Avatar - review

Predictable, cliched and absolutely fantastic.
There's a lot to sneer at here, should you choose to do so- but it would absolutely be a choice, and one that is more to do with yourself than the film.
Despite lacking the emotional connection I had with Titanic, the film still drew me in with its interesting premise- basically Aliens meets Pocahontas- and a lot of this is down to Zoe Saldana's performance as Naitiri, one of the most alluring characters in recent memory. If the CGI hadn't convinced you before you meet her, she certainly will.
Even Michelle Rodriguez is likeable here, and Sam Worthington is oddly far more charasmatic in his Avatar body than in his real one. Sigourney Weaver is awesome as always, stealing the scene with her very first line, Giovanni Ribisi manages to out-worm Paul Reiser's Carter Burke (from Aliens), and Stephen Lang simply makes you wonder why you haven't heard of him before.
But the true stars of the show are the visuals. James Cameron proves he is indeed King of the World; not Earth, but Pandora. This is Up's Paradise Falls turned up to 111. We again see the beautiful bioluminescence he first showed us in The Abyss, and the blues, whites and pinks have never looked bluer, whiter or pinker.
The 3D is the clearest I've ever seen, no trace of ghosting here, even on an unforgiving IMAX screen, where this film truly must be seen.
I could go on and on, but believe the hype, the critics are right- go see this film. Move over, Peter Jackson- James Cameron is back.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Avatar - IMAX 3D

Bad news, people- Cardiff IMAX has shitty sound quality. At least if you sit in a back corner, anyway. The sound mix was off, and a lot of dialogue was lost. At £18 for a Gallery seat, I'm not happy. Maybe it was the screen's first night jitters, but I know it wasn't just me. Their 3D was the best I've ever seen, however.
As a result, I'm saving my proper verdict/review until I see it again tomorrow- in a different cinema, hopefully with fully audible dialogue.
I will say it's brilliant- but isn't quite the evangelical experience I'd hoped for. It's just a film, albeit a very VERY good one.
However. I spent a great deal of the film confused. Not the plot, it's very straight-forward and even predictable. What I don't get is why sniffy arthouse-loving critics are loving this film. It wasn't as emotional as Titanic and there's a lot to be sneered at here, should you opt for that approach. No matter how gobsmacking the technical achievements are (and they truly are) I don't see what critics get here that forgives it the tirade of abuse hurled at other blockbusters. I don't know why this concerned me so much, but it did.
With this constantly in my mind, I felt confused and distracted (not to mention partially deaf) throughout- none of which was any of the film's fault. The more I think of it, the better it gets. But in a way, I wish I'd seen more 3 or 4 star reviews beforehand. I'd recommend you avoid trailers, reviews, spoilers... as by the time I was in my seat there weren't many surprises left. At least tomorrow this won't be an issue, and I can just enjoy the film for what it is. Hopefully!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Odeon, Cardiff Bay

Review - Paranormal Activity

Brilliant in a Blair Witch/REC kind of way. The scares come mostly from your own imagination, and the minimal special effects are perfect, and perfectly used. The lead characters were sympathetic, if a bit dumb at times, but I spent a large amount of the film on the edge of my seat, feeling my heart beat in my throat. No mean feat, believe me. The only time I was pulled out of the reality to feel that I was watching a fictional film was the OTT ouija board scene. Other than that, good job.

Review - The Merry Gentleman

I'd never heard of this film until I was at the box office, and the synopsis sounded interesting. The film itself is something of a curiosity. Slow and steady, bordering on creepy- I think it would have benefitted by being set 50 years ago, as I found Kelly McDonald's character far too naive and trusting. The plot was mostly predictable, but the film was atmospheric enough to make the journey worthwhile. Great performances, though, in a film next to nobody will see.

The Top 10 Best Films of 2009 (so far) - updated

1. District 9
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
3. Up
4. 2012
5. Inglourious Basterds
6. Drag Me to Hell
7. The Time Traveler's Wife
8. Let the Right One In
9. The Wrestler
10. Bolt

Just two weeks until Avatar... Will it make the list?

2012 - review

I like smart, touching, intelligent, thought-provoking films. But I also love a good action blockbuster, and no-one does an action blockbuster like Roland Emmerich. (Let's just forget 10,000 BC ever happened, okay?)
Look at the CV. Did you snooze through Stargate? Tut through Independence Day? Clench your fists through Godzilla? Roll your eyes through The Day After Tomorrow? If you're a yes to all of the above, then move along, there's nothing to see here. If, however, you could see the films for what they were, i.e. mindless action fodder (not to mention great fun) then you're going to love this.
It's the latest Roland Emmerich action blockbuster about the end of the world, and all that that implies. You know what you're getting, and boy do you get it.
If you don't like McDonald's, don't eat there and then complain the food was crap. Same principle here.
I can understand a sniffy critic being forced to watch this, hating every one of its 150 minutes. But if you're a paying punter and complain about what you get here- the problem's not with the film, it's with you. This delivers everything it promises, with a cherry on top. If you're expecting another Grosse Point Blank, you're not superior in your disdain, you're just a f***ing idiot.
10/10

The Top 10 Best Films of 2009 (so far) - updated

1. District 9
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. Up
5. Drag Me to Hell
6. The Time Traveler's Wife
7. Let the Right One In
8. The Wrestler
9. Bolt
10. Frost/Nixon

Up - review

With each passing year, Pixar produce classic after classic. And they are classic in a way that only improves with time. Watch the ones you think you're not that keen on again, and you'll be surprised at what a gem you've missed.

There's a simple way to tell if the animated film you're watching is a Pixar one. Does it make you cry? If so, it's Pixar. And this one made me cry. More than once. And not just at the end. The film's opening credits tell the story of how a young Carl meets Ellie. We then get a silent/musical montage that tells the story of their lives together, including Ellie's death. It's one of the most beautiful scenes I've ever seen, and is never sickly, just emotional.

The film soon finds its pace as we're introduced to the energetic Russell. And he highlights one of Pixar's true strengths. They really know how to write likeable kids. Kids in movies are frequently more irritating than adorable, yet Monsters Inc.'s Boo is utterly adorable. Even moody emo Violet in The Incredibles is watchable, rather than detestable (not to mention Dash and Jack-Jack). And here, motormouth Russell should be annoying as hell- but never is. Ditto with the young Ellie and near-mute Carl. Lovely stuff.

From here the plot kicks off and the film hits a high gear, pleasing its younger audience without alienating the adults. Some of the emotional connection may be lost, but you never lose sympathy with the characters, nor investment in the story.

The "talking" dogs are simply inspired (squirrel...............) and the laughs keep coming from the most unexpected of places.

It's almost a shame that next up from Pixar are two sequels- Toy Story 3 and Cars 2. Both are hugely welcome, but I can't wait to meet more wonderful creations from such an imaginitive studio.

I have to say, though, the 3D didn't feel as necessary here as it did in Bolt or even Toy Story. But it's a nice gimmick to give you the excuse to see it on the big screen, rather than lose out by watching it on DVD or download.

I'm not sure if Up rates as highly with me as Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo or WALL•E, but it certainly delivered on my very high expectations.

Toy Story 3D

The film that introduced the world not only to wholly CGI movies, but also to the mighty Pixar, has now been re-released in glorious 3D.

Needless to say, it stands up very well and whilst the 3D adds very little, it's a great excuse to see this classic again.

Knowing what was to come from Pixar in the future, Toy Story does pail by comparison- give me Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo and WALL•E over this any day- but that's really not saying much given the high standard Pixar have not only set, but have maintained and even raised.

Next year sees the 3D reissue of Toy Story 2 (out now in the US) and I, for one, can't wait.

-- Posted from my iPhone

Movies on the plane

Watching movies on a plane is never the best way to see a film. During my flights to/from Florida, there were many choices, though far too many interruptions (not to mention naps) to give any of them my full and fair attention. I started and gave up several times (The Soloist was particularly difficult to get into in this environment) but I did make it through two films.

The first was Sunshine Cleaning, a comedy drama starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt, about a pair of sisters who clean up crime scenes. This one in particular is one I feel I cannot review as huge sections were missed, and no rewind meant I had to keep jumping in and out. The impression I got of the film was frankly disappointing, but I am hoping to watch it properly in the future.

The other film I saw was Year One, an historical comedy starring Jack Black and Michael Cera. I saw enough of this to say I enjoyed the first half, chuckling to myself on many occasions. Michael Cera is particularly gifted at delivering one-liners (albeit with the sane performance in every role) and provides most of the laughs. Jack Black's character was too irritating to be likeable, however, and the film certainly outstays its welcome. Once you pass the hour mark, the film starts to repeat itself, including its many celeb cameos. Then again, I may have just been tired and willing it to end so I could sleep. Or try to.

I am unlikely to rate these films on Flixster/Facebook or imdb until I've given them a fair shot, but still wanted a record somewhere that I had seen them, and what my first impressions were.


-- Posted from my iPhone

Confessions of a Shopaholic - review

OK, so we've found a rom-com that doesn't quite as much of an enthusiastic thumbs-up. But I did enjoy it.

Isla Fisher has come a long was since Summer Bay, and is certainly a very likeable presence on-screen (even in the detestable Wedding Crashers). Her slapstick comedy is not exactly on the realistic side of things though, and there's only so many deliberates (as opposed to accidents) that one can swallow over two hours.

Every single rom-com cliché is present and correct, right down the public humiliation scene. But this is no Devil Wears Prada, and I suspect even Meryl Streep couldn't rise this material above the mundane.

That said, I had fun.

6/10

He's Just Not That Into You - review

Another day, another romantic movie, and another positive review. Am I getting mushy or something?

Well let's clear that up.. no I'm not. But I did really enjoy this film. Nothing really original or Earth-shattering, but there were some nice characters, decent performances and surprisingly complex situations. All characters have their up sides and down sides (though Drew Barrymore's character didn't do enough to register with me).

To be honest, it felt more like a TV show- like an episode of Brothers & Sisters or something. And I mean that in a good way. If this was a pilot, I'd watch the show.

8/10

The Time Traveler's Wife - review

Oh how it pains me to leave out that "L".

I can be a sucker for a good love story. I can even be a sucker for a bad one. Good or bad, this one suckered me. I was curious to see how this intriguing idea was going to play out, and was very happy with the way it did. I haven't read the novel so have no idea what changes have been made, but I certainly didn't feel like I was missing anything (except, perhaps, for more of Ron Livingstone, whose "best friend" role isn't given enough screen time to develop).

I have been a big fan of Bana since "Troy" (without him, there's no reason to see it) and even liked his polarising "Hulk". Rachel McAdams should be a much bigger star than she is by now. Fantastic in "Mean Girls", "The Notebook" and the so-so "Red Eye", somehow she still isn't a household name. Hopefully the success of this film will change that.

Much has been made of the pairing of this two, but I had no problem with their chemistry (or lack thereof). They are an unlikely match age-wise, but the nature of the story makes it irrelevant.

It may not be a film I'll dash to see again soon, but am sure one day in the future will see it on a Blu-Ray shelf, think "awww" and come home with it....

9/10

Rent - review

As something of a Rent virgin, this was all new to me- the story, characters, songs. The closest I've ever come to familiarity with this was "Lease: The Musical" in Team America: World Police.

After a strong opening with the excellent "Seasons of Love", things rapidly went downhill with cheesy forgettable song after cheesy forgettable song- the kind that aren't actual songs, but dialogue set (vaguely) to music. However, we then have a few interesting set-pieces, including "Tango:Maureen" and "Out Tonight", and the plot is underway. Things take another dip an hour in, when we're finally introduced to the much-mentioned Maureen. I'm assuming she is supposed to be a breath of fresh air, but is, in fact, irritating beyond comprehension. Fortunately, she isn't given much to do and is very quickly sidelined for the mawkish second half.

Shame that Taye Diggs is relegated to little more than a cameo, and it is pretty clear that Chris Columbus couldn't direct traffic. The lack of imagination in bringing the stage to life is suffocating rather than breathtaking.

I'd be lying if I said this film had no effect on me, and will certainly be tracking down some of the soundtrack. First impressions- good, not great, but could be a grower.

7/10

JCVD - review

A curious one, this. About 30 minutes in, wasn't sure I was going to make it through. It begins very strangely, seemingly lacking in narrative, and comes across a bit rambling and experimental. Then the film enters a second chapter- at first, adding to the confusion. Then it becomes clear we are seeing the same events, but from a different perspective. Now I was interested. All I knew about this film was the notorious to-camera "this is my life" monologue, and yet it didn't seem quite so out of place when it happened. This is clearly a vanity project, despite the lengths to which Jean-Claude Van Damme goes to show he's not a real-life action hero. An interesting idea, mostly successful, and has certainly raised Van Damme in my estimation. He certainly gives an emotional performance- but I still can't work out what the hell I just watched. Bonkers.
7/10

District 9 - review

This is my favourite film of the year so far. Given this, and that I saw it very recently, I thought I'd have a go at a proper review that's worthy of the film. I'll keep it as spoiler-free as I can for those who haven't seen it.

This one really came out of nowhere. I hadn't even heard of it until I saw the trailer before GI Joe about a month ago. I couldn't work out exactly what the plot was- it looked bombastic and confusing, like Alien Nation meets Transformers, but shot documentary-style.

How wrong I was.

The film simply presents you with facts, documentary-style, about incidents that occurred recently in an area known as District 9. To quote Jim Dale, the facts were these...

Approximately 20 years ago, an alien spaceship appeared over Johannesburg... and that was it. After several months, nothing else had happened. The military eventually managed to get on board and evacuate the contained aliens, keeping them in an area called District 9. The aliens showed no hostility, no friendliness... in fact, no purpose whatsoever. Despite this, 20 years later, local residents are complaining of the NIMBY factor and the aliens (or "prawns" as the less-sympathetic amongst the humans amusingly refer to them) are forced to move on to a smaller, more concentrated area, referred to as District 10. It is the day before this transition that these events take place- partly in documentary-style, but we as viewers also get to see a glimpse of the true story behind the news reports.

The man in charge of the eviction is pen-pushing nepotist Wikus Van De Merwe, played to perfection by newcomer Sharlto Copley. He is a bumbling, amiable man, yet is cheerfully unaware of how casually inhumane he is. This is someone that's going to have to earn your sympathy, but yet seems too harmless to actively dislike- at least until he's given a position of power.

The other character of note is an alien, curiously named Christopher Johnson. Clearly a very different being to most of his fellows, he stands up to his species' mistreatments. Through him, we learn that not all of the aliens are necessarily the unorganised cat food-addicted rabble they appear to be. Friends or foes? The answer should be obvious, but who's going to humour them long enough to find out? There is clearly a very well-considered back story for the aliens here- but, much like the oft-compared Cloverfield, even at the end of the film we are yet to find out what it is. And even in a sequel, it's not certain we need this information. That's not to say we don't want it...

District 9 expertly magpies from existing sci fi lore - a bit of Robocop here, a bit of Aliens there, just a dash of Independence Day... but it's all only on a very superficial level. District 9 has its own story to tell, and its own points to make. For example, much is made of the human-alien transformation, but it's merely a MacGuffin; a plot device. It is only important because of where it takes our lead character. If you think the film is ripping off The Fly, then either you're not paying attention, or you are missing the point completely. Of both movies. It's like saying Orwell's Animal Farm rips off Disney's Bambi for having talking animals.

The film has a lot to say, and says it. It also has a lot to do, and just gets on with doing it. If you get the subtext, great. If you don't, it doesn't matter because the film has moved on and you won't feel like you're missing anything, anyway.

The pacing is very deliberate. Starting off as a documentary, events are leisurely explained and shown to us, with little commentary or judgement. Even when we are taken out of the documentary context, characters do not suddenly start behaving differently. It's a very deft way of setting an ominous tone. We're waiting for the sting in the tail, even if there may not be one.

For a film with such a tiny budget, not to mention a debut director in Neill Blomkamp, the special effects are flawless. The aliens are clearly CGI creations, but move, communicate and emote better than some of the humans. They are purely there to tell the story, and are far more convincing than a man in suit would be. If you've come purely for an Independence Day-style dogfights or action set-pieces, then you're in for disappointment. That said, there are some amazing shoot-outs and when Blomkamp decides to flex his action muscles, he does indeed have an impressive set of guns. (Sorry.)

Crucially, this is violence with consequence. When Wikus is forced to fire a gun, he is doing so very much against his will- even on a "prawn". We learn that the aliens' technology is incredibly powerful and see its devastating potential- yet always in the hands of humans (the irony of that statement shouldn't be lost on those who've seen the film). The aliens are deliberately insect-like, rather than cute and cuddly- giving us that extra distance to strip them of humanity, should we choose to do so. Ultimately, we judge them more on the way they are treated than the way they behave. And yet it is never over-laboured, it's just there for you to acknowledge or not.

If the film has a flaw, it's the mixture of narrative styles- we jump from documentary to movie narrative without warning- at times you don't even notice, but when you do it can pull you out of the film. However, I was so engrossed by this point I just shrugged it off. Also, there were a lot of one-dimensional characters, particularly the Nigerian gangsters, the members of MNU (the organisation for whom Wikus works), and the largely faceless hordes of aliens. However, this can simply be explained away by the leads' interactions with these characters. There's not really much time for fleshing these characters out, and they're not likely to show their vulnerable sides on the job. You could level this at the actors, an obvious drawback of a star-free vehicle, but surprisingly isn't as much of an issue as you may fear. Plus there's always a guilty pleasure in seeing a cartoon villain finally get their comeuppance.

So there you go. For me, this was a visceral, emotional and thoroughly entertaining experience; something completely unexpected. After less than a month on release, the film currently sits at #44 on the imdb all-time chart. I pity Mr. Blomkamp... how on Earth will he follow that? I, for one, can't wait to find out.

10/10

The Last House on the Left (2009 remake) - review

As far as slasher/horror/thriller movies go, the original Last House on the Left is a pretty nasty one- not so much for what you see, but for the uncomfortable story presented to you. To this remake's credit, it keeps pretty faithful to that side of things, and as a result, this is an equally uncomfortable watch. Unfortunately the film lets itself down in the Dad (Tony Goldwyn) vs bad guy finale, while the mother (Monica Potter) pretty much just watches hubby getting smashed through paper furniture. A shame, since the couple have easily given the most sympathetic performances up to that point- nice, without overplaying it. That said, I still feel a little tense even now that it's over, and the film must get some credit for that, at least.
7/10

Hush - review

Like a low-budget, British version of Breakdown, this film certainly works on a suspense level. However, the suspension of disbelief required is more than most would be willing to give. Too many coincidences, conveniently-timed moments and downright nonsensical incidents erase at the film's credibility. The potential is there and it raises some interesting issues- then ignores them, going for the contrived plot where the protagonist just happens to make all the right assumptions.
7/10

Top Movies of 2009 (so far) - IMHO

1. District 9
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. Drag Me to Hell
5. The Time Traveler's Wife*
6. Let the Right One In
7. The Wrestler
8. Bolt
9. Frost/Nixon
10. Frozen River

*added September 9th
Potential candidates still to come... Up!, Avatar, Surrogates, Fantastic Mr Fox

Welcome!

This blog will hopefully soon contain various information about movies that I would find interesting.

This may include reviews (my own/others), news, UK/US box office info, release dates, Top 10s etc.

Watch this space!