Directed by James Bobin and Starring Jason Segal, Amy Adams and Chris Cooper, The Muppets follows the story of three fans as they help to reunite the muppets and save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon.
As a child from the late 90's, I have always regarded The Muppets as a tame kids show, that alike ' Sesame Street' was slowly dying out. I never really took notice of The Muppets until I saw the impressive 'Christmas Carol' years after it's release date, which to this day remains my faveourite adaptation of Dickens' classic. From then I began to respect the Muppets for what they were, silly, eccentric, yet hilarious puppets. So when the Muppets was released earlier in the year, I was eager to discover their new adventures (song and dance numbers included), and although I didn't see it in theater's at the time, I managed to catch it on DVD, and 'Wow' it was fantastic!
Ignoring the occasional Pixar masterpiece, childrens film's rarely manage to achieve critical acclaim throughout both, adults and children. However the Muppets is quite a different story. With the obvious appeal to children being the involvement of bright, colurful and kind-hearted puppets, aswell as innocent yet ineviatble silly humour. What's the adult appeal? Most adults will watch this film to reminise about their childhood 'friends', while others will be forced by their excitable children. However The Muppets is in no way 'just for kids', as along with supplying silly puppet humour, there are a lot of genuinly hilarious material in this film, with the vast involvement of cameo's aswell as 'pop-culture' references and references to past films for all you avid fans!
The story is very much one that we are all familiar with, and similarly follows 'the tracks of a typical kids film'. A disbanded group, join together once more to help save their old studios. This coincidentally provides for quite a predictable film .However I don't nessesserely see this as a bad thing, the simple storyline is easy for children to follow and the lack of a complex plot also left room for mini heart-warming side-plots aswell as a plethera of fantastic musical/dance numbers.
Eight minutes in we are treated to our first musical number (Life's a happy song), and this really 'gets the ball rolling' for the rest of the film. Throughout the whole song I had a huge smile on my face, and I found myself rewatching the song multiple times, as it really was that brilliant. 'Flight of the conchords' star Bret McKenzie did a fantastic job, writing the songs that were used throughout the film, as every last one was heart-warming and memorable.
The acting within the film, is generally pretty good with a few standout performances coming from the two (human) leads! Jason Segal and Amy Adams, who I thought put a lot of soul and realism into their performances, creating very relate-able characters especially for adults, who remember the muppets from their childhoods. However I couldn't comment on the acting within the film without commenting on the terrific voice actors of each of the many Muppet's, every voice is perfect, mirroring the exact personality that their 'Muppet' is trying to radiate.
There was one aspect of the film however that I really disliked, and I couldn't help but feel an underlying frustration as the film ended. Which was really frustrating as apart from this factor, I absolutely loved the film. Toward's the end of the film, we see multiple shots of the cities landscape, one of the many views we can see, is a clear and bold billboard advertisement for 'Cars 2'. I could not believe it, and I was left open mouthed at the horror that stood before me. To see an advert for a different film within another film I think is insulting to the Muppet film, and frankly embarrassing for Disney and Pixar alike. For a start, this advert completely detracted me from the film for a good 2 minutes while I squirmed in my seat, missing a good chunk of dialogue and heart-warming fun. Which brings me onto my second point, this advert says to me that 'Disney don't believe that the Muppet's will be successful' so they decide to promote a film that they think will do better, this is quite ironic as the actual theme of the film, ( that the Muppet's is gone out of fashion) is clearly shared by the industry who owns them.
Overall however I did really love the Muppet's and although the billboard-advert did deeply annoy me, it isn't prominent and some viewers may not even see it. The Muppet's is a heart warming children's film that contains, fantastic songs, hilarious characters (my personal favorite being the chef!) and is most importantly a film which both adults and children can both enjoy...Just block your eyes when you see the billboard!
90%- An outstanding film for both Adults and children which will leave you with a huge smile on your face.
Calum Russell
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Moonrise Kingdom Review
Directed by Wes Anderson and starring Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis and Edward Norton. Moonrise Kingdom follows the story of a pair of young lovers who flee their home, causing a local search party to fan out and find them.
Back in 2009, we were hailed with possibly the best 'Roald Dahl' book adaptation, with 'Fantastic Mr.Fox' directed by none other than Wes Anderson. However my only frustration with that film was that it didn't really know who it's target audience was. Some bits were aimed at children with silly jokes and child friendly imagery, yet other scenes were quite dark, with a lot of mature jokes inserted . So when Moonrise Kingdom emererged, led by two child actors in their debut film, yet with the looks of a mature drama ,you could imagine my concern. Thanklyfully as I watched the film, my worries were quelled, as this film displays Wes Anderson at his very best, contrasting a touching story of the innocence of young love, with the realistic complication of adolescent affection, beautifully. This is the centerpiece of the film, a simple and touching story of two young lovers, before they have the responsibility of life, as the story progresses so does the determination of both the children to escape their troubled lives to meet each other and the adults in order to repair the broken relationships with their children. This worked brilliantly and subtily produced an underlying message about relationships. However this is not the only message conveyed throughout the film, Sam, the protagonist, is an avid scout and throughout the film we get to see his love for the outdoors and his many skills used to tackle the terrain. Contrary to other films, Moonrise Kingdom doesn't force the message into your face it's an underlying message felt throughout the film, that can be interpreted in different ways, or even not at all.
As-well as the strong story, throughout the film we are introduced to more and more characters each one as immersive and hilarious as the next. Notable performances go to the extremely impressive debut performances by the two leads ( Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) who produce realistic and lovable characters, who are easy to relate to. Ed Norton is also brilliant, providing a similar performance to those of the leads, he's a lovable and hilarious character, who supplies the majority of jokes, while simultaneously building this 'bridge' with the audience that allows us to easily relate and care for him.
Another aspect of the film, that may be small but is definitely notable is the fantastic score that Anderson chooses throughout the film. The music is absolutely beautiful and really adds to the feeling of each of the characters, as-well as the peaceful feeling of the secluded island at which they live.
However there were some minor aspects of the film that I felt didn't fit in with the rest of the films main message. Some actions that the kids carry out feel out of place in a film about love and adventure, ending out an opposite message to the audience. Instead these actions are never really fully explained or tied up. I also found that nearing the climax of the film, things started to get a bit ridiculous and over the top, again felling out of place and not fitting in with the rest of the films main message.
These however are just minor problems in a film which absolutely blew me away. The most poignant factor of the film being the fantastic and heart-felt story line which was led by two amazing child actors who understood the material and then portrayed their understanding through a superb debut performance.
90%- A realistic and heart-felt depiction of young love, told through a plethora of creative characters.
Calum Russell
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
The Intouchables Review
Directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, this French film follows the heart-felt true story of an aristocrat who becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident and then hires a young man from the projects to be his caretaker.
Intouchables was #1 at the French box office for 10 consecutive weeks, breaking previous records, furthermore the film was highly acclaimed by all. Having wanted to watch the film the instant I heard about it's success in France, I finally got the chance to see it, and it completely blew me away. This is without doubt one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Every single aspect of this film bursting with raw emotion, it was truly breathtaking, the acting, the cinematography, the screenplay, I mean everything! The sheer power that this film conveys is absolutely overwhelming.
From the beginning I was completely mesmerized, starting with a more comedic angle, then slowly easing into the passionate emotions of the two characters relationship. To create such a film which mixes comedy and heart-felt emotion, is commendable enough, but the extent to which this film went to, to make sure that it portrayed every feeling that it wished to is almost beyond words. To display such a wide variety of emotions, of course the acting needs to be phenomenal and I would be doing the film an injustice if I said that the acting was anything below this, both the main leads, Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy are just as good as each other, capturing the personality of the characters perfectly .Every scene was so believable and meaningful, due to the amazing and truly realistic relationship that these two characters shared.
Two scenes in-particular stood out for me as the most powerful, these were the parachuting scene and the ending scene. The parachute scene, in which both men parachute around the most compelling french countryside whilst being accompanied by a simple yet ever so effective soundtrack 'Feeling good'. The ending scene, I obviously won't go into detail about, but what I will say is that is one of the most cheerful ending's I've ever seen, and is one that will truly tug at your heart-strings.
The music in general throughout the film is absolutely incredible, they couldn't have done a better job finding a more fitting piece to go with the film. The music re-kindles the emotions you felt throughout the film, even if your not watching it.
If I had any complaints about this film they would be extremely picky ones, I would've quite liked to have seen a bit more of a detailed back-story to Omar Sy's character, Driss. Also his young friend I thought was a bit of an unnecessary character, as we never really went into a huge amount of depth within his character and his life. But these are almost minuscule problems that can EASILY be overlooked!
This picture is what reminds me of what I really love about film, the true emotion displayed, compelling characters, breathtaking acting and a story which leaves you with a gigantic grin by the end.
90%- A truly mesmerizing film, that will leave you grinning for hours after.
Calum.Russell
Intouchables was #1 at the French box office for 10 consecutive weeks, breaking previous records, furthermore the film was highly acclaimed by all. Having wanted to watch the film the instant I heard about it's success in France, I finally got the chance to see it, and it completely blew me away. This is without doubt one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Every single aspect of this film bursting with raw emotion, it was truly breathtaking, the acting, the cinematography, the screenplay, I mean everything! The sheer power that this film conveys is absolutely overwhelming.
From the beginning I was completely mesmerized, starting with a more comedic angle, then slowly easing into the passionate emotions of the two characters relationship. To create such a film which mixes comedy and heart-felt emotion, is commendable enough, but the extent to which this film went to, to make sure that it portrayed every feeling that it wished to is almost beyond words. To display such a wide variety of emotions, of course the acting needs to be phenomenal and I would be doing the film an injustice if I said that the acting was anything below this, both the main leads, Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy are just as good as each other, capturing the personality of the characters perfectly .Every scene was so believable and meaningful, due to the amazing and truly realistic relationship that these two characters shared.
Two scenes in-particular stood out for me as the most powerful, these were the parachuting scene and the ending scene. The parachute scene, in which both men parachute around the most compelling french countryside whilst being accompanied by a simple yet ever so effective soundtrack 'Feeling good'. The ending scene, I obviously won't go into detail about, but what I will say is that is one of the most cheerful ending's I've ever seen, and is one that will truly tug at your heart-strings.
The music in general throughout the film is absolutely incredible, they couldn't have done a better job finding a more fitting piece to go with the film. The music re-kindles the emotions you felt throughout the film, even if your not watching it.
If I had any complaints about this film they would be extremely picky ones, I would've quite liked to have seen a bit more of a detailed back-story to Omar Sy's character, Driss. Also his young friend I thought was a bit of an unnecessary character, as we never really went into a huge amount of depth within his character and his life. But these are almost minuscule problems that can EASILY be overlooked!
This picture is what reminds me of what I really love about film, the true emotion displayed, compelling characters, breathtaking acting and a story which leaves you with a gigantic grin by the end.
90%- A truly mesmerizing film, that will leave you grinning for hours after.
Calum.Russell
Snowtown (DVD Review)
Directed by Justin Kurzel and starring Daniel Henshall and Lucas Pittaway, Snowtown is based on the true story in which a string of horrific murders take place in a bleak Australian town.
Knowing that it was based on the disturbing and well known true story, I was preparing myself for the worst, and that's what was delivered. Snowtown has got to be one of the most visually intense yet, most heavily disturbing film I've ever seen. Every scene hits with a heavy punch that will leave you dazed at what your watching. I think that the film makers did a brilliant job of sending the message across of how completely manipulative, and horribly insane the character of 'John Bunting' was. This was mainly down to the acting performance from Daniel Henshall, who grasps the character perfectly and who builds a believable and twisted personality, that makes the final product ever so disturbing.
Whilst I was expecting to see ever single murder in all its graphic detail, I was pleased to see that the majority are left out from the film. I think this really helped the film as if all of them had been left in, the film would be dragging it's focus point away from the complete manipulation and control that Bunting had over the kids and instead focusing on the graphic deaths trying to screw with your senses. Although their are some graphic gory scenes in this film, they never really go into extreme detail (apart from one small segment).
The soundtrack in this film is amazing and very fitting, this track is being played constantly throughout the film and does a brilliant job in upping the intensity and eeriness of the whole situation.
Their was one minor problem I had with the film however, I didn't feel that the story was explained very well and this wasn't helped by the occasionally indecipherable dialogue. I found myself trying to piece together characters at times of importance when their should've been a clear link and back-story to the characters at the beginning.
Although some may not be able to overlook the problem of the confusing story, I am able to overlook it. As overall I thought this film was brilliant, very heavy maybe , but as a whole a powerful and intense film that shouldn't be missed.
80%- If your able to overlook the story telling error and absolute bleakness of the film, you should find it completely captivating and powerful.
Calum.Russell
Knowing that it was based on the disturbing and well known true story, I was preparing myself for the worst, and that's what was delivered. Snowtown has got to be one of the most visually intense yet, most heavily disturbing film I've ever seen. Every scene hits with a heavy punch that will leave you dazed at what your watching. I think that the film makers did a brilliant job of sending the message across of how completely manipulative, and horribly insane the character of 'John Bunting' was. This was mainly down to the acting performance from Daniel Henshall, who grasps the character perfectly and who builds a believable and twisted personality, that makes the final product ever so disturbing.
Whilst I was expecting to see ever single murder in all its graphic detail, I was pleased to see that the majority are left out from the film. I think this really helped the film as if all of them had been left in, the film would be dragging it's focus point away from the complete manipulation and control that Bunting had over the kids and instead focusing on the graphic deaths trying to screw with your senses. Although their are some graphic gory scenes in this film, they never really go into extreme detail (apart from one small segment).
The soundtrack in this film is amazing and very fitting, this track is being played constantly throughout the film and does a brilliant job in upping the intensity and eeriness of the whole situation.
Their was one minor problem I had with the film however, I didn't feel that the story was explained very well and this wasn't helped by the occasionally indecipherable dialogue. I found myself trying to piece together characters at times of importance when their should've been a clear link and back-story to the characters at the beginning.
Although some may not be able to overlook the problem of the confusing story, I am able to overlook it. As overall I thought this film was brilliant, very heavy maybe , but as a whole a powerful and intense film that shouldn't be missed.
80%- If your able to overlook the story telling error and absolute bleakness of the film, you should find it completely captivating and powerful.
Calum.Russell
In A Nutshell-Melancholia Review
Directed by Lars Von Trier and starring Kirsten Dunst and Kiefer Sutherland. Melancholia follows the story of Justine (Dunst) who is celebrating her marriage, meanwhile the planet, melancholia, is heading towards earth.
I perceived this film as two parts. The first half includes the whole wedding and the second half involves melancholia. I thought the first half was excellent, scenes created powerful feelings and imagery, I thought that their was strong character development, superb acting (With Kirsten Dunst putting in her best performance for years) and most importantly an incising story.
However as we reach the 'second half' of the film, things start to get 1- confusing and 2- very melancholy! I didn't feel that their was a strong enough link between the two halves , it almost felt like two different films. I also felt that the film was forcing you to exert emotions, (which always annoys me), the film was just so depressing that I nearly even switched off. As-well as these factors, I also do not believe that a strong enough story was delivered, it should have been pretty simple, but instead was unnecessarily confusing, as you were battling in your head the meaning of this film.
70%- Worth it for the brilliant first half, but confusing and forced second half ruins film.
A failed piece of a clear attempt of art, if you want art, watch the tree of life
In a Nutshell -Deadline Review
Starring the late Brittany Murphy and Thora Birch, deadline follows the story of a screenwriter who travels to an abandoned house to finish a script on time, but a strange series of events leads to her psychological breakdown.
Throughout this film I was just waiting and waiting for this film to kick in with it's main plot and driving force, but before I knew it , the film had ended and I was sitting their baffled and unsatisfied. The stories so lack-luster, it's transparent and easily predictable. The acting is also poor, it almost seems like none of the actors/actresses want to be their, all the performances are half-hear ted and very unbelievable. In a film about a screen writer it's also ironic that the screen writing in this film is one of the worst I've ever seen. Filled to the brim with film cliches and awful dialogue.
The only light relief comes at the end with a small twist, that will keep you thinking for literally minutes until you understand it, it won't leave you open mouthed, it will just leave you thinking 'ohhh....is that it?'
30%- No passion what so ever in this unoriginal cliched bore.
Calum Russell
Submarine Review
Richard Ayoade directs in his first feature film, starring Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige and Paddy Considine. Submarine follows the story of 15 year old Oliver Tate (Roberts) who has two objectives, lose his virginity before his next birthday and to re-light the flames on his parents marriage.
Being released back in 2011, this terrific British film was completely overlooked by the Bafta's and the academy awards alike. Containing brilliant acting, a hilarious script and a heart-warming story I would go as far to say that submarine was my favorite film of last year. I think that submarine is just as much a comedy/drama then it is a young love story. The plot is very simple and quaint in a way that it perfectly matches the films setting of a small welsh seaside town. Being such a realistic depiction of the life of a traditional teenage boy, means that we can instantly relate to his likable character. As the story develops throughout the film so does the boy's love for Jordana (Paige), these scenes which show the couple together is an affectionate reminder to what it was like to have a young love. To make these scenes even more outstanding, they are accompanied by a perfectly fitted score, performed by Alex Turner which have so much feeling, they just complete every scene.
The acting is all outstanding, especially from the lead Craig Roberts and his characters mother Sally Hawkins, the sheer talent that's displayed in the film makes the whole film so believable and realistic, making scenes more funny, loving dramatic e.t.c
There is nothing I didn't like about this film, from it's hilarious opening to it's heart-warming end. This film is not only the best comedy/drama of 2011 but also one of the best love stories I've seen in years. A near masterpiece.
90%- The heart-felt story bursting with feeling and emotion will have you smiling for hours.
Calum.Russell
Being released back in 2011, this terrific British film was completely overlooked by the Bafta's and the academy awards alike. Containing brilliant acting, a hilarious script and a heart-warming story I would go as far to say that submarine was my favorite film of last year. I think that submarine is just as much a comedy/drama then it is a young love story. The plot is very simple and quaint in a way that it perfectly matches the films setting of a small welsh seaside town. Being such a realistic depiction of the life of a traditional teenage boy, means that we can instantly relate to his likable character. As the story develops throughout the film so does the boy's love for Jordana (Paige), these scenes which show the couple together is an affectionate reminder to what it was like to have a young love. To make these scenes even more outstanding, they are accompanied by a perfectly fitted score, performed by Alex Turner which have so much feeling, they just complete every scene.
The acting is all outstanding, especially from the lead Craig Roberts and his characters mother Sally Hawkins, the sheer talent that's displayed in the film makes the whole film so believable and realistic, making scenes more funny, loving dramatic e.t.c
There is nothing I didn't like about this film, from it's hilarious opening to it's heart-warming end. This film is not only the best comedy/drama of 2011 but also one of the best love stories I've seen in years. A near masterpiece.
90%- The heart-felt story bursting with feeling and emotion will have you smiling for hours.
Calum.Russell
The Thing (2011) DVD Review
In the prequel to John Carpenters classic, a discovery of an alien spacecraft is found below the ice, at an Antarctica research site, inside it lies the thing. Matthijs van Heijningen Jr directs in his first feature film with the cast of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton and Ulrich Thomsen.
29 years after Carpenters classic horror hit, and yet again Universal felt the need to remake another classic. OK so, its not a remake but it may as well be, this film is nearly identical to Carpenters original. From the story, to the cinematography. There are even scenes taken directly from the original, with the director making a petty attempt to make them different by subtly changing one factor. The scenery and cinematography in the film are also identical to the 1982 version, both take place in a similar base, and both are filmed similarly, with a sense of loneliness forever present throughout.
However I do appreciate that the director did attempt to make a more original film as oppose to an exact copy. Contrary to Carpenters version, this film contains a lot more gore and violence, which puts a fresh stamp on the story, offering something new to the table. Unfortunately with heavy use of gore and violence, comes the heavy use of CGI, and I mean heavy! Every time we see 'the thing' it's shrouded in a clear sheet of CGI, this becomes much more apparent towards the end of the film, where faces are added to 'the thing' and it just loses all its impact and it quickly becomes tame and unthreatening. Compare this to the original, where little CGI was used and as a result we don't see as much, which ultimately means when we do see 'the thing' its shocking and terrifying. This was partly down to the quality of CGI in the 80's but it's still pretty impressive that will always stand the test of time.
Although I do respect Heijningen for trying to differentiate the film from the original, I think that he got a bit carried away towards the end. Without giving too much away, the ending's a bit silly and unnecessary. I feel that he was reckless with his use of CGI, like a child with a wide array of new toys, just overusing and abusing the effects.
The acting performances are all pretty average, with no one really showing a stand out brilliant performance. The whole film almost felt half hearted in terms of acting and also story-line.
Although this film didn't ruin the original, it did put a slight mark on it. Heijnningen attempted to create an creative and new spin on the story and in a sense succeeded, as this film is quite different to its predecessor. But the complete abuse of the use of CGI and the lazy story and acting drags the film down. Does finish on a positive note however as the film ends with a simplistic yet fitting link the to Carpenters horror classic.
60%- Nothing like Carpenters classic, in both positive and negative ways, mostly negative however due to the abuse of CGI.
Calum.Russell
29 years after Carpenters classic horror hit, and yet again Universal felt the need to remake another classic. OK so, its not a remake but it may as well be, this film is nearly identical to Carpenters original. From the story, to the cinematography. There are even scenes taken directly from the original, with the director making a petty attempt to make them different by subtly changing one factor. The scenery and cinematography in the film are also identical to the 1982 version, both take place in a similar base, and both are filmed similarly, with a sense of loneliness forever present throughout.
However I do appreciate that the director did attempt to make a more original film as oppose to an exact copy. Contrary to Carpenters version, this film contains a lot more gore and violence, which puts a fresh stamp on the story, offering something new to the table. Unfortunately with heavy use of gore and violence, comes the heavy use of CGI, and I mean heavy! Every time we see 'the thing' it's shrouded in a clear sheet of CGI, this becomes much more apparent towards the end of the film, where faces are added to 'the thing' and it just loses all its impact and it quickly becomes tame and unthreatening. Compare this to the original, where little CGI was used and as a result we don't see as much, which ultimately means when we do see 'the thing' its shocking and terrifying. This was partly down to the quality of CGI in the 80's but it's still pretty impressive that will always stand the test of time.
Although I do respect Heijningen for trying to differentiate the film from the original, I think that he got a bit carried away towards the end. Without giving too much away, the ending's a bit silly and unnecessary. I feel that he was reckless with his use of CGI, like a child with a wide array of new toys, just overusing and abusing the effects.
The acting performances are all pretty average, with no one really showing a stand out brilliant performance. The whole film almost felt half hearted in terms of acting and also story-line.
Although this film didn't ruin the original, it did put a slight mark on it. Heijnningen attempted to create an creative and new spin on the story and in a sense succeeded, as this film is quite different to its predecessor. But the complete abuse of the use of CGI and the lazy story and acting drags the film down. Does finish on a positive note however as the film ends with a simplistic yet fitting link the to Carpenters horror classic.
60%- Nothing like Carpenters classic, in both positive and negative ways, mostly negative however due to the abuse of CGI.
Calum.Russell
Kill List Review
Directed by Ben Wheatly and starring Neil Maskell, kill list is a British horror film which follows the story of two hit-men who accept a new assignment which starts of easy but soon turns raw.
What is kill list!? Is it a horror? Is it a thriller? Is it a crime film? At the end of the day it doesn't really matter as the bottom line is this film is absolutely astonishing. The acting, the story, the cinematography, it's all outstanding. Characters are real and believable due to the brilliant bond between to two male leads, this bond makes the horror all the more disconcerting as the film progresses. The film is shot in such a way that you can't escape the trauma, that the characters are facing, your facing it with them. The best scene in the film comes from the tunnel chase in which your following the characters through dark claustrophobic tunnel, while being chased by something sinister. The way that this scene is filmed, lit and the way it sounds gather together to create a masterpiece of a scene, that is unbelievably intense. With the only light coming from the characters head torches, following them in the claustrophobic confines of the tunnel , occasionally going to POV, the only sounds the heavy breathing and the shrieks of the unknown.
The film contains one of the most complex yet brilliant stories I have ever seen. Ben Wheatly leaves it all down to the viewer to decipher the film, no clear ending is given and it isn't linked through the dialogue. Now you would think that this is a negative in the film, but the fact that he wants you to work for the story for yourself and almost decide your own ending I thought was great. I hate nothing more than a dumb story-line, where the director treats his audience as 3 year old's.
However some could argue that kill list has gone to far over to the other extreme and doesn't tell you enough about the story, a lot of the film is hard to make sense of and you have to watch it with strict attention. Ultimately the ending gives no clear link with the rest of the story and Ben Wheatly could be (and has been) accused of just being lazy, he didn't know how to end the film, so just plonked on an indecipherable ending that made near to no sense.
I do not think this however as I think that Kill list is the most important film of the previous year and is one that everybody needs to see. This film is like a jigsaw, slowly piecing together the story until you reach the end when your overwhelmed by the amazing story that you yourself have pieced together.
100%- An outstanding British horror that will keep your heart racing until the breathtaking ending.
Calum.Russell
What is kill list!? Is it a horror? Is it a thriller? Is it a crime film? At the end of the day it doesn't really matter as the bottom line is this film is absolutely astonishing. The acting, the story, the cinematography, it's all outstanding. Characters are real and believable due to the brilliant bond between to two male leads, this bond makes the horror all the more disconcerting as the film progresses. The film is shot in such a way that you can't escape the trauma, that the characters are facing, your facing it with them. The best scene in the film comes from the tunnel chase in which your following the characters through dark claustrophobic tunnel, while being chased by something sinister. The way that this scene is filmed, lit and the way it sounds gather together to create a masterpiece of a scene, that is unbelievably intense. With the only light coming from the characters head torches, following them in the claustrophobic confines of the tunnel , occasionally going to POV, the only sounds the heavy breathing and the shrieks of the unknown.
The film contains one of the most complex yet brilliant stories I have ever seen. Ben Wheatly leaves it all down to the viewer to decipher the film, no clear ending is given and it isn't linked through the dialogue. Now you would think that this is a negative in the film, but the fact that he wants you to work for the story for yourself and almost decide your own ending I thought was great. I hate nothing more than a dumb story-line, where the director treats his audience as 3 year old's.
However some could argue that kill list has gone to far over to the other extreme and doesn't tell you enough about the story, a lot of the film is hard to make sense of and you have to watch it with strict attention. Ultimately the ending gives no clear link with the rest of the story and Ben Wheatly could be (and has been) accused of just being lazy, he didn't know how to end the film, so just plonked on an indecipherable ending that made near to no sense.
I do not think this however as I think that Kill list is the most important film of the previous year and is one that everybody needs to see. This film is like a jigsaw, slowly piecing together the story until you reach the end when your overwhelmed by the amazing story that you yourself have pieced together.
100%- An outstanding British horror that will keep your heart racing until the breathtaking ending.
Calum.Russell
Woman In Black Review
The woman in black is a horror film starring Daniel Radcliffe and Ciarán Hinds. The woman in black follows the story of Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe), a lawyer, who is sent to sort and organize a deceased woman's papers at her derelict, bleak mansion.
I originally watched the stage production of the woman in black back in 2010 and absolutely loved it, I came out of the theater buzzing, as it was one such a simple story, yet ever so terrifying. Which is why I had high hopes for the Film- adaptation, hoping that i would once again feel that terror, that i experienced coming out of the theater. Unfortunately,coming out of the cinema, I was heavily disappointed, as this film could've and should've been so much better! I honestly think that this film could've been terrifying, but they completely mutilated the story creating a mess in which you didn't know whether to cry or (to be totally blunt) laugh!
The beauty of the original theater story, is the simplicity of it all, its a simple classic and most importantly of all chilling ghost story. The film however is a mess, ruining the simplicity of the story, by making children the main centerpiece of the plot. Why they did this I will never know. This plot change completely ruined the film for me, every scene that included a child almost supplied light relief from the scares, for example their one scene where a child is standing next to the woman in black, its filmed as if the scene is supposed to be shocking, but its not, because the child just supplies relief making the scene completely ineffective and useless.
Now this is Daniel Radcliffe's first role outside the harry potter series so he needed to deliver to show he could act on his own two feet. I can't quite work out in my head if this is a casting error, or maybe he's just a bad actor, but I found Daniel Radcliffes performance in this film, totally unconvincing. I didn't feel his fear when he was inside the house, i didn't feel his total bemusement when the villagers started to turn on him.
At points this film does show genuine scenes of horror, but the acting of Radcliffe and the poor story-line cannot be ignored. This film is my biggest disappointment of the year so far. I'm not going to give this film an awful score for the simple reason that I love the play and the original story. So if your thinking of watching the film, don't... watch the play instead!
50% Calum.Russell
I originally watched the stage production of the woman in black back in 2010 and absolutely loved it, I came out of the theater buzzing, as it was one such a simple story, yet ever so terrifying. Which is why I had high hopes for the Film- adaptation, hoping that i would once again feel that terror, that i experienced coming out of the theater. Unfortunately,coming out of the cinema, I was heavily disappointed, as this film could've and should've been so much better! I honestly think that this film could've been terrifying, but they completely mutilated the story creating a mess in which you didn't know whether to cry or (to be totally blunt) laugh!
The beauty of the original theater story, is the simplicity of it all, its a simple classic and most importantly of all chilling ghost story. The film however is a mess, ruining the simplicity of the story, by making children the main centerpiece of the plot. Why they did this I will never know. This plot change completely ruined the film for me, every scene that included a child almost supplied light relief from the scares, for example their one scene where a child is standing next to the woman in black, its filmed as if the scene is supposed to be shocking, but its not, because the child just supplies relief making the scene completely ineffective and useless.
Now this is Daniel Radcliffe's first role outside the harry potter series so he needed to deliver to show he could act on his own two feet. I can't quite work out in my head if this is a casting error, or maybe he's just a bad actor, but I found Daniel Radcliffes performance in this film, totally unconvincing. I didn't feel his fear when he was inside the house, i didn't feel his total bemusement when the villagers started to turn on him.
At points this film does show genuine scenes of horror, but the acting of Radcliffe and the poor story-line cannot be ignored. This film is my biggest disappointment of the year so far. I'm not going to give this film an awful score for the simple reason that I love the play and the original story. So if your thinking of watching the film, don't... watch the play instead!
50% Calum.Russell
Monday, 25 June 2012
Cell 211 (DVD Review)
Directed by Daniel Monzon and starring Luis Tosar and Alberto Ammann, this Spanish Drama involves two men who are involved in a prison riot, one an inmate leading the rebellion, the other a young guard trapped in the violence.
Cell 211 completely contradicted my initial perspective of the film, expecting an action thriller and receiving a powerful drama. The film wastes no time getting into the story as it begins with the new young employee at the prison, a day early, ready to begin his new job, when all of the sudden the situation spirals out of control until before you know it he's lying in a prison cell bleeding. Although I did feel that this beginning was a little rushed, I do prefer it to when their is a long unnecessary build up to the main story in which your eagerly anticipating.As the film progresses the story becomes ever more interesting and intricate, with the help of the film's superb characters. Malamadre (played by Luis Tosar) delivers a terrifying passionate performance, in my opinion making the film what it is.
However it comes with the characters that brings my biggest disappointment, although the majority of the characters were interesting, I found that most were completely unbelievable and unnecessary. Malmadre's gang is heavily involved in the story but most of them just stand around doing nothing, then occasionally 'pop their head around the door, and drop a bombshell'. Even the character of Malmadre I thought at times was given an awful piece of dialogue to say which just turned off the intensity of the film and made it a bit unbelievable, obviously this is due down to the screenplay, therefore it would be unfair to judge the actors performances. Some aspects of the characters I believe that they got right, the director ,Daniel Monzon, resists the temptation to create another 'Hollywood hero' and instead creates a much more realistic character who helps to work the film along in a believable manor.
Overall however, despite the frustration over the character's, this film delivers an exciting and punchy drama, worthy of your attention.
80%
Calum.Russell
Cell 211 completely contradicted my initial perspective of the film, expecting an action thriller and receiving a powerful drama. The film wastes no time getting into the story as it begins with the new young employee at the prison, a day early, ready to begin his new job, when all of the sudden the situation spirals out of control until before you know it he's lying in a prison cell bleeding. Although I did feel that this beginning was a little rushed, I do prefer it to when their is a long unnecessary build up to the main story in which your eagerly anticipating.As the film progresses the story becomes ever more interesting and intricate, with the help of the film's superb characters. Malamadre (played by Luis Tosar) delivers a terrifying passionate performance, in my opinion making the film what it is.
However it comes with the characters that brings my biggest disappointment, although the majority of the characters were interesting, I found that most were completely unbelievable and unnecessary. Malmadre's gang is heavily involved in the story but most of them just stand around doing nothing, then occasionally 'pop their head around the door, and drop a bombshell'. Even the character of Malmadre I thought at times was given an awful piece of dialogue to say which just turned off the intensity of the film and made it a bit unbelievable, obviously this is due down to the screenplay, therefore it would be unfair to judge the actors performances. Some aspects of the characters I believe that they got right, the director ,Daniel Monzon, resists the temptation to create another 'Hollywood hero' and instead creates a much more realistic character who helps to work the film along in a believable manor.
Overall however, despite the frustration over the character's, this film delivers an exciting and punchy drama, worthy of your attention.
80%
Calum.Russell
Attack The Block (DVD Review)
Attack the block is a dark comedy, which was released in 2011. Directed by Joe Cornish and starring John Boyega, Alex Esmail,Franz Drameh,Leeon Jones and Simon Howard all in their debut feature film. Attack the block follows the story of a group of teenagers who are trying to defend their block from an alien invasion.
I've been wanting to see this film since it's release back in 2011, so when I finally got round to watching it last week, my anticipations were high. Thankfully the film did't dissapoint supplying a funny yet scary film, which is bursting with originality. The film begins differently to what may be expected, showing the group of teens mugging a defensless woman, howver instead of following the woamn home afterwards, we as an audience, follow the gang after the mugging has taken place and we are introduced to the personalities of each charcter, which are quite different to the steriotypical teen. The teenagers are presented, realistically and are shown with a human, more gentle side to them which supplies comedy and even an odd connection which means that after 10 minutes you've forgotten about the mugging and are rooting for the hilarious gang. Then when the aliens appear, a perfect mixture of comedy and genuine horror in sues. The aliens are amazingly unique showing, a primate type creature which is terrifyingly gymnastic and vicious. These two factors are what makes this film brilliant, the continuous contrasts of the hilarity of the group, and then the tense scenes in which the teens are running away from the aliens, is just perfect.
Although I liked the majority of the film , I do feel that the ending did disappoint and felt slightly out of place. It just did't seem that realistic, and in a film of such originality and realism to see quite a clique ending was frustrating.
This is only a minor hiccup however, as on the whole I thought the film was brilliant. With 2011 being such a bland year for films, and then to see attack the block appear out of nowhere and show a original story that perfectly depicts the lives of 5 young teens whilst providing hilarious situations and intense alien sequences, is absolutely outstanding.
90%- An energetic comedy, filled with moments of tense horror. Let down slightly with a out of place ending, which however shouldn't deter you from the overall brilliant film.
Calum.Rusell
I've been wanting to see this film since it's release back in 2011, so when I finally got round to watching it last week, my anticipations were high. Thankfully the film did't dissapoint supplying a funny yet scary film, which is bursting with originality. The film begins differently to what may be expected, showing the group of teens mugging a defensless woman, howver instead of following the woamn home afterwards, we as an audience, follow the gang after the mugging has taken place and we are introduced to the personalities of each charcter, which are quite different to the steriotypical teen. The teenagers are presented, realistically and are shown with a human, more gentle side to them which supplies comedy and even an odd connection which means that after 10 minutes you've forgotten about the mugging and are rooting for the hilarious gang. Then when the aliens appear, a perfect mixture of comedy and genuine horror in sues. The aliens are amazingly unique showing, a primate type creature which is terrifyingly gymnastic and vicious. These two factors are what makes this film brilliant, the continuous contrasts of the hilarity of the group, and then the tense scenes in which the teens are running away from the aliens, is just perfect.
Although I liked the majority of the film , I do feel that the ending did disappoint and felt slightly out of place. It just did't seem that realistic, and in a film of such originality and realism to see quite a clique ending was frustrating.
This is only a minor hiccup however, as on the whole I thought the film was brilliant. With 2011 being such a bland year for films, and then to see attack the block appear out of nowhere and show a original story that perfectly depicts the lives of 5 young teens whilst providing hilarious situations and intense alien sequences, is absolutely outstanding.
90%- An energetic comedy, filled with moments of tense horror. Let down slightly with a out of place ending, which however shouldn't deter you from the overall brilliant film.
Calum.Rusell
Sunday, 24 June 2012
A Nightmare On Elm Street- 1984 (DVD Review)
A nightmare on elm street is directed by Wes craven and stars Nancy Thompson and also Johnny Depp in his first feature. The film follows the story of a group of teenagers who all begin to experience disturbing dreams about a sadistic man, these dreams then start to become reality.
Knowing that this film is a well renowned classic, I was expecting an intense horror film, of which you would remember for weeks after. Unfortunately this is not what I experienced, as I finished watching the film I was undeniable disappointed.
I felt that this film moved along way too fast, as an audience we were thrown straight into the deep end and were expected to know every character perfectly. There was almost no character development, and along with this comes inevitability cliche characters, which I just didn't believe. These characters weren't helped by the actors and actresses who played them, (with the exception of Johnny Deep, who I felt was the most believable and well developed character) the characters portrayed seem to be the sturdiest people on the planet, dealing with their friends death as if it had never even happened. The story itself is simple and innovative, bringing some completely new concepts to the table, this however is dragged down by a few scenes which involve 'Freddy'. I did't particularly like the character of Freddy, for a start I don't think that he should have been revealed so many times in the film, by seeing his whole body along with all his facial features he quickly lost his shock factor and just became the 'bad guy'. It came to a point in which most scenes involving 'Freddy' became laughable, this is partly due the odd choices of interaction with the characters as well as the occasionally poor CGI. Now I can't really knock the CGI, as it was made in the 80's so I wasn't expecting anything phenomenal , however the CGI did affect a few scenes making them look a bit cheap and as I said previously, laughable, this for me lowered the intensity of the film, as I was chuckling at times that were supposed to shock.
I can definitely see why this film is loved by most delivering a really creative story-line and a classic horror villain. I just couldn't look past these positive points as problems like the acting and the characters were blocking the view.
70%- A solid film, with undeniable faults which may deter you from enjoying the inventive story.
Knowing that this film is a well renowned classic, I was expecting an intense horror film, of which you would remember for weeks after. Unfortunately this is not what I experienced, as I finished watching the film I was undeniable disappointed.
I felt that this film moved along way too fast, as an audience we were thrown straight into the deep end and were expected to know every character perfectly. There was almost no character development, and along with this comes inevitability cliche characters, which I just didn't believe. These characters weren't helped by the actors and actresses who played them, (with the exception of Johnny Deep, who I felt was the most believable and well developed character) the characters portrayed seem to be the sturdiest people on the planet, dealing with their friends death as if it had never even happened. The story itself is simple and innovative, bringing some completely new concepts to the table, this however is dragged down by a few scenes which involve 'Freddy'. I did't particularly like the character of Freddy, for a start I don't think that he should have been revealed so many times in the film, by seeing his whole body along with all his facial features he quickly lost his shock factor and just became the 'bad guy'. It came to a point in which most scenes involving 'Freddy' became laughable, this is partly due the odd choices of interaction with the characters as well as the occasionally poor CGI. Now I can't really knock the CGI, as it was made in the 80's so I wasn't expecting anything phenomenal , however the CGI did affect a few scenes making them look a bit cheap and as I said previously, laughable, this for me lowered the intensity of the film, as I was chuckling at times that were supposed to shock.
I can definitely see why this film is loved by most delivering a really creative story-line and a classic horror villain. I just couldn't look past these positive points as problems like the acting and the characters were blocking the view.
70%- A solid film, with undeniable faults which may deter you from enjoying the inventive story.
The Hunger Games Review
The hunger games is based on the best selling children s novel by Susan hill. Set in a futuristic world a lot like our own where 2 children from every 12 districts are called up, to fight against each other in a sadistic contest called the hunger games.
Having read all three books in this series, its safe to say that I was pretty excited to see this film. Hoping to watch a faithful adaption that would re animate my love for the books. That's pretty much what I got. This film pretty much follows the book page by page, yes a few things are missed out but nothing major. However this complete faithfulness to the book, is why i didn't particularly like the film as much as i probably should have. I felt as if Gary Ross, the director, was clinging so tightly onto the pages of the book that when he let go to add something new, he was worried he was going to upset fans, as a result we receive some nervy short scenes of which some are confusing and unnecessary and add nothing to the tension that the film slowly builds up, (Hint- Final scene). As expected from a book which involves children killing each other there should be a lot of gory violent scenes in the film. Unfortunately the 12A certificate burden drags the film down, and as a result scenes that need to be gory that aren't lose their impact and intensity, especially the 1st scene of the games. More so, the story actually needs the gore to send its message across, the message that the most innocent of people are killing each other with such violence, for the entertainment and satisfaction of the public. This powerful message that the book gives off isn't mirrored in the film, as it goes without blood for the majority of the film. Saying this I do think that with what Gary Ross was given in terms of a certificate, I think he did a pretty good job, yes the violent scenes weren't very gory but they were filmed with cinematic finesse, that kept you stimulated. This finesse also shines through in the pre-hunger games scenes in which the capitol is shown in all its futuristic beauty, however with one minor hitch. The citizens of the capitol are supposed to be rich, 'hip' and trendy, this factor in the film is completely over the top, as the people are shown in a weird, almost in a 'the cat in the hat esque' fashion. As I said though this is only a minor problem which can easily be overlooked.
Jennifer Lawrence's role demands a lot of attributes, a tough, brave heroin, with a sentimental soft-spot. I think that she really delivers in this film, showing realistic and heart-felt emotions, maybe not as good as in her Oscar nominated 'Winters Bone', but still a solid performance, in every aspect. More stand-out performances come from Woody Harrelson and most prominently Elizabeth Banks whose characterization is spot on whilst playing a nervous yet kooky 'Effie Trinket'.
I would say that i see the film as 3 parts ; The leading up to the hunger games, the actual games, and post- hunger games. I think that the pre- games scenes were done very well, emotions are presented brilliantly and the character development is also done excellently. I do however think that this section is dragged on way to much and as a result the actual hunger games seem quite short, very rushed and anti-climactic. The post games also suffers from the running time of the 1st part as it includes an abrupt ending which for me didn't really suffice.
Although it sounds as though I hated this film, there were some aspects of it I loved. Ignoring the problems, the majority of the story is gripping and exciting, and the deep character development provides characters which the audience can relate to. New scenes which have been added to the original story supply a simple story-line which is fairly easily understandable to those who haven't read the books.
70%- A thrilling and enjoyable film, with undeniable faults.
C.Russell
Having read all three books in this series, its safe to say that I was pretty excited to see this film. Hoping to watch a faithful adaption that would re animate my love for the books. That's pretty much what I got. This film pretty much follows the book page by page, yes a few things are missed out but nothing major. However this complete faithfulness to the book, is why i didn't particularly like the film as much as i probably should have. I felt as if Gary Ross, the director, was clinging so tightly onto the pages of the book that when he let go to add something new, he was worried he was going to upset fans, as a result we receive some nervy short scenes of which some are confusing and unnecessary and add nothing to the tension that the film slowly builds up, (Hint- Final scene). As expected from a book which involves children killing each other there should be a lot of gory violent scenes in the film. Unfortunately the 12A certificate burden drags the film down, and as a result scenes that need to be gory that aren't lose their impact and intensity, especially the 1st scene of the games. More so, the story actually needs the gore to send its message across, the message that the most innocent of people are killing each other with such violence, for the entertainment and satisfaction of the public. This powerful message that the book gives off isn't mirrored in the film, as it goes without blood for the majority of the film. Saying this I do think that with what Gary Ross was given in terms of a certificate, I think he did a pretty good job, yes the violent scenes weren't very gory but they were filmed with cinematic finesse, that kept you stimulated. This finesse also shines through in the pre-hunger games scenes in which the capitol is shown in all its futuristic beauty, however with one minor hitch. The citizens of the capitol are supposed to be rich, 'hip' and trendy, this factor in the film is completely over the top, as the people are shown in a weird, almost in a 'the cat in the hat esque' fashion. As I said though this is only a minor problem which can easily be overlooked.
Jennifer Lawrence's role demands a lot of attributes, a tough, brave heroin, with a sentimental soft-spot. I think that she really delivers in this film, showing realistic and heart-felt emotions, maybe not as good as in her Oscar nominated 'Winters Bone', but still a solid performance, in every aspect. More stand-out performances come from Woody Harrelson and most prominently Elizabeth Banks whose characterization is spot on whilst playing a nervous yet kooky 'Effie Trinket'.
I would say that i see the film as 3 parts ; The leading up to the hunger games, the actual games, and post- hunger games. I think that the pre- games scenes were done very well, emotions are presented brilliantly and the character development is also done excellently. I do however think that this section is dragged on way to much and as a result the actual hunger games seem quite short, very rushed and anti-climactic. The post games also suffers from the running time of the 1st part as it includes an abrupt ending which for me didn't really suffice.
Although it sounds as though I hated this film, there were some aspects of it I loved. Ignoring the problems, the majority of the story is gripping and exciting, and the deep character development provides characters which the audience can relate to. New scenes which have been added to the original story supply a simple story-line which is fairly easily understandable to those who haven't read the books.
70%- A thrilling and enjoyable film, with undeniable faults.
C.Russell
Saturday, 23 June 2012
Tree Of Life Review
Starring Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain, The tree of life follows the story of a boy who witnesses the loss of innocence when he sees the death of his friends he is then faced with the conflict of accepting the way of grace or nature.
Let me start by saying this film is in no way for everyone, its a marmite film, you'll either love it or hate it. Personally I loved it. This film has got to be the most beautiful films, in terms of cinematography, that I have ever seen. The first half hour of the film is centered around the beginning of time and the creation of the earth, showing the most stunning pictures of the world around us, with fitting opera music over the top. For me this scene completely personified the film, you could've paused the film every 30 seconds, and you would be faced with a fascinating picture that could hang on your wall. Every scene was art.
After this awe-inspiring scene the film just kept on delivering. When were introduced to the boy for the first time the main story really starts to kick in. The scene in which he is introduced, in itself is also fantastic, showing childbirth, through an abstract scene in which the child exits his underwater bedroom and rises to the surface. What in-sues after this point is a story of such beauty, filmed with such elegance, about a boys childhood. Brad Pitt plays the brutal father and the nature, side of life. While the comforting mother represents grace. Both characters are acted with such passion and because of this the film becomes more enticing, and real. However the real acting credit goes to the eldest boy, played by Hunter McCraken, to meet the heavy demands of the main character with such realism is an incredible feet especially at such a young age.
But don't get me wrong, there are clear problems with the film, Sean Penn's role being the most prominent problem, for one main reason. Why is he in the film! He doesn't need to be their, in fact I would go far as saying it would be a better film without him there. I realize the intentions of Terrence Malic for including him in the film. But he doesn't need to be there, and I think the film suffers because of his appearance. The scenes without him are the best but the scenes with him are the worst and most pretentious.
Being the most beautiful film that I have ever seen it would be impossible for me not to give this film a high rating, however the inclusion of Sean Penn does put a downer on the film for me. I will finish this review the same way I started it by saying, this film is definitely not for everyone, you'll either love it or hate it.
80%
C.Russell
Let me start by saying this film is in no way for everyone, its a marmite film, you'll either love it or hate it. Personally I loved it. This film has got to be the most beautiful films, in terms of cinematography, that I have ever seen. The first half hour of the film is centered around the beginning of time and the creation of the earth, showing the most stunning pictures of the world around us, with fitting opera music over the top. For me this scene completely personified the film, you could've paused the film every 30 seconds, and you would be faced with a fascinating picture that could hang on your wall. Every scene was art.
After this awe-inspiring scene the film just kept on delivering. When were introduced to the boy for the first time the main story really starts to kick in. The scene in which he is introduced, in itself is also fantastic, showing childbirth, through an abstract scene in which the child exits his underwater bedroom and rises to the surface. What in-sues after this point is a story of such beauty, filmed with such elegance, about a boys childhood. Brad Pitt plays the brutal father and the nature, side of life. While the comforting mother represents grace. Both characters are acted with such passion and because of this the film becomes more enticing, and real. However the real acting credit goes to the eldest boy, played by Hunter McCraken, to meet the heavy demands of the main character with such realism is an incredible feet especially at such a young age.
But don't get me wrong, there are clear problems with the film, Sean Penn's role being the most prominent problem, for one main reason. Why is he in the film! He doesn't need to be their, in fact I would go far as saying it would be a better film without him there. I realize the intentions of Terrence Malic for including him in the film. But he doesn't need to be there, and I think the film suffers because of his appearance. The scenes without him are the best but the scenes with him are the worst and most pretentious.
Being the most beautiful film that I have ever seen it would be impossible for me not to give this film a high rating, however the inclusion of Sean Penn does put a downer on the film for me. I will finish this review the same way I started it by saying, this film is definitely not for everyone, you'll either love it or hate it.
80%
C.Russell
Paranormal Activity 3 (DVD Review)
Paranormal activity 3 is the latest installment in the increasingly confusing horror franchise. With the story going back to the very origins of the haunting's, this installment follows the creepy childhood of 'Katie' and 'Kristi'.
When reviewing horror film's the first thing to look for is the obvious, is it scary? To that I would give a resounding yes, yes it is, and this is clearly the aim of the film compared to the 1st installment which relied more on a griping story and your (wild) imagination. However a thing that the 1st film did terrifically was that it supplied clever horror scenes which would stick with you for long after your viewing. Sadly the 3rd film doesn't follow in it's footsteps, yes it supplies scares, but cheap jump ones, that are always going to catch you out, but only supply a short- term scream.
To support the moments of terror, a strong and immersive plot is needed which the film fails to deliver , unless you've been paying scrict attention to the previous 2 films. The storys almost indecipherably confusing, which inevitable builds up to an anti-climactic ending in which your thinking, 'what did i just see!?'. The plot however is confusing in more ways than one. The characters in this film confuse me to the point of laughter, especially the adults who seem abnormally relaxed and confident. With these characters come some ridiculous scenes in which the handheld camera in taken all around the house, into every scary situation and filmed. This created an completely unrealistic atmosphere which for me in a way ruined the film.
With the franchise slowly becoming the Halloween blockbuster hit, I can see plenty more sequals (or prequals) over the horizon. Hopefully what they bring is something more inivitive and clever, otherwise I can see the unfortunate downhill fate of the franchise slipping into a saw like state.
30% (Friday night fun?!)
Calum. Russell
When reviewing horror film's the first thing to look for is the obvious, is it scary? To that I would give a resounding yes, yes it is, and this is clearly the aim of the film compared to the 1st installment which relied more on a griping story and your (wild) imagination. However a thing that the 1st film did terrifically was that it supplied clever horror scenes which would stick with you for long after your viewing. Sadly the 3rd film doesn't follow in it's footsteps, yes it supplies scares, but cheap jump ones, that are always going to catch you out, but only supply a short- term scream.
To support the moments of terror, a strong and immersive plot is needed which the film fails to deliver , unless you've been paying scrict attention to the previous 2 films. The storys almost indecipherably confusing, which inevitable builds up to an anti-climactic ending in which your thinking, 'what did i just see!?'. The plot however is confusing in more ways than one. The characters in this film confuse me to the point of laughter, especially the adults who seem abnormally relaxed and confident. With these characters come some ridiculous scenes in which the handheld camera in taken all around the house, into every scary situation and filmed. This created an completely unrealistic atmosphere which for me in a way ruined the film.
With the franchise slowly becoming the Halloween blockbuster hit, I can see plenty more sequals (or prequals) over the horizon. Hopefully what they bring is something more inivitive and clever, otherwise I can see the unfortunate downhill fate of the franchise slipping into a saw like state.
30% (Friday night fun?!)
Calum. Russell
In A Nutshell- 127 Hours
In A Nutshell Review- 127 Hours
Based on the amazing true story, 127 hours follows the story of a mountain climber who becomes trapped under a boulder, he then has to resort to desperate measures in order to survive.
For a film which is mostly set in one claustrophobic place, it is surprisingly gripping and exciting. This is mostly down to the brilliant independent acting of James Franco, to act in such a limited space and still show raw emotion and realism, is a truly fantastic achievement. Towards the end of the film, scenes become hard to watch but due to the building emotions of the 1st half of the film, this scene became bearable and weirdly emotional. The final scene of the film also has to be commented on as I believe that it is one of the greatest scenes of all time. Containing such passion and emotion, this scene perfectly ends the film, this is mostly down to the outstanding cinematography and perfect score.
90%
C.Russell
Based on the amazing true story, 127 hours follows the story of a mountain climber who becomes trapped under a boulder, he then has to resort to desperate measures in order to survive.
For a film which is mostly set in one claustrophobic place, it is surprisingly gripping and exciting. This is mostly down to the brilliant independent acting of James Franco, to act in such a limited space and still show raw emotion and realism, is a truly fantastic achievement. Towards the end of the film, scenes become hard to watch but due to the building emotions of the 1st half of the film, this scene became bearable and weirdly emotional. The final scene of the film also has to be commented on as I believe that it is one of the greatest scenes of all time. Containing such passion and emotion, this scene perfectly ends the film, this is mostly down to the outstanding cinematography and perfect score.
90%
C.Russell
30 Days of Night( DVD Review)
Before vampires were a soppy race that entertained teenage girls, they were realistic, terrifying and appealed to nearly all horror fans. 30 days of night was released back in 2007, directed by David Slade (hard candy) and strring Joah Hartnett and Melissa George. Adapted from the comic book, 30 days of night follows the story of residents in Barrow, AK, that are plunged into darkness for 30 days every year due to its arctic circle destination. Unfortunately for them something blood thirty and sinister is planning a surprise attack in this month of darkness.
If your 14 year old daughter loves twilight, and wants to watch this film because of the vampire plot-link, DO NOT let them! This film is very dark,depressing and horribly sinister. Although it's very sinister, this didn't divert me from the gripping plot. These vampires weren't the cliche stereotypical vampires you've seen in dracula or twilight! These vampires are literally the stuff of nightmares, the main vampire especially, the way the actor moved, talked and style was brilliantly terrifying. The intensity of the growing plot and the vampires, grew and grew until...the anti-climatic final scene.
The final few scenes in this film completely ruin it for me, there were so many other ways that the film could've ended, that would've made it so much better. I realise that the film is based on a comic book, so has to be true to the original ending, but really! All that brilliant high intensity action and dialogue, to finish so abruptly and ridiculously was just so disappointing. Also at the beginning of the film you are shown a ship in the far distance and a rugged looking man coming toward the camera. You do learn more about this character as the film progressed, but not enough information is given in my opinion. I would've loved to have seen just a bit of back story, like what happened on the ship for example, or where the vampires came from. I think if more information was added the story would've been a lot stronger overall
The lack of information in this film and the stupid ending does bring the score down but these factors didn't affect me enough for me not to enjoy the film overall. With a solid plot, terrifying vampires, and good acting across the board, I'm giving 30 days of night...
70%
Calum.russell
If your 14 year old daughter loves twilight, and wants to watch this film because of the vampire plot-link, DO NOT let them! This film is very dark,depressing and horribly sinister. Although it's very sinister, this didn't divert me from the gripping plot. These vampires weren't the cliche stereotypical vampires you've seen in dracula or twilight! These vampires are literally the stuff of nightmares, the main vampire especially, the way the actor moved, talked and style was brilliantly terrifying. The intensity of the growing plot and the vampires, grew and grew until...the anti-climatic final scene.
The final few scenes in this film completely ruin it for me, there were so many other ways that the film could've ended, that would've made it so much better. I realise that the film is based on a comic book, so has to be true to the original ending, but really! All that brilliant high intensity action and dialogue, to finish so abruptly and ridiculously was just so disappointing. Also at the beginning of the film you are shown a ship in the far distance and a rugged looking man coming toward the camera. You do learn more about this character as the film progressed, but not enough information is given in my opinion. I would've loved to have seen just a bit of back story, like what happened on the ship for example, or where the vampires came from. I think if more information was added the story would've been a lot stronger overall
The lack of information in this film and the stupid ending does bring the score down but these factors didn't affect me enough for me not to enjoy the film overall. With a solid plot, terrifying vampires, and good acting across the board, I'm giving 30 days of night...
70%
Calum.russell
Gantz (DVD Review)
Based on the manga series, Gantz follows the story of Kei Kurano who upon a train crash is transported to an apartment high above the city, their he finds a hovering silver ball known as Gantz. They are given futuristic, supernatural equipment that gives them special abilities and are told to kill a certain alien.
Having never read a manga in my life, i was slightly apprehensive to see this film but with film industry's getting increasingly interested in transferring manga to the big screen, I am growing more intrigued, so I gave it a watch.
On being given the DVD to borrow, my initial reaction of reading the back was one of laughter. I'll be honest i thought it would be a bit of a joke. However i was very pleasantly surprised, the story was fresh and original, maybe a bit too original at times e.g alien who loves spring onions! But the film played on it's absurdity, they knew that aspects of the story were bizarre, and this film really works because of this factor. If they had taken everything in the film seriously it would have been cheesy and ridiculous. The aliens of which the characters are fighting are hilariously brilliant, and are so very original in every way, this creates brilliant fight scenes in which you have no idea what could happen.
...Well i say all the aliens are great but unfortunately towards the end of the film the aliens get bigger, more generic and more boring. It was so disappointing to see that in a film with such originality they feel the need to throw a spanner in the works in the form of a giant gold Buddha. Sadly, although their appearances may be completely different, this alien Goliath reminded me of the ridiculous beast in Clash of the titans, and it pains me to compare even a scene of this film to the garbage that is clash of the titans, but it shows a depressing resemblance
However ignoring that silly scene, on the whole I absolutely loved it. Showing such originality and flare, with good acting performances across the board and a thrilling and compelling story
I'm giving Gantz
80%
Calum. Russell
Having never read a manga in my life, i was slightly apprehensive to see this film but with film industry's getting increasingly interested in transferring manga to the big screen, I am growing more intrigued, so I gave it a watch.
On being given the DVD to borrow, my initial reaction of reading the back was one of laughter. I'll be honest i thought it would be a bit of a joke. However i was very pleasantly surprised, the story was fresh and original, maybe a bit too original at times e.g alien who loves spring onions! But the film played on it's absurdity, they knew that aspects of the story were bizarre, and this film really works because of this factor. If they had taken everything in the film seriously it would have been cheesy and ridiculous. The aliens of which the characters are fighting are hilariously brilliant, and are so very original in every way, this creates brilliant fight scenes in which you have no idea what could happen.
...Well i say all the aliens are great but unfortunately towards the end of the film the aliens get bigger, more generic and more boring. It was so disappointing to see that in a film with such originality they feel the need to throw a spanner in the works in the form of a giant gold Buddha. Sadly, although their appearances may be completely different, this alien Goliath reminded me of the ridiculous beast in Clash of the titans, and it pains me to compare even a scene of this film to the garbage that is clash of the titans, but it shows a depressing resemblance
However ignoring that silly scene, on the whole I absolutely loved it. Showing such originality and flare, with good acting performances across the board and a thrilling and compelling story
I'm giving Gantz
80%
Calum. Russell
Reboot!?
Apologies for not posting in a while, I've been bogged down with work e.t.c. I will be posting regular film reviews from now on!
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