Film Review: THE TEMPEST (2010)

Director: Julie Taymor
Writers: Julie Taymor (screenplay), William Shakespeare (play)
Running time: 106 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): PG

Genre: Fantasy/Drama/Comedy
UK Release date: 13^th February 2011 (Keswick Film Festival)

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 18^th May 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is one of the Shakespeare plays I knew nothing about going into the viewing. It’s one I’ve always wanted to see because one of my all-time favourite Sci-Fi films, ‘Forbidden Planet’ is based on it (I’m told). I can see the parallels, but I must say it must be loosely based on it. Putting that aside, I found it quite an interesting adaptation that had aspects that worked and others that didn’t quite come off. I’ll tell you more after this brief summary.

Prospera is a sorceress who has a captive sprite, Ariel, to do her bidding. She has been exiled to an island with her daughter, Miranda and wishes to return home. To this end she hatches a plan that brings others to the island in a storm of her making. Principle among them are King Alonso and his son Prince Ferdinand. The others are; Gonzalo, Sebastian, Antonio, Trinculo and Stephano. Oh, and there’s the original inhabitant of the island, the strange-looking Caliban. All are destined to meet eventually as Prospera’s plan comes to fruition… I will not say any more or the Spoiler Police (Shakespeare Division) will have me writing sonnets (again).

Taking a play out of the theatre is always problematic, I find, because the filmmakers have to find ways to make the piece more cinematic. This was not a bad job really, but, as I said earlier, I’m not all that familiar with the source material. Decent performances all round, but those that stood out (for me) were; Helen Mirren as Prospera, Djimon Hounsou as Caliban, Alfred Molina as Stephano and Tom Conti as Gonzalo.

I always find Shakespearean dialogue a little hard to follow, but I found this one was a bit of an exception. The storyline, although a little complex, was quite easy to follow and I quite enjoyed it. Very stylish costumes and an interesting soundtrack were elements that added to the piece pretty well. Over all though, despite being well shot, all on location, I guess I felt there was something lacking. I guess it’s worth a look if you’re a fan of the Bard, but otherwise, I may urge you to maybe give it a miss…

My score: 5.8/10

IMDb Score: 5.3/10 (based on 2,756 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1274300/

MetaScore: 43/100: (Based on 28 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 29/100 (based on 82 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 28/100 (based on 17,602 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tempest/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Caliban: This island is mine!

Prospera: We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little lives are rounded with a sleep.

Trinculo: Misery acquaints a man with strange bed fellows.

Caliban: Hast thou not dropped from Heaven?
Stephano: Out of the moon, I do assure thee.

Prospera: Be cheerful sir, our revels now are ended.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.tempest-themovie.com/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTempestMovie
Trailer:

Film Review: RANGO (2011)

Director: Gore Verbinski
Writer (Screenplay): John Logan
Writers (Story): John Logan, Gore Verbinski & James Ward Byrkit
Running time: 103 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): PG

Genre: Animation/Action/Adventure
UK Release date: 4^th March 2011

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 8^th January 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a film I’ve wanted to see for some time, although I didn’t know all that much about it. Recommendations did the trick, but it never made it to my local cinema and so I waited for a TV airing. As you can probably guess, it aired this week and I’m pleased to say the recommendations were correct! Although not quite up there with the best of the Pixar films, it’s still very entertaining and beautifully animated. I will give you my thoughts after this brief summary.

When a pet chameleon is involved in an accident that leaves him on a desert road, he looks for help. It first comes in the form of an old armadillo called Roadkill; he sets the chameleon off in the direction of the nearest town, Dirt. On the way he is picked up by Beans who is going to town for supplies for her ranch. Once there the chameleon enters the saloon where he makes himself out to be a bit of a hero… a hero called Rango! The townsfolk immediately make him the sheriff; but there’s a problem. The town is running out of water, there’s very little left in the bank and the mayor is behaving strangely. When the remaining water is stolen from the bank it’s up to Rango, and a posse, to go and bring it back. Also, can they solve the mystery of the disappearing water supply? Well, I’ll leave it there or the Spoiler Police will be confiscating my glass of nice cool refreshing water by my side here… (thirsty?).

As I’ve already said, it’s beautifully animated and well worth seeing just for that alone! As for performances, well everyone was very good, particularly Johnny Depp as Rango/Lars, he surprised me with this performance; very reminiscent, at times, of his character, Raoul Duke, in ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’. Isla Fisher as Beans and Abigail Breslin as Pricilla both put in great performances, as did Ned Beatty as the Mayor. Honourable mentions must also go to; Alfred Molina as Roadkill, Bill Nighy as Rattlesnake Jake, Stephen Root as Doc/Merrimack/Mr. Snuggles, Harry Dean Stanton as Balthazar, Timothy Olyphant as Spirit of the West and Ray Winstone as Bad Bill.

I must say I did like the offbeat style of this film, very reminiscent of an old Western but with a modern twist. Lots of slapstick comedy moments and some great sight gags add to the fun. A nice score by Hans Zimmer is interspersed by a nice collection of songs, principally performed by ‘Los Lobos’. Over all, I found this film very entertaining with some great animation; one I will definitely re-watch sometime… Recommended.

My score: 7.9/10.

IMDb Score: 7.4/10 (based on 57,195 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1192628/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 88/100 (based on 205 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 69/100 (based on 94,672 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rango/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Rango: [after some kids throw rocks at him] Hey! What was that for?
Priscilla: You're funny-looking.
Rango: Well? You're funny-looking too.
Priscilla: That's a funny-looking shirt.
Rango: That's a funny-looking dress.
Priscilla: You got funny-looking eyes.
Rango: You got a funny-looking face!
Priscilla: [small pause] You're a stranger. Strangers don't last long here.
[walks away]

Rango: Reptiles gotta stick together, brother.
Buford: I'm an amphibian.
Rango: Ain't no shame in that.

Rango: [an arrow is sticking through Turley's head, entering in his right eye and coming out the left-rear side of his head; Rango looks disgusted] You've, uh... got something in your eye.
Sergeant Turley: [indicates his left eye, seemingly oblivious] Oh, that? That's conjunctivitis. It's hereditary.

Rango: Is this Heaven?
Spirit of the West: If it were, we'd be eating strawberry Pop-Tarts with Kim Novak.

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

Film Review: THE DA VINCI CODE (2006)

Director: Ron Howard
Writers: Akiva Goldsman (Screenplay), Dan Brown (Novel)
Running time: 149 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
UK Release date: 19^th May 2006

Watched on DVD Tuesday 27^th December 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Whilst visiting some friends this film came up in conversation for some reason, I can’t exactly remember just why now, but needless to say, a viewing was hastily arranged. Having previously read the book I had a pretty good idea about the storyline and so settled down to enjoy Ron Howard’s interpretation. I will give you my thoughts after this very brief summary.

A murder has been committed at the Louvre museum in Paris; an eminent professor has been killed, but he has left clues to the identity of his murderer. Robert Langdon, an expert in symbology is called in by the police… but do they have an ulterior motive? The victim’s granddaughter, cryptologist Sophie Neveu warns Langdon that he is in danger. They manage to fool the police into thinking they’ve escaped and take to opportunity to look for clues. What they find leads them to a revelation that, if made public, would blow religion wide apart! To this end, they are also pursued by an agent of the church, Silas, a cold blooded killer… I will leave it there or the Spoiler Police will have me clapped in irons (again).

This is a very well made film that looks great on the screen; you can tell there was a good chunk of money thrown at the project. The music, by Hans Zimmer,was also great and fitted the visuals perfectly. As far as performances go, well I thought the best performance came from Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing, for me he stood out. Honourable mentions must go to; Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu, Jean Reno as Captain Bezu Fache, Paul Bettany as Silas and Alfred Molina as Bishop Manuel Aringarosa.

In scanning through other reviews, the phrase, ‘not as good as the book’ seems to come up quite a lot, and I must say I agree, the book is better. Having said that, I did find that, although it is very long, the time passed pretty quickly due to the fast-paced storytelling. The problem with this is that it’s quite easy to miss a vital piece of the puzzle and that can be annoying. For me, it was a decent effort to put on the screen quite a complicated tale. Unfortunately if falls down because there are just a couple too many coincidences that work out. A blind alley here and there might have helped (IMO). At the end of the day, if you haven’t read the book it’s still an entertaining watch and one that may well spark a little debate. (It certainly did with me and my friends!)… Recommended (just).

My Score: 6.5/10.

IMDb Score: 6.4/10 (based on 147,704 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0382625/

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 25/100 (based on 220 reviews counted at the time of going to press).
Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 64/100 (based on 682,325 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/da_vinci_code/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
Silas: Stop now. Tell me where it is.
[removes hood]
Silas: You and your brethren possess what is not rightfully yours.
Jacques Saunière: I don't know what you are talking about.
Silas: Is it a secret you will die for?
Jacques Saunière: Please...
Silas: As you wish.
[cocks gun]

Robert Langdon: It's an old wives' tale.
Sir Leigh Teabing: The original one, in fact!

Robert Langdon: The ancient male symbol was the blade, it's a basic phallus. It's still used today on military uniforms.
Sir Leigh Teabing: Yes, and the more penises you have, the higher your rank. Boys will be boys!

[last lines]
Robert Langdon: She rests at last beneath starry skies.

LINKS:
Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/davincicode/international/
Trailer:

Film Review: THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE (2010)

Director: Jon Turteltaub
Running time: 105 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): PG

Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy
UK Release date: 13th August 2010

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 11th June 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

You know how sometimes curiosity can get the better of you and you find yourself in a situation you would rather have avoided. Well that’s what happened when this film came up on TV recently. I thought, “How bad can it really be?” well, it’s bad enough that I had to resort to the ironing to get through to the end. Yes, there are exciting bits, some funny bits and some really impressive CGI, but the story and the characters were just not there.

For a change I won’t bore you with a summary as we’ve all seen the basic story a thousand times before. What did interest me more was the back-story that is just skimmed over at the beginning of the film. I would have much rather seen the story of Balthazar up to the point where he finds the ‘Chosen One’ in New York City. What happens after that is all so predictable and I really hope they don’t make a sequel.

Performance wise, well, Nicolas Cage does his best impression of Nicolas Cage as Balthazar Blake, the ‘Sorcerer’ of the title. Jay Baruchel has probably the most irritating voice I’ve ever heard and he plays the ‘Apprentice’ of the title, Dave Stutler (who’d have guessed the saviour of the world would be called Dave). Of course there has to be a bad guy and this amply is provided by Alfred Molina as the evil Maxim Horvath. And finally, the love interest is provided by Teresa Palmer as Becky Barnes.

As you can probably guess I didn’t enjoy this Bruckheimer/Disney co-production too much. It all seemed too superficial, I found it hard to identify with any of the characters, except maybe the bad guy, Horvath. As I’ve already said, the special effects are very impressive, but that’s the problem, they do look like special effects. I don’t believe the filmmakers are aware of the phrase ‘less is more’ in some cases… and this is one of those cases. You may think I’m being a little generous with my score, but I do appreciate the skill involved in bringing this visually impressive if uninspiring film to the screen. I did like the nod to the animated Disney film ‘The Sword in the Stone’, that was actually quite funny. Over all though, sadly NOT recommended.

My Score: 5.4/10

LINKS:
(RT=Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0963966/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sorcerers_apprentice/
Official Site: http://adisney.go.com/disneypictures/sorcerersapprentice/
Trailer:

Film Review: AN EDUCATION (2009)

Director: Lone Scherfig
Running time: 96 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Comedy/Drama
UK Release date: 30th October 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 15th May 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember this film getting quite a lot of critical praise when it came out and so I was intrigued to see what all the fuss was about. Of course it got nowhere near being shown in my local cinema and so I waited patiently for it to show on TV. A screenplay by Nick Hornby based on a memoir by Lynn Barber and set in London in the early 1960’s it has all the hallmarks of a decent production. You’ll be glad to know that I agree with the critics, yes, it’s pretty good. There were a couple of points where it could have gone off the rails, but fortunately it stayed on the tracks and we have a fine piece of work.

Jenny Mellor is a bright sixteen year old student whose parents have ambitions for her to study at Oxford University. She is slightly disenchanted with her lot though, and yearns to go out and experience the world while she is still young. By chance she meets David, a man more than twice her age, who recognises something in her and takes her to see the sights. Two friends of his, Danny and Helen come along and Jenny goes to concerts, sees art, dines in fine restaurants and even visits Paris. David does all this with Jenny’s parent’s permission, he is very persuasive. Of course all is not what it seems and her world is about to take a massive jolt and the many arguments she has made against conformity are about to be tested.

This is a very well made film which features a stand-out performance from Carey Mulligan as Jenny; she was really outstanding in the part. Peter Sarsgaard was suitably suave as David, as was Dominic Cooper as Danny. Both Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour did a good job as Jenny’s parents, Jack and Marjorie. Rosamund Pike played the part of the, rather dim, Helen very well and Olivia Williams did a very good job as Jenny’s teacher Miss Stubbs. Finally, a mention for Emma Thompson who had a nice cameo as the headmistress.

This film asks a lot of questions about how some parents try to control the lives of their children, although it’s not the main point of the story. I really liked the way it was written but I still felt one or two bits could have done with tidying up (I’m sorry, I can’t be specific – spoilers). Having said that, I did enjoy it very much and I really liked the ending. I would definitely watch it again sometime… Recommended.

My Score: 7.6/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1174732/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/an_education/
Official Site: http://www.sonyclassics.com/aneducation/
Trailer: