Its taken me a long time to finally see this movie. Everytime I read a review it got panned. 2/5 stars or 3/10 or 41% etc etc. Let me put all the pretentious self-important critics right.
This film is fun! It's nicely paced, Matt Smith is really funny in The Office comedy style. The Bennet sisters are gorgeous and powerful in the same way as Kate Beckinsale in underworld or Scarlet Johansson as Blackwidow. The premise is gloriously silly like something out of Big Train.
I knocked a couple of points off because the male stars dont hold their own, save for the ever reliable Charles Dance. But critics need to realise this movie is not a period drama. It is not the next 28 days later. Its a silly funny mash up that does what it wanted to do. Bring on great expectations with vampires!
Reviews
17 Reviews
Terminator Genisys
(2015)
If you don't take it seriously then you'll enjoy it more.
1 April 2016
So is the new Arnie Terminator movie as good as T2? Ha! C'mon. Someone is imposing some near impossible standards to live up to right from the start folks. Let's be realistic here. If you sit down to watch this movie with impossibly high expectations then you must be a masochist of some kind. T2 had never-before-seen special effects, a Hollywood Star at the peak of his popularity, a very well written script, and one of the best sci-fy movie directors in Hollywood at the helm. So please let's be a bit sensible here. Let's treat this movie as a trip to one of your favourite movie franchise universes, a bit like those Matrix animated shorts that were included in the DVD box set about ten years ago. If you do then you'll have fun. I enjoyed Jurassic World for the same reasons. Dinosaurs eat people in cool ways, what's not to like? So what's great about this movie? 1, Arnie. Obviously. watching his character try to smile is hilarious. And if you don't think there should be humour in a terminator movie then you probably didn't like the Star Wars re-boot either. Let face it Arnie as the terminator is the reason for watching this instalment and he carries the movie well. Very charismatic. The father daughter dynamic between the terminator and Sarah Connor is a nice touch and makes both characters very likable and you care about Sarah at least. You can't feel THAT attached to a robot. ...Its a robot.
2, Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor - Emilia also does a brilliant job of bringing a tough, capable but more mentally healthy Sarah Connor to the screen. She isn't as damaged as Linda Hamilton was in T2 but instead she is a fairly believable and very likable character. I think sometimes movies make female action characters too strong. Its hard to believe in a 5ft something woman beating up four 6ft3 blokes like Resident Evil. but you can have smart resourceful athletic female characters who can hold their own without out muscling grown men and the script writers do a good job of nailing a believable heroine.
What is okay? Karl Reese:- Bit underdone and he comes over as a bit lost and always out of his depth. A part of that is understandable given his character's story arc, and also Arnie and Amelia need their hero moments. I think he gets away with being a bit of a follower because Reese is just a soldier following orders in the original movie too. The mission is everything, right? He's a infantry grunt, indoctrinated to follow orders, not to think.
What's bad? The villain. Don't want to give anything away but maybe this is why terminator movies are struggling to live up to the earlier movies in many peoples eyes. Where do you go next to top the last super terminator killing machine? The villain in this movie just smacks of desperation. One of the coolest ways to amp up a classic battle that I've ever seen was in Peter Jacksons King Kong where Kong takes on three T-Rexes! Its really simple but why not show Arnie, Karl and Sarah work together to take out a terminator kill squad? The script writers just tied their brains into knots in this movie. trying to be too clever for their own good.
lack of quality blood spatter. Hey, I'm a product of the 80's. Total Recall and Robocop rule. I want some red stuff painting the walls! To be fair the violence was also toned down in T2. (Didn't like it then either though).
I recommend this movie. Better than T3. Better than every Transformers movie ever made. Pretty much on par with the Jurassic World re-boot. Enjoy. If I got the Blu-ray for Christmas or my birthday I wouldn't be upset. If I saw it in the bargain bucket in town I'd be tempted to buy it.
2, Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor - Emilia also does a brilliant job of bringing a tough, capable but more mentally healthy Sarah Connor to the screen. She isn't as damaged as Linda Hamilton was in T2 but instead she is a fairly believable and very likable character. I think sometimes movies make female action characters too strong. Its hard to believe in a 5ft something woman beating up four 6ft3 blokes like Resident Evil. but you can have smart resourceful athletic female characters who can hold their own without out muscling grown men and the script writers do a good job of nailing a believable heroine.
What is okay? Karl Reese:- Bit underdone and he comes over as a bit lost and always out of his depth. A part of that is understandable given his character's story arc, and also Arnie and Amelia need their hero moments. I think he gets away with being a bit of a follower because Reese is just a soldier following orders in the original movie too. The mission is everything, right? He's a infantry grunt, indoctrinated to follow orders, not to think.
What's bad? The villain. Don't want to give anything away but maybe this is why terminator movies are struggling to live up to the earlier movies in many peoples eyes. Where do you go next to top the last super terminator killing machine? The villain in this movie just smacks of desperation. One of the coolest ways to amp up a classic battle that I've ever seen was in Peter Jacksons King Kong where Kong takes on three T-Rexes! Its really simple but why not show Arnie, Karl and Sarah work together to take out a terminator kill squad? The script writers just tied their brains into knots in this movie. trying to be too clever for their own good.
lack of quality blood spatter. Hey, I'm a product of the 80's. Total Recall and Robocop rule. I want some red stuff painting the walls! To be fair the violence was also toned down in T2. (Didn't like it then either though).
I recommend this movie. Better than T3. Better than every Transformers movie ever made. Pretty much on par with the Jurassic World re-boot. Enjoy. If I got the Blu-ray for Christmas or my birthday I wouldn't be upset. If I saw it in the bargain bucket in town I'd be tempted to buy it.
The Salvation
(2014)
A good solid modern western
31 March 2016
This is an entertaining revenge western in the 1970's Clint Eastwood vein Maybe not quite as gritty as High Plains Drifter or Hang 'Em High, but it certainly taps into that 70's western vibe that isn't as romantic as the 50's / 60's western pomp. The plot is nothing new but at 90 minutes long it doesn't outstay its welcome and there is little flab. The movie looks beautiful. The sets are very cool and realistic. and Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Eric Cantona steal the show as charismatic but completely reprehensible villains. Mads Mikkelsen puts in a solid performance as the tragic hero but he's blown off screen by Morgan's firepower.
On a lighter note I think this must be one of Eva Green's easiest jobs ever. If glowering intensely was an Olympic sport she'd be taking the gold medal home for France every time and that's basically her role here. It's kinda fun watching her carry her role with her eyes, which, I guess most people would agree, is one of the largest factors in her popularity anyway. I guess you'd say she was tailor-made for this role in a way, but its kind of an obvious choice.
I'd recommend this movie if its on the TV. Its a decent action movie, maybe not particularly original but if you are looking for something to round off the evening before calling it a night, you can't go wrong. I wouldn't waste my cash on buying the Bluray / DVD. though.
On a lighter note I think this must be one of Eva Green's easiest jobs ever. If glowering intensely was an Olympic sport she'd be taking the gold medal home for France every time and that's basically her role here. It's kinda fun watching her carry her role with her eyes, which, I guess most people would agree, is one of the largest factors in her popularity anyway. I guess you'd say she was tailor-made for this role in a way, but its kind of an obvious choice.
I'd recommend this movie if its on the TV. Its a decent action movie, maybe not particularly original but if you are looking for something to round off the evening before calling it a night, you can't go wrong. I wouldn't waste my cash on buying the Bluray / DVD. though.
300: Rise of an Empire
(2014)
Okay, the first one was a cool comic this one tries to be a cool comic.
21 January 2015
I've seen worst movies this Christmas, (the Hobbit battle of five armies wins turkey of the month hands down). Also its a 300 movie, you know what you are going to get. I think its fair to say this movie passes the time but it is what it is. It may be wrong to expect them to do a better job on bringing an interesting moment of history to life. The Athenian Navy knocking hell out of the Persian Navy is as cool as the original 300 Spartans story but this time there are bigger elements of the Sparticus TV series creeping in. More sex more lurid eye candy and while I'm not going to complain about Eva Green getting her kit off it just feels formulaic and added just to keep the 13 year old boys happy. It's all a bit fanboyish. The original movie 300 had a statement to make. it was about standing your ground against overwhelming odds and yelling a proud defiant "Rarwoo! Rarwoo! Rarwoo! and uniting a country by your sacrifice. Think the Alamo. Think The Magnificent Seven or the Wild Bunch. Rise of an Empire never makes you wanna quote lines in the way that Gerrad Butler did in the original. Eva is very cool and great eye candy and the Athenian hero is also cool and charismatic but the movie misses its target and we have that TV series Sparticus. Thats not all bad, but to be brutally honest this sequel fails equal its predecessor. If you are stuck in door with time to kill then knock yourself out but please don't do another one.
I'll wait for someone to do a movie about Sir Francis Drake taking on the Spanish Armada, that could prove to be the movie 300: Rise of an Empire should have aspired to be.
I'll wait for someone to do a movie about Sir Francis Drake taking on the Spanish Armada, that could prove to be the movie 300: Rise of an Empire should have aspired to be.
Lawless
(2012)
Good prohibition era outlaw movie
20 January 2015
This movie has a decent plot and the actors do a great job of bringing the story to life. Lawless nails the Bonnie and Clyde / Butch and Sundance / Thunderbolt and Lightfoot vibe where you root for the bad guys. I almost fell into the trap of calling it a gangster movie, but it isn't really. its more about people fighting for their way of life, even if its a shady way of life. They are on a collision with society, which is a form of bondage in its way. Forcing you to do things for nothing while the rich get richer. In this case Guy Pearse' amazingly evil law man is out to intimidate our heroes into paying the crooked establishment protection money to look the other way. Pearse is brilliant. I really hated his character and the final shoot out is both enthralling and frustrating at the same time, I just wanted Guy's character to die as painfully as possible. That's the mark of a good movie. The movie is extremely bloody but as a horror fan I lapped it up and the subject matter was violent anyway so why pull punches? it certainly helped drive home the horror of the injuries which was all the more powerful when it was someone you liked getting hurt, it also really helped get you angry with the villains.
I really enjoyed the film, there were no plot issues where a character would do something out of keeping with their character. The film isn;t isn't the Untouchables or Gangster Squad, its a outlaw western in its way. its about a group of brothers doing what they've always done and then "Progress" tries to steamroller the top of them with violent consequences. The outlaws are the good guys here. its a film to inspire the working classes go break out of the 9-5 grind and do something and make money. working to 67 for a measily 4K / year pension is a mug's game. Metaphorically build a still and brew that moonshine. ;)
I really enjoyed the film, there were no plot issues where a character would do something out of keeping with their character. The film isn;t isn't the Untouchables or Gangster Squad, its a outlaw western in its way. its about a group of brothers doing what they've always done and then "Progress" tries to steamroller the top of them with violent consequences. The outlaws are the good guys here. its a film to inspire the working classes go break out of the 9-5 grind and do something and make money. working to 67 for a measily 4K / year pension is a mug's game. Metaphorically build a still and brew that moonshine. ;)
The end of a souless money making exercise.
15 January 2015
The entire Hobbit Trilogy has left me feeling like a mug. I wouldn't have watched the last two movies at all if I hadn't caved to peer pressure and I'm annoyed at myself for condoning this tripe by handing New Line my money. My objections are the same as many others. The hobbit is a children's story its about 365 pages long. the first movie covers about the first 56 pages! then we have Legolas and other elves popping up. bizarre love stories between elves and a weirdly handsome dwarf who doesn't actually look like any other dwarf in any of the other movies. If you are going to pad out the movie then surely the white council's attack on Dol Guildor could have been developed in a far more interesting way. There were moments in this film when I thought Jackson had just accepted the franchise had gone to hell and he was mooning the audience and trying to wind hobbit fans up. Billy Coloney and Dune, I'll say no more save, "To hell with you too matey." The hobbit isn't about the book, its about money. its a Hollywood hatchet job on a good book. They are not the first studio to wreck a book, they won't be the last, but the scale of the sting and the amount of money they raked in can't make movie goers feel very clever right now. Like I said I feel like a right mug. After being dragged to the last Transformers movie and being dragged to three of these expensive wastes of my life, enough's enough. There are a few movies I fancy catching this year but I sorry dudes if I don't fancy a movie my mates want to watch then I'm not going. I'm not this big an idiot so I'm not going to go!
The movies are improving... Not by huge strides though. A bit like Darth Vader deciding not choke you to death, during your work shift on the bridge of a star destroyer,
16 July 2014
I'm not a big fan of this movie francise, but I've seen all the films because my mates like them and you can sit through the movies with the help of over priced pick and mix and even beer nowadays. I'm way more interested in Sin City 2 which comes out later these summer.
The reason I'm not a great fan of the movies can be summed up hence.
1, the Transformers always play 2nd fiddle to the human actors. If you read the comics like me then you know that the Transformers have ready made personalities and can carry a story. There wouldn't be a movie francise if it wasn't for those comics. Worse still half the transformers in the movies are moronic Laurel and Hardy clowns with learning difficulties.
2, All the transformers looked the same for three entire movies which made the battles a complete borefest. For example:
"Who just died?" "The grey clunky looking one." "THEY ARE ALL BLEEDIN'GREY AND CLUNKY LOOKING!!!! PASS ME THE PICK AND MIX DUDE!" "Shhhush!"
3, The plots are pants. You have hundreds of Marvel stories to pick from for crying out loud, Starscream's backstabbing nature, the underbase saga. The whole Galvatron and Megatron tearing a rift in the space time continuum... The whole Autobot resistance thread on Cybertron. What do we get. The recycled basics from Pirates of the Caribbean. JEEZ!
So is Age of Extinction any better?
Yeah. It's better. not OH MY GOD I YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE better, just better than the really crap ones that came before.
They have worked much harder to make the Transformers readily identifiable, even if they only mention their names once in the whole movie and if you missed it then you are screwed for the 3 hr duration. I know there is this bright green one with a trench coat but I don't know who he was.
Adding Mark Walberg and a host and actors with a bit of stage craft did, shock horror, improve the human bits. The Father / Daughter / Dodgey Boyfriend triangle had a few jokes. Also Stanley Tucci sparkles as one of the villains. Let's put it this way. its blew that last lot of actors away. Whether that was hard work is debatable.
Bad bits:
The plot is still pap. I've worked out how the next two movies are going to pan out already. Remember the mean horrible East India Company hunting down the pirates in the pirates of the Caribbean? Yeah they are basically going to stretch At world's End plot over three 3hr movies.
If you went to see dinobots, you've were conned.
Marvel Comic fans will still be wondering why all transformers are acting like clowns on a children television program.
If I could only see either Tranformers or Sin City 2 then It'll be Sin City 2.
The reason I'm not a great fan of the movies can be summed up hence.
1, the Transformers always play 2nd fiddle to the human actors. If you read the comics like me then you know that the Transformers have ready made personalities and can carry a story. There wouldn't be a movie francise if it wasn't for those comics. Worse still half the transformers in the movies are moronic Laurel and Hardy clowns with learning difficulties.
2, All the transformers looked the same for three entire movies which made the battles a complete borefest. For example:
"Who just died?" "The grey clunky looking one." "THEY ARE ALL BLEEDIN'GREY AND CLUNKY LOOKING!!!! PASS ME THE PICK AND MIX DUDE!" "Shhhush!"
3, The plots are pants. You have hundreds of Marvel stories to pick from for crying out loud, Starscream's backstabbing nature, the underbase saga. The whole Galvatron and Megatron tearing a rift in the space time continuum... The whole Autobot resistance thread on Cybertron. What do we get. The recycled basics from Pirates of the Caribbean. JEEZ!
So is Age of Extinction any better?
Yeah. It's better. not OH MY GOD I YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE better, just better than the really crap ones that came before.
They have worked much harder to make the Transformers readily identifiable, even if they only mention their names once in the whole movie and if you missed it then you are screwed for the 3 hr duration. I know there is this bright green one with a trench coat but I don't know who he was.
Adding Mark Walberg and a host and actors with a bit of stage craft did, shock horror, improve the human bits. The Father / Daughter / Dodgey Boyfriend triangle had a few jokes. Also Stanley Tucci sparkles as one of the villains. Let's put it this way. its blew that last lot of actors away. Whether that was hard work is debatable.
Bad bits:
The plot is still pap. I've worked out how the next two movies are going to pan out already. Remember the mean horrible East India Company hunting down the pirates in the pirates of the Caribbean? Yeah they are basically going to stretch At world's End plot over three 3hr movies.
If you went to see dinobots, you've were conned.
Marvel Comic fans will still be wondering why all transformers are acting like clowns on a children television program.
If I could only see either Tranformers or Sin City 2 then It'll be Sin City 2.
Godzilla
(I) (1998)
Entertaining!
22 May 2014
I've just reviewed the 2014 Godzilla movie and I've panned it. Simply because it is DULL and STUPID.
This version is so much more fun! The characters are emotional and you like them and you'll be gutted if Hank Azaria's character got stomped on, or if goofy Audrey, who's cute as a button, got mauled to death by a baby Godzilla. And Godzilla rocks, taking out nuclear submarines and apache gunships and the US armed forces look like they actually are trying to kill Godzilla rather than the half assed non efforts of the 2014 bunch who think the quickest and safest way to transport a bomb is by train, when it turns out its small enough to be easily transportable by fishing trawler! Ever heard of the Chinook Helicopter!?!?!?!?! This movie kicks 2014's Godzilla's ass. It's FUN!!!!
This version is so much more fun! The characters are emotional and you like them and you'll be gutted if Hank Azaria's character got stomped on, or if goofy Audrey, who's cute as a button, got mauled to death by a baby Godzilla. And Godzilla rocks, taking out nuclear submarines and apache gunships and the US armed forces look like they actually are trying to kill Godzilla rather than the half assed non efforts of the 2014 bunch who think the quickest and safest way to transport a bomb is by train, when it turns out its small enough to be easily transportable by fishing trawler! Ever heard of the Chinook Helicopter!?!?!?!?! This movie kicks 2014's Godzilla's ass. It's FUN!!!!
Godzilla
(2014)
For a movie called Godzilla, We didn't see much of him.
22 May 2014
I was disappointed with this film. This movie doesn't live up to its hype. Turns out that even the trailer is misleading. It even has scenes that don't appear in the movie. The trailer paints this god like creature that lays waste to all. That doesn't happen in the movie. The pace is slow. The humans are po-faced and lack character. there are no really likable characters like Adrian Brody and Naomi Watts in King Kong I'm afraid. Elizabeth Olsen has hardly anything to do. Godzilla doesn't get involved enough and comes over as a bit weak when fighting his main opponents. The T-Rex at the end of Jurassic park is harder and more vicious than this Godzilla.
I expected a bigger battle between the US army, navy and airforce and Godzilla. In fact I swear the armed forces were deliberately making life hard on themselves as far as taking the beasties out. The noble hero aspect of Godzilla was a bit Hanna-Barbra cartoonish.
This movie isn't a patch on Peter Jackson's King Kong which has better human characters, while Cloverfield did a better job of bringing about the end of the world vibe that Godzilla's misleading trailer alluded to.
The worst thing about this film is the untrue hype. The bar is set very high and Godzilla fails to deliver. Kong is still king.
I expected a bigger battle between the US army, navy and airforce and Godzilla. In fact I swear the armed forces were deliberately making life hard on themselves as far as taking the beasties out. The noble hero aspect of Godzilla was a bit Hanna-Barbra cartoonish.
This movie isn't a patch on Peter Jackson's King Kong which has better human characters, while Cloverfield did a better job of bringing about the end of the world vibe that Godzilla's misleading trailer alluded to.
The worst thing about this film is the untrue hype. The bar is set very high and Godzilla fails to deliver. Kong is still king.
Dredd
(2012)
More gritty 70's action movie than comic book homage
6 August 2013
This movie wrong footed me right from the beginning. As a big 2000AD comic fan I was expecting a gigantic teeming Mega City One with spiralling highways and gigantic hab blocks with curved architecture and no corners in sight! What we get is the 'burbs with a generous sprinkling of massive skyscapers. If that was a surprise then the first view we get of Dredd on his Law Master motorcycle was decided underwhelming. There's nothing wrong Karl Urban's Dredd and his outfit while against being made a little more practical that the comic version, is still pretty cool. BUT I hate the bike! The comic bike is this super cool hells angel style bad motor scooter from hell. Its a beast! The Lawmaster in the movie is a Japanese sports bike "rich boy toy". Lets just say that it wasn't the best start, but thirty seconds later we're enjoying a drug addled car chase that is straight out of robocop. In fact our chief protagonist has more than a passing resemblance to robocop, at the beginning at least. Is that bad? Not necessarily.
This movie did grow on me though, I wouldn't be reviewing it otherwise. Once we get into the hab block where most the movie takes place we switch to John Carpenter's Escape from New York / Ghosts of Mars territory. The environment is a real slum while there is a sense of menace that resonates with Ghosts of Mars as suddenly everyone is out to get the heroes.
Enter the totally awesome Lena Headey as the vicious MaMa complete was totally cool facial scars that does little to tone down her amazing bad girl sexiness, her character adds a little 70's grind house Black Ceasar-esque coolness to the party. I totally dug her . Stalone's Judge Dredd struggled due to there not being a decent villain. (They even messed up Mean Machine Angel for crying out loud!) Lena is menacing and psychotic with her contrastingly sweet gentle voice uttering monstrous edicts. She's brilliant foil for Urban's dredd.
So what of Karl Urban? I give him high marks, he's got the Dredd scowl down to a tee and he chews his way through all comers like Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry. He even sounds like Dirty Harry and you know I reckon Harry Calaghan's whispered menace is a good fit for Judge Dredd! I thought Dredd rocked as the movie went on. Moving away from the slightly squeaky clean robocop and developing into a bad ass dirty harry style copper - a sociopath with a license to kill.
That just leaves Judge Anderson played by Olivia Thirlby, The Anderson character holds her own in the script and Thirlby brings her to life nicely and is never an annoying pain in the ass like some "boy wonder" style super hero assistants can be, but at the same time that is exactly what she is, she gives Dredd someone to talk to to move the plot along explains all the exposition to the viewer. I hope she gets a chance to bounce off dredd in a sequel as an equal. She and Judge Hershey are much stronger characters in the comics than in the movies (to date). I also want to quickly mention that Anderson in the comic is one seriously hot blonde bombshell, while Thirlby is far more realistic and believable. this leads me to my penultimate paragraph...
The Director, Pete Travis has intentionally moved away from the madness of the 2000AD comic to bring the story down to earth, and when I say "DOWN to earth" we're talking the dirtiest scummiest slummiest dump you can imagine and I grew to respect that as the movie went on. In the end I loved it. I still think Dredd can be fulfilled at his OTT best but I accept that it will be a movie that won't be to everyone's taste. Pete's version is possibly the "safe" take but luckily he goes to town with enough grime and crime to dodge that accusation... Just! So, to conclude, what we have is a movie that reminds me of Escape from New York, Ghosts of Mars, Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry with a fare dab of 70's Grindhouse and 70's action grit and sleaze! I mean that in a good way. Pete Travis wears his influences on his sleeve and he wants to pick the ball up and run with it. Put his own stamp in that kind of genre. What is there not to like? It's a good action movie!
This movie did grow on me though, I wouldn't be reviewing it otherwise. Once we get into the hab block where most the movie takes place we switch to John Carpenter's Escape from New York / Ghosts of Mars territory. The environment is a real slum while there is a sense of menace that resonates with Ghosts of Mars as suddenly everyone is out to get the heroes.
Enter the totally awesome Lena Headey as the vicious MaMa complete was totally cool facial scars that does little to tone down her amazing bad girl sexiness, her character adds a little 70's grind house Black Ceasar-esque coolness to the party. I totally dug her . Stalone's Judge Dredd struggled due to there not being a decent villain. (They even messed up Mean Machine Angel for crying out loud!) Lena is menacing and psychotic with her contrastingly sweet gentle voice uttering monstrous edicts. She's brilliant foil for Urban's dredd.
So what of Karl Urban? I give him high marks, he's got the Dredd scowl down to a tee and he chews his way through all comers like Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry. He even sounds like Dirty Harry and you know I reckon Harry Calaghan's whispered menace is a good fit for Judge Dredd! I thought Dredd rocked as the movie went on. Moving away from the slightly squeaky clean robocop and developing into a bad ass dirty harry style copper - a sociopath with a license to kill.
That just leaves Judge Anderson played by Olivia Thirlby, The Anderson character holds her own in the script and Thirlby brings her to life nicely and is never an annoying pain in the ass like some "boy wonder" style super hero assistants can be, but at the same time that is exactly what she is, she gives Dredd someone to talk to to move the plot along explains all the exposition to the viewer. I hope she gets a chance to bounce off dredd in a sequel as an equal. She and Judge Hershey are much stronger characters in the comics than in the movies (to date). I also want to quickly mention that Anderson in the comic is one seriously hot blonde bombshell, while Thirlby is far more realistic and believable. this leads me to my penultimate paragraph...
The Director, Pete Travis has intentionally moved away from the madness of the 2000AD comic to bring the story down to earth, and when I say "DOWN to earth" we're talking the dirtiest scummiest slummiest dump you can imagine and I grew to respect that as the movie went on. In the end I loved it. I still think Dredd can be fulfilled at his OTT best but I accept that it will be a movie that won't be to everyone's taste. Pete's version is possibly the "safe" take but luckily he goes to town with enough grime and crime to dodge that accusation... Just! So, to conclude, what we have is a movie that reminds me of Escape from New York, Ghosts of Mars, Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry with a fare dab of 70's Grindhouse and 70's action grit and sleaze! I mean that in a good way. Pete Travis wears his influences on his sleeve and he wants to pick the ball up and run with it. Put his own stamp in that kind of genre. What is there not to like? It's a good action movie!
Game of Werewolves
(2011)
Fun, fun, fun :)
6 August 2013
As you can probably tell from my title, I loved this movie. People have described it as Spain's answer to Shaun of the Dead. This is fairly accurate as far as the entertainment quota goes, and its about as scary as Shaun of the Dead too (1), but the plot not a SOTD rip off. Calling it SOTD only with werewolves is lazy. It deserves to be discussed on it's own merits.
The movie is subtitled which, while never being ideal, doesn't ruin the fun(2). There are a lot of laugh out laugh moments which tells you that is it a genuinely funny script. The characters are great fun and nicely rounded(3). The humour is a bit school boyish, but that never stopped The Young Ones or The Inbetweeners being a hit did it. There's even a plucky pet dog who gets a lot of action and earns a couple of belly laughs.
The werewolves are possibly a tiny bit too "man in fluffy costume" but I admire the director's take on FX vs CGI. Would a CGI werewolf been any better??? No. I very much doubt they had a Lord of The Rings style CGI budget to blow on this movie. Anyway, this movie isn't really about the horror, its an "badult" comedy adventure.
Another minor problem could be the lack of a sexy heroine, but to be honest there are plenty of pure comedic genius moments to take your mind of that(4) and lets face it she'd have been wasted on us non Spanish speakers because we'd be too busy reading the subtitles! All told, Lobos de Arga well worth blowing 90 minutes in front of the TV and I'm planning on getting the DVD (5) too. Enjoy yourself, this movie certainly gets my seal of approval.
(1) - Shaun of the Dead was not Scary. It was a total laugh though. So is Lobos De Arga! (2) - I want to watch a movie. Not miss it while reading the script! Dubbing is an under-rated tool that allows the viewer to revel in the production values of the movie - kinda important if its a horror movie! Lobos De Arga has scenes in old churches and underground tunnels which I loved to check out the scenery but I'm stuck reading the script, admittedly a very funny script but come on! I want my cake and I wanna eat it! (3) - Look out for the hamster joke! (4) - The dutch Horror comedy Kill Zombie! did have a super sexy kick ass heroine. I quite liked Kill Zombie! BUT Lobos De Arga knocks it out of the park as far fun goes.
(5) - Is there a blu ray version? Highly unlikely is my guess, more is the pity!
The movie is subtitled which, while never being ideal, doesn't ruin the fun(2). There are a lot of laugh out laugh moments which tells you that is it a genuinely funny script. The characters are great fun and nicely rounded(3). The humour is a bit school boyish, but that never stopped The Young Ones or The Inbetweeners being a hit did it. There's even a plucky pet dog who gets a lot of action and earns a couple of belly laughs.
The werewolves are possibly a tiny bit too "man in fluffy costume" but I admire the director's take on FX vs CGI. Would a CGI werewolf been any better??? No. I very much doubt they had a Lord of The Rings style CGI budget to blow on this movie. Anyway, this movie isn't really about the horror, its an "badult" comedy adventure.
Another minor problem could be the lack of a sexy heroine, but to be honest there are plenty of pure comedic genius moments to take your mind of that(4) and lets face it she'd have been wasted on us non Spanish speakers because we'd be too busy reading the subtitles! All told, Lobos de Arga well worth blowing 90 minutes in front of the TV and I'm planning on getting the DVD (5) too. Enjoy yourself, this movie certainly gets my seal of approval.
(1) - Shaun of the Dead was not Scary. It was a total laugh though. So is Lobos De Arga! (2) - I want to watch a movie. Not miss it while reading the script! Dubbing is an under-rated tool that allows the viewer to revel in the production values of the movie - kinda important if its a horror movie! Lobos De Arga has scenes in old churches and underground tunnels which I loved to check out the scenery but I'm stuck reading the script, admittedly a very funny script but come on! I want my cake and I wanna eat it! (3) - Look out for the hamster joke! (4) - The dutch Horror comedy Kill Zombie! did have a super sexy kick ass heroine. I quite liked Kill Zombie! BUT Lobos De Arga knocks it out of the park as far fun goes.
(5) - Is there a blu ray version? Highly unlikely is my guess, more is the pity!
From Beyond
(1986)
Classic 80's horror flick
11 June 2013
I've always loved Stuart Gordon's HP Lovecraft adaptions, ever since seeing his contributions to the Masters of Horror TV Series. Oddly though its taken me YEARS to finally see this movie, yet it was one of the "video nasties"of the 80's. Personally I think it's a "video lovely" and a total hoot!
The movie is really engaging and a horror fan's delight. the special effects are a blast and strongly influenced by John Carpenter's The Thing in their imaginative and gross out splendour. Jeffery Combs gets you rooting for the good guys and caring about his character. Babs Crampton starts off as this straight lace psychologist before turning into a sex maniac with a propensity for PVC and chains! And Ken Foree, (the hero from the amazing Dawn of the Dead) finds himself battling giant leaches in the basement wearing nothing but a banana hammock and brandishing a kitchen knife! Scary stuff!!!
This movie will have you grinning ear to ear. Its a gross, funny, freaky, wonderful slice of 1980's horror. It was well worth the wait and delivered all the goods. It has a tinge of 70's grindhouse horror due to the voyeuristic plot lines, but its easy to date as an eighties movie due to the famous horror genre actors and wonderful special effects.
Its 80 minutes of pure entertainment. Enjoy.
Obscure fact: The Newcastle Rockband The Wildhearts name check From Beyond in their exuberant song Splattermania, which is all about the joys of being a fan of 80's horror movies.
The movie is really engaging and a horror fan's delight. the special effects are a blast and strongly influenced by John Carpenter's The Thing in their imaginative and gross out splendour. Jeffery Combs gets you rooting for the good guys and caring about his character. Babs Crampton starts off as this straight lace psychologist before turning into a sex maniac with a propensity for PVC and chains! And Ken Foree, (the hero from the amazing Dawn of the Dead) finds himself battling giant leaches in the basement wearing nothing but a banana hammock and brandishing a kitchen knife! Scary stuff!!!
This movie will have you grinning ear to ear. Its a gross, funny, freaky, wonderful slice of 1980's horror. It was well worth the wait and delivered all the goods. It has a tinge of 70's grindhouse horror due to the voyeuristic plot lines, but its easy to date as an eighties movie due to the famous horror genre actors and wonderful special effects.
Its 80 minutes of pure entertainment. Enjoy.
Obscure fact: The Newcastle Rockband The Wildhearts name check From Beyond in their exuberant song Splattermania, which is all about the joys of being a fan of 80's horror movies.
Total Recall
(I) (2012)
Bland rehash
6 June 2013
Okay, so you have this brilliant action movie from 1990 with a massive kill count, a charismatic larger than life hero, a sexy deceitful villainess, TWO larger than life bad guys who chew up the scenery with gusto, mutants and eye poppingly (literally) entertaining special effects.
How can you go wrong re-making this movie? Well, you basically throw out all the wacky colourful aspects that made the original so endearing.
The characters are bland. All the good guys are so annoyingly wholesome. If the censors had been let loose on Arnie's original then you'd probably have ended up with the 2012 version. They even have robots for henchmen so those of a sensitive deposition wouldn't feel so bad when they get shot! I loath this safe, respectable remake. Who knows what Len Wiseman was thinking... Nowhere near as entertaining as the Underworld movies. I think he's taken the money and run folks.
How can you go wrong re-making this movie? Well, you basically throw out all the wacky colourful aspects that made the original so endearing.
The characters are bland. All the good guys are so annoyingly wholesome. If the censors had been let loose on Arnie's original then you'd probably have ended up with the 2012 version. They even have robots for henchmen so those of a sensitive deposition wouldn't feel so bad when they get shot! I loath this safe, respectable remake. Who knows what Len Wiseman was thinking... Nowhere near as entertaining as the Underworld movies. I think he's taken the money and run folks.
Chocolate
(2008)
Amazing Stunts, likable characters, larger than life.
16 January 2013
I enjoyed this movie a lot. The somewhat far fetched but very entertaining plot is about an autistic teenage girl who sets out to collect the debts owed to her mother from her unsavoury former associates. The numerous fight scenes are imaginative and spectacular, especially the last climatic battle which is fought high above the crowded streets with combatants falling from on ledge to ledge with bone clattering force. OUCH! There is also a tip of the hat to Kill Bill that had me rushing to this website to check on who was paying homage to who! You'll recognise the scene when you get to it. There are a few odd bits that don't make a lot of sense, but if you want gritty realism you've come to the wrong genre. This is an oriental martial arts movie after all.
Finally, I urge you to stay for the credits. The Director has packed it with out-takes from the fights and it's seriously hardcore. You'll be filled with awe and respect for the brave and talented actors. I was wincing in sympathy and thinking "Awwww that's gotta hurt!"
Finally, I urge you to stay for the credits. The Director has packed it with out-takes from the fights and it's seriously hardcore. You'll be filled with awe and respect for the brave and talented actors. I was wincing in sympathy and thinking "Awwww that's gotta hurt!"
Carry on Jack
(1964)
Should've given Jimbo a bigger part...
7 December 2012
Watched this for the first time since I was 5 or 6 last night and it pre-dates Carry On's golden age and is a bit boring to be honest, okay I was watching it at midnight, but I dozed through the third quarter and considering I was wide awake and laughing out loud through an episode of the IT crowd at 1am the movie has to take some of the blame! The film struggles because most the carry on team are missing! Bernard Cribbins is hog tied by a bad script with few laughs. Not even the usually watchable Keneth Williams can spark much interest. In fact the best moments come from Jim Dale's cameo right at the start of the movie. His hilariously OTT west-country accent and plain charisma steal the movie. No wonder he became the leading man a few years later! Coming from Plymouth I did enjoy the opening scenes. there is a great line about Plymouthians later in the film. Jim Dale does a generic west country accent rather than a proper Plymouthian "Janner" accent which would've been amazing, but he's still the best thing in the movie.
To summarise, awful script, few laughs, few carry on stars, too long. Sadly, you can watch the first 15 minutes and then turn it off safe in the knowledge that you've seen the best bits and its going down hill from here... I've given it 2/10 rather than 1/10 for Jim Dale's cameo.
If you are looking for Carry On movies at their hilarious best then, try Carry on Sergeant, Cowboy, Cleo, Up the Kyber and Screaming. Pure British comedy gold, Don't let this turkey colour your judgement of a wonderful comedy institution.
To summarise, awful script, few laughs, few carry on stars, too long. Sadly, you can watch the first 15 minutes and then turn it off safe in the knowledge that you've seen the best bits and its going down hill from here... I've given it 2/10 rather than 1/10 for Jim Dale's cameo.
If you are looking for Carry On movies at their hilarious best then, try Carry on Sergeant, Cowboy, Cleo, Up the Kyber and Screaming. Pure British comedy gold, Don't let this turkey colour your judgement of a wonderful comedy institution.
The Avengers
(2012)
Big thumbs up for The Avengers
14 May 2012
Loved this movie, even at almost 3 hours long it didn't drag. Joss Wheddon (Firefly and Buffy) effortlessly out did all of the battle scenes in every Transformer movie with the climatic showdown. there are even two or three seriously laugh out loud moments, mostly concerning The Hulk, but don't worry the film takes itself fairly seriously so you can escape into the story and immerse yourself.
Fans of Ironman, Thor and Captain America will not be disappointed. Every one of the superheroes gets their moment in the sun. And of course, there's Scarlett's character Black Widow. YUM! I'm giving the movie 10/10 (2D HD version) because it's so entertaining and it fulfilled all my expectations. You won't be disappointed.
As far as the format goes though, stick with HD, there wasn't any real 3D moments. If you are hugely into your 3D experience, think twice before paying the extra, there wasn't any stand out 3D moments, but lots of out of focus backgrounds which kinda wasted the small fortune that must have been spent on production. Go HD you'll get a better experience.
Fans of Ironman, Thor and Captain America will not be disappointed. Every one of the superheroes gets their moment in the sun. And of course, there's Scarlett's character Black Widow. YUM! I'm giving the movie 10/10 (2D HD version) because it's so entertaining and it fulfilled all my expectations. You won't be disappointed.
As far as the format goes though, stick with HD, there wasn't any real 3D moments. If you are hugely into your 3D experience, think twice before paying the extra, there wasn't any stand out 3D moments, but lots of out of focus backgrounds which kinda wasted the small fortune that must have been spent on production. Go HD you'll get a better experience.
The Signal
(2007)
Slick horror entertainment
19 January 2012
This movie is a lot of fun with strong characters and a cool plot that walks an assured line between The Crazies, the Sci-fi TV series Threshold and 28 Days Later while keeping its own identity. The fact that its was written and driected in three acts by three different people also works quite well. The First Act is taut and exciting. Zombie fans will get a kick out of the breakdown of society scenes. The 2nd scene is still pretty gory and tense (you really don't know what the characters are going to do next!) but introduces a rich vein of black humour which is refreshing rather than jarring. The final act is back to the deadly business of act 1 and the ending is satisfying and ripe for a sequel.
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