Wild Target- Blu Ray Review

Wild Target- Blu Ray Review

Wild Target
Rating: M
Released by Warner Bros

Bill Nighy is Victor Maynard, a 54 year old life long assassin, who's hired to take out Emily Blunt's Rose, a con artist who rips off a local gangster played by Rupert Everett.

But after Maynard fluffs the initial attempt on Rose's life, the gangster sends in his goons to finish the job - and Maynard.

Things get even more complicated when Maynard runs into Rupert Grint's orphan Tony as he's about to kill Rose. Terry ends up saving all of their lives and the trio's forced on the run until it all blows over.

Wild Target is a quirky style farce which channels early Ealing comedies. There's dry humour aplenty to begin with and clearly something a little different to start off with.

Nighy is mightily impressive as Maynard; his unmoving expression and poker face give some of his actions a more comedic feel.

Emily Blunt and Rupert Grint offer good solid support - Blunt's Rose is a mischievous impish thief who doesn't realize until too late the trouble she's in. And Grint brings a bit of humanity to the orphan who's taken under Victor's wing.

The problem with Wild Target is that despite the talented cast, this feels a little too farcical (albeit very funny in places) to be completely successful. It doesn't offer anything radically new in terms of story and gags (an intelligence lacking hitman eats pot pourri mistaking it for a snack) and because of that, it doesn't soar as much as it could

Extras: Cast and crew interview

Rating: 6/10 

The Big Picture: Movie Review

The Big Picture: Movie Review

The Big Picture
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Romain Duris, Catherine Deneuve, Niels Arestrup, Marina Fois, Branka Katic
Director: Eric Lartigau
Who would have thought a bottle of Cloudy Bay wine would cause so much trouble?
Current French heartthrob Duris stars as Paul Exben, a successful partner in a French law firm; he has it all - a lovely wife, two young children, and is about to take over the firm when its founder (Catherine Deneuve) reveals she's dying.
But when Exben finds out his wife is having an affair with his photographer friend Greg Kremer, (after the discovery of a shared love of a New Zealand bottle of wine) a confrontation ensues and Greg is accidentally killed.
Exben flees - after disposing of the body and faking his own death - but he finds despite relocating and taking a job while posing as Greg, the noose is tightening around him.
The Big Picture is based on a book by Douglas Kennedy - and as was pointed out to me, doesn't follow the same narrative. While the wine reference is consistent, there's a change in other details and tone; the film version feels like a thriller whereas the source material is more black comedy.
However, Duris is impressive as Exben - he begins the film a cocky character all holding his head high; then after the shock of the death, he becomes a swarthy, huddled character who is covered in stubble and physically transformed.
While Duris is good, he can't really escape the plodding direction of the film - in many ways, it feels like two disparate films. The first is a suspense thriller as Exben finds out and the second part sees him trying to find himself. They don't quite gel.
Unfortunately this is where the film doesn't quite fit the bill; there's a confusing segueway into Exben's life in remote Yugoslavia and an untimely end to the film which feels frustrating and unrewarding to the audience because of a lack of real resolution. Sure, we get the trade off for Exben but it's so abrupt that it just stops.

The Big Picture is a muddled film, which feels overly long and disappoints. It's a shame because with such a screen presence as Duris projects, it could have been much much more.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - Movie Review

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - Movie Review

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon
Director: David Yates
And so it ends.
The final part of the final Harry Potter film is unleashed on the world - and with it, the end of a saga which has entranced a world and created a multi million dollar lifestyle for creator JK Rowling.
As you'll remember from the first part of the Deathly Hallows film ( read the review from last year here), Harry, Hermione and Ron set out to find the Dark Lord's Horcruxes (a sort of magical object which gives Voldemort his power) and destroy them - in the hope that that will end this battle once and for all.
This film takes up right after the end of the last, with Dobby the elf despatched, the battle lines drawn and Harry aware the ultimate battle is nearing a final perhaps fatal end.
But as the fate and destiny of Voldemort and Harry Potter play out, the path leads back to Hogwarts and to a dark secret which will finally settle the score between the Wizarding world and the Muggle World....
Yes, it's finally here - the in some ways, reviewer proof final film of the franchise which has spanned a lot of Rupert Grint gurning as well as millions (or is it billions) of book sales since its launch back in 1997.
And quite frankly, what a stunning, magical epic and emotionally rewarding end to the long running and much loved saga.
I'll preface this by saying I'm unaware of the source material and how it played out on the page, so this film was a genuine surprise in many ways - and an unexpectedly sumptuous narrative treat, blessed with some great acting. I for one didn't know how it ended for Potter et al, so I was suitably spellbound from beginning to end (which, as an aside, is probably a good thing as fans will flock to this regardless - but non-fans may be wary).
Granted, viewing of the previous films is probably helpful, but in many ways, this closing chapter has everything it needed to finally wrap it up and satiate those of us (well, mainly me) who felt JK Rowling had dragged out the books and the resulting films which simply saw Harry threatened and then deal with the threat summarily.
It's a truly unexpected film - there are moments of absolute silence where the acting simply takes the foreground and the soundtrack goes silent and thematically, there is much to engage the grey matter (although a spiritual flight of fantasy does feel a little unnecessary and meandering even though it's a metaphysical jaunt into Harry's psyche- and don't even get me started on the "19 Years Later" epilogue which is cloying and sickly saccharine and ultimately unnecessary and disappointing).
It's the emotional calm before the storm as we build upto the final showdown and the inevitable fight at Hogwarts. Every single member of this ensemble are perfect but Daniel Radcliffe really does up his game again, this time imbuing Harry with pathos, sadness, turmoil and pain as he sees what his fight has done to others and how it takes the ultimate toll on many. It's great to see how far he's come since the first film where his acting chops were quite frankly, obscured by his moptop and lack of age.
In an ultimate battle, there will be casualties - and sure, some fan favourites are despatched off screen, but you could argue that these deaths would have felt mawkish to watch, held back the story - and let's be honest, we've had some 14 years to get to know the characters so we do feel the emotional pain. It's also good to see that the smaller characters are the true heroes of the film - it's a nice touch in such an epic saga.
The other star of this film is director David Yates. The direction and perfect pace he brings to the film is its great saviour - and perhaps the franchise's saving grace. With swirling FX, a stunning and stirring score and some dark and portentous moments, this Potter is a restrained, mature and impressive, less is more kind of film which doesn't over indulge the fact it's the last time we'll see these characters or throw FX in for their own sake. There's none of the bloatedness which makes you feel the franchise has overstayed its welcome; in fact, it's perfectly wrapped up and left with the rich closure fans have sought for years.

This is the Harry Potter film I've been waiting for in many ways; perhaps, it was inevitable that it would be the final film which got it right, but as a closing chapter, it's near perfect and is the best send off it could ever have been given.

127 Hours: Blu Ray Review

127 Hours: Blu Ray Review

127 Hours
Rating: RP16
Released by Roadshow and 20th Century Fox

James Franco gives an Oscar-nominated performance as Aron Ralston, an American climber whose trip into the wild in 2003 changed his life forever when he became trapped down a canyon, with his arm crushed against a wall with a boulder.

He meets two girls (Mara and Tamblyn) before his life changes when he falls down a Utah canyon and is trapped by a boulder.

Over five days, his mental and physical health take their toll as Ralston reflects back on his life and faces the ultimate look at his own mortality.

127 Hours is claustrophobic, uncomfortable viewing in the extreme - thanks to one scene (more on that later).

But it's also terrific, with an undeniable energy and a mesmerising performance from Franco as Ralston.

Given Franco's on screen for most of the film solo, he really needed to pull out all the stops to chart the mental decline, hallucinations, guilt, and memories that Ralston goes through, and he delivers in spades in this total sensory experience of a film.

Every moment, as the camera tracks his wearying expressions, you can't tear your eyes away from Franco; partially that's because of the inevitability of knowing (slight spoiler ahead) he hacks off his own arm with a blunt knife to escape.

It's uncomfortable viewing but it's compelling too - I don't remember the last time I sat squirming and with nowhere to go, but it's so well done (thanks to bone-crunching sound effects) that it delivers the shock it needs and gives you the emotional and physical release you need after 80 minutes' worth of waiting.

Rating: 8/10

Game Review: Red Faction: Armageddon

Game Review: Red Faction: Armageddon

Red Faction Armageddon
Released by THQ
Platform: PS3
It's off to the red planet we go for this fourth instalment in the Red Faction series - which I have to admit to having never played before.
50 years after the events of Red Faction: Guerilla, you control Darius Mason on the wilds of the planet in 2170 in this third person shooter.
The aim is to track down a group known as the Cultists, led by Adam Hale, who've taken out a Terraformer and plunged your race underground. As you negotiate your way underground and briefly on the surface, you face threats from said Cultists as well as numerous bugs and other baddies, hellbent on turning you into history.
While the action is fairly standard and sees you pretty much unable to roam too freely (a GPS can help with your quest if you end up getting a little lost and unsure of where to go when facing marauding attacks from hordes of creepy crawlies), this is still pretty playable stuff.
A clever addition is the option to repair structures you inadvertently - or deliberately - destroy while in your quests - thanks to a glove you wear. It's a neat visual touch as well and helps you realise that sometimes, the solution can literally appear in front of your very eyes.
Furthermore, a magnet grappling gun gives you the option to haul structures around and makes wandering around underground a little more fun as well as giving you the chance for wanton destruction - outside of killing the baddies. But you have to be smart on how you use this - cause after all, remember you're underground...

Red Faction Armageddon is certainly playable and there's plenty to do; it's no mean thing to say it's disposably good fun and will see you wasting hours on end as you scoot around doing your thing and trying to save the day. It's easy to control and immerse yourself in and with a couple of other options available once you've finished the main game, it's got a shelf life beyond the average third person shooter games.

Rating: 7/10

The Romantics: DVD Review

The Romantics: DVD Review

The Romantics
Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent
When a group of several friends and college buddies reunite for a wedding, you know there's going to be trouble ahead.
Katie Holmes is Laura, a writer who's maid of honour to best friend Lila (True Blood's Anna Paquin) ahead of her wedding to Tom, played by Josh Duhamel.
When the gang reunites, it's clear there's still some tension between Laura and Lila - mainly thanks to her love for Tom - and matters are brought to a head at a truly awful wedding rehearsal where Laura inadvertently toasts her and Tom - instead of Lila.
It's clear there's some issues between them all - and they're likely to try and resolve them this weekend whether they want to or not.
Simmering resentments come to the fore in this but it's a little slow and plodding to gain and hold your attention; while the cast is an admirable bunch and a good solid collection of actors, it's very hard to get engrossed in this gang and their issues.
The main triangle works reasonably well but overall, The Romantics is lacking a little of the dynamism it needs to propel it over its 95 minutes running time.
Extras: None

Rating: 5/10 

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon: Movie Review

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon: Movie Review

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Shia La Beouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Leonard Nimoy, John Turturro, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Patrick Dempsey, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee
Director: Michael Bay
Back for a third time, the Autobots and the Decepticons continue their life long robotic battle
Thrown into the middle of this eternal scrap between good and evil is Shia LaBeouf's Sam Witwicky who's struggling to get a job and is becoming resentful he saved the world (twice) for little lasting reward.
This time when it appears a deciding component in the struggle's been found in a spaceship which crashed into the moon around the time of Apollo 11's landing in the 60s, both sides scramble to try and seize it.
But it soon transpires the whole thing could signal the end for them - as well as us....
Transformers Dark of the Moon is a typical Michael Bay gig; there are explosions aplenty, set pieces and plenty of swooping shots of planes and choppers as they head into war.
Happily though Bay has dialled down the frenetic pace of the last film which saw scenes of utter mayhem and robots transforming at such a pace, you could barely keep up with it.

This time it's less of a blur and means the couple of major set pieces are absolutely stunning - including a chase scene on the freeway and an attack piece inside a building. It gives the effects a little more space to breathe and visually sends your eyes on one hell of a journey.
As for the robots themselves, Optimus Prime spouts his usual pomposity and Leonard Nimoy makes a good father of the robots (and gets to paraphrase one of Spock's famous lines from Wrath of Khan) but the Decepticons suffer a little in terms of screen time - until an end sequence in Chicago where both sides finally fight full on with such ferocity you would think you're in a gangland riot blessed with robot executions left, right and centre.
As for the humans, Shia makes good fist of whining Sam and shows he can carry an action film- however, that's not the case with the rest of the supporting cast - particularly Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
Sadly with her, it's a case of bringing in some eye candy to titillate (as the camera lingers lovingly over her form at every chance) because the moment she starts speaking, it's starchly wooden and robotic. She manages an improvement towards the end though which is a relief - even if it's a minor improvement.
Of the heavily crowded ensemble, John Malkovich and Ken Jeong have cameos which are blown away by Alan Tudyk's supporting turn.

In many ways on screen, this third film is way too bloated - with an overly long running time which starts to sag, the older end of the audience may feel their attention span drift - though the kids will love it.

There's little in terms of story and the whole thing feels like it's leading to a confrontation between the robotic hordes.

That said if you're willing to check your brain at the door you will be entertained - though a word of warning you may feel at times, like you've beaten into submission by the brash, noisy and FX heavy film which is gung ho and even has the nerve to end on a scene of robots standing near a flying American flag.