Ted 2: DVD Review

Ted 2: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent

The amount of enjoyment you get from the longer, less charming sequel to Ted will be directly proportional to how high your tolerance for having your buttons pressed is.

The sequel, which circles around the idea of civil rights, centres on the idea that Mr Ted Goes To Court after the state of Massachusetts strips him of his rights in the wake of him trying to adopt a child, declaring him not to be a person but actually property. 

Calling in an inexperienced but pot-smoking lawyer (played with ease and earnest warmth by Amanda Seyfried) Samantha, John (a once again game and comic Wahlberg) along with Ted set out to try and recruit a top lawyer (Freeman) to their cause.

The sequel to the most successful R-rated comedy was only ever going to go further down the depravity drain and mine its vulgar excesses as far as it could go - and it's fair to say that on that journey, the mischievous MacFarlane fires off his scatological gun, taking aim at just about everybody and trying to push the envelope for edgy humour, with varying degrees of success.

Packing in celebrity cameos, a raft of crass one-liners that amuse and a sub-plot from the first film involving Hasbro and Donny (Ribisi), Ted 2 unfortunately feels in parts un-bear-able and bloa-ted. 

Legal scenes pack the proceedings and try to inject a degree of seriousness where it's not welcome -though an expeditious edit of the script could have resolved some of those problems. Equally, a Comic-Con final sequence seems unnecessarily shoe-horned in and appears to really only be a chance to give Patrick Warburton and Michael Dorn a visual gag that's serviced to the pop-culture savvy. 

But, it has to be argued that the bromance and banter between John and Ted (such a warm and earnest heart that it had in the first film) suffers the most in this sequel. The scenes where the pair bicker, harmonise over Law and Order's opening titles and generally bond with their puerile arrested adult humour are among the funniest and sweetest of the sequel, a reminder of what's missing from this and why the first film worked so well. 

However, it's MacFarlane's edgy comedic sensibilities which punctuate the lower moments of Ted 2, giving you a feeling that you're not sure what's coming next in some of the shoe-horned in non-sequitur moments within. A Lord of the Rings gag about Amanda Seyfried's eyes is perfectly on the money, and a sequence where Ted and John yell out sad suggestions at an improv night is remarkably close to the bone, but brings some shocking laughs. 

Overlong, about as stuffed as Ted's insides, Ted 2 proves to be a mixed affair; it's a story with bolted on bits of randomness which work better than the main plot. It's true the Family Guypuerile sensibilities soak through into this sequel, but it's not nearly enough to propel it through its near 2 hour run time, but side-lining the main reason the first film worked so well proves to be the fatal flaw.

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Land of The Giants: The Complete Collection: DVD Review

Land of The Giants: The Complete Collection: DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by Madman Home Ent

There's just something special about Irwin Allen's small screen efforts.

From Lost in Space to The Time Tunnel, Allen pioneered the sci fi world of TV back in the 1960s and propelled the stories further than their FX Ever could.

In this latest 51 episode, 14 disc collection set, set in 1983, we follow the exploits of a group on a flight from NY to London that crash lands on a similar planet to Earth but with everything larger. Forced into a fight for survival, the series follows a tried and tested formula that straddles the capture and escape ethos to a tee, before bringing in some wider threats to our world.

Sure, it doesn't quite hold up these days with FX having moved on, but there's a charm and innocence to Land of the Giants that captures the imagination. More a testament to Allen's mark on the scifi world than a permanent place, this cult classic will be an essential release to some thanks to its remastered fare and its wealth of extras.

The Danish Girl: Film Review

The Danish Girl: Film Review

Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Matthias Schoenaerts, Amber Heard
Director: Tom Hooper

If there is any justice in the world, The Danish Girl will be up for Oscar glory later this year - but not for the reasons you'd expect.

From the director of The King's Speech and Les Miserables, this tale of transgender artist Einar Wegender (Redmayne) and his wife Gerde (Vikander) is as much a study of a marriage and of love, as a story of one man's discovery of his true nature.

Set in Copehagen in the 1920s, Einar is a successful artist and his wife lives in his shadow. Despite the two talents in the relationship, only one has the spotlight - and while Gerde does her best to nurture this talent, it's clear she is frustrated. When a model doesn't come in for a sitting one day, Gerde asks Einar to throw on her costume and sit for the portrait; but what she doesn't bargain on is that Einar re-discovers a long dormant penchant for the clothes and struggle within.

Initially thinking Einar's dressing up is to reinject some spice into a marriage under strain due to lack of children, Gerde supports it - and even benefits from painting his picture. But it soon becomes clear that Einar, who is now masquerading as Lili, has other plans, which could signal the end of their marriage.

Undoubtedly a prestige picture which ticks all the boxes and sensitively handles the subject matter, The Danish Girl is a curiously emotion-free film, lacking any of the beats of anything other than pure Oscar-bait material.

Redmayne impresses as Einar / Lili and there will be many who are transfixed by his androgynous transformation but with trembling lips and lingering cameras, his performance is a more showy one than you'd perhaps expect - or in many ways, hope for. That's not to detract from the subject matter, but its portrayal is more about providing a platform for Redmayne, rather than letting his work on the story and character stand out. Shots of Lili studying affectations within crowds seem shoe-horned in rather than naturally given room to breathe.

In contrast, Vikander deserves some Oscar love for her role as Gerde; hers is a turn of remarkable complexity, of a love so deep and supportive that its final destination is nothing short of magnificence. She impresses with a performance which is steeped in subtlety and whose complex reactions and inner conflict is more suitably portrayed as her muse reveals herself and her talent begins to soar. The conflict is here in the film as she struggles to find her own inspiration at the cost of the loss of her marriage, and Vikander conveys it wonderfully.

The problem with The Danish Girl is while it's beautifully shot, wonderfully framed and perfectly acted, it's all a little stiff, and consequently lacking some of the power it should inevitably wield in its final frames. Preferring to go through the tropes and trials, the film emerges as some what of a muted piece that does what it's supposed to but lacks the vision to accompany and deliver its journey.

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Brooklyn: Film Review

Brooklyn: Film Review

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters
Director: John Crowley

Saoirse Ronan's star is most definitely in the ascent with Boy A director's John Crowley's Brooklyn.

It's not an original story by any stretch of the imagination as Ronan's young Irish immigrant Eilis heads to Brooklyn for a new life at the behest of her sister who believes she has more going for her life than she has in Ireland.

Inevitably Eilis suffers from crippling home-sickness as she adjusts to a new country, filled with her own ex-pats but still feeling alienated by those around her. Stuck in a boarding house ran by Julie Walters' Mammy, Eilis worries she has made the right decision, but finds her life is turned around when she meets Italian nice guy Tony (Cohen) who woos her, and ultimately wins her heart.

But when tragedy hits at home, Eilis feels the familial bond stretched as far as it will go...

That Brooklyn follows a predictable route is no surprise, (the film cruises along with a genial vibe before a bad thing happens) but what emerges is that Saoirse Ronan makes the journey of Eilis' coming of age so damn approachable.

From the subtle clothing choices - Eilis wears dowdy dull colours in Ireland before donning more luminous and bright garb as she begins to blossom in Brooklyn - to the social history made real, this old fashioned feel good film is likely to hit as many in its audience as it intends to.

Ronan lifts the film from its mediocre roots with a rounded performance that feels like a credible arc; from naive homesick Irish girl to woman of the world, she sells the journey with an earnestness that is deeply watchable and transcends the material as well as getting you to believe the immigrant experience and the blossoming of a young woman. Eilis may appear to dither at times, and certainly in the second half of the film when she heads back to Ireland, the reasons for her actions are more obtuse than you'd expect due to a passive turn that's perfectly crafted and wonderfully understated.

However, sensitively executed with a troupe of solid performers (Jim Broadbent's turn as the benevolent and benefactor priest is a highlight) Brooklyn's timeless and universal story of coming of age and starting anew seems destined for awards - and marks a real turning point in Ronan's career.

Sometimes labelling a film as lovely and pleasant seems like a back-handed compliment, but Brooklyn manages the fine line between both as it juggles the emotive with the dramatic; richly resonant and likely to hit the majority of the audience - even if cynics will dismiss its naivete and intentions - it deserves to be a talking point during awards season.

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Fantastic Four : DVD Review

Fantastic Four : DVD Review 

It's back to the origins tale for the new reboot of the Fantastic Four series, with the director of the wonderful Chronicle at the helm.But it's sad to say that based on the early evidence of the reboot of the franchise (last seen in 2005), it may be less of a Fantastic start than perhaps 20th Century Fox were hoping for.

For those unaware of the Stan Lee comic and the series, it's the story of child prodigy Reed Richards (Whiplash star Miles Teller) who has spent his childhood dreaming of teleporting to another world. One day at a science fair, with his lifelong pal Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell), their science project catches the eye of Dr Franklin Storm.

Recruiting them into his scientific world, Richards helps Sue Storm (Kate Mara), and Victor von Doom (Toby Kebbell) achieve their goal of teleportation to another world. Also along for the ride is hot-headed Johnny Storm (Jordan) who's been co-opted into the project by his dad.

But when the four of them discover that NASA will be taking over their project, they decide to eject protocol and teleport themselves to another world...which doesn't quite go according to plan, leaving one of their party dead and the others dealing with super-powers.

The latest re-imagining of the Fantastic Four is a pretty dour, gloomy and science- exposition heavy set up for a series that never really feels like it lifts off.

Parts of the film feel like large chunks of the narrative was sliced and diced out, leaving the first act to feel as elongated as one of Richards' extended limbs and the final act too conveniently wrapped up without the hint of any kind of real conflict. Equally the underdeveloped story sees an occasional lack of chemistry between the leads and the tantalising tension between two former best friends, which is initially mined for potential dramatic effect and potential tragedy, is ditched neatly in favour of a third act resolution.

It's a shame because there are some touches which work quite nicely for the film; Doom's rampage when he returns is up there with horror's finest moments as is the discovery of a stretch limbed Richards strapped down to a gurney. And there are moments when the characters cut through the gloom and throw a light on each other that work particularly well - like in the film's final moments as they discuss their name.

In parts the CGI works nicely too - Reed's limb-stretching as mentioned looks impressive, a mix of both painful and cartoonish; and the Thing's rocky foundations are nicely laid, giving Bell a modicum of face-work to go on; but Storm's flame on falls down a little on the facials, and Sue's floating blue ball has a few wobbles at times.

The biggest problem with Fantastic Four though is the story-telling beats, the overload of exposition and the lack of stand-out character moments in among dark and grim settings.

A sequel may already be planned and given the origins are all explored, it's to be hoped the second film can give this fantastic quartet of actors a little more to chew on, rather than looking dourly around as events unfold around them.

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Hitman: Agent 47 - DVD Review

Hitman: Agent 47 - DVD Review

The pantheon of video games transplanted to the big screen is littered with varying degrees of success.

For every Resident Evil, there is a Super Mario Bros. But there's certainly enough of them- and even more coming with the likes of Assassin's Creed and Warcraft being the big hitters of the future.

In this latest update of the Hitman series (a first came out in 2007 starring Justified's Timothy Olyphant), Rupert Friend stars as the titular shaven headed assassin, identifiable only via a bar code on the back of his head.

Raised by a secret government group as part of a super soldier programme, 47 is an emotionless killer, a remnant of the past. But when someone seeks out the scientist who set up the programme via his daughter Katia (Hannah Ware), it all comes back to life - and it's a race against time as Katia finds herself involved and forced to choose a side - either the Agent or John Smith (Zachary Quinto)

For a film that's based on a video game, Hitman: Agent 47 acquits itself reasonably well.

Despite a ludicrous premise, and a paper thin plot (including a final section that hints frustratingly at a sequel that may never come), it's fair to say that Hitman: Agent 47 follows its video game origins to a tee.

From the nod to the iconic packshot art in the pre-credits sequence to the video-game episodic style trappings within, this is a film that bathes in its origins and apes the game-play from within. That doesn't necessarily make it a great film though - and while the kills fall into the stylish rather than substance led, there are some quieter character-driven moments that really fall with a thud. Equally, the introduction of a new menace half-way through the film that's not glimpsed again until the very last moment is a real damp squib - a thread that's supposed to provide menace but is about as threatening as a cute bunny rabbit.

Friend is ok as the cypher assassin, but he works better when he's a soulless Terminator style killing machine, rather than an emoting, cracks-in-the-armour style human he becomes later on. Ware acquits herself reasonably well as the kickass Katia and even Quinto does questionable well (even if his stunt double looks glaringly nothing like him in the action sequences).

Overall, Hitman: Agent 47 isn't going to win any awards or new followers; its insistence in following to the tee its computer game counterpart is more of a stylish hindrance than an expansion to the big screen and despite some rote action sequences that are designed to showcase the sponsors, there are some moments that offer some enticing hints of what could have been.

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Minions: DVD Review

Minions: DVD Review

Rating: G
Released by Universal Home Ent

Some would argue the best moments of Despicable Me were the gibberish spouting yellow bundles of joy and idiocy known as the Minions.

Punctuating Gru's shenanigans with zany non-sequitur and frequently slapstick interludes, they were always likely to be the bigger draw. But a push to give them their own film would always be fraught with a feeling that what followed would be in danger of feeling drawn out.

So, Minions arrives with a certain weight of expectation with it, thanks to a great trailer that hinted at life BG (before Gru)

In this prequel, The Minions are on a quest to find a master as it's their lot in life. But a lack of a super villain to lead them leads them collectively into depression (ironically for a yellow race, they spend an awful amount of time being blue) so three of their kind, Kevin, Stuart and Bob, complete with teddy bear, set out to find them a new master and save their race.

That search bears some fruit and after a trip to Villain Con sees them taken on by the villainous Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock), who's determined to swipe the Crown from the Queen of England (voiced by Jennifer Saunders) because she always wanted to be a princess. So, Kevin, Stuart and Bob set out to make their mistress' dream come true.

Minions is more like Meh-nions.

To be honest, it doesn't quite feel like there's enough plot or story to sustain the goodwill from the mischievous little tykes from the  Despicable Me films (a feeling which becomes all too obvious as the final credits roll for reasons which would spoil), but more than enough to span a 30 minute cartoon. 

While transplanting them to 1960s Britain works in parts, keeping the trio front and centre of the action and keeping them straight rather than the Three Stooges yields mixed results. Nowhere is this more evident than when the film-makers keep heading back to the Antarctic-bound rest of the gang who are on hand to provide the brief, zany interludes we've come to know and love of the dungaree-clad minions. 

In fact, where Minions works best is in its out there gags and visual jokes which pepper the piece - from its French view of all the Brits being suited and booted gentry who spend their time swilling tea and looking down their snooty noses, to a great Abbey Road gag, there are some deft moments throughout. 

But it's not quite enough to keep the older end of the audience as engaged as perhaps they should be - despite a retro British 1960s OST that packs the likes of The Who, The Doors and The Kinks to help conjure up the age of free love and hippy laissez-faire. Scarlett Overkill hardly appears and works only to serve the narrative rather than drive it along, much to her character's detriment.

One set piece which sees the trio chasing the Queen as they race after the Crown packs in a visual inventiveness which is punchy and exciting, but there's far too little of this on show as Minions progresses.

Ultimately, the kids among us will adore this - its gibberish core, bright colours and occasionally wacky sensibilities will keep them engaged throughout - but for my money, it's just not quite Despicable enough to have delivered on the promise the trailers gave.

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