"The Expendables 2"

That motley crew of mostly 80's has beens returns for another action packed outing with "The Expendables 2".

The first film did moderate business at the box office. In their hey day, any one of the lead stars could have doubled the takings had they been at the height of their box office power. But times have changed almost thirty years have passed. The stars are looking older. But can they still walk the walk?

The answer is a resounding yes, they most certainly can.
For me in some respects this movie has something fundamental in common with "The Avengers Assemble ",a film that came out earlier this year. The storyline of the film is of little consequence, as its only purpose is to bring this group of characters together for some action packed fun. At the end of the day you are not paying for an Oscar winning Screenplay, you are paying to see some of biggest action stars of the 1980's together for the first and possibly only time ever. I say first time, as there are the same actors from the first film here again, with a few new additions to the cast.

Church is the man who assigns the missions to Barney Ross and his team of Expendables. Church feels that the team let him down after their previous mission did not go the way he had hoped. And he feels that he is owed one by the group. So he assigns Ross and Co. to venture off to track down a fallen plane, the hold of which contains a safe and within the safe is a device which contains the location of a huge haul of plutonium, and the mission is to get the device before anyone gets their hands on it.
Before we even get to this part of the film, there is a brilliant action packed opening sequence, where the team are sent to retrieve a kidnapped Asian business man, and his rescuer, who has also been kidnapped. Cue a great start to this movie.
As mentioned, there some new names in the cast, ranging in age from a sprightly 22 to a geriatric 72. Though not naming any names.

As one would expect, the plan to obtain the device does not go to plan, and it soon is in the hands of chief villain 'Villain', as played by the Muscles from Brussels himself, Jean-Claude Van Damme. Nice to see him back on screen.
Thankfully the major improvement from the first movie is that both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis are given more screen time. There are also a couple of surprises along the way, both take place within the first 30 minutes of the film.

I have to say that as much as I was looking forward to seeing JCVD on screen, the biggest surprise was Chuck Norris. He is someone that has never really made an impact on me, but he is given a great entrance, and plays his scenes very well. There are some good in film gags, involving several of the actors on screen. This provided quite a bit of humour.

Revenge is sought by The Expendables, I won't explain why, as I do not wish to ruin the film, but this is when the cavalry arrives in the shape of 'Church' played by Bruce Willis, and 'Trench' played by Arnold Schwarzengger. It all leads to a huge shoot-out in an Airport. All the big players are there, armed to the teeth, doing what they do best. And this is what your admission ticket is for. It really is quite a spectacular sequence, brilliantly executed, with a bit of humour, but just seeing these great faces from the 80's, killing everything in sight, one more time. Fantastic.

EXciting.....EXplosive....EXactly what makes a great trip to the Cinema......8 out 10

PS - At the time of writing this review, the film is the second week of its release, and has suffered at the Box Office, but so has every other major film on release in the US. More the timing than the film, but I hope it makes enough money to give Lionsgate and Millenium the incentive to make "The Expendables 3". We so need to see the likes to Wesley Snipes and Steven Seagal in the third film. Fingers crossed.

"The Dark Knight Rises"

It has been 8 years since the death of the District Attourney of Gotham, alledgedly at the hands of 'Batman', but with his death came the 'Harvey Dent Act', a powerful law which gave the Police and the relevant Authorities increased powers to not only convict but incarcerate criminals. As many as a thousand criminals are now behind bars because of this act, and it has made Gotham a much safer city. Surely something to be proud of?

But the act was created through a lie, a act of deceit, and with that deceit there has to be a reckoning. And that reckoning is coming.....in the shape of 'Bane'.
Gotham may be clean of villains, but it has also been clear of both 'Bruce Wayne' and his alter ego 'Batman'. Wayne has become the Howard Hughes of the modern generation. He locks himself away in a quiet wing of the Wayne mansion, rumours circulate as to what he looks like, what his health condition is like. During a Charity event, his safe is broken into by 'Selina Kyle', masquerading as a waitress. Initially it seems she is after a stunning pearl necklace, but her actual intention is to get her hands on the fingerprints of 'Bruce Wayne'.
These fingerprints will be used by shady business John Daggett to cause the ruination of the Wayne Empire. His ultimate aim is to get his hands on the Applied Sciences Division of the Wayne Corporation, and also to obtain a nuclear fusion device. Initially created to be a source of energy, but put on hold by 'Wayne' fearing it could be used for a far deadlier purpose.
But Daggett is merely a front man. The one in charge pulling on the strings is 'Bane', a ruthless, incredibly powerful criminal, intent to see the rich and decadent of Gotham have their wealth redistributed, and barring that he will wipe Gotham from the face of the Earth having converted the fusion power source into a bomb.

With his beloved Gotham at risk once more, and seeing 'Bane' on the horizon, 'Bruce Wayne' knows that his other identity has to return' but the return comes at a cost.
'Batman' attempts to bring down 'Bane' but only finds himself ill prepared, and unable to deal with immense strength, and naturally 'Bane' gets the better of him. He imprisons our fallen hero in the Prison that was his home for many years, leaving to him to rot in a pit of despair.

The pit however will not become a permanant home for the Caped Crusader, and the scene is then set for the ultimate show down between the two masked men.

I have probably made the screenplay sound a lot more complicated than it actually is. It is brilliantly written. Nolan, through the original work of 'Batman' creator Bob Kane, has created some truly memorable characters, all brought to life by the very best in acting talent. You only have to look at some of the many names in the cast, there are many Oscar winners and nominees involved, and though this does not always mean the best acting talent, in this case it clearly does. And though it is hard to single out any from such a distinguished and talented cast, for me there are a few who truly shine bright.
There is Gary Oldman as 'Commissioner Gordon' who brings his worldly wisdom to the great law man of Gotham. Anne Hathaway is sultry, sexy and every bit the equal of 'Batman' as 'Selina Kyle'. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has long been an actor to watch and admire, and again he does admirable work as the cop off the street, somewhat hot-headed but determined that right should always prevail, a loner who sees similarities with the lonliness that follows 'Bruce Wayne'. Tom Hardy has probably the hardest job of all, how to convey emotions behind just a big mask, but he does a really stunning job, the voice is haunting, his bulk is quite something, but it is the eyes, he gives his performance almost solely through the eyes of his character and does so brilliantly. And of course there is Michael Caine who returns as 'Alfred' the long time butler of the Wayne Mansion. But he is so much more than that, and so is his performance. The love that 'Alfred' has for 'Bruce' is so beautifully conveyed in some very moving scenes.

As one would expect, the action comes thick and fast, and Nolan has really upped his game since "The Dark Knight", making great strides with his work using the IMAX cameras. They take the film to a whole new level. The action is pivotal to the film, and not just there for the sake of it, like some action films that we have seen earlier this year.
The photography is some of the best I have ever seen, and Cinematographer Wally Pfister will most ceratinly be nominated for an Oscar, and barring any major competition, deserves to win.
There is a thundering, rousing score from Hans Zimmer, that wonderfully accompanies the imagery on screen.
Some of the cast have already been mentioned, but it is rare to be able to say this, but there is not one poor performance in the entire cast. Everyone is at the top of their game, giving their best.

There are so many memorable scenes in the film, especially the destruction of an American Football pitch, also the first appearance of 'The Bat', and it all builds to a haunting and moving finale. With a running time of just under three hours, you never get bored, there isn't even any annoying scenes which Directors sometimes use to pad out the running time. Nolan has your 100% attention for the entire 164 minutes. And believe me, you will love every single minute of it.

Visionary British Director Christopher Nolan has come a long way since those early days of films like "Memento" and "Insomnia". He has long held this vision of 'Batman' and has wonderfully brought it to life, both with his amazing Direction, and his first class writing. This awesome trilogy that he has created will be watched for many years to come.

Going to the Cinema is about the experience, and if ever there is a film that HAS to be watched on the big screen, then it is "The Dark Knight Rises", and wherever possible I urge an viewers to see it on an IMAX screen, as it is an experience that you will never forget.

The legacy is complete......Bob Kane will be so proud......a well deserved 10 out of 10

"Magic Mike"

Mike works on a building site within the daytime. He also has a dream to take his hobby into a full time profession which is designing and building his own unique style of furniture. But he also has a secret. To fund his dream his building work does not provide enough money, so to increase his financial gain he works in a club in the evenings....as a male stripper.

Looking for work at the building site one day, is Adam, a young man looking to earn some cash. Mike takes him under his wing, and looks after him. When out for a drink, Mike sees that the ladies clearly take a shine to Adam, and he wonders whether he might be interested in some extra cash, in the same way that he does. So he goes to see his boss Dallas, who runs the male Strip troupe. They try Adam out on stage, and as expected he becomes a hit, both with the audience on film, and with the Cinema audience.

There are some well executed dance routines, all performed with great style by all the male cast members. Channing Tatum clearly at home, as this was an area of work he had been involved with before turning his hand to movies. The sight of Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer stripping on screen more than enough of a reason for this viewer to watch the film, which is very entertaining.

There is a but though. It is a film of two halves, the first half looking at the guys going their routines and seeing the fun that can had, and this is where a lot of the entertainment stems from. The second half sees a much darker time, with the success that Adam has, he ends up getting involved with drugs, and his character ends up on a slippery slope, and makes for a more sombre mood. If the film had either been solely for entertainment, or showing the dangers of what excess can bring then fine, but to try and combine the two, sadly it does not work.

Tatum and Pettyfer as strippers.....what more is there to say.....6 out of 10

"Ice Age 4: Continental Drift"

After the dire third film in the series, it was with some trepidation that I ventured to see sequel number three. Would it follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, or would it bring the franchise back from the dead?

I am pleased to say that the film is so good, it could even be my most favoured yet.

With the passing of time, the World as we know it, has started to take shape. And this means that the land masses are starting to move. And that the lands that our favourite jurassic creatures know and love are beginning to change. Naturally this means a whole new adventure for the motley crew.

The animation is faultess. The story is entertaining, and the laughs come thick and very fast, in this truly laugh out loud film. It may be ultimately aimed at the children, but forget that. If you like animation, and a really good belly laugh, then you could do far worse than watch this new release.

Far from the risk of extinction....this film is a monster hit.......8 out of 10

"Storage 24"

Charlie is having a pretty bad day. He has just been dumped by his girlfriend, he is at a loss as to know why. The film opens with him in a car with his friend, Mark, who is trying to console him, as they make their way to a storage facility. Charlie just wants to get his possessions back.
When they arrive at the unit, Charlie days gets worse, when he finds out that they are not alone. His ex-girlfriend had the same idea. Words are exchanged, and tempers are raised.

But that is nothing compared with what happens next.
A plane crashes not too far from where the Storage unit is, and it is clear that one thing on board did survive the crash. And it is not necessarily of this world. For it seems that the plane was transporting an extra terrestrial and now it is loose in London.
With the plane having crashed, it has caused a power loss in the area, so the storage unit has gone into automatic lock-down. And unfortunately for the people inside, the alien creature has now gained access.
Havoc soon follows as the humans team up to both find a why out of the facility and also to prevent themselves from being killed by the alien intruder.

As much as I adore Noel Clarke, who for me is one of the brightest talents within the British Film Industry, it has to be said that is not his greatest screenplay. Whether it is the writing or the performances or more likely a combination of both, the characters are pretty dull, you want to give them all a good slapping. They are not really brought to life, and so you don't care at all what happens to them.
It is pretty formulaic, it has been done before, and been done a lot better. The Direction from Johannes Roberts is very weak, providing little tension.
The effects in creating the alien creature range from ok to poor.

At the end of the day, you have to admire the intentions of the Director and Writer but maybe they set their goals a little out of their price range. Maybe spent a little longer writing the screenplay.

The saving grace of the film, though it was a case of too little too late for this viewer, is that it has a killer ending. Loved it.

Nice idea......but lacked on delivery.......4 out of 10

"The Amazing Spider-Man"

The famous web slinger is back in this new franchise from Sony.

But there are some big shoes to film. Director Sam Raimi had created a great legacy, bringing to life the world of Peter Parker.
So how would this new series of films fare?

Relative unknown Marc Webb is given the Director's chair, and does a first class job, both in telling the story, and also providing plenty to be entertained by.
The story sees Peter Parker trying to uncover the truth as to what happened to his parents, when they mysteriously left, leaving him with his Aunt and Uncle. During his investigation, it leads Peter to 'Oscorp' the Company his father was working for, and directly to the offices of Dr. Curt Connors. A scientist who is keen to reap the rewards of his research. A deformity leaves him with one fully working arm, and he aims to see both his arms restored to full glory. But his obsession comes at a price. Using the restorative genetics of a lizard, he injects himself, and sure enough his arm is back, but other aspects of the genes work themselves into his system, and before long he is transformed into a raging lizard, rampaging through the city.

With such a vital lead character at the heart of the film, you have to find the right lead actor to play that role. There were several questions asked when it was announced that Andrew Garfield was taking over from Tobey Maguire, as to his suitably. I for one would never question his acting skills. His talent is obvious, and I felt he would bring a new dimension to Peter Parker, and this he truly does. Maguire was good, but for me this is totally Andrew Garfield's gig. He can do the nerd, the humour, the action, the romance, and he is a bloody good actor.
Emma Stone, who is becoming quite the young lady of Hollywood is equally suited to her love interest role as 'Gwen'. Whether she will make way for Mary Jane remains to be seen.

In the original film, Cliff Robertson did such a wonderful job, as 'Uncle Ben'. And it would be difficult to imagine anyone else in the role, but thankfully the Creative Team behind the film have an ace up their sleeve, in that they get Award winning actor Martin Sheen to take over the role. Such a consumate professional, Sheen brings the same kind of humanity to the role that he did when working his magic playing 'President Bartlet' in "The West Wing". And also equally nice to see Sally Field back on the big screen after an absence of several years.

The action scenes are wonderfully directed, both visually stunning and plenty to keep one amused. The reintroduction of the Peter Parker character is handled very well in both writing and the performance from Andrew Garfield. Great to see the film on the IMAX but alas the 3D, as usual, does not add a great deal to the film.

On the whole, I would say that the future of Parker and Co. is very bright........8 out of 10.

"Prometheus"

Every so often, along comes a special film, what I like to call an 'event' film. Being such a fan of the "Alien" franchise that I am, it was only natural that I would be majorly looking forward to this film, especially with having 'Alien' Director Sir Ridley Scott back at the helm.

So what do we have to expect from "Prometheus"?
We see life on Earth, or rather its very creation. Then we jump to the future, not too far, and a team of Scientists happen upon a cave, and within is a drawing, having been there some considerable time. It turns out that the same pattern is turning up in cave systems all over the planet. They eventually work out that it relates to a star system. Could this be the key to the very foundation of life on Earth? Is there where our humble beginnings started?

The crew set off on a journey, on board the Prometheus. Once settled on the Planet, they start a survey of the area. They come across a cave system, and it looks remarkably like something we may have seen before. They find some cannisters, almost egg shaped. What could be inside? The team get seperated, and two members are left in the cave system. Unfortunately things do not pan out too well for these crew members. And things in general do seem to take a turn for the worse.
One of the Crew members is David, and he is an android, and seems to have a hidden agenda. Have we been here before I ask myself?

Whether you class this as a prequel to the Alien franchise is one for each individual viewer to decide. Personally I think it is, but it is hardly in the same league as the 1979 masterpiece.
The plot is very sloppy, at times very predictable. Although Ridley Scott has assembled some great names to appear in the film, very few come away with any high marks.  Worst of all has to be Oscar winner Charlize Theron, if the Acadamy asked for their Oscar back, I would not blame them.
Noomi Rapace  and Michael Fassbender do fair better in their respective roles.
One cannot argue that the film is visually stunning, but this does not compensate for where else the film is lacking.

For such a huge build up, this film majorly failed to deliver, there were a lot of unanswered questions, presumably to lead to a sequel, but ultimately what was it all for? A real shame......5 out of 10

"Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter"

A reworking of history maybe....as I don't seem to recall that to enter the White House, one had to be a slayer of the undead. But who knows, maybe this is a hidden aspect of Lincoln's character that the history books have yet to find out about.

The story concerns a young Lincoln, who's mother is killed by a Vampire. From this young age, Lincoln vows to avenge the death of his mother. He becomes popular and well liked in the local town, and his best friend Will is African American, surely a sign of things to come.

From working in a humble shop, Lincoln becomes interested in Politics, but still trying to rid his beloved Country of the neck biting scum. It is during one of these slayings that he meets the enigmatic Henry, a man who will teach Abraham a great deal in the killing of Vampires. But is Henry all that he seems to be?

But Jack Barts, the Vampire responsible for the death of Lincoln's mother is merely the tip of the iceberg. There is a whole Vampire Family, and the head of the family is Adam, who is keen to see Vampires rule over all. And Abraham, with some help from Henry will do all he can to overcome them. The battle maybe greater than Lincoln anticipated, as Adam is using the Confederates to increase the size of his Army. Perhaps there was more to the Civil War than we first thought. The battle between Man and Vampire builds to the inevitable finale......who wins?  That would be telling.

I rather enjoyed this movie, something a little different. Don't get me wrong, the story is complete tosh, but if you take it at face value, and expect nothing more than to be entertained then you may find it favourable. Visually it is very impressive, including a fight on a steam train going over a collapsing bridge, which just about destroys every law of gravity.

Don't take it seriously, sit back and be entertained, as it's good escapist fun.........6 out of 10

"Red Lights"

Margaret Matheson is an expert in the field of psychic phenomena. Both she and her assistant, Tom Buckley visit Mediums, Psychics, and debunk what the mystics claim to be as their special powers. Tom is always on the lookout for red lights, the little something that gives away the fact they are fake. Between the two of them they have become quite a formidable team.
The film opens quite nicely with them visiting a possible poltergeist in a house, and then they visit a Medium performing on stage. Naturally with their combined efforts, they proof that here is another fake at work.
They have a lab set up with a local university, which is where a lot of there work is conducted. They also have to contend with bureacracy at the University, struggling with funding etc.

Then they are faced with the ultimate psychic investigation. A world famous Blind psychic, Simon Silver, is returning to the stage after an absence of some 20 years. He left the limelight, when his last show ended with disasterous results. For Tom this is an opportunity that he cannot turn down, the chance to debunk one of the greatest Psychics to set foot on the stage.  However, Matheson is strongly against it, she argues that she tested Silver some years ago, and that he passed all the tests. But this is the chance of a lifetime for Tom, so he sets the wheels in motion.
But naturally Silver is reluctant to take part, could his act be revealed as a fake, or is he genuine and wants to keep the mystery a secret? Is there something more sinister behind his powers?

The scene is set for the battle between relative novice Psychic Investigator and one of the leading Psychics of our time.
During the journey to the showdown, some rather unexplained and unusual things start to happen. Could it be that Silver's power really is as strong as they say? 

There are some wonderfully played moments, at times quite chilling, and they succeed in getting the hairs on the back of your neck to stand. There really succeed in setting the tone of the film. With this film, in that nothing is 100% as it seeems, you do start to wonder whether Silver's claims are genuine. Obviously I will not reveal anything here, but it is a worthy end to the film.

All the cast are excellent in their respective roles. Sigourney Weaver has finally been given a decent role, she plays Matheson with an almost maternal love for Tom. Her own Son is hospitalized, so I guess he is the next best thing. Clearly he is someone she cares a great deal for, and as said, she plays the role really well.
Murphy is as reliable as ever. And De Niro plays the role of Silver with the right amount of mystery and menace as required. He does get a little hammy towards the end, but I did not mind, as the build up of a journey was well worth it.
I cannot say much more about the ending of the film without giving anything away. But I thoroughly enjoyed it, nicely played out with a great cast, and there was excellent direction from Rodrigo Cortes.

Great movie, that really keeps you guessing til the end......8 out of 10