The story was slightly different to what I thought it was, but it was a very good animation and had a good story and believable characters - it's a good film for young and old! An extra short is also included which explains a bit more about one of the characters, includes some interviews with the makers and visits the real locations the animation was based on. All-in-all it's an enjoyable film for all members of the family.
Fast forward through a mans life till he meets a young boy and see the adventure they have,
As films in their own right, The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring; The Two Towers and The Return Of The King are some of the greatest films ever made. As a trilogy nothing rivals them. The X-Men trilogy fell at the last hurdle. The Matrix trilogy never lived up to the staggering potential of the first film. The Spiderman trilogy came close, it's true, it was an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable adaptation from the comicbooks, yet it somehow lacks the complete immersion into another world that The Lord Of The Rings offers. Each instalment in the trilogy is a pure demonstration of artistically and commercially successful filmmaking.
The cast list reads like a role call of the very best actors from all over the world, Britain, Australia and the USA all offer up some of their finest. And their performances are just perfect. Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Elijah Wood, Liv Tyler, Ian Holm, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Karl Urban, Brad Dourif, Christopher Lee, even Sean Bean! They are all excellent. Simply faultless. And perhaps topping them all is Andy Serkis who is stunning as Gollum/Smeagol.
The scale and grandeur of the whole project is astonishing. Three years in the making, the whole cast and crew living and working in New Zealand, just to be involved in any way must have been amazing.
The breath-taking New Zealand countryside is second only to the special effect shots, seamlessly embedded, which create the truly epic stage for this saga to play out upon. Director Peter Jackson uses everything to his advantage handling proceedings with an assurance the like of which we may see never again. He manages to create an arresting sense of tension in all of the intertwining storylines and delivers an array of emotions through intense battle scenes and touching portrayals of loyalty and kinship, with considerable style.
Each chapter builds upon the last. Characters are beautifully developed and given their own personal emotional arcs. The storyline is unfalteringly and genuinely compelling.
And what does HD offer to this experience? Well it only makes it better. Bright colours leap off the screen. The New Zealand countryside looks magnificent. Grass and trees are delightfully verdant. Snow is the purest white. Fire a truly primordial hue. And the darkness is as black as nothingness. The image is perfectly clean, crisper and entirely devoid of imperfections, no grain, no artefacts, it's excellent. Liv Tyler is more beautiful. Viggo Mortensen is sexier.
The sound in DTS or 5.1 DD is all encompassing. It's loud when it needs to be, the clashes of swords in battle and the bloodcurdling screams all ring out in perfect clarity. It's quiet when it needs to be, the loving whispers in Elvish between Arwen and Aragorn, quiet and intimate, yet still clearly audible.
Put simply it is essential viewing. But should you wait for the extended versions with their extra footage and special features? Yes you should. But if you can't wait or are prepared to buy both then this will not disappoint.
Top notch action comedy stars Robert De Niro as a tough bounty hunter determined to bring a bail jumper (Grodin) back to L.A., what he doesn't know is that the mob are also on his trail, with orders to kill! Sensational byplay between the two stars and terrific action scenes make this quite possibly the best movie ever made. Grodin is one of the funniest men alive and Dennis Farina gives the performance of his career as mob boss Jimmy Serano. Movies don't get any better than this! Unmissable!
This film is for people with a acquired taste, as some people may find this movie disturbing and vile.. but me, I think it's amazing!
The quality of acting by tom green is phenomenal; he has really done a great job in producing and starring in the film.
Throughout this whole film I was crying with laughter, every part of it was a surprise.
Great movie if you're feeling down or just up for a laugh.
Five stars in my book :)
Tom Green plays a great character who has issues :)
A fabulous follow-on to the Da Vinci Code - keeps pace all throughout the film, with many twists. Excellent acting from all the main characters and a great ending. Well worth a night in!
It's a race against time to find the four captured Cardinals and the anti-matter bomb - with the Vatican just losing their pope and a threat of increasing violence from their old enemy the "Iluminati", Langdon is reluctantly their only hope. Who will win?
Classic Hollywood Motion Picture Remembered.
Jane Eyre.
By: Roy Nancarrow.
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This superb version of Charlotte Brontë's novel:- "Jane Eyre" was made only a few years after:- "Citizen Kane". Orson Welles, although not the motion pictures official director, spent a lot of his time - on the set - behind the camera. The film's official director was in fact Robert Stevenson. But it is obvious that Orson Welles' played a masterful hand in this production's bold and creative look. His enigmatic charisma also shines through in his role of Rochester, the supposed widower who takes in Jane as a governess to his daughter. There's even a small role for Elizabeth Taylor at the beginning of this motion picture as Jane's unlucky, doomed friend at a cruel boarding school. Others in the all star cast include:- Joan Fontaine, Agnes Moorhead. All of them breathe life into this enchanting 1944 version of Charlotte Bronte's gothic romance. A Classic motion picture from the studios of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation one no film fan should miss seeing.
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Tyler (Robert Pattinson) is grieving for his elder brother who has killed himself. At 21 Tyler is: floundering around college unsure what direction to take in life; very focused on his younger sister who is a talented artist; and very angry with his father (Pierce Brosnan) who continually avoids any family responsibilities by hiding behind a busy work schedule as MD for a New York Corporation. Apart from getting Tyler out of scrapes with the law, which suspiciously appears to be attention seeking behaviour, Tyler and his father only really meet when his father has to pay the bail out money. However, Tyler is also very concerned about his father's apparent indifference to his little sister and this fizzes inside him like a corked bottle of soda. In the summer of 2001Tylers loneliness begins to subside when he meets Ally (Emilie De Ravin), who herself has experienced the worst kind of loss imaginable, and they have a passionate love affair.
My daughter suggested I watch this film after she saw it with a group of 17 year old girls and boys. Not being attracted to the demure dark silent and enigmatic type my first thought was.... oh no...Not another Robert Pattinson chick flick. My daughter said the film had provoked a really interesting and poignant conversation about family difficulties afterwards, and now having seen it I can really see why. Remember me is really very enjoyable and thought provoking; there are no vampires and werewolves and the love interest is not a mindless drip with nothing better to do than hang around moping. Sorry if you are a Twilight fan...I am told that Bella is nothing like her screen character in the books.
This is a rousing story of love on many levels. Tyler and Ally are both very compelling characters, individually strong and charismatic in their own right, both fiercely independent but utterly vulnerable. The narrative portrays their growing erotic love for each other and is contrasted beautifully with familial love; the pains and disappointments of both types of love are developed in a convincing and engaging manner.
Robert Pattinson develops his character well and Chris Cooper is convincing as Ally's overprotective father. Emilie De Ravin is stunning as Ally but more of her character could have been developed with further script writing. The only performance I would criticize, and perhaps unfairly is Pierce Brosnan, who appears a little wooden at times. One of the boardroom scenes where Tyler is trying to convince his father that seeing his sisters art exhibition is more important than his business is brilliant in one sense because the rest of the characters in the room really do come across as uncomfortable with the scene they are witnessing, but I thought Brosnan's character incongruent. In fairness, we don't get to see his vantage point leaving Brosnan with little to play with. The ending is one that the film does not quite prepare you for, but is revealed in a sensitive and undramatic manner with its sentiment staying with you after the film has ended.
Please note that this film has been categorized as a war film - I am not really sure why?
Verdict
A really good story about the facets of love and the emotional affects of loss -
Although I was wary about 'The International' being just another attempt at a new age Bond-esque spy film, I was glad when I was proved wrong.
The plot is fairly intricate but not too much that you get lost, while chases and violence were not necessarily the primary concern of the director, showing that action, danger and thrill can be exhibited in other ways.
A decent performance from Clive Owen, though a little disappointing from the leading lady Naomi Watts. However, it does not affect the whole picture too much, which is definitely a worthwhile watch for any fan of modern spy films.
'District 9' certainly has an interesting enough storyline to guide you to the end happily and, although it can be a tad monotonous in parts, its unusual and intriguing cinematography make up for this.
Some will love and some will hate, but watching it is the only way to find out what you think about it. Worth watching!
Great film especially if you love horror and monstery films, but in my opinion the first film is the better one on the whole, but this one has the better ending, an ending you will never see coming! Definitely worth watching if you like the first one.
At first An Education may seem to be a simple film that considers how the consequences of making teenage decisions, fuelled by hormones, can affect the rest of your life. However it is so much more than that.
Carey Mulligan (last seen as Rachel in the excellent "And When Did You Last See Your Father" as well as the lovable Sally Sparrow in perhaps the finest ever episode of Dr. Who - Blink) takes on her first lead role and stuns as the young Jenny in 60s England.
Supported to great effect by the always dependable duo of Peter Sarsgaard and Alfred Molina, An Education is a fine film, played perfectly by its cast. Some say that Mulligan is most likely to step into the sort of roles that Kate Winslett would have played ten years ago. Praise indeed for the young actress, but thoroughly deserved.
Directed by Lone Scherfig and written by Nick Hornby for the screen, adapted from Lynn Barber's memoirs the film is all the more affecting and poignant for the fact that it is based on real events. An Education is a touching and mesmerising coming-of-age story about a teenage girl living in 1960s suburban London who meets a charming and wealthy man, nearly twice her age, who sweeps her into a whirlwind romance.
Scherfig's direction is excellent. A light touch he directs his actors with care and precision. The result is compelling, sad and uplifting. An Education received three Oscar nominations and should have won at least one of them.
Highly recommended viewing.
I was apprehensive about seeing this film, because even though I do find Ricky Gervais funny, I thought his cameos in Night at the Museum and Stardust really fell short of his potential as a comedy actor. Even so, Ghost Town - his first lead role in a movie - reinstalled my faith in him as a truly high quality comedy performer.
The film itself is a really refreshing take on modern romance - unlike many other films, Ghost Town detaches itself from staple genres, which I thought was great because it lent itself to a very open-minded story, which is funny, touching and quite poignant.
So if Gervais is the only reason holding you back from watching Ghost Town, I'd definitely recommend giving it a chance - Bertram Pincus is a wonderful character, and although not astoundingly different from past characters such as David Brent, he is very well-realised by Gervais, and I wouldn't hesitate to sit down in front of his new movies.
Also, if it's pace you're after, this probably isn't the film for you, but it's a perfect for a more mellow kind of night in.
An inappropriate soundtrack is all that stands between this movie and greatness. Had someone, father perhaps, bought this to director Sofia Coppola's attention; I'm pretty sure she'd have given the issue some thought. Kirsten Dunst, being of Austrian descent herself, makes for an engaging and authentic looking monarch whose portrayal goes some way towards challenging popular conceptions of the queen as the most hated woman in France or, to resurrect that crude and unflattering label often employed in the screeds of her day: 'Le Godmiché Royal'.
Resolutely pro-bourgeois in its sentiments, Coppola subtly generates an undercurrent of revolution, one which simmers away as the royalists lose themselves in an intoxicating haze of leisure and decadence. She also does well to keep palace life insulated from the realities of 16th century France, so the audience, like the hapless Dauphin, only catch glimpses of national discontent e.g. the defaced portrait and excellent, comparative scenes at the theatre: The first time Marie Antoinette applauds an operatic performance in violation of protocol, it endears the young queen to her subjects; who respond with a spontaneous outpour of love and support. The second time however, her applause is met with near silence, slow claps and a general feeling of unease that sets the tone for things to come.
Historical accuracy and detail is somewhat lacking as Coppola's movie never quite gets into the intricacies of the revolution itself or how Marie Antoinette's appeasement of the Freemasons allowed them to become a fifth column in France. One that steered and subverted the proletarian cause eventually exploiting the peasantry as much as the monarchs they'd been used to depose.
Now as much as I abhor nepotism, there's no denying that Sofia Coppola is a gifted and innovative filmmaker in her own right. I've enjoyed (or at least remembered) the four movies she's directed to date and look forward to seeing more of her work in the future. Coppola also seems to bring out the best in Kirsten Dusnt; for the pair first worked together on 'The Virgin Suicides' (1999), and 'Marie Antoinette' is a step up in scope and scale for both director & star.
Mise-en-scene, period design, costumes and cinematography are all excellent; now if only they could remove 'I Want Candy' from the soundtrack.
So bad its good ice-hockey movie with 80s teen heartthrobs Rob Lowe, the late / great Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves; 'Youngblood' follows talented dreamer Dean Youngblood (Lowe) on his quest to join Canadian minor league hopefuls 'The Hamilton Mustangs'. But the genteel rookie has to man up if he's to deal with brutal rink-side bullies and brawlers who dominate the game.
'Youngblood' follows the standard 1980s Tom Cruise movie formula about one man determined to be the best, beat the odds, get the girl and save the day. But this comfortably familiar, hi-concept narrative is almost undone by a rather disturbing scene that I'd totally forgotten about or must've deliberately shut out for reasons that should be obvious when you see it: The gist of it is that Rob Lowe is initiated into the team in an allegedly jocular bit of "camaraderie" or "hazing" as its known. Now maybe things are different in the U.S. or Canada, but when a group of men pin down another man against his will in a bid to shave his crotch...call it hazing if you want, but the correct term is homosexual assault with intent to perform an act of buggery, and it's a heinous crime in most civilized countries. The filmmakers, now pressured to prove Youngblood's straight or at least not traumatized for life, have him bed the coach's daughter (Cynthia Gibb) AND his fifty something landlady!
Pretty boy actors Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze played brothers in Francis Ford Coppola's modern classic 'The Outsiders' (1983) and share an honest on screen rapport that translates well to 'Youngblood'. Lowe could've gone onto become one of the biggest stars of the era, but here, he does what's required of the part and smoulders on cue, Swayze follows suit but with that soulful depth technique he'd go onto perfect in 'Point Break'. Keanu Reeves, making his movie debut, plays the team goalie in trad bozo mode; now Keanu Reeves is to accents what 'The Charge Of The Light Brigade' was to strategic military planning. And 'Youngblood' sets him on his future path; saddled as he is with a bizarre French-Canadian lilt which, in trademark Keanu fashion, sounds neither French, Canadian nor any combination of the aforementioned.
With an excellent soundtrack featuring Mr Mister, Autograph, Starship and others 'Youngblood' makes for a great time capsule and is lightweight, forgettable, unintentionally hilarious but nonetheless entertaining nonsense, that's bound to please 80s aficionados and undemanding sports movie fans. 'Rocky' on ice.
The very first Almodovar film I've seen and certainly not the last!
Broken Embraces is a brilliant, well written and intelligent movie. Penelope Cruz's performance was flawless and the storyline was genuinely moving. I could not actually write a review which would do this movie complete justice. Just watch it!
Someday, Pixar is going to do it -- they're going to create an emotionally uninspiring, lacklustre animated movie. But in the meantime, they're still putting out delightful animated movies like "Up," which defies the usual kid-movie conventions by starring a crotchety old man. It's a charming, fun little adventure story with flying dogs and balloon-powered houses, but underlying it is a bittersweet little story about loss and love.
As a child, the shy Carl Fredricksen bonded with the oddball Ellie over their shared love of adventure, the explorer Charles Muntz, and Paradise Falls. They later married, move into their "clubhouse" together, and lived a long, sadly childless life together. When Ellie died, she had never fulfilled her dream of going to Paradise Falls.
Now crotchety, alone and harassed by a real estate developer, Carl (Ed Asner) is finally ordered to a retirement home. But he isn't going quietly -- instead he attaches thousands of balloons to his house and floats it away toward South America. But he accidentally takes an enthusiastic, naive Wilderness Explorer (a thinly-veiled Boy Scout) named Russell (Jordan Nagai) along for the ride. Poor kid was just trying to earn an "assisting the elderly" badge.
And the jungle trek to Paradise Falls turns out to have some surprising obstacles: a big Emu-like bird that Russell names Kevin, a talking dog named Dug ("I am jumping on you, bird!"), and a mysterious old man who lives deep in the heart of the jungle. Turns out the old guy is very familiar to Carl -- and to capture Kevin, he's willing to sacrifice Carl and Russell.
Industry experts were babbling about how "Up" wouldn't be as popular as the previous Pixar movies, because the protagonist is basically a crusty old coot. Well, shows what they know. It ended up becoming one of those classic movies that somehow appeals to all ages -- while the humour and action appeal to children, adults can appreciate Carl's love for his lost wife, and his slow realization that he's clinging to the past.
In fact, the first ten minutes are some of the most heart-tugging, quietly bittersweet scenes I've seen in a long time. Without a word, they show all the ups and downs of a realistic marriage -- joys, sorrows (Ellie's inability to have children), growing old together, and finally loss.
But it's not a depressing movie by any stretch -- in fact, it's like a childhood fantasy come to life, complete with a floating house suspended on hundreds of balloons, and biplanes piloted by a talking dog army. Plenty of great dialogue ("Do you want to play a game? It's called See Who Can Go the Longest Without Saying Anything." "Cool! My mom loves that game!") and an action-packed climax in an aged airship.
Ed Asner is absolutely perfect as uber-grouch Carl -- crotchety, grumpy, and determined to fulfil his wife's lifelong dream, but gradually realizing he's clinging to the past. Nagai is equally perfect as Carl's polar opposite: a naive, chattery Scout who is determined to reunite Kevin with her baby chicks. And the utterly adorable Dug and the other dogs deserve special notice. These creatures are utterly hilarious -- they talk ("I hid under your porch because I love you") and act the way dogs would if they talked. Three words: cone of shame.
"Up" continues Pixar's running tally of gloriously animated, emotionally layered movies that the entire family can enjoy. With that, I have only one more thing to say... SQUIRREL!
Shaun is a daring sheep who makes an adventure out of everything. In this amazing DVD you can see what fun a farmyard flock can be. Filled with adventures, this DVD is a must have for adults and children.
An important and thoroughly moving film to see for anybody, not just for the subject matter in which it tackles but it demonstrates the lengths and risks people will go to make a difference.
Without preaching to audiences this manages to illustrate ill happenings in a remote part of the world with a brilliantly structured story driven forward by the gripping events.
Outstanding filming with some stunning footage cleverly thought out, coupled with a great soundtrack keeps the dramatics of the film going.
Beautifully made and has all the trademarks of both a heist and redemption film, The Cove will not disappoint.
This Oscar winning documentary, (best documentary 2010) follows a group of activists led by former dolphin trainer Rick O'Barry on their quest to expose a dark truth involving shocking animal cruelty and a threat to human health kept secret by a small and determined amount of people at any cost.
Hilarious. One of the funniest comedies I've ever seen. It's like 'dude where's my car' except you get to find out what they did the night before!
The main people interested in 'Bunny and the Bull' will be fans of The Mighty Boosh. I, myself, am one and this is what pricked my ears up to this.
However, just as I was disappointed with the last series of The Mighty Boosh, I felt disappointment with this. Just not as much because the expectations weren't as high.
It certainly has their stamp on it but it's not quite there. There are flashes of Boosh magic but generally it is nothing special.
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