Catching Up - "Parkland", "The Butler", and "Nebraska"

Here follows a brief overview of some recent films, with Christmas, things have been rather hectic and it has not afforded me much time to get caught up.

"Parkland"

The film looks at those tragic events that occured in Dallas in November 1963. It looks specifically at what happened when President Kennedy was taken to the Parkland Hospital, in a valiant effort to save his life. It looks at how those events affected not only the medical staff, but also those assigned to protect the President and those who came to Dallas to cheer and wave.
The main problem with the film is that it tells us nothing new, the majority of what is documented in the film is well known.
It was a nice idea, but one cannot help but think that the sole purpose of the movie was to cash in on the 50th anniversary of the death of President Kennedy.......6 out of 10.

"The Butler"

Not having seen a trailer, I still thought I had a rough idea as to what this film was about, in that it was based on the true story of Cecil Gaines, who worked as butler for numerous US Presidents. Yes this partly true, but it also looks at the race issue during the 1960's mainly told through the eyes of Gaine's son, Louis. And it is this story that seems to take over the film. I have always had a fascination with the US Presidency, and thought that this is where the bulk of the story would lie, alas this was not the case. The race story is well told, but was not the film story that I wanted to see.
A lot of people have been surprised as to why the film has been overlooked at The Golden Globes. The answer to that is simple. Whilst it is a good film, it is not a great film, and that is its downfall. A nice performance from Forest Whitaker in the title role, but for me the film is dominated by an all too brief appearance by Jane Fonda, on dazzling form as Nancy Reagan. Funnily enough both this and "Parkland" were viewed on the same day, and neither film could find an actress that bore even a slight resemblence to Jackie Kennedy.
Good but could have been much improved with a better look at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.......6 out of 10

"Nebraska"

Woody Grant is the new talk of the town, as he has become a millionaire, or so he thinks. Like so many people of a mature age, they have a flyer coming through the post, promising that they have won a huge sum of money, and they believe it to be true, but sadly this is not the case, but Woody is adamant that he has won, and sets off to collect his winnings, despite the protestations from his Son, Will and his long suffering Wife, Kate.
Wanting to keep a keen eye on his father, son  Will accompanies his Dad on their little road trip, during which they visit their old home town, they meet old friends and acquaintances, and family members all keen to share in Woody's new found wealth, and although Will tries to assure them that he has won diddley squat, they just believe it to be a lie, so to deny what they believe to be their share of the money.
The filkm is wonderfully multi-layered, as mentioned its a road movie, a comedy, a father / son film, and at times is wickedly funny. The reclaiming of a piece of farming equipment is a highlight of the film.
There is a career high performance from Bruce Dern, and equally brilliant is the wonderful June Squibb as his speak it as it wife Kate. A delight to watch the two of them at work together.

Director Alexander Payne seems to have periods of making a hit and a miss movie, this is definitely a hit. If you loved "About Schmidt", then this is one to watch.

A real gem of a movie......8 out of 10

"Gravity"

I had hoped to see this movie on the IMAX, but then it had to make way for "The Hunger Games", boo, but thankfully it has returned to this superior format and this morning I had the pleasure of seeing what is possibly the best film of the year so far.

Dr. Stone has created a piece of equipment, and given that it can be used on the Space Shuttle, her expertise is pivotal for mending said equipment, so she finds herself high above the Earth with Space veteran Dr. Matt Kowalski. All is going well, that is until the Russians decide to destroy a rogue spy satellite. That is not what initially causes the problem, but the debris from the destruction of that satellite crashes into some others, and creates further debris and unfortunately it is heading at a very fast speed in the space crews direction.
They execute an immediate evacuation, but alas time is not on their side, and their craft is hit with the full force of the debris. Naturally there are casualties, and the crew have to work together in order to get to a neighbouring station, and get back to Earth.

As the debris approaches, the tension is really cranked up to a nailbiting level. You are willing the film to move faster so you can find out the fate of the space crew. The combination of the amazing camera work and the score make it one of the most tense scenes I have seen on film.
George Clooney is on great form as Kowalski, the leader of the team, the figureheard, the voice of experience and authority, a role he plays well. The real surprise is Sandra Bullock, whom you would not necessarily peg for this role, but she plays it so well, I would go as far as say that it is a career best performance from her. She excels as Dr. Stone.

Regarding the climax, and lead character Dr Stone has accepted her fate, whatever that may be. The question is, if she has come to terms with her possible impending death, would the outcome be more sentimental if she dies and is reunited with her daughter, or that she survives and lives a full life back on Earth .

Visually the film is of the highest level, from remarkable images of the Earth, to when the shuttle is bombatded by the debris. There is also an amazing shot as we close in on Dr. Stone, as we get ever closer to the visor in her spacesuit, then the next thing we are actually in the spacesuit helmet with her, all done in one take, quite something.
Never has silence been so brilliantly used in a film, especially when in action films there are explosions and loud bangs galore, "Gravity" stays firm to the principle that in space there is nothing to carry sound, and it is illustrated so well in the opening frames of the film, and carries on throughout.
The score is another high point, from Composer Steven Price, in fact it was so good that upon getting home I purchased said soundtrack.

Yes there has been alot of hype about this film, and every word that is positive is true. Every box has been ticked, it delivers on every level. I normally have a Cineworld Unlimted card, and alas left it behind thus having to pay full price, and having watched the film, I did not begrudge one single penny, as it was an absolute delight to watch.

Has everything that you could want from a movie........10 out of 10

"Philomena"

Unwed mothers in Ireland, their parents disown them, they turn to a local order of Nuns for help and support. They know that the time will come when they have to give up their child. But when the child is born, they stay at the convent for a couple of years and naturally, quite an attachment is formed. One cannot imagine the heartbreak that they go through.

One such mother is Philomena, a woman who was parted from her boy some 50 years previous, and now after all that time is keen to see him, and explain her actions. She has remained in constant contact with the convent, but alas they have been unable to provide any information that will reunite her with her son. Through fortune she meets up  Martin Sixsmith, a former BBC news reporter, who had a falling out with the Government, and is now at a bit of loss work wise. Though doing human interest piece is not normally his thing, he decides to help Philomena in her quest to be reunited with her son.

Sixsmith is at a loss as to why the Convent is not being more forthcoming in wanting to help, and how a lot of the records were conveniently destroyed in a fire, then he finds out the reason why. He also finds out that the boy, and another girl, were given to a wealthy couple from the United States. From here Sixsmith is able to use some of his US contacts to see if they can help shed any light.

There are a few surprises along the way, for anyone who is not familiar with the story, and has not done any reading up on it in advance. For that reason it is difficult to go into any more detail about the story without ruining it for potential future viewers of the film.

But rest assured that it is a truly remarkable story, brilliantly written by Jeff Pope and Steve Coogan. And Mr. Coogan is on equally good form as Martin Sixmith, not the usual kind of role that one has come to expect, and though there may be moments of humour within the performance, it is certainly a more serious role for him, and one that he does very well.
But of course, it is Dame Judi who excels as the mother desperate to see her son. Just such a beautiful performance, as one would expect from one of our finest actresses. I would think that an Oscar nomination will come her way next January.

The main thing that struck me was the power of Philomena's religion, in that she was still able to forgive the nuns who deprived her of 50 years with her son. A quite remarkable woman indeed.

Another great example of top quality film making ......8 out of 10

"The Counsellor"

What a combination......an amazing cast, Directing legend Ridley Scott, and a screenplay from Cormac McCarthy, who wrote "No Country for Old Men", surely a match made in heaven........

Alas far from it. And it is the mighty pen that fails here. The story is rather lacking, and whilst being a dialogue piece, what made the Oscar winning "No Country" so successful was that it was compelling viewing, it did not need big action scenes, the sharp words, great characters and brilliant performances are what made it the hit it became. And unfortunately that has not reoccured with "The Counsellor".

The Counsellor works for some dubious characters, especially Reiner, a drug dealer who has many deals in the making. Through  circumstances, the Counsellor is believed to be involved in a heist which sees the theft of a high quantity of drugs. The owners of the drugs naturally assume that the Counsellor is involved, and slowly he sees the world around him begin to fall apart.

Given the talent involved with the film, this should have been a movie to keep you glued to your seat, but it wasn't. There is a great look to the film, compliments to Mr. Scott for that.
There is no doubting the capabilities of the highly talented cast, but they can only be given a chance to shine if the material they are working with is of high quality,The look of the character, Reiner, played by Javier Bardem, had me hooked after watching the trailer, and as one would imagine, he does give a fantastic performance.

Similarly to McCarthy's earlier work, "No Country", it is surprising how many of the lead characters do not make it to the end of the picture, and there are some interesting demises. But on the whole it was a rather disappointing effort.

Ok but have seen far better...............6 out of 10

"Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa"

From the start I want to make it clear that I would not normally watch a film associated with the "Jackass" telelvision series. For me it is just about the lowest form of entertainment on the planet, along with reality tv shows.
Yet there was something about the trailer that appealed, and there was hope that this might be something even remotely entertaining.

The basic premise is simple. Knoxville under very heavy make up masquerades as an 80+ year old Grandfather, taking his young grandson to be with his rather unworthy father. Along the way, they get into various situations, which are leashed upon as unsuspecting public. The action is filmed using hidden cameras.
Not exactly the most novel of ideas, but it has been given the "Jackass" spin, and at times is funny. Alas it does suffer from that some of the funniest bits are shown in the trailer. It is a shame that a trailer could not be contsructed to illustrate what the film was about but without having to give too much away. A few of the gags do fall by flat but there are some good laughs, but not as many as there could have been.

The make-up used to age Knoxville is excellent, and there is no doubt why so many were fooled by his appearance. Jackson Nicoll is excellent playing Billy the grandson. He really comes into his own in one the best scenes of the film, when Grandpa enrols Billy as a contestant in one of those young child pageants that the Americans seem obsessed with, and to most of the civilised world are just plain creepy and WRONG.

It was good, but despite the promise from the trailer, cannot get more excited than that......6 out of 10

"Captain Phillips"

From acclaimed Director Paul Greengrass comes the true story of Captain Phillips Phillips and his crew, as they are embroiled in a hostage situation as their cargo carrier is boarded by Somalian Pirates.

These simple fishermen travel the seas in search of a vessel, either to tale their valuable cargo, or in a worse case scenario, they hold the crew hostage umtil a ransom is paid.
All the men on board the Carrier are aware of the treacherous waters that they travel, and this is brought home when an attempt is made to board the vessel. Thankfully for them the attempt fails, no thanks to the Authorities who provide little help. Unfortunately for the Crew the Somalians are a determined bunch, and return, and on their second attempt are more successful.
Phillips jhas instructed the majority of his crew to hide in the lower areas of the Carrier, and try stay out of sight of the Pirates. He in the meantime tries to sort a deal where the Pirates can get some money and be back oin their way home, but they seem to want a far bigger haul for their efforts.

Director Greengrass builds the tension quite nicely as the crew try to evade being spotted by the Pirates and thus becoming additional hostages. There comes a point where the crew may have the upper hand, but things do not go as expected, and Phillips finds himself with the Pirates in an escape vessel. The Pirates aim is to make it to land and offer the good Captain for a ransom. This is where the confinement really builds up the tension.
The military get involved as the US Government does not want to see Phillips reach Somalian land, the stakes are high, as they have to find a way to get him free of his captives, yet it is almost seemingly impossible given the small craft that they are all housed in.

The Pirates are all played by actors with no previous experience, yet this does not show. Many have said how great Barkhad Abdi is in his portrayal of the leader of the Pirates, and yes he is very good but for me it was Barkhad Abdirahman who really did an excellent job, his character seeming rather unhinged, the slightest noise, or something not right and he wants to start shooting, even if it meant killing Phillips and having nothing to bargain with. Whenever he was going off on one, you never knew what might happen next, and it often left one with a sense of unease.
As ever, Mr. Hanks does a first class job in the title role, and many have said he most certainly be Oscar nominated and may even win a third lead actor award. If he does it will be for the final 20 minutes or so, this is when Hanks really is at his very best, as the realisation of what is potentially going to unfold, as the events play out, we feel every emotion with him.

A good film, which boasts a memorable final act.......8 out of 10

"Romeo and Juliet"

One of the greatest stories of all time, a new adaptation from the Creator of "Downton Abbey", and an all star cast.
And yet somehow it does not work sadly.
The story itself needs little introduction, but for those not familiar with the work of Shakespeare, know that the Capulets and the Montagues are bitter enemies, their families constantly at war with one another. But when Romeo and Juliet fall in love, a member from each family, they hope to end the bitter feud. But the Gods seem to conspire against the young lovers.

I think in fairness it may not be totally the fault of the film-makers, in that I was constantly thinking of "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet", directed by Baz Luhrmann, a film I really admire. And it was difficult not to have images from that movie in my head whilst watching this new version.

I know that there has been some hoo ha about Mr. Fellowes and his dumbing down the words of The Bard to make the material more accessible for the audience, as to how much of this is true I do not know.
The cast have mixed fortunes. I may be wrong but it was hard to concentrate on Damian Lewis as he seems to be wearing a truly awful wig, presumably to disguise his shaven head, allowing him to play 'Brody' in "Homeland".
Alas Hailee Steinfeld just did not work for me as 'Juliet'. She seemed unable to convey any of the main qualtities that associates with the character.
There are some highpoints. As one would expect, Paul Giamatti gives a great performance as 'Father Laurence', and equally the very beautiful Douglas Booth is excellent as 'Romeo'.
But there is one cast member who towers above all others, and he is 17 year old Kodi Smith-McPhee as 'Benvolio', what a remarkable performance, so moving, and one you will not forget in a hurry.

It was an ok production, and there is much to enjoy, but it needed that certain something extra....6 out of 10

"Escape Plan"

Two Expendables team up together, in this action thriller which sees Stallone as an expert at breaking out of prisons, and highlighting the security flaws to the authorities.
He has to at times endure months in prison, examining the guard routines, the structure, and finding those all important ways for him to get out. Ray and his team are approached by a Government body to go into a Super prison. The stakes are high, the Prison said to be inescapable but the fee is high. Naturally Ray undertakes the biggest escape of his career.

As one would expect, things are not as cut and dried as they seem, and someone, somewhere wants Ray to languish in Prison for the rest of his life. If it seems like I am concentrating on Sly's character, that is because Arnie does not show up til about 30 minutes into the movie. He playing a low life crimial who may or may not know the location of a Crime king pin, and the Warden is keen to obtain the information.
Ray Breslin and his new best friend Rottmayer work together to find a way out, trying to outwit the Warden and his team of guards led by Vinnie Jones.

There is very little to commend about this film. The teaming of Stallone and Schwarzenegger should be a dream, after the massive success (in my opinion) of "The Expendables" movies. But alas here they both fall flat on their faces. The story is silly, the action is dull, what little there is, the cast seem to be stuck in first gear. As to what on earth Sam Neill is doing in the picture Lord only knows. An actor of his calibre deserves far better. And poor Vinnie Jones, well the less said about his work on the film the better.

All I can say after seeing this is that "The Expendables 3" cannot come quickly enough.....4 out of 10

"Blue Jasmine"

This years offering from Writer and Director Woody Allen is a rags to riches tale, only in reverse.
We meet Janette, now calling herself Jasmine as she arrives at her Sisters house, where she will be staying for a while. Things are not exactly going well for Jasmine, as she struggles to pick up the pieces of her life following something of a personal disaster.

With the aid of flashbacks we are able to see what life was like for Jasmine, when her husband was successful, and they were very wealthy and lived a life that so many could only dream of, including her own family, who she keeps very much at arms length, even when paying a small visit. Jasmine has more than money problems, she is dillusional, and strikes up a conversation with herself. She has aspirations of getting back on top, but achieving this may not be easy.
Ginger, her sister, is happy to have her sister with her, despite all that Jasmine and her husband have cost, money and ultimately her marriage. In fact her current relationship with grease monkey Chilli is in jeopardy thanks to Jasmine, and trying to inspire Ginger that she can do so much better.

The class story told between the two sisters is brilliantly done. Jasmine acting so high and mighty when she has the money, and more or less disowning her Sister and husband. But then when the fortune has gone, she has to lower her standards, trrying her best to bounce back, finding a menial job working in a Dentist, hoping to find a new man for her new life.

As ever the Direction and Writing from Allen are great, and he makes the most of his first class cast. Cannavale is great as Chilli, desperate to show Ginger that she does not need to better herself, and that she is fine just the way she is.
Sally Hawkins gives another great performance as Ginger, and Alec Baldwin, who is almost becoming an Allen regular, excels as the slimy husband of Jasmine.
But undoubtedly the star of the film is Cate Blanchett who gives some of her best work as Jasmine, whether loving the life of luxury or on the edge of a breakdown as she talks at length with herself or sees her relationship drift away, she really is on top form. It has already been suggested that she is a certainty for an Oscar nomination, and I would go along with that too.

Anyone expecting a full on comedy like "Bullets Over Broadway" "Manhatten Murder Mystery" or "Small Time Crooks" may be disappointed, as it is light on laughs, but the exploration of the characters is what makes this another highly rated Allen film.

Allen can still cut the mustard.....7 out of 10

"How I Live Now"

Daisy has newly arrived in the UK. There are interesting scenes at the airport. The military are in full force, soldiers and guns everywhere. Security is clearly very tight.
She is taken to the relatives that she will be staying with. Quite quickly she comes across as one of those annoying ungrateful brats that you want to take a baseball bat to. She not be pleased about where she is staying, which is a house out in the middle of nowhere, where a very bohemian lifestyle is adopted, or maybe that she is there in the first place, because her father was sick of her, and wanted some respite. Maybe that is where the resentment of all around her stems from, the fact that she feels unloved by those closest to her.

But with strong defiance she does start to settle into life in the country, though clearly not what she is used to. But things are not well in the UK. There is something afoot as the unknown situation intensifies. The mother of the household has some expertise relating to what is happening, and has to jet off to foreign climbs, leaving the teenagers to fend for themselves, one gets the impression that this happens on a regular basis.
They are quite content with this, cooking their food, going hunting, and swimming, and generally enjoying themselves. And life carries on as normal, that it is until there is an incident. And it is a real highpoint of the film, so effectively done. From this point on, things will never be the same again for the family. They are separated, and they vow to all get away from where they will be taken and go back home. The remainder of the film follows that journey. Whether they make it or not is not for me to discuss here, but it is reasonably engaging. I did feel that there should have been a little more threat. And it would have also been nice to understand what the cause of the military involvement, and those behind the incident where about.

Ronan plays the unloved annoying Daisy well, in fact she does such a good job, that within the first five minutes of her being on screen you want to give her a good slap. The other younger cast members are equally good in their respective roles. Tom Holland goes from strength to strength after his great work in "The Impossible".

Whather it has been said before I do not know, but for me there are similarities to the earlier film "Tomorrow, When The War Began", and for me this new film pales at the side of the 2010 movie.

It is ok, but have seen better.......6 out of 10

"Prisoners"

Ever since I saw the trailer for "Prisoners" I was hooked. Coming across as a really intelligent and taut thriller. My concern was would the film live up to the expectations, and also all the word of mouth that had spreading?

The answer is an emphatic yes.
It's Thanksgiving in an every day small American town. Two close families are celebrating the event. Each family has a small daughter, they being best friends, and they go out to play, the parents belieiving that they are under the supervision of their elder siblings, but this is not the case.
Soon it is clear that they are missing, and the two families have to endure every parents worst possible nightmare.
A possible suspect is quickly in the frame, and the parents are anxious for the Police to get a confession, and to be given the location of where their children are being held. Distressingly for them, the Police can find no means of incarcerating the suspect once questioned. He is released and the agony for the parents continues.
For one of the Fathers, Keller, this is more than he can cope with. And he takes matters into his own hands. At this point the film looks at what a lengths a parent would do to get their child back. I for one cannot even begin to imagine the absolute terror a parent is faced with in this situation. And I am sure there are those who would do anything to get that missing child back, whether within the parameters of the law or not. And it asks that very question,of how far do you go? When you feel the Police are doing nothing, and you yourself feel so useless, what other course of action is there? Is it ever justifiable? It all makes for very compelling viewing.

If you enjoy a fast paced film, then this will not be for you. The film has a running time of two and a half hours, and yet one is glued to the screen for every single one of those 150 minutes. It is like slowly peeling an onion, as the many layers are revealed. A thought that went through my mind whilst watching the film was that it was like watching "Broadchurch" on the big screen.

With the calibre of cast that has been assembled for this movie, there is no one stand performance, as everyone is at the top of their game. From Hugh Jackman as 'Keller', the Father driven to do all he can to get back his missing daughter, to Paul Dano, playing the lead suspect, and really excels in his role, all realy bring this tale to life.
The film is beautifully shot, making full use of the location, and the weather conditions, it adds a chilling quality, but then again it was shot by one of the finest Cinematographers in the business, namely Britains very own Roger Deakins, who did such an outstanding job on "Skyfall".
And I seem to be saying this quite a bit of late, but yet another exemplary score, which like the cinematography really adds atmosphere.

This is American Cinema at a very high level. The film gets to ask of the audience many questions, especially around the issue of violence against possible suspects. Is it right? Does the end justify the means? It is not a painting by numbers movie, not everything is set in stone, there are a few twists and turns along the way, and there is a particularly tense race against time sequence.
It looks great, is compelling, tense, brilliantly acted and a real credit to Director Denis Villeneuve.

I doubt there will be a better thriller this year........9 out of 10.

(PS If you want to know why it doesn't get a 10, please get in touch)

"Rush"

The real story of the rivalry between two racing drivers is brought to the big screen in this fast paced new film from Director Ron Howard.

It looks at the rise of two up and coming drivers, namely Britain's own James Hunt, and Austrian Niki Lauda. Starting from their humble beginnings in Formula Three, and their aspertaions to reach the very best that they can be, and compete in Formula One, and thus become World Champion.
From some playful banter, this escalates to a battle that dominated motor racing throughout the 1970's.

The story makes for a compelling film, and that comes from someone like me who has never been  sport orientated. One does not have to enjoy either Formula One or sport in general to enjoy this film.
Both lead actors do an an excellent in their roles.Hemsworth brings alive the playboy nature of Hunt, conveying the sex appeal he had, and why the ladies flocked to be around him. Bruhl is equally excellent as Lauda, we see his methodical nature, his drive, and his determination to be back behind the wheel of his car after his near fatal crash.
The tension is really cranked up, not during the race that almost cost Lauda his life, but also in the race that will decide the World Champion. Fortunately for this viewer I did not already know the outcome, so they really were nail biting tense races to watch, and I for one was glued to the screen.


As one would come to expect from Ron Howard, the film is well shot, and thankfully he does not follow a worrying trend, and have the action too much in your face.
There is a rousing score from regular Howard Composer Hans Zimmer, and coupled with the photography really does build the tension especially during two keys races.
I have to say that it is always a good indication that you have really enjoyed a biopic, when you get home and you want to find out more information about those featured in the movie.

Waving the flag as a definite winner..........8 out of 10.

"Runner Runner"

According to "Runner Runner, the latest trend amongst college students is online gambling, this providing a method for them to either suppliment their lifestyle on campus or to pay their tuition fees.
Rick is a young man with a few problems. He aims to get his fees together not by gambling but by recommending his fellow students to a particular gambling site and receiving a commission. All is fine until one of his customers informs the college Dean, and he is threatened with expulsion, this coupled with no means of financial support means he has having a bad time.
He makes the rather unwise decision to partake of some gambling and risk what money he does have on a bet. The house always wins, and alas Rick is penniless. He does however discover some discrepancies on the website, and decides to confront the owner directly.
The owner is one Ivan Block, and because of his dealings, he resides in Costa Rica, outside the jurisdiction of the US Authorities. Rick manages to wangle a meeting, and clearly makes an impression on Block, before he knows it, Rick has a job, and a nice hotel suite to be staying in.

If all this sounds too good to be true, then that is because it is, for soon hot on his trail is the FBI, keen to have Rick provide them with enough ammunition to lock Block away for a long time. Also Rick has to be a go between, dealing with Block and some of his unsavoury 'friennds'. Plus Block also has a hidden agenda, will Rick fall victim to it?

It's an ok film, which moves along at a nice enough pace. And thankfully not overlong, coming in at the 90 minute mark. Any longer and there may have been problems. The cast are all ok in their roles, no major demands are made of them. When watching the film, one thought that occured to me was the subject matter may have been better for a tv movie or two part serial, rather than suitable for cinema.

It is enjoyable enough, but once seen, it will soon be forgotten......6 out of 10

"R.I.P.D."

I will apologise now, but I do not intend to waste valuable time reviewing this film in length.
Upon seeing the trailer I thought that the film could be entertaining, well at the end of the day that it what the trailer is meant for. But alas what the trailer conveyed and what I saw as the end result did not meet with equal satisfaction.

Shady Cop Nick dies in the line of duty, and heads towards the light. However due to his dealings during his mortal days, he has the chance to make amends by joining the R.I.P.D, naturally the Rest In Peace Department. The organisation hunts down 'deado's', they being people who have evaded going to their resting place, and still roam free on Earth, and to make matters worse they have found a way to mask their true state, so can wander freely.

So Nick joins the merry band of lawmakers, and is teamed up with Roy, he being from the time of the Wild West. They are assigned to find a mysterious artifact, which when the pieces are assembled, will allow all from above to roam free on Earth. This is something they aim to stop.

There are other little plot devices in the movie, but this outlines the jist.
On the whole the film comes across as an absolute mess, as though was thrown together in a ten minute meeting in some Executive's office, and it shows.
With the exception of "Buried", this latest film does little to improve the career of leading man Ryan Reynolds.
Jeff Bridges is an actor I greatly admire, like am sure many others do. He makes the best of a bad part, and does seem to be having fun, just wish the same could be said for this viewer. Also subtitles at times may have been handy, as one struggled to comprehend some of his southern dialogue at times.

An apt title as this film should rest in peace.........4 out of 10

"White House Down"

Poor old Washington. The beautiful City and quite a few of its landmarks, especially The White House, have taken a fair old battering this year. Terrorists attacked the famous building earlier in the year in the action packed "Olympus Has Fallen", and alas the great landmark falls into the wrong hands yet again.

John Cale works on security detail for the Speaker of the House, a job he enjoys, but he seeks advancement, his aim is to work for the Secret Service on Presidential Protection. His work, as is often the case with men in this profession, has taken its toll on his private life, being divorced from his wife, and not having the best of relationships with his daughter Emily. So when going for his interview for Protective detail at The White House, he hopes to make a small amends by getting his daughter the chance to see the historic House, as she is very passionate about politics.
Unfortunately for them, the day that they visit is also the same day that an attack take place. Initially it starts when the Capitol building dome is blown up, this causes inevitable confusion, and then the attack starts on The White House.
With the lack of intel, the initial reaction is that the attack is the work of Middle Eastern terrorists, but could it be that the threat is from closer to home? Also, what is the motivation for the attack?
John and his daughter get seperated, and he finds he has two objectives, namely save his daughter and also his Commander In Chief. Not an easy task when you are a lone operative up against a highly trained team of mercenaries.

We get a brief introduction to the main players, it is done well but also efficiently, giving us enough information to know and care about the characters, but then to allow the main hub of the film to get going. A great cast has been assembled, ranging from Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Deaver to the always excellent James Woods.
Taking over the white vest wearing duties from Bruce Willis is the very eye pleasing Channing Tatum, and after the total disaster of "A Good Day To Die Hard", this can only be a good thing. He handles the lead action role well, bringing both a combination of wry humour when needed, emotion with scenes involving his daughter and providing kick ass action when required.
My one very minor gripe, as with "Olympus Has Fallen", is that the actor playing The President is not quite right for the role. But this is a minor quibble, and nothing that will detract from one of the best action films of the year.

With the film being directed by Roland Emmerich, you know that there will be no shortage of action and excitement. For me his films seem to fall into one of two camps, either absolutely fantastic like "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Independence Day" or absolutely dire like "Godzilla" and "2012". Thankfully this latest film is definitely the former. He cranks up the tension, and delivers on every level. I was always looking forward to this film, and it is difficult not to build up expectations, it is is so disappointing when a film fails, but rest assured this delivers and then some. I would not be surprised if this movie does not get a second viewing. I would certainly urge anyone going to see the film to try and view it on an an IMAX screen as it does enhance the whole cinematic experience.

The White House may fall, but my enjoyment of this movie will never.....9 out of 10.

"Only God Forgives"

Initially I was unable to see this film due to illness, but thankfully a recent trip to London afforded me the chance to see "Only God Forgives", my great need to see this film was fueled by the fact that it saw the bringing together again of Director Nicolas Winding Refn and Lead Actor Ryan Gosling, who both worked on "Drive", which for me was the Best film of 2011.

There has been a lot of talk and controversy about this movie since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Maybe that word of mouth has helped the film reach a wider audience, or the fact that "Drive" was so well received, that people are keen to see the next film from the same team who worked on it. Which ever way you look at it, "Only God Forgives" is a rather unique film experience.
There seems to be very little middle ground with regard to opinion of the film, looking at many of reviews, and reading what Joe Public has said, this is one of those films that you either love or hate. Ranging from 5 stars in "Empire" to a lowly 1 star in "Time Out", which illustrates the variance of regard to this movie.
Some have said it is another masterpiece from Director Refn, others have referred to it as one, if not the worst film they have ever seen, as happened last night during my second viewing of the film. For me the second viewing was beneficial, and to a degree I can see why some would find the film boring and dull on just one viewing. Yet even if the story was dull for some, the combination of the cinematography and score would have been compensating for this viewer.

Julian runs a boxing club in Thailand, the club however is merely a front for his main business which is drug dealing. He comes across as a quiet, contemplative man, someone of few words. Also involved in the business is his older brother Billy, a particularly unpleasant man, who enjoys sex with under-age girls, and is happy to bestow a huge amount of violence upon them. During one such encounter, he rapes and murders a 16 year old, and it is this event that creates the films ever escalating story of revenge and violence.
Ryan Gosling, as Julian, almost takes a back seat in the acting, having very little dialogue, and almost seeming to do very little. But like a few good actors, he can achieve a lot by being minimal.
Pretty much taking the lead is Vithaya Pansringarm, as 'Chang', a rather mysterious character who is called to the initial crime scene. He allows the father of the dead girl to exact a suitable revenge. But it is 'Chang' who seems to have created the most amount of debate. Is he just an everyday local Police Official? Or is he something more? An avenging Angel, who delivers his unique brand of justice. I would say it is left to the viewer to decide upon that one. 
Kristen Scott Thomas really plays against type, as the mother of the two boys. She has a wonderful entrance, when she arrives at her hotel. From that first encounter, you know that this is a woman that you do not want to trifle with. It is interesting to see the relationship that she has with her two boys, loving them very differently, maybe explaining why Julian is so emotionally distant, I found myself wondering whether maybe she abused him when younger, there is a hint of a sexual nature between the two, possibly incestuous.
All of these elements do come together to make a film that one will most certainly be talking for some time after leaving the cinema.

Yes there are some similarities to the 2011 masterpiece, equally there are some huge differences. The photography as ever is beautiful, whether it be the use of neon, dimly lit streets, shadows obscuring the films characters, or just lengthy shots of  the same characters with no dialogue, it is so pleasing to see a master at work behind the camera.
Composer Cliff Martinez, who did such a phenomenal job on the music for "Drive" is back on scoring duty, and again delivers a score that just blows one away, and one that I will again be purchasing.

Even though I have only seen three of the films directed by Refn, for me he is clearly a visionary Director, and one whose career I will continue to follow with great interest. And I also believe it will only be a matter of time before he is working with Mr. Gosling again.

A film that divides, but one that will not be forgotten........7 out of 10.

"Elysium"

We are half way through the 22nd Century, and the Earth has become diseased and over populated. Generally not a nice place to live. However, should you be someone of influence and wealth then there is an alternative. You can leave the wasted desolate lands of Earth and go live on Elysium, a huge structure which orbits the Earth. A place where there is law and order, where life is good, where any illness can be cured.
Everyone on Earth longs to go there, and they try any means possible to do so, but these efforts usually prove futile. Keeping order on Elysium is Delacourt, a hard nosed Defence Secretary. Her methods have been known to get her into hot water, especially with the President. So she aims to replace him with someone more reciprocal.

Back on Earth we meet Max, a drifter, who has never really amounted to much throughout his life. He has dealings in petty crime, but is now doing his best to survive, working in a factory. It is a struggle for him, but things do get worse when he is exposed to a massive dose of radiation at work, unfortunately it will prove to be fatal, having at best five days to live.
Knowing that he has nothing to lose, and that if he is to survive, then there is only one course of action. He must somehow get to Elysium, no matter what the cost.
So he meets up with 'Julio', a shady character from his past, seeking a job that will then mean he can be given pasage to Elysium, and use their state of the art equipment to remove the deadly radiation from his body. The job he is given is tough, to say rhe least. He is to be fitted with a device which when connected to a third party allows for brain transference, including sensitive data, passwords, etc and with this data, Julio aims to use it to gain access to Elysium and turn it over to the people, all the people. The added bonus for Max is that their target is 'Carlyle', owner of the plant where he worked, and who he sees as the creator of his health predicament. However, 'Carlyle' is also to be instrumental in the coup being orchestrated by 'Delacourt' so the race is on.

Given his age, he becomes 42 in October, Mr. Damon has certainly proved that he can still do the intense action roles, and show an impressive physique, whether it be here or in another recent film - "Behind The Candelabra". At the end of the day, this is one of those films where story and what is on screen supercede screen performance. Damon is good as 'Max' and does what needs to be done. Sharlto Copley is quite unpleasant, intentionally, as 'Kruger', a sleeper agent working on Earth on behalf of 'Delacourt', doing her dirty work when required. But he does seek retribution when his employment is ended.
Jodie Foster is always worth watching, no matter what the film. I know that some have likened her performance here to that of a pantomime villain, but I found it to be entertaining. Nice to see her playing a non goodie goodie type role.

One of the highlights of the film are the visual effects, which are quite stunning, and are just a real pleasure to sit and watch. They alone are almost worth the price of admission. Things have certainly moved on a lot of the last few years.
As good as the effects are, for a sequence to be truly memorable, there also has to be a great score to accompany it, and the film does boast some good music from first time Composer Ryan Amon. Going on the strength of his first score, he will most certainly be a talent to watch out for.
South African Director Neill Blomkamp brings to the screen this Utopian vision in space, and the slums of Earth. It is entertaining, and as already stated worth watching for the visuals alone.

Enjoyabke movie, and Blomkamp can be forgiven for the dire "District 9"......7 out of 10

"Kick Ass 2"

Our young super heroes from the first film find themselves adjusting to life once more, especially for 'Mindy' as she learns to cope with the loss of her Father.
Both still endeavouring to fight crime in their own unique way, but the pressures of school and having 'Marcus' as her guardian starts to take its toll. And she finds that it may be best for all concerned to just try and be an ordinary schoolgirl. Unfortunately this then allows the film to head off on the strand of her trying to fit in with the in-crowd at school. It is a rather tedious plotline, that has been done so many times before, but for me it felt like it did not belong in this film, and was being used as padding to fill out the time, as if the writers were struggling to fill the movies running time.

Dave AKA Kick Ass in the meanwhile is weary of being on his own, and so sets out to find a Robin to his Batman. This is where he encounters 'Justice Forever', a group of heroes headed by the dentistry challenged 'Colonel Stars & Stripes'.
The flip side to Kick Ass, the villain formerly known as Red Mist, is keen to avenge the death of his Father. So he reinvents himself as the first Super-villain, calling himself something that I could not possibly type on here. He starts to assemble a group of rather unsavoury characters, and looks to go to war against Kick Ass and Co.

And for me this is one of the biggest problems with the film. With Mark Strong, who played Frank, you had a credible and detestable villain. Yet all we have in this sequel is a young child who is having a tantrum, and throwing his dummy out of the pram. All he needs is a good slap. He seems to pose very little threat. His gang however are another matter, but for me Mintz-Plasse brings very little to the role, and should have been sidelined for a far more worthy villain.

There is the inevitable showdown, but by this time one does not particularly care who wins. All those great elements that made the first film so fresh, vibrant and original have been completely overlooked. There is little to commend about it. A great shame as I loved the original film so much. I would be very surprised if Kick Ass gets to don the mask again.........4 out 10

"Spike Island"

No before I start this review, in fairness to the film makers and the cast and crew, I had not planned to see this film. I will not bore you with the details but I ended up at the cinema, and wanted to make use of the time and the unexpected return journey and so decided to watch a film, and the only option was "Spike Island" so despite knowing nothing about it, I got a ticket.

The film is a coming of age, meets road movie, as a gang of five lads aim to get to their dream destination, and see The Stone Roses perform at Spike Island. They all have their own home problems, whether it be parental beatings, or watching a parent slowly slip away or unrequited love.
They have also formed their own group, and are determined to get their music to the legendary group, and hopefully get some help on the road to stardom.

For anyone who has a love or appreciation of the band, I am sure that they will love this movie. I have to say that the music, and the whole Manchester scene thing did not appeal to me at all, and had I known in advance, I would not have gone to see the film.
That being said, it was clearly made with a passion, and there is heart at the centre of the film.Lead actor Elliott Tittensor gives a good performance as the young band front man. And the rest of the young cast also do a decent job. One comment, Rob James Collier has to be wearing one of the worst moustaches seen in film history.

Not for me, but music fans will love it................4 out of 10

"Behind the Candelabra"

I have been looking forward to this film for some time. Ever since it was first announced that Academy Award winner Michael Douglas was going to play Liberace, I knew that this was a film that I had to watch. I could see that with some make-up that there would be a resemblence between the actor and the music cabaret star.

With a leading Oscar winner in the main role, and an equally talented Oscar winning Matt Damon playing the love interest, through into that Director Steven Soderbergh, and you get the makings of a highly anticipated film.
The film stars with the music star at the height of career. Living the life that the rest of us can only dream about. It is whilst he is performing on stage that he first meets Scott, the man who is to become his partner for the next few years. Liberace was always so secretive about his sexuality and he brought down the wrath of God upon anyone who would refer to him as being gay. That being said, it never stopped him from enjoying relationships with young men, whether it be a one night stand or something more permanent, as was the case with Scott Thorson.
It is a fascinating insight into the life of a true music legend, both the public life and the very private one. He had no problem flaunting his sexuality when in the privacy of his own home, even in front of his staff, but it was never done in front of the public. And this led to tension between the two. As Lee was happy to stay at home, and Scott wanted to go out, have fun, party. They had a highly sexual relationship for several years, but things started to break down. In the end they seperated.

A lot of what is told on screen is very accurate. There was a bitter legal dispute over ownership of properties when Scott tried to sue Liberace. Seeing the relationship on screen  makes for great viewing. The two lead actors give amazing performances, but for me it is Michael Douglas who gives a career best performance as the man himself. Someone recently commented that both lead actors were too old to play their roles by a good ten years. Certainly that can be said of Matt Damon who is 20 years the senior of when Thorson met Liberace.
But this remains an example of good old fashioned story telling, with a great love story at the centre of it, and two of Hollywood's finest at the top of their game. Rob Lowe is also wonderful funny as a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, who has clearly been under the knife too many times.

So with such a great cinematic experience, it will be nice to sit back and look forward to seeing Michael Douglas get another much deserved Best Actor nomination next January.....oh hang on. Wait a minute. I forgot. All the American studios were total wimps and would not finance a film featuring gay leading characters, and so the film failed to get a cinematic release.
All I can say is thank goodness for Entertainment One, who managed to secure a release in the UK and it has found similar success with other distribution companies for most of the rest of the civilized world.

If this is Soderburgh's final film, then he goes out in style......9 out of 10

"Now You See Me" - Special Preview Screening

I recently attended a special preview screening, one of the perks of having an UNLIMITED card courtesy of Cineworld. The only thing a little different about this preview was that I had no idea which film I would be viewing, as the screening was top secret.

So when I sat down to start watching "Now You See Me", I have to confess that I had not heard of the film and knew nothing about it or who was in it. So it was quite a pleasant surprise to see this new release.

It concerns four street magicians who have never really hit the peak of their profession. And whilst performing for their audiences, they each receive an invite. They are all assembled at an address by an unknown benefactor. And what awaits them?  A set of blueprints.....for the ultimate magic act.

Fast forward a year and the four of them have become the biggest act on the Circuit, commanding massive audiences wherever they are. They sell out, and put together the kind of show that would make David Copperfield weep. They do a most innovative illusion. From their auditorium in the US, they are going to rob a bank in Paris. Seems impossible, but can they pull it off?
Watching all this from his seat with the audience is Thaddeus Bradley, a man who has spent his career debunking the so called master illusionists. And he sits taping the show, yes the audience can record the show, in fact they are encouraged to do so by the four magicians.
There is another important man in the audience, the man who funds the elaborate show, Arthur Tressler. He has become the bank for the four.
They do indeed pull off what seems to be the perfect heist. and this naturally arouses the suspicions of the Federal Authorities. Though their frustration becomes apparent when they can pin nothing on the group. So when they announce their next big gig, the pressure is really on to come up with some answers and more importantly some arrests.

There is some interaction between the US authorities and an Interpol agent sent over to investigate the Paris theft. But is there more to her than there appears? Why is Bradley so keen to take the four magicians down?  And who is the mysterious benefactor responsible for turning them into magical super-stars?

All these questions and more get answered in what is a wonderfully entertaining caper with touches of comedy. It really does keep you guessing to the end. There are some great tricks on show in the movie, some great performances, Woody Harrelson especially is clearly having a blast, and is the highlight of the multi talented cast.

This is a reall charming and entertaining movie, which proved to be such a pleasant surprise, and a delight to watch, and would like to think that time permits I will get to see again.......8 out of 10

"Man Of Steel"

The cinematic legend began 35 years ago, when Christopher Reeve so wonderfully wore the cape and proved a man could fly. Doing such a wonderful job, you can just about forgive him the final film in the series. Then we had Brandon Routh in Bryan Singer's reboot, and for the record I loved it. I know it gets some bad press, but it was loved here.

Now in 2013, the "Man of Steel" is back.
It certainly has some big time Hollywood talent involved in the production. We have Director Zack Snyder, who has not exactly endeared himself to me, with films like "Watchmen" and "300" neither of which were all that popular. In fact one of the movies I could not even bear to complete watching.
On the plus side, the Producer is one Christopher Nolan, who completely reinvigorated the "Batman" franchise with his stunning trilogy of movies.

So once again we pay a visit to Krypton, at a time before the planet fell.  Jor-El has a new born, the first original organic born on the planet in some time. He is keen to see the child thrive, but is aware that the planet has been plundered for its resources, and will soon destroy itself. His pleas to try and save the people of Krypton fall on deaf ears, So he takes the only action he can, and sends his newborn son on a perilous journey, to the planet Earth.
Before the planet falls, one of its own takes a stand, Zod and his band of followers attempt to regain control those they hold responsible for the planets impending destruction. They fail, and are sent to the Phantom Zone, and Krypton is left to its inevitable fate.
This is a vision of Krypton like none that we have seen before. Forget all that you have seen in the past. There are real wonders to behold.

Kal-El arrives on Earth and is taken in by the Kent family. They raise him as their own, and try to instill their values within. But they know that he is not of this Earth, and do their best to shield him from the Authorities. There is also the internal struggle for Clark, as he knows that he has these special powers, but he could use them to such a degree that people would become of what he can do. And Jonathan is concerned that the people of Earth will become afraid of his Son. So he tries to make his Son only use them in exceptional circumstances, and that does come at a price.

Inevitably Zod and his followers are released from their prison, and follow Kal-El to Earth. With their home world in ruins, they seek to find a suitable replacement, and what better place than the World currently inhabited by one of their own, Earth.
So the battle for Earth commences. And this is where the major letdown of the film also begins. I would wonder if it was ever possible to say the following, but here goes - there is too much action in the film. It is an onslaught of continuous and needless action. Characters suffer, there is a lack of good dialogue. It just reminded me of the major battle towards the end of  "Avengers Assemble". Whether the film makers felt that they needed to compete, I am not sure but that is how it felt.

Henry Cavill has some big shoes to fill, and does so admirably. Though hopefully we will get more of a chance to shine in the next movie. Amy Adams is decent enough as Lois Lane, but her character I feel is one that suffers due to lack of decent structure. Russell Crowe gives a worthy performance to take on the mantle of playing 'Jor-El'. Michael Shannon does seem to do a lot of shouting, and never really seems to be at one when playing 'Zod'. The one performance that really stood out for me was Kevin Costner as 'Jonathan Kent'. The humanity he projects was excellent, and makes his final scenes so moving.

Yes the visual effects are quite stunning, from the visionary Krypton, to seeing the Man of Steel take flight, and then the attempted wiping out of Earth. The score from Hans Zimmer is as reliable as ever, though it does lack that signature tune that became the hallmark of the original movie.
As is becoming alas the norm, the 3D aspect of the film was again a woeful waste of time. I was still happy to pay for the IMAX experience, but the use of the 3D glasses was unnecessary as it proved such a huge disappointment.

All in all a great film, just needs some tweaks here and there......8 out of 10.

"Star Trek Into Darkness"

#######  WARNING - This review does contain spoilers, so please be aware - ###########

After a huge amount of anticipation, "Star Trek Into Darkness" bursts onto the screen like the Enterprise racing across the stars in Warp Drive.

So what do our plucky crew of NCC-1701 have to contend with this time round?
A Star Fleet building in London lies in ruin after a seemingly unprovoked attack. The Fleet reconvene at their Head-Quarters, only discovering too late that the actual target was that very meeting. The initial attack was just to get the main players of Star Fleet all together.
Picking up the pieces and going through the evidence, they now know their attacker, one John Harrison, and Kirk and Crew are keen to undertake a mission of revenge, despite protestations from his commanding Officer Admiral Marcus.

So with this second "Star Trek" film, what else do we encounter?
Well, we have a beautiful blond haired Scientist called Doctor Carol Wallace, but what is her connection with Admiral Marcus?  A villain who has superior intelligence and strength, and is keen on genetics. There are scenes of two Starships facing off against one another, there are photon torpedoes that look suspiciously familiar, the Enterprise is in mortal danger having lost power and someone has to deal with the ravages of radiation to save the ship.......hang on. Wait a god damn minute. We have been here before. That's right, if any of the above does sound familiar, then that is because it does. It is a virtual copy of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan".
Now, I know I should be objective, but when you love "Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan" as much as I do, then you would understand how angry I was sat watching this new film.
I was sat questioning some of the issues on timelines especially as Kirk and the Villain are meant not to have met before their meeting in "Space Seed". Though even before that I found it difficult to get into the characters, their was a lack of engagement, which was probably not helped by the fact that a lot of the action was shot far to close up. If a Studio knows it is going to screen a film on the IMAX, then this should be catered for. There was no problem when viewing both "Skyfall" and "The Dark Knight Rises", and both of them were viewed three rows from the front. And with sequences like the attacks both in London and on Star Fleet, this can only hinder the spectacle of them, and thus ones enjoyment.

The greatness of the original film was that it stood on its own two feet, it introduced these well loved and well known characters, but from a new and fresh perspective, and despite being weary as to how successful it would be, it was pleasing to see they pulled it off so beautifully. This time round has been the complete opposite. Instead of carrying on with fresh new material, Director J.J. Abrams decides to take the majority of his writing, with a few tweaks here and there, from one of the most beloved "Star Trek" films ever. I would not regard myself as a Trekkie or Trekker but I have a huge amount of love for the first six movies. And seeing some great moments from that second film replicated here did me no favours, and did little for my enjoyment or temper. When I heard the lines "I think you'd better get down here" I was really shaking my head in exasperation.

Even if the action is too close for comfort at times, one cannot fault the visual effects, which are top notch.The rousing score courtesy of Michael Giacchino is worthy of note, and as ever the make-up is of the high standards that one has come to expect.
The regular cast members all reprise their roles wonderfully, though special mention to both Karl Urban as 'Bones McCoy' and Simon Pegg as 'Scotty', who thankfully provide some welcome relief.
Alas someone who does not fair as well is Benedict Cumberbatch. An actor I have enjoyed watching for some time, but here failing to convey any menace, and at times woefully over-acting.

I must confess that I have not seen the first film since the Cinema, and had forgotten the part about being in a parallel universe, and this would have explained a few things, and may have answered my queries over certain time line issues.
But even that being an allowance, this is a major disappointment, I was convinced that this would be at least a two visit film, but it will be the only viewing that my sanity can withstand am afraid.
Someone on Rotten Tomatoes summed it up beautifully..."A bad cover of your favourite song".

This second film has gone where no film should have gone........4 out of 10.

PS - And one of the four points it scores is for an old friend.

"Iron Man 3"

After the rather disappointing second film in the series, how has this second sequel faired?

Thankfully I can say that it is considerably better.
The World is need of Mr. Stark's metal creation once again, even though he is still recovering from the aftermath and effects of the attack on New York in "Avengers Assemble". There is a global terrorist at large called 'The Mandarin', wreaking havoc and spreading his words of vengeance via messages across television networks, and leaving a path of destruction in his wake.
Over at Stark Industries Ms. Potts has settled into her new role, and is a fine figure head for the Company. The Organisation receive an offer from a former acquaintance, Aldrich Killian, who is on the verge of a major breakthrough regarding redesigning human DNA especially when body parts are hurt / injured. It can basically reheal itself in seconds through this new process. At the moment there is a slight hitch, in that the body can get really hot at times, like a mini volcano, and some of the subjects have been known to explode, and causing quite a lot of damage along the way.
Killian seeks the help from the Stark Company to further his research, but they decline.
This is the second time that Killian has been left standing in the breeze by Stark, and is understandably pissed off. He seeks to get his own back on the cocky playboy with the cool toys.

The Mandarin looks to take aim at the biggest target of all, the President of the United States. There is an attack on Air Force One, and POTUS is taken hostage. Stark is attacked at his beachside property, and is left for dead, with his home and gadgets in ruins.
It all builds to the huge climax, which has a few surprises and no mistake.
As has become the staple diet of these movies, there are plenty of action sequences, involving some truly jaw dropping visual effects. It is when you see films like this, that we all know have far we have come. One of the highlights of the film has to be the 'barrel of monkeys' sequence.

As ever Downey Jr excels as the loudmouth cock sure Stark, Pearce is ok as scientist Killian, but for me Ben Kingsley steals the show as 'The Mandarin'. A great performance that I am sure everyone will be talking about.

There is a certain something missing from the film, and I can't quite put my finger on it, which is probably why I still rate the original as my favourite, but don't get me wrong, this is a highly enjoyable film, which is a flyaway smash hit......8 out of 10. 

"The Place Beyond The Pines"

The lead actor and Director of acclaimed film "Blue Valentine" are reunited for this latest movie "The Place Beyond The Pines".

Luke is a drifter, a real loner, going from town to town with the circus that he works at, employed as one of their bikers who cycle round the wheel of death. Ironically for someone who spends most of their time on a motorbike, he has very little drive. He just takes each day at a very leisurely pace, when revisiting a town, Luke meets up with a past fling, Romina, and discovers that he has a one year old Son.
This news has quite the effect on Luke, and he quits his job at the circus, keen to do all he can to be a good father, even though Romina has someone in her life. Despite his best intentions, the combination of Cofi, her partner, and Luke trying to be a Father cause quite the altercation, and this sees Luke getting locked up for a while. Upon release, understandably, Romina wants very little to do with him. Things escalate, and Luke again finds himself dealing with the Police, in the form of Police Office Avery Cross. Their lives start to cross, and it also means that Officer Cross will also encounter both Jason and AJ, when they become friends.
With various story strands all playing beautifully, they all converge as the film builds to its conclusion.

It is difficult to go much further into explaining the plot without giving any major pointers out, and that is the last thing I wish to do, as this is such a great film. See all the stars on the poster, well each and every one is well deserved.
I saw "Blue Valentine" for the first time recently, and have to say that whilst good, it did not blow me away like I expected, but this has more than made up for it. The acting, as one would expect, is excellent, and it is especially nice to see Bradley Cooper again step away from comedy to work on something more dramatic, and a great job he does too.

A nice slow burner, that will no doubt put some off, but those who like to be enthralled by a great script and compelling, with some outstanding performances, under the leadership of a talented Director, then this is the film for you......9 out of 10

"Trance"

A new thriller from Director Danny Boyle, fresh from his massive success as Director of the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony.
Simon works in an Art Gallery, as an auctioneer. And his form of employment could possibly help with a little problem that he has...a problem with a certain gambling debt, which is spiralling out of control. In order to clear his money worries, he goes to a Crook, Frank, where Simon can have his money troubles sorted, and Frank gains access to a rather expensive painting.

The painting in question is a rare piece, and is expected to sell for £25 million. With everything synchronized, all goes to plan, the heist takes place, the staff secure the painting, and transfer to a secure drop box, only it will be intercepted by Frank.
All goes swimmingly, til Frank gets the painting home and discovers an empty frame. Understandably he is a little annoyed by this. To make matters worse, during the interception he had to hit Simon on the head with his rifle, and Simon is now suffering from a rather unfortunate bout of amnesia, and has no idea where the he has hidden the painting.

Medical opinion is that no medicine can return the memory loss, and it may take considerable time, but another option is hypnosis. So they find a hypnosis expert, who they hope can retrieve the information they need and get back the painting.
There is very little involvement from the Police in the film, they either believe that the painting is long gone, and will not be recovered, and that it possibly may even be an inside job involving the Gallery manager, but none of that is really pursued.
Ultimately the film looks what unravels once Simon is in the Doctor's chair. What is real and what is in his mind. The strands of the story start to merge together as more is revealed. Did Simon outsmart the crooks? Will he survive to enjoy the painting? Is there a connection between the therapist and Frank?  Do we really care?

After an engaging start, the film soon descends into a murky mess of confusion. All the lead characters have no redeeming qualities, which makes you not care about them, and ultimately the film drags. The film also has a rather bizarre ending...which I will not spoil here.
The film is well photographed, as one has come to expect from Director Boyle, and another of his trademarks is a well composed score, and again here he delivers, but sadly they are about the only two fields where I can compliment.

One of shining examples of British acting, James McAvoy is now on his second film in a row that has failed to be worthy of both my time and money (the other being "Welcome to the Punch"), and hope that he can regain the kind of high quality films that he deserves.  Vincent Cassel is ok as French crook Frank.

Started well, but the film soon put me into a trance......5 out of 10

"Olympus Has Fallen"

Mike Banning is a Secret Service Agent, who has faithfully stood by the side of his President. But during routine escort duty, an accident occurs, which results in a personal tragedy for the President. We then jump forward 18 months, the President still struggles to deal with his loss, and Mike now finds himself working in the Treasury Department, unable to work at the Commander In Chief's side, as it would serve as a permanent reminder of what had gone before.

Now this next part of the plot will sound really far fetched, and could not possibly happen in real life. It would seem that there are tensions between North and South Korea, and The Americans have created a buffer zone, a demilitarized area where they have troops to avoid anything kicking off. I mean come on, as if that could ever happen???
Anyway, tensions are on the increase, and the Prime Minister of South Korea has arrived in the US for a meeting. Except he is not alone.

For starters a large plane wages its own war on the good people of Washington DC, and makes a mess of the Washington Memorial. Then various vehicles attack the city also, and entry is gained to the White House both outside and within. The President is housed in a secure bunker, along with the Vice President, Chief of Staff, the South Korean Official and his chief of staff, who is also one of the most wanted terrorists in the World.
Kang, the Korean terrorist, has one simple aim, to lay waste not only Washington but to the whole of the United States of America. As they sit in a bullet riddled White House, he plans to obtain the codes for a weapon system called Cerberus, which when activated will see every nuclear missile in America detonated, leaving the country a vast waste land.

The Secret Service have all but been killed, there is no way to gain entry to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and there is a gun pointing at the President's head......is there any hope?
You bet your bottom dollar that there is. Banning, upon hearing the initial commotion, has managed to gain entry into the White House, and his near impossible task is to deal with the terrorists, locate and rescue the President's Son, who is roaming loose, and also rescue President Asher. But Banning is the best at what he does, and would make Liam Neeson look like a Boy Scout, and that is no small task.

Right from the off, you are on a non stop action ride, which delivers both knuckle whitening action, with a compelling story. The opening nicely sets up the story of the relationship between Banning and President Asher.
The initial attack on Washington is brilliantly staged, you dare not blink for missing a frame of the action, as it unfolds on screen.
There is then the mexican stand off between the Armed Forces and the terrorists, and again this makes for compelling viewing. It all builds beautifully to the inevitable climax.

Director Antoine Fuqua really provides top notch direction, the action comes thick and fast from every direction. He has assembled an all star cast, with the likes of Angela Bassett and Robert Forster manning the Operations Centre, to Aaron Eckhart as The President, plus the always reliable Morgan Freeman as The Speaker of the House. There is a wonderful scene where Speaker Trumbull gives one of the Generals a right bollocking. And of course there is the one man army that is Gerard Butler as Mike Banning. He does a credible job in the role, and clearly this is someone you do not want to mess with, and it is great fun seeing him kick the what not out of the terrorists.

It is especially nice to see Rick Yune as Kang, in that when he is on screen, if he has a gun to someones head, you really do wonder if his target will survive, as Kang has no redeeming qualities, and will kill without a second of hesitation.

I have been looking forward to this film for some time, and for fans who enjoy this, there is a similar film coming out later in the year, which sees Channing Tatum as a Police Officer dealing with terrorists in "White House Down", another action packed all star affair.

Needless to say I enjoyed it immensely, great fun, action coming thick and fast, and all round fantastic movie.......8 out of 10.

"Oblivion"

The distant future.....the Moon was attacked, left in ruins, thus leading to cataclysmic effects on Earth. But the suffering does not end there. Our planet is attacked, War rages, we win, but the price we pay is too high, Earth is uninhabitable. The remainder of the population are taken to Titan one of the moons of Saturn, going to start a new life.

But there are still those who seek to inflict further harm to Earth, they are called Scav's.
Large energy units called Hydro Rigs convert the sea water into energy, and protecting them from attack are Drone units, and looking after them is Jack Harper and Victoria, a team of two who work on maintaining the Drones, Victoria working from their shared workstation, and Jack out on the open road as it were, doing the maintenance, and dealing with any problems with Scav's, and of course they are in constant contact with a main ship which is in constant orbit near Earth.

But on a routine inspection, Jack is captured by a band of Scav's, except all is not as it seems. For they are actually humans, like Jack and Victoria. And Jack is told of what has really happened on Earth these last few decades....but who does he believe?  His trusted team on the Mother ship, or Beech, the head of the Scavengers?  Which ever way he goes, life will never be quite the same on Earth again.

The premise is interesting, not totally new, there are shades of other filsm in there, from "Aliens" to "The Omega Man", and several others, and it would be the latter of the two films where the greatest similarity lies, lone people defending a desolate Earth from a band of scavengers.
The main thing with a film of that nature, whether it be "The Omega Man" or its recent remake "I Am Legend", to have a film dominated by pretty much one or two characters, the film has to be engaging, and sadly this new Cruise film does not deliver in that area. It lacks any major tension, it is literally the two of them working towards fixing non-functioning drones. Oooh how exciting.

Although the film may feel like it drags because of the lack of any drive in the story, it is saved by some great photography, stunning visual effects, and an awesome soundtrack, one which I shall soon be buying, it is that good, and is composed by M83. No, I haven't heard of them / him / her either.
The combination of the three combined makes for a film that is entertaining to look at, and yes it does compensate.
The film does pull it back in the third act. It may seem all nice, neat and tidy, but when the story started to come together, and when you see the bigger picture, and all becomes clear, and your enjoyment is enhanced.

Had there been more substance in the opening two acts, this could have gone down as a truly great sci-fi film, as it is the film is good, and many will enjoy it.
Jospeh Kosinski has proved his worth, and followed on from the visual triumph that was "Tron Legacy" with another visually jaw dropping movie. Definitely a talent to watch.
For a man of 50, Mr. Cruise shows no sign of slowing down, and he gives a nice performance, as does Andrea Riseborough. And it goes without saying that Morgan Freeman is always worth the price of admission, no matter what he is appearing in.

Good, could have been great, but visually it will amaze........7 out of 10.