Man Up – the latest British Rom-Com

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blind date, Film Review, Films, Lake Bell, Man Up, movies, Olivia Williams, reviews, rom-com, Simon Pegg

Simon Pegg and Lake Bell in Man Up

Of late there has been a lull in Rom-Coms, so it is refreshing to see Man Up hit the big screens this weekend.

Nancy (Lake Bell doing a good English accent) is a thirty-something, slightly depressed single who has given up on love. Arriving in Waterloo station Nancy bumps into Jack (Simon Pegg ) who mistakes her for his blind date Jessica, a twenty-something city-girl.

Before Nancy can explain, she isn’t who he thinks she is, Jack quotes Silence of the Lambs and Nancy decides to take her big sisters advice and be spontaneous. The newly formed couple stroll around London and get to know each other, or rather Nancy gets to know who he thinks she is.

But this is only the first of many accidental meetings and as Man Up speeds through the various stages of a relationship a few strangers cause for much excitement. Half way through the date Jack finds out he has been having a great time with Nancy – not Jessica- and the perfect date goes terribly wrong. His ex wife (Olivia Williams) complicates matters even more and by the time Nancy and Jack part ways again you can’t help but hope that the story isn’t quite finished. And of course it isn’t – the ridiculousness continues until it’s somewhat silly climax!

Over all Man Up is fun-filled film and delivers on what it promises – a good old fashioned Rom-Com. And while this film may be littered with slapstick moments and witty one-liners it never once tries to be taken serious. Simon Pegg does a good job as straight-laced Jack but the true star of the film is Lake Bell. She sparkles and shines, makes fun of herself throughout and is a joy to watch.

So if you are looking for a light fill to enjoy and quickly forget Man Up is your best bet – the perfect date-night or girls-night-out movie.

 

 

San Andreas: a bit of a disaster

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Alexandra Daddario, California, Carla Gugino, disaster films, Dwayne Johnson, Film Review, Films, Hugo Johnstone-Burt), Ioan Gruffudd, Kylie Minogu, movies, Paul Giamatti, reviews, San Andreas, San Francisco

Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino in San Andreas

Following in the footsteps of many a disaster film San Andreas tells the story of a what-if scenario: what happens when a hunky helicopter pilot is faced with two massive earthquakes and a tsunami, he becomes the hero who saves his daughter and reconciles with his ex-wife.

Like so many disasters movies a little bit of science is needed to set the scene, in this case this job falls to Cal Tech seismologist Lawrence (Paul Giamatti).

He and his team are trying to find a way to predict earthquakes and moments before the Hoover Dam crumbles and falls he discovers that his theory works. He hurries back to his lab, mumbling science gibberish – something about magnetic pulses and mini quakes – to discover that the entire San Andreas vault has lit up predicting that the next “big one” is eminent.

During all of this we meet surly Ray (Dwayne Johnson), who is grieving the loss of his dead daughter, his estranged wife Emma (Carla Gugino) -who has shacked up with multimillionaire developer David (Ioan Gruffudd) – and his stunning daughter Blake (Alexandra Daddario) who is about to start college.

So who cares about the millions of people who die when buildings fall on top of them or a massive tidal wave drowns them in seconds, as long as hero Ray (Dwayne Johnson) and his family, plus hanger-ons, survive?

As the earth quakes and San Francisco’s skyline falls all around them, Blake teams up with cute, British, twenty-something Ben (Hugo Johnstone-Burt) and his know-it all younger brother, Ollie (Art Parkinson) and Ray, in his helicopter, abandons his team and sets out to save his ex and daughter. There is even a short cameo of Kylie Minogue, before she falls off a roof

But sadly there isn’t much originality when it comes to San Andreas, and it stubbornly ignores the scientific advice given by USC earthquake experts to further dramatics. However for a film that unashamedly is based around its massively biceps hero San Andreas doesn’t do a bad job.

All in all San Andreas is a predictable disaster drivel, no surprises and an unrealistic plot. But if you like big bangs, toppling buildings and lots of special effects then you’ll enjoy two hours of explosive CGI fun.