modmove » Mandy Moore

Midway Movie Review

admin — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 16:04:36 +0000

Showing more discipline and restraint than we’ve become accustomed to with Roland Emmerich, this time out he rolls back the forced histrionics and creates a straightforward account of one of World War Two’s most pivotal battles. The Battle Of Midway was a decisive event and hobbled the early Japanese effort in the Pacific.

In 1941 they started their offensive against the USA with a sneak attack on Pearl Harbour. Their hopes of a quick disabling of the American military might in the region was a stated goal. Due to the allied forces’ ability to decipher their secret communications, the American forces were able to mount a successful counter attack.

Emmerich wisely pares down the number of main protagonists to a small number to keep the story tightly focused. The action scenes when the CGI renderings look realistic are very exciting and it gives you a real sense of how much danger the pilots faced when attacking the flotilla of ships. The main battle is also concise and keeps the rapid pace intact.

Presenting a major battle from WWII shows a time when the enemy was clearly established and not the scales of grey that are present in the skirmishes that blight the world now. It shows the American might to be superior in this instance but thankfully focuses more on the personal heroics of the participants than just delivering more didactic rhetoric.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/roadshow

Watch the new trailer for Midway

admin — Sat, 30 Nov 2019 16:45:38 +0000

Midway centres on the Battle of Midway, a clash between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy which marked a pivotal turning point in the Pacific Theatre during WWII.

The film, based on the real-life events of this heroic feat, tells the story of the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude and bravery to overcome the odds.

Midway is directed by Roland Emmerich and stars Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Luke Evans, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Jonas, Etsushi Toyokawa, Tadanobu Asano, Luke Kleintank, Jun Kunimura, Darren Criss, Keean Johnson, Alexander Ludwig, Mandy Moore, Dennis Quaid and Woody Harrelson.

Midway will be released in Australian cinemas January 30, 2020!
www.facebook.com/roadshow

The Darkest Minds Movie Review

admin — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 16:18:10 +0000

A mysterious plague kills almost all of the world’s children and the few that survive have changed. They now have powers. Powers that scare the world’s governments. Their answer to this threat is to round them up and intern them in camps, and not of the holiday variety. The Darkest Minds is the tale of a few that escape.

Mixing storylines of the traditional road movie with science fiction themes and a teen coming of age saga makes up the parts at play here. Some of those ideas work and others don’t and the deciding factor is often the age of the viewer. The film is very much aimed at a younger audience and will score more points with the teen crowd.

There are universal moments at work here like the selfless act of sacrificing personal ambitions for the common good. Also the act of not always taking things at face value. These are lessons absorbed often as you grow older but ones that may seem fresh at a younger age.

The science fiction ideas are downplayed (the film’s trailer to the contrary) as the human element takes centre stage. The acting is consistent but for older members of the audience there seems to be one or two details missing, ones that would have helped raise The Darkest Minds above the rest.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/DarkestMindsAus

Check out the new trailer for The Darkest Minds – in cinemas 2 August!

admin — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 16:57:37 +0000

When teens mysteriously develop powerful new abilities, they are declared a threat by the government and detained. Sixteen-year-old Ruby (Amandla Stenberg, The Hunger Games), one of the most powerful young people anyone has encountered, escapes her camp and joins a group of runaway teens seeking safe haven.

Soon this newfound family realises that, in a world in which the adults in power have betrayed them, running is not enough and they must wage a resistance, using their collective power to take back control of their future.

The Darkets Minds stars AMANDLA STENBERG, MANDY MOORE and GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE – in cinemas 2 August!