From Time To Time: Movie Review
From Time to Time
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Maggie Smith, Pauline Collins, Alex Etel, Timothy Spall
Director: Julian Fellowes
Based on best seller The Chimneys of Green Knowe, From Time To Time is a
ghost story mixed in with family intrigue.
When thirteen year old Tolly (Etel) is sent to live with his grandmother
(Smith) at her country estate, he becomes obsessed with the family secrets which
are embroiled in the home.
Tolly discovers he can move between his world and the past - and begins to
uncover family secrets of the estate which have lain dormant for years.
From Time to Time feels a little out of time to be honest - it's certainly
enchanting in places and has some wonderful effects as Tolly travels from the
present to the country home of the past.
Doors open and suddenly Tolly's back in a past brought to life by wonderfully
evocative colours and society life.
But it's all a little plodding in places - it feels a little Secret Gardenish
as they negotiate different times and along with simple acting and no real
emotion from the lead, it's hard to become engaged in this tale.
Which is a shame because Fellowes manages to eke out maximum spookiness from
the old mansion, wrings out the best from his locations and gets a great
performance from Maggie Smith.
Thursday, 12 May 2011
Hoodwinked 2: Movie Review
Hoodwinked 2: Movie Review
Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs Evil
Rating: 4/10
Cast: Hayden Panettiere, Patrick Warburton, Glenn Close, Bill Hader and Amy Poehler
Director: Mike Disa
When Red Riding Hood's grandma (Glenn Close) is kidnapped while investigating the disappearance of Hansel and Gretel, (Saturday Night Live alums Hader and Poehler) Red (Panettiere) is called in to try and rescue her.
But this mission sees her team up once again with the brilliant Patrick Warburton's Wolf - despite their objections.
Can they put aside petty differences and save the day?
The sequel to Hoodwinked is a curious thing.
Without Anne Hathaway in the lead as Red Riding Hood, Hayden Panettiere steps in and it just doesn't seem to be the same film in many ways.
The animation looks a little crooked in some ways and is more redolent of a computer game than a computer animated film.
And the script is flat in many ways - there's far too few throwaway one liners to give it the oomph that it needs and Warburton's Wolf is by far the best thing in this with his trademark laconic and deadpan delivery, it's not enough to deliver.
There are a few nods to other films - Star Wars and Silence of the Lambs being the most obvious, but there's little for the adults in the audience to appreciate here.
While there's a degree of lunacy to the animation and the feel of the film (a banjo toting goat from the first film returns to be continually plagued by things falling on him), the combination of a poor story overall and a hit and miss style make this instantly forgettable and nowhere near as good as the original.
Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs Evil
Rating: 4/10
Cast: Hayden Panettiere, Patrick Warburton, Glenn Close, Bill Hader and Amy Poehler
Director: Mike Disa
When Red Riding Hood's grandma (Glenn Close) is kidnapped while investigating the disappearance of Hansel and Gretel, (Saturday Night Live alums Hader and Poehler) Red (Panettiere) is called in to try and rescue her.
But this mission sees her team up once again with the brilliant Patrick Warburton's Wolf - despite their objections.
Can they put aside petty differences and save the day?
The sequel to Hoodwinked is a curious thing.
Without Anne Hathaway in the lead as Red Riding Hood, Hayden Panettiere steps in and it just doesn't seem to be the same film in many ways.
The animation looks a little crooked in some ways and is more redolent of a computer game than a computer animated film.
And the script is flat in many ways - there's far too few throwaway one liners to give it the oomph that it needs and Warburton's Wolf is by far the best thing in this with his trademark laconic and deadpan delivery, it's not enough to deliver.
There are a few nods to other films - Star Wars and Silence of the Lambs being the most obvious, but there's little for the adults in the audience to appreciate here.
While there's a degree of lunacy to the animation and the feel of the film (a banjo toting goat from the first film returns to be continually plagued by things falling on him), the combination of a poor story overall and a hit and miss style make this instantly forgettable and nowhere near as good as the original.
Water For Elephants: Movie Review
Water For Elephants: Movie Review
Water for Elephants
Rating: 4/10
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz
Director: Francis Lawrence
RPatz tries to put the vampire sparkle behind him in this adaptation of the Sara Gruen historical novel.
Set in Depression times in America, Pattinson plays Jacob (yes, we're aware of the irony too) a vet student who's about to sit his final exams at Cornell University.
However, when his parents are killed in a car accident just moments into his exam, his life changes as he loses everything - not just his family, but his home.
So, running away he jumps on a train which turns out to belong to the Benzini Brothers circus troupe.
Convincing the owner August (a mightily impressive Waltz) that he can contribute and showing his vet knowledge, Jacob is soon welcomed into the upper echelons of the carny society.
However - that also includes an attraction to August's wife Marlena (Witherspoon) which proves dangerous as August is a brooding man, prone to explosive outbursts and abusing the animals....
Water For Elephants starts off well - the Depression era is brilliantly captured and recreated and the tone is perfectly set for a nice historical love story.
But that's where the problems begin with Water For Elephants.
For a story like this to work, you need to have sizzling chemistry between two leads - and to be frank, Pattinson and Witherspoon have as much chemistry as a wet weekend. And that really lets the tale down and brings the whole thing crashing into an average reality.
While RPatz and Witherspoon fail to bring any real spark, there is some consolation in Waltz. He is fantastic; bringing the horrendous menace and explosiveness needed to an evil man but also showing hints of a man conflicted by his behaviour.
Water For Elephants is massively disappointing after such a good set up.
Water for Elephants
Rating: 4/10
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz
Director: Francis Lawrence
RPatz tries to put the vampire sparkle behind him in this adaptation of the Sara Gruen historical novel.
Set in Depression times in America, Pattinson plays Jacob (yes, we're aware of the irony too) a vet student who's about to sit his final exams at Cornell University.
However, when his parents are killed in a car accident just moments into his exam, his life changes as he loses everything - not just his family, but his home.
So, running away he jumps on a train which turns out to belong to the Benzini Brothers circus troupe.
Convincing the owner August (a mightily impressive Waltz) that he can contribute and showing his vet knowledge, Jacob is soon welcomed into the upper echelons of the carny society.
However - that also includes an attraction to August's wife Marlena (Witherspoon) which proves dangerous as August is a brooding man, prone to explosive outbursts and abusing the animals....
Water For Elephants starts off well - the Depression era is brilliantly captured and recreated and the tone is perfectly set for a nice historical love story.
But that's where the problems begin with Water For Elephants.
For a story like this to work, you need to have sizzling chemistry between two leads - and to be frank, Pattinson and Witherspoon have as much chemistry as a wet weekend. And that really lets the tale down and brings the whole thing crashing into an average reality.
While RPatz and Witherspoon fail to bring any real spark, there is some consolation in Waltz. He is fantastic; bringing the horrendous menace and explosiveness needed to an evil man but also showing hints of a man conflicted by his behaviour.
Water For Elephants is massively disappointing after such a good set up.
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Megamind: Blu Ray Review
Megamind: Blu Ray Review
Megamind
Rating: PG
Released by Universal Pictures
Will Ferrell and Brad Pitt star in this animated outing which remains as impressive on the small screen as it did on the big.
Ferrell is big blue headed supervillain Megamind, a kind of cross between the Mars Attacks creatures and the Mekon. Dispatched from his dying planet by his parents, he begins a rivalry with Metroman (voiced by Brad Pitt), who was also sent from a dying world by family.
But unlike Metroman who landed in an estate with well to do parents, Megamind crashed into the penitentiary and was brought up as a villain.
After years of rivalry "where Metroman would win some battles, but I (Megamind) would almost win others," Megamind finally gains the upper hand and kills Metroman off.
However, after the initial thrill of dispatching his lifelong rival, ole Bluey realizes that his life is quite empty without someone to thwart his dastardly plans - and so conceives to give superpowers to a regular schlub to give him purpose in life.
There's much to enjoy here - with unexpected humour and great one liners through out (some of which will require a second viewing to really pick up on.)
There's also plenty of riffing on the Superman myth; right from the opening sequence to Megamind becoming a Brandoesque mentor to Hal when he gives him new powers. There's also some great visual gags peppering the film throughout - the best of which is an Obama inspired poster which amuses greatly.
Insane and amusing, it's a treat for all the family.
Extras: Behind the scenes, commentaries, games and a brand new short with the return of Megamind and minion.
Rating: 8/10
Megamind
Rating: PG
Released by Universal Pictures
Will Ferrell and Brad Pitt star in this animated outing which remains as impressive on the small screen as it did on the big.
Ferrell is big blue headed supervillain Megamind, a kind of cross between the Mars Attacks creatures and the Mekon. Dispatched from his dying planet by his parents, he begins a rivalry with Metroman (voiced by Brad Pitt), who was also sent from a dying world by family.
But unlike Metroman who landed in an estate with well to do parents, Megamind crashed into the penitentiary and was brought up as a villain.
After years of rivalry "where Metroman would win some battles, but I (Megamind) would almost win others," Megamind finally gains the upper hand and kills Metroman off.
However, after the initial thrill of dispatching his lifelong rival, ole Bluey realizes that his life is quite empty without someone to thwart his dastardly plans - and so conceives to give superpowers to a regular schlub to give him purpose in life.
There's much to enjoy here - with unexpected humour and great one liners through out (some of which will require a second viewing to really pick up on.)
There's also plenty of riffing on the Superman myth; right from the opening sequence to Megamind becoming a Brandoesque mentor to Hal when he gives him new powers. There's also some great visual gags peppering the film throughout - the best of which is an Obama inspired poster which amuses greatly.
Insane and amusing, it's a treat for all the family.
Extras: Behind the scenes, commentaries, games and a brand new short with the return of Megamind and minion.
Rating: 8/10
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Skyline: Blu Ray Review
Skyline: Blu Ray Review
Skyline
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
It's alien invasion time - again.
A trip to LA to celebrate a friend's birthday ends in absolute chaos for Eric Blafour and Scottie Thompson's Jarrod and Elaine.
After a good night out, celebrating with Terry (Donald "Turk from Scrubs" Faison), the gang awakes to find bright blue hypnotic lights raining down over the city and huge machines invading the city.
As they try to escape, it becomes clear their chances to survive are limited - as are mankind's.
Skyline is an unmitigated missed opportunity of a film - replete with some C List actors and some great FX, it's a weird combination which never quite gels.
It's clear the directors are FX geniuses and wizards because the initial shots of the skyline and alien invaders is quite impressive. Less so is the story - which simply becomes a pick off the heroes and see who survives kind of plot.
That said - it's got to be seen for the unbelievable final sequences which depict life within the spaceships themselves. Simply jaw dropping - and not in a good
way
Extras: Deleted scenes, extended scenes, commentary - very little enticing.
Rating: 3/10
Skyline
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
It's alien invasion time - again.
A trip to LA to celebrate a friend's birthday ends in absolute chaos for Eric Blafour and Scottie Thompson's Jarrod and Elaine.
After a good night out, celebrating with Terry (Donald "Turk from Scrubs" Faison), the gang awakes to find bright blue hypnotic lights raining down over the city and huge machines invading the city.
As they try to escape, it becomes clear their chances to survive are limited - as are mankind's.
Skyline is an unmitigated missed opportunity of a film - replete with some C List actors and some great FX, it's a weird combination which never quite gels.
It's clear the directors are FX geniuses and wizards because the initial shots of the skyline and alien invaders is quite impressive. Less so is the story - which simply becomes a pick off the heroes and see who survives kind of plot.
That said - it's got to be seen for the unbelievable final sequences which depict life within the spaceships themselves. Simply jaw dropping - and not in a good
way
Extras: Deleted scenes, extended scenes, commentary - very little enticing.
Rating: 3/10
Monday, 9 May 2011
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest: DVD Review
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest: DVD Review
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest
Rating: R16
Released by Vendetta Films
In the third film based on Stieg Larsson's books, the action takes up just moments after the close of the second film. Lisbeth Salander is being choppered to hospital, shot repeatedly and on the brink of death after tracking down her father Alexander Zalachenko and exacting her revenge.
Facing charges of attempted murder, Salander is trapped - with the police wanting to hurry her trial along and with the shadowy cabal The Section determined to get rid of her before their existence becomes known, her prospects don't look good.
But as ever, her faithful friend and journalist of the Millennium magazine Mikael Blomkvist (the ever stoic faced Nyqvist) is determined to clear her name.
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest is a triumphant end to the trilogy - and while some will be put off by the lack of action, the tension in this one is nail biting.
Sure, with most of it taking place in drab corridors, inside a hospital or a courtroom, there's a lot more expected of the actors - and the main duo Rapace and Nyqvist deliver in spades.
It's the story which is more of the star this time (one character even remarks "It's like a classic Greek tragedy") as the various threads are drawn together in the web of decades old conspiracy, the drama is tautly pulled together; so much so that at the devastating end in the courtroom, the restrained directing and story telling works so much better because of it.
The best moment of this film though is the final scene - but talk of that is spoilery, so discover it yourself.
Extras: Interviews with the main actors and a trailer - not bad but a little disappointing given how the series has ended and a retrospective piece may have been in order.
Rating: 8/10
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest
Rating: R16
Released by Vendetta Films
In the third film based on Stieg Larsson's books, the action takes up just moments after the close of the second film. Lisbeth Salander is being choppered to hospital, shot repeatedly and on the brink of death after tracking down her father Alexander Zalachenko and exacting her revenge.
Facing charges of attempted murder, Salander is trapped - with the police wanting to hurry her trial along and with the shadowy cabal The Section determined to get rid of her before their existence becomes known, her prospects don't look good.
But as ever, her faithful friend and journalist of the Millennium magazine Mikael Blomkvist (the ever stoic faced Nyqvist) is determined to clear her name.
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest is a triumphant end to the trilogy - and while some will be put off by the lack of action, the tension in this one is nail biting.
Sure, with most of it taking place in drab corridors, inside a hospital or a courtroom, there's a lot more expected of the actors - and the main duo Rapace and Nyqvist deliver in spades.
It's the story which is more of the star this time (one character even remarks "It's like a classic Greek tragedy") as the various threads are drawn together in the web of decades old conspiracy, the drama is tautly pulled together; so much so that at the devastating end in the courtroom, the restrained directing and story telling works so much better because of it.
The best moment of this film though is the final scene - but talk of that is spoilery, so discover it yourself.
Extras: Interviews with the main actors and a trailer - not bad but a little disappointing given how the series has ended and a retrospective piece may have been in order.
Rating: 8/10
Sunday, 8 May 2011
The Insatiable Moon: DVD Review
The Insatiable Moon: DVD Review
The Insatiable Moon
Rating:M
Released by Vendetta
Shot on a shoestring budget when the Film Commission passed, The Insatiable is the story of Arthur (a tremendous powerhouse performance from Rawiri Paratene) who believes he's the second son of God and who frequents a halfway house run by Greg Johnson's Bob in Auckland's suburb of Ponsonby.
However, Arthur's life becomes permanently intertwined with Sara Wiseman's social worker at a time when the boarding house is threatened with closure.
With residents galvanized into trying to save their home from those who've got closed minds, the clock begins to tick - and Arthur starts to unravel.
The Insatiable Moon is a story of heart and compassion, populated with some truly brilliant and crowd pleasing performances from the central cast.
It's got audience pleasing moments throughout as well as some laughs but it's Paratene's impishness and charm which sees this film from beginning to end; with big eyes and a disarming grin, he's the heart and soul of the Insatiable Moon - and manages to bind the whole thing together.
Extras: Trailer, Interviews, outtakes and deleted scenes
Rating: 7/10
The Insatiable Moon
Rating:M
Released by Vendetta
Shot on a shoestring budget when the Film Commission passed, The Insatiable is the story of Arthur (a tremendous powerhouse performance from Rawiri Paratene) who believes he's the second son of God and who frequents a halfway house run by Greg Johnson's Bob in Auckland's suburb of Ponsonby.
However, Arthur's life becomes permanently intertwined with Sara Wiseman's social worker at a time when the boarding house is threatened with closure.
With residents galvanized into trying to save their home from those who've got closed minds, the clock begins to tick - and Arthur starts to unravel.
The Insatiable Moon is a story of heart and compassion, populated with some truly brilliant and crowd pleasing performances from the central cast.
It's got audience pleasing moments throughout as well as some laughs but it's Paratene's impishness and charm which sees this film from beginning to end; with big eyes and a disarming grin, he's the heart and soul of the Insatiable Moon - and manages to bind the whole thing together.
Extras: Trailer, Interviews, outtakes and deleted scenes
Rating: 7/10
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