The Change Up: Movie Review
The Change Up
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde, Leslie
Mann
Director: David Dobkin
Mitch (Reynolds) and Dave (Bateman) have been buddies since they were in
third grade in school together.
Whereas Mitch became a failed actor and womaniser, Dave worked hard all his
life, married, had kids and is working for a law firm.
However, Dave's not happy with his life, believing Mitch has the perfect
carefree existence; ironically, Mitch believes Dave has the perfect life, with
adorable kids and a loving wife (Leslie Mann). So when the pair go out drinking
one night and end up peeing in a fountain, they wish they could swap places.
And in a flash, that's exactly what happens - but, surprise, surprise, both
of the guys learn the lives they're so jealous of, aren't exactly as rosy as
they imagined.
The Change Up is a body swap comedy from those behind Wedding Crashers and
The Hangover. So, pretty much, right there, you should know what to expect -
moments of guilty, gross out humour and nothing too sophisticated. The tone is
set in the beginning sequence when Bateman's Dave is woken at 3am by babies
needing a nappy change - and it goes horribly wrong...Throw in formulaic
comedy and you've pretty much got this film down to a tee - except for a few
redeeming factors.
Jason Bateman finally plays against his usual laid back roles and has a whale
of a time as Mitch; it's great to see him really doing some laugh out loud
acting and there are moments of genuine mirth as he becomes a bit more loose and
screwball. The scenes where he has to try and feed his pair of twins and carries
them like sacks will resonate with many and amuses greatly.
Likewise Ryan Reynolds impresses in his performance as Mitch/Dave; both the
leads bring smart assured performances to what is a very traditional, and
formulaic body swap film. Olivia Wilde continues to carve her way towards a
prosperous screen career with her role as Dave's sexy colleague and Leslie Mann
does well as a quietly desperate housewife.
Sure, the inevitable moment comes when the duo have to grow up/ face their
deep epiphanies, but thanks to a fairly mediocre script which uses their plights
as a construct to hear some home truths, you can see what's coming a mile
off.
At the end of the day, if you're prepared to leave your brain at the door and
fancy an uneven comedy which relies on gross rather than smarts for guilty
laughs, then the Change Up is the perfect solution for a night out.
Thursday, 8 September 2011
Dr Who: Earth Story: DVD Review
Dr Who: Earth Story: DVD Review
Dr Who - Earth Story
Rating: PG
Released by BBC and Roadshow
An odd two disc collection, this brings together a tale from the 60s and the 80s.
A William Hartnell black and whiter, The Gunfighters sees the Doc, Steven and Dodo in the Wild West in the days upto the OK Corral and is notorious for featuring a song in the serial which scored notoriety among the fans. It's an average kind of piece and clearly William Hartnell's relishing the time in a western.
The other tale is the two part Peter Davision tale The Awakening which sees the Doctor stuck in 1984 fighting a war game. And the game's turning vicious thanks to an evil entity feeding off the hatred. A relatively short jaunt, it still holds up ok to 21st Century eyes.
Extras: The centerpiece is a new doco on the pressures facing Hartnell's third year in the role (a year which would eventually see him leave). It's a fascinating glimpse into the production worries facing
the series and is a welcome addition to the meaty range of extras. Others include commentaries, production notes and a couple of other behind the scenes pieces.
Rating: 6/10
Dr Who - Earth Story
Rating: PG
Released by BBC and Roadshow
An odd two disc collection, this brings together a tale from the 60s and the 80s.
A William Hartnell black and whiter, The Gunfighters sees the Doc, Steven and Dodo in the Wild West in the days upto the OK Corral and is notorious for featuring a song in the serial which scored notoriety among the fans. It's an average kind of piece and clearly William Hartnell's relishing the time in a western.
The other tale is the two part Peter Davision tale The Awakening which sees the Doctor stuck in 1984 fighting a war game. And the game's turning vicious thanks to an evil entity feeding off the hatred. A relatively short jaunt, it still holds up ok to 21st Century eyes.
Extras: The centerpiece is a new doco on the pressures facing Hartnell's third year in the role (a year which would eventually see him leave). It's a fascinating glimpse into the production worries facing
the series and is a welcome addition to the meaty range of extras. Others include commentaries, production notes and a couple of other behind the scenes pieces.
Rating: 6/10
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Dr Who: Series 6 Part One: Blu Ray review
Dr Who: Series 6 Part One: Blu Ray review
Dr Who Series 6 Part One - Blu Ray
Rating: PG
Released by Roadshow and BBC
Matt Smith returns as the 11th Doctor in this latest (truncated) series of seven episodes.
Continuing the formula which has proven so popular, show producer Steven Moffat's crafted a clever way to hook viewers in this year with this split season - starting with the Doctor's apparent death, the story arc over these seven episodes is strong and culminates in the apparent solving of who Alex Kingston's River Song is.
While the opening two parter isn't one for non fans as it weaves show mythology with pacy American adventure, it's certainly a gripping start - all of the main quartet acquit themselves well. New villains The Silence are incredibly spooky and scary and while later villains aren't as terrifying, the story telling is solid but the seventh episode creaks under the weight of expectation
Still it's not a bad run of adventures - you just can't help feeling the best's being kept for the final batch of six.
Extras: Disappointingly only two minor featurettes - again, best being saved for the full season set.
Rating: 7/10
Dr Who Series 6 Part One - Blu Ray
Rating: PG
Released by Roadshow and BBC
Matt Smith returns as the 11th Doctor in this latest (truncated) series of seven episodes.
Continuing the formula which has proven so popular, show producer Steven Moffat's crafted a clever way to hook viewers in this year with this split season - starting with the Doctor's apparent death, the story arc over these seven episodes is strong and culminates in the apparent solving of who Alex Kingston's River Song is.
While the opening two parter isn't one for non fans as it weaves show mythology with pacy American adventure, it's certainly a gripping start - all of the main quartet acquit themselves well. New villains The Silence are incredibly spooky and scary and while later villains aren't as terrifying, the story telling is solid but the seventh episode creaks under the weight of expectation
Still it's not a bad run of adventures - you just can't help feeling the best's being kept for the final batch of six.
Extras: Disappointingly only two minor featurettes - again, best being saved for the full season set.
Rating: 7/10
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Final Destination 5: Movie Review
Final Destination 5: Movie Review
Final Destination 5
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fisher, Ellen Wroe, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, Tony Todd
Director: Steven Quale
Fifth time's the charm for the franchise?
When a group of workers head out on a coach on a business retreat, Sam (D'Agosto) has a premonition the vehicle he's on is going to be pulled off a suspension bridge which will collapse. The vision's so powerful, Sam persuades seven of his coworkers to get off and run for their lives.
While the bridge does indeed collapse, the eight of them reckon they've had a lucky escape...however, when one by one, they're picked off and die in mysterious ways, it's clear Death's marked their card and is determined to collect.
Final Destination 5 has some good points and some bad points - while the bridge collapse scene is spectacularly well done, the rest of the deaths seem a little forced and it feels like the writers are starting to feel the strain of inventing new ways to off a largely unknown cast.
That said, some of the scenes, including one where one poor girl gets a fatal laser eye treatment, are likely to have you squirming in your seat and the addition of 3D means a variety of objects spike out at you on the screen. But the gore is mainly more amusing than frightening and Quale does a good job of stretching out the tension so that by the time the final death scene comes round, you've been waiting for it for a while.
A clever addition to the series, as explained by Death's emissary Tony Todd, is that if you're marked for death and you kill someone else, you're given back your life is unexplored for the potential dramatic tension that it has and is wasted as a great new twist which would have had some scripting legs. Equally, the ending is impressive and to discuss that any further would venture into spoilers territory - but it shows there is some thought gone into the latest film.
Sadly though, with a relatively bland cast of at times wooden actors and some frankly average dialogue, any real tension between the group feels forced and unrealistic, leading you to struggle to care if they are offed or not by the Grim Reaper.
Ultimately, if you're after a few comic moments, a bit of suspense and blood splashing onto you courtesy of 3D, then Final Destination 5 will tick your boxes. Everyone else will just hope the franchise is now finally laid to rest.
Final Destination 5
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fisher, Ellen Wroe, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, Tony Todd
Director: Steven Quale
Fifth time's the charm for the franchise?
When a group of workers head out on a coach on a business retreat, Sam (D'Agosto) has a premonition the vehicle he's on is going to be pulled off a suspension bridge which will collapse. The vision's so powerful, Sam persuades seven of his coworkers to get off and run for their lives.
While the bridge does indeed collapse, the eight of them reckon they've had a lucky escape...however, when one by one, they're picked off and die in mysterious ways, it's clear Death's marked their card and is determined to collect.
Final Destination 5 has some good points and some bad points - while the bridge collapse scene is spectacularly well done, the rest of the deaths seem a little forced and it feels like the writers are starting to feel the strain of inventing new ways to off a largely unknown cast.
That said, some of the scenes, including one where one poor girl gets a fatal laser eye treatment, are likely to have you squirming in your seat and the addition of 3D means a variety of objects spike out at you on the screen. But the gore is mainly more amusing than frightening and Quale does a good job of stretching out the tension so that by the time the final death scene comes round, you've been waiting for it for a while.
A clever addition to the series, as explained by Death's emissary Tony Todd, is that if you're marked for death and you kill someone else, you're given back your life is unexplored for the potential dramatic tension that it has and is wasted as a great new twist which would have had some scripting legs. Equally, the ending is impressive and to discuss that any further would venture into spoilers territory - but it shows there is some thought gone into the latest film.
Sadly though, with a relatively bland cast of at times wooden actors and some frankly average dialogue, any real tension between the group feels forced and unrealistic, leading you to struggle to care if they are offed or not by the Grim Reaper.
Ultimately, if you're after a few comic moments, a bit of suspense and blood splashing onto you courtesy of 3D, then Final Destination 5 will tick your boxes. Everyone else will just hope the franchise is now finally laid to rest.
Senna: Movie Review
Senna: Movie Review
Senna
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost
Director: Asif Kapadia
You wouldn't expect a film about Ayrton Senna to be so moving unless you were a Formula One fan.
You would be wrong.
This doco, simply made using archive footage of races, interviews and home movie footage is one of the most rewarding films of the year.
It tells the story of his life -mainly on the track to be honest - and his rivalry with fellow driver Alain Prost, the Frenchman with whom discord became all out war.
But what emerges from Kapadia is an intimate portrait of a focussed and driven man who's knocked around by the system because all he wants is success and isn't willing to play the game.
Scenes of racing, some of which come from cockpit cameras are scintillating; there's footage of drivers' meetings which have been hitherto unseen and hint at some of the conflict felt by Senna as he butted heads with the powers that be; and of course, there's a wealth of footage from races thanks to videoing done at the time. By not using the traditional talking heads in a studio format, Kapadai's interlaced dialogue over footage of Senna - and it's a nice touch which immerses you more in Senna's life rather than taking you out and transporting you back to the studio every five minutes.
Throw into that some family footage, scenes of holidays and truly, Senna is a wonderfully multidimensional picture of the man who was a star on the tracks and a role model to so many Brazilians who were living through some truly horrific times back home.
The whole film is a truly emotional journey as it becomes a fascinating battle of wills, tactics and rivalry as the feud between Senna and Prost heats up.
Add in the final section of the film which deals with Senna's death in Imola in 94 and it's just heartbreaking, leaving you a wreck after the preceding joyous celebration of the legend.
Ultimately this doco is one of the best of the year; at the end, I left having been through the gamut of emotions and brimming with interest at a subject I didn't remotely care about when I initially sat down to watch this.
Senna is well worth your time and you can expect to see it next year on pole position come award season.
Senna
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost
Director: Asif Kapadia
You wouldn't expect a film about Ayrton Senna to be so moving unless you were a Formula One fan.
You would be wrong.
This doco, simply made using archive footage of races, interviews and home movie footage is one of the most rewarding films of the year.
It tells the story of his life -mainly on the track to be honest - and his rivalry with fellow driver Alain Prost, the Frenchman with whom discord became all out war.
But what emerges from Kapadia is an intimate portrait of a focussed and driven man who's knocked around by the system because all he wants is success and isn't willing to play the game.
Scenes of racing, some of which come from cockpit cameras are scintillating; there's footage of drivers' meetings which have been hitherto unseen and hint at some of the conflict felt by Senna as he butted heads with the powers that be; and of course, there's a wealth of footage from races thanks to videoing done at the time. By not using the traditional talking heads in a studio format, Kapadai's interlaced dialogue over footage of Senna - and it's a nice touch which immerses you more in Senna's life rather than taking you out and transporting you back to the studio every five minutes.
Throw into that some family footage, scenes of holidays and truly, Senna is a wonderfully multidimensional picture of the man who was a star on the tracks and a role model to so many Brazilians who were living through some truly horrific times back home.
The whole film is a truly emotional journey as it becomes a fascinating battle of wills, tactics and rivalry as the feud between Senna and Prost heats up.
Add in the final section of the film which deals with Senna's death in Imola in 94 and it's just heartbreaking, leaving you a wreck after the preceding joyous celebration of the legend.
Ultimately this doco is one of the best of the year; at the end, I left having been through the gamut of emotions and brimming with interest at a subject I didn't remotely care about when I initially sat down to watch this.
Senna is well worth your time and you can expect to see it next year on pole position come award season.
Hanna: Movie Review
Hanna: Movie Review
Hanna
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hollander, Jessica Barden
Director: Joe Wright
With a soundtrack by The Chemical Brothers, you would expect Hanna to be something a little bit cool.
And by golly, it is.
The Lovely Bones' Ronan is Hanna, whom we first meet in an icy wasteland as she hunts a deer with a bow and arrow. As she stands over the body, she tells it "I just missed your heart."
Within seconds of that, she's being attacked by a man - Erik (Eric Bana) - who turns out to be her father, training her for potential assassin work.
When Hanna decides she's ready to head out into the real world and not the snow covered wastelands of Finland, she's soon on the run from CIA officer Marissa Wiegler (Blanchett) who'll stop at nothing to bring her in and down.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Hanna's also got an assassin (Hollander) on her tale and winds up with a free loving family on their global road trip...
Hanna is effortlessly cool and stylish - though at times, it feels a little like that's at the expense of the script. It's almost as if someone's storyboarded some stunningly great images and ordered the director to shoe horn them in where possible. That said, while they do stand out, it's a real point of difference in this thriller which is welcome.
An absolutely pulsating and blistering soundtrack from the Chemical Brothers is brilliantly used; one sequence of a break out from a jail is akin to one of the Brothers' early music videos; it's frankly at times a welcome assault on the eyes and ears and will look like nothing else you've seen this year. It's hard to believe this is from the director who brought us Atonement and it really does show a skill at work and there's plenty on screen which you won't forget once the credits go up.
While Hollander, Bana and Blanchett are impressive in their roles (Blanchett appearing the coldest and disconnected as a ruthless CIA officer), this film is once again the showcase of star Saoirse Ronan, whose fragile looking but ass kicking teen assassin is the perfect mix of vulnerability and hard as nails attitude. With fiercely blue eyes, a gentle voice and a pitch perfect performance, it's easily her film to carry off - and she does it easily.
I'll freely admit Hanna won't be to everyone's tastes (there are some lapses in the logic of the script) - but if you fancy a hitman on the run thriller with an eclectic feel and awesome soundtrack, this is really something you'll cherish and love.
Hanna
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hollander, Jessica Barden
Director: Joe Wright
With a soundtrack by The Chemical Brothers, you would expect Hanna to be something a little bit cool.
And by golly, it is.
The Lovely Bones' Ronan is Hanna, whom we first meet in an icy wasteland as she hunts a deer with a bow and arrow. As she stands over the body, she tells it "I just missed your heart."
Within seconds of that, she's being attacked by a man - Erik (Eric Bana) - who turns out to be her father, training her for potential assassin work.
When Hanna decides she's ready to head out into the real world and not the snow covered wastelands of Finland, she's soon on the run from CIA officer Marissa Wiegler (Blanchett) who'll stop at nothing to bring her in and down.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Hanna's also got an assassin (Hollander) on her tale and winds up with a free loving family on their global road trip...
Hanna is effortlessly cool and stylish - though at times, it feels a little like that's at the expense of the script. It's almost as if someone's storyboarded some stunningly great images and ordered the director to shoe horn them in where possible. That said, while they do stand out, it's a real point of difference in this thriller which is welcome.
An absolutely pulsating and blistering soundtrack from the Chemical Brothers is brilliantly used; one sequence of a break out from a jail is akin to one of the Brothers' early music videos; it's frankly at times a welcome assault on the eyes and ears and will look like nothing else you've seen this year. It's hard to believe this is from the director who brought us Atonement and it really does show a skill at work and there's plenty on screen which you won't forget once the credits go up.
While Hollander, Bana and Blanchett are impressive in their roles (Blanchett appearing the coldest and disconnected as a ruthless CIA officer), this film is once again the showcase of star Saoirse Ronan, whose fragile looking but ass kicking teen assassin is the perfect mix of vulnerability and hard as nails attitude. With fiercely blue eyes, a gentle voice and a pitch perfect performance, it's easily her film to carry off - and she does it easily.
I'll freely admit Hanna won't be to everyone's tastes (there are some lapses in the logic of the script) - but if you fancy a hitman on the run thriller with an eclectic feel and awesome soundtrack, this is really something you'll cherish and love.
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Oceans: DVD Review
Oceans: DVD Review
Oceans
Rating: G
Released by Hopscotch and Roadshow entertainment
Narrated by Pierce Brosnan, this nature doco is an outstandingly shot, relatively non-preachy primarily French piece about the majesty and bounty of the Oceans of our planet.
With laconic and sparse narrative from Pierce Brosnan, the gorgeously shot footage sweeps across and swoops in and out of the waters of the world, as our senses are bombarded with wondrous images.
Images such as sealion, marine iguanas, a sea otter smashing shells on a rock on its belly to feed- to scenes of squid fending off crab who've wandered too close to their territory.
It's an hypnotic and mesmerising snapshot of the world around us.
And a reminder of what brilliance lurks under the waters and far, far away from our eyes.
With the greatest of respect, when Pierce Brosnan's laconic voice over is ditched, then this really is when the film soars because there's nothing to beat the beautiful viciousness of nature at work.
Sometimes, all you need is what's up on the screen to take your breath away -with just the majesty of nature, Oceans is truly awe inducing as it takes in the life in oceans all over the world - including New Zealand's waterways.
Granted in a film like this, there's bound to be a message about the effect of pollution and the vanishing wildlife but unlike others of their ilk, here the directors show some restraint and don't hammer home the message. By using images from space of the effects of pollution on the waters, the message is got across simply and eloquently - once again, just a simple image paints a greater picture than a thousand words could.
Extras: None - disappointing
Rating: 7/10
Oceans
Rating: G
Released by Hopscotch and Roadshow entertainment
Narrated by Pierce Brosnan, this nature doco is an outstandingly shot, relatively non-preachy primarily French piece about the majesty and bounty of the Oceans of our planet.
With laconic and sparse narrative from Pierce Brosnan, the gorgeously shot footage sweeps across and swoops in and out of the waters of the world, as our senses are bombarded with wondrous images.
Images such as sealion, marine iguanas, a sea otter smashing shells on a rock on its belly to feed- to scenes of squid fending off crab who've wandered too close to their territory.
It's an hypnotic and mesmerising snapshot of the world around us.
And a reminder of what brilliance lurks under the waters and far, far away from our eyes.
With the greatest of respect, when Pierce Brosnan's laconic voice over is ditched, then this really is when the film soars because there's nothing to beat the beautiful viciousness of nature at work.
Sometimes, all you need is what's up on the screen to take your breath away -with just the majesty of nature, Oceans is truly awe inducing as it takes in the life in oceans all over the world - including New Zealand's waterways.
Granted in a film like this, there's bound to be a message about the effect of pollution and the vanishing wildlife but unlike others of their ilk, here the directors show some restraint and don't hammer home the message. By using images from space of the effects of pollution on the waters, the message is got across simply and eloquently - once again, just a simple image paints a greater picture than a thousand words could.
Extras: None - disappointing
Rating: 7/10
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