FILM REVIEW | MINIONS - THE RISE OF GRU

Cinemagic Young Film Critic Angelika Dzenite attended a special preview of Minions: The Rise of Gru with thanks to Universal Pictures Ireland and here shares her thoughts with us.

Minions: The Rise of Gru is an amazing family-friendly comedic, animated movie, which features talented film actors and actresses such as Steve Carell (voice acted Gru), TarajiP.Henson (voice acted Belle Bottom) and Russell Brand(voice acted Dr Nefario).Minions: The Rise of Gru is directed by Kyle Balda who has also made some other amazing filmography such as Despicable Me 3, Minions, The Mask and The Lorax. The films he has produced have been very successful and have won many awards like the nomination for Best Animated film in 2015 for the BAFTA Awards as well as being nominated for Outstanding Visual Effects in Animated Features in 2018 at the Visual Effects Society Awards.

The movie is about how Gru, when he was young, wanted to become a villain and this movie explores what motivated him into joining the villain Corp known as the vicious 6, as he had always aspired to be like Wild Knuckles who was unfortunately betrayed by his own team. The animated film then shows the idea of when young Gru goes to apply for the opening space in the vicious 6, it ends up going horribly wrong and that is when Gru thinks of a plan which then ends up with him and his minions on the run. What makes this film so beautiful is that it shows the power of friendship within the story line. as when Gru is on the run he bumps into Wild knuckles and is in need of help and Knuckles then helps Gru.



The plot of the story was very well done with the background to every main character you have seen in the film, as you got a glimpse of either what powers they had or what involvement they had in the film or in the film of “Despicable Me”. Theconflict was very smart as it led to a lot of rising action like the minions learning karate to them having a huge battle scene near the end of the film. The animation was amazing and really brought the feeling of excitement and action to the theatre, not to mention the music was spot on as it was based upon the 1970s which made it more accurate, and the creativity of the characters was spectacular, from a nun with floating powers and nun-chucks to a gut with an iron fist and super strength. This film also had female empowerment and showed  cultural diversity through villains to heroes.

The creative elements in the Minions: The Rise of Gru were surprisingly good but could have been better. The characters were well written, but I was expecting better because some of them barely had any screen time, like Dr Nefario who was only seen 2 minutes in the film. I wished they could have explained how he was a villain at some point in his life. Thevillainous 6 was a good concept to add to this film but I feel like the story line was rushed as it didn’t give us enough time to understand why he desired to become a villain and how he was villainous in school or at home. The genre was comedy, adventure, action and animation, the director succeeded in some parts of the film to include humour but at the same time it lacked it as well, it was the same with action. The dialogue was well written and at the end of the film it was all put together and made a heart-warming ending.

To conclude I enjoyed the film personally and it really brought childhood imagination to life as you were able to laugh and feel hyped for fight scenes as well as you get to experience spectacular animated movie with a good story line filled with character development and surprises. I would most definitely suggest this film to any age as it suitable and it gets you set off for an adventure on how Gru ended becoming a villain and hero by heart.

TV: THE TOURIST

The Tourist (reviewed by Letitia Fitzpatrick)

Local hero, Jamie Dornan is on our small screens in an original television thriller which has given the BBC a New Year hit.

The actor from Holywood in County Down shot to stardom as the sadistic billionaire in the Fifty Shades of Grey films, played a terrifying serial killer in The Fall, which co-starred Gillian Anderson, and more recently, starred in the movie Wild Mountain Thyme.

Sir Kenneth Branagh's semi-autobiographical film Belfast has earned Dornan Golden Globe and Critics' Choice nominations - and potentially BAFTA and Oscar nods, too.

Now, he is very compelling in The Tourist. Set in the Australian outback, it has more twists and turns than an Aussie highway, with car chases thrown in for good measure, and a hero who loses his memory.

It’s the latest offering from successful writers Harry and Jack Williams who penned The Missing, Baptiste, Liar and Angela Black.

Dornan is trying to work out why he was chased by a truck which runs him off the road, as he drives along a deserted highway. However, he seems more resigned than shocked by this. Next thing we know, he wakes up in hospital and can’t remember who he is.

It’s not a very serious thriller which brightens up our screens in these dark times. The cop investigating Dornan’s case is a rookie, Helen, played convincingly by Danielle McDonald.

As Dornan tries to piece together his identity, it becomes clear that he’s not just your average tourist in Oz. And the viewer wonders if he’s a good guy in the wrong place at the time, or a criminal with a dark past. The plot thickens, in a funny and stylish way, as the relationship between Dornan and the policewoman develops.

The series also stars Shalom Brune-Franklin, an English-American actress known for playing Private Maisie Richards in the BBC series Our Girl, Umm Khulthum in The State and Aoife in the Australian series Doctor Doctor. She starred as DC Chloe Bishop in all seven episodes of BBC One's Line of Duty, series six (2021).

For Dornan, playing someone who doesn't know themselves was a unique experience, which he describes as a journey of discovery. He found it weird not to have a clear back story and that also attracted him to the script.

All six episodes of The Tourist are available on the BBC iPlayer.

TV REVIEW: STAY CLOSE

Stay Close (Netflix) (review by Letitia Fitzpatrick)

Is Stay Close your new Netflix binge-watch?

Northern Irish actor James Nesbitt is a brooding detective in this mystery drama miniseries based on the 2012 Harlan Coben novel of the same title. It’s a thrill-ride of a story about people who keep shocking secrets from their families and closest friends.

The author is a master storyteller and Coben is hot property at the moment. 14 of his 31 novels are due to be adapted for Netflix as original series or films, with him serving as executive director on all projects. His plots often involve the resurfacing of unresolved or misinterpreted events in the past, murders, or fatal accidents, and have multiple twists.

Last year we had The Stranger, an adaptation of Coben’s 2015 bestseller, which told the increasingly demented tale of a husband (Richard Armitage) who discovers from a mysterious stranger that his wife faked her pregnancy and miscarriage before she disappeared.

Stay Close promises something similar. The plot centres on Megan Pierce played by Cush Jumbo, who starred as attorney Lucca Quinn in The Good Wife and The Good Fight. Megan is a suburban mum with a picture-perfect life, and a loving husband and three children who are living the dream. But she harbours a secret past that will soon intrude into her comfortable world and everything she cherishes.

Another character with a murky past is Richard Armitage, who plays a down-at-heel paparazzo, Ray Levine. His talent as a documentary photographer is a distant memory, after he lost the woman he loves who is now missing.

James Nesbitt (star of Cold Feet, Murphy’s Law, Bloody Sunday, The Way and The Missing) plays Michael Broome, a burnt out police detective. He’s haunted by the cold case of a disappeared man, the only one he ever failed to solve. 17 years later to the day, another man goes missing, and Broome takes on that case too, stirring up the past, opening old wounds and striving to find the truth about both men.

Weaving their way through the tale of Megan, Ray and Michael are two psychopaths determined to get their own way. Comedian Eddie Izzard is also in the cast, playing Harry Sutton, a lawyer and a former associate of Megan’s. Sarah Parish is cast as Lorraine Griggs, a mysterious woman from Megan’s past.

Released on New Years Eve 2021, the series was filmed in England although the novel was set in the United States. There are a few cliches and corny lines along the way, but so far, the series is proving very popular with viewers and most reviewers.

FILM / FOLIO | Box Sets Worth The Binge

At a time when many of us a. will be spending more time at home than usual and b. could use a little cheer - or at least a distraction, it seems apt to share a roundup of brilliant box sets worth the binge. I'd love to hear yours too, so please repost this on social with your favourites - and tag us so we can share your picks!

LOVE IS BLIND, Netflix

“I have met the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I’ve never seen her before."

A kinda dating version of The Voice, this reality show features a bunch of singles who date in pods with a wall between them and get to know each other without knowing what they look like. Astoundingly, most fall in love within days, get 'blind engaged' and some even marry weeks later. The most entertaining part is watching how being on the outside affects their relationships, many of which unsurprisingly deteriorate. A compelling guilty pleasure watch!

NEXT IN FASHION, Netflix

If you liked Project Runway, you'll love this show hosted by Alexa Chung and Tan France, where 18 designers compete for the chance to win a cash prize and the opportunity to sell their line on Net-a-Porter. Some really impressive looks are the result!

SEX EDUCATION, Netflix

It may feature teens and have an American vibe, but this UK show is loved by all ages and is flippin’ hilarious. It features a virgin teenager who gives sex counselling to his fellow students for money, with tips gleaned from his actual sex therapist mother, the gorgeous Gillian Anderson. Graphic, not for the easily offended and funny, it's also very tender at times - and hugely entertaining.

YOU, Netflix

A New York bookstore manager and serial killer who falls in love with a poetic customer and quickly develops an extreme, toxic, and delusional obsession. He feeds his toxic obsession using social media and other technology to track her presence and remove 'obstacles' to their romance. At times disturbing, entertaining and addictive.

THE MORNING SHOW, Apple TV

Hugely entertaining show starring Jennifer Aniston as a news anchor whose life is turned upside down when her co-host, aka Steve Carell, is fired after being accused of sexual assault by a number of colleagues. With her own job potentially on the line, she faces rivalry from local reporter played by Reece Witherspoon.

THE CROWN, Netflix

The Crown tells the inside story of two of the most famous addresses in the world - Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street - and the intrigues, love lives and complexity behind them. Absolutely fantastic and a visual delight.

LIAR, ITV Hub

A psychological thriller about two people whose initial attraction leads to far-reaching consequences for all involved. Things escalate after a teacher dates a recently widowed surgeon and quickly spiral out of control, ultimately exposing the power of truth, deception and trust.

THE STRANGER, Netflix

This superb thriller follows a family whose secrets and lies are made public by a complete stranger, creating mayhem in the lives of all involved and leading to an entangled mystery in the search for answers.

CHEER, Netflix

A documentary series following the world of competitive cheerleaders from the 14-time National Champions at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas. They deal with injuries, sacrifices and personal setbacks leading up to the championship competition.

Ozark, Netflix

Can't wait for season three of this series (late March) as it follows a financial adviser forced to take his family away from their Chicago hometown of Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where he must launder $500 million in five years for a drug boss, or else. Incredible acting and a must watch.