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Ferdinand Review

Good

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in 1936 and first adapted for the big screen by Walt Disney in an Oscar-winning 1938 short. Thankfully, that warm, funny story is preserved in the middle of this animated feature, stretched out with lots of the usual slapstick and action mayhem. So while the silly, pointless mayhem will keep children giggling, it's the story's big heart that makes it worth seeing.

Ferdinand (voiced by John Cena) is a young calf growing up on a ranch in Spain, being trained to become a fighter in the bull ring. But he's far more interested in smelling the flowers. So he escapes and is adopted by Nina (Lily Day) on her quiet farm, growing up to be a gentle-giant bull. The problem is that the local villagers are terrified of his behemoth size, and he's captured by animal control and taken back to the ranch. Now he's competing with his childhood cohorts (Bobby Cannavale, Anthony Anderson and Peyton Manning, plus David Tennant as a Scottish Highland bull) for a spot in a big upcoming Madrid bullfight. But Ferdinand just wants to get back to the flowers, so he enlists the help of goofy goat Lupe (Kate McKinnon) to escape again.

The central point about being true to your nature is important and moving, played with just the right balance of humour and sentimentality, especially as it makes a strong comment on choosing love over violence. But this message is somewhat watered down by the rather corny zaniness that fills the screen, including several massive action set-pieces that not only make very little sense but feel like scenes we've seen before. The characters are colourful enough to keep us smiling, but while the animation is technically adept it's not hugely original (see also director Carlos Saldanha's Ice Age movies), and it makes virtually no use of the 3D.

Continue reading: Ferdinand Review

Transformers: The Last Knight Super Bowl Trailer

Has humanity been left to defend itself against the ruthless Decepticons now that Optimus Prime has vacated the planet? It may seem that way, but the Autobot leader is still relatively close by, seeking his own mission to uncover the secrets of his origins. Father and daughter Cade (Mark Wahlberg) and Tessa Yeager are surviving as best they can under the protection of the few Autobots that remain, but Megatron is on the warpath reducing the planet to rubble and wiping out every human that stands in the way of his domination. There's a hopeless, apocalyptic mood running through this new story, because the war between man and machine will no doubt continue to wage until one of both races are extinct. However, there may be, at least, another hero who can save Earth from total ruin.

Continue: Transformers: The Last Knight Super Bowl Trailer

Transformers: The Last Knight - Teaser Trailer

With the few remaining Autobots in hiding, the world is a dark place. Galvatron is still at large and Optimus Prime has left earth to fulfil a bigger mission, having gone to seek out the Creators. Having previously helped the Autobots, Cade Yeager is still in danger and the war between man and machine is reaching ever higher levels.

The Decepticons still have a wish to invade and take over the planet Earth and now it looks like they might be in the best position to do so. Why do these machines have such a fascination with our planet and how many genuine Autobots are left to help fight alongside humans?

The soundtrack to the first trailer for Transformers: The Last Knight is a re-working of Flaming Lips single 'Do You Realize' recorded by Ursine Vulpine.

Continue: Transformers: The Last Knight - Teaser Trailer

The Meddler Trailer

Marnie Minervini recently lost her husband. The couple were very much in love and did everything together but her loss isn't going to stop Marnie getting on with her life. She moves from New Jersey to LA to be closer to her daughter and purchases a new flat near The Grove and a new iPhone which she won't let get the better of her.

Continue: The Meddler Trailer

Video - Ice-T Brings Along Wife Coco To 2015 NBC Upfront Presentation - Part 2

Rap legend Ice T, who stars in 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit', was spotted arriving on the red carpet at the 2015 NBC Upfront Presentation held at Radio City Music Hall in New York alongside his curvaceous wife Coco Austin.

Continue: Video - Ice-T Brings Along Wife Coco To 2015 NBC Upfront Presentation - Part 2

Neighbors [Bad Neighbours] Review

By Rich Cline

Excellent

There's a blast of raucous energy to this lively comedy that sets it apart from the pack; aside from a willingness to get deeply rude and incorrect, the movie is actually very funny. It helps that it's packed with snappy characters and witty dialogue, and that the cast makes the gratuitously vulgar humour come to life in surprising ways.

It opens with happy couple Mac and Kelly (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne), whose idyllic life with their ridiculously cute baby is interrupted when a frat house moves in next door. They want to be cool about it, so introduce themselves and nicely ask the fraternity leaders Teddy and Pete (Zac Efron and Dave Franco) to keep it down. They even indulge in a bit of partying themselves. But the noise only gets louder, and when Mac and Kelly call the cops in a moment of desperation, they spark a war that escalates into a series of crazy practical jokes. This also gets the fraternity in trouble with their university administrator (Lisa Kudrow), which only fuels the battle.

Director Nicholas Stoller (The Five-Year Engagement) keeps things moving briskly, packing every scene with shamelessly coarse humour. For every joke that falls flat (like a breast-feeding set-piece), there are five more gags immediately following that generate gut-busting laughter. While the plot is little more than a series of elaborate pranks, there's an unstoppable momentum that builds to a riotous party climax. Even more important is the way the actors are allowed to twist their stereotypical characters to add some meaningful subtext.

Continue reading: Neighbors [Bad Neighbours] Review

Bad Neighbors - Teaser Trailer

Kelly and Mac Radner are a young married couple with a baby daughter who are starting to feel a little claustrophobic inside their family home and are desperate to get back into the party spirit. However, the phrase 'be careful what you wish for' couldn't be more apt when they watch a college fraternity move into the house next door. In a bid to get their new neighbours to keep the wild partying to a minimum, they attempt to welcome the seemingly friendly new arrivals. To no avail, however, as they end up having to call the police when one party gets out of control and find themselves subsequently being terrorised in all areas of their lives by the frat boys. Determined not to be victimised by a group of college kids, the Radner's respond with their own revenge tactics - but who will have the upper hand in the end?

Continue: Bad Neighbors - Teaser Trailer

Neighbors - Red Band Trailer

Mac and Kelly Radner are filled with enthusiasm when they learn that the house next door is up for sale and can't wait to welcome their new neighbours into the area. However, watching the arrival of a removal truck and a bunch of college kids clutching a sign made up of Greek letters, they realise that it has in fact been sold to the local school's fraternity which could spell big trouble due to their party-heavy reputation, but, nonetheless, they do their best to greet the young owners. Soon, though, they become the neighbours from hell when Mac and Kelly's newborn baby is exposed to frequent episodes of debauchery and even the couple themselves become a target for chaos. They decide it's time to get their own back and vengefully strike out against the frat house - but that only makes their lives worse.

'Neighbors' is an over-the-top but nonetheless hysterical new comedy directed by Nicholas Stoller ('Forgetting Sarah Marshall', 'Get Him to the Greek', 'The Five-Year Engagement') and written by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O'Brien in their screenwriting debuts. Touching on the very real anxieties about college antics and new neighbours, it is set for release on March 7th 2014.

Click here to read Neighbors Movie Review

Jerrod Carmichael

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