Arthur Christmas 3D: Movie Review

Arthur Christmas 3D: Movie Review

Arthur Christmas
Rating: 8/10
Vocal cast: James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Ashley Jensen
Director: Sarah Smith
Ah, Christmas.
A time of strained tensions, screaming kids and festive goodwill to all.
That and Christmas-themed movies.
Add to that list, the latest from Aardman Animations, a computer generated tale about James McAvoy's Arthur Christmas, the second son of Father Christmas (Jim Broadbent). Arthur's job at the North Pole is to reply to the letters sent by the kids asking Santa for presents - whereas his older brother Steve (House's Hugh Laurie) is there to co-ordinate the elves as they deliver billions of presents in one night.
But this Christmas, something goes a little awry and one present's left undelivered. As far as Steve and Santa are concerned, it's no major but Arthur's unhappy that one kid, in Cornwall in the UK, will miss out on the magic of Christmas if they don't get their new bike.
So, along with the retired GrandSanta (Nighy), Arthur sets out to ensure this Christmas won't be ruined. But the adventure of a lifetime is a little more than the worrywart Arthur expected.
Arthur Christmas is a bright, joyous, festive treat which will keep the kids happy during the up-coming break. But there's also just enough to keep the adults amused too with a script that's smart in scattered places (one kid writes to Santa: "If you live in the North Pole, how come I can't see your house on Google maps?").
McAvoy brings a weediness to his Arthur which contrasts nicely with Laurie's efficient Steve and Broadbent's been in the job too long Santa. Nighy is amusing as GrandSanta and there's a nice running theme about different generations and expectations as well as a sarcastic vein pumping through.
But for every sentimental moment within Arthur Christmas, there's an equal moment of sheer lunacy which gives the film a slightly unpredictable feel which is very welcome amid the usual festive schmaltz. There's also a sign Aardman's taking on Pixar with a nod to one of its other characters contained subtly within as well - fans of animation will be delighted by that.

Arthur Christmas is to be enjoyed; with the magic of Christmas in its heart and a fair few ho ho hos, it's certainly something that will remind you of the joys of the holiday.

Immortals: Movie Review

Immortals: Movie Review

Immortals
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Henry Cavill, Freida Pinto, Mickey Rourke, Luke Evans, John Hurt
Director: Tarsem Singh
Swords, sandals, slow mo fight scenes and a lot of blood.
Nope, it's not 300 - it's from the producers of 300 that we get Immortals, the tale set in Ancient Greece.
Henry Cavill (the future Superman) plays Theseus, a peasant living in a small village and suddenly facing the marauding hordes of King Hyperion. Hyperion, played by a scene chewing Mickey Rourke, is trying to find a mystical bow to free the evil Titans from Mount Tartarus.
The Titans were imprisoned by the gods of Greece and believed by Hyperion to be the deciding factor in a war against the Olympian gods (headed up by Luke Evans' Zeus).
Teaming up with an oracle (Slumdog's Pinto) and a thief (Stephen Dorff), Theseus leads the charge to try and save the world both above and below from the disastrous consequences of an onslaught by Hyperion's hordes...
Immortals is a flat, emotionless piece, blessed with some truly outstanding visuals.
It treats the mythology of Greece extremely lightly but Singh does actually give a nice twist to some of the tales of Theseus - including the clash with the Minotaur.
Dialogue itself is largely uninspired and most of the film is painfully slow and lacking in any initially gripping moments.
But throughout the film, Singh uses visuals to jawdropping effect - he swoops in and out of CGI rendered scenes, gives us more slow mo then speeded up fight scenes and shows heads being smashed and turned into bloody explosions.
And it's this which really brings the film to life - a final fight sequence between the gods and the Titans is absolutely stunning and is one of the finest recreations seen this year as the attack happens. With sped up shots, slow moments and impressive FX, this is the film's major saving grace in a relatively spectacle free affair.
Of the leads, Cavill's good, Rourke's just a mumbling despot on a killing spree and Pinto's largely wasted - but quite frankly in these kinds of films, you're here to see buffed up bodies, impressive FX and scintillating fight scenes.

Immortals offers up an uneasy mix - moments of manic energy coupled with stilted and slow storytelling make it an unfortunately unsatisfying night at the cinema.

Rest for the Wicked: Movie Review

Rest for the Wicked: Movie Review

Rest for the Wicked
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Tony Barry, John Bach, Ian Mune, Sara Wiseman
Director: Simon Pattison
It's off to the rest homes for this detective story.
Tony Barry stars as Murray Baxter, a cop going undercover to finally get his oldest rival, Frank (This Is Not My Life's John Bach). Baxter's been pursuing his prey for years but has never had enough goods to seal the case and send Frank down.
But convinced heading into the rest home where Frank lives will help him gather the evidence he needs, he's prepared to risk it all.
However, when Murray gets to Knightsbridge Gardens, another couple of deaths occur and he's convinced Frank's behind them and that it's only a matter of time before his nemesis slips up...
Rest For The Wicked is probably a film for a generation in its twilight years. With a cast mainly recognizable from their long body of work in the Kiwi industry and a current Go Girls star, there will be a lot of familiar faces in this gently comic piece.
Tony Barry is venerable and dignified in his lead role and brings a gentleness to the dogged Murray who just can't put his grudge against Frank behind him; Bach is equally as impressive as the slightly sinister Frank who oozes a menace and calm that makes it hard to see if he is actually the bad guy or not.
As for the rest of the rest home cast, I'm not sure some won't be offended by their portrayal as a slightly batty, over sexed and comical bunch; there's one old gentleman who goes on about Australia and two elderly ladies who are out to seduce Murray.

There's a twist in the tale, which to be honest, you can see a mile off - but Simon Pattison does a reasonable job of guiding us through this tale. From its wryly amusing opening sequence of Frank as a Dirty Harry type taking down the inhabitants of a P Lab before making off on his mobility scooter to its ending, there's a whimsical feel to the film, which while not fully captivating, does allow its elderly cast to prove, once again, talent knows no boundaries.

The Whistleblower: Movie Review

The Whistleblower: Movie Review

The Whistleblower
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Rachel Weisz, Vanessa Redgrave, Benedict Cumberbatch, Monica Bellucci
Director: Larysa Kondracki
Rachel Weisz stars in this drama which is inspired by true events.
Weisz plays Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska policewoman who, desperate for cash, accepts a position as a peacekeeper in Bosnia. Well, for $100,000 for 6 months work, you would take it, wouldn't you?
But once she gets there she finds her task of rebuilding a country in ruins becomes even more difficult when she discovers a massive conspiracy involving the UN, sex trafficking and a major cover up.
The Whistleblower is not an easy film to watch. It's gritty, grimy and uncomfortably harrowing viewing in some places. A lot of what's done to these poor individuals is implied rather than explicit and it makes it hard to view.
That aside, Weisz is good as the morally straight Bolkovac in this solid film - she gives the struggle and turmoil a plausible face and something to latch onto during this occasionally rocky road. Granted, you could end up feeling Bolkovac is a little naïve going into this expecting miracles when it comes to saving everyone, but there's a real pluck about her fight as the mire of human corruption rises up and festers around everyone in the UN like a bubbling cesspit.

A mix of mistrust, solid thriller and dark film-making makes the Whistleblower an earnest and worthy - if undramatic - night out and one which will make you question what you really believe about the UN.

Submarine: Movie Review

Submarine: Movie Review

Submarine
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Sally Hawkins, Craig Roberts, Paddy Considine, Noah Taylor, Gemma Chan, Yasmin Paige
Director: Richard Ayoade
Richard Ayoade aka Moss from The IT Crowd has a stunning directorial debut in this coming of age tale set in Wales.
Craig Roberts is duffel-coated 15 year old Oliver Tate, a teen who's in love with a schoolmate and whose obsession with the state of his parents' marriage may end up sending him to an early grave.
Tate is an awkward kid -he reckons he's the bees' knees and is in denial with the reality that he's uncool and socially backward. However, that doesn't stop him from beginning a relationship with Yasmin Paige's Jordana.
Sally Hawkins is the mum, Noah Taylor the depressed dad and Paddy Considine, a mulleted mystic and ex-flame who could cause the rift between Tate's parents to grow.
Tate decides to try and get the family to rekindle their relationship and love - with sometimes depressingly humorous consequences.
Moments of laugh out loud dry humour are interlaced with stylish and stylistic film making, freeze frames and jump cuts as Ayoade shows he's a serious talent to be reckoned with.
Deft,delightful and deliciously dark at times, this is a sensational debut and one which showcases the very best of the international talent.

Submarine is a joy and a delight which cries for you to love it - perhaps a little too hard at times, but it's difficult to resist its many charms.

When A City Falls: Movie Review

When A City Falls: Movie Review

When A City Falls
Rating: 8/10
Cast: The people of Canterbury
Director: Gerard Smyth
Sometimes, a film makes itself.
So it is with When A City Falls, the documentary film about the series of earthquakes which rocked Canterbury this year and last, and changed our worlds as New Zealanders forever.
Christchurch resident Gerard Smyth really didn't have to do much when they hit - he simply picked up his camera and let the documentary make itself.
Basically made over an 12 month period and beginning with blue skies and daffodils on the Canterbury plains, Smyth follows the events which unfold in the Garden city and nearby. As Smyth's own voiceover at the start of the film intones: "This is a film I could never have planned to make".
But what emerges is a grippingly, emotional piece on the human condition and how we as human beings respond in times of tragedy and personal loss.
Also, what comes out is a deeply humbling study of what makes us Kiwis and showcases the very best of human nature.
Smyth's strength in this film is the people around him. He's smart enough to realise that this story is powerful enough to not need voiceover and limits it to simply asking questions.
These are images from the quake which have haunted (and continue to do so) many; but When A City Falls also benefits greatly from this approach by letting the people involved tell the story rather than a pompous voiceover. That works wonders by giving it a more original feel and an immediately identifiable stranglehold on your emotions
Plus when the footage of that fateful day on 22nd February is shown, the powerful ferocity of what unfolds is even more affecting because the screen simply shows what happened.
Countless faces are caught in crowds, moments framed by time and the film-makers; and the people Smyth uses are nameless but their stories are universal and instantly recognisable as well as heartbreaking, humbling and inspiring.
That's the thing with When A City Falls - there are a million stories to tell and a million voices to be heard with an event such as this. And it would've been easy to let it descend into doom and gloom.
But what's been done here ends up being uplifting in spirit and unique as we follow everyday people trying to live their lives and cope with what nature dealt to them thanks to help from strangers, their communities and from further afield. The fact Smyth's had unfettered access to what was going on means a lot of the footage is new to many of us but horribly recognisable in many ways.
Also, Smyth and his team choose to tackle some of the problems from the quake; be it the arguments over heritage buildings' destruction, people's shops torn down by accident and even heads to New Orleans and San Francisco to proffer up some help for the region.
When A City Falls won't be an easy watch for those involved in this - but I'd suggest it offers a little piece of healing up as it demonstrates quiet dignity and moments of resilience and pure humanity that will shine through.

Truly inspirational and utterly important, this doco demands to be seen and will ultimately stand as a testament to Cantabrians and this nation as a whole.

Game Review: Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3

Game Review: Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
Released by THQ
Platform: PS3
Fighting games are pretty common these days with the likes of Street Fighter pretty much KOing the competition.
So the latest contender, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 emerges onto the scene and you'd think there was very little else to add to the genre. And to be fair, you'd have a point.
But this smack 'em up is a good solid entertaining fare with players being given the chance to play as the likes of She Hulk, Captain America et al from the Marvel universe as they take on each other in a fight to the death.
However, this time rather than being just one player against a horde of many, there's a chance to pick three fighters to form part of a tag team against three opponents. Sure the usual fights are there and the chance to punch all kinds of buttons to achieve all kinds of combos, but being part of the tag team means you're usually given a better chance to defeat the opposition. Add into that mix, aerial combos, moves you can bust out under an X factor move (a more powerful and longer burst of fighting goodness) and there's enough to keep you, your friends and the online community amused.
While graphically, the game is as good as ever, it's nice to see the comics of Marvel embraced in a very cool way into the gameplay. Characters come to life, cartoon style words are employed on screen and the whole thing starts with a comic flick book - it's a nice nod to the genre it's taking from and gives the game a feel of authenticity rather than a super quick cheap cash in.
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 won't redefine the wheel in many ways; however, what it will do is entertain you and keep you amused in equal measure - and wanting to kick your friends' asses in new and exciting ways.

Rating: 7/10