Film Addict's April Film Choice

Continuing on from last month where I decided that I was going to review a relatively new addition to my film collection, the Film Addict's April Film Choice is Chef, a film I really wanted to see that came out in October last year but never got the chance to see.

Chef is Jon Favreau's 2014 comedy-drama film revolving around a chef who quits his job after being pressured by his boss to keep from experimenting with his menu at his restaurant.  Stars includes Jon Favreau himself (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Couples Retreat), Sofía Vergara (Modern Family, Four Brothers), John Leguizamo (Romeo + Juliet, Ice Age), Emjay Anthony (It's Complicated, The Divergent Series: Insurgent), Scarlett Johansson (Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Island), Oliver Platt (Casanova, X-Men: First Class), Bobby Cannavale (Will & Grace, Win Win), Dustin Hoffman (Meet the Fockers, Rain Man), and Robert Downey, Jr. (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sherlock Holmes).

Rating: 7

Recommended To: Those looking for a happy film

Favourite Characters: Martin - plot might not have worked without him

Favourite Part: Carl: I gotta pick up some equipment for the truck.  You wanna come with me and help me pick out a stove 'til Mom calls back?
Percy: Fine.
Carl: Alright.  Let's go.

Good Points: Great cast; the way social media was incorporated; great feel good film

Bad Points: Made me massively hungry; predictable plot

Geek Alert - April Loot Crate

After this month, there will only be one Geek Alert every month because I have decided to cancel the My Geek Box subscription because I'm not enjoying it as much as I am Loot Crate but I have liked most of the items I got with My Geek Box and they have a great gift shop so I might pop back every so often.

Geek Alert - April My Geek Box

It's the middle of the month and that means My Geek Box has arrived; I was so excited about this month's box because I had a strong feeling that there was going to be something Avengers related because of the new film coming out in a week.

Film Addict's April Film Choice

I've been so busy at work recently, with picking up some extra shifts and doing stock-take, I have been knackered when I get home so I haven't read any of my books at all or been to the cinema either.  Fortunately, I knew I had many films to choose from at home to review for my Film Addict's April Film Choice and I chose this month's film because I love it so much for the franchise and the visual effects used.  So ladies and gents, it's Tron: Legacy.

Tron: Legacy is the 2010 science fiction film directed by Joseph Kosinski and is the sequel to Steven Lisberger's and Disney's Tron (1982) which has become a cult film.  With the cult following, Disney decided to fund a sequel which included two of the former cast, Jeff Bridges (Iron Man, Crazy Heart) and Bruce Boxleitner (Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Babylon 5) reprising their roles from the original while bringing new blood into the franchise, Garrett Hedlund (Four Brothers, Troy), Olivia Wilde (In Time, House M.D.), Michael Sheen (Underworld, The Queen), Beau Garrett (Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Made of Honour), and James Frain (The Tudors, True Blood).  In Tron, 28 years before Tron: Legacy, Kevin Flynn (Bridges) runs a video game arcade having been fired from ENCOM by another engineer who stole his video game programs (Space Paranoids being one of them), Edward Dillinger (David Warner, Planet of the Apes) and took credit for creating them which earned him a number of promotions.  Once Alan Bradley (Boxleitner), Flynn's friend who still works at ENCOM, is locked out of the ENCOM mainframe by the Master Control Program (MCP) because Flynn has been trying to hack the ENCOM mainframe from his own computer to prove he created the programs that got Dillinger his high position at ENCOM, he goes to Flynn and warns him that Dillinger knows what he is doing so Flynn persuade Alan and Laura, another employee of ENCOM and Flynn's ex-girlfriend, to get him into ENCOM so he can hack it from the inside a bit more discreetly.  All goes well until the MCP beams Flynn into the ENCOM mainframe and he has to ensure that he survives with the help of TRON and YORI and also gain evidence that Dillinger stole his programs.  Eventually, Flynn gains his evidence while saving the programs in the ENCOM mainframe from the control of the MCP and he is able to get back to reality and take his rightful place back at ENCOM, paving the future for the rest of the franchise and for his son.

Rating: 10

Recommended To: Visual effects geeks; Tron fans

Favourite Characters: Sam - just connected with him

Favourite Part: Guard: Didn't anyone tell you?  Stealing is wrong.              
Sam: You can't steal what was designed to be free.           
[...]
Guard: You're Mr. Flynn?  Why?  This is your father's company. 
Sam: Not anymore.  [raises arms and starts to lean back so to fall off the top of the ENCOM tower]

Good Points: Visually stunning; music; references to the original

Bad Points: Predictable plot; introducing Edward Dillinger Jr.; Kevin Flynn's younger face