300 Rise of an Empire: Blu Ray Review

300 Rise of an Empire: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Warner Home Video

This! Is! Sparta! (Again)

It's one of the iconic phrases from cinema over the past decade - and instantly calls to mind a six-packed Gerard Butler unleashing all kinds of hell in the 2007 movie, 300. So it was inevitable that a sequel would make its way to the movies - and here is said sequel.

Starring Sullivan Stapleton as Greek general Themistokles, it's the story of the charge against the invading Persian forces as the Greeks try to unite and stop demi-god Xerxes (Santoro) and Artemisia (Eva Green) the leader of the Persian navy.

And that's about it for plot...

Based on a graphic novel, this Zack Snyder-influenced hollow blockbuster spectacle offers everything you'd seen in the first 300 movie and more of the same. More gore, more nudity (step forward a topless Eva Green wielding a sword), more slow-mo than you can shake a stick at and more visceral thrills that fall short of any kind of character growth.

During the hyper-stylised fighting, each slash unleashes a volcano of blood splatters as hordes of buffed up men shout on the battle fields - but it proffers up nothing more than an empty vessel, lacking in the kind of iconic moments the first film had.

Part of the problem with 300: Rise of an Empire is due to the writing of Themistokles - delivering serious speeches about turning young men into memories before trying to stir the troops into action once again doesn't provide a well-sketched out hero and certainly doesn't go anywhere near making him into the icon that Gerard Butler's Leonidas became. Stapleton tries as best as he can in amid his earnestness but he pales on the screen in comparison to the original Scot's presence.

Likewise, while Eva Green's Artemisia borders on the pantomime dame, she still manages more of a screen presence as her cold-hearted bitch sneers and eviscerates her way through hordes of Greeks. A powerplay sex scene is so over the top that it's more laughable than erotic and is deeply suited to the graphic novel pages and genre than on the big screen. Headey barely registers as Queen Gorgo, serving to deliver portentous pompous narrative that has no hint of self-parody in among the ludicrous seriousness of it all.

Similarly, director Murro's over-reliance on slow mo shots becomes tiring and uninspired as the soulless swords and sandals wannabe epic carries on. Granted, a few of the scenes really bring the epic and use the green screen to brutally magnificent life - a scene of Xerxes towering over his army is breathless with scale - but there's never really a moment in among the action that screens originality in among the never-ending battle scenes.

300: Rise Of An Empire may satiate those teen boys with a blood lust, but there's nothing to engage with among the big screen carnage - and there's certainly nothing to match the influence that 300 exerted over the cinematic world.

Extras: Battle brought to sea feature

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Pompeii: Blu Ray Review

Pompeii: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

From the master of the CGI disaster Paul W S Anderson comes the latest epic - a historical tale of computer mayhem in the days running up to the eruption of Mt Vesuvius.

Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington (aka Jon Snow) stars as Milo, an enslaved gladiator, who has revenge on his mind after seeing his family slaughtered by the Romans.But his quest for justice is thwarted when he's placed in the arena to fight Atticus (Lost's Mr Eko, Akinnuoye-Agbaje) - to make matters worse, the woman he's fallen for, Cassia (Sucker Punch star Emily Browning) is out of his reach, being potentially palmed off to a villainous Senator Corvus (a British accented and lacking-a-moustache-to-twirl-while-doing-his-evil Kiefer Sutherland) as part of a deal to revamp the seaside town of Pompeii with Roman backers.

So, with swords drawn, enemies made and paths crossed, they're all set for a showdown.

Until Mt Vesuvius steps in with other plans...

What would you expect from Pompeii, a B-movie with aspirations higher than an erupting mountain?

With a story completely lacking in anything other than character brush strokes, drawn out thanks to plenty of slow-motion fighting and posturing, and some over-acting (Step forward Kiefer Sutherland, who's chewing as much of the scenery as it crumbles around in as fireballs from the volcano take it down) all helmed by the guy who's done most of the Resident Evil movies, Pompeii is a disaster movie in more ways than one.

You're not expecting much, and after many aerial shots of the Mount and a bit of rumbling, the thing <Spoiler alert> finally explodes in an apocalyptic blast that's actually quite visually impressive (though darkened a little by the 3D glasses) but utterly OTT.

The problem comes that the script takes itself too seriously as the stakes are raised perilously high for the leads with all the cliched dialogue - and not all of them rise to the challenge. Harrington spends the majority of the film looking pained and uncomfortable; Browning is more or less a wet blank canvas, who's drawn only to the slave with the six pack and because he can talk to the animals (seriously, he's a horse whisperer), and Sutherland is the only one appearing to have some fun, while bordering on the edge of parody. It's left to Jessica Lucas as Cassia's slave and Akinnuoye-Agbaje's gladiator Atticus to save the day, with their solidly impressive and relatively dignified turns being the stand-outs of the piece. And it's surprisingly bloodless for a film that takes in some of the most brutal Roman tactics of the time.

As the destruction starts, you'll find yourself glad that the end is in sight, though the cheese can't be held off by the molten lava and some truly laughable moments emerge - particularly at the very last shot which tries for emotional and dramatic but ends up being clunky and laughable. I know it's supposed to be nothing more than a disaster movie, but in among the falling ash, there's no emotion, no hint of a connection and ultimately no relief as history plays out.

The FX don't add anything to this hollow spectacle and any attempts at pathos or putting the pomp into Pompeii by using a portentous quote from Pliny to start with merely adds up the feeling the melodrama is simply not worth it - and the tide of lava needs to come quicker to end this tale of doomed love.

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Sunlight Jr: DVD Review

Sunlight Jr: DVD Review

Rating: R16
Released by Madman Home Ent

Matt Dillon, Naomi Watts and The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus star in this grim and depressing drama about a couple barely making the poverty line.

Dillon is Richie, a disabled man who's deeply in love with Melissa (Watts), who works at a local convenience store. Barely getting by on their pitiful income, the pair's life is sent into a spiral when a restraining order on her ex (Reedus in true sleazy style) is lifted, causing problems for the two.

Dreary, grim and gritty, Sunlight Jr makes for ever so slightly depressing watching, save for the fact Dillon and Watts give the film their all and burn brightly within. Capturing the humanity within can be difficult but these two manage to do so and deliver an understated turn that helps you through the bleak film. There's a hope within, but it takes a while to get there, but if you're willing to undergo the journey, Sunlight Jr proves an indie film with a reward.

Extras: None

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The Hundred-Foot Journey: Movie Review

The Hundred-Foot Journey: Movie Review

Cast: Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, Charlotte LeBon
Director: Lasse Halstrom

For a film about an Indian family setting up a restaurant in France, this crowd-pleasing piece certainly served up something rather bland on my palate.

Based on book from 2010 by Richard C Morais, it's the story of the Kadam family, renowned restaurant owners forced to leave their native India when politically motivated riots see their business burned down and their mother killed.

Lead by the stubborn Papa (a genial and gentle Om Puri), they settle in a small French town and decide to open up shop opposite the Michelin starred restaurant run by the haughty harridan Madame Mallory (played with Allo Allo accented Helen Mirren).

As if that conflict wasn't enough, the Kadam family houses a culinary genius in Hassan (Dayal) whose natural tendency for flavour and cooking sparks the interest of one of Mallory's sous chefs Margueritte (Charlotte LeBon) as well as her heart...

The Hundred Foot Journey is a crowd-pleasing sentimental affair that essentially has nothing inherently wrong with it; in fact it is as pleasant as a walk in the French countryside. 

Every single character is relatively one-note, and aside from the 4 main characters, is underwritten to the point of them being redundant on the screen. The one moment of potential ugliness which added a frisson of danger to this safe souffle cinematic concoction of saccharine proportions is dispensed as quickly as an under-cooked rack of lamb back to the chef.

Puri and Mirren have a sweet back and forth in their hostility but it never threatens to boil over into anything but the predictable; the gentle humour at the onset of the movie infects the whole dish, and Hassan and Margueritte's flirtation feels natural as it winds its way through the countryside, into the kitchen and into the inevitable problems.

A final third of the film is distinctly unnecessary and the whole movie verges on outstaying its welcome with a dark tea-time of the soul for Hassan a tired, predictable and inexorable narrative necessity that should have been exorcised.

All in all, The Hundred Foot Journey is unashamedly saccharine, crowd-pleasing and one note. It's the kind of film the word "pleasant" was invented for and as it winds its path to its end, it's likely to tick all the boxes and satisfy the more mature end of the audience.

They say every journey begins with a step, then several more - just be wary on this one, as there are no obvious detours in place en route to the conclusion.

Rating:

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Collection details revealed

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Collection details revealed

DOCTOR WHO 50TH  ANNIVERSARY  COLLECTION
Available on DVD and Blu Ray from 10th
September 2014

For the ultimate Doctor Who fan comes a special collection of highlights from the groundbreaking 50th  anniversary of Doctor Who, including Mark Gatiss’ award winning drama An Adventure in Space and Time on Blu Ray for the first time, and the hilarious Five-ish Doctors– starring Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and a host of special guests – available on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time.

The limited edition numbered collector’s set (500 DVD, 575 BD in New Zealand) also features the 50th Anniversary Special The Day of the Doctor, Matt Smith’s Farewell The Time of the Doctor, the Series 7 finale The Name of the Doctor, and the Eighth Doctor’s (Paul McGann) surprise regeneration into John Hurt’s War Doctor in The Night of the Doctor.

The collection is packed full of special features including an exclusive cut of the read-through of The Day of the Doctor featuring Matt Smith and David Tennant (‘Script to Screen’), deleted scenes, Doctor Who at the Proms 2013 and the mini-episodes The Last Day & Night of the Doctor.

Special Features:
 Behind the Scenes
 Night of the Doctor
 Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide
 Behind the Lens
 The Last Day
 The Day of the Doctor – Script to Screen
 Cinema Intros – Strax & The Doctor
 50th cinema trails
 Deleted Scenes – from The Time of the
Doctor & An Adventure in Space and Time.
 Tales from the TARDIS
 Farewell to Matt Smith
 A Night with the Stars - The Science of Doctor
Who
 William Hartnell: The Original
 The making of an Adventure
 Reconstructions
 Title Sequences
 The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot
 Doctor Who at the Proms 2013

Palo Alto: Movie Review

Palo Alto: Movie Review

Cast: James Franco, Emma Roberts, Jack Kilmer, Zoe Levin, Nat Wolff
Director: Gia Coppola

Written from a series of tales written by James Franco, Palo Alto is another take on the nihilistic teens in the American school system.

American Horror Story star Emma Roberts is April, the shy, sensitive girl who finds herself in the middle of the high school horrors of life. From parents who are distant and appear disinterested to a suitor whose unrequited crush is hard to handle, April's trying to negotiate her way through it all.

Further complicating things is a flirtation with James Franco's Mr B, a girl's soccer coach, for whom she babysits. Also part of the high school puzzle is stoner Teddy (played by newcomer Jack Kilmer) whose friendship with out of control Fred (Wolff) sees him on probation.

As the group spirals from one party to the next, and from one school day to another, their lives intersect and cross over in ways that are unimagined.

If you like your movies feeling a little aimless and without real consequence or closure, then Palo Alto is the film for you. Drifting from one sequence to the next, this series of vignettes will be polarising to many.

Sure, it's stylishly put together and seems very arthouse in its intentions, with some good solid performances - but it's never quite as engaging as perhaps it could be. Franco is a little goofy and dare I say it, creepy in his interactions with Emma Roberts' April, who captures the restlessness of the lost teen to a tee. Kilmer, whose dad appears in a brief hazy cameo, is the main revelation though, turning in a performance as Teddy, a teen who's trapped by his life and those around him. The interactions with the self-destructive Fred (Wolff) make for some of the best parts of the film as an all-too familiar story plays out its tragic tendencies in between all the talking rubbish, believing you're invincible and unstoppable. Equally, Fred's relationship with good girl gone bad Emily (Levin) rings true and aches with teens unable to find any form of identity.

A lack of resolution, meandering plots and stories may make for a good novella, but it makes for a divisive time at the movies, no matter how well shot and put together by Gia Coppola this may be. While the kids - and even the adults - assume no responsibility for any of their actions, making it hard for us to latch on to any of the cast.

Ultimately, Palo Alto paints a depressing picture of American youth, stuck in a perpetual haze of drink and drugs, lost in lust and desperately in search of an identity. It's pretty much a stylistically-shot universal tale of growing up, but the fecklessness may prove to be a trying cinematic experience for some.

Rating:

Labor Day: Blu Ray Review

Labor Day: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

The director of Up In The Air returns for a masterful take on a Joyce Maynard novel.

It's 1987, small town America, and young teen Henry (Gattlin Griffith) is planning to spend Labor Day weekend, dreaming of life and getting ready to go back to school. But Henry's already grown up, having to care for his depressed mother Adele (a washed out Kate Winslet), who's never been the same since her husband Gerald (Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D's Clark Gregg) left. Unable to really live or even leave the house, Adele's prone to only occasional visits out, accompanied by Henry. However, one day, heading out to the shop for their monthly pilgrimage, Henry's approached by a man called Frank who is in dire need of help. Corralling Adele into helping as well, Frank, along with Henry, heads back to their home....it's here that they realise Frank is a criminal on the run.

Suddenly, the tension's palpable and Labor Day weekend is going to be a long weekend in more ways than one.

Labor Day is a gorgeously shot and utterly resonant piece of film-making from Up In The Air director Jason Reitman, who has, in one fell swoop, substantially upped his game (which was admittedly already pretty high).

Through beauteous tracking shots and occasionally portentous music, this surprising drama unfolds in a manner that's both engrossing and utterly compelling, forcing you to wallow in the story. There's a pensive, almost summer dream-like quality to the images as they fall from the screen; through gradual reveals and flashbacks, Reitman weaves together a cinematic tapestry that's subtle, nuanced and utterly hard to ignore. It's not revealing much to say that events and neighbours conspire against this Stockholm Syndrome story, but the main trio put in such quietly understated and impressive performances that you can't help but get captivated in this moody tale. All three are hoping for a dream outcome to what can -and must be- a doomed reality. Henry wants a father figure, Adele a release from years of not living and loving and Frank wants to atone for the past, regain what he lost and of course, be free.

All of these are doomed to failure as the bittersweet journey continues, but Reitman handles each with such deftness and directorial dexterity that we're captivated, swept up in the hopes and fears and ensconced in the story telling.

There are a couple of flaws in it though - a scene with Tobey Maguire seems surplus to requirements and some of the flashbacks seem a little unnecessarily dragged out and interspersed too randomly, but these are minor quibbles in a piece of film-making that luxuriates in the finer details of long lazy weekends.

All in all, Labor Day is a superior serving of drama that deserves your time.
Extras: Commentary; making of and deleted scenes

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