CELLULOID SEDUCTION

Super 8

2011-06-18T22:36:00.004+03:00

Year: 2011
Writer: J.J. Abrams
Director: J.J. Abrams

This one crept up on me. From out of the blue, a sci-fi monster movie by JJ Abrams, co-produced by Spielberg. Where have I been? It’s true, writing movie reviews doesn’t have the same appeal as it use to. But after sitting through Super 8, I’m super-charged and need to tell you about it.

It’s the summer of 1979 and Charles (Riley Griffiths) and his best friend Joe (Joel Courtney), the leaders of a group of young-teens, run around town shooting a zombie epic on their Super 8 camera. These kids ‘really’ like movies.

They sneak from their bedrooms at night to film a zombie scene at an abandoned train station. Witnessing a train crash, they narrowly avoid getting killed. Everything is destroyed, well almost everything. Strange cargo litters the debris field, and ‘something’ stirs in the background. The camera and their get-away-car intact, they high-tail it out of there, and the real adventure begins.

The small quiet town of Lillian is about to get its name on the map. Talking about names, all the young protagonists of Super 8, including Ryan Lee (Cary), Gabriel Basso (Martin), and Zach Mills (Preston), play their characters to perfection.

Elle Fanning, (sister of Dakota) does a star turn as Alice. Other principal characters fill their boots well, especially Kyle Chandler (Deputy Lamb) and Ron Eldard (Louis Dainard), whose fashion sense is spot-on.

Most of the time, the film looks and feels like it could have been made in the ‘70s. Lens flair is prominent, and there’s a grainy effect to the visuals which instils that nostalgic vibe, not forgetting some excellent music.

OMG, did we really dress like that? I digress…

If you’re a child of the ‘80s then this movie will remind you of a lot of things, Spielberg movies naturally. All those stories about geeky kids trying to save their neighbourhood from some disaster or other, the father and son denouement, the cute girls next door, the military, the aliens, the nice cops. With Super 8 you get all this and then some.

Super 8 is not without its flaws, but they are so few to mention. I like this movie too much to say anything bad about it. However, I don’t want to like JJ Abrams (of Cloverfield and Lost fame) because he’s a cool-know-it-all-smart-ass-jerk of a director. He’s made a name for himself by not showing us the monster, and leaving us to slowly stew in our imaginations. Now he gives us Super sub-text. The bastard!

Super 8 out of 10!

2010: From the Headlines to Hollywood

2011-01-15T17:58:00.002+02:00

What a year 2010 has been for natural and not so natural disasters. An abundance of cataclysm and catastrophes ensures that screenwriters all over tinsel town are very busy these days. So what can we expect? An abundance of terrorizingly bad disaster movies, or some heart-wrenching tragedy with very human drama, brought to the big screen for our, umm, enjoyment?

Putting the usual extreme weather conditions, heavy rains, floods, mudslides, severe cold, and snow, to one side for a minute, you can guarantee that at least one of 2010′s headlines will get the blockbuster treatment. From volcanoes to avalanches, oil-spills to gigantic holes in the ground, there’s a multitude of disastrous news headlines to choose from. I’ve put together a list of possibilities in true Hollywood style… prepare yourselves!

KOREA KOREA
Starring: Harrison Ford, George Clooney, and Megan Fox

The US Naval commander is struggling with a stammer. He seeks out the help of America’s top therapist who has gone into hiding due to a mistake he made in China some years ago which got his partner killed. Can he help the commander deliver a crucial speech bringing the two opposing sides together and stop world war three… before it’s too late?

HAITI 7.3
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Hilary Swank, and Jaden Smith

Christian Aid worker Josh, caught up in the devastation of the first mega-quake, decides to rescue a school of orphaned boys and smuggle them into the US on a visiting cruise ship. The city is in turmoil, and about to be quarantined, there’s rioting in the streets. Josh will have to captain the ship and sail it himself. But can he get everyone out… before it’s too late?

DEEPWATER HORIZON
Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, and Scarlett Johansson

After an oil rig explosion and subsequent leak, scientists think they’ve got everything under control, until strange noises begin to emanate from beneath the ocean floor sending all marine life into frenzy. Florida diving instructor Lucy discovers a strange mutated marine mammal stuck to the hull of her boat. A strange green gas cloud forms in the sky. Lucy has no choice but to locate the State Governor and persuade him to call the President… before it’s too late.

DARK SKIES
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Audrey Tautou, Cillian Murphy, and Sandra Bullock

Iceland’s volcanic eruption at Eyjafjallajökull closes airspace while desperate scientist and mother Julia holds the antidote to the outbreak of flu like virus which is mutating and spreading from person to person. Julia attempts to fly to Europe with her children, in search of her estranged husband, a top microbiologist who has gone missing on a business trip to Pakistan… before it’s too late.

AGATHA
Starring: Dame Judi Dench, Helena Bonham Carter, and Ben Affleck

Guatemala City is evacuated. The Pacaya volcano erupts. Suddenly a giant sinkhole appears 18 m (60 ft) wide. Ex-pat school teacher Agatha notices that predictions of doom written by a local child on the playground wall correspond with events. She seeks the help of an eminent geologist, who is living in seclusion on the outskirts of the jungle writing her memoirs. Tropical Storm Agatha is about to make landfall. Together the two women must find a way to stop the next prediction from coming true… before it’s too late.

RED SQUARED
Starring: Natalie Portman, Colin Firth, and Daniel Craig

Russia is stifled under wildfires which cause gigantic poisonous red smog to engulf Moscow. The government warns people to stay in-doors. City streets are deserted. It’s the perfect night for the perfect crime, as international jewel thief, and side-kick prepare the ultimate heist. But as daylight approaches, and the smog begins to lift earlier than expected, will the duo get what they came for and make their escape…before it’s too late?

SLUDGE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Robert Pattinson, and Nicolas Cage

Strange shining lights appear like UFOs over Manhattan during day-light, just as an explosion at a Hungarian alumina plant releases red toxic chemical sludge throughout Eastern Europe threatening to kill thousands. Danny, a reckless young graduate astrophysicist from MIT makes a startling discovery. He must convince his professor that the two events are linked… before it’s too late.

MOON OVER MERAPI
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Colin Farrell, and Sylvester Stallone

In the shadow of the Mount Merapi volcanic eruption – US Marine Sgt. Clare Lucas battles with her fear of water while searching for her estranged husband. He has spent the last five years building a school for orphans devastated by floods. Using a stolen canoe, can she save the inhabitants of a small village at the foot of the mountain… before it’s too late?

PHOENIX
Starring: Javier Bardem, Benicio Del Toro, and Brad Pitt

33 Chilean miners are trapped 2000 feet below ground…
Well you can guess the rest!

More sad news... R.I.P. Pete Postlethwaite

2011-01-05T17:53:00.005+02:00

R.I.P. Leslie Nielson 1926 - 2010

2010-11-30T15:09:00.002+02:00

Inception

2010-07-26T21:27:00.007+03:00

Year: 2010
Writer: Christopher Nolan
Director: Christopher Nolan

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe,Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine, Pete Postlethwaite, Lukas Haas

In the beginning there was speculation, and rumour, and down-right lies… then a few insider leaks, and a peak at the indescribable via a good teaser trailer. Fast-forward to July 2010, we finally get to view the much talked-about Inception, in all its glory.

A Sci-fi thriller set ‘within the architecture of the mind’ as the blurb puts it, with elaborate plot-line and all-star-cast, is a movie to behold. Two and a half hours of pure cinematic gold, care-of director Christopher Nolan whose last effort, The Dark Knight (2008), set its own rumour mill ablaze.

Inception’s basic premise, if you can call anything in this movie ‘basic’, is that it’s a heist movie, with endearing criminals and relentless authority, a love interest (Marion Cotillard), a big score, some retribution, and a daring escape across the border, but set in the subconscious. A sort of Ocean’s Eleven for the Sci-fi geeks.

Our main protagonist with a secret is Dom Cobb (let’s not dwell), played impeccably by Leonardo Di Caprio, who seems to get better and better with age. He’s the mastermind and draws up a team of ‘professionals’ for the next big job, at the behest of industrialist ‘Saito’ (Ken Watanabe). This contemporary rat-pack consist of Cobb’s business partner Arthur (a superb Joseph Gordon-Levitt), chemist Yusuf (Dileep Rao), a student of architecture Ariadne (Ellen Page), and a forger by the name of Eames (Tom Hardy).

The film is chock-full of great acting, but sadly we only get a glimpse or two of the superb Pete Postlethwaite, plus interesting turns by Cillian Murphy and Lucas Haas, not to mention a rather botoxed Tom Berenger, and of course… Sir Michael Caine.

To try to explain what is happening defeats the object, you really have to see the film, preferably on the big screen for its CGI is exactly that, big. However, there is a lot more going on here than meets the eye. Some of what you’ll see will look familiar, but stick with it and it will take you up a level or two. You’re thrown in the middle of a strange world. It’s up to you to grasp it with both cerebral hemispheres and hold on tight.

Don’t expect Inception to be the traditional/predictable fare, you may be looking for a big reveal, but what you see is literally what you get. It’s not for everyone, and the strange twisting tale may disappoint some. There are layers to dissect after the fact, and you’ll go away from this film with plenty to talk about, whether you liked it or not. It's best to sit back and relax, and try not to think too much.

“All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream”
Edgar Allan Poe

Robin Hood

2010-05-25T20:20:00.008+03:00

Year: 2010
Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: Brian Helgeland

Stars: RUSSELL CROWE, Cate Blanchett, Max von Sydow, Mark Strong, Kevin Durand, Scott Grimes, Oscar Isaac, William Hurt, Danny Huston, Matthew Macfadyen

We’ve been robbed and there is not much hope that we’ll get back those two and half hours invested in this film. Alas, and I say it with shock, this was no ‘Prince of Thieves’, as the entire film is a rehashed revival, resembling the forest ambush scene from the film ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ (2005), another of director Ridley Scott’s epics.

Perhaps he liked that movie more and this scene so much, that he created an entire movie around it, and reworked the Robin Hood tale to fit? Perhaps I am being too harsh. If you are expecting to hear about the Robin Hood you grew up with then you might as well stop reading now.

This revisiting of the famous Nottinghamshire folk-story is yet another one of those wasted opportunities. The eponymous hero and his gang of so-called ‘Merry Men’ are prancing around the forest, the dark, damp and muddy forests of England and France. However, there isn’t much to smile about in this outdoor life!

There are double-dealings and double-crosses left, right and centre, there’s a Maid Marion (Cate Blanchett) that could do with a change of clothes and a little make-up, and there’s a King or two that need a swift beheading. But alas, yet again, nothing ever turns out as it should.

With some good performances from Mark Strong as Robin’s adversary Godfrey, Oscar Isaac as King John, plus a fantastic soundtrack, with all its attention to details (like the Fleur-de-lis, and the Lorraine Cross), with its brief battle scenes (especially if you like Medieval castles), with its intriguing news that Robin’s ancestors were masons (go figure), with all the lavish cinematography (straight out of LotR)… it still doesn’t hit the mark.

Just unacceptable for a big-budget production of this calibre!

There are some good lines of dialogue, but the narrative, the convoluted lesson of ‘lambs becoming lions’ just don’t register. I came out of this movie wondering why on earth does Godfrey need to find Longstride in the first place. It’s simply meaningless and all too trivial. As for Russell’s accent, that’s the least of its problems!

Final verdict, it will pass the time and I never imagined I’d find myself saying this about a Russell Crowe-Ridley Scott film! If anyone cares enough, the animated credits are worth viewing at the end, but Robin Hood the movie is a huge disappointment.

IRON MAN 2

2010-05-05T15:00:00.004+03:00

Year: 2010
Director: Jon Favreau
Screenplay: Justin Theroux
Comic: Marvel (Stan Lee)

Stars: ROBERT DOWNEY JR., Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, Garry Shandling, Scarlett Johansson, Clark Gregg, John Slattery, Paul Bettany (the voice of Jarvis)

The much hyped sequel to one of the most successful comic book movies ever made, Iron Man 2 is on our screens, giving us another dose of that essential mineral, while simultaneously baffling us with a host of science nonsense, and some hilarious dialogue.

Picking up where Iron Man left off, Tony Stark (the superb Robert Downey Jr. still playing the narcissist bar*tard so well) revealing to the public that he is the man behind the superhero mask, now has the government pressing him to share his technology with the military.

Concerned it could fall into the wrong hands, Stark remains adamant claiming the rest of the world is years behind in developing similar tech. He has single-handedly saved the universe. As he puts it, ‘I’ve privatised world peace’! Remember, this is a super hero movie, so the status quo is about to change.

This time around Ivan Venko (Mickey Rourke) is our ‘super-villain’, giving us a menacingly quiet and calculating foe nicknamed ‘Whiplash’. Although his performance is classy and distinctive, it’s Stark’s other nemesis Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) that steals the show. His performance so spot-on you couldn’t knock it with err… a Hammer!

He’s is amazingly sleazy, and displays the right kind of attitude for anyone going after the billionaire industrialist with inferior product should. Everyone knows that Hammer is no match for Stark, yet he will persist, and this persistence keeps the viewer interested to the very end of this CGI-drenched-mecha-fest.

Iron Man’s seemingly impenetrable armour is what eventually saves the day, but it takes a whole detour circling angst ridden characters, double-dealings, sub-plots involving the next generation of super heroes, and baffling scientific experiments, while our hero toughs it out again before we eventually get there.

Don Cheadle has replaced Terrence Howard as best friend Jim Rhodes, getting little screen-time for an actor of his calibre deserves. As Stark’s personal assistant, Ms. Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) has to contend with Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson). She’s more of a side-note, and introduced to us for reasons that will become apparent later.

I have no idea if the story line and its finale bear any resemblance to the original comic book. However, Iron Man 2 the movie is definitely worth seeing as a stand-alone. It’s the sort of movie that allows grown-ups to indulge in playing with toy cars and robots, and flying rockets through the air to attack the baddies, albeit in a ‘virtual’ world. A real ‘boys’ movie – you’ll have to see it to understand what I mean by this.

However, if you didn’t enjoy Iron Man the first time around then you’re not going to like this much either. Director Jon Favreau and screenwriter Justin Theroux have crafted a move that, on the whole, is a more interesting experience than the original; and still as topical. No signs of rust on this franchise yet!

R.I.P. Corey Haim 1971 - 2010

2010-03-11T13:26:00.006+02:00

The Lost Boys (1987)

	Clarence Frogman Henry - Ain't Got No Home .mp3

	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Sherlock Holmes

2010-02-09T21:42:00.004+02:00

Year: 2009
Director: Guy Ritchie
Writers: Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Simon Kinberg

Stars: ROBERT DOWNEY JR., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan, Geraldine James, Robert Maillet, William Houston, James Fox, Clive Russell

Forget everything you know about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s impeccable detective, this re-imagining of the famous sleuth bares little resemblance. Sacrilege you cry!

Indeed, but if you can go into this film pretending that this Holmes is no relation, then you may enjoy the action, and strange storyline, that this film has to offer.

Robert Downey Jr. is up-front with his portrayal and British accent, with a glaring spaced-out look of a detective beguiled by his own genius. Alongside Holmes, Jude Law as the stalwart Dr. Watson is an odd choice. But it’s a role that seems to suit him fine, as he spouts idioms galore; ‘Old cock’ seems to come to mind.

This less than discreet pair searches for clues and killers, unravelling strange truths in a sticky, dirty, and wet London circa 1890. Up against a ruthless ‘occult magician’ named Lord Blackwood, an impeccable performance by Mark Strong.

There’s a lot of violence and dark moments in this Sherlock Holmes tale, occasionally interspersed with some comedy, falling almost flat, if it weren’t for the great acting talent on show. The story is missing a splash of glitz or magic, and there’s very little sex-appeal, which is a shame.

Director Guy Ritchie manages to throw in enough action at the right moments, and short-sharp cuts, giving you no time to realise that what you have just seen makes no sense whatsoever. The silly exposition in the third act just leaves a sour taste.

In the hands of another, this movie could have been a real disaster. But looking at it from a different angle, it could have been a whole lot better too. Let’s see what the next instalment has to offer.

AVATAR

2010-02-09T21:36:00.009+02:00

Year: 2009
Director: James Cameron
Writer: James Cameron

Stars: SAM WORTHINGTON, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez

Ever since Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet grasped hopelessly to the bow of the Titanic, director James Cameron hasn’t been able to live down his legendary (should that be infamous) Oscar acceptance speech of 1998. There’s scarcely a critic in Tinsel Town that wouldn’t sneer at the mention of his name.

Surpassing all records, his latest offering ‘Avatar’ was just as expensive to make, and has now stolen the title of highest-grossing movie of all time. It has revolutionised film-making with its tantalising mix of real-action and state-of-the-art animation techniques – as the studio would put it.

The story is simple. Paraplegic Marine Jake Sully, played by the latest Hollywood action star Sam Worthington, finds himself part of a revolutionary new military project. He goes deep under-cover to join the indigenous Na'vi people/aliens of ‘Pandora’, a planet that is being mined by greedy humans for its precious minerals. Jake soon gets religion, but not before the inevitable hell-breaks-loose on the much coveted planet.

Avatar is the cross between a Discovery Channel documentary on the lost tribes of the Amazon and Apocalypse Now, spliced with Disney’s Pocahontas – all in 3D! Be warned, if you have a minor eye defect, sitting through approximately three hours of this forgettable sci-fi adventure will leave you with a severe migraine, and lighter wallet due to the hiked ticket price!

Of course, Hollywood loves Cameron now. Awarding him left, right, and centre once again, for a blockbuster that has the tills ringing 24/7 worldwide, regardless of its basic and predictable storyline and dialogue.

He’s singlehandedly resurrected the 3D ‘experience’ and during this financial crisis, put dollars back into executive pockets. Cameron is not King of the World, he’s the second coming, and more Oscars will surely be his reward. As for us, we’re left with a nasty optometrist bill! Check out this fantastic documentary below - it says it all!...

2012

2009-11-14T23:12:00.006+02:00

Year: 2009

Director: Roland Emmerich
Writers: Roland Emmerich, Harald Kloser

Stars: JOHN CUSACK, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Thomas McCarthy, Woody Harrelson

Director/producer Roland Emmerich has made a name for himself as the man that would destroy the world. In cinematic terms of course. Films like Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow have given us a few ideas on what could happen.

Great big sci-fi movies with annihilation as their theme stand as mere hor d’oeuvres next to this year’s main course. With the latest apocalyptic fantasy ‘2012’, Emmerich beats his own world record for the cheesiest film of the genre. He steals from 50s B-movies through to Dan Brown, and everything in between!

This CGI extravaganza takes its inspiration from predictions of the end of the world, namely the Mayan Long-count Calendar system which measures time in cycles. The next cycle will end on December 21st 2012. This has led some to reason that the Maya predicted the end of civilization, or at least a pole-shift and the destruction of the planet. A misconception perhaps. As the movie devotes less than five seconds to the Mayan Calendar, so will I.

The world is coming to an end, and a better than average cast, including Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, and Woody Harrelson, do the best they can with overly-sentimental, and at times, ludicrous dialogue. Not forgetting the various absurd motivations of their characters.

Critics have generally slated the bad script. Even our hero and chief protagonist, struggling writer Jackson Curtis, played effortlessly by John Cusack dressed in his usual black suit, does not escape a hammering.

But how can a script be bad when you have Lethal Weapon’s Detective Murtaugh (Danny Glover) as the President of the United States, and the Governor of California impersonating Arnold Schwarzenegger, telling us everything is going to be alright, just as the Whitehouse explodes?

Although completely and utterly ridiculous, 2012 is still fantastic fun, keeping you on the edge-of-your-seat for the entire two and a half hours that it rolls on screen. There are so many holes in this noisy, brash adventure, pointing them out just spoils the fun. Leave your commonsense, and anything you learned in science class at home and you won’t be disappointed.

We’ve seen it all before, but every disaster-movie cliché here just adds to the enjoyment. Strange enough, there are some scenes that people might actually find offensive. Is it stupid? Yes. Is it funny? Yes. Is it worth going to the cinema to watch? Absolutely! I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

R.I.P. Patrick Swayze 1952 - 2009

2009-09-15T19:29:00.004+03:00

THE OUTSIDERS (1983)

Robert Frost

"Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay."

PUBLIC ENEMIES

2009-09-08T22:34:00.017+03:00

Year: 2009

Director: Michael Mann
Writers: Ronan Bennett, Michael Mann, Ann Biderman

Book: Bryan Burrough (Public Enemies: American Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34)

Stars: JOHNNY DEPP, Christian Bale, Billy Crudup, James Russo, David Wenham, Giovanni Ribisi, Marion Cotillard, Stephen Graham, Lili Taylor, John Ortiz, Channing Tatum, Stephen Dorff, Richard Short.

Public Enemies is a gritty sort of 'photo-real' account of 1930s depression ravaged America, and its love-affair with the infamous Tommy-gun wielding gangster ‘John Dillinger’.

Filmed in high-definition digital format, with a hand-held camera, the schizophrenic effects of the shaky visuals make it difficult to engage with the subject. Minimal grounded camera focus, although irritating, can have its advantages. This is a sort of crazy violent shoot’em up gangster flick that has intelligence behind the wobbly lens. But it’s no ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ or ‘The Untouchables’.

At times, scenes mirror an embedded journalist’s video diary on what it’s like to ride with gangsters as they embark on a heist. At others, it can feel like you’ve just stepped into the middle of a war zone, and the exploding ear-popping machine gun fire has you blinking at excess mph, while being unceremoniously pushed to the edge of your seat.

The movie essentially plays like a Western, complete with desperate cowboys, sheriffs and hired guns. Public Enemy No. 1 John Dillinger is a throw-back of that era. He’s the last great outlaw of the wild-west. A ‘Robin Hood’ folk hero with a limited shelf-life, and old-fashioned methods to combat the new technological age of the FBI, or rather the ‘G-Men’ as they were known.

It’s a movie packed full of period detail and references; the fedora hats, Chicago mobsters, and classic Ford cars. But it's not a typical recreation. There's a dark, menacing feeling to the visuals, with an inspired use of music punctuating nearly every scene's emotion, revealing the inevitability of it all.

We get to see some of those other infamous bank robbers from the great depression, such as Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum) and Baby Face Nelson (an exuberant performance by Stephen Graham). Also, a youngish J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup), having a real air of authenticity about him. Johnny Depp shines in the role of Dillinger, with his heart-throb looks and sly grin, but no one character outshines another in this picture; the credits are shared by all.

Even Christian Bale, yet again cast as the guy with the most difficult job in the universe, has to share the limelight in the character of ‘Agent Melvin Purvis’. He’s a man desperate to apprehend Public Enemy No. 1 without making it personal. He fails when, in one jail-house scene, Dillinger teases him, “You ought to find a new profession… Melvin”. Purvis hesitates for a moment, before exiting without saying a word.

When it comes to telling the story of desperate men with few words, director Michael Mann has the credentials. ‘The Insider’, ‘Heat’, and ‘Collateral’ do it with style. Public Enemies is a new take on an old game. Here, Mann gives us a Dillinger who starts off cock-sure, but ends his journey as the tragic anti-hero of a by-gone age, destined to spend eternity on celluloid, just like his own immortal heroes have done countless times before.

TERMINATOR SALVATION (T4)

2009-06-07T11:58:00.015+03:00

Year: 2009

Director: McG
Writers: John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris

Stars: CHRISTIAN BALE, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Helena Bonham Carter

A lot has happened since we first set eyes on the Terminator back in ’84. So much in fact that this latest instalment of the franchise was never going to live up to it.

‘Skynet’ has destroyed most of the world, only a remnant of humanity, the 'Resistance', is left struggling for survival on a post-apocalyptic battlefield. There is desolation, roads scattered with burnt-out cars; to a point when I half expected Kurt Russell to show up in fatigues and an eye-patch.

Terminator Salvation is a war movie, a glorious CGI war movie, and the stupendous might of the machines on the big screen is awesome, but is it T4? Answering that question proves to be the most demanding aspect of the film. As we move away from the action, where the Resistance goes underground, things turn a shade murky.

There is something missing in ‘Salvation’, and I don’t mean the obvious plot holes. Something that does not ring true with the iconic story of John Connor versus the machines. I don’t know what is to blame for this missing link…the clumsy opening…the mediocre dialogue …the script… the director?

I actually like this film as a piece of standalone sci-fi, adding to the military-sci-fi subgenre, but I can’t say that it is the promised ‘war of the machines’ glimpsed of in previous films.

It’s possible that when casting Sam Worthington as ‘Marcus Wright’, the producers realised that they’d found something bankable. So the world’s most annoying director, McG, had to change focus, switching protagonists around and upsetting the balance of the narrative.

On casting choices, Christian Bale shows real maturity. His portrayal of ‘John Connor’ is heroic considering all he has to deal with. The motley crew of resistance fighters on his watch are pretty thinly etched. In contrast, how fantastic to see an old sci-fi vet Michael Ironside, in the role of General of the Resistance. (Yes, it’s not John until later - plot hole narrowly avoided.)

Anton Yelchin as ‘Kyle Reese’, looks nothing like Michael Biehn but seems to have the facial expressions. Whether I would choose him to be the ultimate saviour of mankind however …well anyway, let’s not dwell on the downside.

Bryce Dallas Howard as ‘Kate Connor’, although graduating from a veterinarian to a heart surgeon in this new world order, does an okay job with her sparse role, while the heroine of the piece ‘Blair Williams’, played by Moon Bloodgood kicks ass, as anyone with a name like that ought to.

Is this film worth seeing? Yes. Probably more so if you are not familiar with the franchise, or just like motorbikes and ‘HALO’. There is a lot to enjoy in Terminator Salvation.

For the most part it is visually stunning, with likeable soundtrack, sharp editing, and nice running-time. However the question remains, is this movie T4 or just another rehashed sci-fi trip? …

John Connor shouts gruffly at the new Terminator... ’What are you?’

Marcus shouts back… ‘I don’t know!’

My thoughts exactly.

STAR TREK

2009-05-10T23:31:00.005+03:00

Year: 2009

Director/Assoc. Producer: JJ Abrams

Writers: Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman

Concept: Based on the Gene Roddenberry TV Series

Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Karl Urban, Bruce Greenwood, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Ben Cross

I admit I enjoy Star Trek and its various genealogical TV sequels and prequels, extended specials, and clones. Although, more recently I warp-jumped from Starfleet Command to the Battlestar Galactica for a little more fashionable action.

I always had a fondness for the original 60s TV show re-runs. Somehow, the ‘80s big screen version of Star Trek never lived up to my expectations. For me, the low point came in ‘Star Trek V’ when ‘Jim’ and ‘Bones’ sit around a camp fire, in a universe far far away, singing ‘row row row your boat’. It’s the only movie I’ve ever walked out of, and I’ve watched a LOT of movies.

Maximum warp speed to May ‘09 and the new version of Star Trek, produced and directed by JJ Abrams of ‘Lost’ fame, with FX care-of ILM, and a sound-track worthy of any space opera. Here, each iconic character is brought loving back to us, in the guise of a fresh-faced cadet joining the Starfleet Academy, and vying for a place on the USS Enterprise.

Star Trek is an origins picture, and in the case of James T. Kirk, we’re talking, the day he was born. Opening straight into the action leaves no time for questions, engaging you immediately before you get a chance to point out any discrepancies with the Trekkie multi-verse you may already know. Ironically, it is not necessary to know anything to enjoy this piece of celluloid, but it does make it fun.

Stellar acting ensures the success and excitement of this actioner. Karl Urban is excellent as a better-looking Dr. ‘Bones’ McCoy, and Zoe Saldana adds allure to the part of ‘Lt. Uhura’, while Bruce Greenwood as Capt. Christopher Pike lends class to the whole affair.

That’s not all; Eric Bana delivers on his sparse bad-guy role as the Romulan ‘Nero’. While John Cho as ‘SuLu’ deserves his own spin-off! Even Simon Pegg as ‘Scottie’ hams it up to perfection. Chris Pine as the rebellious ‘Kirk’ manages to pull-it off, but Zachary Quinto IS ‘Spock’. He nails the character like very few have ever nailed a character before. He is a revelation.

Where X-Men Origins: Wolverine failed to deliver on various levels, being both a disappointment and a criminal waste of good talent, when it comes to the Star Trek franchise, there is so much more to be explored without ever having to look back.

‘Origins’ is the word of the moment, and for this venture into the Star Trek universe it’s very much the birth of a new star…light, bright and noisy. A franchise that is likely to expand through the cosmos rapidly very soon!

WATCHMEN

2009-03-10T00:16:00.008+02:00

Year: 2009

Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: David Hayter and Alex Tse
DC Comics: Based on the Graphic Novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

Stars: Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Stephen McHattie, Matthew Goode
Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup

Who’s watching the Watchmen? To answer that tag line, just about everybody who’s interested in the wonders of contemporary cinema, or comic books, or sci-fi. But not everyone will be pleased by what they see here. That’s according to the majority of reviews you’ll find on-line. Opinion seems to be split right down the middle.

It’s taken many years for this to be brought to the big screen, deemed unfilmable by certain studios and directors, but after a bit of legal wrangling Warner Bros. finally got the green light on arguably one of the most controversial genre films of the decade.

Apparently, if you believe everything you read, American audiences have been fooled into thinking this is a ‘kids’ movie, due to the comic-book reference and Superhero tag. But we know how easily they are fooled across the Atlantic. A film with an adult rating does what it says on the tin. You know what you are about to see is going to be ‘inappropriate for children’, and inappropriate for a lot of other reasons as well.

Watchmen is, according to the ‘experts’, a faithfully rendered foray into comics writer Alan Moore territory, being an almost frame-by-frame recreation of the 1980s graphic novel, and directed by Jack Snyder, responsible for that other graphic novel adaptation '300'.

The influence of Snyder’s former stylistic efforts can clearly be seen in Watchmen. The screen fills with colour and panache, like a Rockwell painting coming to life in front of your eyes…a warped Di Vinci pastiche is a taste of what you’ll see… for a short while anyway, ‘till it all starts to go horribly wrong.

If graphic-novels are your thing then you're going to love Watchmen, with its extended sequences of silence. If you prefer your superhero stories the traditional way, then the pedestrian dialogue may not be the only thing that turns you off.

There’s a sort of love – hate relationship going on between the viewer and the viewed, that’s you and the superheroes you’re watching. Characters begging to be liked, occasionally getting their way before doing something unspeakable and forcing you to re-evaluate your allegiance.

Personally, I loved the pop-culture style, the vivid colour, the political satire and the obviousness. I hated the in-your-face violence and 'world peace' message. I didn’t mind the giant naked blue guy, or grown-ups playing dress-up in shiny latex suits, but I detested the prosthetic nose on Nixon, and the out of place, unnecessary voice-over.

The acting is superb and believable all round, and the choice of music compelling genius, but the non-linear structure, the flashbacks, and horror, may lose you half-way in. The characters are intriguing and beguiling, but if you can’t empathise or understand their motivations, and their ridiculous and contradictory ideals, then what is the point of Watchmen?

For the ‘non-believer’, it has to be seen in a purely satirical way – to come out of it thinking there is a moral to the story, a reason for being, only means that Snyder and his cohorts have successfully manipulated you . I guess that’s what good cinema should do? You may see it differently, so watch Watchmen if you must, but don’t say I didn’t warn you!

The Dark Knight

2008-07-27T21:35:00.014+03:00

Year: 2008

Director: Christopher Nolan

Writers: Christopher Nolan, Johnathan Nolan, David S. Goyer

DC Comics: Bob Kane

Stars: CHRISTIAN BALE, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Nestor Carbonell, William Fichtner, Eric Roberts, Anthony Michael Hall.

In this hotly anticipated sequel to Director Chris Nolan's "Batman Begins" (2005), Christian Bale once again dons the black rubber suit and gruff-voices his way through the murder and mayhem of another comic-book movie. This time however, Batman has moved up-town, and the criminals in Gotham have turned a whole lot more violent for even the most intreped caped-crusader to overcome.

An intricate story is being woven in Gotham City and surprisingly, The Dark Knight plays as one long, action-filled drama. We could never have imagined this from a comic-book interpretation. It neither looks like, or feels like, a super-hero movie. It's a crime thriller, with all the twists. It's a mob flick, with kingpins popping up at every corner. It's a sci-fi adventure set in a realistic tomorrow. It's a love story, with a study in mental health... all rolled into one!

As with other intricate stories, The Dark Knight is not without its faults. The first twenty minutes are confusing, you have to concentrate, which is not easy, as things move at break-neck speed. Old faces appear and disappear rapidly, only to confuse. Eventually, you get the gist of what is going on, just as Christian Bale's 'Bruce Wayne' realises this new 'Joker' in town is no ordinary villain, and things are more than serious, they're deadly.

With a cast list resurrecting such names as Eric Roberts and Anthony Michael Hall, you know this is going to be the strangest foray into the genre yet. The whole movie gleams with actors you've seen before and wondered what happened to. Actors like William Fichtner, appearing to tantilize us for a mere few minutes.

But let's not waste any more time. Who did we really come to see? Our chief protagonist, Christian Bale? He is well within his rights to be stoney faced in interviews, because this film is truely Heath Ledger's epitaph. The Dark Knight is overshadowed by Heath's presence. Nothing less than casting genious. It will certainly re-write the history books, being the most awesome bad-guy characterisation of The Joker ever, perhaps leading to a postumous award of somekind.

As The Joker, Heath Ledger plays the ultimate rebel, with the craziest one-liners, and a compulsion to explain the scars. Yes, he's dressed in a cheap purple suit and wears make-up, but that's not what makes him so scary. Exposing Batman is The Joker's latest trick, and one which he will go to enormous lengths to pull-off. When he jokes that he's going to kill someone... he means it!

What makes The Dark Knight such enthralling viewing is the sheer audacity of Batman's latest foe. The Joker will do anything, even risk his own life, for the hell of it, and Heath Ledger really pulls it off. He is unrecognisable here, a sure sign that his acting talent far outweighed his understated celebrity.

In fact, there is superb acting all round, including Gary Oldman as Lieutenant Gordon. The visuals seem sharp and realistic, the sound and score are lavish, and the story twists are intriguing. Add to this a career-best by Aaron Eckhart, portraying the golden boy District Attorney 'Harvey Dent', ready to take on the bad guys. Although he is not given enough screen time to show up in many critics reviews, he's a pretty good match for Bale's 'Bruce Wayne', and is someone that you just have to take seriously, like it or not.

There is almost too much happening in this latest Batman installment, to say anymore will spoil the experience. It's something that should be savoured. The political moral of the story allows for a kind of irony that will change your opinion about comic-book heroes forever. I'm not so sure that's a good thing, but I have faith.

Toward the finale, Batman explains his motivations with the sage-like words, "Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded". This may be true, perhaps we have been rewarded, with a comic-book film that more than lives up to the hype.

IRON MAN

2008-05-04T20:57:00.007+03:00

I waited for Iron Man to begin with a funny taste in my mouth. Yes, I was about to watch yet another comic book super hero movie based on one of Marvel’s characters and it was right to be a little apprehensive…Was this going to be formulaic, corny, predictable movie that the genre was shelling out lately?…. Admittedly I knew nothing about Iron Man going in. Would anticipation get the better of me? Was I about to be cheated by another lackluster superhero adaptation?

As I waited things turned surreal. From the moment the trailers rolled out with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull revealing an over-the-hill Ford teaming up with Transformers star Shia LeBeouf, followed by the latest Batman installment, The Dark Knight, all became tainted when the sacrilegious ‘Superhero Movie’, burst forth cruelly mocking Spiderman... Could Iron Man save the day?....
....................................

Year: 2008

Director: Jon Favreau
Screenplay: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway
Comic Book: Stan Lee + (Marvel)

Stars: ROBERT DOWNEY JR. Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Terrance Howard, Leslie Bibb, Shaun Toub, Clark Gregg, Faran Tahir

Heroes aren’t born they’re built, or so says the by-line for this season’s red hot release in the shape of Iron Man. He’s a lesser known Marvel Comics superhero that’s hitting the screen with a bang.

Robert Downey Jr. is our main protagonist, the wealthy genius industrialist Tony Stark. He’s a character so full of himself, as the playboy extraordinaire arms dealer, who is about to get the wake-up call of his life when he’s abducted by terrorists.

Here, Downey is older, sexier and wiser, (or should that be wise-cracking?) His notorious lifestyle, which left him teetering dangerously close to the edge of the Hollywood abyss, hit the headlines more regularly than his eclectic roles. You’re asking yourself, does he really have the makings of a superhero? Hold that thought.

As soon as Stark (Downey) removes his designer shades and opens his mouth, you know that Iron Man is not going to be your ordinary comic book film. Unlike many of the superheroes before him, Iron Man’s origin isn’t boring or longwinded. There’s no teenage angst or mad scientist, and Director Jon Favreau takes on the challenge of the back-story without having to resort to those clumsy mechanisms of the nerd with a secret.

The motivations of the character are clear from the start, and there’s no need for ethics to get in the way. Iron Man’s story is instinctively good vs evil. Like all good comic book stories should be. It’s slick, exciting, escapist fun…like all good movies should be.

The cast is stellar, with an almost unrecognizable Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, a rather diplomatic villain. Gwyneth Paltrow’s dotting secretary, unfortunately named ‘Pepper Potts’, displays a character of amazing gusto. She attends gala events in Stark’s honour, while simultaneously running around hi-tech weapons research labs in 6 inch heels!

Thrown into the molten mix is a uniformed Terrance Howard as Jim Rhodes, the chief aviation officer in charge of military weapons research. He’s an unusual choice which fits well as Stark’s friend and voice of reason. While Leslie Bibb as Christine Everhart, the Vanity Fair reporter hassling Iron Man’s conscience, really stirs things up.

The contrast of a high-tech Iron Man shooting up the desert strongholds of Afghanistan’s insurgents makes for some great visuals, sure to impress fans of the 1960s comic. Humvees, UAV’s and UHF weapons, plus other assorted hardwear abound. Fast cars, fast women, and fast airplanes (natch) all vie for screen time alongside fully-formed Iron Man suits, which rival their Transformer cousins.

The rock soundtrack keeps up the momentum, while the military might of the US Air force playing tag is a must-see. If you can disregard the rather cardboard Middle Eastern terrorists and accept the blatant anti-war, anti-capitalist message, then you’re sure to enjoy this film.

As Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. has definitely got what it takes to be the latest superhero, he’s a shining example of a renewed talent, destined to be bigger than the film itself. Like a recently buffed brass plaque, proudly hanging on the Comic Book Hero Hall of Fame. Someone give that man a cigar!

Cloverfield

2008-01-28T10:49:00.002+02:00

Year: 2008

Dir: Matt Reeves
Writer: Drew Goddard
Producer: JJ Abrams

Stars: MICHAEL STAHL-DAVID, JT Miller, Lizzy Caplan, Odette Yustman, Jessica Lucas.

For the YouTube generation this movie is a huge big deal, worth a million stars, not to mention dollars…For me it is, for the most part, a pretty mediocre piece of clichéd sci-fi faux-horror… with really annoying camera work! Any reviewer giving this piece of celluloid, anything upward of 3 stars has, seriously, not watched enough movies.

It’s a new take on an old genre, that of the monster movie, a sort of mutated Godzilla (if that’s possible). A handful of party revelers are trying to keep their heads, while all around are losing theirs, literally. Something nasty has just taken a bite out of the Big Apple. That’s it. This review has more dialogue than the entire script. So, if its intellectual content and deep characterizations you’re looking for, steer clear…you’re better off watching ‘Knocked-up!’

But I digress; this is Cloverfield after all, an apparent cinema giant of hype and clever marketing, a fully-fledged piece of cinema history unfolding before our very eyes – apparently. Well, if you can handle the shaky dizzying visuals, and sharp cuts, then you’re already half way to liking this …umm… cheap pretender.

The premise is the gimmick. We are seeing something recorded on a hand-held camera by a dopey Hud Platt (J.T. Miller), friend to Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David). A Camera, which at the start of the movie is being used to film Rob, and his girlfriend Beth McIntyre (Odette Yustman). Subsequently documenting Rob’s going-away party on the fateful night…as all hell breaks loose. The kind of thing you might find on the Internet, right?

This takes us to scenes of carnage, the Statue of Liberty’s decapitated head adorning a trendy Manhattan sidewalk, and eerie dust filled shots, reminiscent of a 9/11 New York City in the morning…Our chief players, including Rob’s friend Lily Ford (Jessica Lucas) are totally out of their minds…running in the wrong direction!

The US army moves in, and through the ensuing pandemonium, Rob searches the shelves in a looted electrical shop for a cell phone battery. Suddenly, all stop dead in their tracks to gaze at the TV screens. A news flash reveals the horror that’s just around the next block, as we see some rather nasty creatures taking on a woefully unprepared military. Doesn’t this sound familiar?

Just about everything in Cloverfield you’ve probably seen elsewhere, including one of the most predictable scenes in contemporary cinema. By now, everyone knows that you don’t go down, into the subway system while the city has no power …and there happens to be a menacing deadly force on the loose somewhere above, right?

Why aren’t you scared? ….For Godzilla’s sake…because you’ve already seen “28 Weeks Later”, and a dozen others, and you just don’t do it again, you don’t! Ironically, this particular scene has the best dialog of the whole picture. Intentional laughs are provided mainly by J.T. Miller’s character Hud, and sorely needed as it just gets worse from here.

What Cloverfield lacks is, in part, made up for in some interesting if slightly low-budget visuals. The cityscapes are pretty good…the fleeting glimpses of ‘something’ between the skyscrapers, and the military onslaught being watched from a safe distance…most of the time.

The influence of JJ Abrams, producer of TVs ‘Lost’ series, has given us a cinematic thrill-ride, with seat-of-your-pants adrenaline pumped scenes of fear and dread. At least I am assuming that was the intention! I’m hoping this was not some metaphor about the loss of freedom, and how the war on terror has invaded the hearts and minds of us all?

But why is everyone saying this is ‘Awesome’? Why aren’t people telling it as they see it? “Aliens” was awesome, so was “The Matrix”, but not this. Awesome is not the word I choose. Mine has four letters and can’t be repeated. Watch Cloverfield at your peril!

R.I.P. Heath Ledger 1979 - 2008

2008-01-23T12:11:00.001+02:00

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

Dec. 9th 2005
LA Times Review

"Ledger brings this film alive by going so deeply into his character you wonder if he'll be able to come back. Aside from his small but strong part in "Monster's Ball," nothing in the Australian-born Ledger's previous credits prepares us for the power and authenticity of his work here as a laconic, interior man of the West, a performance so persuasive that "Brokeback Mountain" could not have succeeded without it."

Die Hard 4.0 - Live Free or Die Hard (US)

2007-07-16T15:54:00.000+03:00

Year: 2007

Dir: Len Wiseman

Writers: Mark Bomback, David Marconi, Roderick Thorp, John Carlin (Wired article)

Stars: BRUCE WILLIS, Justin Long, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Timothy Olyphant, Maggie Q, Cliff Curtis, Kevin Smith

Bruce Willis aka John McClane, the unwitting hero of the Die-Hard series, is back for another go at a franchise most thought was dead and buried. Flying cars, flying bodies, flying glass, in fact just about everything in this latest installment spends most of the time in the air. It’s a metal-crunching action fest, where missiles and bullets streak across the screen and people die in equal measure.

All in a days work for McClane of course – he’s been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Only thing left is to depart his hard-earned wisdom on the next generation – even if they won’t listen. Namely Justin Long, in the guise of Matt Farrell, the terrified computer-hacking nerd unwittingly caught in the action, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, as feisty chip-off-the-old-block Lucy McClane.

Accidentally on purpose, immortal John McClane has dropped the white vest, in favour of some khaki green military style attire – this time his country really needs him!

America is under attack by cyber criminals who do passive-aggressive very well! In all-black designer togs, sociopath mastermind Thomas Gabriel, played almost too seriously by Timothy Olyphant, looks pretty good. As does his devoted playmate Mai Lihn, that’s actress-super-model Maggie Q for short.

Putting fashion aside for a moment, whether there’s a Die Hard formula or not, Bruce Willis has still got it, taking us on an adrenaline rush of gun toting, jet fighting action. Any young contenders might think twice before leaping into this one.

It’s a story that ‘could’ happen in the not too distant future, where technology and knowing how to use it might save your life. The premise was taken straight out of a 'Wired Magazine' feature on cyber terrorism… Excited? Well, if you’re looking for a half-decent summer movie, that won’t bore you to sleep, Die Hard 4.0 sure fits the bill.

As usual, authenticity and plausibility go out the window, but there’s no time to complain, as you are pulled by the collar at break-neck speed, through a violent adventure that won’t let up! Maclane’s got a bucket full of one-liners and cheeky in-jokes too. You can’t help but smile at, ‘Is the circus in town?’ and ‘Over here Spider-boy!’

Visually crammed with stunning CGI, from exploding buildings to SUVs free-falling down lift shafts… cars crashing, bones cracking, glass smashing… looks so real you can almost taste it!

Die Hard 4.0 will probably be remembered as the movie where Bruce Willis gets his ass kicked by a hot Asian kung-fu chick. McClane’s words not mine. But don’t worry; you know how this is going to end.

The best this summer’s had to offer so far… and then some!

Now THIS is what I call entertainment!

Spider-Man 3

2007-05-08T15:02:00.000+03:00

Year: 2007

Dir: Sam Raimi

Writing: Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, Alvin Sargent

Comic Book: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko

Stars: TOBEY MAGUIRE, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, Elizabeth Banks, Bryce Dallas Howard

Spider-Man 3 hit our screens running… only to trip over itself ten minutes in. What should have been the comic book movie of the decade, bringing this superhero trilogy full-circle, ends up a tangled web of over indulgence.

Widely anticipated, especially after the hype of the black suit and the publicity for the Chinese opening, one of Marvel Comic’s favourite superheroes struggles to live up to his name.

Spider-Man 3 is jammed packed with great CGI villains, but there are too many mistakes to forgive in this third installment. We end up with just about everything, except what makes Spider-Man such an icon in the first place.

Instead of those bad guys doing what they're suppose to i.e. bad things, while Spidey saves the day, battling his personal demons, we get Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) trying to sort out their careers and personal lives, the screenplay resembling a musical parody at times!

As the ridiculous plot lines converge, the altering motivations of the characters lose fluidity. The one exception is Harry Osborn as the new Goblin, an excellent performance by James Franco. Too many questions emerge, and the story just doesn't ring true anymore.

Once Peter Parker would strut his stuff along a Manhattan avenue and you’d be thinking to yourself…yeah…he’s the man…but now you just want to reach for the empty popcorn bucket!

There’s a difference between laughing with and laughing at something. You kind of get the feeling that director Sam Raimi knows he’s playing us for fools, as he satirizes his own work at our expense. What a shame for the most successful comic book franchise to be reduced to this.

Spider-Man 3 just manages to redeem itself – the script being not all bad. There are some good lines, as a mean Peter Parker spouts, "If you want forgiveness, get religion!" He becomes quite animated in the process… it will leave you stunned.

The CGI is superb, with awesome visuals of new adversary Sandman, played by an excellent if under used, Thomas Haden Church. Followed by the introduction of another foe Eddie Brock/Venom, portrayed by Topher Grace, in one of the few well thought out casting choices. They are a treat to watch.

It’s strange for Marvel’s celebrated comic book hero to complete this pivotal journey on a real downer. Ultimately, and without making a song and dance about it, Spider-Man 3 is one big disappointment, and not worth going half-way to China for either!

300

2007-03-27T14:55:00.000+03:00

Year: 2007
Dir: Zack Snyder
Writing: Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Michael B. Gordon
Graphic novel: Frank Miller

Stars: GERARD BUTLER, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Rodrigo Santoro, Vincent Regan, Michael Fassbender, Andrew Pleavin.

Depending on what kind of movies you prefer, 10 minutes of 300 may be too much. Then again, if you enjoyed Gladiator, love simple blood-spurting fight-fests, with testosterone charged warriors decapitating their foes in slo-mo, and don’t care much if liberties are taken with the truth, (so long as the fight scenes are awesome), you’re going to love this!

Jack Snyder directed this rousing piece of virtual reality, entirely on a green screen sound stage in Montreal. The visuals are stunning and in some cases, awe inspiring. The characterizations are pretty superficial but it doesn’t really matter. The movie has all the appearance of a computer game, with its obvious CGI and thumping rock soundtrack. Don’t expect a history lesson or Greek mythology. This is not that kind of movie.

Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City), and sourced from the historic tale of the 480 BC Battle of Thermopylae, 300 recounts the efforts of the vastly outnumbered Spartans, to hold back one million soldiers of the Persian army for three days.

Gerard Butler does a fantastic job as Leonidas, King of Sparta, the chief protagonist and only man in Greece mad enough to withstand the Persians. He doesn’t get much dialogue to work from, but his sparse vocabulary lends enough for the rallying of the troupes, as he bellows the clichéd words “no retreat no surrender”, “take no prisoners” and “show no mercy”.

Having little to say didn’t do Russell Crowe much harm. But unlike previous sword and sandals epics, 300 deals less with a conniving political backdrop, and indulges more in the battle itself, with pure fighting-fantasy. There are echoes of warriors from The Return of the King, with elephant war machines and black masked machete wielding soldiers, in highly stylized scenes of carnage. Slicing up your enemy never looked so good!

Remembering this is Frank Miller territory, there is plenty of flesh on display too, notably belonging to the Spartans, their six packs glistening in the moonlight. Not to be out done, the Spartan Queen Gorgo, played by Lena Headey, wears a piece of muslin strategically placed around her torso with a couple of leather belts… kinky?

Well, 300 has got a little bit of everything, from corrupt religious leaders, double-crossing politicians, cavorting slave girls, to under dressed transsexuals, with plenty of pseudo-eroticism thrown in. Little time is spent on character exploration and small talk.

There are a few laughs too, even in this bloody bone crunching, decapitating fest. You’ll find yourself smiling as Leonidas bites into his ripe Cox’s apple and talks with his mouth full about being civil in battle, as his Spartans continue to skewer the maimed Persian soldiers collapsed around him.

Whatever side you’re on, the Persians here can represent just about any foe you like. There’s an obvious Asian - Far East flavor to the enemy with Persian King Xerxes, played byRodrigo Santoro, looking more a native of Pakistan than Iran (present day Persia).

If there’s a message here it’s about freedom and the price we pay for it. But the moral fades into the background as scenes of war fill the screen. Some critics have described 300 as veiled pro-war propaganda. Iran’s UNESCO representative has officially protested the films release, calling it blasphemous, and stating that 300 will lead to ‘conflict among civilizations’.

Well conflict or not, there were cheers and applause in Athens on opening night. You don’t hear many Greeks complaining, especially after the disappointment of ‘Alexander’. Gerard Butler can expect to be made an honorary Greek citizen judging by the audience reaction at my local Cineplex. They swallowed 300 like their popcorn, by the bucket full!

Thank the Gods this was not meant to be a history lesson, just a movie based on a comic book!

BORAT: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

2006-11-26T14:04:00.000+02:00

Year: 2006
Dir: Larry Charles
Screenplay: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, Dan Mazer

Stars: SACHA BARON COHEN, Ken Davitian, Pamela Anderson

You may have heard this referred to as Jackass meets Fahrenheit 9/11, well that’s almost right as you really do have to see it to believe it. It’s crude, rude and uncomfortably close to the mark, and absolutely hilarious.

Offending just about everyone is Sacha Baron Cohen, as hapless Borat Sagdiyev, the Kazakhstan TV reporter, sent by his government to make a documentary, as the title goes, to discover the ‘cultural learnings of America’, which is exactly what he does.

In this mock documentary, Sacha offers us an amusing and strangely fascinating expose of the psyche of your average American, with the obvious, sometimes vulgar humor, highlighting what’s really on everyone’s mind, as Borat utilizes his right to freedom of speech.

There may have been a warning at the end of the credits stating that no animals were harmed during the making of this film. However, that says nothing about the reputations and careers, or the emotional trauma possibly sustained by the unwitting participants on viewing the final cut. Any cinema manager brave enough to show this is the heart of the US Bible-belt deserves a medal, or at least some police protection!

It isn’t so much what Borat says or does which is revealing, but the reaction he receives from the unfortunate member of the public he comes into contact with. The genius lies in the fact that no one appears to suspect him. Everyone lets down their guard just enough, character flaws appearing on cue, and playing right into Borat/Sacha’s hands.

As for Borat’s apparent conquering of the world, cult seems far too small a word for what Sasha has spawned. Although it’s a strange film to understand in another language, it will be interesting to see how non-English speakers with take to it.

There are staged moments of innocent comedy, like the bear in ice-cream truck. This is so typically old-school-British humor, and seemingly out of place, but there is actually a story here, a bittersweet road-trip, complete with love interest. I said it was crude.

As for the moral of this story, if you ever find yourself being offered cheese by someone purportedly from Kazakhstan, well…you figure it out! The stupid grin on Borat’s face is there for a very good reason; find yourself mimicking it at a cinema near you soon.

Superman Returns

2006-07-16T17:56:00.000+03:00

Year: 2006
Dir: Bryan Singer
Screenplay: Michael Dougherty, Dan Harris

Stars: BRANDON ROUTH, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, Parker Posey, Frank Langella, Sam Huntington

Yes, Superman is back. Farm boy Clark Kent has returned to the silver screen, and as every arch-criminal and psychotic-villain knows, it’s not going to be easy destroying Metropolis now!

The S on his chest may be a little smaller but that’s about all that’s small about this picture, for director Bryan Singer’s homage to the Superman movies he grew up with deserves huge respect. As soon as the music starts, and the opening credits roll, you can’t help but feel the enthusiasm poured into it, resurrecting a franchise with an attention to detail that can’t really be appreciated by a younger audience.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that S stands for something else – Singer, no amateur when it comes to the genre, with two block-busting X-Men movies under his belt, loves Superman, and it shows! He turned down the director’s chair on X-Men 3, started to remake Logan’s Run, and ended up giving us a revamped Superman.

This is could be described as a 'boys own' fantasy film. There are airline pilots, astronauts, baseball players and of course THE ultimate superhero. But with the added torrents of emotion and romance, it’s beyond any 10 year-olds’ comprehensions, and very much a personal film, touching on a myriad of issues, loss and alienation being primary.

As you’d expect, it can’t have been easy for newcomer Brandon Routh either, donning that cape and standing aloft, recreating a role that Christopher Reeve iconically made his own. This time around, Routh’s spooky portrayal of a melancholy and tortured soul is very much a lost kind of hero, and a far less comic one.

Kate Bosworth is too fresh-faced to be a convincing ‘Lois Lane’, compared with Margot Kidder’s harden reporter, still in love with Superman, while Kevin Spacey’s ‘Lex Luthor’ is more intelligently maniacal than Gene Hackman’s, in his dapper suits and array of tragic toupees.

But the lack of a decent showdown between Superman and his archenemy may disappoint some, the SFX and CGI render this piece of celluloid a well deserved place in the annals of Superhero-lore, and leaves the door wide open for a sequel. After all, everyone knows the world is a lot better off now Superman’s back in town!

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

2006-04-16T19:39:00.000+03:00

Year: 2005
Dir: Shane Black
Screenplay: Shane Black, Brett Halliday (novel)

Stars: ROBERT DOWNEY JR., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen, Larry Miller

Defining Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, in one sentence is difficult, and pitching it must have been hell for Shane Black, best known for penning the Lethal Weapon series. Here in the directors chair for the first time, and back on stylistic form, he proves as good as the rest, when it comes to ridiculing Hollywood.

Many critics loved the in-jokes, and the indulgence that Black gives his audience on the inside, complete with an unholy dose of narcissism. For anyone looking for a comic turn on the noiresque thriller, as it’s been described in various glowing reviews, this film delivers on its seditious promise.

The fact that the movie stands on its own feet at all is credited to the great performance of its star, Robert Downey Jr. as main protagonist and narrator Harry Lockhart. Add Val Kilmer as Harry’s unlikely partner Gay Perry, played with such understated hilarity to leave you wondering why Kilmer hasn’t tried this stuff before.

Leaping over walls and moving faster than a speeding bullet, Michelle Monaghan, as Harry’s love interest Harmony Faith Lane, impressively puts her all into the role. Although she appears far too agile to be any kind of femme fetal, by the finale no one really cares anymore. Are we supposed to?

Black’s talent obviously shows in getting the film off the ground, and garnering these performances out of his stars, which the strange mix of writing doesn’t seem to warrant. Sure it’s funny. There are some great one-liners, a chase scene, a torture scene, in fact a whole lot of scenes that we’ve seen before. Even the stylish opening credits serve to fool an unsuspecting viewer.

There are some inspired moments, like the ‘Native American Joe Pesci’, but these cannot save this piece of celluloid from being ultimately pointless and disappointing. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang isn’t big, and it isn’t clever. Getting told to your face that you’ve been conned is not really funny. I’m sorry Mr. Black, it just isn’t!

Walk the Line

2006-02-12T16:14:00.000+02:00

Year: 2005
Dir: James Mangold
Screenplay: Gill Dennis, James Mangold

Stars: JOAQUIN PHOENIX, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Patrick, Ridge Canipe, Ginnifer Goodwin, Dallas Roberts, Dan John Miller, Waylon Payne, Tyler Hilton, Shooter Jennings, Johnathan Rice, Johnny Holiday.

When I read that Joaquin Phoenix was lined up to play country music legend Johnny Cash I was stunned. To my mind he didn’t look the part or sound much like the Man in Black. There had to be some mistake. At least that’s what I thought, until I saw Walk the Line.

The screenplay is based on Cash’s autobiographies, and was co-written by director James Mangold. Here we get another peak behind the curtain. We get to see those true monsters of rock and roll, booze, drugs, the womanising, and isolation.

Pasted on the collage of rock and roll history, like the biopics that have gone before, this story follows the usual line, from cotton-picking hard times to success, followed by stardom and all its pitfalls.

Here we see life through Cash’s eyes, the relationship with his father, an excellent performance by Robert Patrick, and Cash’s enduring love for June Carter, played with a whole lot of sass by Reese Witherspoon.

What is outstanding about Walk the Line is the transformation of Phoenix into Cash. It’s seamless yet so unexpected. The fact that his amazingly precise renditions of Cash’s songs have fooled die-hard fans, only adds further testimony to the quality of this picture.

Enthusiasts of the musical biopic will adore this film, and any fans of good drama will not be left untouched by this emotional tale of deliverance. Essentially, Walk the Line is about one mans journey, his struggle to balance doing the right thing and doing what he wants to do. It’s about failure, self-esteem and respect, and most of all love.

The beautiful cinematography and great performances, not to mention the faithful recreation of Sun Studios, plus fleeting glimpses of some other legends of the era, including Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Payne) giving us his take on it all, make this a worthy Oscar contender.

War of the Worlds

2005-07-14T17:54:00.000+03:00

Year: 2005
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Screenplay: John Friedman, David Koepp

Stars: TOM CRUISE, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman (narrator).

Spielberg is a master craftsman, there is no denying it. However, after viewing his latest allegorical or metaphorical whatever-you-wanna-call-it adaptation, of HG Well's classic book, I was left with a subtle feeling of emptiness. Is this what he promised?

Originally I gave War of the Worlds a 7/10 rating. Although it does improve with a second viewing, I can raise that to only 7 and a quarter, for the sheer eye expanding visual that it is. I wanted a lot of heart and soul from this, but got more blood and guts than I care for.

Dakota Fanning (Rachel Ferrier) is undoubtedly the star here, giving us a frighteningly true-to-life performance. Getting to film most of her scenes in the morning gave her a slight advantage. Tom Cruise (Ray Ferrier) on the other hand, proved yet again he's got more going for him than white teeth and scientology. Although we knew this all along.

Tim Robbins (Harlan Ogilvy) hammed it up to perfection. I would say he’s well cast, others have criticized his extreme portrayal. All round the performances are pretty good, even from relative big screen new comer Justin Chatwin (Robbie Ferrier), and the SFX are out of this world. But I guess the fault really lies with the story itself.

How do you tell it with a contemporary edge that will render predictability invisible, and still get your message across? Spielberg chose 9/11 imagery and the breakdown of the family. He mashed it all up with 20th century sci-fi and cultivated a slick neo-horror. For 21st century film making I expected something better.

It's worth viewing War of the Worlds just to see that first breathtaking hour. Unfortunately, this is one of the few movies with a final act so out-of-step with intelligence that it undermines all that has gone before. If Spielberg had only changed that ending.

Hostage

2005-05-28T14:22:00.000+03:00

Year: 2005
Dir: Florent Emilio Siri
Screenplay: Doug Richardson

Stars: BRUCE WILLIS, Kevin Pollak, Ben Foster, Kim Coates, Jimmy Bennett, Michelle Horn, Jonathan Tucker, Marshall Allman, Serena Scott Thomas.

Critics slated this film, and Bruce Willis wants to talk nothing but Sin City, which is a shame, because this action suspense thriller packs a punch that will keep you talking ‘till September.

Hostage is the operative word, and no more so than conjuring up images of predecessors such as Panic Room or The Negotiator. This has elements of both, and then some. A major gripe of some critics is that this is an overly large dose of the same ole same ole, but this is the flip side of the Panic Room.

As the opening credits blatantly testify, and the storyboard imaging reveal, there's a true dark and negative side to the picture. With a lavishly orchestrated soundtrack menacingly reminiscent of 1998’s Cape Fear, we are being set up for something that’s about to go badly wrong.

Bruce Willis is on top form playing Jeff Tally, a LAPD hostage negotiator, on his way out, after the failure of his latest negotiation leads to the death of a mother and child. With his marriage on the brink he decides to take a respite from wife and daughter, in the hope of freeing himself of the memories. He takes a job as local Police Chief of small town Bristo Camino. For a year it works until one fateful day, where paths cross and a whole sequence of events leads Bruce to confess to his deputy that he’s “back on top again”.

If there are gripes with this movie, they are squarely aimed at the “fit as much as you can” school of filmmaking, which director Florent Siri appears to have a degree in. Not to mention the adage of you can never use too much slo-mo. Unfortunately you can. Another gripe of the critics is the believability factor, or rather your disbelief, leave that at the door and you won’t be disappointed.

On the surface it would appear this is your normal Bruce Willis fare, but scratch a little of the subtext and you have a movie of a different kind. You get a cerebral Bruce, you see the sad and broken cop, the desperate father, the tough guy and the man of conviction.

What you don’t appear to get is the wisecracking, full-on ass-kicking Bruce. As hostage negotiator that wouldn’t quite fit, just like the small town chief of police job that he’s settled into, you know it’s not going to last.

But hold that thought... cue major action sequence. When it arrives your senses are bombarded with a kind of ultra violent, rather sadistic blend, rarely seen in a Willis movie. In fact, this is a movie scarier than any teenage horror fan will admit, and reminding you that Bruce can act, even with the white vest on underneath.

Hostage has been tucked away on the sidebar for now, but will no doubt increase in value with age… a little bit like Bruce himself!

Kingdom of Heaven

2005-05-07T18:49:00.000+03:00

Year: 2005
Dir: Ridley Scott
Screenplay: William Monahan

Stars: ORLANDO BLOOM, Liam Neeson, David Thewlis, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Jon Finch, Edward Norton, Alexander Siddig, Marton Csokas, Ghassan Massoud, Eva Green.

Everybody knows that Ridley Scott is a force to be reckoned with. His visual artistry, attention to detail, and obscure heroes with heart, cut a swathe through cinematic history. So why does it seem out of place to say there’s something amiss with the Kingdom of Heaven?

As far as epics go everything is up there on the screen, expanses of desert, huge battling armies, mesmerising music, dark tones, the hues of a distant time and place. Unfortunately, there is no smooth flow of decent narrative, most of it doesn’t make sense, or to be more polite, the story is a little ‘confused’.

Granted, bums on seats it will surely attract, but I fear that like the Crusader Knights who arrived in Jerusalem in 1187 to find it rather an anti-climax, your average Saturday night crowd will be disappointed with the outcome.

This is not to say that the superior cast has much to do with it. Orlando Bloom, as blacksmith turned Crusader Knight Balian of Ibelin, does a superb job, handling both his religious lines and the sword with a great deal of maturity. Liam Neeson as Godfrey, Belian’s father, is well suited to the role, as is an under used Jeremy Irons as Tiberias, advisor to the king. Out doing them all, bar one, is Marton Csokas as the outlandishly sinister Guy de Lusignan, aka ‘the bad guy’.

The film isn’t based on folklore and myth, but a re-telling of history. On this part it does quite admirably, if not actually teetering on the edge of boredom. Half-way through you may want to answer the call of nature, or get yourself some more popcorn. Go right ahead, you won’t be missing very much. Just make sure you stick around for the man in the iron mask, an un-credited Ed Norton as the leper King Baldwin IV.

The ‘dark ages’ style is enticing, and the script allows for some intricate plotting, but it still falls short. Where there should be exploration and character development, there is none. It’s too busy trying to display its anti-war message that it fails to tell the real story the trailers boast. Even the accurate portrayal of 'Saladin', by Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud, can't raise it.

As the closing subtitles reveal, this is a more political than religious film, but it will surely not fuel enough controversy to make a difference.

Layer Cake

2005-03-30T18:10:00.000+03:00

Year: 2004
Dir: Matthew Vaughn
Screenplay: J J Connolly

Stars: DANIEL CRAIG, Tom Hardy, Colm Meaney, George Harris, Tamer Hassan, Jason Flemyng, Jimmy Price, Sienna Miller, Nathalie Lunghi.

Layer Cake…what a tasty treat it turned out to be. Any film, which opens with a piece of 1980s flavoured gothic punk rock like The Cult’s ‘She Sells Sanctuary’, just has to be good.

In his directorial debut Mathew Vaughn gives us an intelligent, rather ironic tale of an educated criminal known as ‘XXXX’, played superbly dry and demure by Danny Craig, not your typical lead. He’s a man about to be wrought with anxiety as his plan to get out of the business proves to be rather tricky indeed.

Being a more up-market, classier affair than Lock, Stock or Snatch. Layer Cake serves up a believable story of London’s ‘gangland’, including its stereotyped criminals. Perhaps JJ Connolly, who penned the book and screenplay, spent a little too much time on the set of 2001s ‘Mean Machine’; another purely British affair filmed in Oxford Prison.

It’s true to say, this slice of new-wave British cinema does not disappoint. Vaughn pieces the story together with some very ingenious transitions, an overlapping scene technique which is stylistic to the extreme but never disengages the viewer. Even the soundtrack, including Duran Duran and XTC, interspersed with Kylie Minogue and Starsailor, bestows a subtle edge of class to the whole proceedings.

The only downside, and there is a downside, we’re talking ‘British cinema’ here, is the strange pace of the story. Half way through it becomes very talky, and with so many characters in the fore, it begins to lose momentum.

With so much to take in its not surprising that the dialogue gets lost too. There are a couple of scenes where you cannot make out what anyone is saying. Perhaps it’s the mix of accents. Although Colm Meaney’s portrayal of ‘Gene’ a rather nasty gangster, minus the usual overwrought ‘oirish’ accent is a relief.

Complimenting the near perfect cast, Michael Gambon as Eddie Temple, the meanest gangster of them all, explains the layer cake to XXXX, delivering the films moral, of which there are quite a few.

Finally, to clarify the synopsis I’ve read on several sites, and where ‘Imdb’ has it slightly wrong. There is a love interest, albeit minute, and it lounges in the background. Well, that’s until in a sort of homage to all gangster films ever, including the Godfather himself, and proving that no man can have his cake and eat it, everything that ‘XXXX’ achieves, suddenly unravels straight back where it began.

A very watchable two hours and definitely worth a second bite.

Spider-Man 2

2004-07-10T20:30:00.000+03:00

Year: 2004
Dir: Sam Raimi
Screenplay: Alvin Sargent
Comic: Marvel

Stars: TOBEY MAGUIRE, Alfred Molina, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, J K Simmons.

It’s been two years since Spider-Man scurried onto our screens and helped move the superhero genre up from mediocre to excellent. If you didn’t catch Spidey (Tobey Maguire) the first time around, or have simply forgotten what all the fuss was about, the clever opening credits deliver a comic strip ‘previously on’ device, bringing you straight up to speed.

Yes Spider-Man’s back. But this time, he’s got a lot on his mind. With trouble at work and on the college front not to mention his best friend Harry (James Franco) going all self-destructive on him the last thing he needs is another mad scientist, ready to blow up half of New York City. Unfortunately that’s exactly what he gets in the guise of ‘Doc Ock’… Alfred Molina, showing us he can do more than period drama.

If there was a problem with the last movie, perhaps the all -too-plastic Goblin or the in-your-face CGI, here is where the smooth directing skills of Sam Raimi make amends. What begins as predictable stuff soon turns into an excitingly well-crafted movie.

There is a lot of emphasis on Peter Parker’s internal struggle and its dialogue is heavy in parts, but that said, just as it gets a little too much, BAM! You’re thrown straight back into the action. From a runaway high-speed train, to pirouetting car crashes, there’s something for everyone. All this accompanied by popular music and a more than intentional nod to the TV series.

As a more authentic super hero, Spider-Man is the kind that can save New York City and still have time to wash his costume at the laundrette. And Peter Parker shows us that it’s cool to be uncool even when you have to use the elevator. Definitely worth waiting for!

Daredevil

2003-03-23T22:49:00.000+02:00

Year: 2003
Dir: Mark Steven Johnson
Screenplay: Mark Steven Johnson
Comic: Marvel

Stars: BEN AFFLECK, Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell, Michael Clark Duncan, Jon Favreau, Jo Pantoliano, Paul Ben-Victor.

Yet another Superhero is unleashed in the shape of the ‘Daredevil’. A blind lawyer by day who swaps sunglasses for mask at night, trying to clean up where law and order have failed.

Dealing out his very own brand of justice, whilst seeking to avenge his past, Matt Murdock aka Daredevil, swiftly lands in the confessional of his local Catholic Church, in search of some redemption.

Any redeeming qualities of this film however are sadly few, and mainly prevalent amidst the action sequences. Ben Affleck, the all-American hero, just as much at home in devilish red leather as he is in an Armani suit, and a pumped-up Jennifer Garner as ‘Elektra’, do well, their romance although brief, quite believable.

The Daredevil has some clever devices, the imagery as we see through our blind hero’s eyes with the magnification of his senses to a super-human level, and the novel way in which Colin Farrell’s character ‘Bullseye’, a hit man of the nastier kind, renders a murder weapon out of just about anything.

There is comedy and tragedy, coupled with ass-kicking stunts and dark menacing characters enjoying plenty of violence, not to mention martial arts in a Matrix style, and copycat Spiderman acrobatics, round the now indelible image of a New York City skyline.

Here is where things get sticky, with all of the above Daredevil tries desperate to be cool, adding loud rock music in almost every scene, trying to make up for what it can’t on the screen. Unfortunately this is a no-win situation when you consider predecessors Spiderman and The X-Men… tough acts to follow.

Even before the real bad guy ‘King Pin’, in the shape of that not-so-gentle-giant Michael Clarke Duncan, rolls up his sleeves for the final show down, you can see the word sequel flash in front of your eyes. Although perhaps a little too violent for there to be any moral to the story, the devil may care, after all this is comic book entertainment, and easy enough to swallow on a Sunday afternoon.

Gangs of New York

2003-02-19T22:22:00.000+02:00

Year: 2002
Dir: Martin Scorsese
Screenplay: Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian, Ken Lonesgan

Stars: LEONARDO DICAPRIO, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jim Broadbent, Cameron Diaz, John C Reilly, Henry Thomas, Liam Neeson.

Scorsese’s long awaited epic creation, at just under 3-hours long sure does pack a punch and a hell of a lot more than that. It is compelling, exciting and gruelling at times. At others, its just plain annoying, with its rather mixed up dialogue, something that grows on you eventually.

Intertwining the history, you have a story of love, betrayal, revenge and a frightening bad guy with the rather apt name of ‘Bill the Butcher’.

From the on-set you are confronted with the reason this was granted an R/18 cert. Not so much for the bloody violence, gruesome attention to detail and nudity, but for the obsessive foul language and racial slurs, leading you to wonder whether they actually did speak like this back in the 19th Century. If meat cleavers and other sharp metal objects are your game then this is the movie for you, because it is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Add a warning to vegetarians here too.

Scorsese paints a rather bleak and violent picture of the world as it was before inevitably fading us into the New York of today. The message coming across is a contradictory one, which ironically mirrors the state of contemporary American politics - by threatening war you will disarm your enemy and keep the peace or else wipe them out entirely?

Let’s suppose for a moment this is really how democracy came about, or how they built America, land of the free home of the brave. Then it’s a damning testimony of human nature. A secret history you’d have thought they would have preferred to keep well hidden under the proverbial carpet. Any American watching this premise unfold in front of their eyes, set against the hallowed ground of a New York backdrop sees nothing to be proud of.

That being said, the great artistry, superb cinematography, and excellent performances from Day-Lewis, DiCaprio and Diaz, are an explosive mix, and worth watching for the chemistry alone. Not forgetting the rest of the international cast, every street urchin to politician is believable.

It is such a shame that all of this is lost amongst the debris, when the director chooses to unravel the entire plot in the closing five minutes, shattering your illusions and reducing the film to a mere grandiose historical set piece. Is there anything more disenchanting than an opportunity lost? Believing Scorsese is God perhaps.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

2003-01-18T18:39:00.000+02:00

Year: 2002
Dir: Peter Jackson
Screenplay: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, Peter Jackson

Stars: ELIJAH WOOD, SEAN ASTIN, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Andy Serkis, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Bernard Hill, John Rhys-Davies, David Wenham, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, Bruce Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Miranda Otto.

The Lord of The Rings saga continues to offer a delicious world of peril where good struggles mercilessly to prevail and hope is kept alive with the aid of breathtaking SFX, never before displayed on the big screen, well not quite like this!

Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and friends continue their journey with shaky resolve, albeit on separate paths, their ultimate goal just out of reach and the forces of evil not too far behind.

If newspapers existed in JRR Tolkien’s world of Middle-earth, Hobbits, Elfs and Orcs, the story of The Two Towers would naturally make the morning’s front page, with headlines perhaps like “Wizard confirms the days of Men are numbered” or “Trees to break thousand year silence!”

As with all great stories it takes its cue from fairy tale, fantasies and fable, with its universal theme of good versus evil. Apart from this, the validity of its theme translates well into today’s reality. You have your evil dictators, weapons of mass destruction, and the bravery of simple folk.

The cinema going public of a post September 11th world can relate without much prompting to the messages aimed at them from a much darker edged and more defined movie than its predecessor. The world envisaged by Tolkien, and the one Peter Jackson brings us, not only manages to enthral but has a mastery all of its own.

You are witness not only to a story that is enchanting enough to persuade you to wait for the next instalment, whether you have read the books or not. You are still convinced that it is a true mythology, akin to that of the King Arthur legend, the journey of Odysseus or the Norse gods. Undoubtedly, The Lord of the Rings saga remains king above all films in its genre.

Spider-Man

2002-06-09T19:27:00.000+03:00

Year: 2002
Dir: Sam Raimi
Screenplay: David Koepp
Comic: Marvel

Stars: TOBEY MAGUIRE,Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, Cliff Robertson, J K Simmons.

New York City skyscrapers, yellow cabs, street gangs and gratuitous violence. You’d think I was talking about the latest Scorsese movie but NO…this is Spiderman 2002, craftily done with an authentic comic book style. You’ve never seen a Superhero quite
as cool as this one!

Tobey Maguire as the unlikely hero with the unlikely appeal shows us just how wrong we were. From the web motif opening credits to the touch of Danny Elfman’s signature score you know you’re going to like this movie.

A gold star goes to David Koepps for the superb comic timing and well paced storyline making ‘Peter Parker’s’ transformation from nerdy teenager in love to web-slinging, roof hopping hero as smooth as silk. Willem Dafoe’s wicked turn as the ‘Green Goblin’, Spiderman’s archenemy, adds a deliciously sinister flavour while Kirsten Dunst, as the screaming Mary Jane Watson, provides one of the sexiest screen kisses any schoolboy or Superhero could wish for.

If there’s one gripe to mention, well two actually, then it’s the World Wrestling Federation’s cameo role – you’ll have to watch the movie to see what I mean about this. Secondly it’s the ‘almost’ flawless CGI’s. Spiderman looks like he is jumping Manhattan but every now and then you’re seeing a cartoon character, not Sam Raimi’s fault, the movie as a whole is top-notch on entertainment value but a director can only do so much!

Colourful, comic and daring to laugh in the face of similar metropolitan meanderers like Batman or Superman; Spiderman fans will be going home with ‘eat your heart out’ written all over their faces!

Ocean's Eleven

2002-02-12T14:26:00.000+02:00

Year: 2001
Dir: Steven Soderbergh
Screenplay: Ted Griffin

Stars: GEORGE CLOONEY, BRAD PITT, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Shaobo Qin, Bernie Mac, Elliott Gould.

No one looks cooler in a tux than George Clooney, as he assembles his team of likely lads for what appears on the surface to be a good heist movie. The only trouble with this assumption is that you go away at the end of it all feeling like you’ve missed out on something.

The trick has always been to get your audience on the side of the bad guys, and we are right from the start. We want them to get away with it and naturally they do. Your so-called good guy is a reputed bad guy and everyone is ripping everyone off. After all, this is Vegas right? There’s a casino vault, with unbreakable security and a guy who knows a guy who knows how to break it.

We know what comes next but Clooney and the boys do it with a twist. There are funny lines, cigars, short Chinese guys and plenty of hi-tech wizardry. Julia Roberts provides the eye candy, spending most of the time walking silently around the casino in a sequin dress while Andy Garcia’s understated menace, watches the floor.

There’s a good stint by Matt Damon as Linus, the fastest draw in the west, and Brad Pitt in a silk shirt, enough said. The talents of all are on show here but sadly they’re not around long enough to satisfy as Soderbergh chooses to replace the sleaze or any true sentiment from the original with his flashy camera work.

For all the hype and homage this movie promises, we do get something out of watching Ocean’s Eleven, we’re left holding the proverbial bag, and its empty. It may be funny, slick, bang up-to-date robbery-by-numbers stuff with a five star cast, but it is definitely not a five star movie.

Planet of the Apes

2001-08-17T18:57:00.000+03:00

Year: 2001
Dir: Tim Burton
Screeplay: William Broyles Jr., Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal

Stars: MARK WAHLBERG, Tim Roth, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, Kris Kristofferson, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Helena Bonham-Carter, Anne Ramsay, Estella Warren.

In the time before time there was a film that made history, which launched a generation of spin-offs and sequels, which decades later still hold our fascination, with their nostalgic appeal. Tim Burton’s latest offering sends us back to the cinema for another dose of “The Planet of the Apes”.

The words ‘Tim Burton’ and ‘vision’ are usually synonymous but for some rather explicable reasons, this time around, visionary is not the word best used to describe this film! Burton’s own take on the much-loved 1968 ground breaking movie fails to deliver all the promise so blatantly waved in our faces by the trailers and previews.

The Planet of the Apes has one saving grace in the shape of Tim Roth’s devilishly menacing portrayal of ‘General Thade’. A role he delivers with a deliciously terrifying fervour.

Unfortunately, the bad far outweighs the good in this version of the story. I was left beating my chest and asking ‘why wasn’t this film better?’ All the potential was there. It should have been better, the budget says it should have been, the cast says it should have been. To add insult, Charlton Heston’s cameo as Zaius only compliments the already faltering script.

The first half hour is the usual sci-fi fare, but as soon as Cap. Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) hits the water you can feel the ship sinking. The Ape city and the interiors of the dwellings were filmed on a soundstage and, surprisingly they look it. Perhaps this is too harsh as the film is not a total loss.

Even the bang up-to-date Ape make-up appears more prosthetic and latex than legitimate, General Thade being one of the few exceptions. Not so bad for Ari (Helena Bonham-Carter) then, as this may prove to be a film unworthy of showing your face in.

As for the much teased battle scenes? They are very good, but not enough. Although the terror factor exists, the predictability does too, so the film leaves you less than satisfied. Statue of Liberty or no Statue of Liberty, it is worth a shot for the novelty factor alone.

And although disappointing, the gates are left wide open at the finale, for what promises to be a sequel, which should blow its predecessor out of the water.

Unbreakable

2001-02-03T19:28:00.000+02:00

Year: 2000
Dir: M. Night Shyamalan
Screenplay: M. Night Shyamalan

Stars: BRUCE WILLIS, Samuel L Jackson, Robin Wright-Penn, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard, Michael Kelly.

It may be called ‘Unbreakable’, but another more apt title would fit the picture. How about unbelievable? That is not to say that the movie is a bad one, just not one that lives up to its promise. However, if it is possible to be amazed and disappointed all at the same time then this movie delivers.

The pacing is too slow; so much is lost in those stretched out moments. The premise is too clever for its own good, and glaringly obvious pointers, as to who is responsible for all the disasters surrounding our protagonist David Dunn, give the feeling that director Shyamalan knows he’s not getting through to his audience. Almost as if he has put them in on purpose, shouting at his audience to pay attention.

Should you be paying attention then there is plenty to keep you occupied. Some wonderful camera work with superb angles that beg curiosity. Throughout the film Bruce Willis shows us just what it was that made him a star in the first place. His talent so evident you feel yourself being truly spooked by his character’s powers as they are gradually revealed.

Again there are moments where you wished for more, scenes that are never quite played out to their full potential, adding further disappointment. It’s sad to say Mr. Shyamalan doesn’t do his own script justice. Perhaps, if he had given it to someone else, someone with a rather less gloomy picture of the world, Unbreakable could have been outstanding.

The formula may have worked for ‘The Sixth Sense’ but unfortunately not here. The revelation unfolding is not dark or fearful enough to warrant such indulgence in the realms of gloom and doom.

It is essentially the making of a superhero or rather the prequel to the making of a superhero. A capacity that is inherent in all of us. Like the man that saves a child from drowning, or the fireman rescuing the old lady from a burning building.

In a nutshell, you don’t need to be able to lift the weight of 10 cars or be immune to pain to be a superhero. This is where the film is going. Unfortunately it takes the long way round.

Gladiator

2000-05-25T19:40:00.000+03:00

Year: 2000
Dir: Ridley Scott
Screenplay: David Franzoni, William Nicholson, John Logan

Stars: RUSSELL CROWE, Joaquim Phoenix, Richard Harris, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, David Schofield, John Shraprel, Tomas Arana, Connie Nielsen.

Metaphorical, allegorical, these are the terms that have been used to describe Gladiator and in every sense there is a lot more going on here than what appears on the surface.

To quote from the movie itself, ‘It is a brutal, cruel and dark world’ albeit with spectacular visual effects and haunting musical score by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, not to mention some of the cleverest editing techniques ever seen, giving the much hyped ‘gore’ a subliminal edge.

Are we entertained asks the hero? Well, Gladiator cannot leave you anything but entertained. However, are you completely sure about what it is that entertained you? What about those dark, underlying themes? Honour in death, sacrificing for the greater good, the futility of war? Even bad karma is dealt with no less subtly here than the thrust of a Gladiatorial sword into its inevitable opponent.

Kill or be killed, this is the decision facing our hero as he inevitably attempts to work his way back to the top. What of the substance in this? Visually there is plenty but what you see is not necessarily what you get.

It is all very well giving a few meaningful stares but, when elaboration is required, words are strangely lacking, a fact that has not failed to grab the attention of many a critic. Is there a point to dialogue when a sarcastic smile can say a thousand words? After all, what is it if not the universal language of film.

Ultimately, as with the fate of Rome, the fate of this movie lies squarely with its central character’s ability to enthral us. Will we accept violence, in all its forms, while still claiming to follow the path of righteousness? No mean feat for any Hollywood star, but what about an ascending one?

Let us be honest here, to be a successful entertainer these days you don’t need much more than good looks, a flashy suit and a gun. Usually you don’t need much more than an average role.

With ‘Gladiator’ you don’t get any of the above, but what you do get is something to think about. This is exactly what Russell Crowe has given us with his portrayal of the tragic hero Maximus.

Just like becoming the famous Gladiator and receiving adulation from the crowds as he enters the arena, Maximus/Crowe must, to quote from the film once more ‘Win the crowd or go and die with honour’. The outcome is pretty clear-cut.

Box-office hit doesn’t depend on whether you think Gladiator was worth making or not. People will still go to the arena to see who gets killed, that’s entertainment. As for Russell Crowe, it should be glaringly obvious by now. A solid ground if you’re looking for movie star status.