Hmmm.
This film apparently frustrated and disappointed many people. After seeing it, I can see why. But it is not a bad film.
Let me explain.
Due to the hype and the trailer of this movie, many people may have thought they were going to get a modern day equivalent of Speilburg's early movies like E.T, The Goonies, and Close Encounters of The Third Kind.
In short, it is not.
I believe it's a good movie about some kids trying to make a movie, and about a kid (Joel Courtney) trying to find a way to carry on after the death of his mother. It's an ok movie about the escape of a monster, after a spectacular train crash.
Two movies in one. The latter movie not being that good, despite the special effects. The former story is where my interest lies.
The kids, Charles (Riley Griffths), Cary (Ryan Lee), Preston (Zach Mills), Martin (Gabriel Brusso) and Alice (Fanning) as well as Joe are trying to make a Zombie flick, with a camera of the movie title. This is the core of the movie and in my opinion the best part. The naturalistic speech of the children is a pleasure to witness.
It is the interaction of the kids and the evocation of a certain place and time.
The "escaped monster" part of the film is cliched and ultimately unsatisfying.
If watched as a character piece with some special effects thrown in, some enjoyment can be had. It's definitely no Goonies!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
X-Men: First Class. Review.
Well, I finally saw X-Men: First Class.
As many people have already reviewed this movie in much detail, I shall be brief and to the point.
I thought it was very good, but not without flaws.
It was a very brave move, in my opinion setting it in the Sixties and having the climax of the film in as "The Cuban Missile Crisis."
By now you may be aware this was originally going to be a film about "Magneto" and the beginning of the film reflects that very powerfully. I believe the start of the film is it's post effective part, revealing Magneto's motives in the later films after witnessing the worst that humanity has got to offer. Michael Fassbender as Magneto is great, by turns full or rage,sadness and cynicism. On his mission of revenge he becomes almost Bondlike in his suaveness in dispatching his enemies.
James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier is a treat too. A person with baggage in his past like "Magneto" too the film hints at when we are introduced to him. Even though he has a very different upbringing than him.
Now I shall describe the films, pros and cons.
Pros
Excellent acting by the two actors I have mentioned above. Without them the film would be so much weaker.
Tackling Nazism and the Cold War was a risky idea for a comic book film and it is done well here.
The character development of the main characters is excellent.
Cons
January Jones as Emma Frost. Not good at all. Not intimidating as a Henchwoman at all. I just ended up waiting until "Magneto" kicked her ass, as it was inevitable.
The fight scenes had no weight to them, similar fight scenes in X-Men:2 were much better and stylish. Compared with Nightcrawler's attack on the Secret Service, Azazel's killing of the various CIA men was unspectacular.
Very bad CGI in places.
In all I think I prefer X-Men:2 to this film as it handles the ensemble of different characters better.
As many people have already reviewed this movie in much detail, I shall be brief and to the point.
I thought it was very good, but not without flaws.
It was a very brave move, in my opinion setting it in the Sixties and having the climax of the film in as "The Cuban Missile Crisis."
By now you may be aware this was originally going to be a film about "Magneto" and the beginning of the film reflects that very powerfully. I believe the start of the film is it's post effective part, revealing Magneto's motives in the later films after witnessing the worst that humanity has got to offer. Michael Fassbender as Magneto is great, by turns full or rage,sadness and cynicism. On his mission of revenge he becomes almost Bondlike in his suaveness in dispatching his enemies.
James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier is a treat too. A person with baggage in his past like "Magneto" too the film hints at when we are introduced to him. Even though he has a very different upbringing than him.
Now I shall describe the films, pros and cons.
Pros
Excellent acting by the two actors I have mentioned above. Without them the film would be so much weaker.
Tackling Nazism and the Cold War was a risky idea for a comic book film and it is done well here.
The character development of the main characters is excellent.
Cons
January Jones as Emma Frost. Not good at all. Not intimidating as a Henchwoman at all. I just ended up waiting until "Magneto" kicked her ass, as it was inevitable.
The fight scenes had no weight to them, similar fight scenes in X-Men:2 were much better and stylish. Compared with Nightcrawler's attack on the Secret Service, Azazel's killing of the various CIA men was unspectacular.
Very bad CGI in places.
In all I think I prefer X-Men:2 to this film as it handles the ensemble of different characters better.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Hanna movie review (No Spoilers)
I like this film. It's very different.
I guess at it's heart it is a film about revenge.
The film is about 16 year old Hanna, (played brilliantly by Saoirse Ronan). She has been brought up in total isolation by her father Erik (Eric Bana) in a forest and taught survival and hunting skills. He has been training her to become an assassin.
When given the chance to explore the outside world she leaps at it gladly. This sets into motion events that are unpleasant for all concerned.
In other hands, this could have been a Bourneesque Spy thriller. But the director Joe Wright has approached the film like a dreamlike fairytale, in fact it is like a Grimm Brothers fairytale.
One of the many highlights of the film is a four and a half minute steadycam shot, that is simply awesome to behold.
I say fairytale like, but don't get me wrong, the action is top notch! The fight choreography is done by Jeff Imada of the Bourne trilogy. Plus some scenes really push the PG-13 rating.
Saoirse Ronan owns this film! I will be keeping an eye out for her in the future.
I guess at it's heart it is a film about revenge.
The film is about 16 year old Hanna, (played brilliantly by Saoirse Ronan). She has been brought up in total isolation by her father Erik (Eric Bana) in a forest and taught survival and hunting skills. He has been training her to become an assassin.
When given the chance to explore the outside world she leaps at it gladly. This sets into motion events that are unpleasant for all concerned.
In other hands, this could have been a Bourneesque Spy thriller. But the director Joe Wright has approached the film like a dreamlike fairytale, in fact it is like a Grimm Brothers fairytale.
One of the many highlights of the film is a four and a half minute steadycam shot, that is simply awesome to behold.
I say fairytale like, but don't get me wrong, the action is top notch! The fight choreography is done by Jeff Imada of the Bourne trilogy. Plus some scenes really push the PG-13 rating.
Saoirse Ronan owns this film! I will be keeping an eye out for her in the future.
Friday, April 15, 2011
On leaving London. Part 2.
Getting through Customs and Immigration was stressful even though all my papers were correct and I had never been in trouble with the law. So I was very relieved to get that over and done with. But even then my journey was not over, I had to get on second plane to my final destination.
This is always fun, as you have to go through security yet again, find your terminal and gate, then get there in time to get the plane. Considering you have to wait in line in a quite massive queue to get through Customs and Immigration, sometimes it can be touch and go! But this time I got there with plenty of time.
It's about this time that you really start to realise that nearly everyone has an American accent (Yeah I know, I am in America, right? D'oh, no surprise there!) That's when it hit me, I wouldn't be seeing London for awhile and life here would be a little different than before. The unwritten rules of London would not apply here, I could be polite to people if I wanted without being stared at like some sort of crazy guy.
One of the first things I noticed as I walked steadily to my gate was the fast food joints had relatively cheap prices compared to London. I mean, a foot-long sub from Subway could cost you nearly eight Pounds (about $13) in London. Plus customer service was infinitely better than in London, where your server rarely smiled and just stared at with you with contempt while reciting the agreed corporate greeting of the Brand.
Well the short domestic flight was uneventful, and I listened to music on my Ipod while gazing happily at the fluffy white clouds below us. I was thinking about my fiance and I was happy. There was some turbulence, but nothing crazy.
Is there anything better than being picked up in an Airport by someone you love and have missed alot? I don't think there is much that beats that! It was night when I landed and my fiance and I indulged in our routine of going to get something to eat from Taco Bell. Then we drove to our new home, where I washed up and promptly fell asleep.
This is always fun, as you have to go through security yet again, find your terminal and gate, then get there in time to get the plane. Considering you have to wait in line in a quite massive queue to get through Customs and Immigration, sometimes it can be touch and go! But this time I got there with plenty of time.
It's about this time that you really start to realise that nearly everyone has an American accent (Yeah I know, I am in America, right? D'oh, no surprise there!) That's when it hit me, I wouldn't be seeing London for awhile and life here would be a little different than before. The unwritten rules of London would not apply here, I could be polite to people if I wanted without being stared at like some sort of crazy guy.
One of the first things I noticed as I walked steadily to my gate was the fast food joints had relatively cheap prices compared to London. I mean, a foot-long sub from Subway could cost you nearly eight Pounds (about $13) in London. Plus customer service was infinitely better than in London, where your server rarely smiled and just stared at with you with contempt while reciting the agreed corporate greeting of the Brand.
Well the short domestic flight was uneventful, and I listened to music on my Ipod while gazing happily at the fluffy white clouds below us. I was thinking about my fiance and I was happy. There was some turbulence, but nothing crazy.
Is there anything better than being picked up in an Airport by someone you love and have missed alot? I don't think there is much that beats that! It was night when I landed and my fiance and I indulged in our routine of going to get something to eat from Taco Bell. Then we drove to our new home, where I washed up and promptly fell asleep.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
On leaving London Part 1.
It's been over a year since I left London. I haven't been back yet. Funnily enough I do not miss it as much as I thought I would. I guess since I have been getting used to living here in America, my mind has been distracted from that.
Been a busy year, getting married, moving houses, helping my wife in her new job. So I was preoccupied you could say. London is like an old friend you only miss him a little bit when he is gone and kind of take him for granted when he is around. Heck, you know you are gonna see him again sometime!
I remember I was not sad when I left London, more excited and nervous to miss my plane than anything else.
The night before I didn't get that much sleep, it seemed I was waking up every five minutes to check the time.
Anyway,taxi came on time and we hoofed it to Heathrow Airport. Needless to say we got there with plenty of time to spare as rush hour was yet to start.
I was funny to look out the taxi window and realise that I would not see London again for awhile. It was before 6 am and London was not yet fully awake. The streetlights bathed everything in that nasty orange glow...closed shop fronts, bus stops, restaurants etc. I just smiled to myself...a change from this would be nice. I was heading towards a new life after all.
The plane journey was long and boring which was normal, I can't remember what films they were showing, but at least there were no crying children. Don't need it on a 13 hour flight!
Getting through customs was a pain, because I was coming in on a fiance visa. I was escorted to the Homeland Security offices at the back feeling very much like a criminal. Had to wait in the back on a plastic chair with all the people who had been stopped by Customs. After a while I had a brief interview and had my visa stamped. That was my welcome to America.
Been a busy year, getting married, moving houses, helping my wife in her new job. So I was preoccupied you could say. London is like an old friend you only miss him a little bit when he is gone and kind of take him for granted when he is around. Heck, you know you are gonna see him again sometime!
I remember I was not sad when I left London, more excited and nervous to miss my plane than anything else.
The night before I didn't get that much sleep, it seemed I was waking up every five minutes to check the time.
Anyway,taxi came on time and we hoofed it to Heathrow Airport. Needless to say we got there with plenty of time to spare as rush hour was yet to start.
I was funny to look out the taxi window and realise that I would not see London again for awhile. It was before 6 am and London was not yet fully awake. The streetlights bathed everything in that nasty orange glow...closed shop fronts, bus stops, restaurants etc. I just smiled to myself...a change from this would be nice. I was heading towards a new life after all.
The plane journey was long and boring which was normal, I can't remember what films they were showing, but at least there were no crying children. Don't need it on a 13 hour flight!
Getting through customs was a pain, because I was coming in on a fiance visa. I was escorted to the Homeland Security offices at the back feeling very much like a criminal. Had to wait in the back on a plastic chair with all the people who had been stopped by Customs. After a while I had a brief interview and had my visa stamped. That was my welcome to America.
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