New poster for Pixar film Brave releases

New poster for Pixar film Brave releases

There's a new poster and some clips released from the upcoming Disney Pixar film Brave.

Brave hits NZ cinemas on June 21st.

Set in Scotland in a rugged and mythical time, Brave features Merida, an aspiring archer and impetuous daughter of royalty. Merida makes a reckless choice that unleashes unintended peril and forces her to spring into action to set things right.

Starring the vocal talents of Emma Thompson, Kelly MacDonald, Billy Connolly, Robbie Coltrane and of course, Pixar mainstay, John Ratzenberger.

Stay tuned to the blog for the review.


Brave clip 1- 





And here's Brave clip 2

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Nobel's Last Will: Movie Review

Nobel's Last Will: Movie Review

Cast: Malin Crepin, Richard Ulfslater, Anna von Rosen
Director: Peter Flinth

From the crime capital of the publishing world (apparently) comes this latest attempt at launching a Swedish crime franchise (and from a book series of six which pre-dates The Millennium Trilogy by some three years, published as it was in 2002).

The blonde Malin Crepin stars Annika Bengtzon, a crime reporter trying to get a break on tabloid paper Kvaillspressen who's also a mother of two and workaholic.

While Bengtzon is attending the annual Nobel banquet, she witnesses the attempted murder of the latest winner and the death of a high ranking Nobel committee member, Caroline von Behring. Gagged by the police for reporting on the crime as she's a direct witness to what happened, Bengtzon finds herself sidelined by the paper's editors and legal eagles.

However, the journalistic drive is strong in this one - and believing that the police and press are concentrating on the wrong shooting victim, she starts her own investigation...

And unsurprisingly that leads to corruption, intrigue, global mystery and threats.

Plus on top of that, Annika's having trouble with her youngest son, who's being bullied.

Nobel's Last Will is inevitably going to end up being compared with The Millennium Trilogy - and I'm sorry to say, when pitted against that, it will be found wanting.

Let's just say that crime solving has never looked so glamorous and flashy.

Nobel's Last Will opens with a slick and stylish section at the Nobel awards and then hurtles into traditional action film territory - it's a very odd mix and kind of sets out where this film is going.

It's more of a pulpy trash novel than a high faluting, wide reaching conspiracy piece to be honest; it's the Swedish crime sensibilities mixed in with a good looking Hollywood lead (Crepin even looks a little like Maria Bello) and some Hollywood style action rather than slow burning reveals.

Sure, there's plot holes aplenty (wouldn't someone actually notice that a key witness to a crime was investigating a death?) and with mixes of montages and flashbacks as Annika pieces together the clues (along with scenes of her underlining key names) it's not exactly challenging stuff. Granted it is watchable, well made pacy fluff, despite being a challenge to logic and pushing more for ludicrous than serious but whether I'd want to sit through another five adaptations of the Annika Bengtzon cases, I'm not so sure.

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The First Grader: DVD Review

The First Grader: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Vendetta Films and Rialto

Based on a true story, this inspirational tale is likely to melt even the hardest of hearts.

It's set in Kenya in 2003; this is the tale of one man, Maruge and his quest to get an education at the age of 84 years old - despite the powers that be trying to hold him down at every point.

There's a reason he wants to learn to read and as it plays out, flashbacks reveal what kind of life Maruge has had and what he wants to make a change.

Oliver Litondo is extremely watchable as Maruge, the old man who has secrets but wants to better himself and start anew; sure, you can see the challenges which are ahead for Maruge and for any school that takes him on, but this story is simply told and perfectly acted throughout.

Sure, it's got some overtly touching moments, but you just can't help but be moved by The First Grader - it's a life affirming, at times humorous watch and one of those tales which needs to be told.

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Tabloid DVD Review

Tabloid DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Vendetta Films

A doco about a former beauty queen who was accused of kidnapping and raping a Mormon missionary, it's easy to see why Tabloid would be a sensationalised film.

Former beauty queen Joyce McKinney is the subject of this slickly put together piece by Errol Morris, which actually resembles a tabloid newspaper on the screen as it flashes lurid headlines and story tidbits throughout.

Morris steps back from the story and lets the bizarreness play out in this scandal from the 1970s - he lets the talking heads and all sides of the tale put their story across, doesn't intervene or mock anyone from the course of their narrative.

The end result is a satisfying if bizarre watch; the equivalent of having your eyes stretch larger in incredulity the more it goes on.

Plus with McKinney, there's been such a pattern of weirdness in her life post this event in the 1970s that you start to question how much of the truth is actually falling from her lips.

And despite the lurid source material (you can totally understand why Morris and the UK tabloid newspapers were attracted to this story in the 1970s) what emerges is a sensibly put together doco which is watchable, and poses more questions than it answers.

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Django Unchained: First look

Django Unchained: First look

New pictures released from Quentin Tarantino's new film Django Unchained.

Well, pardner, it's time to saddle up with some first look pictures from Quentin Tarantino's upcoming picture, Django Unchained (due in NZ cinemas January 2013).

Here's what the press release says:


Set in the South two years before the Civil War, DJANGO UNCHAINED stars Academy Award®-winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award®-winner Christoph Waltz).  Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty.  The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles – dead or alive. 


Success leads Schultz to free Django, though the two men choose not to go their separate ways.  Instead, Schultz seeks out the South’s most wanted criminals with Django by his side.  Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago.   


Django and Schultz’s search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Academy Award®-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of “Candyland,” an infamous plantation where slaves are groomed by trainer Ace Woody (Kurt Russell) to battle each other for sport.  Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Academy Award®-nominee Samuel L. Jackson), Candie’s trusted house slave.  Their moves are marked, and a treacherous organization closes in on them.  If Django and Schultz are to escape with Broomhilda, they must choose between independence and solidarity, between sacrifice and survival…


Written and directed by Academy Award®-winner Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED is produced by Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone.  The executive producers are Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Michael Shamberg, Shannon McIntosh, and James Skotchdopole.  DJANGO UNCHAINED will be released in the NZ in January 2013.

Exclusive Dark Knight Rises images unveiled

Exclusive Dark Knight Rises images unveiled

Well, it's Darren's World of Entertainment's 300th posting and there's no better way to celebrate than with Batman.

Ahead of the Dark Knight Rises' worldwide launch on 19th July in New Zealand cinemas, there are two new images of the Bat and the Cat courtesy of UK Empire magazine's latest issue.

Plus there's also been the release of the Secret Dark Knight Rises poster with the Catwoman's heel too...

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Blu Ray Review

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Blu Ray Review

Rating: R16
Released by Sony Home Entertainment


So, here it is, the much hyped and awaited Americanised version of the series which first gripped our nation's readers and then our nation's cinemagoers.

Daniel Craig stars as Mikael Blomkvist, the Swedish journalist and co-owner of the Millennium magazine, who is being sued as the film begins. When the court action wipes him out financially, he ends up taking on an investigation into a death of a girl 40 years ago by the wealthy Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer).

As Blomkvist investigates further into the murky past of the family, he's brought into contact with computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) who helps him with the case.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is an electrifying take on the established film - and is exceptionally true to the book.

It's hard to adapt such a bleak and phenomenally popular book and film - but Fincher's taken the bull by the horns and given it a brave, bold new life.

But a lot of the success of this film is due to Rooney Mara's portrayal of Lisbeth Salander. While many will consider Noomi Rapace's take the definitive one, Mara's outstanding in every scene she's in, capturing the spiky fragility and power of the character so incredibly well that it's hard to pick directly between the two actresses. She's rightfully been nominated for a Golden Globe for this turn - it's such a phenomenally good take that it's captivating from the moment she appears. And it seems Oscar noms are rightfully bestowed on her too.

While the majority of the cast appears to try Swedish accents, Craig is the only one of the leads to consciously avoid it; it takes a little getting used to but he's as good in the role of Blomkvist, but he's overshadowed by his co-actor.

The film is as dark as it ever was; and Fincher's reteaming with the same team who created The Social Network soundtrack is a perfect match in capturing the darkness in an electronic/ techno crossover.

Overall, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is an extremely powerful and confident start to this franchise - and while the investigation into the Vanger death does give the film a slightly slow pace at times, thanks to the stunning work from Mara (and to a lesser extent, Craig), it's a thrilling ride as it unspools on the screen.

Extras: Simply an audio commentary with David Fincher. Bitterly disappointing there's not more for such a superior film

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