Film Review: FLIGHT (2012)

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writer: John Gatins
Running time: 138 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama/Thriller
UK Release date: 1^st February 2013

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 5^th October 2013.

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

I heard quite a lot about this one on release; it made quite a splash, even gaining two Oscar nominations. Of course it never played at my local and so I’ve had to wait until now when it aired on TV. Was it worth the wait? Yes, although it’s not one I would have paid full price for on DVD. It does have one or two issues, which I’ll discuss later, but over all, it’s a pretty good watch. Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

When pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) saves a commercial aircraft from certain disaster he becomes a hero. But it is not as straightforward as it seems. He has a drink problem and this is going to make life very difficult for quite a few people before the crash investigation is over. His union rep, Charlie Anderson (Bruce Greenwood) and the lawyer for the airline, High Lang (Don Cheadle) do their best to suppress certain condemning evidence against him but at the end of the day it’s Whip who’ll have to testify. The film takes us through his personal journey from the day of the crash onwards. In the hospital he meets a recovering addict, Nicole (Kelly Reilly), who he helps out and the pair of them live together for a while. Eventually though she cannot be around him because of his drinking and she leaves. He is taken to an AA meeting but nothing seems to work. His testimony is coming up and extreme measures are needed to keep him sober, but will it work?

Although I liked this film I did find it a little too long; in fact I have to admit that I watched it in two halves. From a totally stunning sequence at the start I felt it lost momentum for a while, that was until I became embroiled in the drama of Whip Whitaker’s story. It’s quite a tale and an excellent performance from Denzel Washington holds it all together quite brilliantly. I also thought Kelly Reilly did a pretty good job as well. But back to the opening sequence for a moment, for me it ranks as one of the best special effects driven sequences I’ve seen in a very long time and hats off to all involved. Taken as a whole, the film does take the audience on quite a journey and I know for some it couldn’t quite live up to that crash sequence. For me I thought it held together pretty well, mainly thanks to the acting skills of Mr Washington. Over all, definitely worth a watch but don’t get blown away by the crash sequence, there’s a lot more depth to it than that.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.8/10.

IMDb Score: 7.3/10 (based on 150,410 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1907668/

MetaScore: 76/100: (Based on 40 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 78/100: (based on 217 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 75/100: (based on 140,800 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/flight_2012/

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LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.paramount.com/flight/
Trailer:

Film Review: SAFE HOUSE (2012)

Director: Daniel Espinosa
Writer: David Guggenheim
Running time: 115 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

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

Watched on Sky+ Monday 24^th December 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I admit I’m partial to the odd espionage thriller and, on the surface of it; this one appeared to fit the bill. And for the most part, it did; there were a few niggles which I’ll get into later. For now, here’s a very brief summary.

When former CIA agent Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), now considered rogue, turns himself in to the US Consulate in Cape Town, he is sent to a safe house to await interrogation. This particular house is looked after by a young agent; Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds). He is looking to improve his lot and when the interrogation begins the house is attacked. The interrogation team are killed but Weston escapes with Frost; who is soon trying to get into the young agent’s head. Weston contacts headquarters and his superiors; Catherine Linklater (Vera Farmiga) and David Barlow (Brendan Gleeson) tell him to bide his time while they organise an extraction team. But is Frost right, can he really trust them? I’ll leave it there or an interrogation squad will be looking for me (again).

A well made film with some nice stunt work and an awful lot of fight sequences; maybe a couple too many IMO. The performances from both Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds were pretty good, although nobody was particularly stretched. Plot-wise, I guess it was ok but it didn’t particularly do anything we haven’t seen before. If anything I found it about fifteen minutes too long, but still worth a look if you have a couple of hours spare.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED (…Just)

My score: 7.1/10

IMDb Score: 6.8/10 (based on 86,801 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1599348/

MetaScore: 52/100: (Based on 36 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 53/100 (based on 82 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 65/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 105,660 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/safe_house_2012/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Tobin Frost: That house was a secure location. Whoever crashed it didn't stop by a gas station and ask for directions to the nearest safe house. They were invited. Someone told them, Matthew. Think about it. Someone you know, so you better ask yourself, can you trust your landlord?
Matt Weston: Go ahead. You're not gonna get in my head.
Tobin Frost: I already am in your head. They're going to isolate you, Matt. They're going to be real nice to you at first. They're going to put their arm around you and tell you things like, "You did a decent job, son. We'll take it from here." That's when you know you're screwed. Forget about me, they're going to focus on you. They're going to try and make a connection between you and I. So that if this all goes wrong, they'll have something to fall back on in their little Senate hearings. I'm not your only enemy tonight.

Matt Weston: Are you going to kill me?
Tobin Frost: [Frost shoots the wall next to Weston's head] I only kill professionals.

[on the run, advised to follow protocol]
Matt Weston: Protocol? There is no protocol for this?

LINKS:
Trailer:

Film Review: UNSTOPPABLE (2010)

Director: Tony Scott
Running time: 95 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Action/Thriller
UK Release date: 24^th November 2010

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 12^th November 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember there was quite a lot of debate about this one when it came out but it managed to evade my attention until now. Much of the debate centred around the fact that this was just another Tony Scott action thriller. Well, in that respect they were correct, a Tony Scott action thriller is what it is. To be fair though, it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. Scott is very practiced at the action thriller and he does do it rather well so I guess the debate could have centred around when Scott was going to make a comedy or something like that instead. I will give you my take on it after this very brief summary

A freight train carrying a very hazardous cargo manages to escape the clutches of its’ driver and heads off down the track at full power with no brakes. I won’t bore you with the details of how this happened, but rest assured it’s a series of very unfortunate events and quite a chunk of incompetence. The train yard supervisor, Connie, sets the wheels in motion to retrieve the train but it’s too late, it’s headed for a populated area with seemingly no means of stopping it. Meanwhile, rookie conductor Will and his veteran driver Frank are moving freight in the opposite direction. Can they avoid this out-of-control train and what’s more, is there any way they can stop it before it meets with disaster? Well, you can probably guess the Spoiler Police are standing right behind me right now with pick-axe handles just waiting for me to type the wrong words. Fear for my safety ensures I will say no more on the matter.

It’s all very well made with some spectacular action sequences and beautifully realised visuals throughout. All the performances were decent although nobody was really stretched. Honourable mentions go to; Denzel Washington as Frank, Chris Pine as Will, Rosario Dawson as Connie, Ethan Suplee as Dewey, Kevin Dunn as Galvin, Kevin Corrigan as Inspector Werner and Lew Temple as Ned.

As I’ve already said, it’s a very well made film with plenty of action and some great thrills. The trouble is, I’ve seen it all before. If it was the first action thriller I’d ever seen I’m sure I would have been enthralled, but sadly it wasn’t. I found it a little too predictable, although I did find myself rooting for our hero (or heroes… no clues) at the end. There are subplots about corporate responsibility and the back stories of Will and Frank fill in a bit, but I never really cared that much for the characters and the sense of threat to the town in the path of this runaway train wasn’t really conveyed very well. We did get a sense of the power of the train, but the real threat was supposed to be the cargo and that avenue was never really explored to any extent. Over all though, a very well made film that is great to look at but doesn’t really hold the audience in the way a film like this should. Having said that, it’s worth a viewing… just the one though.

My score: 6.7/10

IMDb Score: 6.8/10 (based on 49,694 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0477080/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Frank: This ain't training. In training they just give you an F. Out here you get killed.

Oscar Galvin: Did I or did I not tell you to get 1206 off the main?
Connie: I asked them nicely.

Inspector Werner: [Watching the red lights on the map] So, red means...
Bunny: 777 blew through a signal. Everything in red means trouble on the mainline.
Inspector Werner: That a lot of red!

Oscar Galvin: Maybe you didn't hear what I just said, Colson. I will fire you!
Frank: Well, that's too bad. I was just starting to like this job.

LINKS:
Trailer:

Film Review: FALLEN (1998)

Director: Gregory Hoblit
Running time: 124 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller/Horror
UK Release date: 13^th March 1998

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 30^th October 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have seen this film before and pretty much enjoyed it. Noticing it in the TV schedules recently, I thought I’d give it another go and put some thoughts down about it this time. A film that is not widely hailed as a horror film, I found it both atmospheric and quite menacing. To me a good horror film pays on the audiences’ fear of the unknown, and this film does just that. I’ll tell you more after this brief summary.

When serial killer, Edgar Reese, is about to be executed, he asks to speak to the detective that caught him, John Hobbes. Gloating at Hobbes, he begins to speak in some foreign language and finally bursts into song; The Rolling Stones, ‘Time is on my Side’. Thinking nothing of this, Hobbes proceeds to witness the execution, but it’s not the last he’ll see of Edgar Reese, or is it Edgar Reese? A day later Hobbes is called to the scene of a murder, a murder that has all the hallmarks of Edgar Reese. Does he have an accomplice, or is there a copycat out there? Either way, it’s a puzzle that has to be solved and one that will lead Hobbes and his partner, Jonesy, down a very perilous path. I won’t say any more or the Spoiler Police (demonic branch) will be possessing my family and turning them against me.

A well made film with a very interesting narration and a delightful twist at the end. Great performances all round, especially from Denzel Washington as John Hobbes, John Goodman as Jonesy and Embeth Davidtz as Gretta Milano. Honourable mentions go to Donald Sutherland as Lt. Stanton and James Gandolfini (with an outrageous moustache) as Lou.

I very much enjoyed this film although it did fall a little flat about two thirds of the way through and I did find it a little over-long. Other than that I found it quite an intelligent film that keeps you guessing right until the end. It’s one that will be overlooked by many (low gore factor), but one I would encourage any horror fan to watch. It has quite a slow pace, but don’t be deceived, it’s quite enthralling if you give it a chance… Recommended.

My Score: 7.6/10.

IMDb Score: 6.8/10 (based on 30,255 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0119099/

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 40/100 (based on 55 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1080990-fallen/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
Azazel: I wanna tell you about the time I almost died....

Azazel: Time is on my side. Yes it is.

John Hobbes: There are moments which mark your life. Moments when you realize nothing will ever be the same and time is divided into two parts, before this, and after this... Sometimes you can feel such a moment coming. That's the test, or so I tell myself. I tell myself that at times like that, strong people keep moving forward anyway, no matter what they're going to find.

Azazel: [Last lines] Like I said before. I was beaten. I was battered, tired and neaten by a detective John Hobbes. It's disturbing that you were alive for a thousand years and you realize that you're actually going to die, because some self-righteous cop thinks he’s gonna save the fuckin' world. Yes, a demon can die, and Hobbes finally knew how to beat me at my own game. Oh, I forgot. I was gonna tell you the time I "almost" died, seeya 'round.

LINKS:
Trailer:

Film Review: THE BOOK OF ELI (2010)

Directors: Albert Hughes & Allen Hughes
Running time: 107 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

UK release date: 15th January 2010

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 15th January 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I saw this when it came out in the cinema and quite liked it. Now it has come round on TV I thought it might be worth a second viewing. This film is about the quest of one man to get a book to the place it’s supposed to be, to use his words. Now, I’m not a religious man but I can see the value this book might have in a world torn apart by war. It is a post-apocalyptic world, thirty years after it was destroyed. Those that were not killed scratch a living out of what’s left, and many have turned to cannibalism. Many were blinded by the flashes in the sky but survived. As stated in the film, after the war people destroyed the bible blaming it for what happened, but Eli has the last remaining copy. Now you know the set-up, here’s a brief summary before I give you my thoughts (summary haters please don’t touch Eli… not if you want to keep your hands that is… and wait here while I write the next paragraph).

Always moving west, Eli is a loner on the road. Like everyone out there he knows it’s a very dangerous place. He kills animals for food and gets clean water where he can. When set upon by hijackers but Eli is a ferocious fighter and thus far has come out on top. One day he wanders into a small town run by Carnegie, a determined man who has been sending out men in search of a particular book, the very one Eli has in his possession. Carnegie has a mother and daughter, Claudia and Solara in his entourage, Claudia was blind from birth, but Solara is sighted. In trying to persuade Eli to stay, as he can see the value of a man who can fight like him, he sends Solara to his room and she discovers the book. Carnegie finds out about the book and sends his henchman, Redridge to get it but Eli has already gone. Eli starts heading west again only to find Solara following him. Redridge wants Solara and makes a deal with Carnegie to get the book in exchange for her. And now the chase is on, will Eli and Solara escape or will they be caught? I think that’s enough for now.

This film was shot in a similar way to 300 (2006) with a kind of washed out comic book feel to it and, for me, it looked a bit too artificial in places. A lot of the landscapes were CGI which didn’t come over too well on TV. Great performances from all of the leading cast, Denzel Washington as Eli, Gary Oldman as Carnegie, Mila Kunis as Solara, Ray Stevenson as Redridge and Jennifer Beals as Claudia. Honourable mentions also go to Frances de la Tour and Michael Gambon as Martha and George, a mad old couple who Eli and Solara find on their travels.

Although it’s a fairly straightforward story I found it a very entertaining and compelling film to watch, the 107 minutes went by pretty quickly, which is always a good sign. It did get a bit bogged down in the middle, but redeemed itself with a totally unexpected twist at the end. Don’t worry; I’m not going give that away here. Also a haunting soundtrack backs up the visuals to great effect. Over all, although it’s not been well received everywhere and although not perfect, it’s a good effort… Recommended.

My score: 7.3/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1037705/
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.net/movies/bookofeli/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi862650905/

Film Review: THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 (2009)

Director: Tony Scott
Running time: 106 mins (approx)
Certificate (UK): 15

UK Release Date: 31st July 2009

Watched on DVD Monday 3rd May 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a remake of the 1974 film The Taking of Pelham One Two Three which starred Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw as the two main protagonists. This, updated version, changes aspects the story to fit modern tastes, but the guts of it are the same. I’ll try not to do a direct comparison with the original, partly because I haven’t seen it in a very long time, and partly because I don’t think it’s fair.

Walter Garber is an official of the MTA who, as punishment for accepting a bribe, has been demoted to dispatcher. Towards the end of his shift he notices that a train has become stationary in a tunnel. Calling the driver he gets no reply. Eventually, it becomes clear that a gang of hijackers, lead by a man known as Ryder has taken the train. It eventually separates and one car moves a few hundred yards down the tunnel. Left to negotiate with Ryder, Garber forms a kind of rapport with the hijacker. Ryder demands ten million dollars within an hour or he will start to shoot the hostages. The mayor is informed and he arranges for the money to be prepared. It’s clear that Ryder is quite volatile and when the police negotiator, Camonetti, tries to take over he shoots one of the hostages. A sniper accidentally shoots the hijacker’s driver, Phil Ramos, and another hostage is killed. Eventually the money arrives and Garber is told he must deliver it, putting him face to face with Ryder. I’ll leave my summary there, don’t want to give the ending away!

It’s a very well made film with some good dialogue and very good performances from both of the major stars. So, special mentions for both Denzel Washington as Walter Garber and John Travolta as Ryder. Honourable mentions go to Luis Guzmán as Phil Ramos, John Turturro as Camonetti and James Gandolfini as the Mayor.

One of the main problems I had with this film was the cinematography. In one scene we are meeting the mayor for the first time and the camera keeps moving round and around him, it made me feel dizzy! There were also a couple of plot holes that didn’t help. But for all that it’s pretty entertaining stuff. For the most part it kept me gripped, although it did start to drag a little towards the end. Over all, not bad: recommended.

My score: 6.8/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1111422/
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.co.uk/movies/thetakingofpelham123/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1348535065/

Film Review: THE BOOK OF ELI (2010)

Directors: Albert Hughes & Allen Hughes
Running time: 118 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Watched at the cinema Saturday 16th January 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This film is about the quest of one man to get a book to the place it’s supposed to be, to use his words. Now, I’m not a religious man but I can see the value this book might have in a world torn apart by war. It is a post-apocalyptic world, thirty years after it was destroyed. Those that were not killed scratch a living out of what’s left, and many have turned to cannibalism. A lot were blinded by the flashes in the sky but survived. As stated in the film, after the war people destroyed the bible blaming it for what happened, but Eli has the last remaining copy.

Always moving west, Eli is a loner on the road. Like everyone out there he knows it’s a very dangerous place. He kills animals for food and gets clean water where he can. He is set upon by hijackers but Eli is a ferocious fighter and thus far has come out on top. One day he wanders into a small town run by Carnegie, a determined man who has been sending out men in search of a particular book, the very one Eli has in his possession. Carnegie has a mother and daughter, Claudia and Solara in his entourage, Claudia was blind before the flash, but Solara is not. In trying to persuade Eli to stay, as he can see the value of a man who can fight like him, he sends Solara to his room and she discovers the book but promises not to tell. Carnegie finds out about the book and sends his henchman, Redridge to get it but Eli has already gone. Eli starts heading west again only to find Solara following him. Redridge wants Solara and makes a deal with Carnegie to get the book in exchange for her. And now the chase is on, will Eli and Solara escape or will they be caught? I think that’s enough spoilers for one day…

This film was shot in a similar way to 300 (2006) with a kind of washed out comic book feel to it and, for me, it worked. I guess a lot of the landscapes were CGI and these were very well done as well. Great performances from all of the leading cast, Denzel Washington as Eli, Gary Oldman as Carnegie, Mila Kunis as Solara, Ray Stevenson as Redridge and Jennifer Beals as Claudia. Honourable mentions also go to Frances de la Tour and Michael Gambon as Martha and George, a mad old couple who Eli and Solara find on their travels.

Although it’s a fairly straightforward story I found it a very entertaining and compelling film to watch, the 118 minutes went by pretty quickly, which is always a good sign. It did get a bit bogged down in the middle, but redeemed itself with a totally unexpected twist at the end. Don’t worry; I’m not going to tell you what it is. Over all, I can heartily recommend this film, it ticked a lot of boxes for me and, although not perfect, it’s a damn good effort.

My score: 7.9/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1037705/
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.net/movies/bookofeli/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi862650905/