The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: Movie Review
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace
Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Based on the first of the popular Millennium trilogy books by Swedish author
Stieg Larsson, this adaptation sees Michael Nyqvist playing an idealistic
Swedish journalist Mikael Blomkvist who's called in to investigate a family
crime.
Blomkvist's just lost a libel case and has plenty of time on his hands - so
he's drawn into the disappearance of a 16 year old niece of a wealthy CEO from
40 years ago.
As Blomkvist digs deeper, he's followed by a cyber hacker Lisbeth Salander
(Rapace) who believes she has what it takes to help him solve the case.
However, as the case progresses, there are more skeletons in the closet
waiting to come out - and both parties have plenty to lose as their respective
nooses tighten.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a slow burning thriller - despite the
beauty of the desolate white Swedish landscapes, there's very little beauty in
the thick complicated plot. And in Lisbeth's case, thanks to abuse and some
pretty horrific scenes, the darkness is as black as it comes.
It's that darkness which may scare some off - it's not an easy watch. But
it'd be wrong to write off the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - it's a challenging
and complex film which requires a depth of intelligence from its viewers to keep
up.
Both Nyqvist and Rapace are good in their morally complex roles - you are
never really 100% sure who's to be trusted and who you should be cheering for -
in fact Lisbeth's character may end up polarizing some even if she is an
anti-heroine in the style of the Sopranos - but it's these flaws and foibles
which make The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo compelling to watch.
The ultimate denouement (which finally comes after a mammoth 150 minutes)
leads to a clutch of unanswered questions. It's these which may tempt you back
to rewatch the film to see if there's anything you've missed - and, to say the
least, the door appears to be well and truly open for the second and third books
to be made into films.
Nyqvist and Rapace make odd bedfellows and an uneasily odd partnership -
however, if both are on board for the sequels, I'll be back to see how this
trilogy pans out.
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Saturday, 26 December 2009
The Lovely Bones: Movie Review
The Lovely Bones: Movie Review
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Rose McIver, Michael Imperioli
Director: Peter Jackson
So let the Lovely Bones debate begin.
It's had mixed reviews prior to its Boxing Day release - and to be honest, this take on Alice Sebold's much loved novel will continue to divide many. (More on that shortly)
Irish actress Saoirse Ronan plays American teenager Susie Salmon, a rural Pennsylvanian girl whose life is brutally cut short one day by a predatory neighbour, George Harvey (a wonderfully malevolent Stanley Tucci).
Stuck in the Inbetween world, Susie watches as her family falls apart as the hunt for her body and killer continues to no avail. Will she receive justice and will her family live happily ever after?
The Lovely Bones is by turns, heart in your mouth moments of horror and tears of unadulterated joy. As Peter Jackson explained at the New Zealand premiere this take on the book is a deeply personal one - and I'm guessing that's where some of the mixed reviews have come from.
Personally I loved this film - there are some incredible visuals and flights of fancy which are just liquid on the eyes. Clearly the effects employed in the realisation of the InBetween are just awe inducing and lead to sensory overload. Specifically the first scenes when you see Susie enter that ephemeral other world, the colours are so bright, the images so clear that it's just unlike anything you've ever seen.
However, it's back on earth that there is also much to enjoy - and to be honest, a little to nitpick at.
Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz are good in admirable parts but it's their story of a family falling apart in the film which feels a little rushed - perhaps somewhat inevitably some of the earthbound action suffers from being book ended by the fantastical scenes of Susie's world. Consequently you maybe don't feel as much as you could for their heartbreak - it's nothing against their performances whatsoever; just merely their place in the film.
That said there really does need to be accolades showered on Saoirse Ronan the piercing bright blue eyed ingénue who plays Susie - she brings so much to the role; the exuberance of youth, the heaviness of despair and the sadness will just at times crush you. She's incredible in this. As is Rose McIver as her feisty sister Lindsay - a brilliant performance from an actress to watch out for.
Much the same needs to be said about Stanley Tucci's predator killer George Harvey. This is one of the most chilling character performances I've seen in a long time - menacing, creepy and just terrifying, this understated turn will leave you squirming uncomfortably in your seat. It's to Peter Jackson's credit that this role's so underplayed, it actually makes it worse for those watching because he gets away with the murder.
And that's the other thing about The Lovely Bones - the murder. The build up to this is just terrifying and is made even worse because you know what's coming. As the tension's ratcheted up, what you imagine happening is worse in your mind rather than what actually happens (in this case) off screen. Plus the scene right after is as heartbreaking as anything else you'll see this year.
Granted if you're a huge fan of Alice Sebold's book, you may find yourself a little disappointed with the adaptation - but to be honest, everyone takes a personal approach to this film, Peter Jackson included. The Lovely Bones is stunning in places - and will leave you horrified in others; go along and enjoy the spectacle that Peter Jackson's created on a smaller more intimate scale than any of his other epics.
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Rose McIver, Michael Imperioli
Director: Peter Jackson
So let the Lovely Bones debate begin.
It's had mixed reviews prior to its Boxing Day release - and to be honest, this take on Alice Sebold's much loved novel will continue to divide many. (More on that shortly)
Irish actress Saoirse Ronan plays American teenager Susie Salmon, a rural Pennsylvanian girl whose life is brutally cut short one day by a predatory neighbour, George Harvey (a wonderfully malevolent Stanley Tucci).
Stuck in the Inbetween world, Susie watches as her family falls apart as the hunt for her body and killer continues to no avail. Will she receive justice and will her family live happily ever after?
The Lovely Bones is by turns, heart in your mouth moments of horror and tears of unadulterated joy. As Peter Jackson explained at the New Zealand premiere this take on the book is a deeply personal one - and I'm guessing that's where some of the mixed reviews have come from.
Personally I loved this film - there are some incredible visuals and flights of fancy which are just liquid on the eyes. Clearly the effects employed in the realisation of the InBetween are just awe inducing and lead to sensory overload. Specifically the first scenes when you see Susie enter that ephemeral other world, the colours are so bright, the images so clear that it's just unlike anything you've ever seen.
However, it's back on earth that there is also much to enjoy - and to be honest, a little to nitpick at.
Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz are good in admirable parts but it's their story of a family falling apart in the film which feels a little rushed - perhaps somewhat inevitably some of the earthbound action suffers from being book ended by the fantastical scenes of Susie's world. Consequently you maybe don't feel as much as you could for their heartbreak - it's nothing against their performances whatsoever; just merely their place in the film.
That said there really does need to be accolades showered on Saoirse Ronan the piercing bright blue eyed ingénue who plays Susie - she brings so much to the role; the exuberance of youth, the heaviness of despair and the sadness will just at times crush you. She's incredible in this. As is Rose McIver as her feisty sister Lindsay - a brilliant performance from an actress to watch out for.
Much the same needs to be said about Stanley Tucci's predator killer George Harvey. This is one of the most chilling character performances I've seen in a long time - menacing, creepy and just terrifying, this understated turn will leave you squirming uncomfortably in your seat. It's to Peter Jackson's credit that this role's so underplayed, it actually makes it worse for those watching because he gets away with the murder.
And that's the other thing about The Lovely Bones - the murder. The build up to this is just terrifying and is made even worse because you know what's coming. As the tension's ratcheted up, what you imagine happening is worse in your mind rather than what actually happens (in this case) off screen. Plus the scene right after is as heartbreaking as anything else you'll see this year.
Granted if you're a huge fan of Alice Sebold's book, you may find yourself a little disappointed with the adaptation - but to be honest, everyone takes a personal approach to this film, Peter Jackson included. The Lovely Bones is stunning in places - and will leave you horrified in others; go along and enjoy the spectacle that Peter Jackson's created on a smaller more intimate scale than any of his other epics.
Sherlock Holmes: Movie Review
Sherlock Holmes: Movie Review
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan
Director: Guy Ritchie
Ah, the quintessential hero could really only be played by the quintessential comeback kid.
So it is with this new take on Sherlock Holmes which sees Robert Downey Jr taking on the mantle of the detective.
Upon capturing evil Lord Blackwood (played with the usual flair by Mark Strong), Holmes (Downey Jr) is taunted by his promises that it's not over.
Things get even more surreal when Blackwood apparently rises from the dead and begins to terrorise London.
And despite this being Holmes and Watson's last case together (Watson's off to be married), the pair soon find themselves pulled back into the English criminal underworld as Blackwood's true machinations begin to unfurl.
As if that wasn't bad enough for Holmes, his one true love, the untrustworthy Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) is back on the scene - and it appears she's got plenty of secrets to keep Holmes intrigued.
Sherlock Holmes is a good reintroduction into the characters - but I have to admit, I felt much of the muddled plot was there simply to serve as exposition ready for the sequel (once you've seen it you'll understand why - and there's no spoilers here).
That said, there's much to admire about this latest rendition of Holmes - Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law have an excellent partnership as Holmes and Watson respectively; the pair are like brothers and Holmes can't resist pulling Watson back in the more he tries to get out of the crimesolving game.
Downey Jr makes a great Holmes - and director Ritchie plays his Holmes as a bored genius; Sherlock's feckless and restless when he doesn't have a case to solve - and he's never happier than when he has a riddle to deal with. Once again, Downey Jr proves the screen presence - although it's mainly thanks to his foil of a human Jude Law that the partnership works so well. The pair's bickering and squabbling clearly hides a deep love - and Holmes is jealous that he's about to lose his long time companion to a woman. It's these kind of character tics which really make Holmes quirky and reinvents him for the 21st century.
Mark Strong is as good as ever in the character role of Lord Blackwood - his taunting and teasing of Holmes clearly does a lot to show once again that Strong is an incredibly menacing and versatile actor onscreen.
Guy Ritchie's also brought that inevitable sense of Lock Stock cinematic style to ancient London - I had to admire the way he used his traditional slow mo shots to show how Holmes deals quickly with a problem in his head before physically dealing with it. In one fight scene, Holmes works out mentally how he will incapacitate his opponent through a series of slow mo cut shots - then seconds later, we see the physical action. It's a great way to demonstrate how Holmes' intellect and quick thinking works.
If there's to be a criticism of Sherlock Holmes (other than the film feeling like it's getting us ready for Sherlock 2) then it's that thanks to a slightly muddled plot, it never quite crackles and fizzes as well as it should - witty dialogue, quick repartie and some good (at times comedy) action pieces (including a very novel set piece on a dry docked boat) work well but the story drags it down slightly.
Holmes is clearly where the heart is, and Downey Jr's already said he will play the role again - so it's clear that the game is indeed afoot.
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan
Director: Guy Ritchie
Ah, the quintessential hero could really only be played by the quintessential comeback kid.
So it is with this new take on Sherlock Holmes which sees Robert Downey Jr taking on the mantle of the detective.
Upon capturing evil Lord Blackwood (played with the usual flair by Mark Strong), Holmes (Downey Jr) is taunted by his promises that it's not over.
Things get even more surreal when Blackwood apparently rises from the dead and begins to terrorise London.
And despite this being Holmes and Watson's last case together (Watson's off to be married), the pair soon find themselves pulled back into the English criminal underworld as Blackwood's true machinations begin to unfurl.
As if that wasn't bad enough for Holmes, his one true love, the untrustworthy Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) is back on the scene - and it appears she's got plenty of secrets to keep Holmes intrigued.
Sherlock Holmes is a good reintroduction into the characters - but I have to admit, I felt much of the muddled plot was there simply to serve as exposition ready for the sequel (once you've seen it you'll understand why - and there's no spoilers here).
That said, there's much to admire about this latest rendition of Holmes - Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law have an excellent partnership as Holmes and Watson respectively; the pair are like brothers and Holmes can't resist pulling Watson back in the more he tries to get out of the crimesolving game.
Downey Jr makes a great Holmes - and director Ritchie plays his Holmes as a bored genius; Sherlock's feckless and restless when he doesn't have a case to solve - and he's never happier than when he has a riddle to deal with. Once again, Downey Jr proves the screen presence - although it's mainly thanks to his foil of a human Jude Law that the partnership works so well. The pair's bickering and squabbling clearly hides a deep love - and Holmes is jealous that he's about to lose his long time companion to a woman. It's these kind of character tics which really make Holmes quirky and reinvents him for the 21st century.
Mark Strong is as good as ever in the character role of Lord Blackwood - his taunting and teasing of Holmes clearly does a lot to show once again that Strong is an incredibly menacing and versatile actor onscreen.
Guy Ritchie's also brought that inevitable sense of Lock Stock cinematic style to ancient London - I had to admire the way he used his traditional slow mo shots to show how Holmes deals quickly with a problem in his head before physically dealing with it. In one fight scene, Holmes works out mentally how he will incapacitate his opponent through a series of slow mo cut shots - then seconds later, we see the physical action. It's a great way to demonstrate how Holmes' intellect and quick thinking works.
If there's to be a criticism of Sherlock Holmes (other than the film feeling like it's getting us ready for Sherlock 2) then it's that thanks to a slightly muddled plot, it never quite crackles and fizzes as well as it should - witty dialogue, quick repartie and some good (at times comedy) action pieces (including a very novel set piece on a dry docked boat) work well but the story drags it down slightly.
Holmes is clearly where the heart is, and Downey Jr's already said he will play the role again - so it's clear that the game is indeed afoot.
Thursday, 24 December 2009
Alvin and The Chipmunks 2: Movie Review
Alvin and The Chipmunks 2: Movie Review
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Alvin, Simon, Theodore, Zachary Levi, Jason Lee, David Cross, Wendie Malick
Director: Betty Thomas
Alvin and the gang are back in this hideously titled follow up to Alvin and the Chipmunks.
This time, Alvin, Theodore and Simon are facing a life away from their pal Dave (Jason Lee - who's reduced to a mere cameo in this sequel) after an accident at a concert lands him in hospital.
Dave dispatches the helium voiced trio to live with his nephew Toby (Zachary Levi) - and as an added bonus, Dave decides it's time for them to go to school.
As if the peer pressure of fitting in at an American high school wasn't bad enough, the Chipmunks face a new threat - a female equivalent trio, the Chipettes, who are being masterminded by former manager Ian Hawke (David Cross) who's determined to get back into the big time and rain on Alvin's parade.
Can the Chipmunks beat their toughest ever threats and triumph?
So it's summer and the movies are all really about entertainment at the moment particularly with the school holidays now in full force.
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel isn't bad entertainment - it just unfortunately fails to bridge the all ages gap. There'll be some younger movie goers who'll love the fart gags and the continuing pratfalls of the main cast - and that's perfectly fine.
But for the older portion of the audience (ie the mums and dads who are dragged along by their brood), it may be a little more of a struggle to get through. The human actors - David Cross and Zachary Levi (of TV2 fame as Chuck) acquit themselves well - Levi continues to get by on his lovable goofiness and slacker charm whereas Cross proves why he's such a comic genius by steering his Ian Hawke away from stereotyped bad guy into idiotic despot territory.
The Chipmunks themselves are all fine - at times, they sparked off memories of the Gremlins because of their continuing buffoonery.
However, there's some morals on display here too - Alvin has to learn some harsh lessons about never abandoning family as well as peer pressure and that pride comes before a fall; Brittany, Eleanor and Jeanette, the new Chipettes provide the requisite romantic spark but all in all Alvin and The Chipmunks - The Squeakquel is a fairly light piece of unsubstantial holiday entertainment.
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Alvin, Simon, Theodore, Zachary Levi, Jason Lee, David Cross, Wendie Malick
Director: Betty Thomas
Alvin and the gang are back in this hideously titled follow up to Alvin and the Chipmunks.
This time, Alvin, Theodore and Simon are facing a life away from their pal Dave (Jason Lee - who's reduced to a mere cameo in this sequel) after an accident at a concert lands him in hospital.
Dave dispatches the helium voiced trio to live with his nephew Toby (Zachary Levi) - and as an added bonus, Dave decides it's time for them to go to school.
As if the peer pressure of fitting in at an American high school wasn't bad enough, the Chipmunks face a new threat - a female equivalent trio, the Chipettes, who are being masterminded by former manager Ian Hawke (David Cross) who's determined to get back into the big time and rain on Alvin's parade.
Can the Chipmunks beat their toughest ever threats and triumph?
So it's summer and the movies are all really about entertainment at the moment particularly with the school holidays now in full force.
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel isn't bad entertainment - it just unfortunately fails to bridge the all ages gap. There'll be some younger movie goers who'll love the fart gags and the continuing pratfalls of the main cast - and that's perfectly fine.
But for the older portion of the audience (ie the mums and dads who are dragged along by their brood), it may be a little more of a struggle to get through. The human actors - David Cross and Zachary Levi (of TV2 fame as Chuck) acquit themselves well - Levi continues to get by on his lovable goofiness and slacker charm whereas Cross proves why he's such a comic genius by steering his Ian Hawke away from stereotyped bad guy into idiotic despot territory.
The Chipmunks themselves are all fine - at times, they sparked off memories of the Gremlins because of their continuing buffoonery.
However, there's some morals on display here too - Alvin has to learn some harsh lessons about never abandoning family as well as peer pressure and that pride comes before a fall; Brittany, Eleanor and Jeanette, the new Chipettes provide the requisite romantic spark but all in all Alvin and The Chipmunks - The Squeakquel is a fairly light piece of unsubstantial holiday entertainment.
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Morris A Life With Bells On: Movie Review
Morris A Life With Bells On
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Chas Oldham, Derek Jacobi, Ian Hart, Dominique Pinon
Director: Lucy Akhurst
Morris dancing - it doesn't sound like your average choice for a film.
However, this spoof doco about the perils faced by the world of Morris could change that.
Set in rural England, a documentary team follows the life of Derecq Twist.
Actor Chas Oldham is Twist, a young morris dancer whose moves have set the world of the dance alight and whose thoughts of modernization are causing ripples within the governing body who oversee all things bells and sticks.
However, Twist is expelled from his local group and cast asunder from the UK world of Morris dancing by the powers that be.
So Twist heads abroad to follow his fame and worldwide reputation and its there that he starts to realize that while you can take the man out of morris dancing, you cant take the morris dancing out of the man.
This mockumentary is quite a gentle film - if you're blessed with a knowledge of rural parts of England and their quaint ways (thatched cottage roofs and slightly accented speaking) it may well appeal to you a little more than the average viewer.
There's a casual charm to the central cast; Twist's wrapped up in his morris ways but he has a disarming attitude which hooks you in from the start. Derek Jacobi as Quentin Neely, the head of the morris dancing organisation, is full of the pompous self importance and priggery you often find on jumped up committees worldwide. And as for the cameo by Pinon (Delicatessen) as the French sailor who washed up on the shores and discovered the joys of the Lord of the dance, well, quelle amusement there.
The humour is sly and wry there is a lot of casual throwaway comments which will catch you out if you're not paying attention. A lot of the dialogue is very similar in places to Spinal Tap at one point, one character says they are all about the 3 Ps - passion, practice and the desire to be best. It's that kind of subtle humour which reels you in without realizing.
There is actually plenty of serious Morris Dancing (aside from the American Backstreet boys style number) which shows the cast, while slyly mocking the subject, clearly has a lot of admiration for how it's done.
Morris A Life With Bells On is an antidote to the bigger Christmas blockbuster fare - it's got rural rustic charm all over it and will leave you with a wry grin through out.
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Chas Oldham, Derek Jacobi, Ian Hart, Dominique Pinon
Director: Lucy Akhurst
Morris dancing - it doesn't sound like your average choice for a film.
However, this spoof doco about the perils faced by the world of Morris could change that.
Set in rural England, a documentary team follows the life of Derecq Twist.
Actor Chas Oldham is Twist, a young morris dancer whose moves have set the world of the dance alight and whose thoughts of modernization are causing ripples within the governing body who oversee all things bells and sticks.
However, Twist is expelled from his local group and cast asunder from the UK world of Morris dancing by the powers that be.
So Twist heads abroad to follow his fame and worldwide reputation and its there that he starts to realize that while you can take the man out of morris dancing, you cant take the morris dancing out of the man.
This mockumentary is quite a gentle film - if you're blessed with a knowledge of rural parts of England and their quaint ways (thatched cottage roofs and slightly accented speaking) it may well appeal to you a little more than the average viewer.
There's a casual charm to the central cast; Twist's wrapped up in his morris ways but he has a disarming attitude which hooks you in from the start. Derek Jacobi as Quentin Neely, the head of the morris dancing organisation, is full of the pompous self importance and priggery you often find on jumped up committees worldwide. And as for the cameo by Pinon (Delicatessen) as the French sailor who washed up on the shores and discovered the joys of the Lord of the dance, well, quelle amusement there.
The humour is sly and wry there is a lot of casual throwaway comments which will catch you out if you're not paying attention. A lot of the dialogue is very similar in places to Spinal Tap at one point, one character says they are all about the 3 Ps - passion, practice and the desire to be best. It's that kind of subtle humour which reels you in without realizing.
There is actually plenty of serious Morris Dancing (aside from the American Backstreet boys style number) which shows the cast, while slyly mocking the subject, clearly has a lot of admiration for how it's done.
Morris A Life With Bells On is an antidote to the bigger Christmas blockbuster fare - it's got rural rustic charm all over it and will leave you with a wry grin through out.
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Avatar: Movie Review
Avatar: Movie Review
Avatar
Rating: See below
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi
Director: James Cameron.
Wow.
It's been a long wait for the world James Cameron - along with WETA - has created for Avatar - and it's finally here.
Sam Worthington is Jake Sully, a paralysed former Marine who takes his dead brother's place on a mission to new world Pandora.
It's there that the Earthlings find themselves in conflict with the planet's indigenous people, the Na'vi (a 10 foot tall, blue skinned cat like spiritual race)
The Earthlings want to get their hands on a rich deposit of unobtainium, a rare mineral which could prevent the energy crisis back on earth.
However, that deposit is slap bang in the middle of the Na'vi's spiritual land - so Sully is sent in (via his own blue skinned Na'vi avatar) to try and see if there's a solution - be it military or negotiation...
So, what can you say about Avatar?
Blessed with superlatives already by critics worldwide (including Peter Jackson at the launch of the Lovely Bones ) and now given Golden Globe nods , it's fair to say Avatar is nothing short of a wondrous cinematic visual experience.
Weta has done such a thrilling job bringing James Cameron's vision to life - lush landscapes bristle with plant life made up of purples, oranges and deep greens. Every attention to detail in the world around the protagonists has been captured - in the early stages of the film, the cameras pan round technology of holographic scanners in a command centre as if it were the norm. The world is set up so quickly that pretty soon you adjust to life on another world.
The stop motion technology used to bring to the Na'vi and the wildlife around them to life also needs to be shouted about - it's game changing in terms of what films can do. And will do from now on. I can guarantee you've never really seen a film like this (other than in your mind's eye when you've been reading certain books) - the Na'vi are a fully formed breathing entity complete with layers of detail and glistening spots in the depths of the jungle.
I really don't have the words to explain how awe inducing it is up on the big screen - this is a film that will remain as an experience in 2D cinema, but will lose its majesty outside of the 3D world where it's brought to life. It's outstanding the level of detail which those behind the camera have gone to (see if you can spot the subtle difference between the Na'vi and the humans' Avatars)
However - yes, I'm sorry to be the bearer of some bad news - there are a few niggles with Avatar.
It's not the most original of stories - the plot (such as it is) is predictable and the usual adage of it being a big blockbuster light on plot does come to mind. All of the actors are good in their roles (although it's a little disheartening to see Zoe Saldana's Neytiri character go from strong warrior to female sidekick - and the marine in charge Colonel Quaritch - played with stereotypical Marine arrogance by Stephen Lang is so one dimensional). Sure, these are the usual complaints about plot, character development etc.
Yet, I'm more than happy to concede that (and even shout about the fact) Avatar is a game changing film and revolutionary - it's raised the bar so high in terms of effects that it'll be a struggle to see anything live up to its standards and the experience.
Granted, this first film is really about showing off the results of the technology - the challenge will come in the stories James Cameron will tell on the world in the sequels.
You really do have to see this on the big screen - and preferably in 3D to fully experience what Cameron - and Richard Taylor's Weta team - wanted you to live through.
Rating: 10/10 for effects and WOW factor - 5/10 for plot
Avatar
Rating: See below
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi
Director: James Cameron.
Wow.
It's been a long wait for the world James Cameron - along with WETA - has created for Avatar - and it's finally here.
Sam Worthington is Jake Sully, a paralysed former Marine who takes his dead brother's place on a mission to new world Pandora.
It's there that the Earthlings find themselves in conflict with the planet's indigenous people, the Na'vi (a 10 foot tall, blue skinned cat like spiritual race)
The Earthlings want to get their hands on a rich deposit of unobtainium, a rare mineral which could prevent the energy crisis back on earth.
However, that deposit is slap bang in the middle of the Na'vi's spiritual land - so Sully is sent in (via his own blue skinned Na'vi avatar) to try and see if there's a solution - be it military or negotiation...
So, what can you say about Avatar?
Blessed with superlatives already by critics worldwide (including Peter Jackson at the launch of the Lovely Bones ) and now given Golden Globe nods , it's fair to say Avatar is nothing short of a wondrous cinematic visual experience.
Weta has done such a thrilling job bringing James Cameron's vision to life - lush landscapes bristle with plant life made up of purples, oranges and deep greens. Every attention to detail in the world around the protagonists has been captured - in the early stages of the film, the cameras pan round technology of holographic scanners in a command centre as if it were the norm. The world is set up so quickly that pretty soon you adjust to life on another world.
The stop motion technology used to bring to the Na'vi and the wildlife around them to life also needs to be shouted about - it's game changing in terms of what films can do. And will do from now on. I can guarantee you've never really seen a film like this (other than in your mind's eye when you've been reading certain books) - the Na'vi are a fully formed breathing entity complete with layers of detail and glistening spots in the depths of the jungle.
I really don't have the words to explain how awe inducing it is up on the big screen - this is a film that will remain as an experience in 2D cinema, but will lose its majesty outside of the 3D world where it's brought to life. It's outstanding the level of detail which those behind the camera have gone to (see if you can spot the subtle difference between the Na'vi and the humans' Avatars)
However - yes, I'm sorry to be the bearer of some bad news - there are a few niggles with Avatar.
It's not the most original of stories - the plot (such as it is) is predictable and the usual adage of it being a big blockbuster light on plot does come to mind. All of the actors are good in their roles (although it's a little disheartening to see Zoe Saldana's Neytiri character go from strong warrior to female sidekick - and the marine in charge Colonel Quaritch - played with stereotypical Marine arrogance by Stephen Lang is so one dimensional). Sure, these are the usual complaints about plot, character development etc.
Yet, I'm more than happy to concede that (and even shout about the fact) Avatar is a game changing film and revolutionary - it's raised the bar so high in terms of effects that it'll be a struggle to see anything live up to its standards and the experience.
Granted, this first film is really about showing off the results of the technology - the challenge will come in the stories James Cameron will tell on the world in the sequels.
You really do have to see this on the big screen - and preferably in 3D to fully experience what Cameron - and Richard Taylor's Weta team - wanted you to live through.
Rating: 10/10 for effects and WOW factor - 5/10 for plot
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Amelia: Movie Review
Amelia: Movie Review
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston
Director: Mira Nair
Hilary Swank stars as the symbol of optimism and hope to many during the great depression in this latest attempt to bring Amelia Earhart to the screen.
(The first of course was the button nose Amy Adams in this year's Night At the Museum 2)
Earhart's story is obviously one which is well known given how her final flight turned out - although the mystery behind it has never been solved, there's been endless speculation about what exactly happened when she disappeared.
Book-ending this film is that flight - as the film opens, Earhart's in the plane with her navigator - but from there, we're cast back into the past as we see exactly how she became interested in the whole business of flying and cracking the gentlemen's club of the time. The story's told in flashbacks as we see Earhart taking her final flight, the 1937 round the world attempt from which she disappeared.
Earhart first meets with publisher George Putnam (Richard Gere) who asks her why exactly she wants to fly. He's after a female face to help sell a book - and interest - in aviation. But Putnam's reckoned without Earhart's moxy and her ambition to fly solo (something which was framed upon in the boy's club of the time).
Amelia is a disappointing biopic - despite Swank's uncanny resemblance to Earhart, there's little passion in the film - even an affair with Ewan McGregor's Gene Vidal is brushed over without any real depth and feeling. And Putnam's desire to keep Earhart and his jealousy over her friendship with Vidal is fumbled over as well. It's a case of missed opportunities with this biopic.
Earhart was clearly a conflicted, passionate character - she was forced to endorse products she didn't believe in because of the harsh reality that a lack of product placement would mean no cash to finance the flights. We see her give in with little fight and it's frustrating.
Director Mira Nair's used to great effect old aeroplanes and some of the old reel footage which exists of the flights at the time (the newsreels fade into excellent recreations of the scenes) and there's a wonderful sweeping score.
But set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, I never really got a sense of how Amelia Earhart was the modern hero to those who suffered so badly in the 30s - and I certainly never felt that the filmmakers got that message across well enough.
There's a simplicity of story telling within Amelia - but unfortunately it's a little too broad brush and treats the subject a little too lightly. It's very tempting to say the biopic rarely takes off (sorry) but in all honesty, Amelia just doesn't gel together; the story's a little flat and it's hard to emotionally engage with Amelia herself and sympathise with her plight as she tried desperately to pioneer her way in the skies.
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston
Director: Mira Nair
Hilary Swank stars as the symbol of optimism and hope to many during the great depression in this latest attempt to bring Amelia Earhart to the screen.
(The first of course was the button nose Amy Adams in this year's Night At the Museum 2)
Earhart's story is obviously one which is well known given how her final flight turned out - although the mystery behind it has never been solved, there's been endless speculation about what exactly happened when she disappeared.
Book-ending this film is that flight - as the film opens, Earhart's in the plane with her navigator - but from there, we're cast back into the past as we see exactly how she became interested in the whole business of flying and cracking the gentlemen's club of the time. The story's told in flashbacks as we see Earhart taking her final flight, the 1937 round the world attempt from which she disappeared.
Earhart first meets with publisher George Putnam (Richard Gere) who asks her why exactly she wants to fly. He's after a female face to help sell a book - and interest - in aviation. But Putnam's reckoned without Earhart's moxy and her ambition to fly solo (something which was framed upon in the boy's club of the time).
Amelia is a disappointing biopic - despite Swank's uncanny resemblance to Earhart, there's little passion in the film - even an affair with Ewan McGregor's Gene Vidal is brushed over without any real depth and feeling. And Putnam's desire to keep Earhart and his jealousy over her friendship with Vidal is fumbled over as well. It's a case of missed opportunities with this biopic.
Earhart was clearly a conflicted, passionate character - she was forced to endorse products she didn't believe in because of the harsh reality that a lack of product placement would mean no cash to finance the flights. We see her give in with little fight and it's frustrating.
Director Mira Nair's used to great effect old aeroplanes and some of the old reel footage which exists of the flights at the time (the newsreels fade into excellent recreations of the scenes) and there's a wonderful sweeping score.
But set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, I never really got a sense of how Amelia Earhart was the modern hero to those who suffered so badly in the 30s - and I certainly never felt that the filmmakers got that message across well enough.
There's a simplicity of story telling within Amelia - but unfortunately it's a little too broad brush and treats the subject a little too lightly. It's very tempting to say the biopic rarely takes off (sorry) but in all honesty, Amelia just doesn't gel together; the story's a little flat and it's hard to emotionally engage with Amelia herself and sympathise with her plight as she tried desperately to pioneer her way in the skies.
Under The Mountain: Movie Review
Under The Mountain: Movie Review
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Sam Neill, Oliver Driver, Tom Cameron, Sophie McBride
Director: Jonathan King
How do you adapt a classic?
Particularly one as inherently Kiwi and steeped in our culture as hokey pokey ice cream or The Topp Twins?
That's the dilemma facing the director Jonathan King in this new adaptation of Maurice Gee's much loved book Under The Mountain, first published back in 1979.
In this version (a little removed from the iconic eighties television series) teen twins Theo and Rachel (Tom Cameron and Sophie McBride) are growing apart after the death of their mother.
The psychic bond shared by the pair is under strain as Theo refuses to face the reality of the situation - however, the pair stay with relatives in Auckland and discover their future lies in helping Mr Jones (Sam Neill) defeat the Wilberforces before they unleash the power beneath the volcanoes and destroy the world..
Personally I think it's hard to really appreciate Under The Mountain out of context of New Zealand - the whole production is clearly a NZ venture; from the sweeping panoramic shots of Auckland and the NZ countryside to a very funny aside about the reality of calling in the New Zealand Army, Under The Mountain is steeped in Kiwiana.
Maurice Gee's book is considered a classic by many - and it's fair to say there's a weight of expectation on this adaptation.
What director Jonathan King's managed to create is an incredibly creepy and, in places, downright scary film - the oozing menace from Oliver Driver's head Wilberforce is likely to give kids nightmares. He is a boogeyman for the 21st century and thanks to WETA workshop's impressive prosthetic work and Driver's staccato vocals, there'll be plenty who'll want to sleep with the lights on for a while to come.
The effects are equally as impressive - whereas the directors could easily have used CGI to create everything, they've opted for a mix of live action and CGI which seamlessly blend in.
Scenery plays a vitally important part in this film - Rangitoto towers in the background, forever lurking and casting a shadow over what transpires in the film - beautiful panoramic shots highlight the juxtaposition of the alien decay of the Wilberforce place on Lake Pupuke in comparison to the life and vitality of Auckland's finest.
For first time actors, Tom Cameron and Sophie McBride acquit themselves not too badly; and Leon Wadham's cousin Ricky, who initially grates as a comedy relief, finds something meatier is required of him when the Wilberforce threat becomes real - Sam Neill as ever brings gravitas and a degree of humanity to his role as Mr Jones.
If there's to be a criticism of Under The Mountain (and unfortunately there has to be), it comes after the 60 minutes mark - after building an incredible atmosphere of menace and threat, it all becomes a little unstuck and the ending is somewhat rushed and a little muddy. A moment of sacrifice from a major character unfortunately doesn't ring as emotionally true as it should and it clouds the film's denouement.
Overall, Under The Mountain deserves to do well in New Zealand as it's imbued with an inherent love of the source material here - for the young kids, there's a brand new generation of Wilberforces to give them the heebie jeebies - and for those who fondly remember the iconic TVNZ series, there's plenty of moments to empathise with the kids as their teen fears are realized.
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Sam Neill, Oliver Driver, Tom Cameron, Sophie McBride
Director: Jonathan King
How do you adapt a classic?
Particularly one as inherently Kiwi and steeped in our culture as hokey pokey ice cream or The Topp Twins?
That's the dilemma facing the director Jonathan King in this new adaptation of Maurice Gee's much loved book Under The Mountain, first published back in 1979.
In this version (a little removed from the iconic eighties television series) teen twins Theo and Rachel (Tom Cameron and Sophie McBride) are growing apart after the death of their mother.
The psychic bond shared by the pair is under strain as Theo refuses to face the reality of the situation - however, the pair stay with relatives in Auckland and discover their future lies in helping Mr Jones (Sam Neill) defeat the Wilberforces before they unleash the power beneath the volcanoes and destroy the world..
Personally I think it's hard to really appreciate Under The Mountain out of context of New Zealand - the whole production is clearly a NZ venture; from the sweeping panoramic shots of Auckland and the NZ countryside to a very funny aside about the reality of calling in the New Zealand Army, Under The Mountain is steeped in Kiwiana.
Maurice Gee's book is considered a classic by many - and it's fair to say there's a weight of expectation on this adaptation.
What director Jonathan King's managed to create is an incredibly creepy and, in places, downright scary film - the oozing menace from Oliver Driver's head Wilberforce is likely to give kids nightmares. He is a boogeyman for the 21st century and thanks to WETA workshop's impressive prosthetic work and Driver's staccato vocals, there'll be plenty who'll want to sleep with the lights on for a while to come.
The effects are equally as impressive - whereas the directors could easily have used CGI to create everything, they've opted for a mix of live action and CGI which seamlessly blend in.
Scenery plays a vitally important part in this film - Rangitoto towers in the background, forever lurking and casting a shadow over what transpires in the film - beautiful panoramic shots highlight the juxtaposition of the alien decay of the Wilberforce place on Lake Pupuke in comparison to the life and vitality of Auckland's finest.
For first time actors, Tom Cameron and Sophie McBride acquit themselves not too badly; and Leon Wadham's cousin Ricky, who initially grates as a comedy relief, finds something meatier is required of him when the Wilberforce threat becomes real - Sam Neill as ever brings gravitas and a degree of humanity to his role as Mr Jones.
If there's to be a criticism of Under The Mountain (and unfortunately there has to be), it comes after the 60 minutes mark - after building an incredible atmosphere of menace and threat, it all becomes a little unstuck and the ending is somewhat rushed and a little muddy. A moment of sacrifice from a major character unfortunately doesn't ring as emotionally true as it should and it clouds the film's denouement.
Overall, Under The Mountain deserves to do well in New Zealand as it's imbued with an inherent love of the source material here - for the young kids, there's a brand new generation of Wilberforces to give them the heebie jeebies - and for those who fondly remember the iconic TVNZ series, there's plenty of moments to empathise with the kids as their teen fears are realized.
The Time Traveller's Wife: Movie Review
The Time Traveller's Wife: Movie Review
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston
Director: Robert Schwentke
Based on the best selling book by Audrey Niffenegger about a time travelling librarian (yeah, who knew?), the film version of The Time Traveller's Wife finally materialises in cinemas.
Bana stars as old and young versions of Henry deTamble, who, thanks to a genetic anomaly, can travel back and forth through time. Without warning, he simply disappears, leaving behind a pile of clothes and questions - and shows up somewhere else stark naked.
However, one day at a library, he meets Rachel McAdams' Claire Abshire, who tells him that they've met before - only Henry's never met her. Yet.
So they start a relationship and Henry begins to realise that he's met the young Claire - and as their life together grows, Claire begins to suffer the strain of not knowing how long Henry's around for her and what they can do together.
Can their love survive? And what hurdles will they face in their future - will Henry's genetic problem be passed onto their children?
The Time Traveller's Wife may have you leaving the cinema doing one of two things - either scratching your head over the intricacies of jumping around in your own timeline (the bane of sci-fi - and Sam Beckett - for years) or bawling your eyes out.
It's a romantic fantasy with a narrative that jumps back and forth (although not as strongly as the book did) - director Robert Schwentke has made the narrative as linear as he could.
Bana and McAdams bring considerable charm to their respective roles - and the effects of Bana melting away as Henry are pretty cool (like water running through a painting) - but The Time Traveller's Wife has a kind of mournful spirit throughout.
Henry's condition is never seen as anything more than a curse for him - he can't save his mother from a fatal car accident and he never seems entirely happy to just disappear. Even when flashes of his death appear, it's a nice touch to see that Bana's character is scared because he finally has something he wants to stick around for and that's now out of his control.
The Time Traveller's Wife won't set the world alight - despite some of the corny lines, there's a quiet air of sadness in it which induces a major case of the weepies at the end.
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston
Director: Robert Schwentke
Based on the best selling book by Audrey Niffenegger about a time travelling librarian (yeah, who knew?), the film version of The Time Traveller's Wife finally materialises in cinemas.
Bana stars as old and young versions of Henry deTamble, who, thanks to a genetic anomaly, can travel back and forth through time. Without warning, he simply disappears, leaving behind a pile of clothes and questions - and shows up somewhere else stark naked.
However, one day at a library, he meets Rachel McAdams' Claire Abshire, who tells him that they've met before - only Henry's never met her. Yet.
So they start a relationship and Henry begins to realise that he's met the young Claire - and as their life together grows, Claire begins to suffer the strain of not knowing how long Henry's around for her and what they can do together.
Can their love survive? And what hurdles will they face in their future - will Henry's genetic problem be passed onto their children?
The Time Traveller's Wife may have you leaving the cinema doing one of two things - either scratching your head over the intricacies of jumping around in your own timeline (the bane of sci-fi - and Sam Beckett - for years) or bawling your eyes out.
It's a romantic fantasy with a narrative that jumps back and forth (although not as strongly as the book did) - director Robert Schwentke has made the narrative as linear as he could.
Bana and McAdams bring considerable charm to their respective roles - and the effects of Bana melting away as Henry are pretty cool (like water running through a painting) - but The Time Traveller's Wife has a kind of mournful spirit throughout.
Henry's condition is never seen as anything more than a curse for him - he can't save his mother from a fatal car accident and he never seems entirely happy to just disappear. Even when flashes of his death appear, it's a nice touch to see that Bana's character is scared because he finally has something he wants to stick around for and that's now out of his control.
The Time Traveller's Wife won't set the world alight - despite some of the corny lines, there's a quiet air of sadness in it which induces a major case of the weepies at the end.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Where The Wild Things Are: Movie Review
Where The Wild Things Are: Movie Review
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Max Records, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Catherine Keener, Lauren Ambrose, Paul Dano, Forest Whitaker
Director: Spike Jonze
Max is your typical kid - rambunctious, lacking in boundaries and discipline and blessed with a fiercely imaginative mind.
He spends his time building igloos in the snow and wandering around in a wolf costume.
One day after a fight and heated argument with his mum, he runs off, gets in a boat and heads to an island. That island is Where The Wild Things live - and under the cover of darkness, he meets Carol and the rest of the gang - a group of 10 foot tall hairy creatures wreaking havoc for no reason.
Max, feeling dejected and rejected from his home life, decides to stay with the Wild Things after he's made King of their clan - however, he soon discovers that ruling is not as easy as he thought.
Spike Jonze's version of Where The Wild Things Are is of course based on the 1963 book by Maurice Sendak and of course comes with the weighty expectation of fans worldwide.
However, it's no disappointment.
Granted, there's not much story to build on but what Jonze has visually created is stunning in places - and his decision to turn the Wild Things into toweringly tall animatronic full suits (with creatures made by Jim Henson's Creature Shop) is nothing short of cinematic genius.
Shot with a handheld camera, the film is full of beautiful visuals - as well as nightmarish visions and will amaze you from the very moment the Wild Things appear on the screen. They look like cuddly puppets in places - but Carol's temperamental behaviour and tantrums which rock Max's world are brilliantly brought to life by the vocal work of James Gandolfini of Sopranos fame. In fact, it's possible to say Gandolfini's Carol is a creature version of his Tony Soprano - charming and charismatic but with the capability of turning at just the bat of an eyelid.
Let's be clear though - this is not really a kid's film. The themes of anger, loneliness and melancholy coupled with some dark, sinister visuals are the stuff of nightmares. The younger end of the audience may find it hard to watch - but that said, there's wonderment aplenty in the vision Jonze has had.
He's clearly stayed true to his idea of how the book should be created; he's fleshed out the plot and brought the creatures to life. There's a raucous soundtrack to complement this ragtag bag of misfit creatures whose occasionally sadsack ways will amuse and upset in equal measures.
Where The Wild Things will appeal to the imaginative - and Spike Jonze's creativity deserves to be saluted. As the year heads to a close, it's proof the best is still coming
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Max Records, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Catherine Keener, Lauren Ambrose, Paul Dano, Forest Whitaker
Director: Spike Jonze
Max is your typical kid - rambunctious, lacking in boundaries and discipline and blessed with a fiercely imaginative mind.
He spends his time building igloos in the snow and wandering around in a wolf costume.
One day after a fight and heated argument with his mum, he runs off, gets in a boat and heads to an island. That island is Where The Wild Things live - and under the cover of darkness, he meets Carol and the rest of the gang - a group of 10 foot tall hairy creatures wreaking havoc for no reason.
Max, feeling dejected and rejected from his home life, decides to stay with the Wild Things after he's made King of their clan - however, he soon discovers that ruling is not as easy as he thought.
Spike Jonze's version of Where The Wild Things Are is of course based on the 1963 book by Maurice Sendak and of course comes with the weighty expectation of fans worldwide.
However, it's no disappointment.
Granted, there's not much story to build on but what Jonze has visually created is stunning in places - and his decision to turn the Wild Things into toweringly tall animatronic full suits (with creatures made by Jim Henson's Creature Shop) is nothing short of cinematic genius.
Shot with a handheld camera, the film is full of beautiful visuals - as well as nightmarish visions and will amaze you from the very moment the Wild Things appear on the screen. They look like cuddly puppets in places - but Carol's temperamental behaviour and tantrums which rock Max's world are brilliantly brought to life by the vocal work of James Gandolfini of Sopranos fame. In fact, it's possible to say Gandolfini's Carol is a creature version of his Tony Soprano - charming and charismatic but with the capability of turning at just the bat of an eyelid.
Let's be clear though - this is not really a kid's film. The themes of anger, loneliness and melancholy coupled with some dark, sinister visuals are the stuff of nightmares. The younger end of the audience may find it hard to watch - but that said, there's wonderment aplenty in the vision Jonze has had.
He's clearly stayed true to his idea of how the book should be created; he's fleshed out the plot and brought the creatures to life. There's a raucous soundtrack to complement this ragtag bag of misfit creatures whose occasionally sadsack ways will amuse and upset in equal measures.
Where The Wild Things will appeal to the imaginative - and Spike Jonze's creativity deserves to be saluted. As the year heads to a close, it's proof the best is still coming
The Informant!: Movie Review
The Informant!: Movie Review
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Matt Damon, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale
Director: Steven Soderbergh
The Informant! is the tale of Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) a rising executive at the American agricultural firm during the 1990s.
Despite doing well within the company, Whitacre ends up blowing the whistle to an FBI agent (Scott Bakula) about apparent price fixing within the market instigated by the very people he works with.
However, as the FBI dig deeper into what's going on, Whitacre reveals more about the company's involvement with lysine, an additive used in the commercial livestock industry.
And the closer the FBI get to nabbing those responsible, the more bizarre turns the investigation takes thanks to the increasingly erratic behaviour of Whitacre himself.
The Informant! is a curious new film from Matt Damon and Steven Soderbergh.
Based on an apparently true story, there's a feeling of growing incredulity the longer the film goes on. Matt Damon's Whitacre is clearly a conflicted and bipolar character, whose tormented inner monologue at key moments see him ruminate on the minutiae of life - one side comment sees him wondering how polar bears learnt to cover their black noses when hunting given they had no concept of black and white.
It's a dark comedy that Soderbergh's created in places - but with tremendously solid performances from the likes of Damon and Taranaki's very own Melanie Lynskey (who plays Whitacre's long suffering wife), you're never quite 100% sure where to laugh - or even if you should.
As the film nears its conclusion, there's more than just a little element of screwball appearing in it as Whitacre's world begins to unravel.
Blessed with a brilliant bossanova 70s style soundtrack, The Informant! is an odd treat with unexpected and unbelievable moments. Granted there will be those who feel the film is trying a little too hard to be quirky and aiming for an insane zaniness; however, at the film's conclusion, you'll be hard pressed to have anything but an unusual admiration for Whitacre and how he led the entire FBI on a wild dance.
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Matt Damon, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale
Director: Steven Soderbergh
The Informant! is the tale of Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) a rising executive at the American agricultural firm during the 1990s.
Despite doing well within the company, Whitacre ends up blowing the whistle to an FBI agent (Scott Bakula) about apparent price fixing within the market instigated by the very people he works with.
However, as the FBI dig deeper into what's going on, Whitacre reveals more about the company's involvement with lysine, an additive used in the commercial livestock industry.
And the closer the FBI get to nabbing those responsible, the more bizarre turns the investigation takes thanks to the increasingly erratic behaviour of Whitacre himself.
The Informant! is a curious new film from Matt Damon and Steven Soderbergh.
Based on an apparently true story, there's a feeling of growing incredulity the longer the film goes on. Matt Damon's Whitacre is clearly a conflicted and bipolar character, whose tormented inner monologue at key moments see him ruminate on the minutiae of life - one side comment sees him wondering how polar bears learnt to cover their black noses when hunting given they had no concept of black and white.
It's a dark comedy that Soderbergh's created in places - but with tremendously solid performances from the likes of Damon and Taranaki's very own Melanie Lynskey (who plays Whitacre's long suffering wife), you're never quite 100% sure where to laugh - or even if you should.
As the film nears its conclusion, there's more than just a little element of screwball appearing in it as Whitacre's world begins to unravel.
Blessed with a brilliant bossanova 70s style soundtrack, The Informant! is an odd treat with unexpected and unbelievable moments. Granted there will be those who feel the film is trying a little too hard to be quirky and aiming for an insane zaniness; however, at the film's conclusion, you'll be hard pressed to have anything but an unusual admiration for Whitacre and how he led the entire FBI on a wild dance.
The Cake Eaters: Movie Review
The Cake Eaters: Movie Review
Rating 5/10
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Aaron Stanford, Bruce Dern, Jayce Bartok
Director: Mary Stuart Masterson
Kristen Stewart (sort of) sheds her Bella from Twilight image in this bittersweet story of love.
Set in small town America, Stewart plays Georgia, a teen with Freidreich's Ataxia, a progressive degenerative disease of the nervous system.
Georgia suffers with a slurred speech and a stuttering walk - but one day, while at a car boot sale, she meets Beagle (Aaron Stanford), the son of a local butcher. Beagle's family has been torn apart by their mother's death and his long errant brother has also just returned to town - to a wall of bitterness and anger at his absence during the family loss.
And that's really it for plot in this indie film, the directorial debut of actress Mary Stuart Masterson.
This quiet low key, character driven indie would probably have been consigned to TV movie status (and has sat on a shelf since 2007) were it not for Kristen Stewart and the Twilight mania. That said, while she does play a variation of the Bella character, Stewart shows what a talented actress she actually is.
She plays Georgia with a headstrong desire to live a life while she can - and she and Beagle pursue an uneasy relationship as those around them come to terms with life, love and loss.
There's nothing seriously wrong with The Cake Eaters - granted, it's a little predictable and clichéd and you can probably see what's coming a mile off. It's a Sunday afternoon film - but thanks to Stewart's superior and genuine performance, it is saved from the mire - given Stewart made this film before the ascendance of Bella, it shows she really does have the promise to make it long after the vampire franchise has been staked.
Rating 5/10
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Aaron Stanford, Bruce Dern, Jayce Bartok
Director: Mary Stuart Masterson
Kristen Stewart (sort of) sheds her Bella from Twilight image in this bittersweet story of love.
Set in small town America, Stewart plays Georgia, a teen with Freidreich's Ataxia, a progressive degenerative disease of the nervous system.
Georgia suffers with a slurred speech and a stuttering walk - but one day, while at a car boot sale, she meets Beagle (Aaron Stanford), the son of a local butcher. Beagle's family has been torn apart by their mother's death and his long errant brother has also just returned to town - to a wall of bitterness and anger at his absence during the family loss.
And that's really it for plot in this indie film, the directorial debut of actress Mary Stuart Masterson.
This quiet low key, character driven indie would probably have been consigned to TV movie status (and has sat on a shelf since 2007) were it not for Kristen Stewart and the Twilight mania. That said, while she does play a variation of the Bella character, Stewart shows what a talented actress she actually is.
She plays Georgia with a headstrong desire to live a life while she can - and she and Beagle pursue an uneasy relationship as those around them come to terms with life, love and loss.
There's nothing seriously wrong with The Cake Eaters - granted, it's a little predictable and clichéd and you can probably see what's coming a mile off. It's a Sunday afternoon film - but thanks to Stewart's superior and genuine performance, it is saved from the mire - given Stewart made this film before the ascendance of Bella, it shows she really does have the promise to make it long after the vampire franchise has been staked.
Zombieland: Movie Review
Zombieland: Movie Review
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Amber Heard
Director: Ruben Fleischer
From the opening slow mo titles which see zombies taking people out in very drawn out fashion to the final showdown at the end, Zombieland is one hell of a lot of fun.
Basically, thanks to a diseased burger, the entire US of A has been overrun with zombies, leaving just a few survivors determined to avoid being bitten.
The hero is Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a nerdy student who encounters Woody Harrelson's red neck Tallahassee one day as he tries to find out if his family's survived the apocalypse.
(That's one of the great things about Zombieland - none of the characters have real names; they've simply given their locations as their monkers)
So teaming up, the duo head across America - however, on the way they encounter Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) who manage to con them out of their car, guns and belongings. It appears the end of the world has still brought out the worst in some people&as well as that whole zombie flesh eating issue.
Tallahassee is determined to wreak revenge - but as the road trip progresses, both parties grow closer together - will their nuclear family be ruined by revenge and zombies?
Zombieland is not your average undead film flick - for one thing, it's a terrifically fun ride, chock full of unexpected madness and laugh out loud moments.
Eisenbeg and Harrelson's nerdy Columbus and redneck Tallahassee double act sizzles with a sparkling energy - Tallahassee's not at all impressed with his new buddy, as it's throwing him off his quest to find the last ever Twinkie on earth.
Columbus on the other hand has a whole set of rules he has which help him survive the end of the world - and as he espouses these at the start of the film, they seem to have helped him get through. But having spent so much time as a loner, he soon realizes those ways are going to have to change.
Director Fleischer gives the film some visual flair and a vibrancy which sees it never outstay its 90 minute duration.
But there's one main reason to see Zombieland - and unfortunately, I'm determined not to spoil it for you - because the pure unadulterated pleasure I felt as I witnessed what was the best plot point I've seen for years left me beaming for ages after the end.
And trust me, it'd be a shame to spoil that for you - it's sheer genius and very brilliant.
Zombieland is a reminder of how fun and disposable great cinema should be - it's trashy, it's pulpy and yet underneath all the undead flesh, there's a beating heart which will give you the widest grin you've had for a long time, long after you've left.
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Amber Heard
Director: Ruben Fleischer
From the opening slow mo titles which see zombies taking people out in very drawn out fashion to the final showdown at the end, Zombieland is one hell of a lot of fun.
Basically, thanks to a diseased burger, the entire US of A has been overrun with zombies, leaving just a few survivors determined to avoid being bitten.
The hero is Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a nerdy student who encounters Woody Harrelson's red neck Tallahassee one day as he tries to find out if his family's survived the apocalypse.
(That's one of the great things about Zombieland - none of the characters have real names; they've simply given their locations as their monkers)
So teaming up, the duo head across America - however, on the way they encounter Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) who manage to con them out of their car, guns and belongings. It appears the end of the world has still brought out the worst in some people&as well as that whole zombie flesh eating issue.
Tallahassee is determined to wreak revenge - but as the road trip progresses, both parties grow closer together - will their nuclear family be ruined by revenge and zombies?
Zombieland is not your average undead film flick - for one thing, it's a terrifically fun ride, chock full of unexpected madness and laugh out loud moments.
Eisenbeg and Harrelson's nerdy Columbus and redneck Tallahassee double act sizzles with a sparkling energy - Tallahassee's not at all impressed with his new buddy, as it's throwing him off his quest to find the last ever Twinkie on earth.
Columbus on the other hand has a whole set of rules he has which help him survive the end of the world - and as he espouses these at the start of the film, they seem to have helped him get through. But having spent so much time as a loner, he soon realizes those ways are going to have to change.
Director Fleischer gives the film some visual flair and a vibrancy which sees it never outstay its 90 minute duration.
But there's one main reason to see Zombieland - and unfortunately, I'm determined not to spoil it for you - because the pure unadulterated pleasure I felt as I witnessed what was the best plot point I've seen for years left me beaming for ages after the end.
And trust me, it'd be a shame to spoil that for you - it's sheer genius and very brilliant.
Zombieland is a reminder of how fun and disposable great cinema should be - it's trashy, it's pulpy and yet underneath all the undead flesh, there's a beating heart which will give you the widest grin you've had for a long time, long after you've left.
The Invention of Lying: Movie Review
The Invention of Lying: Movie Review
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill
Director: Ricky Gervais.
Oh, Ricky.
The Invention Of Lying is the latest outing from the man who'll be forever tagged as David Brent.
Set in an alternate reality where no-one's ever heard of lying and everyone tells the truth (no matter how awkward and how blunt it can be) Gervais stars as Mark Bellison, a screenwriter whose career, lovelife and life in general is heading down the pan.
One day, for no reason whatsoever, after being fired and facing eviction, Bellison ends up telling a lie - and realizing he's got the power to change mankind forever, he tries to lie his way through life and see how far he can get.
However, when his mum lies dying in hospital from a heart attack, Bellison ends up stretching the truth a little - and is overheard - and ends up being proclaimed as a new messiah for the world.
The problem is Bellison soon realizes that everyone's looking to him for answers - and he barely has enough for himself.
What do you say about the Ricky Gervais written, produced and directed by effort? Well, to start off with it's a fantastic concept - which somehow becomes mired in a quasi-religious satire mixed with a large dollop of romantic comedy.
Gervais is, to be blunt, playing once again another version of the character he's been peddling for years - don't get me wrong, I like that character - the slightly smug insufferable person who's beaten down and mocked by others.
But the problem is that the script just isn't strong enough to make its way to the end - and despite the crowd pleasing celebrity cameos, there's not much to stop this film from concluding in its own inevitable way.
It's a real shame as the central concept for the Invention of Lying is quite a clever one - and there's some real emotion on show when the mother passes away. The idea that you have to lie in someway to bring some kind of comfort to people is a nice twist (ok, white lies are nothing new) and works well as it just pushes Bellison further into more trouble.
Overall, The Invention of Lying could have benefited from a slightly tighter script and more of an idea of what exactly it wanted to be - it's a shame as it had all the markings of a great film. Instead it's a mess and a crushing disappointment.
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill
Director: Ricky Gervais.
Oh, Ricky.
The Invention Of Lying is the latest outing from the man who'll be forever tagged as David Brent.
Set in an alternate reality where no-one's ever heard of lying and everyone tells the truth (no matter how awkward and how blunt it can be) Gervais stars as Mark Bellison, a screenwriter whose career, lovelife and life in general is heading down the pan.
One day, for no reason whatsoever, after being fired and facing eviction, Bellison ends up telling a lie - and realizing he's got the power to change mankind forever, he tries to lie his way through life and see how far he can get.
However, when his mum lies dying in hospital from a heart attack, Bellison ends up stretching the truth a little - and is overheard - and ends up being proclaimed as a new messiah for the world.
The problem is Bellison soon realizes that everyone's looking to him for answers - and he barely has enough for himself.
What do you say about the Ricky Gervais written, produced and directed by effort? Well, to start off with it's a fantastic concept - which somehow becomes mired in a quasi-religious satire mixed with a large dollop of romantic comedy.
Gervais is, to be blunt, playing once again another version of the character he's been peddling for years - don't get me wrong, I like that character - the slightly smug insufferable person who's beaten down and mocked by others.
But the problem is that the script just isn't strong enough to make its way to the end - and despite the crowd pleasing celebrity cameos, there's not much to stop this film from concluding in its own inevitable way.
It's a real shame as the central concept for the Invention of Lying is quite a clever one - and there's some real emotion on show when the mother passes away. The idea that you have to lie in someway to bring some kind of comfort to people is a nice twist (ok, white lies are nothing new) and works well as it just pushes Bellison further into more trouble.
Overall, The Invention of Lying could have benefited from a slightly tighter script and more of an idea of what exactly it wanted to be - it's a shame as it had all the markings of a great film. Instead it's a mess and a crushing disappointment.
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Something, Something, Something, Dark Side: DVD Review
Something, Something, Something, Dark Side: DVD Review
Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Dark Side
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment
Rating: M
Family Guy continues to take on the Star Wars phenomenon with the blessing of George Lucas.
And with a foul mouth and an occasional eye in the toilet.
Something, Something Dark side is the sequel to the popular Blue Harvest which was a Family Guy style retelling of Star Wars.
So it's no surprise that Something, Something Dark Side is Seth MacFarlane's take on The Empire Strikes Back, one of the most loved of the original trilogy.
The story is a blow by blow retelling of the original with the Family Guy characters thrown in - Chris is Luke, Peter is Han solo and his wife Lois is Leia.
As ever with Family Guy, it's an all or nothing kind of a show - if you're a teen, you'll love it - and its occasionally foul mouth (one of the Empire's greatest lines is ruined by the gang) - and it does provide a few good laughs here and there. Although to be honest, not quite as many as Blue Harvest did.
That said, there are some amusing moments - some funny antics involving the AT-AT fighters, a bizarre Tom Selleck moment, and an unexpected American Idol parody. The final sequence involving Seth Green is great too - but to reveal too much would ruin the in joke.
When the humour's a bit more subtle, it tends to work a little better than the in your face moments - a running gag about how whiny Leia is makes you wonder why you didn't notice this in the original film.
There are some good solid extras - a fact up rerun of the 54 minute episode is done in the style of Pop Up video and has some humorous and unexpectedly interesting moments.
All in all, Something, Something Dark Side isn't as strong as the previous release; there aren't as many gags per minute ratio as compared to previous episode Blue Harvest- but it provides some mirth and merriment for the most ardent of Star Wars fans as well as fans of the original Family Guy show - and it's not long now until they parody Return of The Jedi&.
Extras: Audio Commentaries; Family Guy Fact-Ups; The Dark Side of Poster Art; Animatic Scene-To-Scene; With commentary by Director, Dominic Polcino; Something, Something, Something Dark Side Table Read; Episode VI: Feeling About This (aka Jedi) Table Read; Transfer Digital Copy feature title
Rating: 6/10
Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Dark Side
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment
Rating: M
Family Guy continues to take on the Star Wars phenomenon with the blessing of George Lucas.
And with a foul mouth and an occasional eye in the toilet.
Something, Something Dark side is the sequel to the popular Blue Harvest which was a Family Guy style retelling of Star Wars.
So it's no surprise that Something, Something Dark Side is Seth MacFarlane's take on The Empire Strikes Back, one of the most loved of the original trilogy.
The story is a blow by blow retelling of the original with the Family Guy characters thrown in - Chris is Luke, Peter is Han solo and his wife Lois is Leia.
As ever with Family Guy, it's an all or nothing kind of a show - if you're a teen, you'll love it - and its occasionally foul mouth (one of the Empire's greatest lines is ruined by the gang) - and it does provide a few good laughs here and there. Although to be honest, not quite as many as Blue Harvest did.
That said, there are some amusing moments - some funny antics involving the AT-AT fighters, a bizarre Tom Selleck moment, and an unexpected American Idol parody. The final sequence involving Seth Green is great too - but to reveal too much would ruin the in joke.
When the humour's a bit more subtle, it tends to work a little better than the in your face moments - a running gag about how whiny Leia is makes you wonder why you didn't notice this in the original film.
There are some good solid extras - a fact up rerun of the 54 minute episode is done in the style of Pop Up video and has some humorous and unexpectedly interesting moments.
All in all, Something, Something Dark Side isn't as strong as the previous release; there aren't as many gags per minute ratio as compared to previous episode Blue Harvest- but it provides some mirth and merriment for the most ardent of Star Wars fans as well as fans of the original Family Guy show - and it's not long now until they parody Return of The Jedi&.
Extras: Audio Commentaries; Family Guy Fact-Ups; The Dark Side of Poster Art; Animatic Scene-To-Scene; With commentary by Director, Dominic Polcino; Something, Something, Something Dark Side Table Read; Episode VI: Feeling About This (aka Jedi) Table Read; Transfer Digital Copy feature title
Rating: 6/10
Monday, 30 November 2009
Extras: The Complete Collection: DVD Review
Extras: The Complete Collection: DVD Review
Extras: The Complete Collection
Cast: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Shaun Williamson, Ashley Jensen
Released by BBC and Roadshow Entertainment
Collecting together all 12 of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's comedy and bundling it up with the TV movie which rounded off the series is a genius idea.
Granted it's nothing which hasn't already been released but it's a great collection which sucks you in.
Gervais is Andy Millman, a TV extra who longs to make it - his friend Maggie (Ashley Jensen) is also a struggling actress - and combined with his useless agent Darren (the gangly awkward Stephen Merchant), Andy tries whatever he can to get a bigger part onscreen.
Ultimately though, it leads to Millman being humiliated - however, in series 2, Millman gets the break he's wanted and lands a BBC sitcom. Yet that momentous victory is soured by the fact he's making TV for the masses with catch phrases and parts of his soul being torn from him.
And then in the special, Andy nearly loses everything when he heads for the top.
The joy of Extras comes in the writing and awkwardness which in some ways was pioneered in The Office. Gervais isn't afraid to make himself the butt of the jokes all the way through - and Merchant trades on his towering frame and stupidity for his agent Darren. Coupled with the Hollywood cameos throughout the series, this is compelling viewing.
However, it's the Special TV movie at the end which makes this set what it is - and showcases exactly why the poignancy and heartache - along with Ashley Jensen's terrific performance - work best in this series. As Andy forgets everyone around him on his way up, his friend heads for rock bottom and near depression - Ashley Jensen's performance will leave even the most hard hearted in tears.
Gervais has had the good sense to end Extras after two series - let's hope it stays that way because he's fashioned the perfect sitcom which deals with Hollywood; there's despair, desperation, laughs and tragedy in spades.
Brilliant viewing for fans of Gervais' "awkward moments" style of comedy comedy where the joke's on him - and there's heartbreak aplenty.
Extras: Behind the scenes docos, the difficult second album looks at how they wrote the show after The Office, commentaries, deleted scenes and Outtakes add to the package - but their inclusion only enhance the experience as all have been available on separate discs before.
Rating: 8/10
Extras: The Complete Collection
Cast: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Shaun Williamson, Ashley Jensen
Released by BBC and Roadshow Entertainment
Collecting together all 12 of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's comedy and bundling it up with the TV movie which rounded off the series is a genius idea.
Granted it's nothing which hasn't already been released but it's a great collection which sucks you in.
Gervais is Andy Millman, a TV extra who longs to make it - his friend Maggie (Ashley Jensen) is also a struggling actress - and combined with his useless agent Darren (the gangly awkward Stephen Merchant), Andy tries whatever he can to get a bigger part onscreen.
Ultimately though, it leads to Millman being humiliated - however, in series 2, Millman gets the break he's wanted and lands a BBC sitcom. Yet that momentous victory is soured by the fact he's making TV for the masses with catch phrases and parts of his soul being torn from him.
And then in the special, Andy nearly loses everything when he heads for the top.
The joy of Extras comes in the writing and awkwardness which in some ways was pioneered in The Office. Gervais isn't afraid to make himself the butt of the jokes all the way through - and Merchant trades on his towering frame and stupidity for his agent Darren. Coupled with the Hollywood cameos throughout the series, this is compelling viewing.
However, it's the Special TV movie at the end which makes this set what it is - and showcases exactly why the poignancy and heartache - along with Ashley Jensen's terrific performance - work best in this series. As Andy forgets everyone around him on his way up, his friend heads for rock bottom and near depression - Ashley Jensen's performance will leave even the most hard hearted in tears.
Gervais has had the good sense to end Extras after two series - let's hope it stays that way because he's fashioned the perfect sitcom which deals with Hollywood; there's despair, desperation, laughs and tragedy in spades.
Brilliant viewing for fans of Gervais' "awkward moments" style of comedy comedy where the joke's on him - and there's heartbreak aplenty.
Extras: Behind the scenes docos, the difficult second album looks at how they wrote the show after The Office, commentaries, deleted scenes and Outtakes add to the package - but their inclusion only enhance the experience as all have been available on separate discs before.
Rating: 8/10
Dr Who: Remembrance of the Daleks: DVD Review
Dr Who: Remembrance of the Daleks: DVD Review
Dr Who: Remembrance of the Daleks: Special Edition
Cast: Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Terry Molloy, The Daleks
Released by BBC And Roadshow Entertainment
This tale from the popular sci fi series' 25th anniversary in 1988 sees Sylvester McCoy's Doctor back on some familiar ground from the show's history and facing his old nemeses.
This 2 disc set had previously been available as part of the mega Davros DVD set but has now been given a separate release outside of that set so fans won't have to pay out for stories they already had just to get this special edition.
Basically the Doctor finds himself back in sixties London along with his companion Ace (Sophie Aldred) - and they're not alone. Because looking for a piece of ancient Time Lord tech are the Daleks - and if the Doctor can't stop them, everything could fall apart.
Taken from the less than popular series of the show, it's clear this was Who at its wobbly best - the Daleks are a bit shonky and you can actually see them wobble as they traverse roads to get to their evil ends.
That said, there's an old school charm to this - both McCoy and Aldred are great and give their all to a script which creaks with references to the show's past (a first for the writers and aimed at cocking a wink to the old school fans in the show's 25th year) but you can't escape from the fact this serial's not one of the best.
However, the same can't be said for the extras on this two disc set - commentary from the show's main stars, a doco about the making of this serial; a discussion of the references made to the show's history in Remembrance of the Daleks; extended and deleted scenes are just part of the additional moments.
But the piece de resistance is a documentary exploring the history of Davros, the Daleks' creator - an entire disc is devoted to this doco Davros Connection, 43 minutes about one of the show's most enduring villains and the actors who've played him through the years.
It's a great end to a relatively inauspicious story - Remembrance of the Daleks is not the show's finest moment - however, that said, the deep dark vein of mystery running though it shows the series was never too frightened to confound expectations for its characters.
Extras: Audio Commentary - with Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred, Remembrances - Cast and crew talk about the influences and references to other Doctor Who adventures that are spread throughout the story. Back to School - Cast and crew talk about the making of the story accompanied by rare behind-the-scenes material. Extended and deleted scenes, Multi Angle Scenes, Davros Connections, Trailers, Photo Gallery, Production Notes and Radio Times listings.
Rating: 6/10
Dr Who: Remembrance of the Daleks: Special Edition
Cast: Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Terry Molloy, The Daleks
Released by BBC And Roadshow Entertainment
This tale from the popular sci fi series' 25th anniversary in 1988 sees Sylvester McCoy's Doctor back on some familiar ground from the show's history and facing his old nemeses.
This 2 disc set had previously been available as part of the mega Davros DVD set but has now been given a separate release outside of that set so fans won't have to pay out for stories they already had just to get this special edition.
Basically the Doctor finds himself back in sixties London along with his companion Ace (Sophie Aldred) - and they're not alone. Because looking for a piece of ancient Time Lord tech are the Daleks - and if the Doctor can't stop them, everything could fall apart.
Taken from the less than popular series of the show, it's clear this was Who at its wobbly best - the Daleks are a bit shonky and you can actually see them wobble as they traverse roads to get to their evil ends.
That said, there's an old school charm to this - both McCoy and Aldred are great and give their all to a script which creaks with references to the show's past (a first for the writers and aimed at cocking a wink to the old school fans in the show's 25th year) but you can't escape from the fact this serial's not one of the best.
However, the same can't be said for the extras on this two disc set - commentary from the show's main stars, a doco about the making of this serial; a discussion of the references made to the show's history in Remembrance of the Daleks; extended and deleted scenes are just part of the additional moments.
But the piece de resistance is a documentary exploring the history of Davros, the Daleks' creator - an entire disc is devoted to this doco Davros Connection, 43 minutes about one of the show's most enduring villains and the actors who've played him through the years.
It's a great end to a relatively inauspicious story - Remembrance of the Daleks is not the show's finest moment - however, that said, the deep dark vein of mystery running though it shows the series was never too frightened to confound expectations for its characters.
Extras: Audio Commentary - with Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred, Remembrances - Cast and crew talk about the influences and references to other Doctor Who adventures that are spread throughout the story. Back to School - Cast and crew talk about the making of the story accompanied by rare behind-the-scenes material. Extended and deleted scenes, Multi Angle Scenes, Davros Connections, Trailers, Photo Gallery, Production Notes and Radio Times listings.
Rating: 6/10
Father Ted: Definitive Collection: DVD Review
Father Ted: Definitive Collection: DVD Review
Father Ted: The Definitive Collection
Cast: Dermot Morgan, Ardal O'Hanlon, Frank Kelly, Pauline McLynn
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Ah Father Ted.
The comic insanity of a trio of priests trapped on Craggy Island along with their deranged housekeeper Mrs Doyle.
You'd think the comic potential would be severely limited on a show like this - but as many Ted fans can attest these days, this show's as beloved now as it was on its original transmission back in 1995 (seriously - nearly 15 years ago???)
And yet with this Definitive Collection, while it's packed with all three series of the shows and a bundle of new shiny extras (such as commentaries and video recollections of the annual Tedfest celebration out in Inis Mor, off County Galway), it can only go to show how missed Dermot Morgan (aka Ted) is.
Cruelly snatched by a heart attack at a party celebrating the final episode of the third series, his loss is felt by his absence on this latest collection - it'd have been grand to see what he would have made of all the accolades years on.
There's a lot to enjoy here - and most of it comes from the insanity on show courtesy of writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews; everyone has their favourite Father Ted moment - from the milk float trapped Dougal in Speed 3, to Father Jack's Feck, Ar*e, Girls cry, there's plenty to enjoy in this 5 disc set.
It's also a great collection to reflect on the careers of those comedians who made their names with Ted - from Graham Norton to Ardal O'Hanlon, it proved to be a real fertile ground for the talent involved.
Ultimately though this set is about the Father Ted and Father Dougal partnership - from the madness of their Eurovision song contest entry about a horse, to Ted trying to explain that the toy cows are small while the ones outside their caravan during a break "are far away", it's a sweet humorous relationship which will have you in tears of laughter no matter what mood you're in.
Extras: Interviews with the writers and creators; Comic Relief footage with Ted and Dougal; Ted Fest 2007 and commentaries on all 3 series, this really is the best of the bunch for the show.
Rating: 8/10
Father Ted: The Definitive Collection
Cast: Dermot Morgan, Ardal O'Hanlon, Frank Kelly, Pauline McLynn
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Ah Father Ted.
The comic insanity of a trio of priests trapped on Craggy Island along with their deranged housekeeper Mrs Doyle.
You'd think the comic potential would be severely limited on a show like this - but as many Ted fans can attest these days, this show's as beloved now as it was on its original transmission back in 1995 (seriously - nearly 15 years ago???)
And yet with this Definitive Collection, while it's packed with all three series of the shows and a bundle of new shiny extras (such as commentaries and video recollections of the annual Tedfest celebration out in Inis Mor, off County Galway), it can only go to show how missed Dermot Morgan (aka Ted) is.
Cruelly snatched by a heart attack at a party celebrating the final episode of the third series, his loss is felt by his absence on this latest collection - it'd have been grand to see what he would have made of all the accolades years on.
There's a lot to enjoy here - and most of it comes from the insanity on show courtesy of writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews; everyone has their favourite Father Ted moment - from the milk float trapped Dougal in Speed 3, to Father Jack's Feck, Ar*e, Girls cry, there's plenty to enjoy in this 5 disc set.
It's also a great collection to reflect on the careers of those comedians who made their names with Ted - from Graham Norton to Ardal O'Hanlon, it proved to be a real fertile ground for the talent involved.
Ultimately though this set is about the Father Ted and Father Dougal partnership - from the madness of their Eurovision song contest entry about a horse, to Ted trying to explain that the toy cows are small while the ones outside their caravan during a break "are far away", it's a sweet humorous relationship which will have you in tears of laughter no matter what mood you're in.
Extras: Interviews with the writers and creators; Comic Relief footage with Ted and Dougal; Ted Fest 2007 and commentaries on all 3 series, this really is the best of the bunch for the show.
Rating: 8/10
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
What Just Happened: Movie Review
What Just Happened: Movie Review
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Robert de Niro, John Turturro, Bruce Willis, Catherine Keener, Kristen Stewart
Director: Barry Levinson
Robert De Niro stars as Ben, a fading Hollywood producer whose star is clearly in the descent.
As the film opens, Ben's just witnessed his latest film, Fiercely starring Sean Penn, being savaged at a test screening - and he knows this could signal the end of his time at the top.
As if that wasn't bad enough he's having trouble with his ex Kelly (Robin Wright Penn) and to give him a trio of troubles, his attempts to get Bruce Willis to shave off his bushy beard so their latest project isn't canned are not going well.
So as Ben tries to negotiate all of these hurdles, it's clear something's going to have to give - can he claw his way back to the top before he's consigned to the showbiz dustbin?
What Just Happened isn't a bad film; it's just not as savage as it could be - while Penn and Willis play themselves, De Niro seems to play another more chilled out version of himself as he tries to juggle all the respective balls.
Given how successful The Player was at doing this kind of satire years ago(and it's inevitable these two will be compared) I have to admit I was expecting a little more caustic wit and biting satire about the industry.
This is not that kind of film and at times plays more like a screwball comedy - I get De Niro's character has aggro from two ex wives, Hollywood studio producers and cantankerous actors but I very rarely felt for him or rooted for him to overcome the odds.
De Niro does a fair job as Ben and there's a reasonable attempt to show Bruce in a bad light, but unfortunately What Just Happened is a bit of a disappointment.
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Robert de Niro, John Turturro, Bruce Willis, Catherine Keener, Kristen Stewart
Director: Barry Levinson
Robert De Niro stars as Ben, a fading Hollywood producer whose star is clearly in the descent.
As the film opens, Ben's just witnessed his latest film, Fiercely starring Sean Penn, being savaged at a test screening - and he knows this could signal the end of his time at the top.
As if that wasn't bad enough he's having trouble with his ex Kelly (Robin Wright Penn) and to give him a trio of troubles, his attempts to get Bruce Willis to shave off his bushy beard so their latest project isn't canned are not going well.
So as Ben tries to negotiate all of these hurdles, it's clear something's going to have to give - can he claw his way back to the top before he's consigned to the showbiz dustbin?
What Just Happened isn't a bad film; it's just not as savage as it could be - while Penn and Willis play themselves, De Niro seems to play another more chilled out version of himself as he tries to juggle all the respective balls.
Given how successful The Player was at doing this kind of satire years ago(and it's inevitable these two will be compared) I have to admit I was expecting a little more caustic wit and biting satire about the industry.
This is not that kind of film and at times plays more like a screwball comedy - I get De Niro's character has aggro from two ex wives, Hollywood studio producers and cantankerous actors but I very rarely felt for him or rooted for him to overcome the odds.
De Niro does a fair job as Ben and there's a reasonable attempt to show Bruce in a bad light, but unfortunately What Just Happened is a bit of a disappointment.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon - Movie Review
The Twilight Saga: New Moon - Movie Review
Rating: Twihards - 9/10; non Twihards - 6/10
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Michael Sheen, Dakota Fanning
Director: Chris Weitz
Well, it's finally here.
With the weight of expectation (to put it mildly), the second of the Twilight franchise has been unleashed on the world.
And it comes after what seems like months of speculation over RPatz, Kristen, the Wolf Pack, and rabid fan love.
So with director Catherine Hardwicke off Stephenie Meyer's sequel, there was a lot for Chris Weitz (American Pie, The Golden Compass) to deliver.
Given the arguments over whether you're Team Jacob or Team Edward, there was a lot resting on this- especially given the tangible absence of Edward in the book, New Moon.
So did it?
The Twilight Saga: New Moon opens with a shot of a full moon and ends with Bella taking a breath - and, in between for the fans of the saga, there's everything they could want. But for those who are probably not 100% bona fide Team Edward/ Team Jacob, there could be a lot of eye rolling and wondering what on earth the continuing obsession is about.
The story takes up where Twilight left off - with Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (R Patz) deeply in love and on the eve of Bella's 18th birthday. Despite her protestations, the Cullens throw Bella a birthday party - but a paper cut sees Bella shed some blood, which sees Edward's brother Jasper try to take her life.
As Edward ends up hurting Bella while trying to protect her, he decides it's safer for him to be out of her life - for good.
Destroyed by the rejection of her first love, Bella falls apart - enter Jacob (Taylor Lautner) who plugs the hole in her heart (despite hiding a secret about himself) with companionship and sworn oaths of fidelity.
But Bella finds he's not enough and when she discovers that thrill seeking and becoming an adrenaline junkie allows Edward to appear to her, Bella chooses to live life on the edge to be with her one true love.
Danger for Bella is just around the corner though - with vampire Victoria out for revenge after the death of her mate (whom the Cullens despatched in the first Twilight) and hot on Bella's trail. A series of miscommunications leads Edward to believe Bella's dead and forces him to sacrifice himself at the hands of the vampire clan, The Volturi (a la Romeo and Juliet.)
Can Bella save Edward in time? And more importantly, will she sacrifice her burgeoning relationship with Jacob for the star crossed love of her life?
Some films are review proof - and the latest in the Twilight franchise is one of those. Regardless of how we critics see it, New Moon will be a box office phenomenon.
Sure, I could spend time telling you how there's a gratuitous excess of abs on slow-mo show here (both with Jacob and Edward) - but that's what the fans want to see (certainly judging by the lusty cat calls and wolf whistles at the NZ premiere); I could reveal there's some horrendously corny teen love lines - such as Edward's "You gave me everything just by breathing" to Bella, but the audience's swoons suggest to me that that's just pandering to the fans - and I could tell you that parts of the film play like music videos as the soundtrack swells over aching teens caught up in their relationship and during the Wolf Pack chasing Victoria the vampire - but again, that's what the diehard fans of the franchise want.
Whereas Twilight introduced the franchise and set the characters up, you'd expect a sequel to ramp up the action and the stakes. However, New Moon is a slight side step on that franchise path as it's about setting up the Jacob/Edward/Wolf pack/Vampire issues which will play out through the rest of the novels/films. So, while there is a bit more action than the original film, there's still a lot of foreboding, plotting and signposting to be done.
And that's perhaps where director Chris Weitz fumbles the Twilight ball a little (in the eyes of a non-obsessive Twihard) - there are scenes of aching moments of love and loss, balanced by a sweeping tinkling piano score - which to the casual viewer seem cliched and unoriginal; some of the newcomers in the Wolf Pack are not the strongest actors - but given their buffness and penchant for wandering around shirtless, you would imagine they're no more than eye candy.
To be honest, the biggest disappointment is the Volturi - early on they're alluded to as Vampire aristocracy who rule with power and fear and yet it's only Dakota Fanning's Jane who comes off as powerful and menacing; Michael Sheen's Aro verges on hammy creepiness - his early menace is soon lost by a lot of clasping hands and wide red eyes.
Yet, there's also much to admire in New Moon - the final fight scenes are a cool, blurry mix of Matrix style bullet time action and sweeping camera work.
But it's Kristen Stewart's stand out performance as Bella which impresses the most. Once again, she commands a powerhouse performance as she falls apart after Edward's abandonment. It's this pivotal acting which gives Bella an edge, a vulnerability and a rawness which shows why she's such a talent; the Wolf transformations and appearances on screen are pretty damn good (though some may feel they're not how they should be when compared to their background in Stephenie Meyer's books); and Team Jacob certainly receives a boost from Taylor Lautner's much improved performance this time around - although given the slightly controlling edge to his character, I somehow doubt there will be many defectors from Team Edward.
New Moon is by no stretch of the imagination a disaster - as an example of its genre, it's perfectly pitched to its audience and its core fan base.
I just suspect the non-fans (yes, there are some out there) may be somewhat bemused as to what all the fuss is about.
However, to the Twihards I say "go, love it and cherish it and get ready for Eclipse, which is heading to cinemas in 2010". The countdown begins now.
Rating: Twihards - 9/10; non Twihards - 6/10
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Michael Sheen, Dakota Fanning
Director: Chris Weitz
Well, it's finally here.
With the weight of expectation (to put it mildly), the second of the Twilight franchise has been unleashed on the world.
And it comes after what seems like months of speculation over RPatz, Kristen, the Wolf Pack, and rabid fan love.
So with director Catherine Hardwicke off Stephenie Meyer's sequel, there was a lot for Chris Weitz (American Pie, The Golden Compass) to deliver.
Given the arguments over whether you're Team Jacob or Team Edward, there was a lot resting on this- especially given the tangible absence of Edward in the book, New Moon.
So did it?
The Twilight Saga: New Moon opens with a shot of a full moon and ends with Bella taking a breath - and, in between for the fans of the saga, there's everything they could want. But for those who are probably not 100% bona fide Team Edward/ Team Jacob, there could be a lot of eye rolling and wondering what on earth the continuing obsession is about.
The story takes up where Twilight left off - with Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (R Patz) deeply in love and on the eve of Bella's 18th birthday. Despite her protestations, the Cullens throw Bella a birthday party - but a paper cut sees Bella shed some blood, which sees Edward's brother Jasper try to take her life.
As Edward ends up hurting Bella while trying to protect her, he decides it's safer for him to be out of her life - for good.
Destroyed by the rejection of her first love, Bella falls apart - enter Jacob (Taylor Lautner) who plugs the hole in her heart (despite hiding a secret about himself) with companionship and sworn oaths of fidelity.
But Bella finds he's not enough and when she discovers that thrill seeking and becoming an adrenaline junkie allows Edward to appear to her, Bella chooses to live life on the edge to be with her one true love.
Danger for Bella is just around the corner though - with vampire Victoria out for revenge after the death of her mate (whom the Cullens despatched in the first Twilight) and hot on Bella's trail. A series of miscommunications leads Edward to believe Bella's dead and forces him to sacrifice himself at the hands of the vampire clan, The Volturi (a la Romeo and Juliet.)
Can Bella save Edward in time? And more importantly, will she sacrifice her burgeoning relationship with Jacob for the star crossed love of her life?
Some films are review proof - and the latest in the Twilight franchise is one of those. Regardless of how we critics see it, New Moon will be a box office phenomenon.
Sure, I could spend time telling you how there's a gratuitous excess of abs on slow-mo show here (both with Jacob and Edward) - but that's what the fans want to see (certainly judging by the lusty cat calls and wolf whistles at the NZ premiere); I could reveal there's some horrendously corny teen love lines - such as Edward's "You gave me everything just by breathing" to Bella, but the audience's swoons suggest to me that that's just pandering to the fans - and I could tell you that parts of the film play like music videos as the soundtrack swells over aching teens caught up in their relationship and during the Wolf Pack chasing Victoria the vampire - but again, that's what the diehard fans of the franchise want.
Whereas Twilight introduced the franchise and set the characters up, you'd expect a sequel to ramp up the action and the stakes. However, New Moon is a slight side step on that franchise path as it's about setting up the Jacob/Edward/Wolf pack/Vampire issues which will play out through the rest of the novels/films. So, while there is a bit more action than the original film, there's still a lot of foreboding, plotting and signposting to be done.
And that's perhaps where director Chris Weitz fumbles the Twilight ball a little (in the eyes of a non-obsessive Twihard) - there are scenes of aching moments of love and loss, balanced by a sweeping tinkling piano score - which to the casual viewer seem cliched and unoriginal; some of the newcomers in the Wolf Pack are not the strongest actors - but given their buffness and penchant for wandering around shirtless, you would imagine they're no more than eye candy.
To be honest, the biggest disappointment is the Volturi - early on they're alluded to as Vampire aristocracy who rule with power and fear and yet it's only Dakota Fanning's Jane who comes off as powerful and menacing; Michael Sheen's Aro verges on hammy creepiness - his early menace is soon lost by a lot of clasping hands and wide red eyes.
Yet, there's also much to admire in New Moon - the final fight scenes are a cool, blurry mix of Matrix style bullet time action and sweeping camera work.
But it's Kristen Stewart's stand out performance as Bella which impresses the most. Once again, she commands a powerhouse performance as she falls apart after Edward's abandonment. It's this pivotal acting which gives Bella an edge, a vulnerability and a rawness which shows why she's such a talent; the Wolf transformations and appearances on screen are pretty damn good (though some may feel they're not how they should be when compared to their background in Stephenie Meyer's books); and Team Jacob certainly receives a boost from Taylor Lautner's much improved performance this time around - although given the slightly controlling edge to his character, I somehow doubt there will be many defectors from Team Edward.
New Moon is by no stretch of the imagination a disaster - as an example of its genre, it's perfectly pitched to its audience and its core fan base.
I just suspect the non-fans (yes, there are some out there) may be somewhat bemused as to what all the fuss is about.
However, to the Twihards I say "go, love it and cherish it and get ready for Eclipse, which is heading to cinemas in 2010". The countdown begins now.
Friday, 13 November 2009
2012: Movie Review
2012: Movie Review
Rating: 5/10
Cast: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson, Oliver Platt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton.
Director: Roland Emmerich
Well, we're pretty much screwed.
That's if you believe the Mayans and the latest release 2012.
According to the ancient prophecies, when the planets perfectly align on 21st December 2012, the world will end.
In 2009, (crikey that's now) scientist Adrian Helmsley (a pious Chiwetel Ejiofor) discovers the earth's crust is heating up thanks to recent solar flare activity and the end of the world is nearing.
So when he goes to the President of the US of A (Danny Glover) to relay the information, plans begin for the end of the world. However, what the plans don't necessarily allow for is the full scale survival of the human race.
Throw into this mix, John Cusack's Jackson Curtis, estranged from his wife Kate (Amanda Peet) and 2 kids (yes the uber-moppets, along with a step-father are here and ready for the apocalypse) who's always suspected the final days are on their way.
On a camping trip with his kids in Yellowstone, Jackson finds crazy old Charlie Frost (a wild performance from Woody Harrelson) knows about the conspiracy behind the end of days - and more importantly, how to get through it.
So, when the earthquakes increase in intensity, the nuclear family does what it has to to survive as Jackson does his best to save the day.
But when nature's worst is unleashed, the human race may not make it....
What can you say about 2012, the latest disaster film from the man who blew up the White House when the aliens attacked in Independence Day?
Check your brains at the door and you'll pretty much enjoy it - there are all the pre-requisites of any disaster films; terribly cliched one liners, check; major landmarks being destroyed, check; family under peril - from both nature and the new love, check; evil Government conspiracies and nasty Russians who get last minute redemption, check; massive explosions, check; lots of improbable escapes; check; bloated running time, check- they're all here for you to enjoy over some 150 minutes.
And yet, during some moments in 2012, there are some deeper moments which elevate it from the usual disaster, USA promoting pap. There's an apparent dark conspiracy (though the Princess Diana reference is appallingly misjudged) which runs through and there are moral questions about whether those in power have the right to make all the decisions to prolong the species rather than save all; unfortunately though, those are slightly over-milked by the repetitive sanctimonious speeches made by Eijofor's character. There are moments which will irritate some - the saccharine goodbyes that some family members get to make on phones, the depiction of the Queen with her corgis....
John Cusack emerges with his credibility in tact at the end of this - it's all fairly predictable stuff; but once again with his continuing charisma and old school cool, he makes it through - even though everything's falling apart around him.
If you fancy seeing a film with the world going to hell in a handcart, then 2012 is the perfect getaway - the effects are par for the course and not too bad in places.
However, I do have one plea - I know it's a symbol for Americans, but can Roland Emmerich please just deal with his issues over the White House and stop blowing it up now?
Rating: 5/10
Cast: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Woody Harrelson, Oliver Platt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton.
Director: Roland Emmerich
Well, we're pretty much screwed.
That's if you believe the Mayans and the latest release 2012.
According to the ancient prophecies, when the planets perfectly align on 21st December 2012, the world will end.
In 2009, (crikey that's now) scientist Adrian Helmsley (a pious Chiwetel Ejiofor) discovers the earth's crust is heating up thanks to recent solar flare activity and the end of the world is nearing.
So when he goes to the President of the US of A (Danny Glover) to relay the information, plans begin for the end of the world. However, what the plans don't necessarily allow for is the full scale survival of the human race.
Throw into this mix, John Cusack's Jackson Curtis, estranged from his wife Kate (Amanda Peet) and 2 kids (yes the uber-moppets, along with a step-father are here and ready for the apocalypse) who's always suspected the final days are on their way.
On a camping trip with his kids in Yellowstone, Jackson finds crazy old Charlie Frost (a wild performance from Woody Harrelson) knows about the conspiracy behind the end of days - and more importantly, how to get through it.
So, when the earthquakes increase in intensity, the nuclear family does what it has to to survive as Jackson does his best to save the day.
But when nature's worst is unleashed, the human race may not make it....
What can you say about 2012, the latest disaster film from the man who blew up the White House when the aliens attacked in Independence Day?
Check your brains at the door and you'll pretty much enjoy it - there are all the pre-requisites of any disaster films; terribly cliched one liners, check; major landmarks being destroyed, check; family under peril - from both nature and the new love, check; evil Government conspiracies and nasty Russians who get last minute redemption, check; massive explosions, check; lots of improbable escapes; check; bloated running time, check- they're all here for you to enjoy over some 150 minutes.
And yet, during some moments in 2012, there are some deeper moments which elevate it from the usual disaster, USA promoting pap. There's an apparent dark conspiracy (though the Princess Diana reference is appallingly misjudged) which runs through and there are moral questions about whether those in power have the right to make all the decisions to prolong the species rather than save all; unfortunately though, those are slightly over-milked by the repetitive sanctimonious speeches made by Eijofor's character. There are moments which will irritate some - the saccharine goodbyes that some family members get to make on phones, the depiction of the Queen with her corgis....
John Cusack emerges with his credibility in tact at the end of this - it's all fairly predictable stuff; but once again with his continuing charisma and old school cool, he makes it through - even though everything's falling apart around him.
If you fancy seeing a film with the world going to hell in a handcart, then 2012 is the perfect getaway - the effects are par for the course and not too bad in places.
However, I do have one plea - I know it's a symbol for Americans, but can Roland Emmerich please just deal with his issues over the White House and stop blowing it up now?
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Away We Go: Movie Review
Away We Go: Movie Review
Rating: 8/10
Cast: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Melanie Lynskey, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Director: Sam Mendes
You would think that a film that's essentially a pregnancy road trip wouldn't be a winner.
However, this latest from Sam Mendes has everything a decent small film needs in spades.
John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph star as Burt and Verona, a pair of thirty somethings who are still trying to find their place in the world.
One night, in possibly the most original way ever, the pair discover Verona is pregnant - and armed with that news, they head to tell Burt's parents the joyous news. (Verona's parents died when she was in her twenties)
But when they tell the grandparents-to-be, Burt's ma and pa (Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels) announce they're leaving the country.
This sets off the feeling that Burt and Verona need to find a home to settle down in as they were only living where they were because of his parents.
So armed with a growing belly, the duo head to various friends scattered across America to see if they can find somewhere new to live before the baby is born.
Away We Go is warm, wry, witty, whimsical and very unexpectedly funny thanks to some humour and deadpan moments from star John Krasinski (from the US version of The Office).
But the second the humour smacks you across the face, director Sam Mendes spins the world on its head and leaves you close to tears - and it's Taranaki's Melanie Lynskey who as a college friend of the duo is responsible for the melancholy.
That said, Mendes and the script don't wallow in it - it's the low-key warmth and the stunning performances by the leads which bring you back down to earth with a jolt.
Some may feel the characters are quirky, and granted they are, but it's never done in an irritating way as Kransinski and Rudolph anchor it firmly in the charming camp.
Away We Go will leave you beaming from ear to ear and is an unexpected joy as the year comes to a close.
Rating: 8/10
Cast: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Melanie Lynskey, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Director: Sam Mendes
You would think that a film that's essentially a pregnancy road trip wouldn't be a winner.
However, this latest from Sam Mendes has everything a decent small film needs in spades.
John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph star as Burt and Verona, a pair of thirty somethings who are still trying to find their place in the world.
One night, in possibly the most original way ever, the pair discover Verona is pregnant - and armed with that news, they head to tell Burt's parents the joyous news. (Verona's parents died when she was in her twenties)
But when they tell the grandparents-to-be, Burt's ma and pa (Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels) announce they're leaving the country.
This sets off the feeling that Burt and Verona need to find a home to settle down in as they were only living where they were because of his parents.
So armed with a growing belly, the duo head to various friends scattered across America to see if they can find somewhere new to live before the baby is born.
Away We Go is warm, wry, witty, whimsical and very unexpectedly funny thanks to some humour and deadpan moments from star John Krasinski (from the US version of The Office).
But the second the humour smacks you across the face, director Sam Mendes spins the world on its head and leaves you close to tears - and it's Taranaki's Melanie Lynskey who as a college friend of the duo is responsible for the melancholy.
That said, Mendes and the script don't wallow in it - it's the low-key warmth and the stunning performances by the leads which bring you back down to earth with a jolt.
Some may feel the characters are quirky, and granted they are, but it's never done in an irritating way as Kransinski and Rudolph anchor it firmly in the charming camp.
Away We Go will leave you beaming from ear to ear and is an unexpected joy as the year comes to a close.
The Vintner's Luck: Movie Review
The Vintner's Luck: Movie Review
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Gaspard Ulliel, Jeremie Renier, Vera Farmiga
Director: Niki Caro
From the much loved book by Elizabeth Knox, and with the reteaming of Niki Caro and Keisha Castle-Hughes, there's a lot of attention and a lot riding on The Vintner's Luck.
It's the tale of Sobran Jodeau (Jeremie Renier) and is set in 19th Century France.
Sobran is a peasant wine maker who has the ambition and desire to produce his own vintage but faces difficulties from not only the land, but also the problems of his place in society.
One day, he's confronted by an angel Xas (Gaspard Ulliel) who tells him that he will give him the help he needs to produce an exquisite vintage and make his name in the world.
Sobran accepts the offer - but is unprepared for what the future has in store for him, his family and those around him.
The Vintner's Luck is a sweeping sumptuous tale of lust, ambition, desire, wine and majestic countryside - but it's also an ode to the earth around us. Director Niki Caro peppers the film throughout with shots of the nature all around - as workers cull the grapes from the vine, we're shown shots of bugs, creepy crawlies and worms permeating the earth. It's a nice touch of respect to the world around us.
There's a very pagan feel to this celebration of the land - and it manages to convey the majesty of nature's bounty.
However, when it comes to the human talent in the story itself, it's a slightly different story.
Jeremie Renier puts in a fair performance as Jodeau - he conveys the right amount of petulance and ambition for someone who wants to better their position but I never really warmed to him through the film's duration - even when he's put through the emotional wringer, it's hard to sympathise for him.
Keisha Castle-Hughes is all scowls and lust - and puts in a wonderfully understated performance; however, you can't help but feel that she's underused in this. It would have been great to see more of her onscreen as she's such a presence.
The Angel Xas infuriates after a while as he dispenses bon mots such as life is pleasure and pain and you have to have both. And as for the scene which is supposed to see Xas and Sobran in love, it ends up feeling more of a weird wrestling fight than an intimate moment.
Overall, The Vintner's Luck is beautifully sumptuous in some parts and soars in places - however, I'm afraid to say it's slightly flawed in others. While it's not as bad as the savaging reviews from Toronto would suggest, you may leave feeling ever so slightly cheated and a little let down.
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Gaspard Ulliel, Jeremie Renier, Vera Farmiga
Director: Niki Caro
From the much loved book by Elizabeth Knox, and with the reteaming of Niki Caro and Keisha Castle-Hughes, there's a lot of attention and a lot riding on The Vintner's Luck.
It's the tale of Sobran Jodeau (Jeremie Renier) and is set in 19th Century France.
Sobran is a peasant wine maker who has the ambition and desire to produce his own vintage but faces difficulties from not only the land, but also the problems of his place in society.
One day, he's confronted by an angel Xas (Gaspard Ulliel) who tells him that he will give him the help he needs to produce an exquisite vintage and make his name in the world.
Sobran accepts the offer - but is unprepared for what the future has in store for him, his family and those around him.
The Vintner's Luck is a sweeping sumptuous tale of lust, ambition, desire, wine and majestic countryside - but it's also an ode to the earth around us. Director Niki Caro peppers the film throughout with shots of the nature all around - as workers cull the grapes from the vine, we're shown shots of bugs, creepy crawlies and worms permeating the earth. It's a nice touch of respect to the world around us.
There's a very pagan feel to this celebration of the land - and it manages to convey the majesty of nature's bounty.
However, when it comes to the human talent in the story itself, it's a slightly different story.
Jeremie Renier puts in a fair performance as Jodeau - he conveys the right amount of petulance and ambition for someone who wants to better their position but I never really warmed to him through the film's duration - even when he's put through the emotional wringer, it's hard to sympathise for him.
Keisha Castle-Hughes is all scowls and lust - and puts in a wonderfully understated performance; however, you can't help but feel that she's underused in this. It would have been great to see more of her onscreen as she's such a presence.
The Angel Xas infuriates after a while as he dispenses bon mots such as life is pleasure and pain and you have to have both. And as for the scene which is supposed to see Xas and Sobran in love, it ends up feeling more of a weird wrestling fight than an intimate moment.
Overall, The Vintner's Luck is beautifully sumptuous in some parts and soars in places - however, I'm afraid to say it's slightly flawed in others. While it's not as bad as the savaging reviews from Toronto would suggest, you may leave feeling ever so slightly cheated and a little let down.
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Eden Lake: DVD Review
Eden Lake: DVD Review
Eden Lake
Released by Madman Entertainment
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kelly Reilly, Jack O'Connell, Thomas Turgoose
Rating: 18
If you go down to the woods today, you're in for one hell of a ride.
And a visceral shock.
Eden Lake is the tale of a London based couple, Jenny and Steve (Fassbender and Reilly) who head to the idyllic countryside for a weekend away.
The couple is happy and Steve's got a proposal in mind.
As they head to the Lake to begin their break, they find the area's being slowly turned into a building site - however, amid Steve's protestations, they end up staying after finding a beautiful flooded quarry, complete with beach.
Only they're not the only ones on the beach - and a gang of hoodies (nothing like the Reservoir Hill lot) set up camp nearby, complete with growling dog and thumping music.
Steve politely goes over and asks them to turn it down - and that's when the proverbial brown stuff hits the fan. One confrontation later - and the pair are set on a path which will see their lives ripped apart.
Eden Lake is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a comfortable film to watch - even the back says you don't watch it, you survive it. And that's none too far from the truth.
Over 85 minutes, a sadistic game of survival turns murderous and violent - with a conclusion which may leave you wanting a very stiff drink.
The problem with UK horror Eden Lake, is that at its very worst, it's all very plausible - the gang mentality's prevalent worldwide - and this latest incarnation doesn't seem like too much of a leap from the UK I remember.
All of the main cast acquit themselves well, with the strongest - and most horrifying - performance coming from leader of the yobs Jack O'Connell. If he's channeling something within him, then we should worry because his violent gang leader is psychotic and frightening in the extreme.
Sure, there are a few of the horror clichés (idyllic countryside, a blissfully happy couple) but what's most unnerving about Eden Lake is how close it is to reality.
The ending's not as shocking as the filmmakers would have you believe, but quite honestly, by the time I'd sat through this, I was pretty numb and was really in no state to take another shock.
Eden Lake is not a film to recommend; it's a film which has to be seen because of its powerhouse performances - just be aware, you may find yourself appalled in many places and glad you get to turn the lights on and the film off at the end. As an experience, it's a powerfully unsettling and challenging one.
Extras: Behind the scenes, cast and crew interviews, trailers, galleries.
Rating: 7/10
Eden Lake
Released by Madman Entertainment
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kelly Reilly, Jack O'Connell, Thomas Turgoose
Rating: 18
If you go down to the woods today, you're in for one hell of a ride.
And a visceral shock.
Eden Lake is the tale of a London based couple, Jenny and Steve (Fassbender and Reilly) who head to the idyllic countryside for a weekend away.
The couple is happy and Steve's got a proposal in mind.
As they head to the Lake to begin their break, they find the area's being slowly turned into a building site - however, amid Steve's protestations, they end up staying after finding a beautiful flooded quarry, complete with beach.
Only they're not the only ones on the beach - and a gang of hoodies (nothing like the Reservoir Hill lot) set up camp nearby, complete with growling dog and thumping music.
Steve politely goes over and asks them to turn it down - and that's when the proverbial brown stuff hits the fan. One confrontation later - and the pair are set on a path which will see their lives ripped apart.
Eden Lake is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a comfortable film to watch - even the back says you don't watch it, you survive it. And that's none too far from the truth.
Over 85 minutes, a sadistic game of survival turns murderous and violent - with a conclusion which may leave you wanting a very stiff drink.
The problem with UK horror Eden Lake, is that at its very worst, it's all very plausible - the gang mentality's prevalent worldwide - and this latest incarnation doesn't seem like too much of a leap from the UK I remember.
All of the main cast acquit themselves well, with the strongest - and most horrifying - performance coming from leader of the yobs Jack O'Connell. If he's channeling something within him, then we should worry because his violent gang leader is psychotic and frightening in the extreme.
Sure, there are a few of the horror clichés (idyllic countryside, a blissfully happy couple) but what's most unnerving about Eden Lake is how close it is to reality.
The ending's not as shocking as the filmmakers would have you believe, but quite honestly, by the time I'd sat through this, I was pretty numb and was really in no state to take another shock.
Eden Lake is not a film to recommend; it's a film which has to be seen because of its powerhouse performances - just be aware, you may find yourself appalled in many places and glad you get to turn the lights on and the film off at the end. As an experience, it's a powerfully unsettling and challenging one.
Extras: Behind the scenes, cast and crew interviews, trailers, galleries.
Rating: 7/10
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Defiance: DVD Review
Defiance: DVD Review
Defiance
Cast: Daniel Craig, Live Schreiber, Jamie Bell
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Rating: M
Daniel Craig swaps Bond's tux for the grizzly outdoors look in Defiance.
He's one of the Bielski trio of brothers who live in 1941 Belorussia and find their lives changed forever, once the Germans invade during World War II.
After seeing his family killed Tuvia (the steely eyed Craig) grabs the rest of them and heads to the woods to see if they can survive - one narrow escape later and suddenly this band of brothers is attracting other stragglers to come and live with them - whether they want it or not.
As the community grows, factions grow between the brothers as they try and keep their freedom. Schreiber's Zus wants to fight the Germans and repel the invaders; Tuvia wants to hold the community together.
But as the Nazis get ever closer, the brothers' find their loyalties to each other, the community and their country are tested beyond belief - can they remain free?
Director Ed Zwick (The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond) does a good job of holding them all together - but after the initial attacks, the pace of the film slows a little and it begins ever so slightly to drag.
Schreiber, Bell and Craig are all good in this tale of family, honour and vengeance but it's Zwick who fails to accurately nail the pace - and despite some of the ideas on show here about how far you go for your beliefs (Craig's Tuvia finds he can't take a soft approach and be an effective leader), it's only thanks to the performances that the film's saved.
Extras: None;
Rating: 6/10
Defiance
Cast: Daniel Craig, Live Schreiber, Jamie Bell
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Rating: M
Daniel Craig swaps Bond's tux for the grizzly outdoors look in Defiance.
He's one of the Bielski trio of brothers who live in 1941 Belorussia and find their lives changed forever, once the Germans invade during World War II.
After seeing his family killed Tuvia (the steely eyed Craig) grabs the rest of them and heads to the woods to see if they can survive - one narrow escape later and suddenly this band of brothers is attracting other stragglers to come and live with them - whether they want it or not.
As the community grows, factions grow between the brothers as they try and keep their freedom. Schreiber's Zus wants to fight the Germans and repel the invaders; Tuvia wants to hold the community together.
But as the Nazis get ever closer, the brothers' find their loyalties to each other, the community and their country are tested beyond belief - can they remain free?
Director Ed Zwick (The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond) does a good job of holding them all together - but after the initial attacks, the pace of the film slows a little and it begins ever so slightly to drag.
Schreiber, Bell and Craig are all good in this tale of family, honour and vengeance but it's Zwick who fails to accurately nail the pace - and despite some of the ideas on show here about how far you go for your beliefs (Craig's Tuvia finds he can't take a soft approach and be an effective leader), it's only thanks to the performances that the film's saved.
Extras: None;
Rating: 6/10
Friday, 6 November 2009
Observe and Report: DVD Review
Observe and Report: DVD Review
Observe and Report
Cast: Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta
Director: Jody Hill
Released by Warner Bros Video
Rating: Restricted 16
Seth Rogen stars as Ronnie Barnhardt, a bi-polar head of mall security in this odd mix of comedy and downbeat humour written and directed by Jody Hill.
Bargain hunters at the Forest Ridge Mall are being terrorized by a flasher - Ronnie sets out to catch the pervy perp; figuring after a visit from Ray Liotta's Detective Harrison that this collar could lead to a career in the police force.
And the flasher makes things personal when he exposes himself at the object of his desire, Brandi, the make up counter girl (Anna Faris).
But Ronnie soon learns that the way to the top cop is never an easy one.
Observe and Report is not your average comedy - and it's not all comedy. It's a curious mix of downbeat melancholy, peppered with generous amounts of swearing and a general lack of overtly funny material.
Throw in a controversial sex scene involving Faris and Rogen and it's an uneasy beast which spans 83 minutes.
Rogen is his usual self but is tinged with an odd streak of human loser in this one - there's not too many hilarious lines or endlessly quotable moments throughout. Whether I was missing the point a little, I'm not entirely sure. Had some of the "laughs" been removed from the script and you'd have probably been left with an interesting look at the mentality of mall security and how, in this case, they're a bunch of underachieving oddballs.
The appearance of Liotta's Harrison sparks jealously in Ronnie and also gives him that push to try and leave this life behind. Sadly though what it doesn't do is push the film into sparkier territory; despite the truncated running time, it feels long in places.
Observe and Report serves as a tangential curio in Rogen's career - whether it'll be one he wants to forget further down the line, is anyone's guess.
Extras: Gag Reel - seriously, when did people laughing and corpsing as well as messing up constitute a decent extra? Disappointing - but given the source material, there was little else to pull together.
Rating: 5/10
Observe and Report
Cast: Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta
Director: Jody Hill
Released by Warner Bros Video
Rating: Restricted 16
Seth Rogen stars as Ronnie Barnhardt, a bi-polar head of mall security in this odd mix of comedy and downbeat humour written and directed by Jody Hill.
Bargain hunters at the Forest Ridge Mall are being terrorized by a flasher - Ronnie sets out to catch the pervy perp; figuring after a visit from Ray Liotta's Detective Harrison that this collar could lead to a career in the police force.
And the flasher makes things personal when he exposes himself at the object of his desire, Brandi, the make up counter girl (Anna Faris).
But Ronnie soon learns that the way to the top cop is never an easy one.
Observe and Report is not your average comedy - and it's not all comedy. It's a curious mix of downbeat melancholy, peppered with generous amounts of swearing and a general lack of overtly funny material.
Throw in a controversial sex scene involving Faris and Rogen and it's an uneasy beast which spans 83 minutes.
Rogen is his usual self but is tinged with an odd streak of human loser in this one - there's not too many hilarious lines or endlessly quotable moments throughout. Whether I was missing the point a little, I'm not entirely sure. Had some of the "laughs" been removed from the script and you'd have probably been left with an interesting look at the mentality of mall security and how, in this case, they're a bunch of underachieving oddballs.
The appearance of Liotta's Harrison sparks jealously in Ronnie and also gives him that push to try and leave this life behind. Sadly though what it doesn't do is push the film into sparkier territory; despite the truncated running time, it feels long in places.
Observe and Report serves as a tangential curio in Rogen's career - whether it'll be one he wants to forget further down the line, is anyone's guess.
Extras: Gag Reel - seriously, when did people laughing and corpsing as well as messing up constitute a decent extra? Disappointing - but given the source material, there was little else to pull together.
Rating: 5/10
Blindness: DVD Review
Blindness: DVD Review
Blindness
Cast: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Alice Braga, Danny Glover, Gael Garcia Bernal
Rating: 18
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
From director Fernando Meirelles, who did The Constant Gardner, Blindness is a thriller with an intriguing premise and some genuinely unsettling moments.
As the film opens at a busy intersection, a man stops dead in his car, claiming he can no longer see. Helped by those around him, the man ends up still without sight (he says he feels like he's swimming in milk with his eyes open) and in an A&E asking for help.
But within 24 hours of contact with this mysterious Patient Zero, all those who helped are struck blind - and suddenly without warning, an epidemic begins to sweep the world.
The initial carriers are placed in an isolation ward - the doctor who treated him (Ruffalo) is bundled off to an isolated hospital. However, the doc's wife (Julianne Moore) isn't affected and to make sure she's not separated from her loved one, she feigns blindness to be with him.
However, as the White Sickness (as it's monikered) spreads, more and more people find themselves in the hospital. As the numbers swell, a society begins to grow - and the situation brings out the worst in some...will the world come through the epidemic?
Blindness is a strange experience; initially compelling and a fascinating portrayal of what happens when society goes to hell in a hand cart, it becomes nasty and unsettling when the psychos on the ward come out.
Moore does well as the wife - her vision isolates her from those around her and also give her the insight into the horrors around; and while the ensemble cast are perfectly fine (though Danny Glover's wasted in his brief appearance), it's quite hard to offer up your sympathies to the afflicted as very few of them are likeable characters.
Given the subject matter, it's also quite cold emotionally to engage with the story - and you find your feelings are ones of repulsion and shock as the situation unfolds. But then, that's probably what Meirelles wanted you to feel. There's also a degree of frustration as there are no clear answers or solutions offered - however, as a study of a crumbling society, Blindness is a shocking, gut wrenching watch - it's just not a comfortable one.
Extras include a doco about the making of the film and deleted scenes.
Rating: 6/10
Blindness
Cast: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Alice Braga, Danny Glover, Gael Garcia Bernal
Rating: 18
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
From director Fernando Meirelles, who did The Constant Gardner, Blindness is a thriller with an intriguing premise and some genuinely unsettling moments.
As the film opens at a busy intersection, a man stops dead in his car, claiming he can no longer see. Helped by those around him, the man ends up still without sight (he says he feels like he's swimming in milk with his eyes open) and in an A&E asking for help.
But within 24 hours of contact with this mysterious Patient Zero, all those who helped are struck blind - and suddenly without warning, an epidemic begins to sweep the world.
The initial carriers are placed in an isolation ward - the doctor who treated him (Ruffalo) is bundled off to an isolated hospital. However, the doc's wife (Julianne Moore) isn't affected and to make sure she's not separated from her loved one, she feigns blindness to be with him.
However, as the White Sickness (as it's monikered) spreads, more and more people find themselves in the hospital. As the numbers swell, a society begins to grow - and the situation brings out the worst in some...will the world come through the epidemic?
Blindness is a strange experience; initially compelling and a fascinating portrayal of what happens when society goes to hell in a hand cart, it becomes nasty and unsettling when the psychos on the ward come out.
Moore does well as the wife - her vision isolates her from those around her and also give her the insight into the horrors around; and while the ensemble cast are perfectly fine (though Danny Glover's wasted in his brief appearance), it's quite hard to offer up your sympathies to the afflicted as very few of them are likeable characters.
Given the subject matter, it's also quite cold emotionally to engage with the story - and you find your feelings are ones of repulsion and shock as the situation unfolds. But then, that's probably what Meirelles wanted you to feel. There's also a degree of frustration as there are no clear answers or solutions offered - however, as a study of a crumbling society, Blindness is a shocking, gut wrenching watch - it's just not a comfortable one.
Extras include a doco about the making of the film and deleted scenes.
Rating: 6/10
A Christmas Carol: Movie Review
A Christmas Carol: Movie Review
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Cary Elwes, Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins.
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Before I start I need to get two things out of the way. First this new adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is NOT a comedy, despite Jim Carrey's name above the title. And secondly this is NOT for young children; parents should note that the movie has some dark and scary moments.
Director Robert Zemeckis (The Polar Express and Beowulf) returns with more motion-capture animation, and while the film is stunning to look at, it is missing the key ingredient in Dickens' work - heart.
The tale is faithfully told - Carrey plays Ebenezer Scrooge, a money man who "bah humbugs" his way through Christmas. Gary Oldman plays his faithful, and put upon assistant Bob Cratchit while Colin Firth pops up as Scrooge's nephew. All the cast are made to look like "Dickensian" versions of themselves, with Carrey in particular given lean, menacing features.
But while Carrey is famed for his manic physical comedy, that is on limited display in A Christmas Carol. It seems strange to have a man used to extorting his body on screen to be hampered by animation.
The ghostly appearance of his old business partner Marley (Oldman's voice again) sets the dark tone for the movie - his pounding at the door and the sound, and sight, of his shackles are brilliantly realised.
He warns Scrooge of the error of his ways and that he will be visited by three ghosts of Christmas. And so Scrooge goes on his journey of self discovery to realise that life is worth living.
The story is so well known that at times you end up asking why, despite all of the stunning graphics and 3D elements, yet another version was needed.
One major irritation is the accents given to the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present (both Carrey).
Our Christmas Past ghost is represented by a candle with an otherworldly Irish lilt straight out of the pages of "Hollywood Orish accents circa 1955" but that's not a patch on the bizarre English-Scottish brogue given to Christmas Present.
The typical jolly interpretation is handed an accent which laughable moves from Scotland to Liverpool to Newcastle to Wales - all in the space of one sentence, it truly is terrible and distracting.
Thankfully things pick up for the very scary Ghost of Christmas Future (mercifully no speaking for him), which is likely to frighten more than its share of adults as well as kids.
The ending won't surprise anyone who knows the novel or the countless other movie adaptations of Dickens' tale and perhaps the problem with Zemeckis' version is that it does suffer in comparison. Despite it being a visual treat it doesn't seem to offer anything new.
Films such as Scrooged and, dare I say it, The Muppets Christmas Carol, had more heart and emotion.
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Cary Elwes, Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins.
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Before I start I need to get two things out of the way. First this new adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is NOT a comedy, despite Jim Carrey's name above the title. And secondly this is NOT for young children; parents should note that the movie has some dark and scary moments.
Director Robert Zemeckis (The Polar Express and Beowulf) returns with more motion-capture animation, and while the film is stunning to look at, it is missing the key ingredient in Dickens' work - heart.
The tale is faithfully told - Carrey plays Ebenezer Scrooge, a money man who "bah humbugs" his way through Christmas. Gary Oldman plays his faithful, and put upon assistant Bob Cratchit while Colin Firth pops up as Scrooge's nephew. All the cast are made to look like "Dickensian" versions of themselves, with Carrey in particular given lean, menacing features.
But while Carrey is famed for his manic physical comedy, that is on limited display in A Christmas Carol. It seems strange to have a man used to extorting his body on screen to be hampered by animation.
The ghostly appearance of his old business partner Marley (Oldman's voice again) sets the dark tone for the movie - his pounding at the door and the sound, and sight, of his shackles are brilliantly realised.
He warns Scrooge of the error of his ways and that he will be visited by three ghosts of Christmas. And so Scrooge goes on his journey of self discovery to realise that life is worth living.
The story is so well known that at times you end up asking why, despite all of the stunning graphics and 3D elements, yet another version was needed.
One major irritation is the accents given to the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present (both Carrey).
Our Christmas Past ghost is represented by a candle with an otherworldly Irish lilt straight out of the pages of "Hollywood Orish accents circa 1955" but that's not a patch on the bizarre English-Scottish brogue given to Christmas Present.
The typical jolly interpretation is handed an accent which laughable moves from Scotland to Liverpool to Newcastle to Wales - all in the space of one sentence, it truly is terrible and distracting.
Thankfully things pick up for the very scary Ghost of Christmas Future (mercifully no speaking for him), which is likely to frighten more than its share of adults as well as kids.
The ending won't surprise anyone who knows the novel or the countless other movie adaptations of Dickens' tale and perhaps the problem with Zemeckis' version is that it does suffer in comparison. Despite it being a visual treat it doesn't seem to offer anything new.
Films such as Scrooged and, dare I say it, The Muppets Christmas Carol, had more heart and emotion.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
My Sister's Keeper: Movie Review
My Sister's Keeper: Movie Review
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Sofia Vassilieva, Jason Patric, Alec Baldwin, Thomas Dekker
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Take the tissues.
Adapted from the novel of the same name by Jodi Picoult, this is the tale of Kate and her dysfunctional family, the Fitzgeralds.
They're as dysfunctional as any normal family - except for two differences: Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) has leukaemia and her sister Anna (Breslin) has been created for the sole purpose of donating organs/ blood/ cells to help get her through the treatment.
Only there are two problems with this - one, Kate's getting sicker and two, her sister Anna's gone to a lawyer to seek medical emancipation so she can live her life and not always endure painful operations for Kate.
With that in mind, the scene is set for a showdown, heartbreak and plenty of tears - as well as a sprinkling of flashbacks to life before the illness.
My Sister's Keeper is what you'd expect - it's emotionally manipulative in parts (right down to the slow motion backed with piano music and power ballads) and will be guaranteed to move even the most hard hearted of cinemagoers to succumb to tears.
However, while there is severe over milking of the emotional issues at stake - a family torn apart trying to do the right thing, a dying young girl wanting her family to heal and a couple of moments - and dialogue - designed purely to pull at the heartstrings, what will surprise you is the unshowy performances of the ensemble cast.
Sofia Vassilieva doesn't make Kate mawkish and sad sack - she brings a quiet dignity to the dying girl who has realized her time is up; likewise Abigail Breslin does well as the sister grown purely to help her sister and failing to do so; Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric play admirable roles in making the suffering parents whose lives have been dragged through the wringer a reality; and Thomas Dekker's fellow sufferer shows a depth of subtlety hinted at during TV2's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
My Sister's Keeper won't win any prizes for originality and there are a few cloying plot holes (how can a mother who's a lawyer be involved in the case of her daughter without it being a conflict of interest is just one), and perhaps the sentimentality has been heaped on a little too much. But what it does do is show the importance of family at times of crisis and how devastating a disease cancer continues to be during and after life.
If you're in the mood for having your heart strings pulled and want an emotional release which will see you crying buckets, then My Sister's Keeper strays on just the right side of sentimental mawkishness - thanks to the performances of its cast, you'll be heading out into the foyer sniffing and holding on tightly to the one you love.
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Sofia Vassilieva, Jason Patric, Alec Baldwin, Thomas Dekker
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Take the tissues.
Adapted from the novel of the same name by Jodi Picoult, this is the tale of Kate and her dysfunctional family, the Fitzgeralds.
They're as dysfunctional as any normal family - except for two differences: Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) has leukaemia and her sister Anna (Breslin) has been created for the sole purpose of donating organs/ blood/ cells to help get her through the treatment.
Only there are two problems with this - one, Kate's getting sicker and two, her sister Anna's gone to a lawyer to seek medical emancipation so she can live her life and not always endure painful operations for Kate.
With that in mind, the scene is set for a showdown, heartbreak and plenty of tears - as well as a sprinkling of flashbacks to life before the illness.
My Sister's Keeper is what you'd expect - it's emotionally manipulative in parts (right down to the slow motion backed with piano music and power ballads) and will be guaranteed to move even the most hard hearted of cinemagoers to succumb to tears.
However, while there is severe over milking of the emotional issues at stake - a family torn apart trying to do the right thing, a dying young girl wanting her family to heal and a couple of moments - and dialogue - designed purely to pull at the heartstrings, what will surprise you is the unshowy performances of the ensemble cast.
Sofia Vassilieva doesn't make Kate mawkish and sad sack - she brings a quiet dignity to the dying girl who has realized her time is up; likewise Abigail Breslin does well as the sister grown purely to help her sister and failing to do so; Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric play admirable roles in making the suffering parents whose lives have been dragged through the wringer a reality; and Thomas Dekker's fellow sufferer shows a depth of subtlety hinted at during TV2's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
My Sister's Keeper won't win any prizes for originality and there are a few cloying plot holes (how can a mother who's a lawyer be involved in the case of her daughter without it being a conflict of interest is just one), and perhaps the sentimentality has been heaped on a little too much. But what it does do is show the importance of family at times of crisis and how devastating a disease cancer continues to be during and after life.
If you're in the mood for having your heart strings pulled and want an emotional release which will see you crying buckets, then My Sister's Keeper strays on just the right side of sentimental mawkishness - thanks to the performances of its cast, you'll be heading out into the foyer sniffing and holding on tightly to the one you love.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: Movie Review
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: Movie Review
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Verne Troyer, Lily Cole, Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Andrew Garfield
Director: Terry Gilliam
Let's start by addressing the elephant in the room - yes, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is the last film with Heath Ledger in following his untimely death.
But it's important to note, he's only part of an ensemble cast - and isn't the real star of the film; granted there'll be a lot of attention on it because of that, but that's not the main reason to see this.
Anyway, I've got a bit ahead of myself there - plot wise, it's the fantasy tale of Dr Parnassus (a wonderfully world weary Christopher Plummer) who travels the land with his carnival troupe (including Verne Troyer of Austin Powers fame) and his daughter Valentina (a porcelain doll like Lily Cole).
Granted immortality, Parnassus is locked in an ongoing battle with Tom Waits' Devil - and the Devil has arrived to collect his due. You see, years ago, Parnassus wagered his first born and now to stop the Devil taking what's his, he bets he can win over five souls.
Into this mélange of madness in modern day London, arrives Heath Ledger's shyster Tony. Mysteriously left for dead, he's taken in by the troupe - and could be the tipping point in Parnassus' quest to finally beat the Devil.
Yes, it's sprawling and a bit unfocussed at times, but The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is perhaps one of the most visually original pieces of cinema you'll ever see - there are flashes of pure genius from director Terry Gilliam as he weaves his surreal web.
Within minutes of the film's slightly sinister opening, we're thrown directly into the wondrous world of The Imaginarium and see what wonders it offers those who peer in. I don't really want to spoil the visual surprises on offer moments into the film - but suffice it to say, I'm pretty sure you'll have never seen anything this audacious or original up on the big screen before - both in terms of landscapes and scale - it's simply awe inducing.
If there's a star to this film, then it's director Terry Gilliam - while Ledger shows why he was always a cinematic presence, his dodgy dealer Tony, with his Jack Sparrowesque stylings, is not as outstanding a performance as his portrayal of Joker in The Dark Knight (although it was never meant to be). The rest of the cast are pretty damn good too - from Waits' seedy Devil to Plummer's put upon Parnassus, to Lily Cole's debut performance; each rise to the challenge laid down by their director.
Gilliam has had the wonderful visionary flair to create something magical among the mundane; his flights of fancy transform the film and turn it into something fantastical and new.
It was, after all, his vision which allowed him to give the film a life after Heath Ledger's death; it was his idea which gave Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law the chance to be part of it - and he manages their arrival into proceedings flawlessly and so perfectly, you have to double take how you've been given the visual equivalent of sleight of hand.
It's not a perfect film - and its rambling ways and narrative sometimes threaten to derail it; but for flights of fancy and unique spectacle, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is astonishing on so many levels. The journey is fantastic and so moving that by the end, you'll fight hard to keep a tear back.
If this is Ledger's legacy, then he can be grateful Terry Gilliam helmed his final outing - because what they've produced is simply unique. Easily one of the best films of the year - if only for the sheer audaciousness of it all.
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Verne Troyer, Lily Cole, Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Andrew Garfield
Director: Terry Gilliam
Let's start by addressing the elephant in the room - yes, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is the last film with Heath Ledger in following his untimely death.
But it's important to note, he's only part of an ensemble cast - and isn't the real star of the film; granted there'll be a lot of attention on it because of that, but that's not the main reason to see this.
Anyway, I've got a bit ahead of myself there - plot wise, it's the fantasy tale of Dr Parnassus (a wonderfully world weary Christopher Plummer) who travels the land with his carnival troupe (including Verne Troyer of Austin Powers fame) and his daughter Valentina (a porcelain doll like Lily Cole).
Granted immortality, Parnassus is locked in an ongoing battle with Tom Waits' Devil - and the Devil has arrived to collect his due. You see, years ago, Parnassus wagered his first born and now to stop the Devil taking what's his, he bets he can win over five souls.
Into this mélange of madness in modern day London, arrives Heath Ledger's shyster Tony. Mysteriously left for dead, he's taken in by the troupe - and could be the tipping point in Parnassus' quest to finally beat the Devil.
Yes, it's sprawling and a bit unfocussed at times, but The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is perhaps one of the most visually original pieces of cinema you'll ever see - there are flashes of pure genius from director Terry Gilliam as he weaves his surreal web.
Within minutes of the film's slightly sinister opening, we're thrown directly into the wondrous world of The Imaginarium and see what wonders it offers those who peer in. I don't really want to spoil the visual surprises on offer moments into the film - but suffice it to say, I'm pretty sure you'll have never seen anything this audacious or original up on the big screen before - both in terms of landscapes and scale - it's simply awe inducing.
If there's a star to this film, then it's director Terry Gilliam - while Ledger shows why he was always a cinematic presence, his dodgy dealer Tony, with his Jack Sparrowesque stylings, is not as outstanding a performance as his portrayal of Joker in The Dark Knight (although it was never meant to be). The rest of the cast are pretty damn good too - from Waits' seedy Devil to Plummer's put upon Parnassus, to Lily Cole's debut performance; each rise to the challenge laid down by their director.
Gilliam has had the wonderful visionary flair to create something magical among the mundane; his flights of fancy transform the film and turn it into something fantastical and new.
It was, after all, his vision which allowed him to give the film a life after Heath Ledger's death; it was his idea which gave Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law the chance to be part of it - and he manages their arrival into proceedings flawlessly and so perfectly, you have to double take how you've been given the visual equivalent of sleight of hand.
It's not a perfect film - and its rambling ways and narrative sometimes threaten to derail it; but for flights of fancy and unique spectacle, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is astonishing on so many levels. The journey is fantastic and so moving that by the end, you'll fight hard to keep a tear back.
If this is Ledger's legacy, then he can be grateful Terry Gilliam helmed his final outing - because what they've produced is simply unique. Easily one of the best films of the year - if only for the sheer audaciousness of it all.
Monday, 2 November 2009
Blackadder: Ultimate Collection: DVD Review
Blackadder: Ultimate Collection: DVD Review
Blackadder: The Ultimate Edition - Remastered
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment/ BBC
Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Tim McInnery, Miranda Richardson
Ah Black Adder, the bastion of comedy quotes since it first began back in 1983 and much loved still, despite being just shy of its thirtieth birthday.
It was the sitcom which saw Rowan Atkinson charm the public (before he goofed around as bumbling idiot Mr Bean) and watching this wonderfully remastered collection of all four series and three after show specials, it's easy to see why.
From the brilliant wordplay to the continuing lunacy - and indeed poignancy - the show's got an enduring urbane appeal and is guaranteed to make you laugh time and again.
Admittedly, the first series was not one of the best -but by the time, Richard Curtis had found his feet in the Elizabethan years, BlackAdder was guaranteed a place in Television history.
And this set should be guaranteed a place in a) TV on DVD history and b) on your shelves at home. Not only content with remastering each of the quartet of series, there's a whole host of interviews/ behind the scenes footage and documentaries for the most ardent of fan to delve into. And if you're not a fan, you'll pretty much be guaranteed to be one at the end of the set.
It's difficult to pick one stand alone moment from the set - from Tony Robinson's suffering buffoon Baldrick to Hugh Laurie's performances throughout, there's more than enough to ensure repeat viewing.
But it's hard to beat the closing moments of BlackAdder Goes Forth when it comes to poignancy - having suffered the idiocy of life in the trenches during World War I, the gang finally goes over the Top to certain death. There was not a dry eye in the house back in 1989 when it first screened - and 20 years on, it still puts a lump in your throat.
If the series are great, then it's a testament to why it never worked 100% afterwards - while the specials are good, they don't hold a candle upto the originals (and certainly the ill conceived BlackAdder Back and Forth shows that) but for a completist, this 6 disc set (which clocks in at over 16 hours) is the perfect way to wile away any spare time you may have.
Extras: Too numerous to list here - but commentaries and extended interviews from the cast and Richard Curtis, Costumes Revisited, an hour doco celebrating the show's 25th anniversary are just a few of the goodies on offer here.
Rating: 9/10
Blackadder: The Ultimate Edition - Remastered
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment/ BBC
Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Tim McInnery, Miranda Richardson
Ah Black Adder, the bastion of comedy quotes since it first began back in 1983 and much loved still, despite being just shy of its thirtieth birthday.
It was the sitcom which saw Rowan Atkinson charm the public (before he goofed around as bumbling idiot Mr Bean) and watching this wonderfully remastered collection of all four series and three after show specials, it's easy to see why.
From the brilliant wordplay to the continuing lunacy - and indeed poignancy - the show's got an enduring urbane appeal and is guaranteed to make you laugh time and again.
Admittedly, the first series was not one of the best -but by the time, Richard Curtis had found his feet in the Elizabethan years, BlackAdder was guaranteed a place in Television history.
And this set should be guaranteed a place in a) TV on DVD history and b) on your shelves at home. Not only content with remastering each of the quartet of series, there's a whole host of interviews/ behind the scenes footage and documentaries for the most ardent of fan to delve into. And if you're not a fan, you'll pretty much be guaranteed to be one at the end of the set.
It's difficult to pick one stand alone moment from the set - from Tony Robinson's suffering buffoon Baldrick to Hugh Laurie's performances throughout, there's more than enough to ensure repeat viewing.
But it's hard to beat the closing moments of BlackAdder Goes Forth when it comes to poignancy - having suffered the idiocy of life in the trenches during World War I, the gang finally goes over the Top to certain death. There was not a dry eye in the house back in 1989 when it first screened - and 20 years on, it still puts a lump in your throat.
If the series are great, then it's a testament to why it never worked 100% afterwards - while the specials are good, they don't hold a candle upto the originals (and certainly the ill conceived BlackAdder Back and Forth shows that) but for a completist, this 6 disc set (which clocks in at over 16 hours) is the perfect way to wile away any spare time you may have.
Extras: Too numerous to list here - but commentaries and extended interviews from the cast and Richard Curtis, Costumes Revisited, an hour doco celebrating the show's 25th anniversary are just a few of the goodies on offer here.
Rating: 9/10
The Reader: DVD Review
The Reader: DVD Review
The Reader
Cast: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
From director Stephen Daldry, this is the film which finally saw Kate Winslet enter the pantheon of Oscar winners after five prior nominations.
She stars as Hanna Schmitz, who begins a torrid affair with a 15 year old boy Michael Berg (a stunning turn by David Kross). Years later, when the pair's paths cross again, he's enrolled in a law school and she's on trial for war crimes - not exactly the reunion either would have planned&
The Reader sees Daldry tread some tricky ground - it's difficult to feel anything too much for Schmitz's character because Winslet plays her as cold, unemotional and very matter of fact. Although he does make it an interesting look at how far some would go to protect a secret.
It starts off as a love affair type story and then switches to a court room drama which packs a bit of an emotional sucker punch around the 90 minute mark.
Ralph Fiennes is okay as the elder Michael Berg who ends up dealing with the emotional fall out of his relationship with Schmitz; but it's David Kross who carries most of the film with his performance - it's a compelling turn from a relative newcomer which anchors the film and provides an emotional heart to what is, by all accounts, a thespian's dream role.
The solid extras (the usual docos of behind the scenes and trailers) round off a reasonable package - and while The Reader may not be the easiest night's entertainment, it's certainly understandable to see why the Academy honoured this performance from Winslet.
Extras: Making The Reader; Kate Winslet on the art of ageing Hanna Schmitz; A New Voice- a look at the Reader's composer; Production Designer and a trailer flesh out the DVD
Rating: 7/10
The Reader
Cast: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
From director Stephen Daldry, this is the film which finally saw Kate Winslet enter the pantheon of Oscar winners after five prior nominations.
She stars as Hanna Schmitz, who begins a torrid affair with a 15 year old boy Michael Berg (a stunning turn by David Kross). Years later, when the pair's paths cross again, he's enrolled in a law school and she's on trial for war crimes - not exactly the reunion either would have planned&
The Reader sees Daldry tread some tricky ground - it's difficult to feel anything too much for Schmitz's character because Winslet plays her as cold, unemotional and very matter of fact. Although he does make it an interesting look at how far some would go to protect a secret.
It starts off as a love affair type story and then switches to a court room drama which packs a bit of an emotional sucker punch around the 90 minute mark.
Ralph Fiennes is okay as the elder Michael Berg who ends up dealing with the emotional fall out of his relationship with Schmitz; but it's David Kross who carries most of the film with his performance - it's a compelling turn from a relative newcomer which anchors the film and provides an emotional heart to what is, by all accounts, a thespian's dream role.
The solid extras (the usual docos of behind the scenes and trailers) round off a reasonable package - and while The Reader may not be the easiest night's entertainment, it's certainly understandable to see why the Academy honoured this performance from Winslet.
Extras: Making The Reader; Kate Winslet on the art of ageing Hanna Schmitz; A New Voice- a look at the Reader's composer; Production Designer and a trailer flesh out the DVD
Rating: 7/10
Family Guy: Season Eight: DVD Review
Family Guy: Season Eight: DVD Review
Family Guy: Season Eight
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, aka Peter, Lois, Stewie, Brian, Quagmire, Cleveland
Rating: 13 for violence, offensive language and sexual references
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Cancelled and resurrected, it's no wonder animated hit Family Guy continues to push it as far as it can.
In this latest batch of 13 episodes (taken from the show's actual sixth and seventh season broadcasts), the gang go to the limits of taste, humour, depravity - and perhaps least surprisingly, language.
It's hard to sum up what on earth the creators of Family Guy have in mind when they create these episodes; sometimes, even I'm surprised at what they manage to conjure up on the screen - in amongst these latest eps are such bizarre moments as Stewie the megalomaniac child and pooch Brian end up in Poland on the day Germany invade; Brian loses his girlfriend to Cleveland, Peter manages to lose his family to James Wood thanks to identity theft&.seriously, at times, there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this show.
And yet, if you're not easily offended (and this latest uncut DVD does have some very strong language in places) Family Guy is still a really guilty pleasure as you find yourself laughing at something and then checking no-one saw you giggle.
While the humour is risky and borderline offensive, the antics are at times deeply amusing - and creator Seth MacFarlane continues to push it right to the edge.
Riddled throughout with homages to other films and pop culture, Family Guy works best when it parodies famous moments - Brian channeling Snoopy at a Hallowe'en party is very very funny - and doesn't veer too far into the overtly obscene.
The latest set will appeal to fans of the show and maybe appall some new fans - but with commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as featurettes, there's plenty of extras to get your teeth into.
But it's aimed at a certain audience - Baby Stewie continues to amuse as ever - and goodness alone knows why Lois puts up with the sometimes downright stupid antics of her husband (but then why does Marge always support Homer?) - and all in all, Family Guy continues to plough its own comedy route.
Family Guy will never be totally mainstream - and perhaps that's a good thing.
Extras: Commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as four featurettes
Rating 7/10
Family Guy: Season Eight
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, aka Peter, Lois, Stewie, Brian, Quagmire, Cleveland
Rating: 13 for violence, offensive language and sexual references
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Cancelled and resurrected, it's no wonder animated hit Family Guy continues to push it as far as it can.
In this latest batch of 13 episodes (taken from the show's actual sixth and seventh season broadcasts), the gang go to the limits of taste, humour, depravity - and perhaps least surprisingly, language.
It's hard to sum up what on earth the creators of Family Guy have in mind when they create these episodes; sometimes, even I'm surprised at what they manage to conjure up on the screen - in amongst these latest eps are such bizarre moments as Stewie the megalomaniac child and pooch Brian end up in Poland on the day Germany invade; Brian loses his girlfriend to Cleveland, Peter manages to lose his family to James Wood thanks to identity theft&.seriously, at times, there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this show.
And yet, if you're not easily offended (and this latest uncut DVD does have some very strong language in places) Family Guy is still a really guilty pleasure as you find yourself laughing at something and then checking no-one saw you giggle.
While the humour is risky and borderline offensive, the antics are at times deeply amusing - and creator Seth MacFarlane continues to push it right to the edge.
Riddled throughout with homages to other films and pop culture, Family Guy works best when it parodies famous moments - Brian channeling Snoopy at a Hallowe'en party is very very funny - and doesn't veer too far into the overtly obscene.
The latest set will appeal to fans of the show and maybe appall some new fans - but with commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as featurettes, there's plenty of extras to get your teeth into.
But it's aimed at a certain audience - Baby Stewie continues to amuse as ever - and goodness alone knows why Lois puts up with the sometimes downright stupid antics of her husband (but then why does Marge always support Homer?) - and all in all, Family Guy continues to plough its own comedy route.
Family Guy will never be totally mainstream - and perhaps that's a good thing.
Extras: Commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as four featurettes
Rating 7/10
Family Guy Series Eight: DVD Review
Family Guy Series Eight: DVD Review
Family Guy: Season Eight
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, aka Peter, Lois, Stewie, Brian, Quagmire, Cleveland
Rating: 13 for violence, offensive language and sexual references
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Cancelled and resurrected, it's no wonder animated hit Family Guy continues to push it as far as it can.
In this latest batch of 13 episodes (taken from the show's actual sixth and seventh season broadcasts), the gang go to the limits of taste, humour, depravity - and perhaps least surprisingly, language.
It's hard to sum up what on earth the creators of Family Guy have in mind when they create these episodes; sometimes, even I'm surprised at what they manage to conjure up on the screen - in amongst these latest eps are such bizarre moments as Stewie the megalomaniac child and pooch Brian end up in Poland on the day Germany invade; Brian loses his girlfriend to Cleveland, Peter manages to lose his family to James Wood thanks to identity theft&.seriously, at times, there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this show.
And yet, if you're not easily offended (and this latest uncut DVD does have some very strong language in places) Family Guy is still a really guilty pleasure as you find yourself laughing at something and then checking no-one saw you giggle.
While the humour is risky and borderline offensive, the antics are at times deeply amusing - and creator Seth MacFarlane continues to push it right to the edge.
Riddled throughout with homages to other films and pop culture, Family Guy works best when it parodies famous moments - Brian channeling Snoopy at a Hallowe'en party is very very funny - and doesn't veer too far into the overtly obscene.
The latest set will appeal to fans of the show and maybe appall some new fans - but with commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as featurettes, there's plenty of extras to get your teeth into.
But it's aimed at a certain audience - Baby Stewie continues to amuse as ever - and goodness alone knows why Lois puts up with the sometimes downright stupid antics of her husband (but then why does Marge always support Homer?) - and all in all, Family Guy continues to plough its own comedy route.
Family Guy will never be totally mainstream - and perhaps that's a good thing.
Extras: Commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as four featurettes
Rating 7/10
Family Guy: Season Eight
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, aka Peter, Lois, Stewie, Brian, Quagmire, Cleveland
Rating: 13 for violence, offensive language and sexual references
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Cancelled and resurrected, it's no wonder animated hit Family Guy continues to push it as far as it can.
In this latest batch of 13 episodes (taken from the show's actual sixth and seventh season broadcasts), the gang go to the limits of taste, humour, depravity - and perhaps least surprisingly, language.
It's hard to sum up what on earth the creators of Family Guy have in mind when they create these episodes; sometimes, even I'm surprised at what they manage to conjure up on the screen - in amongst these latest eps are such bizarre moments as Stewie the megalomaniac child and pooch Brian end up in Poland on the day Germany invade; Brian loses his girlfriend to Cleveland, Peter manages to lose his family to James Wood thanks to identity theft&.seriously, at times, there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this show.
And yet, if you're not easily offended (and this latest uncut DVD does have some very strong language in places) Family Guy is still a really guilty pleasure as you find yourself laughing at something and then checking no-one saw you giggle.
While the humour is risky and borderline offensive, the antics are at times deeply amusing - and creator Seth MacFarlane continues to push it right to the edge.
Riddled throughout with homages to other films and pop culture, Family Guy works best when it parodies famous moments - Brian channeling Snoopy at a Hallowe'en party is very very funny - and doesn't veer too far into the overtly obscene.
The latest set will appeal to fans of the show and maybe appall some new fans - but with commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as featurettes, there's plenty of extras to get your teeth into.
But it's aimed at a certain audience - Baby Stewie continues to amuse as ever - and goodness alone knows why Lois puts up with the sometimes downright stupid antics of her husband (but then why does Marge always support Homer?) - and all in all, Family Guy continues to plough its own comedy route.
Family Guy will never be totally mainstream - and perhaps that's a good thing.
Extras: Commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as four featurettes
Rating 7/10
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Ponyo: Movie Review
Ponyo: Movie Review
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey, Noah Cyrus, Liam Neeson, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
From the renowned animation stable of Studio Ghibli, comes Ponyo.
Or to give it its full title - Ponyo on a Cliff By The Sea.
A 5-year-old boy, Sosuke (voiced by Frankie Jonas) adopts a goldfish (the titular Ponyo played by Noah Cyrus)when she emerges from the sea one day having escaped from her father, the king of the ocean (voiced by Liam Neeson.)
However their friendship is torn apart as quickly as it's begun after the seas reclaim her.
But Ponyo works a way out to become human and return to her friend - yet, her desire could signal the end of the world.
Studio Ghibli animation is always a delight - and this latest offering from the stable of Hayao Miyazaki is no exception.
(This version is the American one which has been redone - with Miyazaki's permission by Walt Disney and released worldwide - the Japanese version is also out there if you look hard enough.)
It's a truly enchanting tale - based on the Little Mermaid clearly; but Ponyo is sweet and quite beautifully animated with traditional drawings as opposed to the computer animation so prevalent in today's cinematic world.
The backgrounds are pencilled and the characters are animated - in many ways Ponyo is simplistic and childish - in a good way - as it makes it accessible to all.
In fact the children in the audience were completely entranced by the vivid animation and beautiful orchestral score as they sat spellbound. It's a gorgeous world which has been created - one which shows man and nature at balance and in harmony.
Ponyo has a pure heart and joy about her - even when a tsunami threatens to engulf a town, the visual of Ponyo, in her human form, skipping over the waves brings a smile to your face.
A work of pure fantasy and one which shows there's plenty of life left in Studio Ghibli, Ponyo is a magical dizzying treat with gorgeously sumptuous visuals and sounds for all ages.
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey, Noah Cyrus, Liam Neeson, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
From the renowned animation stable of Studio Ghibli, comes Ponyo.
Or to give it its full title - Ponyo on a Cliff By The Sea.
A 5-year-old boy, Sosuke (voiced by Frankie Jonas) adopts a goldfish (the titular Ponyo played by Noah Cyrus)when she emerges from the sea one day having escaped from her father, the king of the ocean (voiced by Liam Neeson.)
However their friendship is torn apart as quickly as it's begun after the seas reclaim her.
But Ponyo works a way out to become human and return to her friend - yet, her desire could signal the end of the world.
Studio Ghibli animation is always a delight - and this latest offering from the stable of Hayao Miyazaki is no exception.
(This version is the American one which has been redone - with Miyazaki's permission by Walt Disney and released worldwide - the Japanese version is also out there if you look hard enough.)
It's a truly enchanting tale - based on the Little Mermaid clearly; but Ponyo is sweet and quite beautifully animated with traditional drawings as opposed to the computer animation so prevalent in today's cinematic world.
The backgrounds are pencilled and the characters are animated - in many ways Ponyo is simplistic and childish - in a good way - as it makes it accessible to all.
In fact the children in the audience were completely entranced by the vivid animation and beautiful orchestral score as they sat spellbound. It's a gorgeous world which has been created - one which shows man and nature at balance and in harmony.
Ponyo has a pure heart and joy about her - even when a tsunami threatens to engulf a town, the visual of Ponyo, in her human form, skipping over the waves brings a smile to your face.
A work of pure fantasy and one which shows there's plenty of life left in Studio Ghibli, Ponyo is a magical dizzying treat with gorgeously sumptuous visuals and sounds for all ages.
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