me) were Quicksilver and Nightcrawler. Quicksilver is of course, incredible and, and as for Nightcrawler, you see that he's just a cute, naive kid, with a really big heart.

There weren't many jokes or comical scenes, but the ones that were included were well-timed and really boosted the film's appeal. 

There is only one thing that I thought was a bit unrealistic. I will try to explain it without revealing too much: during the climax, something happens that involves Jean Grey and I felt that her recovery from the event should've been much slower. But of course, this is coming from a person who hasn't read the comics, so yeah, my point may not be so valid. 😁

So, even though we thought this movie was quieter/less action-oriented and the second part (X-Men: Days of Future Past) is still our favourite (of the new ones) we really, REALLY enjoyed the film 🙌🏽

Rating: 9/10

Film Review: Captain America: Civil War

                                                     

                                                                   (Source: Wikipedia)

{Captain America: Civil War Summary:

Political interference in the Avengers' activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man.}

At the start of the movie, you keep trying to decide whose team you want to be part of and who is right, and probably towards the end, you don't know who to agree with. The movie was very entertaining, packed with action and well-timed humour. Although initially it seemed like the movie was a 'talk-more and fight-less' kind of movie, but we couldn't have been more wrong. Also, while the middle fight sequence was for a serious cause, it was highly entertaining and basically showcased the entire ensemble, which was just THROUGH THE ROOF!

One part that we disliked a little was the very irrelevant seeming and very untimely kiss scene.

The last scene, however, was extremely intense, I (Shifa) really, REALLY couldn't handle it and I almost started crying because it just felt like "how did we even get here; how could've this even happened?" I think the writers came up with something very good, something that can hurt and maim and kill us, but while doing so, they do it so well. This is the definition of the last fight scene.

As for the characters, Spidey was PERFECT; at first we were like, who does this kid think he is, but then he was really, really good, and really funny. Black Panther was just fantastically fantastic, sleek and just so darn cool, and Ant-Man just made the movie a lot brighter.

The only flaw we found in the characters was that Natasha [always] does not live up to her awesome abilities and she's really underrated! She's an extremely kick-ass woman and I think Scarlett Johansson plays her so well, can you give her a proper part already?!!

So to sum up, Civil War was incredible and hilarious and intense and just really good and you should watch it if you want to cry from laughing too hard and from almost feeling like dying.

(On another note, if we want to compare the fight between major superheroes of the recent movies, Civil War's root cause/provocations of the fight just shattered the cause of fighting between Batman and Superman which, in comparison, seems childish and fickle.)

Although this is not our favourite Captain America movie, we still give it 100/10

Film Review: The Dressmaker

VOX Cinemas, are just absolutely the BEST. They were EXTREMELY kind and amazing and INVITED us (yes, we still CANNOT get over that fact) to the premiere of The Dressmaker. What made this premiere EVEN cooler was that His Excellency the Ambassador of the Australian Embassy in the UAE attended the premiere with us and even spoke a few words. And that was just AWESOME. And he told us that the movie was done by AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. HOW COOL IS THAT?! (We're not biased towards Australians or anything, okay guys :p)

{The Dressmaker Summary: 
A glamorous woman returns to her small town in rural Australia. With her sewing machine and haute couture style, she transforms the women and exacts sweet revenge on those who did her wrong.}
(Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2910904/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Starring: Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, Hugo Weaving, Judy Davis
Run-time: 1h 58m

This wasn't one of the movie types that we would have generally chosen- it's sort of a more non-commercial, indie-sort of movie- but we enjoyed it a lot.
The movie was able to successfully combine a variety of emotions and genres, and that was pretty great. The cinematography was brilliant and the scenery was stunning. And of course, the acting was superb. Also, the dresses created were really lovely.
This movie dealt with societal gossip and the repercussions very interestingly.
We felt like there were some parts which were a little dragged out, but we're not really sure which particular parts. Furthermore, some scenes/sequence of events were a bit strange. Not confusing as such, but just a little weird.
And lastly, we know that Kate Winslet is a fantastic actress, but I just felt like they should have chosen an Australian woman to play the role.
Overall, a very good movie.

Rating: 8.5/10

Once again, thank you SO MUCH VOX Cinemas for INVITING us (:'''''''') ❤️❤️) to such a great movie! We loved it!

Hope you have a lovely day/night!

Salam, Peace!

Introduction: What is 'A Week In Review!'?

Heyyyy there! Thank you for checking out our blog!
Weeks have been going by pretty quickly, my oh my! There's just not enough time in the world to do everything we want. Booo.

So if you've clicked on this post because you want to know what our 'A Week In Review!' posts here, this is some basic information (except I don't think you would really need information to pretty much what is a self-explanatory title... But I think we're doing this to sound cool and whatnot! Anyhow!)
We pretty much don't post much on our blog, except for [rigid-sounding] book and movie reviews (okay, to be honest, the Allegiant review was when we started realising that, and I think is a quite big improvement from the previous posts), so our blog is not very... blog-y. We decided to post a weekly review of special (and maybe mostly quite normal) things we have done during the week to make our blog feel a lot more fun (for others and definitely for us!)!

Once again, thank you for checking out our post/blog. We hope you enjoyed/enjoy what is to come! <3

Film Review: The Divergent Series: Allegiant

08.03.16

Thanks to Vox Cinemas for giving us a chance to win tickets to this awesome movie, and it was held at the majestic Mall of The Emirates. We'll tell you, watching the premiere is so much... Fun, incredible-ness, brilliance; we'll forever love Vox Cinemas and attending the premieres they host. ;___;

{Allegiant summary: After the earth-shattering revelations of Insurgent, Tris must escape with Four beyond the wall that encircles Chicago to finally discover the shocking truth of what lies behind it.}

(Source: http://m.imdb.com/title/tt3410834/)

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel Elgort, Zoe Kravitz

Run time: 121 min

Shifa:

The movie started out really well, continuing from where they left off (for fans who remember; but for people who did not watch the movie at all, maybe they should've done some introduction. Of course, since it's the third movie in the series, it's assumed that they would've watched the first two, or at least read the back-story by now (cheating!).).

I think there wasn't a dull moment in the movie, and I felt it flowed better than the previous one.

However, as with all great books and movies, we all know (or subconsciously know), from the beginning that the sweet talker is always evil. Nevertheless, although I think the ending was very expected, it was still surprising that they would stray away from the book, but I do think this is because they are making another part, and they wanted to be kind to us in the beginning (so that can easily crush our hearts and souls).

Overall, I really liked the movie, and I think it is my favourite along with the first. 9/10 (P.s. Peter needs to get his own movie, hahaha; he's great.)

{Shifa, non-book reader, you know nothing, okay.... -,- please read the book and decide. But yes, I agree, Miles Teller as Peter is pretty hilarious. So okay, in that sense... I'll allow it. -Safa}

Safa:

I really enjoyed this movie, I think it might have been my favourite. But I also think it might have been due to the fact that it didn't pan out like the book. I know that's supposed to make me mad, but I think it was a good thing because it (the movie) did good on the technology front. However, some of the parts (the CGI) was a bit comical and I was in fits of laughter.

Overall, they did a good job of the movie and I'm eager to watch the last part.

Rating: 8.5/10

Thinking about the last part though. ALREADY FEEL LIKE DYING. WE CANT. How could you, directors, writers, producers (and of course, the brilliantly mean/meanly brilliant Ms Veronica Roth.)?!!! *shakes fist angrily forever*

Until next time then!

Salam, Peace!

Book Review: The Boy Who Fell To Earth ~Kathy Lette

{Synopsis:

Meet Merlin. He's Lucy's bright, beautiful son - who just happens to be autistic.

Since Merlin's father left them in the lurch shortly after his diagnosis, Lucy has made Merlin the centre of her world. Struggling with the joys and tribulations of raising her eccentrically adorable yet challenging child, (if only Merlin came with operating instructions) Lucy doesn't have room for any other man in her life.

By the time Merlin turns ten, Lucy is seriously worried that the Pope might start ringing her up for tips on celibacy, so resolves to dip a poorly pedicured toe back into the world of dating. Thanks to Merlin's candour and quirkiness, things don't go quite to plan... 
(Source: Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13277383-the-boy-who-fell-to-earth)}

Shifa's:
I really disliked the book. I was expecting a lot from the book, especially the struggles of a single parent handling a child. Not just how they struggled, but how the child also struggled or thought of things or did things, and their relationship. I did not want to read about the love life of the mother. From the cover you can understand that it was a light book, but I think this book made me uncomfortable at times. Also too much of retorting and condescending tones and too much reply-back, it did not seem real. I expected a book which would make us feel sympathy/empathy towards the mother and the child, but I did not get any of those feelings. I think the fact that I thought that the book would delve deeper into the relationship between the mother and child and the child's interaction with the world, I expected a lot more out of it, but instead, it was something else, and that made me feel uncomfortable. Further, I thought more than this book being about how the mother struggles with an autistic child, it was more about how the mother was doing in her romantic relationship, and the 'autistic' part was just thrown in to show that she had some kind of struggle. Maybe I was expecting some scenarios from the child's point of view, and that's why I'm so harsh, but the way the struggles were described seemed so meagre. I felt cheated by the book - by the small summary at the back of the book, and that is why I really disliked the book. 

Safa's:
I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style because it was witty and the use of original metaphors and similes were very entertaining. 

However, during the turmoils that the main character faced, I didn't really feel for her (because the writer didn't make us feel sad or angry or disappointed enough); so she isn't very relatable. Also, some parts were way too clichéd and that was quite irritating. Furthermore, I really and truly despised one of the characters and that was really one huge wet towel of the book, for me. 

Rating- 5.5/10

Rate-O-Meter: Yeah, whatever

If you are interested in buying this book, you can click here:

http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Fell-Earth-Lette-Kathy/dp/B00DO8TXR6/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456583808&sr=1-2&keywords=the+boy+who+fell+to+earth

We hope you have a wonderful day!

Salam|Peace!

Film Review: Neerja

(Source: InstaBollywood.in- http://www.instabollywood.com/post/2929/neerja-hd-poster.html)

Starring: Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Parth Akerkar, Bobby Arora
Run-time: 2h 2m

Plot:
Neerja is a portrayal on the life of the courageous Neerja Bhanot, who sacrificed her life while protecting the lives of 359 passengers on the Pan Am flight 73 in 1986. The flight was hijacked by a terrorist organization.
(Source: IMDb- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5286444/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

I think movies/books that are based on real life situations are always good. And this movie was just wonderful. It's also a very important movie which deals with very important things such as enormous strength and bravery in times of major crises. I felt that they were able to make the movie a very natural-feeling one. The cinematography and dialogue were also very well done. There were excellent amounts of suspense, bravery and some tender parts that complemented the entire feel of the movie. 

Although I don't particularly like Sonam Kapoor's acting skills, I think she was able to do justice to this role. 

As we all know that this movie is based on real life and we know the ending, I advise you to BRING YOUR TISSUES. 

Rating: 10/10

Film Review: Deadpool

(Source: ComingSoon.net- http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/647041-deadpool-has-officially-been-rated)

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller
Run-time: 1h 48m

Plot:
A former Special Forces operative turned mercenary is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool.
(Source: IMDb- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1431045/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Everybody has been raving on about this movie was months and months, so I did go in with high expectations. I was not disappointed! The movie was funny from start to finish (including the post-credits scene) and it was a great debut film.

The movie was more of an introduction to your friendly neighbourhood badass, so don't be too sceptical about the baddie who wasn't really so bad. 

Many of the jokes were of course innuendos, a lot of profanity and pretty crass. So, HIDE YOUR MOTHERS, CHILDREN, PETS- hell, just hide everyone!

Rating: 8.5/10

Film Review: The Martian

(Source: SciFiNow- http://www.scifinow.co.uk/news/the-martian-new-poster-has-matt-damon-castaway-in-space/)

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Sebastian Stan, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Aksel Hennie
Run-time: 2h 24m

Plot:During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.(Source: IMDb- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3659388/)

According to movie: loved the movie; it was fantastic! The set and setting looked amazing, and the involvement of people in the movie was great - as in, everyone seemed to play an important part. Matt Damon did a fantastic role, and I think one of the characters who really stood out was Jessica Chastain as Commander Lewis. 5/5 According to book: the movie really paled in comparison to the book - I expected a lot more action - more so because everything in the movie was in a condensed form, I felt like they missed out so many important or exciting parts. The book was much more thrilling, naturally, and I think I actually felt my emotions shoot all over the place, not knowing what would happen next. I did not like the fact that they changed Venkat Kapoor, or that they made Annie kinder. I would have preferred Mark to be more sarcastic and rude(ly funny), and I did not expect Matt Damon to fit the role of Watney, but I think he did a good job. I did not expect Jessica Chastain to make a good commander Lewis, but I think she was really good! In fact, the best of all the astronauts. I also think Martinez/ and Johansson/Kate Mara had good parts, but seriously, what even were Sebastian Stan and Vogel's parts? They disappointed me a lot. At least Vogel had some substance to his part as he participated in something. It felt like Sebastian Stan did nothing, and this is terrible because he is a really good actor and he could have played Beck really well. Finally, in the last scene, I do not like the fact that they almost completely changed everything, and I don't understand why they couldn't have just stuck to the original - why did they have to make Commander Lewis in the centre of attention? She doesn't have to prove anything! Her authority and quick thinking were more than enough, but maybe I feel this way because I've read the book and felt like she had done enough for Mark and the writers don't have show as if she has to prove her worth or something to the audience. However, overall, I really did like the movie, even though as a book reader, it is a little difficult to not keep comparing the book to the movie, but I need to remind myself - what can I really expect!? 3/5 because of changing parts and not giving enough importance to other people's parts.-Shifa

After reading the book, I thought- although many great parts were omitted- the movie was successful in capturing the essence of the book, even though they didn't/weren't able to include all the details. Furthermore, I felt that Ridley Scott made the movie intelligent and kept the space jargon and elements intact, yet made it easy for a vaster majority of audience to understand and enjoy.As a movie on its own, The Martian is shot wonderfully. The CGI is fantastic and the authenticity of details related to space travel is there. Ridley Scott keeps the movie consistently entertaining. However, I don't think the relationship between Beck and Johanssen was very plausible, because it wasn't developed that well.
So, an overall rating: 9.5/10
-Safa

Film Review: Dheepan

(Source: Wikipedia- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dheepan)

Starring: Antonythasan Jesuthasan, Kalieaswari Srinivasan, Claudine Vinasithamby

Run-Time: 1h 55m

Plot:
Dheepan is a Sri Lankan Tamil warrior who flees to France and ends up working as a caretaker outside Paris.

(Source: IMDb- http://m.imdb.com/title/tt4082068/)


The trailer (of this movie) was very interesting, intense and capturing. However, it was a bit misleading with the storyline.
The acting was really something; the movie flowed really well and the whole affair was a quite engrossing. But, towards the climax, I was confused why the events unfolded in the way that they did and it was also unclear on how the protagonists, despite the circumstances, were able to settle. 
In all, the movie was a interesting but quite heavy, and not really my cup of tea. 

Rating: 5.5/10

Film Review: The 5th Wave

(Source: Moviepilot.com- http://moviepilot.com/posts/3544372)

Starring: Chloe Grace-Mortez, Nick Robinson, Alex Roe

Run-Time: 1h 25m

Plot:

Four waves of increasingly deadly alien attacks have left most of Earth decimated. Cassie is on the run, desperately trying to save her younger brother.

(source: IMDb- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2304933/)

Characters not as I imagined (as usual) but irregardless of their looks, even their attitudes weren't right. Some characters weren't even introduced properly and so there is quite a lot of confusion. Sentiment of a lot of things was lost; emotions were diluted.

The scenes were changed too much and that just alters the dynamics- of well, everything!- and makes it the same old thing. Also, when they change/shorten the scenes, they end up missing out vital parts, which creates many plot-holes and errors.

One thing that really peeved me off was how some important revelations in the story were revealed in the most nonchalant way.I felt like the whole movie was a Wikipedia summary (of the book). Extremely disappointed. 

((Apologies if this seems like a half-hearted attempt at a review, but I was not impressed))

Rating- 4/10