"The Thing"

OK, this is the big one.
For anyone who knows me, I have a high regard for "John Carpenter's The Thing", in fact for me it is the greatest horror film ever made. Ever since 1982, there have been rumours of either a remake or a sequel. None have come to fruition.

And what we have here is none of the above, it is in fact a prequel, which ends leading up to the events at the beginning of Carpenter's classic. Given the reverence that I hold the original film, it was always going to be a tough act to follow, and I always had my doubts as to whether anyone could pull it off. It is pleasing to report that the magic has been recreated. Although it is being called a prequel and not a remake, let's get one thing straight, it is essentially the first film all over again, there is no escaping that fact. But it is given enough of a spin as to make it fresh, and plus by mirroring the original so much, that can only be a good thing.

For those who have dared not to see the original.......a Norwegian expedition in the Antartic finds a crashed UFO, one that has been buried for thousands of years, and along with the ship, there is a frozen survivor, also buried in the ice. This specimen is taken back to the Camp for examination. Assisting the Norwegians are some newly arrived American specialists, experts in dealing with remains. A sample is taken from the speciman, despite the protestations of US scientist Kate Lloyd. Over time the frozen creature thaws out, and escapes from its icy tomb, to go and wreak havoc on the expedition Site.
What makes the creature extraordinary is that the fact that it can imitate perfectly anything it comes into contact with, it absorbs them, and then becomes them, and its hope is to take over the human race. And given that each single cell is an organism, it can take over more than one person at anytime. 
There is the lead scientist who is blinded by the terror it can cause by the glory he is seeking. There is also Kate Lloyd, the voice of reason, and usually standing alone. And a group of both Norwegians and Americans stuck in the middle.
The tension is not built up as brilliantly as it is in the original film. That was one of the key factors, the not knowing who to trust, and also the sense of isolation which again worked so well before is poorly realised here.
Having said that, there is much to praise. Right from the start, the photography is stunningly beautiful. There are echoes of the original Morricone score in this soundtrack. Even down to little things like using the same font type on the opening title credits, it all adds to the magic.
Plus with this being a new film, and it being a first screening, there is that uncertainty of not knowing who lives and who dies, who is infected and who isn't. I guess it is the closest I will ever get to seeing the original film on the big screen for the very first time.

There was a feeling of unease when watching the movie, which is as it should be, not only because of my concern that it would be a complete disaster, but also the great story creates a disturbance within the viewer, not wanting to take their eyes off the screen for a moment.
The cast alas fail to deliver any worthy performances. Ulrich Thomsen especially is rather weak. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is passable as Kate Lloyd, there are a few decent performances from the Norwegian members of the cast. But when one looks at Carpenter's movie, the whole cast excelled in each role. They were a delight to watch, but there is very little shining through acting wise with this new film unfortunately.

One thing is clear from the very start, the set design for the Norwegian camp has been wonderfully recreated, presumably using the original film as a template, it is seen briefly in the 1982 version when Kurt Russell and team bring the creature back to their Camp. But not only is the set building consistant, but again it is little details like the correct type door handle, or the same bedding sheets. It gives the impression of having been done by someone who is either a big fan of the film or someone who cares about detail and getting it right or both.

It is great to see more of the Alien ship. The visual effects work are excellent, and it give it a scale that was exceeding the budget restrictions with the original. But where the visual effects have improved the ship, the CGI work on the creature has really let the show down. At times they are very poor, and one is sat there crying out for make up maestro Rob Bottin to work his magic once again. There are some great moments, but for the most part it is obvious CGI. The worst example is the creature seen at the end of the film in the alien ship. I have seen better FX on Saturday night children's shows.

It was getting towards the end of the film, and I had a few unanswered questions, but they were soon answered with a brilliant sequence in the closing credits, and playing to the chilling music of Ennio Morricone. Truly fantastic.

So to sum up, yes it has its faults, but this is tagged with John Carpenter's The Thing. It is the pefect companion piece, and though not perfect itself, it does an admirable job, and I for one was dreading what I would be seeing, and was pleasantly surprised, and it carries on in the time honoured tradition of that truly great 1982 classic.

SomeTHING to enjoy..........8 out of 10

"50/50"

Adam is a sensible young man. He is careful about what he eats, he waits at a pedestrian crossing, he jogs, he is incredibly tidy, has a nice girlfriend, and it would also seem that he has a rare form of spinal cancer.
Understandably this a massive shock. He is given the options, and starts a course of chemotherapy. Whilst having this treatment, he becomes friends with two fellow patients, Mitch and Alan.
Adam also goes to see a therapist, to talk through his issues, worries, concerns, the future etc. By his side are his two constant companions, his best friend Kyle, and girl friend Rachael.

The film follows Adam's journey, from dealing with the initial shock, to then denial, to then at times anger. He also has to deal with the upset and hurt when he discovers that Rachael has been cheating on him, unable as she is to deal with his condition.
He also has to deal with an over protective mother, she herself under pressure as her husband, Adam's father is battling Alzheimers.
Adam and his family then find out whether the chemo has worked, an unfortunately it has not, and the only remaining course is a very risky operation on his spine. Whether it succeeds or not, I shall not reveal here.

But it was interesting when watching the film, whether they would go down the route of having the main character die of their illness at the end or have them as the all conquering hero. And if it was the latter, where would they find a suitable place to tie up the film?

What I will say is that the film has the perfect ending, the last quote is so apt. The performances are spot on, with great supporting work from the likes of Philip Baker Hall, Matt Frewer and Oscar winner Anjelica Huston, who we don't get to see enough of on the big scren. Seth Rogen is great fun, Anna Kendrick is very endearing, but the main man is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is for me, one of the best actors of his generation. If any fellow fans out there have seen "The Lookout", they will know what I mean. A truly phenomenal and gifted actor. Always a delight to watch.

One to recommend..........8 out of 10

"In Time"

A science fiction film came out several years, which really broke the mould. A thought provoking screenplay, stunning visuals, a fantastic cast. The film was "Gattaca" and it was written and directed by Andrew Niccol.

Niccol returns to the sci-fi genre with this latest offering.
America in the future, a future where we do not age past 25 years, but we also only are allowed to live for one more year. We can however earn more time, win more time, gamble, steal etc. We also have to pay for anything we want with time. For example a nice meal out may cost you one day. And once all your time has elapsed, game over.
The concept is a fascinating one, and is the biggest plus for the film, it is a shame that everything surrounding this concept is not as well thought out.
Will Salas is 25 and on his one year before timing out. He then meets someone, and an act of great generosity sees Will given a time span of a Century. And this makes him a vulnerable target to anyone seeking to steal this time from him. He is also the subject of curiosity with the Police, or in this case they are known as 'Time Keepers', as they want to know how he acquired this time.
Will also discovers that there are those mega rich who buy and sell time for massive profit, and they can literally never die. Seeing this as immoral, he wants to redress the balance.

As said, the idea is great, at times poorly executed, the poor little rich girl who tags along with Will is all so tiresome. One thing is for certain, the very beautiful of Hollywood were hired for this film, well with one possible exception. As with "Gattaca", this film is great to look at, and has a stunning score. Justin Timberlake seems to again do no wrong, and gives a nice performance as Will Salas. There is one stand out moment, involving his character's mother. Alas Amanda Seyfried does not fare as well, as is purely window dressing, nice to look at but nothing else.

Not as good as "Gattaca" but good all the same.......6 out of 10

"Dream House"

Book editor Will is leaving his cherished dream job, deciding to spend more time with his wonderful family. They find their dream home away from the big city, and look forward to settling down to some quality time together, plus it will give Will the chance to work on his own book, rather than publishing other peoples.
Then one of his two daughters starts to see strange shadows, maybe someone lurking outside at night. And one night Will finds a group of emo kids in his basement. Is there something going on that he is unaware of?  Well actually yes there is. The previous owner of the house murdered his wife and two children. Will is rather annoyed that this information was not disclosed to him before buying the house for him and his family.
Will starts to investigate what happened to the previous occupants, and discovers that the killer, Peter Ward, was incarcerated, but is now on the streets. Could it be he who is lurking around their property?

When the truth is revealed, it makes for quite the revelation, and starts the ball rolling in what is a really good psychological thriller. There are plenty of twists and turns, and there is also the odd make you jump moment.
The film is beautifully photographed, and has a very atmospheric score. Of the leads, Daniel Craig has the meatier part. Alas Ms. Weisz is given very little to do. Craig does an admirable job. I have read a few poor reviews of this film, but do not let that dissuade you from seeing it. I remember a film about 10 years ago, again a psychological thriller, which got poor reviews, and I still think of it as one of the best thrillers I have ever seen, the film was "In Dreams".

A nice little movie.........7 out of 10

"Breaking Dawn pt 1"

The Vampire Chronicles from the pen of Stephanie Meyer come full circle as we begin the first part of the final chapter.

I have to confess that I never expected to be watching these movies, but I sat down one night and watched "Twilight", and was gobsmacked as to how much I enjoyed it. I was not as keen on "New Moon" but did enjoy "Eclipse". So after the journey, here we now are with "Breaking Dawn".

As we all know, "Eclipse" ended with a marriage proposal, and this latest film starts with the marriage ceremony, and poor Jacob going off in a huff. The ceremony takes place, and very beautiful it is too. Then comes the honeymoon. And then we have that first night together, and the hope that Edward will not get too carried away, and do his new bride a mischief. And then comes the kicking of little feet. And then comes the birth....look basically it is the Bella and Edward show.

The majority of the film centres around these two characters, at times when they are on honeymoon, it feels like a brochure for a holiday resort. And because the film centres so much on the newly weds, it suffers because of it. Having not read the books, I cannot comment as to how well the screenplay follows the original book, but it does make for a rather boring film am afraid.
The cast seem to be following the acting by numbers method, with only a fleeting moment of decent acting from Robert Pattinson towards the end of the film.

There is some nice photography at times, and the visuals are very good, but I doubt that the target audience will care about that. All they will be interested in is how quickly does Taylor Lautner get his shirt off? Well I won't spoil this review by answering that question here.

I may watch pt 2, I don't know. maybe it is best to remember the best aspects of the series, and remember the original movie, and "Eclipse"

So much better has gone before........5 out of 10

"Justice"

When your wife is attacked and left for dead, you want to know that the Police are going to do something about it, that justice will prevail.
Will Gerard, is in that very situation, and whilst waiting in the Hospital for news of his wife's condition, he is approached by the mysterious Simon. He tells Will that he and his associates can deal out their own brand of justice, that they will find the man responsible, and 'deal with him' accordingly. In return, they will call on Will at some point in the future to do a service for them, how very "Godfather" of them!!

After some mulling over, Will agrees, and the guilty party is promptly found dead by the Police, the victim of an apparent suicide. Will and his wife return to normal life, until Simon reappears. First a little task here then a little favour there. Then it gets serious, when Simon wants Will to kill a Paedophile. Understandably, Will is reluctant to agree. But when Simon starts to apply considerable pressure, Will agrees. The Paedophile is killed, though the problem is that he is actually an investigative reporter, and doing a piece on Simon and his associates. And before you start wondering why Will cannot go to the Authorities, it is because those aformentioned associates are in some cases working for the Authorities. How bally inconvenient.

Roger Donaldson is a Director whose films I always thoroughly enjoy watching, well until now. he has made some very memorable movies, but this has to rank as probably the worst. The plot is pretty bad, with many holes, and the convenience of the plot overules the opportunity to make a decent thriller. Nicolas Cage brings little to the role of Will, and Guy Pearce is almost playing a Pantomime villain, he should really have a long moustache to twirl.

Should have been a lot better.........3 out of 10

"The Adventures of TinTin: The Secret of the Unicorn"

After an absence of 3 years, Steven Spielberg returns to the Director's chair, with his take on the children's classic Herge's "TinTin".

Young investigative reporter TinTin is out and about one day, minding his own business, and walking round a local market. A model of a ship takes his fancy, and decides to buy it. And it would seem that he is not the only one interested in the ship. The sweetly named villain Sakharine also has a vested interest in the ship, or rather what is inside it. The model is of the Unicorn, a glorious ship from the old days, and Captained by Sir Francis Haddock, who acquired much gold and treasure over the years, although the location of the loot is unknown, and that is where the model ship comes in. For it contains a piece of a 3 part puzzle which when solved will reveal the location of the treasure.

Thus ensues a wonderful global romp, firstly trying to obtain the three pieces of the puzzle and then trying to locate the treasure. Assisting Tintin is Captain Haddock, one of the ancestors of the ships original Captain. They make a splendid double act.
And villain Sakharine has an assortment of rogues to help with his quest.

It reminds one of the old Saturday morning movies, or the old black and white cliff-hanger serials, and we all know that Spielberg has a ponchant for similar material given the similarity of them to his 'Indiana Jones' series of films.
Animation was probably the best option for this film given some of the set pieces and action sequences involved in the movie. With the high standard of animation available today, it goes without saying that it is beautifully done, though as usual the 3D aspect adds practically nothing to the film, and again was a waste of time.

There is a fantastic title sequence, and this also highlights the wonderful score from the legend that is John Williams.
All the cast add their superb vocal talents to the characters they play, though special mention to Andy Serkis who plays the members of the Haddock Family.

Great fun for the whole family...........7 out of 10

"Immortals"

King Hyperion is not very nice, he is a rather unpleasant man, and keen on waging war with the people of Greece, and seeking to find the Epirus Bow, a weapon of tremendous power, which will help in his conquest.
The Gods are over-seeing all that is happening, but are forbidden to interfere by Zeus. There is a shining star amongst the people of Greece, Theseus, One who is said will rise up and do battle and reign supreme.

Yes the film can be compared to its predecessor "300", but for is far superior. The visuals are stunning, the story maybe as old as time itself but makes for good viewing. One way to describe it is watching "Clash of the Titans" on speed.
The cast are all adequate in their roles, though John Hurt as ever shines like the star that he is, and that wonderful voice he has so wonderfully enhances the narration.

One down side is that yet again, the 3D angle is a complete waste of time.....6 out of 10

"Machine Gun Preacher"

Sam Childers is not a particularly nice man. He has been imprisoned, he has little respect for his wife, is not much of a father, he drinks, does drugs, has little inclination to get a job, and has violent tendancies. Not exactly a dream catch. When out with his drug taking friend, a man is killed. Full of remorse, Sam follows his wife's example and turns to God for salvation. Sam becomes a better man, a family man, someone committed to making amends, to getting work. During a talk at their local church, they here from a Pastor who preaches in Africa, and tells the congregation of the plight of the people of Sudan. Sam wants to visit Africa, to see if he can help, put his building skills to good use.
He gets to see first hand the death and destruction caused by the locals rebels on the people of Sudan. Seeing nowhere for these people to sleep at night, his aim is to build an orphanage, a refuge for them to take shelter.
The rebels don't take kindly to this white man interferring with the affairs of their country. The white man stands strong against the might of the rebels, at considerable cost. His family start to feel neglected with his spending more time in Sudan than with them, and he is draining their ever decreasing finances to fund his work with the Orphanage.

It is a truly remarkable story, and unfortunately for the people of Sudan, the horrors inflicted upon them continue today. It is the ultimate story of bad man turned good. But although you may think it is Sam's story, it is about the People of Sudan. Words cannot adequately describe what they continue to go through. It is at times a harrowing film, and very moving, one feels so helpless watching it.
The film is brilliantly directed by Marc Forster, who again shows what a master craftsman he is, following in the likes of "Monsters Ball" and "The Kite Runner", and really making up for the travesty that was "Quantum of Solace".
Gerard Butler gives an amazing performance as Sam Childers, it shows a different side to his acting skills, taking a step back from those action packed roles we are used to seeing him in.

There are many slogans used for the advertising of this film, to say how brilliant it is, believe every single word....they are true......9 out of 10

"The Help"

Life has never been easy for African Americans, especially during the 1960's, the setting for this movie. Skeeter is a young woman, desperate to break into journalism, and gets a job on a local paper. Her social calendar consists of attending little intimate events by the lady folk of their fair town, with the helping hand coming from the maid. In every case the African American maid is the lynch pin for every household. Indeed Skeeter herself was as good as raised by their maid, seeing very little of her Mother.
Segregation is rife still, and looks to get worse, with a new Bill looking to be passed in Congress which would mean seperate toilets. And for Skeeter, this is one stop too far.  She decides to write a book, detailing the lifes of these African American maids, what they have to endure, the families they work for. At first the maids are reluctant to come forward and tell their story, for fear of repercussions. But soon the tide starts to turn.

The story is beautifully told, mostly through the eyes of two maids in particular, Aibileen and Minny. They not only have to deal with being treated as second rate citizens, but also with hard-ships within their own households. There are great performances all round, from a predominantly female cast, and boy do they shine.

With a running time of almost two and a half hours, it may seem a little long, but rest assured the time just flies by.

Great story, great acting,great film........8 out of 10

"Contagion"

The stars certainly came out for this one.
Normally any of the main stars of this film can carry a picture by themselves, but here they are together for Director Steven Soderbergh, with enough Oscars between them to almost fill the Shrine Auditorium.

The film is concerned with the latest virus epidemic which is sweeping across the US, and indeed the rest of the World. The film concerns itself with the plight of certain individuals, the Father who has lost his wife and son, and struggles to survive along with his daughter. There are two Physicians battling to find a cure for the disease. The Blogger who believes in telling the truth about the disease and the alledged billions being made by Companies, and the cover-up over the spread of the virus. It is these stories that give the film its humanity, and those stories are well told.

Soderbergh is adequate in the Director's chair, but has done far better work. Of the actors, Matt Damon is the star that shines brightest, as he usually does.

Well I first heard about this virus thriller from Warner Bros. I immediately thought back to their last effort, the thriller "Outbreak", and if one is to do a comparison, then for me "Outbreak" is far in front. What was most chilling was the simplicity of what caused the virus, and how quickly it took effect.

The shape of things to come?????............6 out of 10

"Anonymous"

There is alot of chatter amongst writers, actors, Directors and the likes of as to whether William Shakespeare wrote all those classic tales himself, or whether he "acquired them" and passed them off as his own. This film looks at that very debate.

Getting your work onto the stage during the reign of Queen Elizabeth was not an easy task. And it can be more difficult if you are part of the titled gentry, just like the Earl of Oxford. Such is the high quality of his writing, yet he cannot publish it under his own name, so allows a theatrical acquaintance to do so. But along the way, the waters become muddy, and the person who ends up claiming to have written these works is one William Shakespeare, despite the fact that he is illiterate.

The rightful ownership of "Macbeth" and "Romeo & Juliet" is just half of the story, with the other half dealing with the fight for the throne, as Queen Elizabeth comes ever closer to her death-bed, there are those who believe that James of Scotland should be King.
Despite wanting to see the struggle about Shakespeare and his works on screen, the Monarchy fight does seem to dominate, which was disappointing.
And for some bizarre reason, whenever Shakespeare is on screen, it seems to be purely for comic relief, and I am afraid to say that Rafe Spall gives the worst portrayal of William Shakpespeare I have ever seen.
Rhys Ifans is excellent as The Earl of Oxford, as is Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Elizabeth. And one never needs an excuse to see Sir Derek Jacobi on the big screen.
It is quite a departure for Director Roland Emmerich, who is normally associated with big blockbusters and films depicting the end of the world.

Not bad, but could have been greatly improved.........5 out of 10

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show"

Having never seen this classic before, what better way to commemorate Halloween than a screening at the flickers of this camp classic.

One had an idea of what to expect, but was not sure how it would go down.
'Dr. Frank N Furter' is creating is own idea of man, for his enjoyment. During the proceedings, along come Brad and Janet, two stranded motorists, seeking refuge. They certainly get more than they bargained for in this re-working of the classic Frankenstein story, with more make-up and lip gloss than on sale at Boots Chemist.
The songs come thick and fast, and are wonderfully funny. One cannot help but smile when you hear the first few beats of 'The Timewarp'.
It has a unique kind of humour, and it works so wonderfully well, with just the best performances, especially from marvellous Tim Curry as 'Dr. Frank N Furter', and boy does he look good in that glorious creation of a costume.

Richard O'Brien is a genius for his creation of the show, and working on the film. It still brilliantly stands the test of time.
For me the show is almost stolen by Charles Gray, I doubt I will ever be able to take "Diamonds are Forever" seriously again, all I will be waiting for is for 'Blofeld' to take a step to the left, then the right and put his hands on his hips etc.

Mad, camp, crazy and addictively funny.......8 out of 10

"The Ides of March"

The political drama is back, and on top form. 
Governor Mike Morris is running for President, and along side him is his trusty team. One of those being staff member Stephen Meyers. Very idealistic and committed to the cause, and getting his boss into The White House. He becomes involved with one of the interns, but to save any embarrassment, in other words, he does not want his colleagues to know about her, he refers to her as 'the cleaning lady' when asked who is in his room. This becomes quite a joke for them, until it is apparent that she has been 'cleaning' for the Governor also.
Meyers is also approached by Tom Duffy, the Campaign Manager of the Governor's opponent. This meeting will cost Meyers dearly.

It is a compelling story told brilliantly in the 100 minute running time. Clooney excels both in the Director's chair, and also as the charasmatic Governor. The film boasts an all star cast, all delivering top notch performances, the best of which comes from Ryan Gosling, who can do no wrong, his films are coming thick and fast, and each as good as the other, though I have yet to see "Crazy Stupid Love". Certainly the man of the moment.

There are plenty of twists and turns, and more than a fair share of back-stabbing. Great story, fantastic cast, what more could you want?    8 out of 10

"The Three Musketeers"

Well it was never going  to demand much of the brain was it?  I did expect to really not like this movie, but as is often the case, the film industry can surprise you. It is the same old story of The Musketeers are in decline, and barely in use these days. Off to make his fortune and join in is young D'Artagnan. Richelieu is plotting some dastardly scheme, along with the help of Lord Buckingham. And then it all kicks off in a wonderful romp.

It is one of those movies that if you leave your brain in the foyer and just go along for the ride, then you will find it as entertaining as this viewer. There are some great moments, wonderful set pieces, the sets and costumes are amazing, there is some nice light relief, quite a bit is courtesy of James Corden, who I did not know was in the film.

With all the ships flying around, and a score similar in nature, it has a feel more like "Pirates of the Caribbean", and certainly more like what "Pirates" should have been like, especially the awful "On Stranger Tides".

The cast are all good fun, the three leads are are decent enough, and Logan Lerman is ok as the young addition to the group. Special mention  to Christoph Waltz hamming it up wonderfully, and Mads Mikkelsen doing villainry as only he can.

The film is geared for a sequel, but given the lack of money taken at the Box office, and the lead actress slamming Summit Entertainment for their lack of publicising the film, don't expect the second movie anytime soon, if indeed at all. Shame really.

All for one.........6 out of 10

"Drive"

Sometimes when you see a trailer, you may get an inkling that a film is going to be good. And sometimes you can get it totally wrong. I susepcted that I was onto a winner here, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see.

Ryan Gosling plays a driver, with two careers. One legal in that he does stunt work on movies, the other job is not so legal, as he acts as a getaway driver for anyone wanting his expertise to avoid the Police. He has a nice quiet existence, also working in a garage with Shannon, someone who has looked out for him over the years.
He then starts a friendship with neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan), and her young son. Their friendship grows, but Irene's husband is released from prison, and the friendship comes to a halt. With husband still owing money to his former cell-mates, Gosling takes it upon himself to help out and offer his unique skills, sadly all does not go to plan, and the story escalates with a battle between locals hoodlums and the mafia.

I was totallly blown away by this film. Right from the start it really grabs your attention. It is beautifully shot, and has an excellent score, reminiscent of an 80's soundtrack both in relation to the score and the songs used in the film.
The story is brilliantly told by Director Nicolas Winding Refn, who was responsible for Brit Flick "Bronson".
All the cast excel in their roles, but top marks especially to Gosling, who gives a phenomenal performance. At times he is so quiet and understated, you would not believe that his character could harm a fly. The film has an '18' certificate, and it is with very good reason.

I eagerly await the opportunity to see this most excellent film again. I cannot recommend highly enough. Films like this do not come along very often...........10 out of 10

"Killer Elite"

I often wonder why I continue to watch films starring Jason Statham, as he has a really poor track record. The only film of his I have really enjoyed was "Cellular" and that was a few years ago. Has his latest film faired any better than some of his more recent efforts?

Am afraid not. In fact it will be going down as one of his worst.
A Middle Eastern Leader wants revenge against the British Soldiers who were responsible for the deaths of three of his sons. So to carry out his vengeance, he hires a  mercenary (De Niro) who will do his dirty work for him.  When things go wrong, the mercenary is held for ransom, so that his associates will carry on what he was unable to do. Statham heads up the associates, and seeing as the kidnapped victim is like a mentor and father figure to him, he is rather keen to have him freed.

There are no characters to cheer for, all are pretty loathsome. At times the film is bland, dull and tedious. Statham is the same as he seems to be in the majority of his movies. Clive Owen is very clearly wasted, with a masterpiece like "The International" under his belt, he should be passing on such banal material as this.
De Niro is clearly unable to get the parts anymore to allow him to show what a phenomenal actor he is. A great talent is really being wasted. Either wait for those great roles again, or retire. Don't demean such a great career with more of these going through the motion roles.

A great waste of my time....and the few marks it does get is for a decent and tense chase sequence on a dual carriageway........2 out of 10

"Shark Night 3D"

The water has always been a key ingredient of so many great movies, "Jaws", "The Abyss", "Waterworld"...maybe not so much the last one.

But here we have another adventure on the water, and like Spielberg's classic, we have to contend with some rather big sharks. The film starts with a group of students, who after lots of book reading, decide to head to an island retreat for some relaxing, amongst other things. With it being the home town of one of the group, they should have nothing to fear from the locals...right?  Wrong. There are the usual Hill-Billy type characters, the writers must have really been stretched with their plots and characters. The deaths come quite quickly and in fast succession.

Some are inventive, I have to say that I do not recall having ever seen such athletic sharks. They should be taking part in the Olympics. The reason behind the sharks being in the water, and what the local yokels are upto is certainly different. It is not boring, that much I can say.

Just about manages to keep its head above the water........4 out of 10

"Abduction"

Nathan (Taylor Lautner) enjoys his life, for the most part. Socialising with his friends, trying to capture the heart of the girl who lives opposite, but also having to deal with his law laying father, who likes to instill some discipline in his son. During a class project, he is paired up with the girl of his dreams, but problems ensue when they visit some missing children websites for the project, and it seems possible that Nathan may be one of those pictured on the website as missing, and if he is, who are the two people he lives with pretending to be his parents?
It would also seem he is not the only one on the website as an East European terrorist has created the website for the very purpose of tracking down Nathan, as his father is actually a Spy, as happens every day, and the terrorist wants to kidnap Nathan to force his Spy father to return some property he stole. Lots of chases follow yadda yadda yadda.

Hmmm....this is not a great film, good is being over generous. The story is farcical, and not at all compelling. There is little to no tension, for the most part a very talented cast are very wasted. And when I say talented cast, I mean the more veteran actors, wonderful stars like Alfred Molina and Sigourney Weaver.

Save your money, you will thank me......3 out of 10

"Friends With Benefits"

Another rom.com I hear you cry. What would want to make me watch another?  As usual, boy has girl, girl dumps boy, boy meets girl, boy and girl have sex but no relationship, girl then loves boy and on it goes.
The premise for the film is enjoyable, and allows for some amusing and entertaining moments. It is nicely played out by both Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake, who it has to be said, is turning out some really good performances of late, and proving to be quite the little actor. Who would have thought it.
There is also a nice little backstory involving the father of Dylan (Timberlake), who is wonderfully played by Richard Jenkins.

So yes do go see it. It's funny, sexy and entertaining, and has some nice performances in it

7 out of 10

"The Phantom of the Opera" 25th Anniversary Concert

I had the immense pleasure of getting to see the Anniversary concert for The Phantom of the Opera live fom the Royal Albert Hall on a local cinema screen. Being unable to attend the show in person, it was the next best thing. And I am really glad that I went.


From start to finish it is a delight to watch. Like just about everyone in the civilised world, I am well versed with the story. I have seen various productions over the years using the storyline, or variations there of. And this has to rank as the best. The sets were great, the costumes are all to die for, the performances from all the cast are outstanding, and those wonderful songs are so haunting. It is so easy to see why the show remains so popular.

Being an Anniversary concert, there were some extra surprises at the end, seeing four previous Phantoms together on stage. Also seeing Sarah Brightman, and also hearing her perform, and best of all was seeing Michael Crawford on stage, very clearly moved by the production and the anniversary.

A great evening out......9 out of 10

"Jurassic Park"

There has been a real lack of re-releases at my local cinema so far this year, a trend it seems to be continuing from 2010.
But thankfully we see a welcome return this week of the monster classic "Jurassic Park" from Director Steven Spielberg.

You all know the story I'm story, but just in case.....Through the cloning process dinosaurs are recreated and allowed to walk the Earth once again, only within the confines of a Park, which the public will be allowed to visit. During initial preparations, a worker is killed by a dinosaur, and the family are taking legal action against billionaire John Hammond, the man and money behind the enterprise. To appease the courts he enlists the help of Dino experts Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler, and also Theorist Ian Malcolm. They are given a tour of the facilities, along with a lawyer and Hammond's Grandchildren.
Unbeknownst to them all, a disgruntled employee is hoping to sneak off the island with 15 dinosaur embryos to sell on to a rival company. He throws the Park into disarray to effect his escape, and this is where all hell breaks loose, and so do the dinosaurs.

Hard to believe that it has been almost 20 years since the original release. And it still is one thrill of  ride. The visual and special effects are still awesome, for the most part, it does however have to be said that a few effects now look a little dated, though technology has moved on in leaps and bounds in those 20 years. Without doubt the T-Rex sequences are still stunning, and remain a firm favourite. The whole cast are delightful in their roles and the score from John Williams is always a winner.

A great film for Cinema viewers young and old.....8 out of 10

"One Day"

The same day over a 20 year period is shown in the lives of two friends, who have known each other since University. We see the ups and downs as each successive year we wonder whether they will or won't get together in a proper relationship. They have dabbled with one another, but a relationship has not been forthcoming. Over the years their lives do become more seperate as 'Dexter' becomes involved with television as the presenter of a late night youth programme, and 'Emma' is a struggling writer who tries to stay afloat with work, whilst desperately trying to become a published author.
Emma's strong feelings for Dexter are not always reciprocated, as he seems to jump from one bed to another. Neither seem to be all that successful with the partners that they do find, and the same is said of their careers. The ultimate question is will they get settled down together?

I have been looking forward to this film for some time, and was glad to finally be watching it. Unfortunately it failed to live up to my expectations. The idea of taking one day from each year may work well within the best selling book that the film is based, but for me it did not work that well as a film. You just start to get settled into the current chapter of their lives, when it jumps forward another year, and in some instances it jumps literally within seconds.
Although the character of Dexter is not always a likeable one, of the two leads Jim Sturgess is given the best opportunity to shine.
Although I have not read the book, the build-up towards the end was all rather predictable. One could see the inevitable 'happening' a mile off.

A nice idea on paper, which is probably where it should have stayed.....5 out of 10

"30: Minutes Or Less"

Two rednecks need $100,000 fast so they can pay a hitman to bump off a parent, and therefore pocket millions in the process. So as not be implicated in the crime, they decide to strap a bomb to a Pizza delivery guy, and force him to rob a bank on their behalf.

Sounds hilarious, and given that it is from the creative team behind the smash comedy "Zombieland" and also stars Jesse Eisenberg, you would think that they would be onto a winning formula. How wrong can you be?
Putting it plain and simply, the film just isn't funny. The only time it gets even close to being funny is when the Bank robbery is undertaken. But it lasts only a couple of minutes. There was alot that could have been funnier, but it was not meant to be. The only cast member to come out of the film with any dignity is Aziz Ansari.

Given what had gone before, this should have been alot funnier....2 out of 10

"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

George Smiley, British Spy, is ousted from the Secret Service along with his Department Head, Control. Just before their so called 'retirement', Control heard rumblings of a mole within the British Secret Service. The rumours continue and so Smiley returns to the corridors of his former workplace to try and uncover the mole.

At long last, the film I have been eagerly wanting to see. It is seldom these days that I build up my expectations for a movie, as all too often one ends up bitterly disappointed. But it is hard to do when one sees the trailer for a film like this.

The recreation of the 1973 setting is excellent, the dark and grainy look of the film adds to the tension. And as anyone will know it has the very best of British acting talent in its cast. With the likes of John Hurt, Ciaran Hinds, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch, it is well worth the price of admission for the cast alone. Leading them all is Gary Oldman as George Smiley, it a beautifully understated performance, so quiet and subtle. He will surely need to make some space on the mantlepiece for his plethora of Awards, for believe me, they will be forthcoming.

One does have to pay attention as the timeline skips about alot, and with this spy thriller there is a very labyrinthine plot, and despite the subject matter, there are no car chases, no big explosions, no major fight scenes, just alot of men talking, the odd lady too. Yes it is a very dialogue driven film, so any fans of either Bond or Bourne should stay well clear.
But for this Cinema viewer, just listening to the delivery of a first class script, based on John Le Carre's classic words, and watching incredibly talented actors at the top of their game...well, it does not get much better than this.

A crime to miss it

10 out of 10 - Updated. Cannot believe I initally only scored it 9. It is the perfect film

"Colombiana"

A young girl sees her parents murdered by her the henchman of her father's former business associate. She flees the scene and with some help from the US Government, manages to get to the US. There she flees the Agents looking after her, and is able to find her remaining family living in the States.
She is determined to avenge her parents death, and asks her Uncle to train her to become a killer.

Jump forward several years, and the young girl has grown into the beautiful Zoe Saldana. Now she does the occasional hit on behalf of her Uncle, whilst also working towards killing the men responsible for the deaths of her parents.
The film comes from the team behind "Taken", which I find to be a first rate thriller. Sadly this latest effort falls flat on its own arse. The storyline is a composite of sections from so many other movies, and ultimately is an exercise in explosions, guns and Ms. Saldana looking glamorous.

Seeing what could be done with "Taken", this should have been so much better.

3 out of 10

"A Lonely Place To Die"

A nice little mountain climbing trip for some friends, the beauty of Scottish hills, what could possibly go wrong?

It would seem plenty. The group of five friends are enjoying their trip in the hills when a cry attracts their attention. They discover a young girl buried alive in the ground. They free her, but that is when their troubles really begin, as the men who buried her are on the scene, and are keen to recapture her.

I knew very little about this film before having viewed, and this benefitted me greatly. This is one of the best films I have seen all year. From the first frame the film never lets go. The characters backstory and friendship is set up very efficiently, allowing the Director to get on with telling the story. It is very compelling, taut, and has some stunning photography.
The kidnappers start to lower the quota of mountain climbing friends, but this is a film of two halves as we change scenery in the second half to a local Scottish village, where the Kidnappers, Mountain Climbers, and the men with money all converge.

It may sound far fetched, but is far from it. The story is brilliantly written and has an excellent cast bringing it to life. Julian Gilbey is at the top of his game and his Directing skills are showing British Talent at its very best, alongside his equally talented brother William.

For a suspense filled time at the cinema, I can think of nothing better to recommend than this masterpiece......9 out of 10

RIP Cliff Robertson

Oscar Winner Cliff Robertson sadly passed away yesterday. He was 88.

For me an instantly recognisable face, always reliable with such great performances in films like "Too Late The Hero", "Three Days of the Condor", and for me personally I best remember him for his work on the 80's soap "Falcon Crest". He is no doubt better known to younger cinema attendees as 'Ben Parker' in the Sam Raimi "Spiderman" films.
He was also one of a legion of actors to play The President which he did in "Escape From L.A."

Rest in peace Mr. Robertson

"Apollo 18"

Films of this type tend to fall into one of two camps, "The Blair Witch" camp i.e absolutely terrible or the "Paranormal Activity" camp, i.e really well done.

And how does this latest effort fare? Alas it falls into the former. I was really looking forward to this film, as I had first seen the trailer some time ago, and it really had me interested. Unfortunately it failed to deliver.
The documentary style does work well with the subject matter, and the initial build up is nicely done, but for a horror, there is a real lack of tension. There is the odd make you jump moment, but it lacks that punch.
There are also alot of unanswered questions about the film, and quite frankly I am now far too bored with this cinematic experience to want to delve into them now....or ever

Had potential, but failed on delivery.......4 out of 10 (REVISED SCORE 3 OUT OF 10)

PS - Roll on "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

"The Inbetweeners Movie"

It was a tough choice whether to watch this film, as I have never seen a single episode of the hit comedy series. And I still have the horrific memories of having watched "Serenity" and the makers of that film having not given any consideration to the fact that some viewers may not have seen "Firefly"....anyway back to the film at hand.

Four lads are leaving school, and decide to go on a lads holiday for plenty of sun, sea and many other words beginning with 'S'.
It is the usual kind of jokes, and at times they are funny. Certainly someone who was in the Cinema with us found it very funny, either she was on something or was a big fan of the show, could not decide which. It is a decent enough effort, and yes it has tempted me to start watching the show. There were no real laugh out loud moments. Yet I don't feel my lack of enjoyment was due to not having seen the show previously.

Passable......6 out of 10

"Dexter" series 5

Well, another series has come to a close.....and how has this one fared?

A series can really start to flag as we get to the fourth / fifth series etc. As much as I loved "The West Wing", nothing could get close to the brilliance of those first two seasons. So it was with much delight that I welcomed season 4 of "Dexter", which saw the show return to the very top of its game, just like that first season.
It was always going to be a tough act to follow, and it proved to be too tough. With 12 episodes screened, it was a show of two halves. The first half was bland, dull, not much to engage the viewer. The storyline at times just too convenient. It was with the appearance of the guest stars that the show started to come to life, most notably Johnny Lee Miller as 'Jordan Chase' and Peter Weller as 'Liddy'. At last there were signs of life in the Story-writers, and the Series started to pick up some pace and tension.

Star of the series.....well there is no debate there....Julia Styles step forward. Such a brilliant performance as the tortured Lumen, you can see why she was nominated for a Golden Globe.

After a weak start, the Series managed to pull it back, and would be my third favourite season.

"Fright Night"

Alot of people have gone on about this remake, and how it is such a bad idea, and what a travesty it is. To be honest I have not seen the original in a very long time, but from what memories I do have, I do not recall being all that impressed, so for me, this is the kind of film that is ripe for being remade.

I think ultimately the storyline is not that engaging. It is alright, and does the job, but having a vampire as a neighbour.....yawn!  Anton Yelchin does a decent job as 'Charley', and I like the exploration of his friendship with 'Ed' brilliantly played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and how they had been close friends, but when 'Charley' becomes more cool, he distances himself from 'Ed'.

Farrell is ok in the Vampire role of 'Jerry', but there are no demands made of him, nothing that makes the role stand out, a cheaper actor could have done just as good a job if not better. He was far better cast in the recent comedy "Horrible Bosses".

I seem to recall having a soft spot for Roddy McDowell as 'Peter Vincent' in the original movie, and have to say that things do start to pick up when David Tennant arrives on screen, playing the same role, and I am not just saying that with being a huge WHO fan, as I am not the only one to think it. He brings more charisma and humour to the screen, and plays the part wonderfully. At times foul mouthed, and such a departure from some of his previous roles. Highlight was the scene where was he was explaining about the problems of wearing leather trousers!!

Effects not bad, but not the greatest, have seen far better, and overall they are a bit of a letdown.

To sum up, its ok but just. Tennant and and the younger cast members save it from being a total disaster.  5 out of 10

"Final Destination 5"

I know it's the same old thing, group of young people cheat death, and death gets pretty miffed about it, so comes calling to reclaim his prey.

Ultimately the film is about finding new and inventive ways to kill off the death cheaters. And yes there are some innovative methods used. It's actually not a bad film, and although I will not reveal what happens at the end, it is nice that the series has come full circle, and you don't have to be Hercule Poirot to predict what happens at the end, I mean even I saw it coming!!!

As ever there are no real demands made of the cast, they are typically there to look pretty, in most cases, and die effectively. Nice to see Tony Todd do spooky as only he can.

For a fifth film in the series it shows no sign of dying, and it works quite nicely. The bridge collapse at the start is well executed (forgive the pun), though as usual the 3D element adds little to the overall effect.

Worth the price of admission......6 out of 10

"Rise Of The Planet of The Apes"

At long last finally saw the movie last night, and despite the wait, I was not disappointed. Thought it was very thought provoking, and very well made. Also it is visually stunning, 'Caeser' is wonderfully brought to life with amazing visual effects and a beautiful performance by Andy Serkis.

I have not seen any of the earlier "Apes" movies, whether this has benefitted me I do not know, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There are some quite stunning set pieces, and the highlight of the movie has to be when 'Caeser' first speaks.

A very worthy 8 of 10

Timelord Tales

Sunday 21st August 2011 was back in Chiswick for the latest event from 'Fantom Films'.


The theme for the attending guests was having appeared in "Doctor Who" stories involving Timelords. There was an excellent selection of guests, including the following:

Michael Jayston
Alibe Parsons
Daniel Hill
Victoria Burgoyne
Sylvia Seymour
Simon Thomas
Theresa Banham
Peter Craze
Trevor Martin
Hugh Walters
Dan Starkey
Tracey Ifeachor

There was only one no show and that was Patrick Ryecart. Some wonderful stories were told, and had some great photographs taken. All in all a pretty fantastic day. The guys at FF really do us proud.

Alibe Parsons who played 'Matrona Mani' in "Mindwarp" and also played 'Maxine Fine' in "Biggles"

Dan Starkey who has played several Sontarans opposite both David Tennant and Matt Smith

Daniel Hill who played 'Chris Parsons' in "Shada"

Hugh Walters who has appeared as 'William Shakespeare' in "The Chase", 'Runcible' in "The Deadly Assassin" and 'Vogel' in "Revalation of the Daleks"

Michael Jayston who played 'The Valeyard' during the "Trial of a Timelord" season

Peter Craze who played 'Dako' in "The Space Museum", and also played 'Costa' in "Nightmare of Eden"

Simon Thomas who appeared in David Tennant's swan song "The End of Time"

Sylvia Seymour who like Simon appeared in "The End of Time"

Theresa Banham also appeared in "The End of Time"

Tracy Ifeachor played 'Abigail Naismith' in "The End of Time"

Trevor Martin played a Timelord in "The War Games" and has was the voice of 'The Beast' in the wonderful fantasy movie "Krull"

The very lovely Victoria Burgoyne who played 'Clare' in "Shada"