A Nightmare On Elm Street: Movie Review
Nightmare on Elm Street
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Jackie Earle Haley, Clancy Brown, Connie Britton,
Thomas Dekker, Katie Cassidy, Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner, Kellan Lutz
Director: Samuel Bayer
Freddy's back for a new generation.
In this reimagining of the once popular Elm Street series, the teens of a
small American town are dozing off - and being plagued by visions of a man in a
red and black striped jumper and with a burned face.
After a series of deaths, one of them, Nancy (Rooney Mara) along with her
friend Quentin (Kyle Gallner) try to work out why they're being tormented - and
how to stop Freddy from killing them all.
But the longer they stay awake, the more dangerous their fight becomes - as
sleep deprivation starts to force their bodies to shut down. And that's when
Freddy will strike.
It's always going to be difficult to redo the iconic 1984 film A Nightmare on
Elm Street - that was always one which defined a generation of horrors and had a
major impact on the genre.
So it's not that the team behind this one doesn't try - they do and the
successful updating finds Freddy Krueger given more of a sinister backstory
which is more relevant and shocking to our times and sensitivities.
But herein lies the problem - Krueger was so intrinsically linked to Robert
Englund that it makes it difficult to see anyone else in the role. That's not to
say there's anything wrong with Jackie Earle Haley's performance - his growling
and menacing Freddy works ok; he's not a patch on the original and there's
something ever so slightly wrong with the make up of this Freddy; the face looks
reminiscent of as if the Thing from Fantastic Four had been left near a heater
and melted.
The cast do okay with their roles; they're all fairly disposable and the
relative lack of big names (outside of genre TV shows) means you're not quite
sure who's going to make it to the end.
There's the usual predictable shocks, gore and jolts and some of the death
scenes are reminiscent of the original - but there's one plus to this film -
some of the dream visuals. In particular, a scene where snow is falling inside a
bedroom is beautifully done and is haunting as every dreamscape should be.
All in all, this new Nightmare clearly has aspirations to relaunch the series
- especially given the final scenes - but it's clear those involved need to make
a creative decision about the direction of any future films.
Because based on this first film, Freddy needs a little more bite to sustain
a series of sequels.
Friday, 28 May 2010
Thursday, 27 May 2010
The Prince of Persia: Movie Review
The Prince of Persia: Movie Review
Prince of Persia
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley
Director: Mike Newell
Blockbuster season's clearly underway at the moment.
What with Iron Man and Robin Hood pulling them in, it seems the action flick's clearly in Hollywood's mind this year.
And Prince of Persia is no exception.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Dastan, a young street urchin orphan boy who's taken into the Persian royal court at an early age and who comes to love the ruler as if he were his dad.
However, later on as the Persians are laying siege to a city they believe is hiding weapons which have helped their enemies (spot the parallel here), Dastan finds himself cast out from the royal court after he's believed to have assassinated the king.
Forced into hiding and into an uneasy alliance with Princess Tamina (a dusky sultry Gemma Arterton) Dastan tries to unravel the plot and figure out exactly what a sacred dagger has to do with his father's death and the end of the world.
How could the Prince of Persia go wrong? Practically everybody I've talked to about this film has had something to drool about - whether it's the buffed up Jake Gyllenhaal or the doe eyed Gemma Arterton, there's been something laid out for everyone.
And yet, somehow this adaptation of a phenomenally popular computer game just doesn't seem to get it 100% right on the big screen.
From the opening chase scene through to the FX laden final scenes, the problem is this film is relying a little too much on its source material - and the medium it came from. That is, it feels like it's a computer game on the big screen.
Scenes are held together by one of three plot devices - either a fight scene, a chase scene or plot exposition. There's also some humour thrown in in the form of Alfred Molina's comedy relief Sheik (and his brilliant ostrich racing - when was the last time you saw that on screen?) but it feels like less than the sum of its parts.
That's not to say though that the Persian recreation is anything less than stunning; with swooping camera work, it weaves through the city skylines creating a wondrous version of Persia.
But there's too much which feels like a misfire; the villain feels like something out of pantomime (and is just missing a handlebar moustache to twirl), Jake and Gemma have little chemistry together - and Jake spends most of the time mixing accents and smirking.
I have a feeling this could be the start of franchise - and I'd be willing to give another film a go because there's plenty of potential in these characters - but Prince of Persia aims for family blockbuster fun. It may succeed in parts thanks to some pretty good (but unrelenting) action scenes but a disappointing script sees this ancient story confined to the desert.
Prince of Persia
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley
Director: Mike Newell
Blockbuster season's clearly underway at the moment.
What with Iron Man and Robin Hood pulling them in, it seems the action flick's clearly in Hollywood's mind this year.
And Prince of Persia is no exception.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Dastan, a young street urchin orphan boy who's taken into the Persian royal court at an early age and who comes to love the ruler as if he were his dad.
However, later on as the Persians are laying siege to a city they believe is hiding weapons which have helped their enemies (spot the parallel here), Dastan finds himself cast out from the royal court after he's believed to have assassinated the king.
Forced into hiding and into an uneasy alliance with Princess Tamina (a dusky sultry Gemma Arterton) Dastan tries to unravel the plot and figure out exactly what a sacred dagger has to do with his father's death and the end of the world.
How could the Prince of Persia go wrong? Practically everybody I've talked to about this film has had something to drool about - whether it's the buffed up Jake Gyllenhaal or the doe eyed Gemma Arterton, there's been something laid out for everyone.
And yet, somehow this adaptation of a phenomenally popular computer game just doesn't seem to get it 100% right on the big screen.
From the opening chase scene through to the FX laden final scenes, the problem is this film is relying a little too much on its source material - and the medium it came from. That is, it feels like it's a computer game on the big screen.
Scenes are held together by one of three plot devices - either a fight scene, a chase scene or plot exposition. There's also some humour thrown in in the form of Alfred Molina's comedy relief Sheik (and his brilliant ostrich racing - when was the last time you saw that on screen?) but it feels like less than the sum of its parts.
That's not to say though that the Persian recreation is anything less than stunning; with swooping camera work, it weaves through the city skylines creating a wondrous version of Persia.
But there's too much which feels like a misfire; the villain feels like something out of pantomime (and is just missing a handlebar moustache to twirl), Jake and Gemma have little chemistry together - and Jake spends most of the time mixing accents and smirking.
I have a feeling this could be the start of franchise - and I'd be willing to give another film a go because there's plenty of potential in these characters - but Prince of Persia aims for family blockbuster fun. It may succeed in parts thanks to some pretty good (but unrelenting) action scenes but a disappointing script sees this ancient story confined to the desert.
Thursday, 20 May 2010
Every Jack Has A Jill: Movie Review
Every Jack Has A Jill: Movie Review
Every Jack Has A Jill
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Justin Bartha, Melanie Laurent, Billy Boyd
Director: Jennifer Devoldere
Fresh from the success of The Hangover (Justin Bartha) and Inglourious Basterds (Melanie Laurent) comes this sweet (almost sickly) story.
Laurent is Chloe, a 20 something living alone in Paris and in her dream world, searching for her perfect man; Bartha is Jack, a 30 year old American who wins a trip to Paris from a Coke can - and is promptly dumped by his girlfriend.
So Jack heads to France at the behest of his best friend (a marvellous Billy Boyd) - however, on his arrival he's missing his suitcase. This lost luggage ends up in Chloe's hands on the other side of Paris and despite warnings from her friends not to open it, she does - and falls in love with the contents. And therefore the owner too.
So she decides to do everything she can to find this man of her dreams...will it work out?
Every Jack Has A Jill will find a perfect audience with the romantic; Chloe's the epitome of the dreamer - gazes into the distance wistfully, zones out etc; and Jack is the perfect foil to her; a bit little boy lost with rugged good sadsack looks.
The wheel's not broken here - and Devoldere does little to fix it. Throw in a couple of racial stereotypes with the surly French hotel owner and the English family abroad, and this film is your average romantic drama.
Both Laurent and Bartha play their roles well and make good protagonists; plus there's points to the script for keeping the pair apart for the majority of the film.
Depending on how much you're willing to forgive Every Jack Has A Jill, will depend on how much you'll love it. If you're a little world weary and cynical it'll do nothing to change your world view.
However, if you're prone to dreaming and believing in romance, it'll rock your world.
Every Jack Has A Jill
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Justin Bartha, Melanie Laurent, Billy Boyd
Director: Jennifer Devoldere
Fresh from the success of The Hangover (Justin Bartha) and Inglourious Basterds (Melanie Laurent) comes this sweet (almost sickly) story.
Laurent is Chloe, a 20 something living alone in Paris and in her dream world, searching for her perfect man; Bartha is Jack, a 30 year old American who wins a trip to Paris from a Coke can - and is promptly dumped by his girlfriend.
So Jack heads to France at the behest of his best friend (a marvellous Billy Boyd) - however, on his arrival he's missing his suitcase. This lost luggage ends up in Chloe's hands on the other side of Paris and despite warnings from her friends not to open it, she does - and falls in love with the contents. And therefore the owner too.
So she decides to do everything she can to find this man of her dreams...will it work out?
Every Jack Has A Jill will find a perfect audience with the romantic; Chloe's the epitome of the dreamer - gazes into the distance wistfully, zones out etc; and Jack is the perfect foil to her; a bit little boy lost with rugged good sadsack looks.
The wheel's not broken here - and Devoldere does little to fix it. Throw in a couple of racial stereotypes with the surly French hotel owner and the English family abroad, and this film is your average romantic drama.
Both Laurent and Bartha play their roles well and make good protagonists; plus there's points to the script for keeping the pair apart for the majority of the film.
Depending on how much you're willing to forgive Every Jack Has A Jill, will depend on how much you'll love it. If you're a little world weary and cynical it'll do nothing to change your world view.
However, if you're prone to dreaming and believing in romance, it'll rock your world.
The Losers: Movie Review
The Losers: Movie Review
The Losers
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Jason Patric
Director: Sylvain White
So blockbuster season continues apace with this adaptation of a DC Comics series.
A CIA black ops team led by Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Clay is left for dead during an operation in Bolivia.
But this team of five guys with names like Roque, Pooch, Jensen, Clay and Cougar are determined to fight back - and get Max the man who set up the team.
However, Max has bigger plans for world domination (when don't they?) and soon Clay and the gang are trapped, desperately trying to clear their names.
Along the way, they join forces with the mysterious Aisha (Zoe Saldana) who appears to have a grudge against Max too - but who's playing whom?
If The Losers sounds familiar, then that's probably because it is.
It's a similar plot to most other action thrillers (and sounds uncannily like the TV Series The A Team) and to be honest, there's nothing fabulously new to see here.
Trademark slow-mo action shots, things exploding, a hammy villain (yes Jason Patric I'm looking at you) and gratuitous long camera shots on the lead actress are all present and correct.
Also present is the continual cliché of what I like to term The A Team syndrome - which is where the good guys are seriously outnumbered by the bad guys, but it seems the villain's hired the worst shooters in the world as none of them can hit anything, regardless of how well stacked the odds are against the goodies.
But if you don't take the Losers too seriously, it's fairly good fun. Sure, it's all been done before, but some witty dialogue scattered throughout and some misfits on the team (as well as a charismatic Jeffrey Dean Morgan) make 90 minutes pass relatively quickly.
While there's nothing inherently wrong with this slyly mocking derivative action flick, it does feel like a missed opportunity and with hints that there could be a sequel, here's hoping a slightly smarter and stronger script does it more justice second time around.
The Losers
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Jason Patric
Director: Sylvain White
So blockbuster season continues apace with this adaptation of a DC Comics series.
A CIA black ops team led by Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Clay is left for dead during an operation in Bolivia.
But this team of five guys with names like Roque, Pooch, Jensen, Clay and Cougar are determined to fight back - and get Max the man who set up the team.
However, Max has bigger plans for world domination (when don't they?) and soon Clay and the gang are trapped, desperately trying to clear their names.
Along the way, they join forces with the mysterious Aisha (Zoe Saldana) who appears to have a grudge against Max too - but who's playing whom?
If The Losers sounds familiar, then that's probably because it is.
It's a similar plot to most other action thrillers (and sounds uncannily like the TV Series The A Team) and to be honest, there's nothing fabulously new to see here.
Trademark slow-mo action shots, things exploding, a hammy villain (yes Jason Patric I'm looking at you) and gratuitous long camera shots on the lead actress are all present and correct.
Also present is the continual cliché of what I like to term The A Team syndrome - which is where the good guys are seriously outnumbered by the bad guys, but it seems the villain's hired the worst shooters in the world as none of them can hit anything, regardless of how well stacked the odds are against the goodies.
But if you don't take the Losers too seriously, it's fairly good fun. Sure, it's all been done before, but some witty dialogue scattered throughout and some misfits on the team (as well as a charismatic Jeffrey Dean Morgan) make 90 minutes pass relatively quickly.
While there's nothing inherently wrong with this slyly mocking derivative action flick, it does feel like a missed opportunity and with hints that there could be a sequel, here's hoping a slightly smarter and stronger script does it more justice second time around.
Paper Heart: Movie Review
Paper Heart: Movie Review
Paper Heart
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera, Jake Johnson
Director: Nicholas Jasenovec
Paper Heart is a curio of a film.
Part documentary, (small) part animation, it stars Charlyne Yi, as an accentuated version of herself.
She's an American teen comedian who in this film sets out to find out what love is, having never personally experienced it herself.
So she heads across America at the behest of her doco producer and talks to various couples to get their stories on how they fell in love and to see if she can get some inspiration on being struck hard by Cupid's bow.
But on the journey, she meets up with Michael Cera (Year One, the great TV show Arrested Development) and they end up forming a bond and a little bit of a relationship.
However, Charlyne begins to realize her quest may have had unforeseen results...
Paper Heart treads a fine line between mockumentary and doco - the scenes of couples telling their stories of how they realized they loved each other are sweet and the paper animation that Charlyne uses to bring them to life are just wonderful.
She meets a pair of judges who tell of how a rain storm brought them together; she gets blasted by a psychic's vision of her future and she goes to a wedding to see how it's all done - this film is clearly not aimed at the cyncial.
But yet, it's hard not to be cynical as she forms the relationship with the ever affable and permanently awkward Michael Cera. While it's well played on screen, personally that was the problem I had - it felt played. There's some discussion of it being awkward with the cameras there, musings about whether they should kiss on camera take a bit of heart out of the film.
Further reading about Paper Heart afterwards only give more credence to the fact I felt a little conned at the end - but that's a minor complaint.
While parts of Paper Heart don't work as well as they could, there's a lot to love in this film - it has a charming heart and an endearing spirit.
Paper Heart
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera, Jake Johnson
Director: Nicholas Jasenovec
Paper Heart is a curio of a film.
Part documentary, (small) part animation, it stars Charlyne Yi, as an accentuated version of herself.
She's an American teen comedian who in this film sets out to find out what love is, having never personally experienced it herself.
So she heads across America at the behest of her doco producer and talks to various couples to get their stories on how they fell in love and to see if she can get some inspiration on being struck hard by Cupid's bow.
But on the journey, she meets up with Michael Cera (Year One, the great TV show Arrested Development) and they end up forming a bond and a little bit of a relationship.
However, Charlyne begins to realize her quest may have had unforeseen results...
Paper Heart treads a fine line between mockumentary and doco - the scenes of couples telling their stories of how they realized they loved each other are sweet and the paper animation that Charlyne uses to bring them to life are just wonderful.
She meets a pair of judges who tell of how a rain storm brought them together; she gets blasted by a psychic's vision of her future and she goes to a wedding to see how it's all done - this film is clearly not aimed at the cyncial.
But yet, it's hard not to be cynical as she forms the relationship with the ever affable and permanently awkward Michael Cera. While it's well played on screen, personally that was the problem I had - it felt played. There's some discussion of it being awkward with the cameras there, musings about whether they should kiss on camera take a bit of heart out of the film.
Further reading about Paper Heart afterwards only give more credence to the fact I felt a little conned at the end - but that's a minor complaint.
While parts of Paper Heart don't work as well as they could, there's a lot to love in this film - it has a charming heart and an endearing spirit.
Monday, 17 May 2010
Coco and Igor: Movie Review
Coco and Igor: Movie Review
Coco And Igor
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Anna Mouglalis
Director: Jan Kounen
Following directly on from Coco Avant Chanel, this film takes a slightly darker tone when looking at Chanel.
It's 1913 in Paris - and Chanel (Mouglalis) is in love with her Boy and working hard within the industry.
One night she meets composer Igor Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen), a Russian forced to flee the revolution and who is about to perform for the first time in France.
He does so and his latest work is promptly booed off.
The pair meet again seven years later, when Chanel is mourning the death of Boy and Stravinsky has fallen on hard times.
So Chanel opens her house to the family and as time goes, ends up opening her heart to Stravinsky with the pair having a passionate illicit affair.
Coco and Igor is beautifully shot with sweeping swirling camera work but feels a little stifling. It's full of whites and none of the warmth you'd remember from Coco Avant Chanel's Audrey Tautou.
But then to be fair, this is a different Chanel - she's a harder woman, grieving and more career focussed than ever. So in some aspects, she really is more the real person.
Mads Mikkelsen is a little hard too - he's quite stilted in places and doesn't really do much to convey the apparent passion and electricity between the pair.
Coco and Igor is a disappointment but for those Chanel fans looking for a more rounded picture of their fashion heroine, it may offer some insight into the next stage of her life.
Coco And Igor
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Anna Mouglalis
Director: Jan Kounen
Following directly on from Coco Avant Chanel, this film takes a slightly darker tone when looking at Chanel.
It's 1913 in Paris - and Chanel (Mouglalis) is in love with her Boy and working hard within the industry.
One night she meets composer Igor Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen), a Russian forced to flee the revolution and who is about to perform for the first time in France.
He does so and his latest work is promptly booed off.
The pair meet again seven years later, when Chanel is mourning the death of Boy and Stravinsky has fallen on hard times.
So Chanel opens her house to the family and as time goes, ends up opening her heart to Stravinsky with the pair having a passionate illicit affair.
Coco and Igor is beautifully shot with sweeping swirling camera work but feels a little stifling. It's full of whites and none of the warmth you'd remember from Coco Avant Chanel's Audrey Tautou.
But then to be fair, this is a different Chanel - she's a harder woman, grieving and more career focussed than ever. So in some aspects, she really is more the real person.
Mads Mikkelsen is a little hard too - he's quite stilted in places and doesn't really do much to convey the apparent passion and electricity between the pair.
Coco and Igor is a disappointment but for those Chanel fans looking for a more rounded picture of their fashion heroine, it may offer some insight into the next stage of her life.
Lord Of The Rings trilogy: Blu Ray Review
Lord Of The Rings trilogy: Blu Ray Review
The Lord of The Rings trilogy - Blu Ray release Released by Roadshow Entertainment
So Sir Peter Jackson's take on the Middle Earth saga of Tolkien finally comes to Blu Ray - nearly 10 years after it wowed audiences in the cinema.
For anyone living under the rock and unaware of the Middle Earth story, this is the tale of Frodo Baggins and a group of hobbits. Life in Middle Earth is good for the gang - but with the evil Lord Sauron threatening their habitats, they find themselves involved in a quest to despatch the evil Lord when Frodo is given a ring.
That ring has the power to dispose of the evil which is hovering over them - however, as Frodo ventures further towards Mount Doom, he begins to realise he could lose his very soul in the quest - and pay the ultimate price.
It's great to finally have these films on Blu Ray - because the high definition gives the world of Middle Earth, of Orcs, of Gandalf and the Fellowship the sharpness and beauty which was always planned.
Sure, you can grumble that this trio of films is only the original versions and not the extended editions and that most of the DVD extras have been transferred across rather than supplying new material, but for spectacle alone The Lord Of The Rings blu rays cannot be beaten.
Take for example Gollum's wonderfully vivid realisation - in High Definition, you can truly appreciate what WETA did and the level of detail which went into these creatures. Every scale and ripple on his rugged body is accentuated by the format.
The Lord of The Rings trilogy remains an essential purchase for any fantasy fan - and in this Blu Ray format, (and even with the possibility of the extended editions being released on Blu Ray) it's a great start as we get ready for The Hobbit.
Rating: 9/10
The Lord of The Rings trilogy - Blu Ray release Released by Roadshow Entertainment
So Sir Peter Jackson's take on the Middle Earth saga of Tolkien finally comes to Blu Ray - nearly 10 years after it wowed audiences in the cinema.
For anyone living under the rock and unaware of the Middle Earth story, this is the tale of Frodo Baggins and a group of hobbits. Life in Middle Earth is good for the gang - but with the evil Lord Sauron threatening their habitats, they find themselves involved in a quest to despatch the evil Lord when Frodo is given a ring.
That ring has the power to dispose of the evil which is hovering over them - however, as Frodo ventures further towards Mount Doom, he begins to realise he could lose his very soul in the quest - and pay the ultimate price.
It's great to finally have these films on Blu Ray - because the high definition gives the world of Middle Earth, of Orcs, of Gandalf and the Fellowship the sharpness and beauty which was always planned.
Sure, you can grumble that this trio of films is only the original versions and not the extended editions and that most of the DVD extras have been transferred across rather than supplying new material, but for spectacle alone The Lord Of The Rings blu rays cannot be beaten.
Take for example Gollum's wonderfully vivid realisation - in High Definition, you can truly appreciate what WETA did and the level of detail which went into these creatures. Every scale and ripple on his rugged body is accentuated by the format.
The Lord of The Rings trilogy remains an essential purchase for any fantasy fan - and in this Blu Ray format, (and even with the possibility of the extended editions being released on Blu Ray) it's a great start as we get ready for The Hobbit.
Rating: 9/10
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