Connor Macgregor Reviews Thread

thanks. Sorry for the overload of film reviews. But more are coming.

Connor Macgregor (On Vacation) Reviews...Jumanji

I never really thought on watching this. I decided to give this a look when there was nothing else to watch.

When young Alan Parrish discovers a mysterious board game, he doesn't realize its unimaginable powers until he is magically transported--before the startled eyes of his friend Sarah--into the untamed jungles of Jumanji! There he remains for 26 years until he is freed from the game's spell by two unsuspecting children. Now a grown man, Alan reunites with Sarah and, together with Judy and Peter, tries to outwit the game's powerful forces.

Now this film is good but quite dated. The story is original , fresh and exciting and really makes the film really original. However The CGI Animals are dated. They are not terrible but they could use an update to today`s CGI. I do like the set design particullary the house. It looks old but new at the same time.

The acting is remarkably well done. Robin Williams is good but at times takes it a little too far. Bonnie Hunt pulls something out of the bag and she does really well. Young Kirsten Dunst proves that she can act really well too and gives her character more of a personality. It works and it makes the character believeable.

So not much to say except that its fun and original and enjoyable.

Rating - 71% - B+

Connor Macgregor (On Vacation) Reviews...Zathura

So seeing Jamanji was fun...but here comes along a film which is slightly similar yet fresh and original at the same time....This is Zathura.

Danny and Walter are two brothers who barely get along even while driving their parents to distraction as their older sister tries to ignore them. Despite their squabbling, the brothers manage cooperate enough to play an old mechanical board game named Zathura. However, after their first move, they find that the game has apparently flung them, their sister and their entire house into outer space. Furthermore, the brothers surmise the only way to return home is to finish the game. However with almost every move, new dangers arise as the siblings find themselves learning to cooperate in ways they never expected as they realize what they mean to each other.

Now is this as good as Jumanji ? No it isn`t but it is still a good fun movie to watch. The acting by the two kids is what you expect in Hollywood Kids movies. Cute but nothing groundbreaking. Josh Hutchinson is a mean bastard in this film as he plays the older brother. he is such an ******* to his little brother who is played by Jonah Bobo (Who lets face it is only in it because he`s cute) but Kirsten Stewart gives a good decent performance which is a convincing for a modern teenager. Also Dax Sheperd does ok as The Astronaut (His real name i won`t reveal) and Tim Robbins is pretty good as The Dad.

The story is basic. Board Game turns real and everyone in the house (Plus an Astronaut who enters the game) has to fight to survive and the only way to survive is to finish the game no matter what happens. All basic and no really need for character development apart from the two brothers. There isn`t really any needed just the basic personalities and that is it. Some of the effects are pretty good and i do like the monsters that try to eat the two brothers.

Overall i thought this was a fun basic kids film that anyone can enjoy.

Rating - 61% - B

Connor Macgregor (On Vacation) Reviews... Men in Black

Protecting the earth from the scum of the universe...and from Bad B Sci Fi Movies...ok that joke sucked.

Based off of the comic book. Unbeknownst to other people, there is a private agency code named MiB. This agency is some kind of extra terrestrial surveillance corporation. Then, one of the agency's finest men only going by the name "K", is recruiting for a new addition to the agency. He has chosen James Edwards of the N.Y.P.D. Then, one day, a flying saucer crashes into Earth. This was an alien a part of the "Bug" race. He takes the body of a farmer and heads to New York. He is searching for a super energy source called "The Galaxy". Now, Agents J and K must stop the bug before it can escape with the galaxy.

I do like this film very much. First of all , i like the whole different world that The Men In Black are in. They know that there are advanced life and beings in different universes and cosmos. I love how they are more intelligent and smarter than the other humans in the world. Tommy Lee Jones & Will Smith just match completely. Smith`s cocky attitude with Lee Jones`s seriousness and sarcastic humour work well off each other.
The story is pretty good. Alien comes looking for a jewel and a alien race comes looking for it and if they don`t get it back , Earth is screwed. Pretty much stop the clock style plot but it is very enjoyable. There are some great effects in the film like The Alien ship crashing beginning and end , the 4 CGI aliens , The CGI Alien villian and The guns. i just love the guns. Rip Torn i will also mention is a great underrated actor who needs to get off drinking and do some better work.

Overall see this film because its a great popcorn movie as well as a good sci fi comedy.

Rating - 76% - B+

Connor Macgregor (On Vacation) Reviews...Ice Age

A Great Animated film to see....Ice Age is a classic....but i doubt the sequels are.

20,000 years before, our planet is entering an ice age. All kinds of animals begin immigrating to the south, seeking more warm climates. Sid, a sloth who never stops talking is left behind sleeping while everyone else begins the journey to the south. Awaking, he meets Manny, a mammoth who travels to the north, and decides to follow him. When a humans camp is attacked by tigers, a woman takes her baby and jumps on a river. Before she drowns, the baby is rescued by Manny and Sid. The two animals decide to search for the father and return the baby to him. Diego, one of the tigers that attacked the humans, comes also claiming the baby.

This is a great animated film. The voice acting is marvellous which is lead by the ever talented Ray Romaro who has a voice that works for a sarcastic character like Manny. Then there is Dennis Leary as Diego who i think is the best character in the film because he is dangerous and deadly , yet very likeable as a character. Also he has the biggest character development in the film. Of course there is also Sid voiced by John Leguizamo who is funny at first but then gets too that stage where he gets annoying and you feel like Diego and Manny throughout the whole film.

I like the story too. 3 Unlikely animals teaming up to get a baby back to its father , it feels like a 3 way buddy movie with animals and the directing and writing help the story be believeable...as well as the voice acting.
Also i want to mention Little Scrat. No voice actor because the character works without a voice. All Scrat wants is too store its nut somewhere for the winter. You love this character not just because of his determination , but the comedic situations he enters in everytime he tries to save his walnut and he gets the bumps and bruises in the end.

Overall Ice Age is great fun to watch with great voice acting. So find it and give it a watch.

Rating - 76% - B+

Connor Macgregor Reviews...The A Team

Everyone knows the infamous theme song and TV Series. So we all had our doubts when the movie was released. So here is my take on the film.

Four American soldiers who are in Iraq are sent on a mission to recover plates for printing 100 dollar bills that were used to print a billion dollars. After doing the job and returning to the base their commanding officer is killed in an explosion and the plates are stolen by another operative. They would be court martialed and sent to different prisons. 6 months later, the leader, Hannibal Smith is visited by a CIA spook who tells him he knows where the man who took the plates is and wants him and his men to recover it. So he helps him escape and he breaks out the others and they go after the plates. But after doing it, they discover that the spook might not be ok. And a military intelligence officer who was involved with one of them is pursuing them.

Now i did enjoy this film. I thought the action was good but felt cartoonish near the end during the big climax.The story is a prequel if you think about it. It tells the story of how The A Team got together and their early years. Its shot in present day which i don`t get because obviously A Team was set in the 80s so they would need to reduce the technology nob and make it feel more 80s which they don`t do. Never the less The Action doesn`t dissapoint.

Now the acting. Liam Nesson gave a pretty good performance as Hannibal Smith , but i think he failed to get the charm of what Geoge Peppard gave us in the series. Never the less he does well. BA Baracus played with MMA Fighter Quinten "Rampage" Jackson is also pretty good. You see a more emotional side in BA when Quentin plays the character. Howling Mad Murdock played by Sharlto Copley is a great performance. I found him amusing and very quirky. And Copley is an awesome actor. But the one that stole the show was Bradley Cooper as Faceman. Cooper is great and has a great amount of charisma in his acting. Cooper in my mind could become The Next George Clooney if he gets better on his dramatic side.

Jessica Biel is also good as Charissa and she does what she does and as usual , she is georgeous.

So overall A Team is one of the best action films of the year. Good story , acting , stunts and overall a fun time.

Rating - 75% - B+

Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Shining

Many Critics and Fans call this One Of the Scariest And Greatest Horror Films ever made...me i`m not so sure.

A novelist - Jack Torrance take a job interview as winter caretaker of the isolated, old, huge and beautiful Overlook Hotel. In the interview, Jack is told by the manager himself, that the previous caretaker - Grady, chopped his family and later killed himself with a shotgun. Ignoring the story, Jack brings his wife - Wendy and his son Danny. It happens that Danny, has a mysterious power known as "The Shining" that shows him things from the past and future. Some of the visions come from Tony - "the little boy who lives in Danny's mouth". Danny meets Hallorann - the hotel cook in their first day arriving at the Overlook, who also has this "Shining" and he warns him about the hotel and the sinister Room 237. As the days go by, Danny has visions of previous guests and employees who died at the hotel years before, meanwhile Jack starts driving into insanity, turning more and more aggressive, at the point that Danny and Wendy gets convinced that Jack might try to do the same thing, Grady did.

Now this film is creepy. Its a pyschological horror more than a bloody gory horror you get usually. Its so clever and Kubrick & King both create this very uneary and creepy hotel in which you have no idea what is going to happen. The key thing about this film is that these 3 characters (Jack,Wendy & The Kid) are isolated from society. Its Winter and they have barely any contact from the outside world.

Jack Nicholson is just on fire in this film. Not only is this the best performance of his career , but probably one of the greatest performances of all time. You buy into his insanity and rage as the hotel attempt to swallow him dry. Of course i have to mention Shelley Duvall and Scatman Crothers as Wendy & The Janitor. Both great performances on par with Jack Nicholson.

The ending was quite an interesting thought. Jack in the 1929 picture. Was he a ghost ? I doubt it because we saw him with his family prior to the whole incidents beginning (What i mean is that we saw his home before coming to take care of the hotel). My theory is that the hotel swallowed him inside the hotel. He got more insane was the ghosts taking away his soul and sanity and abosrbing it into the hotel. It may be complicated but when he died , the hotel consumed in. You may have your own theory but its what i think.

So overall a great horror flic. Is it the best of all time ? I don`t think so because i have seen scarier. But never the less check out the film because its worth the watch.

Rating - 86% - A-

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Valentine`s Day

I am going to explain to you all why i liked Valentine`s Day....how its my feel good film of the year...and yes i have seen Love Actually before this....and yet i still enjoy it.

More than a dozen Angelenos navigate Valentine's Day from early morning until midnight. Three couples awake together, but each relationship will sputter; are any worth saving? A grade-school boy wants flowers for his first true love; two high school seniors plan first-time sex at noon; a TV sports reporter gets the assignment to find romance in LA; a star quarterback contemplates his future; two strangers meet on a plane; grandparents, together for years, face a crisis; and, an "I Hate Valentine's Day" dinner beckons the lonely and the lied to. Can Cupid finish his work by midnight?

Now i liked this for many reasons. I like interlocking multiple stories in films. Love Actually,4321 etc i just like a community instead of the film centuring on one character. the acting is solid but not magnificant. There isn`t really a standout performer but i will say this. Taylor Swift is decent. She isn`t fantastic but decent. She is a better singer if you want to compare. If she ever wanted to swap the mic for a script , i suggest taking some lessons first.

Some underrated performers in the film are Hector Elizondo & Shirley McLaine who are both excellent together in this film. Of course Emma Roberts was great despite her not being at her A game but still good enough. Jessica Alba was there for looks lets be honest , Kathy Bates should have had more scenes , Jessica Biel i thought was quite good and in my opinion underrated as an actress (her stuff in 7th Heaven was great) , Bradley Cooper didn`t have much to do so he dissapointed me in this , Eric Dane could have been so much better in this film but sadly he didn`t deliver also , Patrick Dempsey bored me because i guess of his role. Same role as Grey`s Anatomy. Shame because i really liked his work in Scream 3. Jamie Foxx didn`t interest me , Jennifer Gardner was in my mind pretty good , Topher Grace also bored me , Anne Hathaway surprised me by being quite funny with her story , Carter Jenkins didn`t strike me as interesting but had some sweet scenes with Emma Roberts , Ashton Kutcher was ok , Queen Latifah was a let down if me being honest because usually she is very good but here she didn`t strike me as an interesting character at all , Taylor Lautner does what he does and that`s be cute (He`s a good actor but lets be honest...would you hire him for his acting abilities) , George Lopez was a supporting role for Kutcher`s story and Julia Roberts was....average. And coming from a Gary Marshall film isn`t a compliment.

Now i know what your thinking. He likes it but pisses on the acting. Well i didn`t like VD because of the half assed acting , I liked the stories. Yeah the stories were the great part of the film. I couldn`t say which was the best but its close to Jennifer Gardner`s story or Hector & Shirley`s story. But really all the stories were good to watch.

So yeah Valentines Day was my feel good film of the year. So feel free to throw as much abuse as you want , i don`t care. This film was good fun to watch.

Rating - 69% - B

Connor Macgregor Reviews...North By Northwest

Hitchcock is a classic director. and today i get to review one of his masterpieces that could never be remade...hopefully.

New York advertising executive Roger Thornhill is kidnapped by a gang of spies led by Philip Vandamm, who believe Thornhill is CIA agent George Kaplan. Thornhill escapes, but must find Kaplan in order to clear himself of a murder it is believed he committed. Following Kaplan to Chicago as a fugitive from justice, Thornhill is helped by beautiful Eve Kendall. In Chicago, she delivers a message to Kaplan that almost costs Thornhill his life when he is chased across a cornfield by a crop-dusting plane.

This film is a timeless classic for many reasons. Firstly its a spy story. Spy stories can rarely be handled well in movies because its difficult to potray it as realistic (Except several 007 Movies). However Hitchcock`s direction is as usual fantastic. The story is easy to be drawn into and you feel like you are going on a adventure you will never be able to go on again.
Cary Grant is the film. His performance was hard to get into at first but eventually i bought it and it made a great character. Roger Thornhill is a great character whose personality changes through the film. Eva Marie Saint is one of the perfect leading ladies. She is sexy,smart and a character with a personality (Which you rarely get in films today).

Many great scenes that make Hitchcock a great director. the most infamous is the plane sequence where Thornhill survives an assisnation attempt by a plane. No CGI and No cheap Effects. A real plane was used for the scene and it works and its a great scene. Its only brief but its the build up that makes it memorable. Thornhill is waiting for the contact and then the plane comes and then everything else is infamous.

Overall NBNW is a timeless classic and One Of Hitchcock`s best films. I hope people see it because its worth watch.

Rating - 100% - A+

Connor Macgregor Reviews...School Of Rock

An Underrated Comedy that deserves more fame and claim....This is School Of Rock

After being fired from his own band, the guitar player Dewey Finn needs to raise some money to pay for his rent and his bills. When his friend and school teacher Ned Schneebly is called to a temporary work in an expensive private school, Dewey pretends to be Ned and accepts the job. He finds talented young musicians in his class, and he decides to form a rock-and-roll band with the students and win a competition called "Battle of Bands" to raise the prize and be recognized in the show business.

Very Underrated and for many reasons. Firstly it has a great story. Sort Of Washed Up Indie Rocker Teaches Kids To Rock. Very funny and some great moments with character development that helped develop most of the kid`s personality to make them stand out.

Jack Black is great in this. Playing basically himself in a way. The Cocky,Obnoxious rocker (maybe a little obnoxious) and he is what keeps the film high up. The child performances are above average. This was obviously the film that kickstarted Miranda Cosgrove`s career. (The girl in ICarly,Drake & Josh) She does good in this and clearly she has something that has yet to be developed in full potential. Some are just plain bad like Robert Tasi who just sleeps through his lines. He had no talent and just in it because he was geeky. Joan Cusack is also very good and at times funny in this film. Sarah Silverman i also enjoy but when i first saw School Of Rock, i didn`t like her...boy my opinion has changed now.

The Music is good but i thought the final performance wasn`t that rocky. It did have rock elements in the performance. Never the less the music fits the film very well.

Overall School Of Rock is a great film. I hear rumours of a sequel but Jack Black would only sign on if the story is good. I doubt it would work but maybe if they had a strong script. Never the less check out School Of Rock. If you hate rock then maybe this would be an introductory course.

Rating - 85% - A-

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Harry Potter And The Philosopher`s Stone

Before i go into the review...THIS IS THE CORRECT TITLE. JK had to change it because lets face it...not many Americans read these days. So they changed it to the other word to make it easier for them. Never the less its Harry Potter so lets get into the film.

Young Harry Potter has to lead a hard life: His parents have died in a car crash when he was still a baby, and he is being brought up by his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. For some reason unbeknownst to the bespectacled ten-year-old, the Dursleys let him live in the small chamber under the stairs, and treat him more like vermin than like a family member. His fat cousin Dudley, the Dursley's real son, keeps bothering Harry all the time. On his eleventh birthday, Harry Potter finally receives a mysterious letter from a certain Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, telling him that he is chosen as one of the future students of that supposedly renowned school. Hagrid, the gigantic man who brought the letter, finally introduces Harry into the real circumstances of his life: His parents were a wizard and a witch, they were killed by the evil wizard Voldemort protecting him. Harry still has a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead from that event. Since he survived the attack as a baby, and also somehow deprived Voldemort from his powers, he has been famous in the wizarding world ever since. The Dursleys, strong disbelievers in that magical crap, never told Harry anything about his true self. So, Harry is strongly surprised, yet absolutely happy to start his training. At Hogwarts, Harry meets his teachers, and becomes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The three of them accidentally find out that the potions master, Severus Snape, seems to plot on stealing something that is guarded by a three-headed dog. Since nobody would believe some first years to have found out such important things that even would incriminate a Hogwarts teacher, they take it on themselves to find out what Snape is up to. Their quest for the truth leads across many obstacles, from keeping up the everyday school life, a bewitched Quidditch match (Quidditch is a popular wizard sport), Fluffy, the three-headed monster dog and quite some tasks one has to overcome to get to the guarded object.

Of all the movie adaptions from novels, this one has to be the most successful and the most risky. Never the less, the film is a modern day masterpiece. The story is amazing and introduces us to Harry and the wonderful world of the witches and wizards. Both good and bad. JK Rowling is a talented author with a craft of imagination. From every detail is this world is examined and she leaves no i dotted and no t crossed.
The acting is convincing enough. Radcliffe does well as Harry, Grint is in my eyes the strongest and Emma Watson is adorable but fiesty. Its mark to pick a clear standout but either Maggie Smith or Alan Rickman would do. Robbie Coltrane was also great as Hagrid. Again so many performances to talk about because of the ensemble cast which could be possibly the biggest brittish production ever. I`ll mention Richard Harris who was great as Dumbledore and had that wizard factor around him.

CGI was great. The Qudditch Scenes and The Hogwarts settings gave me the feeling i was in a magical place. Same with Diagon Alley. Many can slate Chris Columbus as a terrible director but he did great with Harry Potter you can`t deny. And who can forget the score composed by the almighty John Williams. His score is fresh and exciting and helps absorb the film in a whole.

Harry Potter 1 is a great introduction to the whole of Harry Potter without the books. Its a modern classic that will be remembered for years to come.

Rating - 86% - A-

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets

The Potter Series takes a dark turn in the 2nd installment...is it as good as the first ? lets find out.

Forced to spend his summer holidays with his muggle relations, Harry Potter gets a real shock when he gets a surprise visitor: Dobby the house-elf, who warns Harry Potter against returning to Hogwarts, for terrible things are going to happen. Harry decides to ignore Dobby's warning and continues with his pre-arranged schedule. But at Hogwarts, strange and terrible things are indeed happening: Harry is suddenly hearing mysterious voices from inside the walls, muggle-born students are being attacked, and a message scrawled on the wall in blood puts everyone on his/her guard - "The Chamber Of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies Of The Heir, Beware" .

What for a while i thought was the darkest HP story. Now i am not too sure. The film is great. Hogwarts faces a threat from inside the walls. Who Is Tom Riddle ? An excellent name for an excellent character for which we know so little about. The Chamber Of Secrets is a very mysterious story with a lot of uneasiness and loyalty tested. Is Harry Potter really that heroic ? Is he not what he is ? Harry faces isolation and loneliness because of the fear of this unknown chamber that unleashes horror. Its a very nightmarish story.

The acting is good in this. Radcliffe,Grint and Watson up their first performances and do a splendid job of maturing the characters. Richard Harris wasn`t as good but the guy was dying for godness sake (Yes he was dying but vowed to finish the role). Jason Issacs as Lucius Malfoy was a charming sly performance. You can tell that there isn`t anything pleasant about him. Not many other performances apart from Kenneth Brannagh as Gildory Lockheart who is just a great comedic character that helps keep the story light.

Overall great effects,chilling horrorish story and great acting,HP2 is just as good as 1 if not better. Do take a look for Dark Fantasy Horror.

Rating - 86% - A-

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban

By far the best potter film of the series...and here is my review.

Harry Potter is having a tough time with his relatives (yet again). He runs away after using magic to blow Uncle Vernon's sister Marge who was being offensive towards Harry's parents. Initially scared for using magic outside the school, he is pleasantly surprised that he won't be penalized after all. However, he soon learns that a dangerous criminal and Voldemort's trusted aide Sirius Black has escaped from the Azkaban prison and wants to kill Harry to avenge the Dark Lord. To worsen the conditions for Harry, vile shape-shifters called Dementors are appointed to guard the school gates and inexplicably happen to have the most horrible effect on him. Little does Harry know that by the end of this year, many holes in his past (whatever he knows of it) will be filled up and he will have a clearer vision of what the future has in store...

This is by far the best Harry Potter film so far. One of the key things that makes it better is the cinematography. I don`t talk about this in the majority in my reviews but HP3 does it so well in this that it deserves to be mentioned. The directing is marvellous. In my eyes Alfonso Cuaron is a very underrated director and this is by far one of his best films. He makes Harry Potter more mystical and mysterious. He also makes it darker and properly dark. Chamber Of Secrets did have a dark story but my problem with it was that Chris Columbus was not the right director to do dark stories. Alfonso does the film really well with the dark tone.

The acting is once again stepped up by the three main characters. Radcliffe is the best out of the three but at times does slip a bit but generally is good. The new Dumbledore played by Michael Gambon is ok in this but its not until Goblet Of Fire did he make Dumbledore his own. I think the reason is because he didn`t have enough screentime. Gary Oldman is great as Sirius Black as being mentally unhinged and out of Azkaban and trying to bring back his saneness and get back to reality.

Also someone who is really underrated in the business is David Thewlis who playes Remus Lupin. Great performance and one of my favourite characters in the series. A character and actor and performance so underrated in the film.

Overall as i said Best Potter Film because of Direction,Acting and story. Do see this along with The Other Great Potter Films.

Rating - 94% - A

Connor Macgregor Reviews (In London)...The Expendables

80s Action Stars...Check. Explosions....Check. Senseless Violence...Check. It can only be Stallone.

Barney Ross leads the "Expendables", a band of highly skilled mercenaries including knife enthusiast Lee Christmas, martial arts expert Yin Yang, heavy weapons specialist Hale Caesar, demolitionist Toll Road and loose-cannon sniper Gunner Jensen. When the group is commissioned by the mysterious Mr. Church to assassinate the merciless dictator of a small South American island, Barney and Lee head to the remote locale to scout out their opposition. Once there, they meet with local rebel Sandra and discover the true nature of the conflict engulfing the city. When they escape the island and Sandra stays behind, Ross must choose to either walk away and save his own life - or attempt a suicidal rescue mission that might just save his soul.

This is action packed and full of great action pieces. Its not fantastic and i can see why certain critics pick on this. But Expendables is what it is meant to be. An action film. Explosions,Fights and Violence. What more could you want or what more could you ask for ? And for what they are The Action is great in this. I saw this in Odeon Leicester Square and i really had fun seeing it in the massive screen (One of the biggest screens in the world).

Stallone does great in the main lead , but i felt he could have delivered more. Jet Li in my opinion was heavenly underused in the film. Steve Austin i had to mentioned was a great bulky baddy. Eric Roberts did a great villian but not very rememberable. Charisma Carpenter i wish i saw more of. She is great in Buffy & Angel (Which we all know and love) and i wish she had a bigger role in this. This is her one chance to get a decent movie career starting off so Expendables could do something for her.

Rourke was great as the Ex Mercenary with the haunting past and who
does a great monologue midway through the film. The Cameos for Willias & Arnold were good and i liked the joke at the end.

So overall see this film if you like action flicks. If you want story, your looking at the wrong film.

Rating - 73% - B+

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Diary Of A Wimpy Kid

I expected a little gem out of this...and i sort of got it.

To Greg Heffley, middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented. It's a place rigged with hundreds of social landmines, not the least of which are morons, wedgies, swirlies, bullies, lunchtime banishment to the cafeteria floor - and a festering piece of cheese with nuclear cooties. To survive the never-ending ordeal and attain the recognition and status he feels he so richly deserves, Greg devises an endless series of can't-miss schemes, all of which, of course, go awry. And he's getting it all down on paper, via a diary - "it's NOT a diary, it's a journal!" Greg insists, preferring the less-sissyfied designation - filled with his opinions, thoughts, tales of family trials and tribulations, and (would-be) schoolyard triumphs. "One day when I'm famous," writes Greg, "I'll have better things to do than answer peoples' stupid questions all day." So was born the Wimpy Kid's diary.

I saw this film this afternoon. The film was ok. I expected more out of this. And for the first act it was sort of working. But it went downhill round about the middle. Never the less the story is enjoyable. I like the idea of a kid journaling his thoughts and memories in high school. The main character Greg is very likeable in this film , but he does have his off moments and can become a bit of a jackass to get what he wants.

Zacharay Gordan does a good job in this film and makes the character 3 dimensional. Chloe Moretz is great as well. For someone in their early teens and to go from Kick Ass to Diary Of A Wimpy Kid is quite surprising.

She has a low key role which grows throughout the movie. She has a big career ahead of her this kid.

Overall see this if there isn`t nothing else to see or if you are following the books. Its good but not great.

Rating - 61% - B

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Scott Pilgram Vs The World

Didn`t want to see this originally...but seeing the trailer i thought "I Must See This" and i`m glad i did.

Everything is totally sweet.Scott Pilgrim's life is so awesome. He's 23 years old, in a rock band, "between jobs," and dating a cute high school girl. Everything's fantastic until a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, roller blading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. But the path to Ms. Flowers isn't covered in rose petals. Ramona's seven evil exes stand between Scott and true happiness. Can Scott defeat all seven of the bad guys and get the girl without turning his precious little life upside-down, before the game is over?The film is based on the six-part Oni Press graphic novel series created by Bryan Lee O'Malley.

I thought this was a great movie. Edgar Wright directs this and i love Edgar Wright. He is very underrated and Scott Pilgram proves why. This is possibly his best work yet. Under 30s may like this movie but i can`t say to anyone over 30 (If you are over 30 and liked Scott Pilgram let us know). I love how it was shot and the effects like "Pee Bar" or the little sidenotes. The Little things in the film that make the story original just made me like it so much more. Its shot in a comic book sort of way. i liked how it felt i was watching a live action comic book movie.

Acting. Michael Cera was great as Scott Pilgram but at times quite drippy. Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Romona Flowers was a joy to watch. Finally a role that doesn`t require her to scream,run around with barely anything on or get killed. I wanted more Anna Kendrick in this film. I love Anna Kendrick and really wish she was in this film more. Keiran Culken was great too in this film. There are so many actors and characters i need to mention. Aubrey Plaza as Julie Powers i really liked and The Evil Exs were all great. My Favourite is a tie between Chris Evans as The Badass Hollywood star and Brandon Routh as The Vegan Rockstar. His fight with Scott is a good one that ends brilliantly with the two police officers which i won`t go any further. I also liked Alison Pill as Kim Pine. Really funny performance by her.

Overall See Scott Pilgram and enjoy it for what it is. Fun,Action,Funny and Above All...Entertaining.

Rating - 85% - A-

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

Least Favourite Potter Movie....But Still Brilliant.

Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts is about to start and he is enjoying the summer vacation with his friends. They get the tickets to The Quidditch World Cup Final but after the match is over, people dressed like Lord Voldemort's 'Death Eaters' set a fire to all the visitors' tents, coupled with the appearance of Voldemort's symbol, the 'Dark Mark' in the sky, which causes a frenzy across the magical community. That same year, Hogwarts is hosting 'The Triwizard Tournament', a magical tournament between three well-known schools of magic : Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. The contestants have to be above the age of 17, and are chosen by a magical object called Goblet of Fire. On the night of selection, however, the Goblet spews out four names instead of the usual three, with Harry unwittingly being selected as the Fourth Champion.

Since the magic cannot be reversed, Harry is forced to go with it and brave three exceedingly difficult tasks.

Its hard to pick which potter film is the least best. To me its GOF for this reason. It was changing. It was no longer Harry,Ron & Hermione playing Scooby Doo and solving mysteries. They were getting older and more mature and were entering...Puberty. Yes this was a coming of age story with A Wizard Tournemant thrown in the center. Some of it works like The Yule Ball and Harry`s crush on Cho and Victor & Hermione. But in the end it just felt very yucky and boring to watch. The Twiwizard Tournemant itself is a great idea. The First Task was a great set piece and was great to watch. The Second Task nodded me off till the end and The Third Task was the same until the crucial plot point.

I want to talk about Ralph Feinnes. What a performance despite being on for 10 minutes roughly. The character is one of the greatest ever created in Pop Culture. Menacing , Evil and bent on dominating and controlling everything around him. This is also the film which Michael Gambon finally becomes Albus Dumbledore. He had some interaction with Harry which was wonderfully acted by both Gambon & Radcliffe. The Three Main Characters once again prove wothy of being in the acting game. Emma Watson is highly underrated in general. Radcliffe has the makings of a classic star.

Rubert Grint is comedic and can make me laugh.

CGI was fantastic in this including the dragon. Very exciting scenes with the CGI. Mike Newell`s direction is swell and keeps The Potter magic alive and well in this film. Robert Pattinson is good but not fantastic.

Overall Great Film but least favourite because some comedy doesn`t work for me.

Rating - 80% - B+

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Harry Potter And The Order Of The Pheonix

Many say its the least favourite Harry Potter film...me i think different.

After returning to Hogwarts to begin his fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter discovers that much of the wizarding world, including the Ministry of Magic, is in denial about Lord Voldemort's return. The Order of the Phoenix, a group sworn against Voldemort, is using its vast array of wizards and witches magical abilities to combat Voldemort. Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, suspects that Dumbledore is using these claims of The Dark Lord's return as a means to over-throw Fudge as Minister. In retaliation, a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is appointed by the Ministry in order to keep an eye on Hogwarts. This new teacher, Professor Umbridge, implies strict new teachings and rules, forcing a group of students, under the tutelage of Harry, to form a club, by the name of Dumbledore's Army...

For a while this was my least favourite due to the fact there was too much plot. Now i watch back and realise its better than GOF. The story was a lot more political than the previous ones. Its about rebellion and facing up to people who are treating others unfairly. Dumbledores Army represents the truth and the right to express the truth. The Ministry represents the lie and protecting the people from the real threat out in the world. Its a great political story and works well In The Harry Potter world.

The acting is fairly good in this. Gary Oldman returns and is more calmer than he was in POA. Michael Gambon was pretty good in this , but his best performance is yet to come. Radcliffe is a lot better in this film than the previous 4. Watson & Grint i am not sure. They were good but i feel their best performance was in the past. Helena Bohem Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange is a great little role. She is a great villaness too and her look really helped that. But the show stealer was Imelda Staunton as Doloris Umbridge. Great villian and reminds me a lot of Margaret Thatcher in a way (No offence to Conservatives everywhere). Her personality really works with The Ministry new law to ban defensive magic.

Overall OFP is a great Potter movie which to me isn`t the worst.

Rating - 84% - A-

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Alone In The Dark

Regarded as one of the worst films ever made by one of the worst directors of all time....his name is Uwe Boll.

In 1967, mine workers find the remnants of an ancient vanished civilization named Abkani that believe there are the worlds of light and darkness. When they opened the gate between these worlds ten thousand years ago, something evil slipped through before the gate was closed. Twenty-two years ago, the Government Paranormal Research Agency Bureau 713 was directed by Professor Lionel Hudgens, who performed experiments with orphan children. On the present days, one of these children is the paranormal investigator Edward Carnby, who has just gotten an Abkani artifact in South America, and is chased by a man with abilities. When an old friend of foster house disappears in the middle of the night, he discloses that demons are coming back to Earth. With the support of the anthropologist Aline Cedrac and the leader of the Bureau 713, Cmdr. Richard Burke, and his squad, they battle against the evil creatures.

This film is poor. Uwe Boll cannot direct something serious enough for me to care about. None of the characters are remotely interesting and the plot is so bland and lifeless its like they aren`t even trying. Uwe Boll doesn`t love films at all. He just uses it as a way to make cash no matter how terrible they are.

Christian Slater has nothing to deliver on screen. There isn`t anything. No charisma,no sex appeal,no action...Nothing. He is just dull to watch. Tara Reid can barely act. She was fine in American Pie but in this,its clear she has just completely lost all talent when wearing those glasses (which don`t even look good on her).

Overall laughable. Don`t take it seriously. Uwe Boll makes poor films that deserved to be trashed because he has no talent whatsoever.

Rating - 24% - C-

Connor Macgregor ReReviews...Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince

The Half Blood Prince was one of the first films i ever reviewed...so now i feel i should go back and rereview it.

In the sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft, and in both wizard and muggle worlds Lord Volemort and his henchmen are increasingly active. With vacancies to fill at Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledor persuades Horace Slughorn, back from retirement to become the potions teacher, while Professor Snape receives long awaited news. Harry Potter, together with Dumbledore, must face treacherous tasks to defeat his evil nemesis.

I like this film a lot more now that i saw it in line with The first five. Its a lot more maturer than the other films as the characters have aged and the threat has grown incresingly radical. Voldermort does not appear in the film but his prescence is well known throughout the film. Radcliffe gives his best performance so far. The story is really about Dumbledore and the journey he has to face and what final things he has to teach him before his fate will come for him.

I am not doing much but this film is impressive,dark and exciting to watch.

Rating - 85% - A-