A typical young-adult targeting sci-fi, The Maze Runner chronicles a young man named Thomas who wakes up in an inescapable glade with no memory of his past. There he meets a group of teenagers who are also suffering amnesia and have built a make-shift village complete with allocated occupations. The most illustrious job is that of the runners, tasked with exploring an extremely deadly maze that appears to be the only means of escaping the glade. They eventually discover the reason for their predicament but it's convoluted and doesn't really make scientific sense. Overall, there's nothing new here: the action, orchestral music and special effects are fine but even the likeable actors can't elevate a weak story line with dull dialogue and, aside from a chubby kid named Chuck, a distinct lack of heart. However, its reveal at the end of the movie may make a second look worthwhile.
6/10
A kid-friendly sci-fi, Ender's Game follows a boy who may have the rare aptitude to ensure the human race is not exterminated by an alien race known as Formics. Ender is trained alongside similarly-gifted children and is forced to confront and befriend the other candidates while completing a series of tests and military exercises. After a costly battle in space, the Formic queen communicates to Ender via telepathy and he learns that the drawn out war was sadly caused by a simple misunderstanding. EG is suitably equipped with an orchestral soundtrack that does the job but unfortunately is not memorable. That said, the interactions between the children, the interesting war games and the unexpectedly philosophic ending make it easy to recommend watching this one again.
8/10
A charming drama based on a true story, Danny Collins follows a selfish has-been rock star who re-examines his life when he receives a letter from John Lennon - 40 years after it was sent. He starts by moving into a hotel near to his estranged son and utilises his eccentricities and considerable wealth in an effort to slowly close the divide between the two. Danny also pursues the hotel manager Mary, whose cool-headed advice acts as a moral compass for him as he writes his first song in decades. With solid actors top to bottom, the film is peppered with John Lennon songs as well as a few originals. These combine to make this an enjoyable trip down the path to redemption - particularly when disaster strikes. When the acting, music and story are this good it's easy to imagine watching this one several times over.
9/10
