Ted 2 Review

Lovable duo, Ted ( voiced by Seth MacFarlane) and John (Mark Wahlberg), are back in the long anticipated Ted 2, which was released in UK cinemas on the 8th July.

Being a big fan of Family Guy (who are the creators of Ted) and absolutely loving the first Ted movie, I was excited to see this movie so last week (Tuesday 21st July), I took myself to my local cinema to watch the movie whilst I still could.

Ted 2 opening scene sees Ted marrying trashy girlfriend, Tammy-Lynn (Jessica Barth), which instantly creates a lot of laughs. I mean seriously, this is a grown woman getting married to a teddy bear! One year on however, the relationship is under strain and the once happily married couple are constantly bickering. The couple decide that the only way to save their marriage is to adopt a child, however the government soon put a stop to this after they conclude that Ted is not a real person and therefore does not have basic human rights and can not adopt. After this comes to light, Ted soon loses his job and all his rights as he is now legally seen as an object. In a bid to be seen as a person and claim humanity, Ted and best friend, John, hire newbie pot-smoking lawyer, Samantha L Jackson (Amanda Seyfried), to tackle her very first case.

This is a very silly film but it does create a lot of laughs, which is something that the filmmakers want to do. It is a lighthearted comedy which some adult humour that will make you smile throughout the film.

Like many sequels, I found Ted 2 was no where near as good as the first one, mainly because it has lost some of its magic. It is no longer new to us that we are seeing a magical pot smoking, alcohol drinking, laid-back teddy bear but instead, we kind of know what to expect already.

I think it is definitely worth a watch, especially if you have already seen the first movie, but don’t expect it to be on the same level as the first Ted movie.

Overall Rating: 3/5

‘Minions’ Review

I went to see the Minions movie a couple of weeks ago and despite being 21, I absolutely loved it. I don’t care if it is mainly aimed at children and I have no kids of my own, Minions is a lighthearted comedy that will have you in a fit of giggles from beginning to end.

After the success of Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2, it was just a matter of time before these fun loving, crazy yellow minions got given a unique film of their very own. For unusual yellow creatures who cannot speak in a language we understand, it seems almost impossible to create an entire film around the minions but somehow it works.

Minions is a slapstick animated film that is full of laughs and you will start to feel like a big kid as you sit watching, and actually enjoying this film. Minions is the prequel to Despicable Me and mainly concentrates on the minions and explains to the audience how they have got to where there are today. In a quest to find the world’s best (or worst) villain, minions Kevin, Stuart and Bob team up and go on an adventure to find their villain to run errands for and help take over the world. After a series of events, the minions end up becoming the henchmen for the world’s first female super villain, Scarlet Overkill, who is voiced by Sandra Bullock. Demanded to steal the crown from our very own Queen Elizabeth II, the minions find themselves in a spot of bother that will have you crying with laughter.

Although Minions is a prequel, this is a stand alone film and can be enjoyed without having seen the first 2 Despicable Me films. There is next to no references regarding the Despicable Me films except for a small scene at the end where the minions bump in to a young Gru.

With so many minions, it is a surprising that this film only concentrates on 3 of them, and I found villain, Scarlet Overkill and her husband, Herb, had a large part in this film that sometimes overshadowed the minions but overall, it is a fantastic film that is can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

I have read a lot of reviews that have said Minions is a fast money making film that has no real plot, which I find unfair. Yes, the film is bound to bring in fast money but they have also given the fans what they want. And people should remember that this is a children’s film, there was never going to be a complicated plot, this was always going to be a simple, carefree film. I think when watching Minions, you need to stop comparing it to its parent films but instead see this film as an individual. It made me laugh a lot and I was not disappointed and so I do not have a bad word to say about this film.

If you’re looking for a film that will make you laugh and is suitable for all the family, this is the film to see.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Orange is the New Black Season 3 Review

There is not a doubt that all ‘Orange is the New Black’ fans will have watched season 3 of the prison drama by now, and they will probably have completed the season in 2 days. There is something about Piper, Alex, Red, Crazy Eyes, and co that pulls us in and we can’t seem to be able to get enough of these feisty girls.

I’ve been waiting for June 12 since season 2 was released and naturally when the date did finally arrive, I binged watched it all.

Season 2 was a whirlwind of a season and so much happen that it was hard for OITNB to compete with that level of drama in season 3. Did they succeed? No, I don’t think they did. Season 3 had some great comedy moments and it got me to laugh on several occasions but at the same time, I didn’t feel like a whole lot of stuff happened this season. It felt like a filler season to move the storyline along without a great deal actually happening.

We did get to see a bit more of a back story about the characters but it was no where near as in depth as it was in season 2. And I felt that there was no single main plot for the season but instead there were many small sub-plots instead. Yes, it moved the story along and at times created many laughs but after the intensity of the Vee driven plot last season, I would have thought Netflix would have wanted to keep it at that same level of entertainment for the fans. This season lacked shape and as a result, as a fan of the programme, I was left disappointed as a whole. It kills me to say that as it is one of my favourite TV programmes but I expected to see the characters develop and grow and I didn’t really see it happening this season.

One of the things I was happy to see however was Red claiming the kitchen back for herself. For me, Red belongs in the kitchen and its great to see her claim her power back.

And Alex returns back to Litchfield prison! She spends most of the season moping around though, devastated that she has landed herself back in prison. And you probably will have noticed everyone talking about newcomer Ruby Rose who plays Stella Carlin. Move over Alex, Piper has a new love interest!

Overall, after the intensity of last season, OITNB has taken an entirely different route, opting for a light comedy drama for the main focus of season 3. Nothing entirely gripping happens but instead, this is the season to make us laugh. Lots of things happen but at the same time, it feels like nothing really happens at all. And I felt like the ending of season 3 left us on a bum note and unlike many season endings, we were not left devastated that we had reached the end of the season already.

As much as I love OITNB, I think season 3 is the worst season yet. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it but I wasn’t as gripped to the programme as I usually am.

Overall Rating: 4/5

The Producers at Liverpool Empire Theatre Review

On Wednesday (4th June) me and my mother went to see the 2:30pm performance of ‘The Producers’ at the Liverpool Empire Theatre.

This is the second time I have seen ‘The Producers’ in the theatre; my first time was back in 2007 in Manchester when Peter Kay starred in it as Roger De Bris. And I have to say, overall this performance may have triumphed the 2007 production.

‘The Producers’ is a musical adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan that revolves around producer, Max Bialystock, and nervous accountant, Leo Bloom. When Bloom comes to Bialystock’s office to audit his books, he notices an error; although Max raised $100,000 for his flop musical, Funny Boy, it only cost him $98,000 for the play. After careful consideration, the pair come to the conclusion that “under the right circumstances, a producer could actually make more money with a flop than he can with a hit”, which leaves us with the main plot of the musical – to put on the worst production anyone has ever seen.

This is a musical about putting on a musical, which can always be a struggle when performed on the big stage but luckily the cast managed to do it well and keep it light and mostly importantly, funny.

This is everything a musical should be; camp, humorous, and containing a whole load of catchy songs. I was particularly fond of ‘I Wanna Be A Producer’, ‘Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop’, and ‘Keep It Gay’, which all moved the story along and were filled with hilarious lyrics and laughable moments.

This musical is full of colour, sparkle, and a whole lot of camp; the show really should be offensive and it is done in the worst possible taste but that just makes us laugh along more and fall in love with this musical. It is impossible not to laugh along when Max and Leo’s production ‘Springtime for Hitler’ open their curtains for opening night and we see Hitler in a gold sparkling jacket prancing around stage. And I am sure I am not the only one who would love to see ‘Springtime for Hitler’ hit the stage for real.

What surprised me the most about the show though was Jason Manford, who played nervous wreck, Leo Bloom. I was unaware Jason could not only act, but sing and dance too. And do it well! I absolutely loved his adaption of Leo, and there were plenty of laughs created by Manford throughout the show. He was terrific and his voice was so unlike his own that I would probably not have recognized him had I not known it was him. Unlike his own Salfordian accent, Leo had a very nervous, soft American voice that fitted perfectly with the character.

The real star of the show however was Cory English, who played Max Bialystock. Every comedy gold moment was delivered perfectly to get the best reaction from the audience and had us laughing to tears. He captured Bialystock’s seedy and deceiving personality wonderfully, and he seemed to have really got to grips with his character. A big round of an applause for Cory for doing such an amazing job.

Another one of my favouirte characters was Franz Liebking, played by Ross Noble. Franz is an ex-Nazi who has an unhealthy obsession with Hitler, so much in fact that he was the one who wrote the idolizing Hitler play, ‘Springtime for Hitler’. Ross Noble did a brilliant job and delivered the most laughs in the theatre.

Smaller (but just as important roles) were delivered brilliantly by David Bedella who played cross-dressing director, Roger De Bris, and Tiffany Graves, as Swedish girl, Ulla. Although it is hard to outdo Peter Kay’s 2007 version of Roger De Bris, Bedella did an excellent job and managed to be just the right amount of camp, without being too over the top. Every character in this smash hit musical brought laughs and comedy to the stage and left the audience feeling like they got their money worth and more at the end of the show.

‘The Producers’ is a musical full of stereotypes and should-be offensive material but it is done in such a way that it becomes comedy gold. As the curtains shut and the cast took their bows, the audience were left begging for more and sad that the show had to end so soon.

This is a truly amazing show that is full of laughs; the cast have done an amazing job and all deserve a big pat on the back.

Overall Rating: 5/5