I had very, very high expectations for this movie as I am a MASSIVE Twilight fan and my expectations where exceeded!
This is definitely the best one so far!
The start was very sudden in that it did not go through the first bit of the book, which I thought they would have included...
They went straight into the wedding which was surprising as personally I would have liked to have seen Bella and Edward tell Charlie about their engagement.
The wedding again was not the same as the book however it was exquisite absolutely beautiful!
Again they did a great job with Esme's Island.
The sex scenes where perfectly executed making it suitable for a younger audience.
The excellent make-up artists showed their true talent when it came to Bella's pregnancy.
Also the acting in these scenes shows that they really are true and raw actors and that they where really the people who where meant to play these roles!
The final scenes where a bit graphic however still suitable for younger audiences.
Overall you would be silly to miss this movie.
I for one will never get tired watching this amazing series created by the wonderful Stephanie Meyer.
Better than imagined!!!!
It's funny to think that the Next Generation became so beloved and perhaps even moreso than the original Star Trek even though the first season or two are regarded are some of the weakest in Trek lore. In fact, many say if they were to air now, then TNG wouldn't have made it past its first season. As it happens, it not only made it past the first season but ended up with seven seasons, 178 episodes, and spawned four movies. It remains the longest running Star Trek series in history.
The most important thing about this Blu-ray release of the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation is not the quality of the stories or the acting, but the restoration process and quality of transfer. This is one Blu-ray boxset that you'll be purchasing for the medium rather than the show itself. Along with The Twilight Zone, I would put this up there at the top of the chart for classic television shows. There's no doubt that this is by far the best TNG has ever looked and sounded, and Trekkies will be astounded by the improvements. Not only Trekkies in fact, but newbies to the Star Trek universe can jump right in here and see the show how it always should have been.
Launching in 1987, TNG had a lot to live up to. By that point Star Trek had become a classic show with a devout following. Two decades after Star Trek, there had been numerous big screen outings, and Paramount were ready to move forward with a spin-off with new actors. With a $1.3m budget per episode, TNG led with Patrick Stewart (X-Men, American Dad), a man who was more known for his Shakespeare on stage than science-fiction on network television. Many credit his performance as Captain Jean-Luc Picard as what pulled TNG through the earlier ropey seasons. A number of the bridge crew had other regular roles - Michael Dorn (Worf) in CHiPs, and LeVar Burton (Geordi La Forge) in Roots - but the majority were not well known before joining the USS Enterprise.
And it was the cast that truly made TNG the show that has become so beloved over the years. Despite a few dodgy episodes and some so-so special effects, the characters won the fans over. It's worth picking up this set to see how their journeys began - especially Picard's 'feud' with Q (John de Lancie) that continued right to the final episode of TNG, Data (Brent Spiner) exploring humanity from his life as an android, and of course the inevitable relationships between the crew on board the ship. This was no series just about aliens, but also involved more soap-opera elements and the occasional humour. It's no bad thing - TNG managed to make Star Trek accessible to a wider audience without dumbing down the science-fiction.
Episodes such as the memorable first trip Encounter At Farpoint, Hide and Q, The Big Goodbye and Datalore are all strong stories with heart, action, amusing moments and most of all a genuine Trek feel to them. There's a real sense of adventure and exploration, especially in the Q and Holodeck episodes. TNG has a much wider scale to it than the original series ever did. Even after all these years, it's the stories that hold up to audience scrutiny, and the writing - when good - is some of the best in sci-fi history.
Though no matter how brilliant the stories can be, you'll be mesmorised by the detail in the new Blu-ray release. If you've seen the episodes before, you'll be left astonished at just how good the special effects look now. The love and attention this show has been given is second to none, and it has truly been given a new lease of life. The documentaries included on the restoration process are nearly as good as the job done themselves, and present a fascinating insight into the efforts involved. Hearing from cast and crew years later shows a genuine affection even now, just like the dedication Trekkies have to this day.
I can't recommend this release enough. Some may not see the point in an upgrade to any Blu-rays, but this TNG release has to be the flagbearer for such a move. This blows everything out of the water, and it's one purchase you certainly won't regret. I look forward to completing my collection with future releases, as the episode quality gets even better. This Blu-ray release proves once again why Star Trek: The Next Generation is regarded so highly as one of the best sci-fi shows in history.
Boldly going where no TV Blu-ray has gone before
With the release of The Dark Knight Rises this month, Warner Bros. have re-released the first two films in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy in a fantastic new special edition, limited release packaging on Blu-ray, and it is a real treat for fans of the films.
What Nolan and his brother Jonathan brought to Batman in Batman Begins was truly a new vision - not only did it redefine the DC comic hero, it redefined comic book blockbusters for the twenty-first century.
Most importantly, it takes us back to the beginning: to Bruce Wayne's childhood. It gives us Batman's all-important origin stories. The first, when young Bruce falls down an empty well, disturbing a nest of bats, developing a phobia for the creatures that stays with him for years. And the second, the murder of his parents, shot at point blank before his very eyes.
The two events are integral to the character of Batman, both in the original comics and in the Nolan brothers' films, from Batman Begins right through to The Dark Knight Rises. In rescuing him from the well, Bruce's father puts a simple question to him: 'Why do we fall, Bruce?' And his father tells him it is, 'So we can learn to pick ourselves up.'
The question and answer echo through the trilogy, and picking himself up upon falling is exactly what Bruce learns to do. He travels east on his quest to learn the necessary skills to save Gotham from the living hell it has become for its citizens, becoming a member of the League of Shadows under the tutors Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson) and Ra's al Ghul. It is here, training as a ninja, that he fully begins his journey to becoming Batman.
What Bruce understands, better than Gotham itself, is that the city needs a symbol, something impenetrable, to save it. Overcome with corruption, crime, and violence on all levels, it is a symbol that can defeat injustice, that can be incorruptible. And thus he takes up that symbol, and becomes Batman. He takes his own fear and uses it against those that would see Gotham delve further into anarchy.
Yet all is not well by the film's end, which fantastically sets up the sequel in The Dark Knight, by placing a single playing card before the credits roll, described as a calling card of a rising local criminal: The Joker.
The Dark Knight begins with one of my favourite opening scenes of all time. It opens with a bank heist. And not just any bank heist, but a bank heist carried out in broad daylight, with multiple masked criminals, and a street full of traffic.
Shot with IMAX cameras, the scene literally pops out of the screen whilst you watch it, even at home, and you cannot help but feel in awe of its brilliance.
The film is well noted for Heath Ledger's incredible performance as the antagonist, the one who continually seeks to draw Batman out throughout the film, and who wants to see Gotham burn. Not because he wants to profit from its losses, not because he has a cause he believes in, but because he sees it as a game, and he just wants to have fun.
Batman Begins had a fantastic cast, and The Dark Knight added two more main players in the form of Ledger and Aaron Eckhart. It also added two of the most notorious and well-known characters from the source material, with Harvey Dent/Two-Face appearing alongside the Joker as well.
What The Dark Knight did was develop Bruce Wayne's character, in and out of the Batman suit, even further. It gave him greater depth, and it gave him something to live for: Something to give him hope that he might one day hang up his armour and retire. That hope comes in Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), his childhood fried, and assistant district attorney.
In Dent, Wayne sees a district attorney who can fight crime in the daylight, out of the shadows, in the court of law. And in Dawes, he sees the woman he loves who he could spend the rest of his life with.
Yet at its end, the film inevitably sees Bruce Wayne unable to hang up his armour for good. The day that Gotham no longer needs Batman has not quite come, and whether or not it ultimately will will be told in the Nolan brothers' epic conclusion, The Dark Knight Rises.
Having seen the final instalment this month (and without spoiling it for those who haven't), I can assuredly say that the brothers have brought us the greatest trilogy in the history of cinema. It has been years in the making: The filmmakers, cast, and crew have given us all they have, and we thank them for it. Batman remains one of the greatest superheroes known to the world, and this trilogy is by far the finest version of him committed to film in all his iterations.
Christopher Nolan's The Prestige follows his well acclaimed previous films Batman Begins and Memento, this particular film is overshadowed by Nolan's Batman films and unfairly so in my opinion as it stands up strongly alongside his other works.
Starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as two magicians with a rivalry and intense competition in aiming to better one another in their acts.
The Prestige is a lengthy film to sit through and I often have concerns about particularly length films but any worries were dissolved after viewing. The Prestige is covered with twists and turns at every corner, leading the audience along as it continues. One is left to work out and predict the outcome of the actions of the characters involved as the story unravels itself.
The cast of the film is certainly solid with decidlely robust performances from both lead actors Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. The supporting cast is especially mighty with Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Andy Serkis and David Bowie all playing their roles to absolute perfection. Bowie's performance as Nikola Tesla stood out distinctly with a mysterious atmosphere surrounding him.
The Prestige's special effects in areas such as the acts of magic themselves shine wonderfully and provide a striking addition to the thick and heavy plot. Together with the wonderfully written script and individual performances combine to create an awe-inspiring watch.
It's such a shame that this series has been buried away for so long (pretty much twenty years, in fact, before Series 1 was released) as it was just perfect in all respects - the typical BBC period detail, the interaction between the cast, and most importantly, the brilliant scripts, all by LOTSW creator Roy Clarke.
All of the actors were well chosen and fit well with the older versions of the characters that we are more familiar with - the superb casting is one of the series' main strengths - but Richard Lumsden in particular deserves special mention as a young Foggy Dewhurst. He has captured perfectly the performance of Brian Wilde, whilst at the same time being believable in his own right and not being some kind of second rate imitation.
Occasionally you will see one or two of the cast pop up in things, but none of them really have gone on to be big stars. It's hard to see why these people are not all household names. About the most familiar face from the cast on tv these days is Paul Oldham, here playing Clegg's best mate Sherbet, who seems to have a career playing violent low-lifes, totally at odds with his shy character here.
It was a nice touch too to have Peter Sallis playing Mr Clegg, a character obsessed with the painting of gates, worrying about Poland, and barely communicating with anyone, least of all his own family.
For me, the stand-out episode is "The Body Snatchers" where the gang convince Foggy that they have borrowed a corpse from the Co-Op. Foggy, having previously told them that he has never seen one and thinks it would be advantageous in the war that is to come. Of course, it is not a body at all, but one of the lads wrapped in a sheet, and of course, complications and misunderstandings ensue.
The very end of the series takes place on the day WWII is declared. Hearing the sirens going off in the idyllic village (the scene of such innocent hilarity in the earlier episodes) is quite eerie and poignant. Slightly reminiscent (though less celebrated) than the climactic Blackadder Goes Forth episode, in fact.
With the cancelling of the Last of the Summer Wine itself, maybe they could reunite this cast for a post-war series? Anyone?
Prequel to the long-running comedy series "Last of the Summer Wine"
tried watching this on tv,couldn't get into it at all. then was bought boxset-hooked from first episode. Really gripping story lines with strong characters.can't wait to start next series.
brilliant
Toy Story 3 Review
Toy Story 3 heralded the return of one of the most popular animated franchises of all time. The original two's massive success in the 90's abruptly ended until a few years ago when out of the blue a trailer for ToyStory 3 appeared; and right then it was like I was a little boy again excited to watch my favourite gang of toys come to life. This time we see the group after the inevitable has occurred: Andy has grown up, with boy-band hair, a fashion sense and modern technology to occupy him it's clear he has no time for toys anymore. Indeed the opening shows the toys' desperation to be played with again, stealing Andy's cellphone and putting in the toy box and then ringing it in the hopes that when he found it he would remember all the fun times he had with them. This really shows how times have changed for the toys and sets the tone for the whole movie; it isn't just Andy that's grown up, it's Toy Story as well.
After the heart-wrenching opening we soon learn Andy is going to college, and so he has to pack up all of his possessions to take with him or throw away; including the gang. Luckily it is clear Andy still has some attachment to the group and after bagging them up proceeds to take them to the Attic where they will remain safe & together. However he doesn't make it to the attic and absent mindedly places the bag on the floor. When his mum comes along she mistakes it for trash and puts it on the curb; the toys luckily manage to break out but are heart-broken, thinking Andy really doesn't care about them any more. So they sneak into the box for donation to the day care centre: Sunnyside. Upon arrival it appears that Sunnyside is a marvellous place where they will always be played with and their owners will never grow up. However soon it is clear that not everything is Sunny at Sunnyside, leading to a frankly amazing Great Escape sequence that is pure brilliance. The story takes a darker turn from previous adventures and shows the maturity that comes with this conclusion and the frightening reality that eventually toys aren't needed any more.
The film sees Tom Hanks and Tim Allen reprising their infamous roles as Woody and Buzz Lightyear; they do a magnificent job with emotion and hilarity packed into every scene they do;
Buzz's spanish scene, spoken entirely by Tim Allen, is a personal favourite being very very funny. However the duo aren't as much in the limelight as they used to be: now the story revolves more around all the characters on the whole: from Rex's neurotic tendencies to Mr Potato Head's hilarious sarcastic humour. We really see how the group have grown together and how strong their bonds have become.
One of the best things about this movie, and indeed about all three movies is how gorgeous they are. Pixar has done a great job with the animation, with every movement being fluid and smooth from woody's loping run to Buzz's superb action set pieces. All the lighting is excellent and every detail is done brilliantly, from Buzz's plastic sheen to Woody's stitching. It makes the movie a joy to watch and looks even better in blu-ray.
Another stand out, again something that has been consistently excellent throughout the series, is the music. It is so well done and so emotive, it really enhances the mood of the scene and draws the viewer even further into the story. Randy Newman did a really excellent job with all the new & recurring pieces of music, including the well known favourite "you've got a friend in me" and indeed he won a Grammy for the score.
This movie recaptures your childhood once again, but in a much more mature and serious way, the story is the real standout here and really pulls at the heart strings; it really is a fitting conclusion to this epic series of movies. The entire movie is gorgeous from the outset and it really is a joy to watch, this combined with the music makes this a standout movie. I really can't find a flaw through the entire film, this feels like the conclusion to my childhood in a way; and it is a film that I will remember for many years to come.
The final chapter in the Toy Story trilogy rounds off the series on a high note, with a mature and more serious story it really shows what Pixar are capable of.
You would have thought that filmmakers would have got pretty good at telling stories like this by now. Boy-meets-girl setups and will-they-won't-they relationship soap-opera have been the bread and butter of romantic comedies and dramas since time immemorial, and One Day doesn't stray too far from these familiar trappings. Telling the story of student friends Emma and Dexter as they grow into middle-aged adults - and of the various obstacles that life throws at them along the way - the film concentrates largely on the (initially platonic) relationship between the two characters, and how the nature of their friendship changes as the years pass.
Despite making use of a fairly original gimmick - we only get to see what's happening in the characters' lives on one day per year (15th July, St Swithin's day) - the story is the kind of thing we've seen a million times before. It's pretty surprising, then, that a movie with such a simple and well-worn concept manages to fall into so many traps that make it far less enjoyable than it could have been.
My main problem with the film was with the character of Dexter. He's just so unlikeable and unpleasant that it's impossible to root for him, and even more difficult to understand what Emma might find attractive about him. His character's journey is actually quite an interesting one, with initial fame (as the presenter of laddish early-90s post-pub TV shows) giving way to alcoholism, relationship problems and depression. But there's never any point at which you truly feel sorry for him, because there's such a strong feeling that he's brought a lot of it upon himself through the selfish and callous way that he acts. Jim Sturgess does his best to find the humanity in Dexter's character, and the film does its best to throw tragedies at him (such as a death in the family, and marital difficulties), but it never really succeeds in making him likeable - which is a pretty big problem when he's one-half of the couple that the audience is meant to be willing to get together.
Anne Hathaway fares slightly better as Emma, a far kinder and more positive person who isn't without her own share of difficulties, but who faces them in a far more sympathetic manner. A struggling writer who spends years waiting tables before gradually edging closer towards being published, she's a bit of a cardboard-cutout of a character, but one that's easy to like and root for. Unfortunately, Hathaway saddles Emma with the odd affliction of a wandering accent, which becomes more and more distracting the more we see of her, constantly reminding you that this is a performance rather than a real person. It isn't that Hathaway's English accent is bad: it's just inconsistent. One moment she'll be speaking with a thick Yorkshire accent, and the next she'll be speaking the Queen's English (and sometimes, at times of high emotion, we even hear a bit of her native American twang creep in). I'm not sure why the filmmakers insisted on forcing Hathaway to act with an accent that she's not comfortable with - nothing about the story would be lost by making Emma American, rather than English - but it undercuts an otherwise solid performance.
Another major problem I had with the film is that it constantly uses outside events to force drama on the characters, rather than having drama grow organically out of their relationship. Life events that are completely out of the characters' control repeatedly conspire to throw a spanner in the works - which might be true to real life, but which also feels forced and contrived on the part of the writer (David Nicholls, adapting his own hit novel to the screen). Finally, the gimmick of the film's structure never really feels as though it's justified: the events that we see play out over the 20-years-or-so timespan covered by the movie could have taken place on any day of the year and it wouldn't have affected the story one jot. And even worse, the same-day-per-year structure is even used to avoid showing the audience some of the most important incidents in the characters' relationship, robbing us of seeing key moments that it felt like the whole film had been building towards.
With an unlikeable male lead, a distractingly-accented female, a clichéd setup, an arbitrary structure and a strong sense of forcedness to developments, there's so much wrong with this movie that it's difficult to pick out its few redeeming features (which include some enjoyable performances from supporting players like Rafe Spall and Ken Stott, and some beautiful photography of British locations, particularly in and around Edinburgh). By the time the movie rolls around to its melodramatic and slushy conclusion, I'd be surprised if any of the audience still cared.
Imagine a cross between "Rocky" and "Transformers", and you'll come pretty close to describing "Real Steel". That's right, this movie revolves around a very odd 'high concept' indeed: robot boxing. And not only does the film dare to attempt such an uneasy melding the sports and sci-fi genres, but it also uses the idea as the backdrop for an emotional family story about an estranged father reconnecting with his son, as the two bond over the course of an adventure that sees them rehabilitate an old sparring robot in an attempt to have him challenge the world champion of robot-boxing.
It sounds weird, but somehow it works.
It helps that the movie's lead character, Charlie Kenton, is portrayed by the inherently likeable Hugh Jackman. Although his character starts off as a clichéd deadbeat dad - ekeing out an existence by dragging a robot fighter around county fairs, but losing most of the money he makes on ill-advised gambling - Jackman gives Kenton a core of decency that means that you begin to like him even before he's really done anything worthy of redemption. And once his son Max (Dakota Goyo) comes into the picture, we quickly see Charlie begin to soften up, and display some of the more laudable qualities that make him so obviously attractive to love interest Bailey Tallet (Evangeline Lilly).
From this simple setup springs a surprisingly involving story that sees Charlie and Max work their way up the robot-fighting leagues, learning from each other at the same time as they inevitably begin to bond more closely over the sport. Kenton - previously a boxer himself - provides the never-say-die spirit that keeps the team going even in the most dire circumstances, whilst Max counters Kenton's world-weariness with a naive, childlike optimism - as well as the technical wizardry that helps turn a bog-standard sparring robot, Atom, into something that's capable of challenging reigning robot-boxing champion Zeus.
OK, so it all sounds a little cheesy, and it's impossible to deny that things do become a little too saccharine and slushy in places. But contrasted against this predictably soft soap-opera story are some surprisingly brutal battle scenes that give the film a certain edge (and also make it unsuitable for younger children). The robot fights are pretty uncompromisingly violent - which isn't so bad when it's two machines fighting it out, but which becomes a little more disturbing when humans (or, in once scene, animals) are put in danger. There's also a subplot involving Charlie being pursued for his debts that results in a fairly violent and distressing scene that also involves Max: another reason why parents with young children might want to avoid this movie.
However, possibly the most satisfying element of the film is the way that the character of the plucky sparring robot, Atom, is handled. Whilst he's treated as an inanimate object throughout the film, subtle little directorial choices hint at the possibility of life lurking under his unreadable exterior. Whether it's a lingering shot in which Atom (or should that be 'Adam'? The movie encourages us to hear both) appears to look at himself in the mirror when he's left alone in a room, or a similarly pointed scene in which the crude face that's drawn on Atom's head appears to smile after an interaction with Max, there's a pleasingly ambiguous treatment of the robot as a 'real' character that makes it all the easier to root for Atom once the movie's big climax rolls around.
I obviously won't say anything to spoil the movie's conclusion - although if you've seen any sports films (especially boxing movies), you can probably guess how things play out - but suffice it to say that the movie delivers a satisfying ending to both the story of the robot-boxing championship and the story of Charlie and Max's relationship. It might be predictable and a little cheesy, but Real Steel turns out to be a surprisingly affecting treatment of what could have come off as a very odd idea, but which instead ends up feeling like an imaginative and exciting backdrop for what turns out to be a resolutely human story.
Watched Rebus with John Hannah playing the part but, never really got hooked onto it. Along came Ken Stott and I became a hooked Rebus watcher. He comes across 100% as the untidy bad living great Rebus and whoever is in the bad patch he sorts it all out, yes Ken think you are great
When I say to my friends about my absolute love for One Foot In The Grave, more often than not it's met with confusion, or a 'isn't it for old people' remark. The thing that irritates me most about this is the fact that OFITG is clever, dark, hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measures. I am in my thirties, but wouldn't be classed as someone who likes asinine broad television, which sometimes I feel OFITG can be mistaken as, perhaps because of the slightly cheesy incidental music, or the age of the cast. When I originally bought this on video, separately, I think it must have set me back at least £150 if not more, so for the price you can get this at, they're virtually giving you a gift! Victor is not just a catchphrase, he's a kind hearted, misunderstood man who is just meaning well and frustrated by the ridiculous, selfish nature of many people. The only fault I have ever found with this series is the ending, which I shan't spoil for you if you haven't seen it, but it feels a little TOO dark and heart breaking for a character that many had invested so much in over the years. An extremely involving, wonderful series that should have carried on longer. I can't recommend it enough!
A bargain price for hours of intricately plotted, intelligent television wrapped in a friendly cuddly disguise.
How should two sets of parents deal with a playground fight between their children? That's the question posed by 'Carnage', which takes that deceptively straightforward starting point and uses it as a base to explore issues of class, culture, gender and etiquette, all within the framework of a simple conversation between four adults.
If that setup sounds somewhat theatrical, it's because Roman Polanski's film is based on the French play "God of Carnage" by Yasmina Reza. And the movie wears its theatrical influences on its sleeve, never setting foot outside the confines of a single Brooklyn apartment (aside from two short, silent bookend scenes), and featuring very little action to speak of. However, that certainly doesn't mean it's boring, as some snappy writing and some great performances mean that the film is never less than compelling, especially once the facade of civility between the two sets of parents begins to break down - and what began as a polite discussion escalates into a full-blown argument between all four participants.
Jodie Foster and John C Reilly play the Longstreets, the parents of the 'attacked' child (although I put that word in inverted commas, because the film soon makes it clear that the situation isn't quite as clear-cut as that), whilst the father and mother of the aggravating boy - the Cowans - are portrayed by Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz. Initially, we're led to believe that the Longstreets are caring liberals who want to deal with the conflict as delicately as possible, whilst the Cowans are slightly brasher and less sensitive sorts who just want to get the problem over with. But gradually, both of these impressions begin to disintegrate, laying bare the character flaws of all four parents and revealing much about what might have influenced the kids to act the way that they did in the first place.
To give any more details would be to spoil the twists and turns that the conversation takes, but it's not giving away too much to say that the film keeps things interesting by introducing discontent within the two marriages as well as between the two sets of parents, eventually leading to a temporary change of allegiances that sees the two males square off against the two females. Polanski also manages to provide a certain amount of visual variety (no mean feat for a movie set within a single apartment) by constantly selecting new camera angles and by moving the action to different parts of the apartment as the story progresses, making individual rooms - or even corners of rooms - feel like distinctive locations in their own right.
If I had to pick out one particular actor for praise, it'd probably be Waltz, who's as intense and commanding here as he was in his breakout role in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. Playing a work-obsessed lawyer for a pharmaceutical company who's never off his mobile phone, Waltz owns the screen for every second he's on it, and it's perhaps his character that best exemplifies the dark, cynically humorous tone of the movie. Whilst it's not an acting competition - this is a great example of a well-matched ensemble cast, and one that works well as a whole - the other three actors never quite match the level that Waltz is operating at here.
If I have any real criticism of the film, it's that it occasionally gets a little too smugly middle-class for its own good, and if you can't identify with the first-world foibles of these flawed-but-recognisable characters then you may find that some of the humour is a little lost on you. But even then, a couple of great (and unexpected) gross-out and slapstick moments provide humour of a different flavour, and also give the script a little added impetus just when things threaten to start sagging a little.
'Carnage' boasts a setup that's about as simple as you can get, a cast comprised of 100% A-list talent, and a sense of gradual escalation that means it gets funnier and funnier as time passes. At just 80 minutes, it never outstays its welcome, but provides a perfectly-paced portrait of how our external niceties betray our internal passions - and of what might happen if we occasionally gave voice to those passions. Don't be put off by the film's simple-sounding premise or theatrical origins: this is just as much fun as many big-name comedies you could speak of, and has a certain amount of brains to match. Well worth your time.
Kath (Beryl Reid) lives in a large house (within the grounds of a cemetery!) with her Father (Dada) played by Alan Webb. She meets the handsome, unscrupulous Mr Sloane (Peter McEnery) in the graveyard and encourages him to become her lodger. After flirting outrageously with Sloane ("they make garments so thin nowadays, you'd think they almost intended to provoke a rape...) she manages to seduce him. However, her Brother Ed (Harry Andrews) also takes a shine to the young lodger who leads him on, happy to run both Ed and Kath in tandem. Unfortunately Dada puts a spanner in the works when he recognises Mr Sloane as the person who killed his ex-employer and confronts him with it.
A wonderful film adaptation of Joe Orton's play. Beryl Reid is hysterically funny as the ageing Kath in her see-through dress, pretending that her interest in her handsome lodger is merely maternal ("Just a MOTHERLY kiss....") while Harry Andrews offers great support as her Brother, who is also in denial about his real intentions, even though he takes Sloane on as his chauffeur and dresses him from head-to-toe in leather! Alan Webb plays their pickled onion addicted Father to perfection whilst Peter McEnery is an attractive Mr Sloane who thinks he has his future all sewn up....
It took me a long time to buy the DVD for "Hugo" as I changed my mind so many times. I love children's/family films that are full of magic and fantasy and, from the trailer and the front of the DVD box, this looked exactly my sort of film. However, on reading some reviews, I was disappointed to see that the film seemed to concentrate more on the silent film era than on magic and fantasy. So at various times I put it into my shopping basket and then changed my mind and took it out again. Eventually, the DVD became available at just £4.99 and I took a chance. I am so glad that I did as this film turned out to be just as magical as any Harry Potter film, although in a totally different way
Right from the beautiful opening shots, you are transported into Hugo's world of a Paris train station and the rest of the film just carries you along. Yes, the story is simple and there are no magic spells or mythical creatures but I was completely enthralled in Hugo Cabret's story and the intricate, elegant world he lives in. I am not sure if this film would entrance children who are used to a more exciting film experience but if they have the patience to stick with it I think they will find a film to enchant.
The performances are excellent with Sir Ben Kingsley putting in a wonderful star turn as George Méliès and there are a lot of little cameos throughout including Richard Griffiths, Frances De La Tour and Ray Winston. The two young stars (Asa Butterfield and Chloe Moretz) both do an outstanding job holding their own in such talented company with Asa Butterfield especially bringing an extra quality to his role as Hugo. I must also make mention of Helen McCrory in the role of George Méliès wife Mama Jeane. I found her performance particularly moving as she effortlessly showed the strength and love of a woman who must protect her husband from a past he wants to forget but that she is desperate to re-claim.
I have to say that I was not looking forward to Sacha Baron Cohen playing the role of the Station Inspector as I am not a fan of his and from the beginning he did grate. Then half way through the film there's a conversation between the Station Inspector and the flower seller (Emily Mortimer) and all of a sudden a different, softer side appeared that made me look at the character in a whole new way. Yes, the character still grated throughout the film but Sacha Baron Cohen had managed to add a depth to the role that surprised me.
In the end though,what makes this film so watchable is the art direction and cinematography. It is simply stunning with beautiful shots over and through the city of Paris and through the intricacate workings of the giant station clocks. I really loved the design of the automaton and thought that was beautifully realised Put all of that together with some excellent acting and a story that is magical without any magic and you have a film I will gladly watch again and again.
Good comedy chic flick; with both Tom Hardy and Chris Pine as eye candy it doen,t matter that the script is a bit predictable.
Two good friends (who happen to be spies) meet goergueos girl. They compete for her affections by using every underhand spy trick in the book.
Do you remember the feeling you got as a kid when you saw the first action-adventure movie that truly thrilled you? For me, it's Raiders of the Lost Ark that sticks in my mind as the perfect fusion of a great lead character, a thrilling globe-trotting plot, and some of the most imaginative and deftly-executed action scenes ever committed to celluloid. It would be impossible for any subsequent film to replicate the initial rush that I felt on watching that movie - but with 'Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn', Steven Spielberg manages to come damn close.
Based on the famous Belgian comic strip about a kid reporter and his trusty canine sidekick, the Tintin movie condenses a few of the character's adventures into a single twisting-and-turning narrative revolving around a mysterious model boat and a hoard of hidden treasure. As Tintin gets sucked deeper into the swashbuckling story, he becomes involved in an international criminal plot that takes in gruff gangsters, exotic locales, dangerous situations, and an alcoholic sea-captain who turns out to be one of the young reporter's staunchest allies - as well as the key to solving the mystery.
But as undeniably interesting as all this sounds, these story details are a mere skeleton from which to hang some enjoyable character interactions, some inspired action scenes, and some of the best computer-generated visuals that have ever been seen in an animated movie.
It's the well-constructed action sequences that really stick in my mind as the high point of the film. Unsurprisingly (given Spielberg's history with the Indiana Jones saga, as well as thrilling action fare like Jurassic Park), these action scenes are executed with a clockwork precision: every element of them is deftly set up within the movie shortly before the action kicks off, but it's not until they all come together that you appreciate just how perfectly they all lock into place.
A good example is the climactic chase in Morocco towards the end of the film. Beginning as a simple motorbike escape and chase sequence, it gradually escalates into a dizzying visual symphony that includes a burst dam flooding a valley, an entire hotel being carried downhill on the back of a tank, and a frantic on-foot scramble across rooftops, washing lines and buildings that would put The Bourne Ultimatum to shame - all without ever letting up on the momentum of the scene for a single moment. It's viscerally exciting, to be sure, but there's also a real sense of wit to proceedings, with actions often having unintended (but serendipitous) consequences, and certain objects cropping up again and again to play a role in the action (such as Captain Haddock's whisky bottles).
Elsewhere in the movie, there's action of a different flavour: car chases, fistfights, and shootouts abound, and Tintin also makes use of a wide variety of modes of transport such as a seaplane, a tramp steamer and a camel in the furtherance of his quest. But far from simply being box-ticking efforts to cram as much as possible into the film, every action sequence earns its place as an essential element in whatever stage of Tintin's journey it plays a role. Nothing ever feels gratuitous, with the action always serving to move the plot along to its next stage.
Another aspect of the film I mentioned earlier is its visuals. This is a computer animated film that rises head and shoulders above most of its rivals by making use of motion-capture - meaning that real-life actors have been filmed acting out every scene, and then their movements and facial expressions mapped onto their animated counterparts. This helps to lend the movie a certain sense of realism - and pitches it at a slightly more adult level than some animated features - but at the same time the film never loses that sense of bold, colourful design that helps the characters and locations to seem so larger-than-life.
Wisely, the filmmakers haven't tried to slavishly replicate human features when build their computer-animated characters - instead, they're caricatures that ape the textures and behaviour of human skin, hair and clothing, but retain an exaggerated cartoon sensibility, particularly when it comes to faces. This helps the film to avoid falling into that trap of 'dead-eyed', weird-looking human characters that can afflict those movies that strive for absolute photo-realism. It's the perfect way to handle a comicbook adaptation like Tintin, and I can foresee it becoming a very popular approach to such properties in future.
And the acting itself is top-notch: even though the actors aren't recognisable on-screen (well, apart from their voices), Spielberg has still put together an A-list crew that includes the likes of Daniel Craig, Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis (of Gollum fame), as well as great supporting actors like Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in the roles of bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson. All of the cast lend their characters a huge amount of charm, and manage to deal with some of the more difficult character elements (such as the fine balance between humour and seriousness that must be struck when dealing with Haddock's alcoholism) perfectly.
The computer-animated approach also allows for some wonderful directorial flourishes on Spielberg's part: with complete freedom to move his 'camera' wherever he wishes, the director has the audience's viewpoint rocket all around his action scenes, viewing proceedings from every conceivable angle and getting a real sense of the physicality of every character, vehicle or location. And many of the transitions from scene to scene benefit from artful little visual touches (sometimes verging on the surreal) that help to tie together different elements of the story in unexpected and imaginative ways.
On Blu-Ray, these visuals look even better, with the high-definition format allowing you to pore over the movie in even more detail - whether it's the background press clippings in Tintin's apartment that hint at his earlier adventures, or the affectionate homage to Tintin's creator Hergé in the first first scene of the movie. There are also plenty of extras that provide a wealth of details on how Tintin was adapted for the screen, as well as on the technology that was used to do it.
Indeed, we're truly getting to a stage with computer-animating technology where directors can put anything on the screen that they can imagine - and when you've got a master like Spielberg at the helm of one of the most enduring heroes of children's literature of the last half-century, you really can't go wrong. By ruthlessly cutting out any flab from the original Tintin stories and injecting them with verve and energy - as well as some outrageous action - he's put together one of the finest family adventure movies I've seen in years.
Imagine a film in which James Bond and Indiana Jones teamed up with Luke Skywalker, Gandalf, Buzz Lightyear and Harry Potter to do battle with Hannibal Lecter, the Godfather and the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park. Such an unprecedented melding of franchises might seem like a bizarre and outlandish idea, but it's the kind of thing that would probably send movie fans crazy with excitement, and generate box-office receipts to match.
Well, for superhero fans, Avengers Assemble is that movie.
In many ways, Avengers Assemble is the culmination of an elaborate plan that started way back in 2008 with Marvel Studios' release of "Iron Man". In a short scene after the closing credits of that movie, Iron Man was approached by a shadowy figure called Nick Fury about signing up to something called the "Avengers initiative" - which, it since transpired, was the codename for a superhero team made up of the stars of all of Marvel Studios' superhero movies so far: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America. Post-credits scenes in all of these movies gradually started to build a shared universe in which certain characters drifted from one storyline to another, setting the stage for all of the heroes to come together at some point in future.
Well, the team finally comes together in Avengers Assemble - along with a couple of secondary supporting superheroes (Black Widow, from "Iron Man 2", and Hawkeye, who made a brief appearance in "Thor") - under the leadership of Fury, to counter a threat that's just too big for any one of the heroes to handle on their own.
Even from that brief outline, it's easy to see the appeal of this film. Whereas most superhero movies feature a single lead character and maybe one or two super-villains, this unprecedented movie unites several different superheroes, at least four of which are big enough to carry their own franchises. In sheer value-for-money terms, it's a lot of bang for your buck, and there's never a sense that any of the individual heroes have been diluted or under-served by having to share a screen.
In fact, what really makes Avengers Assemble such fun is seeing the way that these various heroes interact with one another. From the start, it's clear that the group is a slightly odd match: science-genius billionaire Tony Stark rubs shoulders with a 1940s super-soldier, a horrifying green rage-monster, a Norse thunder god, an archery expert and a Russian femme fatale, all under the auspices of the super-smooth spymaster Nick Fury. But this mismatch actually works in the movie's favour, as each character's distinctive personality shoves up against the others, resulting in a group dynamic that's often fraught, always unpredictable, and consistently entertaining.
The overarching story of the team might follow a fairly simple recipe - a group of heroes meet, have an initial disagreement and then overcome their differences to team up and save the world - but it's a successful one, and one that ensures that you'll find yourself rooting for this misfit bunch by the end.
Whilst it's certainly a team movie first and foremost, and one that benefits from a strong acting ensemble cast, some individuals do stand out. Tom Hiddleston as the movie's villain, Loki, lends particular gravitas to his role, turning what could have been a camp fantasy villain into a genuinely chilling and unnerving threat. And Robert Downey Jr. is as perfectly-cast as ever, inhabiting the showy role of Tony Stark like a second skin. Finally, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk is a breakout success, both in his human form - as nerdy, twitchy Bruce Banner - and in all his CGI glory as a lumbering oversized angry monster.
However, the movie's greatest asset isn't any of these actors. Instead, it's director Joss Whedon who proves to be the real hero of Avengers Assemble. Served well by his experiences running ensemble TV shows like 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' - which itself drew heavily on the conventions of the superhero genre - Whedon manages to pull together a perfect mixture of action, humour, character moments and plot surprises, without ever feeling as though he's working to a set formula.
Whedon juggles the characters deftly through a fairly long opening act that sees the team come together, before really cutting lose once he's got everyone in one place. Every character gets at least one individual chance to shine over the course of the movie's action scenes, and everyone gets at least one great one-liner (of the kind that'll actually make you laugh, rather than groan). It's no exaggeration to say that I could watch an hour of these characters simply standing around and talking under Whedon's direction, and through some talky (but very funny) getting-to-know-you scenes in the movie's middle section he creates a real emotional heart for the film that gives the crazy action of the climax a resonance that's missing from most superhero movies. Despite being a fairly long (two-and-a-half hour) film, it's virtually guaranteed that you'll be hungry for more when the final curtain falls.
Through some smart creative choices, and a heck of a lot of advance planning, Marvel Studios has put together the most dazzling, epic and downright fun superhero movie ever committed to film. And this Blu-Ray promises even more, including a host of deleted scenes that will flesh out the story even further and an original short film, "Item 47", that will pick up one of the few loose ends left dangling by the movie's ending and weave a self-contained story around it. Available for pre-order both on its own and as part of a larger boxset that also collects the other five Marvel movies, I can't recommend Avengers Assemble highly enough.
Jean Brodie is an eccentric Schoolteacher at Marcia Blaine School for Girls in 1930s Edinburgh. She foists her own (often questionable) ideals upon "her girls", berating for instance Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin while singing the praises of Mussolini! She wages war against group sports, girl guides and the second rate. Ultimately unable to live out her fantasies herself, she looks to her pupils to fulfil them, even to the point of encouraging one to have an affair with a married teacher Jean loves but cannot bring herself to have a fully fledged affair with. Miss Brodie also incurs the wrath of the Headmistress Miss MacKay because of her unconventional teaching methods, which comes to a head when an outrageous letter penned by a pupil pretending to be Jean and written to the Music Master ("I must congratulate you warmly upon your sexual intercourse, as well as your singing...") ends up in the wrong hands. Jean Brodie's methods eventually cause resentment and jealously and lead to her downfall.
Maggie Smith shines in the role she was born to play, giving a funny and moving performance and relishing the many quotable lines ("For those that like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like...") There is a fine supporting cast including Miss Smith's real-life husband (at the time) Robert Stephens, Gordon Jackson, Celia Johnson and Pamela Franklin. A highly enjoyable film of a much-loved novel.
The film of Muriel Spark's 1961 novel about an unconventional Edinburgh Schoolteacher in the 1930s - loosely based on one of her own teachers.
As its title suggests, Shane focuses on the man Shane, whose luminous character elevates the film to classic status. The cast of characters are archetypes - albeit finely drawn - of the western genre, just as the plot is a staple western myth. Starrett (Van Heflin) runs a small homestead with his wife (Jean Arthur) and young son. When the mysterious and reluctant gunfighter Shane (Alan Ladd) crosses the Starretts' land on his way north and witnesses them being threatened by Ryker, a wealthy cattle man, he offers his protective support and decides to stay with them. In the western genre, this is so far, so routine. So what gives the mythical man Shane so much appeal that it has secured for the film an exalted place not just in western cinema, but in all of Hollywood cinema?
George Stevens (producer and director) pulled off a master stroke by casting Alan Ladd. Ladd was an unusual choice to play a western hero: short, slight, and softly-spoken, he could not have been a greater contrast to the usual machismo of a western hero (such as John Wayne). The film opens with the magical allure of a fairy tale. We see Shane, clothed in light buckskin, riding down the green foothills of the Teton mountains, accompanied by the first strains of the film's beautiful score. He seems different, a man apart. When working for Starrett he shows humility and loyalty. With Mrs Starrett he is courteous and chaste. And with the boy Joey he is kind and gentle (and Joey responds with a child-like faith in Shane).
But Shane is a gunfighter, as richly endowed with courage as he is with quickness on the draw. He puts his life on the line to protect Starrett's family and the other families in the valley, even though he knows he's facing a 'stacked deck' - an enemy comprised not only of Ryker and his men but also their murderous hired gun. Unlike many other western heroes, who kill the villains as if it's all in a day's work, Shane faces his enemies in the final scene as if it is a heavy cross to bear. One can feel his deep reluctance whatever the outcome: whether he kills or is himself killed. Having descended from on high into a valley of trouble, clothed in light; having lived as a servant, and exuded graciousness with all; and finally, having risked his life to free the valley from evil, Shane ascends back up the mountain, as if to some ethereal land, clutching his injured arm. The Christ-like analogy is complete.
What makes a film a classic? It's a difficult question, but Shane scores highly by occupying a balanced position along three axes. It is simple but profound. Its hero takes a specific form as a western myth, but he is also a universal hero. And it represents 1950s American values - such as the traditional family unit, hard work, individualism - but its message endures across time. Add to all this many stunning images, such as of the stag paddling in the sparkling lake, and of the farmer gunned down in the cloying mud, and you have a film to adorn any film lover's collection.
Every now and then comes a film that attracts so much negative publicity, that bad buzz preempts bad reviews as the industry inadvertently manufactures contest for the world to train their guns on a particular movie, and fire at will. 'Gigli' was one of those films, not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination, but by no means as bad as some people made it out be. 'John Carter of Mars' is another; saddled with a long production schedule, re-shoots and studio fumbling: 'Disney' changed the title from the exciting 'John Carter of Mars'--some piffle about Mars being too sci-fi and sci-fi being a marketing turn off, to the altogether bland and nondescript 'John Carter' (because we'll all come in droves to watch that, apparently).
As it stands, 'John Carter' is one of the biggest box office flops of all time, losing most of its $240 million budget. But is it a bad movie? Not at all. 'John Carter', based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs 1917 novel 'A Princess of Mars', sees disillusioned American civil war veteran John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) transported to the planet of Barsoom (i.e. Mars). Mysteriously gifted the strength of ten men and able to leap long distances in a single bound, he's taken in by Green Martian tribe; The Tharks, becomes embroiled in another civil war between the human Red and White Martians, falls for Red princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) and embarks upon the adventure of a lifetime. Sound familiar? It should, because Burroughs book inspired everything from 'Superman' to 'Star Wars', and yet despite this fact, director Andrew Stanton ('Wall-E', 'Finding Nemo') still creates a vibrant and relevant world that parallels the strife Carter thought he'd escaped from on Earth. The allusions to the conflict between European settlers (i.e. white Martians) and Native Americans (i.e. red Martians) are self-evident, and accurately reflect both the time in which the novel was written and problems that persist to this day.
The cast are all on top form; Kitsch and Collins, who first worked together in 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine', make a good on screen couple whilst Mark Strong lends some gravitas to shadowy puppet master Matai Shang. The tusked, four handed Tharks are brilliantly realized CG creations, Willem Dafoe and Samantha Morton's voice work comes highly recommended, Morton in particular creates a fully realized, sympathetic character in Sola. The film successfully counterbalances its sometimes convoluted, interplanetary romance elements with a welcome dose of humor e.g. Thark leader Tars Tarkas (Dafoe) continuously referring to John Carter, who hails from the state of Virginia, as "Virginia".
'John Carter of Mars' is an entertaining throwback to classic sci-fi adventures like 'Flash Gordon' and 'Forbidden Planet', nothing like the train wreck they're making it out to be: A good movie, definitely worth watching.
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