THOR THE DARK WORLD

SYNOPSIS –With the universe threatened by a new evil, Thor must form an uneasy alliance with his treacherous brother in order to defeat it. The first Thor film was out long before this blog began so I think it’s only fair that, before moving on to the sequel, to give some brief thoughts on the first film. I have to admit that I was not entirely wowed by the god of thunder’s first outing, it certainly wasn’t a bad film but it set things up for the Avengers movie as well. I just felt that out of the entire pre-Avenger Assemble movies it felt a little by-the-book and flat. Of course, cinema is a tricky thing and when I caught a double screening of both films last night I found myself enjoying and appreciating the first film much more. So with all the hype over the sequel can it possibly live up to the expectations? The short answer is yes. We pick up the movie a little after the end of the Avengers and the transition works well. Asgard feels like a connected piece of the larger Marvel universe as we see the chaos unleashed by Loki (Tom Hiddleston). New director Alan Taylor shows us more of the nine realms and expands Thor’s universe, as well as giving a fuller look at Asgard, which we did not get to see a great deal last time, The core of the film is the relationship between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki, both actors show great skill in mixing the fraternal bickering with the deeper emotional scenes. Both characters progress and grow in the film and we get to see new sides of them (one of the biggest curses of franchise movies for me is this lack of development). In a nice irony we get to see Thor, who started out as a brash warmonger, be the voice of moderation to his father Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins) which marks him out as a leader of men rather than simply a muscled bruiser. Loki meanwhile gets his own journey which, whilst giving the character new ground, feels like there is more to tell (the director has signed on for a possible third film so it’s possible things are being held back for that). Whilst our heroes (well hero and anti-hero) are well developed, the villain of the piece, Malekeith (Christopher Eccleston) is a lot more ‘by the numbers’ and a bit dull. This is not Eccelston’s fault, he does his best to give the role real menace but he is hampered by clichéd dialogue and a lack of screen time. Thor’s loyal warrior companions, the warriors three, feel underused, this is a shame because as a group they have strong dynamics and it would have been nice to see more of them in action. Much more comedy has been put into this instalment and though it is very effective it sometimes can be a little jarring when we suddenly jump from laughter to serious mode. Now, of course, there was a good deal of tongue in cheek humour in the first film but some of this feels a bit out of place. FINAL VERDICT 8/10 This is how you keep a fan base interested, excited and ready for more

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Unknown 15:26  No comment

JACKASS PRESENTS BAD GRANDPA

SYNOPSIS: left with his young grandson Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville) must get the boy to his father, causing chaos and destruction along the way The Jackass movies have never exactly been highbrow comedy (Jackass being the biggest about their brand of humour), despite this they still have managed to find an audience. One of the more popular moments in the first two movies involved star/stuntman Johnny Knoxville donning complex make up and indulging in antics as a foul mouthed old man with an equally foul mouthed grandson. In many ways the main figure in this outing is not Knoxville but Jackson Nicoll as grandson Billy. Put into situations that play his age he proves adept at getting the best comic reactions out of strangers. Some of the film’s best moments are when Billy quizzes strangers on topics and gets some of the movies best reactions. Like movies of its kind before it (Borat, Bruno) the film has a certain contrived feel as it struggles to pull hidden camera stunts and reaction shots into some kind of a story. It has to be said that, given this is coming from the Jackass team, they succeed rather well. Most of the scripted story scenes fit well and are not too numerous to distract from the laughter. Knoxville actually manages to give a decent performance as Zisman in the more emotional scenes. The main problem lies more with the trailer than with the film itself. The film has a moment that is supposed to serve as the films climax ,this moment however is shown in the films trailer and therefore much of the comic value is ruined. In many ways the film feels like it’s playing it safe compared to other Jackass productions. This might have something to do with the presence of eight year old Nicoll (though they seem fine with making him swear etc.) But it leaves the film feeling a little flat, the laughs are there but it feels like the punches are being pulled. FINAL VERDICT 7/10 it may not be on the level of previous Jackass films but it still gets the right reactions.

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Unknown 14:36  No comment

ESCAPE PLAN

What do you get if you combine Rocky, Terminator and episodes of MacGyver? A surprisingly muted film that seems to be playing it safe is what you get. Though they teamed up before in The Expendables 2, this is the first film where Stallone and Schwarzenegger have teamed up properly as an action duo. As usual let’s start with what works; the buddy cop banter between the two action veterans is really enjoyable . Shwarz…… – Arnold- in particular looks like he’s having a good time and channelling the tongue-in-cheek humour that permeated his classic films of the eighties. The deadpan humour matches well with Stallone’s straight-man delivery and gives the film such much needed humour (more on that later). Another enjoyable element of the film is the A-team/MacGyver-like ways our heroes escape from their situation. Whenever an obstacle presents itself ,seeing them come up with a solution ,however ridiculous ,is always fun. What holds the film back is its very reserved ‘play it safe’ style that does not really live up to having two of cinemas biggest action stars in the same place. Given this you would expect something like Terminator meets Rocky, instead the action feels like an average Stephen Segal movie. Towards the end the film begins to degenerate into bland gunfights and fails to use any of these fights as effective set pieces . Even the final confrontation between Stallone and the tormenting head guard (played by football hard Vinnie Jones) feels flat and rather dull Should the two team up again we can only hope a stronger script will do them better justice. FINAL VERDICT 6/10 Disappointing for what could have been a really good action movie icon team up.

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Unknown 12:50  No comment

Captain Philips

SYNOPSIS When his ship is threatened by pirates, the captain must try to defend it and the lives of his crew. When we first see the pirate skiffs closing in on captain Richard Philips’ (Tom Hanks) ship we get a beautiful shot of the vessel alone in an empty ocean, highlightig just how stranded they really are. This lonely, isolated, feeling is kept up throughout the film and makes for nail-biting tension. Director Paul Greengrass (who likes the ‘two sides to every story’ approach) shows us the pirates, led by Muse (Barkhad Abdi) in their preparations to go “fishing”. By giving the characters on both sides equal depth Greengrass avoids any one-dimensional caricatures, the Somali Pirates are all fleshed-out with their own individual traits and motivations. This allows the director to explore deeper political issues in the story without getting onto a soapbox or leaning to one side or another. In fact this is done so skilfully that amongst all the tension and action you might not even be aware of it until you think back on the film later. Given that this is, at its heart, a story about people the two most critical performances are Hank’s and Abdi’s. Hank’s gives a great performance as someone desperately trying to keep a grip on a situation that is rapidly spiralling out of control. Much of the attention has, however, been focused on the career debut of Barkad. His arresting portrayal of a man who is trying to keep control, not only over his hostages, but his own unruly crew, even as his bosses put on the pressure for profit, is one of the film’s central pillars. In fact it’s not too much to say that he somewhat overshadows Hanks - which is saying something for a start. The film is a little slow in getting started but once it does it keeps going at a relentless pace without feeling rushed or getting lost. FINAL VERDICT 8/10 both thought-provoking and nerve shredding, this film grips and does not let go

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Unknown 12:48  No comment

Emperor

Synopsis – In post war Japan, a decision must be made which could spell the end of a two thousand year old dynasty. There are few things more frustrating than a film that sets up an interesting premise and does not take it to its full potential. Emperor sets up an interesting premise, a part of history not well known in the west, post-war Japan and the search for guilt - yet fails to make the most of it. What makes this so frustrating is that it might have so easily turned out differently. The film opens strongly with the end of World War 2 and the arrival of protagonist General Fellers (Matthew Fox) in a ruined and broken Japan. We are told very early on of what is at stake, the Emperor is still a divine figure whose trial and execution could spark fresh bloodshed. Fellers is instructed by General Douglas Macarthur (Tommy Lee Jones) to judge the guilt or innocence in starting the war. Just as things are beginning to get rolling we suddenly, and unexpectedly, stall with a clichéd and totally unnecessary love plot that, not only adds nothing to the film, but does much to divest the audience of any interest. It’s not that the performance in this plot is lacking, on the contrary there are good performances. The plot simply does not, despite the writer’s best efforts, fit at all with the tense and edgy political thriller. It feels very much like two films have been squashed uncomfortably together and the superior one suffer much for it. Where the film gets it right it does it well, Tommy Lee Jones as General Douglas Macarthur is extremely enjoyable to watch, brilliantly capturing the force of the general’s personality and his not inconsiderable ego. Matthew Fox injects emotion into the dry and by the book love story and gives a sense of drive and desperation in the main detective story. Toshiyuki Nishida is another strong element as the dignified general Kajima, a living example of the blending of old and new in Japanese culture. Ultimately the film fails to make this story the exciting and gripping one which its real life source material deserves. FINAL VERDICT 5/10 had the useless sub plot been left out this might have been a much more effective film.

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Unknown 10:51  No comment

MACHETE KILLS

SYNOPSIS – After his partner is killed Machete (Danny Trejo) is sent to stop a deadly nuclear threat. There are many parody films, some based on as little as a sketch on a comedy show. There are few films, however, that can boast to be based on as little as a joke sketch. Machete was an attempt to turn a fake trailer in Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse double bill into an actual movie. Not everyone was convinced but enough people enjoyed the silliness for Rodriguez to try again. Now I never managed to see the first Machete film but felt reasonably assured that the sequel’s title explained just about everything one needs to know about it. Let’s start with what the film does right. Danny Trejo makes a good hero, his distinct look and growling line delivery means he stands out in a good way. The humour the film has is enough to give it a strong running start. Machete’s titular weapon is put to good use in over-the-top-gore and schlocky deaths (one of the most memorable involves an electric fence). This part plays out like a gorier Austin powers. The plot is also suitably ridiculous for this kind of ‘exploitation parody’, the cartoonish Bond villain type plan of a nuclear bomb and a walled off Mexico reads like something from the Naked Gun. Where the film goes wrong is, and I can’t believe I’m saying this about a film set in a world where Charlie Sheen is the President, it takes itself too seriously. At the screening I attended the gaps between the laughs got longer and longer. You get the distinct impression that we’re actually supposed to take the absurdities on offer and the serious stuff as well as humorous fare. Everyone plays it just a little too straight for the humour to be at its maximum potential. I am of course exempting Mr Trejo for this (mostly because I don’t want to make him angry) whose role works precisely because of the deadpan manner in which he accepts most of the insane world around him. It also doesn’t help that despite its fast and furious opening the movie lacks energy as it lurches towards its climax, some of the insane randomness is lost in an overabundance of dialogue when Machete could instead be kicking ass. For all of this it’s still an enjoyable laugh, however the sour smell of wasted potential still hangs over it. FINAL VERDICT 5/10 Only enjoyable when it could have been brilliantly insane.

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Unknown 13:09  No comment

FIFTH ESTATE

SYNOPSIS – The story of how Wikileaks came to prominence as an online superpower. You would need to have been living under a rock for the past couple of years to have not heard of Wikileaks. The controversial website has made it its mission to provide a platform for whistle-blowers in any industry and on any topic, and the man at the centre of all that controversy is Julian Assange. Obviously with such a highly divisive topic as this coming up with a cohesive film script could be rather problematic. Indeed Assange himself has already denounced the film as lies and propaganda and sent star Benedict Cumberbatch an email asking him not to take part. The filmmakers use Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Bruhl), the site’s former spokesperson, as our eyes and ears into the man and the movement. Right from the start we encounter the problem that has plagued films such as this through the ages - how to make the sight of people typing on keyboards exciting. The solution offered here is the visual metaphor of a large endless office - this isn’t entirely ineffective (though wasn’t this what everyone laughed at hackers for?) The imagery does, however, being used repeatedly throughout the film, grow rather tiresome and boring. The film tends to sag towards the middle after we get a montage of Wikileak’s greatest hits and there seems little to do but wait for the big one (the infamous leak of Afgahnistan war logs). To fill the middle gap we get Domscheit-Berg’s relationship troubles and debates on the ethics of the site that feel rather like filler. Now it has to be said that once we reach the endgame things pick up and interest levels rise again. The story of the Manning (the name of the Private who leaked the documents) leak could quite easily have taken most the film and, had this been the case, the film might have had better closure. Part of my dissatisfaction with the ending might stem from the director’s efforts to put an end to a story that is still very much on-going. Credit for saving the film from its plodding plot must go to its actor Bendidict Cumberbatch. Forced to play a complex contradictory character, Cumberbatch manages to capture both the awe Assange can instil whilst exactly showing his erratic darker side that drives a wedge between him and his only real friend. Bruhl, I feel, also deserves credit for his performance, his part may be that of observer, a guest in Julian’s mad world, but he breathes life into a character that otherwise might seem a little flat or dull. FINAL VERDICT 6/10 –Overall the film entertains but feels overawed by its subject matter. Perhaps when more time has passed a stronger attempt could be made.

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Unknown 13:06  No comment

How I Live Now

From our first introduction to her, it’s clear that Elisabeth (Saoirse Ronan) is not your average teenager. Plagued by doubts and insecurities that manifest through a constant stream of jumbled and confusing thoughts, she puts up a hostile front to mask these insecurities. On top of all this, she is being sent into an unfamiliar environment, her aunt’s farm in England (she’s American) The England we see her entering is like ours but is clearly very different as illustrated by her trip through customs. Eye scanners and fingerprint readers are present among the normal security checks and soldiers stand alert on guard against possible threats. Just what these threats are is kept as background noise and for the first half the film focuses on Daisy and her relationship with her cousins - Issac (Tom Holland), Piper (Harley Bird) and Edmund (George Mackay). It is Edmund who helps Elisabeth out of her shell when he begins a romantic relationship with her cousin (not a common big screen pairing ). This happiness is shattered, however, when the background tension explodes into armed conflict, starting with a nuclear device being detonated. Let’s start with the good; Saoirse Ronana’s central performance is very strong. She gives depth to what might otherwise simply be a batty and whiny teenager and allows us to see the emotional pain running beneath the surface. Her co-stars give good performances as well, of particular note being young Harley Bird who has to act in and deal with subject matter far beyond her character’s years, which she rises to admirably. The one weak link is George Mackay’s Edmund, this may not be Mackay’s fault, the part as written feels a little bland, he’s less like a person than a goal, something for Elisabeth to aim for. Also on the positive side is the film’s visuals which are used very effectively to set the tone; from the sunlit and cheery farm to the grimness of the government camp. Most effective is the wide open English countryside which seems to stretch endlessly. There are, however, problems - the way in which the nature of the war is kept vague is both a blessing and a curse to the film. On the one hand it allows us to concentrate on our protagonists, on the other hand it leaves the world the film takes place in feeling half complete. When we do see “the enemy” they feel more like generic movie thugs than a genuine threat. Pacing is also a problem, the ending feels rather rushed and it might have benefited from a slower more nuanced ending. FINAL VERDICTS 6/10 the concept is interesting and the film is entertaining but you can’t help but feel that more could have been gotten from it

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Unknown 14:38  No comment

Runner Runner

SYNOPSIS –A university student is sucked into the seedy world of online gambling and soon realises that as easy as it was to get in, it may not be so easy to get out. As main character Richie (Justin Timberlake) explains statistics and numbers to one of his college professors, we immediately get the sense of the heart of this film - risk and the world of gambling. Richie, having been cheated on an online poker site travels to South America to confront its owner and ends up being offered a job. The face of online gambling we are presented with is Ivan Block (Ben Affleck). With a name that sounds like a Bond villain it’s an obvious nod to the fact that we know we can’t trust him. We’re first introduced to him sitting in a sauna, king-like on a throne, whilst addressing two American senators as if they were subjects. Affleck’s performance seems to be a mix between a mob boss and a professional salesman. He hands out trinkets and the spoils of the business at first all smiles and affability only letting his darker nature creep in gradually so that, when it does Richie is in too deep. Unfortunately when that nature does show up it is with all the subtlety of a herd of elephants, quite how our protagonist goes so long without realising that his boss may not be on the level is a little strange given his aforementioned intelligence. One of the problems with Runner Runner is that it can’t quite seem to decide what its central message is. On the one hand we are shown Block’s world as a dark place of corruption and the lurking threat of violence. On the other hand the film goes out of its way to show all the lovely things that this lifestyle can get you – e.g. the huge amounts of money to made. It’s not a little unlike last year’s Flight (2012) in which a man’s battle with drug and alcohol sat uncomfortably with an advert for the drink and drugs life style. All of this makes the main character’s desire to escape this world ring a bit hollow. This is not helped by the long and lengthy amount of time it takes him to decide it’s time to get out. FINAL VERDICT 5/10 it’s nothing new or original but it’s still entertaining

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Unknown 13:32  No comment