mad_mandonna

I'm from someone who is a massive fan of the TV series, the film didn't disappoint. No it's not particularly original, nor is it the best comedy Saunders herself has written, but this film is so feel good you can't help but grin, giggle and laugh-out-loud throughout.

The film is brisk and whips by very quickly. Though the story is often disjointed, it's not where the film goes it's what happens while you're there. Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders are just a joy to watch and there's a ton of fan service as practically everyone who has ever been in the show makes an appearance here.

I came out of the cinema grinning ear to ear, which oddly not all comedies manage to do. It was like going for meal with an old friend that always makes you laugh.

If you weren't a fan of the show steer well clear - this is not a film for you. To those that did enjoy the show it's a must see. No it's not going to win any awards (though Joanna Lumley is such a terrific comedy actress), nor is it going to challenge the convention of comedy, but it is going to make you happy. Isn't that comedy was created for?

Absolutely Fabulous Sweetie Darling!

Poor Katniss Everdeen she is just so unlucky, what with the two stunning young men following her around, some serious skills in archery and a supporting cast of acting excellence. But in all seriousness one of the things that makes Catching Fire so good is the emotional gravitas it has, despite being a sci-fi futuristic dystopia future with really bizarre senses of style, Hunger Games has emotional weight which is really good to see in a blockbuster such as this.

Jennifer Lawrence proves she deserves the Oscar she won, even when dealing with dialogue that isn't always up to scratch, she makes it work. Her supporting cast are equally good, Donald Sutherland in particular is just brilliant.

The only reasons I have marked the film down are simple; occasionally bad dialogue, a slightly sluggish middle section and the fact the direction feels a bit less interesting than the first film. But even with these small criticism's I'd still highly recommend it and it does marginally improve on it's predecessor.

I really wanted to love this film, some of the songs and characters are some of the best in any musical and the story is engrossing and very sad. I personally have not seen the stage show, so my comments are from reading the book (which was years ago and I can barely remember it) and on the films own merits.

Generally the film hits all the bases; the drama is spot on, he comedy is dabbed here and there and songs are in their truest form. Where the film really takes flight is on the lead performance by Hugh Jackman whom is both staggeringly honest and extremely well sung (even if his voice begins to grate towards the end). Anne Hathaway steals the entire show in the mere 10 minutes of screen time she has - and she owns it - in fact the film often loses its way without her. The young actress Samantha Barks is also very good and her version of the famous "on my own" is stunning.

But where there is good there is bad, Russel Crowe being the worst offender. He neither has the acting ability nor the vocal capacity to pull off the role he is given and his songs sound more strained than the other vocalists. Amanda Seyfried also seems miscast, she has no chemistry with her males leads and her vocals sound terrible by comparison of Hathaway's or Bark's.

In other areas the film generally works, the pitiful CGI at the start not withstanding the scenery is a sight to behold. Such a shame the director has no time to really have a look at it. The camera work is a little too erratic for my personal liking and barely gives the audience time to breathe between the mood changes.

This does sound more negative than positive, but the negatives luckily don't take too much away from the general enjoyment of the film. It will likely tug on many people's heart strings but for myself I think a better director could have made this so much more.