Film Review: WHITEOUT (2009)

Director: Dominic Sena
Running time: 96 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 11th September 2009

Watched on DVD Monday 26th April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Looking at the trailer for this film it looks pretty good. Despite having heard reports that this film is not very good I took the trailer at its word and watched the film. Set in Antarctica at the station situated at the South Pole, the film tells the story of the first murder committed there.

The opening scenes show a Russian plane flying across Antarctica in 1957. After passing round some vodka a shootout occurs resulting in everyone on board being killed. The plane crash lands and is left to be covered by the ice. We now switch to the present day where U.S. Marshall Carrie Stetko is the law enforcement officer at the South Pole Station. It is getting near the end of summer season and the base is packing up and getting ready to leave for the winter. A report comes in that a body has been spotted out on the ice. Carrie and her friend Dr. John Fury, a.k.a. Doc fly out to find the body of a geologist who had been working from another base with two colleagues. Returning to the Station Carrie receives a call from one of the other members of the geologist’s party. He is at a Russian base and Carrie goes to meet him. When she finds him he has been fatally wounded and Carrie is also attacked by a masked assassin. Carrie and her pilot, Delfy, are met by U.N. official, Robert Pryce, and he persuades them to go the smaller base that the geologists were stationed at. From there they discover the area they had been searching. At that location the find the Russian plane buried in the ice. A large strong-box on board had been opened and several containers were missing. I won’t say any more just in case there’s anyone out there who wants to see it.

The film is based on a graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber, which I must admit I have never read. There was a lot of reliance on graphic effects which didn’t always work. The performances were ok, but I felt nobody was really stretched, honourable mentions go to Kate Beckinsale as Carrie Stetko, Gabriel Macht as Robert Pryce, Tom Skerritt as Dr. John Fury and Columbus Short as Delfy.

Over all it was quite a disappointing film, it did get a little more exciting towards the end, but I found it not very engrossing. The script was dull and lifeless, the characters were two-dimensional and the plot was far too predictable. So, in conclusion, don’t be fooled by the trailer, this one’s a bit of a turkey, not really recommended.

My score: 5.1/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0365929/
Official Site: http://whiteoutmovie.warnerbros.com/dvd/index.html
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi315359769/

Film Review: INFESTATION (2009)

Director: Kyle Rankin
Running time: 92 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 27th August 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 25th April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I hadn’t heard anything about this film before I saw it. This made for quite an interesting viewing experience. Set in a town somewhere in America, Cooper, a bit of a waster, is about to be fired from his job when a piercing noise knocks everyone out…

Cooper wakes up to find himself covered in some kind of white webbing. He pulls it off himself only to be confronted by a three foot long insect that immediately attacks him. Having fought several of these bugs off, he goes and finds his boss, Maureen, who is disorientated. They figure out they have been out for several days and Maureen suddenly remembers her daughter, Sara, was outside in a car. Cooper goes outside to get her but Maureen follows and is crying out when she is suddenly taken away by a flying bug. Cooper and Sara make it to a diner and, having woken everyone up there, decide to go to his father’s house, about a days’ walk away. They also discover that the bugs can’t see, they only react to sound, so it’s very important to stay quiet. The group consists of Cooper, Sara, Cindy (a weather girl), Hugo & Albert (father & son) and Leechee (a student). The set off and make it to another building before nightfall. Cooper makes it no secret he’s interested in Sara, but she rebuffs his attentions. They decide to capture one of the bugs and test its venom. Leechee does the test and they find it’s mostly a sedative. The next morning they move on but Leechee stays behind to wake more people and study the bugs further. The journey is dangerous and more revelations are to be made, but I’ll stop here, don’t want to give too much away!

I was quite surprised, for a B-movie type film, it’s pretty well made. The effects, although not the best, aren’t all that bad. The dialogue could have done with a bit more work, but there were one or two good one-liners in there. Decent performances from all of the main cast, honourable mentions go to Chris Marquette as Cooper, Brooke Nevin as Sara, Kinsey Packard as Cindy, E. Quincy Sloan as Hugo, Wesley Thompson as Albert, Linda Park as Leechee and Ray Wise as Ethan (he had the best comedy lines).

This wasn’t a bad movie, but it wasn’t great either. I think the main problem was I didn’t particularly like Cooper at the beginning, he grew on me as the film progressed, but I still didn’t find him particularly likeable. Also, the big fight at the end was a bit of a let down. So, over all, it’s got a few laughs, the CGI is pretty good but it has some poor effects towards the end. Not bad, but not great.

My score: 5.3/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1020543/
Official Site: http://www.iconmovies.net/infestation/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi867960089/

Film Review: THE GHOST (2010) [a.k.a. THE GHOST WRITER]

Director: Roman Polanski
Running time: 128 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

UK Release date: 16th April 2010

Watched at the cinema Saturday 24th April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Based on a novel by Robert Harris, this film is a good old fashioned mystery thriller. An ex Prime Minister of the UK, Adam Lang is writing his memoirs with the assistance of his former aide. When the aide is found dead on a beach and his car left abandoned on a ferry, it is assumed he committed suicide. A new ghost writer is brought in to rescue the project which is due for publication very soon.

The Ghost arrives at Adam Lang’s luxurious private residence on an island off the coast of Massachusetts. He is greeted by Adam’s chief of staff, Amelia Bly and the small team of security and administration personnel that live and work there. Later he meets Adam’s wife, Ruth, who appears less than happy with the situation. The Ghost is shown to a room and given a draft of the manuscript to read, that is kept under tight security, he finds it turgid and not very enthralling. When Adam arrives back from a business trip he begins to try and find out a little bit more about the man in order to make the book more interesting. Things seem to be going well until the news breaks that Adam Lang is to be tried for war crimes. Because of the delicate nature of his work, The Ghost (we never know his name) is moved into the residence. He is put into the room that had been occupied by his predecessor. While clearing out a cupboard he discovers some information about Lang’s early days at Cambridge University, where he met his wife. It seems he had been friends with a former CIA operative called Paul Emmett. The ghost decides to go and see where his predecessor’s body washed up and is told by a local that the tides wouldn’t have washed a body up on that shore. Now suspicious, he goes to see Emmett who isn’t exactly cooperative. On leaving he is followed but manages to give his pursuers the slip, leaving them stranded on a ferry. He had managed to take the original draft of the manuscript with him and it is this that holds the key and this that got his predecessor killed.

It’s a very well made film with quite a low pace; at times it did feel like you were watching an adaptation of a play. Some very good acting from all of the main cast, honourable mentions go to Ewan McGregor as The Ghost, Kim Cattrall as Amelia Bly, Pierce Brosnan as Adam Lang, Olivia Williams as Ruth Lang and Tom Wilkinson as Paul Emmett. Also nice to see, James Belushi as John Maddox and Eli Wallach as Vineyard old man.

I have read that the Adam Lang character is loosely based on the real former Prime Minister Tony Blaire. I don’t know how much truth there is in that, but I could definitely see parallels. As I said at the beginning, this is a good old fashioned mystery thriller and it works pretty well as that. I guess if you haven’t seen films of this ilk made in the 1950’s and 60’s you may not appreciate its style. I, for one, quite enjoyed it, particularly the ending, which came as a bit of a surprise. Not recommended for all, but for those that remember those old fashioned black & white mystery thrillers its most definitely recommended.

My score: 7.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1139328/
Official Site: http://www.theghostwriter-movie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3376022553/

Film Review: TRAITOR (2008)

Director: Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Running time: 110 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12

UK Release Date: 27th March 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 22nd April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film deals with terrorism, in particular terrorist acts performed in the name of Islam. As you can imagine, it’s quite a tricky subject to make a movie about, particularly in this day and age. To a large extent, and going by my limited knowledge of the subject, I think the filmmakers pulled it off. The story follows two characters, Samir Horn, a devout Muslim, and Roy Clayton, an FBI agent, out to thwart the attempts of a particular group of Muslim terrorists that Samir is involved with.

Samir Horn was born in Sudan, North Africa, where he was brought up as a Muslim by his father, who was killed in a car bomb. Having immigrated to Chicago with his mother he became a soldier and trained as an explosives expert. Having served in Afghanistan he becomes radicalised and stays there after his tour of duty is over. The film picks him up in Yemen where he is visiting an old friend from Afghanistan and, at the same time trying to sell them some explosives. The compound is raided by the Yemeni police and Samir is arrested. Whilst in police custody he meets Roy Clayton and his colleague Max Archer, who try to get him to give them evidence of the terrorists in exchange for passage back to America. He refuses and ends up in a Yemeni jail. Here he is befriended by Omar, who was also at the compound and is deeply involved with a terrorist cell. They escape and head to Marseilles, southern France, where another bombing is planned but fails to take place. Meanwhile, Clayton and Archer are monitoring things trying to find Samir. He is their only lead to the terrorists. The group now moves to Niece where Samir successfully sets off a bomb at the American consulate. Moving again to London we get a hint that Samir is not all he seems when he meets a shady character called Carter. The plot then moves across the globe to Canada and then to the United States where a truly terrible act is planned. Samir is now clearly having a clash on conscience, should he follow his faith, or the terrorists. I could say a lot more about this very intriguing film, but I don’t want to give too many spoilers away.

This is a pretty well made film, obviously on a limited budget, but I though it was well shot and some great locations were used. Very decent performances from all of the cast, honourable mentions go to Don Cheadle as Samir Horn, Guy Pearce as Roy Clayton (great accent), Saïd Taghmaoui as Omar, Neal McDonough as Max Archer, Alyy Khan as Fareed and Jeff Daniels as Carter.

As I’ve already said, this is a very intriguing film tackling a very delicate subject, which I thought was done pretty well. It’s quite a taught thriller with plenty of plot twists to keep you watching. It did get a little bogged down in the last third, but over all I thought is was quite an exciting and thought provoking film, recommended.

My score: 6.7/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0988047/
Official Site: http://www.traitor-themovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi31719705/

Film Review: REPO MEN (2010)

Director: Miguel Sapochnik
Running time: 111 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

UK Release date: 16th April 2010

Watched at the cinema Saturday 17th April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film is set in the near future when medicine has advanced enough that human organs can be replaced with artificial ones. One company ‘The Union’ controls the world market and as such can dictate the price. It is so high that most people opt to pay in instalments. But if you miss three payments then the Repo Men will call and surgically remove The Union’s property.

Remy and Jake grew up together, they joined the army together and when the war was over they became Repo Men together. Their boss is Frank, who is only concerned with the retrieval of The Union’s property, no matter how it’s done. Remy is married to Carol and has a son, Peter but Jake stayed single. Carol doesn’t like Remy’s line of work and wants him to move into sales. The two guys carry on with their work, which eventually becomes too much for Carol and she leaves Remy. Soon after Remy suffers an accident that leads to him having an artificial heart installed. Remy now gets a conscience and finds it hard to get back into the Repo business. He tries sales, but that’s not for him. Eventually he falls behind on his payments and becomes overdue. He goes off the grid and goes to live rough with others whose repayments have lapsed. Here he meets Beth, a singer who has had many illegal artificial organs fitted. The pair decide to try and get their records erased when Jake is assigned to recover Remy’s organs. I won’t say any more, don’t want to give too much away.

It’s a pretty well made film although it’s pretty violent and very gory, not recommended for those of a nervous disposition. Decent performances from all of the leading cast, honourable mentions go to Jude Law as Remy, Forest Whitaker as Jake, Alice Braga as Beth, Liev Schreiber excellent as the very slimy Frank, Carice van Houten as Carol and Chandler Canterbury as Peter.

I pretty much enjoyed this film but I found it didn’t quite hit the mark. There is a very surprising ending which I did enjoy, but over all it kind of left me a little disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, it’s quite entertaining and there are some good performances, I just felt the plot could have done with a little more refining. So, over all, violent, gory, futuristic, entertaining but the plot needed a little work. Having said that, it’s still recommended.

My score: 6.9/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1053424/
Official Site: http://www.repomenarecoming.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3661497369/

Film Review: KNOWING (2009)

Director: Alex Proyas
Running time: 115 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 25th March 2009

Watched on DVD Monday 14th April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have heard many mixed reviews about this film, so it was with a little trepidation I put the disc in the DVD player. I shouldn’t have worried, I can see why the reviews are mixed, but over all it’s not all that bad. Admittedly, it could have been done a lot better, but I’ll accept it as it stands. The setting is Massachusetts in the United States and we start in the year 1959.

Lucinda Embry is a loner and she hears whispering voices that she doesn’t talk about. To celebrate the opening of a new school it is decided that they will bury a time capsule at Lucinda’s suggestion. All of the class are to draw pictures of what they think life will be like in 50 years time, when the capsule will be opened. Lucinda just writes down numbers and her teacher, exasperated, puts her effort in anyway. On the day the capsule is buried Lucinda goes missing and is eventually found in a basement closet scratching more numbers into the door. We now switch to Massachusetts of the present day (2009) where MIT professor, John Koestler lives alone with his son Caleb. It just happens that Caleb attends the same school that Lucinda went to 50 years before. On the day of the opening of the capsule Caleb is handed Lucinda’s envelope, which he takes home. John sees the numbers and is intrigued by them. He works out that the numbers represent disasters that have happened in the past, along with the number of fatalities and the location. The trouble is, there are three events that are yet to happen! He tries to find Lucinda, but she had died some time ago, but she had a daughter, Diana Wayland. John eventually tracks Diana down; she too has a daughter, Abby. As the predictions from Lucinda’s numbers come true, John realises what the last event will be and what the consequences are for the entire human race. I think that’s enough spoilers for one day!

It’s a very well made film with a lot of use of CGI, possibly too much IMHO. There’s plenty of excitement to keep the tempo up and quite a decent soundtrack. An element of mystery kept me interested until the end, but I did find it a little too long. Decent performances from all of the major players, honourable mentions go to Nicolas Cage as Professor Jonathan ‘John’ Koestler, Chandler Canterbury as Caleb Koestler, Rose Byrne as Diana Wayland and Lara Robinson as Abby Wayland & Lucinda Embry.

It’s not the best film of its genre, but it’s certainly not the worst. I found it pretty entertaining and the mystery of the ‘strangers’ kept me enthralled (I know I didn’t mention them earlier). Over all, it’s a little over long and relies a little too heavily on CGI, but apart from that it’s not all that bad. Recommended for entertainment & mystery, but you’ll probably only watch it once.

My score: 7.1/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0448011/
Official Site: http://www.knowing-themovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3391554329/

Film Review: THE BOAT THAT ROCKED (2009) [aka PIRATE RADIO]

Director: Richard Curtis
Running time: 130 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 1st April 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 11th April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

From right back in the early days of Blackadder on TV I have been a fan of the work of Richard Curtis. Unfortunately, of late, he seems to have lost the plot somewhat and this, sadly, is an example. Don’t get me wrong, it has its moments, but, with a very few exceptions, I really didn’t much care for any of the characters, and when that happens, you’re not on a winner I’m afraid.

The setting is a ship in the North Sea off the East coast of England in 1966. We are told that the national broadcaster, the BBC, only plays popular, or rock ‘n’ roll, music for only 45 minutes a day. This means that pirate radio stations, like the fictitious ‘Radio Rock’ plays all the rock and pop they want twenty four seven. And, because they are broadcasting from offshore, they are not breaking any laws. The government are not happy about this and one minister in particular, Sir Alistair Dormandy is charged with shutting them down. Our story beings with the arrival Carl, of the godson of Quentin, the station’s owner, on the boat. He’s introduced to all of the DJ’s, The Count, News John, Thick Kevin, Angus Nutsford, Doctor Dave, Simple Simon, Midnight Mark, Harold (the engineer) and Felicity (the cook). And later he meets Bob Silver. After the government makes it illegal to sell advertising to these stations, Quentin announces the return of an iconic DJ from the past, Gavin Canavagh, much to the dismay of The Count, who is currently rated the best DJ. I won’t say too much more about the plot, don’t want to give too much away to those that want to see it.

It’s quite a well made film, but there are several plot holes and inconsistencies that kind of spoilt it for me. There was a whole section of the film that just didn’t work for me and that’s the middle, where everyone’s jumping into bed with everyone else. If I wanted to see that kind of stuff I’d have got a Benny Hill DVD. The best performances came from Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Count, Bill Nighy as Quentin and Kenneth Branagh as Sir Alistair Dormandy. Nobody else really stretched themselves, but honourable mentions go to Tom Sturridge as Carl, Will Adamsdale as News John, Tom Brooke as Thick Kevin, Rhys Darby as Angus Nutsford, Nick Frost as Doctor Dave (hated this character), Katherine Parkinson as Felicity, Chris O'Dowd as Simple Simon, Tom Wisdom as midnight Mark and Rhys Ifans as Gavin Canavagh.

There is a great soundtrack, although given the period its set I am gob smacked that the Beatles do not have one track! Decent performances from the three I mentioned, but the script left a lot to be desired and I’m sure Mr Curtis can do so much better. So this does not come highly recommended from me, the soundtrack’s pretty good and there’s not a lot else to say about it really.

My score: 5.2/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1131729/
Official Site: http://focusfeatures.com/film/pirate_radio
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1266090521/

Film Review: THE INTERNATIONAL (2009)

Director: Tom Tykwer
Running time: 114 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 27th February 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 11th April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film is about the banking industry and the measures they’ll go to to remain profitable. It doesn’t sound too promising for the outline of an action thriller, but believe me it’s a lot better than it may first seem. The film is set in various locations in both Europe and the US and this is reflected in the international cast assembled for this picture.

Louis Salinger is an Interpol agent investigating the suspicious deals being done by the International Bank of Business & Credit (IBBC). He is working with New York District Attorney Eleanor Whitman, who is looking at the case because of suspicions that the New York branch may be involved. When Stalinger’s partner, Thomas Schumer, is killed shortly after making contact with an informant from the bank, the trail looks to be going cold. But Whitman persuades the informant’s widow to give them a name, Umberto Calvini, an arms manufacturer and political activist in Italy. They meet with him and he gives them information about the bank’s dealings and how they will use debt to stay rich. He goes to speak at a political rally and is assassinated. The bank still wants to do the deal, but now have to work with his sons, and time is running out. Eventually a new informant arrives on the scene, Wilhelm Wexler, who Salinger uses to bring about the inevitable end… which I’m not going to give away.

That’s a very simplified version of events; there are plenty of twists and turns in the plot to keep you amused. It’s a very well made film that was made in some quite exotic locations around Europe and New York. There are some very good fight sequences and stunt work; in particular the gunfight in the Guggenheim Museum in New York is excellent. I particularly liked the performance of Armin Mueller-Stahl as Wilhelm Wexler; he certainly has a lot of screen presence. Honourable mentions go to Clive Owen as Louis Salinger, Naomi Watts as Eleanor Whitman, Ulrich Thomsen as Jonas Skarssen, Brian F. O'Byrne as The Consultant, Michel Voletti as Viktor Haas and Patrick Baladi as Martin White.

Over all it’s not a bad film, a little too long and a little over complicated in the plot department. Well shot with some great locations and some good action sequences. Adequate performances with, for me, Armin Mueller-Stahl being the star turn. It’s not great, but at the same time, it’s not too bad. Recommended for TV viewing on a wet Sunday afternoon.

My score: 6.5/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0963178/
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.co.uk/movies/theinternational/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi815137561/

Film Review: STAND BY ME (1986)

Director: Rob Reiner
Running time: 85 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 13th March 1987

Watched on DVD Monday 5th April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Surprisingly, until today, 23 years after its release, I had never seen this film. I’ve seen many references to it in various TV shows and I’ve seen many reviews, but it always escaped my attention, until today. I’ve been off work for a while and decided to try and fit in a film a day for 10 days. Today was the last day and due to family commitments time was a little short, so decided to put this one in the DVD player. I’m really glad I did, it’s a little dated, but even so it’s a really great film. It’s based on a novella called ‘The Body’ by Stephen King, whose work I admire, and it’s set in Oregon in the 1950’s.

A group of four boys, Gordie Lachance, Chris Chambers, Teddy Duchamp and Vern Tessio hear of the whereabouts of the body of another missing boy, Ray Brower. They decide it would be cool if they went and found the body so they could return it to the family and become heroes. The only problem was it was about thirty miles away along the railway tracks. They arrange with their parents to be away for a night and set off the same day. Gordie is a sensitive type who had lost his big brother, Denny, six months previous. They were close and he missed him. Chris was the leader of the group and he had been in trouble at school for stealing the milk money. Teddy’s father had been on the beaches in Normandy and was suffering from shell shock. He had recently turned violent on Teddy and was now in an institution. Vern was overweight and not the brightest of the bunch, but seemed to fit in anyway. As these four set off they are unaware that a rival gang of older boys led by Ace Merrill also have plans to find the body, but these guys have cars and are really mean. I won’t say any more, don’t want to give too much away.

As I said at the beginning, this film looks slightly dated, but I think that’s more to do with the quality of the film stock and the fact the soundtrack is in mono. What really struck me was the quality of the acting, truly great performances from all four of the leads, Wil Wheaton as Gordie Lachance, River Phoenix as Chris Chambers, Corey Feldman as Teddy Duchamp and Jerry O'Connell as Vern Tessio. Also an honourable mention must go to Kiefer Sutherland who is quite intimidating as Ace Merrill.

Of course there are a lot of fifties songs in the soundtrack, including the title song. It’s a bit before my time, but the music fitted the mood really well. Over all it’s a really excellent film with some great performances, particularly from Wil Wheaton and River Phoenix. Although slightly dated for technical reasons I highly recommend this one.

My score: 8.5/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0092005/
Official Site: N/A
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/screenplay/vi3398631705/

Film Review: FAST & FURIOUS (2009)

Director: Justin Lin
Running time: 107 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 12

UK Release Date: 10th April 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 4th April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have seen all of the previous films in this series on TV, I’m not a huge fan and so I won’t go out of my way to watch them. I am, however, a bit of a fan of Vin Diesel, he seems to ooze that certain charisma a film star should have. He appeared in the first of these films, took a bit of a sabbatical for the second and came back for a brief cameo in the third. So it was with some anticipation that I watched the return of his character, Dominic Toretto in this, the fourth instalment.

Dom and his gang are in the Dominican Republic and up to no good; they are hijacking fuel trucks to sell the fuel for a profit. Included in the gang is Dom’s long time girlfriend Letty. Having just pulled a job they get word that the police are onto them and Dom decides it’s best for them to all go their separate ways for a while. They do this until the day Dom gets a call from his sister, Mia, telling him that Letty has been killed. Meanwhile, FBI agent Brian O’Conner, who was featured in the fist two of these films, is investigating notorious drugs dealer named Braga. It seems Braga is using drivers to smuggle drugs across the Mexican border and it was while working for him that Letty was killed. So both Dom and Brian have reason to get in with Braga, Dom, for revenge and Brian, for justice. They both try out as drivers and succeed by one means or another. It’s now a case of how do they get to the illusive Braga. I’ll leave my little summary there or I’ll give the whole plot away!

This is a pretty well made film with lots of car stunts and quite a lot of CGI work that is pretty well done, but does, at times, look a bit like a video game. You’ll know what I mean when you see the tunnel chase near the end of the film. As ever Vin Diesel was very good as Dominic Toretto, as was Paul Walker as Brian O’Conner. Honourable mentions go to Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto, Michelle Rodriguez as Letty and John Ortiz as Campos.

I’ll admit it’s not the best film I’ve ever seen and so it won’t be making any of my top tens at the end of the year. But it does what it says on the tin, it’s got lots of car chases and there’s plenty of testosterone flying about. The chases were exciting and well executed, when they didn’t use too much CGI. I can’t recommend it very highly, but it is entertaining and it won’t tax the grey cells too much.

My score: 5.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1013752/
Official Site: http://www.fastandfuriousmovie.net/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2299986713/

Film Review: KICK-ASS (2010)

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Running time: 117 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

UK Release date: 26th March 2010

Watched at the cinema Saturday 3rd April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have seen all the comic-book superhero films, all the ‘Bat Man’ movies, the ‘Superman’ movies, ‘X-Men’ and ‘Spiderman’ movies. I’ve even seen films like ‘Blade’, ‘The Punisher’, (the excellent) ‘Watchmen’ and ‘Darkman’, but I’ve never seen anything like this. This film is very different and really excellent, it’s an action comedy and as such, a lot of the violence is done for comic effect. I have heard reports that some of the language is a bit colourful, to put it mildly, but, again it’s there for comic effect. It’s only later in the film that the violence gets more serious as our heroes discover the consequences of their actions. But enough of my prattling on, here’s a short summary.

Dave Lizewski is an average teenage school kid, he says he has one superpower, he’s invisible to girls. He and his friends, Marty and Todd, are into comic books and after hanging out one evening they are mugged by a couple of scumbags. It seems this is not the first time this has happened and Dave is getting a little fed-up with it. He goes online and gets himself a costume. After a bit of self-training, he decides he’s ready and ‘Kick-Ass’ is born. He decides to confront the two muggers who held up him and his friends but things don’t go well and he ends up having his ass kicked. After recovering in hospital and being screwed together with metal plates he finds his nerve endings are a bit shot, which means he can take a bit more of a beating than before. Meanwhile, a real Superhero known as ‘Big Daddy’ is training his eleven year old daughter, ‘Hit Girl’. They have a grudge against crime boss Frank D’Amico who framed ‘Big Daddy’ some years before. D’Amico’s son, Chris is disillusioned with his father and decides to become a Superhero himself, called Red Mist. Kick-Ass eventually gains notoriety when he beats up three guys picking on another guy. The fight is filmed and put up on the internet, bringing a lot of media interest in Kick-Ass. Dave is also noticed by Katie Deauxma, although she doesn’t know his secret identity, and thinks he’s gay. I won’t say too much more, but needless to say all of these various characters are destined to meet, and when they do…

I must first say that it is a really well made film with some excellent stunt work. I thought the score was really great as well. Excellent performances from all of the leading cast, Aaron Johnson as Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass, Nicolas Cage as Damon Macready/Big Daddy, Chloe Moretz as Mindy Macready/Hit-Girl, Mark Strong as Frank D’Amico, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Chris D’Amico/Red Mist and Lyndsy Fonseca as Katie Deauxma.

There is a lot of humour in this film, both spoken and visual. It’s also very very violent, so I wouldn’t recommend it to those of a nervous disposition. I don’t usually enjoy teen comedies, but this is very original, very different and it’s very refreshing to see a film that pushes the boundaries somewhat. I recommend it very highly!

My score: 8.9/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1250777/
Official Site (UK): http://www.kickass-movie.co.uk/
Official Site (US): http://www.kickass-themovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3192718361/

Film Review: ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL (2008)

Director: Sacha Gervasi
Running time: 80 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 20th February 2009

Watched on DVD Friday 2nd April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have always been into rock music and I’ve seen many bands in my time, but I really can’t remember if I ever saw Anvil. I’m sure they must have played some of the ‘Monsters of Rock’ shows back in the 80’s, but the 80’s are pretty much a blur to me now. Anyhow, I digress, Anvil are from Canada and were formed by Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow (Lead guitar & vocals) and Robb Reiner (Drummer). Thirty years on they are still going and still trying to get the recognition they deserve.

Steve Kudlow works for a company that delivers meals to schools for his day job. At night and at weekends he’s the lead singer and guitarist for the band Anvil. Now, back in the 80’s they were performing on stage with the likes of Whitesnake and Bon Jovi at sell-out shows in places like Tokyo, Japan. The other bands found fame and fortune but Anvil never did. Their music influenced likes of Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax but they never got the recognition they deserved. This documentary takes us with the band on a tour of Europe, with tour manager Tiziana Arrigoni, through the recording of their thirteenth album and ends with them back playing live in Japan. It’s a roller coaster ride that, at times, gets very emotional, but their indomitable spirit wins you over and you can’t help but end up liking those guys. I won’t go into the specifics of what happens on screen, it’s better to see for yourselves.

I really liked this film, not just because it’s about a rock band, more because it’s about the determination they have to see their dream through. I really admire them for that. Even when they’re recording the album and Steve and Robb fall out, and the producer, Chris Tsangarides, is having to referee, you feel that it means so much to them.

There’s testimonials from the likes of Lemmy, Slash and Lars Ulrich, but I was more interested in the people in the band, rather than what they did in the past. A bunch of guys at 50 years old still playing their hearts out and putting everything they can into the band has to be admired. Whether you like rock music or not I highly recommend this film, I guarantee you’ll enjoy it; it’s only 80 minutes long and well worth it!

My score: 8.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1157605/
Official Site: http://www.anvilthestoryofanvil.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2869494553/

Film Review: THE MIST (2007)

Director: Frank Darabont
Writers: Frank Darabont (screenplay) and Stephen King (novel)
Running time: 120 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 4th July 2008

Watched on DVD Thursday 1st April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

First of all, I’ll admit to being a fan of the work of Stephen King, like many others I have read, and enjoyed, a lot of his works. However, I had not read this particular story before watching this film. The setting is a small town in Maine where a powerful thunderstorm has just wreaked havoc and the townsfolk are just getting things back together.

David Drayton, an artist who designs movie posters for a living, leaves his wife at home and heads to the local town store. He has his son, Billy with him, along with neighbour Brent Norton. As they set off they notice a mist coming down from the hills and across the lake. There are a lot of Army personnel on the road headed out of town; they are from the base situated in the hills. On arrival at the store they go about their shopping, David tries the payphone since he cannot get any service on his mobile but it’s not working either. All of a sudden, as the mist envelops the store an old man with a bloody nose runs in and tells the people there not to go outside. There’s something in the mist and it took his friend. One man makes a run for his car but we only hear his screams. They are now trapped in the store with, who knows what outside. Already people are divided, local ‘crazy’ woman, Mrs. Carmody begins quoting scripture and David’s neighbour, Brent begins trying to get people to make a run for it. David gets some help from teacher, Amanda Dunfrey; she looks after Billy while he tries to figure a way out with a store clerk, and friend, Ollie Weeks. When a young man is killed by something unworldly as he’s trying to go outside at the back of the store, people still will not believe it’s dangerous out there. A group of them try to get out but fail to get very far. The divisions in the group get wider the longer it goes on and Mrs. Carmody’s cries of holy retribution get more and more fanatical followers. I really don’t want to say too much more for fear of giving too much away, but I will say that David, Billy, Amanda and a few others do make an attempt to get outside.

It’s a pretty well made film but some of the CGI wasn’t top quality and did let it down slightly. It’s quite a tense storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Decent performances from all of the main characters, Thomas Jane as David Drayton, Marcia Gay Harden was great as Mrs. Carmody, Laurie Holden as Amanda Dunfrey, Andre Braugher as Brent Norton and Toby Jones as Ollie Weeks.

As with a lot of Stephen King stories, this is a very character driven piece and as such it works pretty well. The only thing I find with it is that the characters are sometimes portrayed as a little too much larger than life. For instance, Brent Norton is a lawyer and is adamant that there is nothing harmful outside. Even after the young man is killed he will not go into the back of the store to see the evidence. He’s convinced the locals are trying to play a prank on him, even after some others go back there and tell him they’re telling the truth. But I digress. Of course, because it’s a horror film, the people have to do the most stupid things possible to put themselves in harms way. But I’ll overlook all these cliché moments mainly because there is a really good ending. And no, I’m not going to give it away. Over all, it’s a little cliché in places, but stick with it, the ending is pretty unexpected: recommended.

My score: 7.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0884328/
Wikipedia Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mist_(film)
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2729509145/