This month saw a lot of action films grace the big screen carried off by many Hollywood stars such as Mark Wahlberg, Tom Cruise and Benedict Cumberbatch. Find out what I thought about some of October’s biggest blockbusters…
The Girl on the Train
Rating 5/5
Worldwide Box Office $122,400,190
This film was much better than I expected, especially for a film adapted from a book. Emily Blunt was spot on in her performance of the main character Rachel who is a troubled alcoholic who gets tangled up in a murder mystery that she had no intention to be a part of. She witnesses her ex-husband’s next door neighbour Megan having an affair, and from then on her life would never be the same again as she becomes a suspect in Megan’s murder. It contains a lot of sexual scenes and violent scenes with a lot of blood and gore. Although it was hard to keep up at first because there are lots of flashbacks, it quickly captivated me and I really felt for the main character. It was full of twists and turns and as I hadn’t read the book I found the ending spectacularly shocking. Exactly what I was looking for out of this film and seeing as the cinema audience clapped when the film finished, I knew it was a success.
Deepwater Horizon
Rating 5/5
Worldwide Box Office $98,644,326
Starring Mark Wahlberg as Mike Williams, the real-life survivor of the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010. Based on the true story of the BP oil rig explosion that is known as the worst oil spill in US history, with over 200 million gallons of oil spilt into the Gulf of Mexico. As with all films that are re-enactments of true events, it was difficult to watch but it was extremely well executed. The suspense was building for a while, but far from being boring it had the desired effect of keeping you on the edge of your seat in anticipation of the catastrophe you knew was coming. Once it came, it was clearly as realistic as you could get and gave you a deep insight into what actually happened that day; it was emotional and frightening to watch. Eleven people died in the real life event, and Mike Williams is a hero who helped to save many of his colleagues. Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russell carried the film and you can’t fault their performances in this film. Other stars including Kate Hudson, Gina Rodriguez and James DuMont are the perfect cast and overall the film helps you to understand the lasting psychological and emotional effects of the disaster.
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Rating 4/5
Worldwide Box Office $93,879,177
Army major Jack Reacher goes on a mission to find out who’s behind the suspicious killing of two U.S soldiers. Jack Reacher, played by Tom Cruise, thinks there is a Government conspiracy going on which involves more of his colleagues being murdered and almost getting killed himself. He and army General Susan Turner embark on a run for their lives, being chased by the bad guys, while also trying to uncover their illegal plot. Tom Cruise and co-star Cobie Smulders (famous from How I Met Your Mother), had good on screen chemistry and although there was clearly a romance blossoming between the characters it was refreshing that there were no sexual scenes at all. It was quite a predictable film and standard in terms of action films go. The fact that the story is based within the U.S army is what makes it quite interesting, and Jack Reacher’s potential daughter that he didn’t know he had also gets wrapped up in the story.
Doctor Strange
Rating 5/5
Worlwide Box Office $86,000,000
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Doctor Strange in this re-make of a Marvel comicbook. Doctor Strange ventures to Tibet when he suffers serious nerve damage in his hands after a car accident. Tibet, he finds out, is home to a mysterious and spiritual place where you can walk through different universes and help to save the planet from the dark forces. Doctor Strange finds himself wrapped up in a fight that he didn’t intend to get into but he learns a lot about himself along the way and that his damaged hands aren’t completely useless like he first thought. It had an unexpected comedic edge to it, with many sarcastically funny comments throughout the film and some parts weren’t made to be taken seriously. It was an interesting film that even made you think about the spiritual world that might exist and life after death. The plot keeps you on your toes – I didn’t get bored at all throughout the film and the special effects are mind blowing.
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