Film Review: ABOUT TIME (2013)

Writer/Director: Richard Curtis
Running time: 123 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance/Sci-Fi
USA Release date: 4^th September 2013

Watched at the cinema Friday 4^th October 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Well this one came up because it just happened to be on when it was a very good friend of mine’s birthday. We had arranged that we were going to the cinema and I gave her a free choice (to be fair there were only two to choose from at the time we wanted to go, but I’m glad she opted for this). I like Richard Curtis, his work has varied over the years but it never fails to hit a note with me; so I have to say to Rosie, “Good Choice!”. There were plenty of laughs but this was balanced with some quite heart rending stuff towards the end. Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

When Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) reaches the age of 21, his father (Bill Nighy) tells him that all the men in their family can travel backwards in time. Of course Tim doesn’t believe him until he tries it for himself. But now the question is; what to do with this ability. There are rules, but it soon become apparent that these are a tad flexible (I’ll explain what I mean by that later). So Tim decides he’s going to use it to get himself a girlfriend and who should be right around the corner but Mary (Rachel McAdams). He falls for her big time and contrives various ways to make sure she will be his; sometimes with hilarious consequences. But there is more than one cloud on the horizon and there are events to come that even Tim’s ability cannot solve. I think that’s enough of a teaser for now.

I have to admit I enjoyed this one; yes, they do make certain rules about time travel and then immediately break them, but that’s not what the story is about. And yes, it is about well off white people, but again, if I wanted a film that was politically correct and socially aware I don’t think I’d have Richard Curtis write it. No, this was pure escapism for me and I happily went along for the ride. Great performances all round, but the stand-out for me was Bill Nighy; he really nailed the part of the dad for me. I have to say I liked the soundtrack as well with many contemporary tunes littered along the way. So it made me laugh and I even shed a tear towards the end and there’s not many films can do that. I admit I’m a bit of a sucker for the occasional Rom-Com and this one had just the right ingredients for me.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.2/10.

IMDb Score: 7.6/10 (based on 4,081 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2194499/

MetaScore: 54/100: (Based on 7 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 62/100: (based on 37 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 82/100: (based on 12,528 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/about_time/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abouttimethemovie
Official Site: http://www.abouttimeintl.com/uk/
Trailer:

Film Review: TOTAL RECALL (2012)

Director: Len Wiseman
Writers: Kurt Wimmer (screenplay/screen story), Mark Bomback (screenplay), Ronald Shusett (screen story), Dan O'Bannon (screen story), Jon Povill (screen story)
Running time: 118 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi
UK Release date: 29^th August 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 19^th May 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film was never going to be loved unfortunately; a remake of such an iconic story is never going to find favour with its many fans. Personally, I tried to watch it with an open mind even though I appreciate that’s quite difficult having seen (& loved) the 1990 original ‘Arnie’ version many times; let’s say at least I tried. Action packed throughout; heavy on the GCI but also some excellent stunt work thrown in, I have to say I quite enjoyed it. I’ll tell you more after this very brief summary.

In a future where most of the Earth’s surface is inert, there are only two habitable regions; The United Federation of Britain or UFB, and the Colony (Australia). Transportation between the two is achieved by ‘The Lift’; a kind of massive elevator that goes through the Earth’s core. When factory worker Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) begins to have dreams about escaping the authorities with another woman, his wife Lori (Kate Beckinsale) puts it down to overwork. Douglas is more sceptical and asks his workmate, Harry (Bokeem Woodbine) about a place called Rekall who can implant memories. Harry tries to put him off but Douglas is determined and goes anyway. This is where it really begins to kick off; it seems there’s already an implant in his mind. His wife is not who she seems; the woman in his dreams, Melina (Jessica Biel) is real and working for the resistance leader Matthias (Bill Nighy). There’s also a conspiracy that goes right up to the President, Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston). But can he figure out what’s real and what’s been implanted?

Very heavy on the special effects, which are all very well done by the way, this film looks great. The narrative, although quite well known to me, was told in a unique enough for me to accept it as a new take on the same story. The performances were all very good, particularly Colin Farrell and Kate Beckinsale. I just wish they had made Jessica Biel look a bit more different to Kate Beckinsale; they look too similar, a different hair colour would have helped! On the downside, I did find the premise a little weak and that did kind of spoil it for me. It does look very spectacular though and for those who are fans of the original; yes, there a triple breasted hooker to be found. Worth a look; yes… Unless you’re a die-hard Arnie fan.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 6.7/10.

IMDb Score: 6.3/10 (based on 115,971 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1386703/

MetaScore: 43: (Based on 41 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 31/100 (based on 215 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 47/100 (based on 99,681 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/total_recall_2012/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TotalRecall#!/TotalRecall
Official Site: http://www.welcometorecall.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (2011)

Director: John Madden
Writers: Ol Parker (screenplay), Deborah Moggach (novel)
Running time: 119 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Comedy/Drama
UK Release date: 24^th February 2012

Watched on Sky+ Monday 7^th January 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a film I have been looking forward to seeing for some time now. I don’t know if it was the fact that it did gain a little critical acclaim, or possibly the fact that my late mother would have loved it. But needless to say I was very happy to see it finally appear in the TV listings this week. I wasn’t disappointed; the film definitely lived up to expectations without getting too sentimental. Here’s a brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

A disparate group of, let’s say, the older generation, find themselves as guests at ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ in India for a variety of reasons; I won’t go into them here. The hotel is run by a young man, Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel), who has great ambitions for the hotel his father had once run. The guests; Evelyn Greenslade (Judi Dench), Graham Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson), Douglas Ainslie (Bill Nighy) and his wife Jean (Penelope Wilton), Muriel Donnely (Maggie Smith), Norman Cousins (Ronald Pickup) and Madge Hardcastle (Celia Imrie) are all there for different reasons. Some financial, for some it’s an adventure, some looking for ghosts of the past, one is even there for an operation; but they all have some reason to be there. Some take to live in India well, while others take time to find their feet; which is not surprising as life there can be quite chaotic! As time passes we learn more about the residents’ loves and hates and more about Sonny, who has problems with his mother and with the girl he loves.

Beautifully shot showcasing all the vibrancy of life in an Indian city; I was impressed with the look of the film. All the performances were excellent, with Judi Dench and Tom Wilkinson standing out; I thought Dev Patel was a tad underused though. I liked the fact that the writers didn’t pull too many punches and as such it made the main characters more believable. There was, however, just one niggle; I felt that Dev Patel’s character, Sonny, came over as a bit of a caricature rather than a more rounded character. Over all though, I have to say I enjoyed this one and would happily sit down and watch it again sometime.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.7/10.

IMDb Score: 7.2/10 (based on 28,319 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1412386/

MetaScore: 62/100: (Based on 35 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 77/100 (based on 142 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 80/100 (based on 65,632 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_best_exotic_marigold_hotel_2012/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Sonny: Everything will be all right in the end... if it's not all right then it's not yet the end.

Orderly: My wife is from Mumbai.
Muriel: Well don't blame me, you married her!

Sonny: [trying to reach a fallen Norman] Let me through, my brother is a doctor.

Sonny: Your bedroom.
Madge Hardcastle: Where?
Sonny: Here. In here.
Madge Hardcastle: My dear man, rooms have doors. What you're showing me here is an alcove.

Douglas Ainslie: I invested our, well, my retirement money in our daughter's Internet company. She assured me that as soon as the startup actually, um, started up and the conversion from virtual to actual became sufficiently viable, then she'd be able to pay it all back.
Evelyn: I'm not sure I understand what most of those words mean.
Douglas Ainslie: Well, it turns out neither did she.

Graham Dashwood: Good evening, Mrs. Ainslie. You have a good day? What did you get up to?
Jean: Well, I started in my bedroom where I spent a happy couple of hours giving all the cockroaches names. And then after lunch, that will long have a place in my heartburn, I came out here and stared blindly at a book waiting for someone - anyone - to rescue me. And how glad I am it was you.

Sonny: [showing around a potential investor] Please can you describe to us in as much detail as you desire your experience of the ambiance and atmosphere of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Muriel: Words fail me.
Sonny: Ah, the English wit we love so greatly.
Sonny: [whisking his visitor away] See, the wheel is spinning but the hamster is dead.

LINKS:
(NOTE: All links were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.thebestexoticmarigoldhotel.co.uk/
Trailer:

Film Review: ASTRO BOY (2009)

Director: David Bowers
Running time: 90 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): PG

Genre: Animation/Sci-Fi/Adventure
UK release date 5th February 2010

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 19th February 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Based on the Manga by Osamu Tezuka, this film tells the story of how Astro Boy was made and how he saved the residents of his home. I’ll admit I haven’t read the Manga or seen any of the TV series based on it made in the 1960’s. It’s quite a witty and interesting tale with quite a bit of drama thrown in for good measure. But more of my thoughts later, here’s a brief summary first (summary haters and those who don’t wish to know anything about the plot please sort out that pile of robot parts over there while I write the next paragraph).

NOTE: There is what may be a spoiler to some in this summary… You have been warned!

Toby lives in Metro City which floats in the sky above the Earth, which is polluted and not a great place to be. The people there are waited on hand and foot by robots that are the invention of Toby’s father, Dr. Tenma. He is working alongside his friend Dr. Elefun on a project for President Stone called Peacemaker, a giant fighting robot. Toby, wanting to see the demonstration goes to the Ministry of Science and sneaks into the testing room. When the demonstration goes wrong the robot goes berserk and Toby is killed. Grief stricken, his father builds a robot that looks like Toby and, using his DNA, gives it all of his memories too. It is brought to life by a special power source that is thought to be only for good. Eventually the robot Toby finds himself down on the Earth’s surface where he meets new friends and has some great adventures… I’ve probably said too much, but that will do for now.

There are elements of other films in this one; in particular I found many similarities to Steven Spielberg’s 2001 film, A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Having said that, it is quite entertaining and there is a lot of humour both in the dialogue and some great sight gags too. The performances were ok, but it is hard to judge from a voice, so honourable mentions go to the voice talents of; Freddie Highmore as Astro/Toby, Nicolas Cage as Dr. Tenma, Donald Sutherland as President Stone, Bill Nighy as Dr. Elefun/Robotsky and Kristen Bell as Cora.

I don’t dislike this film; in fact there is a lot to like about it. It asks a lot of its audience and as such I found it quite strange to watch. On one hand it’s an animated film aimed at kids, with lots of jokes and plenty of adventure. But on the other hand it has a much darker story about a man losing his child and trying to replace him with a robot. But at the end of the day it’s an entertaining watch and so… Recommended.

My score: 6.4/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0375568/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/astro_boy/
Official Site: http://www.astroboy-themovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1058472473/

Film Review: G-FORCE (2009)

Director: Hoyt Yeatman
Running time: 85 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): PG

UK release date: 31st July 2009

Watched on Sky+ Monday 2nd August 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Maybe it’s because I’m male and still connected with the child inside, I don’t know, but I just like movies made for children. There’s something about a simple plot, uncomplicated characters and a happy ending that just appeals to me for some reason. But I digress; we’re here to talk about a bunch of CGI rodents.

A crack team of specially trained guinea pigs, Darwin, Juarez and Blaster, along with their tech guy, a mole called Speckles are on a mission. They have to infiltrate the home of electronics magnate Leonard Saber and steal secret files from his computer. The files reveal that there is a real threat to national security and the clock is ticking. When they go to show the information to the FBI, things go wrong and it all culminates in the withdrawal of funding for the program. This leaves the head of the program, Ben, a human, trying to persuade the FBI about the treat as the animals escape. They make it to a pet shop where they meet another guinea pig called Hurley and a hamster with an attitude called Bucky. Can the animals escape capture and make it back to Ben in time to save the day? Well, you guessed it; I’m not going to tell you right now.

Quite a well made film with some nice CGI creatures. I find that giving human attributes to animals never really works, but it’s something Disney has been persisting with for many years. Honourable mentions to the voice talents of Sam Rockwell as Darwin, Jon Favreau as Hurley, Nicolas Cage as Speckles, Penélope Cruz as Juarez, Steve Buscemi as Bucky and Tracy Morgan as Blaster. And the humans, Bill Nighy as Leonard Slater, Will Arnett as Kip Killian, Zach Galifianakis as Ben and Kelli Garner as Marcie.

There were one or two good jokes, but not a great deal to make the adult audience laugh. I thought the best scenes were in the pet shop. It’s one of those kind of OK films that you could quite happily have on in the background to keep the kids entertained, but not one I’d go out of my way to see again. Over all, not really recommended, but maybe a bargain bin DVD purchase to entertain the youngsters.

My score: 5.3/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0436339/
Official Site: http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/g-force.html
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3233022489/

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: UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS (2009)

Director: Patrick Tatopoulos
Running time: 90 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 18

UK Release Date: 23rd January 2009

Watched on Sky+ Monday 8th March 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have seen and quite enjoyed the previous two films in this series, Underworld (2003) and Underworld: Evolution (2006). So I was quite interested to see how the third instalment would turn out. This film is set before the previous two and tells how the war between the Vampires and the Lycans started.

The Vampires, led by Viktor, are aware of the Lycan race, immortal wolf-like creatures that are unable to change shape. That is until one day one of them is born in human form. Viktor knows he should kill it, but decides to let it live. They call him Lucian and they allow him to live among the Vampire race. Using his genetic material, Viktor breeds a race of Lycans that he uses to guard the Vampires as they sleep. He keeps them in check by force. Unknown to Viktor, Lucian and his daughter, Sonja have fallen in love and plan to leave the confines of the castle. Viktor finds out and this is where the fun really begins. I won’t say any more, but it’s not hard to figure out where the story goes from here.

Quite a well made film with some good effects, plenty of gore and some decent CGI. Some great over-acting from Bill Nighy as Viktor and very decent performances from both Michael Sheen as Lucian and Rhona Mitra as Sonja. If anything I felt the film relied a bit too heavily on the special effects at the expense of a decent script. I don’t think this one will feature in my end of year awards and I can’t really recommend it to you.

My score: 5.6/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0834001/
Official Site: Underworld Rise of the Lycans Official Site
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3494969369/