Tag Archive: film


Film Review: The Hobbit (An Unexpected Journey)

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December 28, 2012

More cinema! Dave and I are beyond lucky and the fact that we were able to see such a long film is testament to the wonderful people we are surrounded by.

So… The Hobbit. Prequel (if you like the term) to The Lord Of The Rings and a book which is just about a quarter of the length of The Fellowship Of The Ring. I’ve already had my rant about Peter Jackson splitting this book into three parts, but having seen this first part I can kinda see why. I’m not happy about it, but I’m not exactly unhappy either. It’s a curious balance.

The film opens with a wonderful recounting of the events at The Lonely Mountain in which Smaug takes over. For those of you who don’t know the story, or are concerned about spoilers, don’t read on. Bilbo has decided to tell the tale properly as it were, and I found myself quickly checking over Frodo’s fingers to make sure that what we were seeing was before the events of the previous three films.

It was wonderful to see so many roles reprised. I got over my rage over seeing Frodo and Galadriel there at all because it appears that all the events alluded to in various appendices, or over the course of The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings books, are being given screen time. Things like the meeting of the White Council, or Radaghast looking into the Necromancer in Mirkwood; all things that we know happen (if you are familiar with the books) but the detail is never really given. It is a nice touch, on some levels, to see it played out, though the purist in me remains rattled that the film does not follow the book religiously. Though there are some beautiful sections near the beginning where the script has been taken directly from the text. I found myself reciting along with the characters – under my breath – and enjoying them speak because I know the passages well enough to do so.

Oh and the dwarven singing! I am most familiar with the BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings, but this version of their song ‘Far Over The Misty Mountains’ sent a chill through me. Loved it!

I am very much looking forward to the next instalment – I can’t help it – though I will continue to resent the fact that I have to. I think, it’s going to be two years before I can decide whether or not I am happy with the films overall and whether they are worth the wait.

For now though, I think it is certainly worth watching the film if you are a fan of Tokien’s work, Peter Jackson’s work, or a fan of any of the cast. Andy Serkis, as ever, was fabulous as Gollum and Ian McKellen suits the role of Gandalf right down to the ground.

^_^

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Film Review: Silver Linings Playbook

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November 30, 2012

Dave and I went to the cinema at the weekend! It was lovely. An unexpected treat; a chance for us to go out together and enjoy each other’s company without the kiddies. Just a couple of hours, but it’s wonderful how much of a recharge that has been for me.

We watched Silver Linings Playbook, starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Nero.

Normally, when I watch a film I want to see blood, explosions, big car chases and all sorts of action. I rarely go see a romcom or chick flick or arty piece. I just don’t. However… this… which probably would be catagorised as a ‘chick flick’ was brilliant! I only wanted to see it because of Bradley Cooper, but I feel justified now. Jennifer Lawrence (you may know her as Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games) was also a pleasure to watch too. I’ve decided that I like her a lot. And Robert De Nero is of course… Robert De Nero. What more do I really need to say?

The film follows a man, recently released from a mental care home having viciously and almost fatally attacked his wife’s lover eight months prior. He returns home intending to improve himself and demonstrate that he is better so that he can pick up where he left off with his wife, convinced that their relationship is one of a kind and special. On the way, he meets another girl with similar difficulties to his own and the pair form an unlikely friendship. Awww, right?

I know nothing about depression as a mental illness. There are people around me who suffer from or who have suffered from in the past and the impression I get from the film is that the subject was handled tastefully, respectfully and genuinely. For that I love the film all the more. I have been told – by people who would know – that the film does indeed handle the issues respectfully and tastefully so my hats off to them. I would assume that the chap that wrote the book the film is based on – Matthew Quick – has done his research. The book was released in 2008, I really feel that I should go find it now.

For a gentle, not at all sickly, often funny film, I would recommend this in a heartbeat. While it lacks the action and guts of most films I watch, it really was enjoyable with an incredibly satisfying (if not unexpected) ended. Do it. :)

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Film Review: The Green Lantern

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April 28, 2012

Green lantern movie posterI know its a comic book film, but its far cheesier than many I have seen in the past.

A cocky, ‘fearless’ military jet pilot is gifted a magical green ring which bestows its powers on him so that he may fight the powers of evil.

Hmmm.

I bet in comic form, the story was absolutely fabulous, but for some reason, it was just missing something for me. Not that Ryan Reynolds wasn’t absolutely lovely in all that skin tight green, but there is something that feels quite hacknied about fighting ‘fear’ with ‘will.’

And he kept saying it was about the forces of evil. Each time he said it, I twitched because fear isn’t evil. In of itself, its a very natural and in some places necessary response.

Can you imagine if nobody was afraid of anything?! What sort of mayhem would the world be in right now? Probably not that that much worse than it currently is, but no one would be too afraid to jump off bridges, or be rude to strangers, or try out drugs, or leap in front of cars. There are all sorts of things to be afraid of, and, in my mind, a lack of fear, means a lack of things to lose. Like your life? Isn’t that important? To not have even the most basic fear of losing your life… seems a bit much to me. We’re only human after all.

Though that did turn out to be a good message of the film in the end. Fearlessness and courage are two utterly different things.

Still, it was pleasant enough to watch, with the standard, disfigured and physically crippled villian and the love interest who, most pleasant of all, was not as dumb as a bag of rocks! In actual fact, she did a couple of things that helped her avoid disappointing me, including recognising her best friend, even with the stupid little green mask on. A feat that even Lois Lane never managed with Clark and those utterly daft glasses. -_- Well done that woman!

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Film Review: Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Filed under: Film, Reviews — 2 Comments
March 31, 2012

Figured it was time for a review… not done one for a while.

So…! Mission Impossible; a franchise that is slogging on further and far longer than I ever guessed it would. I didn’t see MI3 when it came out (not sure that I’m missing a great deal but it would have made little parts of this film make a bit more sense, I suppose).

Never mind!

Movie poster for MI4Car chases, foot chases, explosions and fisticuffs… if this is what makes your movie, then this is pretty much perfect for you.

I have to admit, almost despite myself, that I really enjoyed the film. But that’s mainly because this is exactly what I like. Lots of action sequences, fancy cars, chases, fast cuts and minimal plot. Not to say it didn’t have plot, but it was simple and, frankly put, when the decision to go to the cinema is a spur of the moment decision made because I’m getting snowed on, then I think we did pretty well out of it.

Its quite simple; a mission to pull some files from the Kremlin gets massively botched and leads to Ethan Hunt’s (Tom Cruise) team getting disavowed. Not only that, but if they screw up any more, they’re going to end up branded as terrorists. Worse still, they still have to stop a crazed nuclear bomber from destroying the world by pitting Russia against USA. Dun duhn duuuuuuuh!

Yeah… so off they go to fix it.

Dave made the very good point of saying that the film should just be called: Possible. Because in the end, of course, it is. That’s not a spoiler, but just what you’d expect. I mean think about it, would you really go to see Mission Impossible and expect them not to save the day? So I think that’s the only fall down point for me; some of the magic is gone. You know they’re going to fix everything… you’re just not entirely sure of how.

Still that chick in the green dress is smokin’ hot, so if you’re into eye candy there’s both her and Tom Cruise to keep you entertained. Though I still maintain that he must have been wearing something in his heels; its well known that he’s a short ass. How, therefore, was he still as tall as his female lead while she was strutting around in three inch heels? *snerk*

Oh and Simon Pegg is ace. ^_^

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Film Review: Daybreakers

Filed under: Film, Reviews — 4 Comments
February 11, 2012

Daybreakers movie posterI remember when this came out at the cinema. I was terribly excited about it, because its an Ethan Hawke film and I’ve grown to really like him. Throw Willem Defoe and Sam Neill into the mix and I’m as happy as Larry.

So… this film is about vampires in a not too distant future who have become so common place that the human race is reduced to about 5% of the overall world population. Yikes, right? Sounds bad for humans until you realise that the vampire’s food supply is running out. Now it sounds super-bad!

Cue vampire haematologist Ed Dalton (Ethan Hawke) who works tirelessly to produce a blood substitute to bolster the dwindling supply. This is particularly important since vampires who are unable to drink human blood in sustaining amounts are rapidly de-evolving into crazed, mindless monsters who will attack anybody (human or vampire) to find their next meal.

Sounds pretty good right? Even without the greedy pharmaceutical boss added into the mix.

I thought so; even before I knew that much about it.

But then I watched it. Not to say that it isn’t very well done and beautifully acted, but I just feel like something was missing from the whole film. I’m still struggling to put my finger on what that is; which is a pain because I don’t usually have a problem with venting about vampire films.

I very much liked how vampirism had become so normalised and that society had just adjusted itself to make sure that vampires fit. It pretty much had to happen in plot, since vampires were very much the top of the food chain. Seeing sparkly eyed creatures dolling out coffee, sweeping streets and conducting business deals was a special kind of treat for me that I really, really enjoyed. Even the subsiders – the result of severe blood deprived vampires – kept me happy. Ugly, bat-like things with freakish strength.

Still something irked me and I think it may well be the blood soaked ending and final scene. Both seemed lacking something that the rest of the film had been very much able to deliver with little or no effort. I don’t want to call it class (it is a vampire film after all) but I’m hard pressed to find another word for what was missing. I expected something much, much more from the ending and it just didn’t quite live up to the rest of the film for me.

Unfortunate, but I’m still very glad I watched it. It starts well and so long as you don’t expect masses from it, you may well feel different about it. Give it a watch if you have 90 mins spare. :)

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