Film Review: THE KEEP (1983)

Director: Michael Mann
Writers: F. Paul Wilson (novel), Michael Mann (screenplay)
Running time: 97 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Action/Drama/Horror
USA Release date: 16^th December 1983

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 27^th January 2013.

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

This is a film I first saw many many years ago. I remember quite enjoying it back then; but I have seen many more films since then and so decided it was time to give it a second look. In the cold light of day, and without the distraction of a night out beforehand, it took on a whole different look. I can’t say I’ve entirely changed my view, but I can say that I can now see many more of its flaws. Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

It is World War II and a troop of German soldiers are sent to hold a pass in the Romanian Alps. The small village they are sent to has an ancient Keep built into the side of the mountain and it is here they set up their headquarters. The leader, Captain Klaus Woermann (Jürgen Prochnow) is a decent man and he leaves the locals to their business. Some of his troops decide that the crosses built into the walls of the Keep might be made of silver and try to dig them out. In doing this they release a supernatural entity that begins to kill them off one by one. Enter the SS led by the ruthless Major Kaempffer (Gabriel Byrne). He is not so tolerant of the locals and begins killing them in retribution for the soldiers’ deaths. Of course this has no effect and the local priest, Father Mihail Fonescu (Robert Prosky) persuades the Major to being in an expert on the Keep. He is a Jew, Dr. Theodore Cuza (Ian McKellen), who arrives with his daughter, Eva (Alberta Watson). Meanwhile a mysterious man, Glaeken Trismegestus (Scott Glenn), is making his way to the Keep; he knows much more about the evil that has been unleashed there and is probably the only person who can stop it… But is he too late? I think that’s enough for now.

Pretty well made for its day although the effects to look quite dated by today’s standards. I can’t say I was entirely enamoured with Tangerine Dream’s musical score either; it just didn’t seem to fit. As for the performances, well I thought both Jürgen Prochnow and Gabriel Byrne were excellent; Prochnow again proving just what a fine actor he is and Byrne playing a very believable and loathsome character very well. What lets it down is the fact that the audience are allowed to actually see the entity that is causing all the deaths. If you know anything about what scares people, it’s the things you don’t see that scare you; the things your imagination can run wild with. Once the monster, Molasar, is seen all that mystery is lost and it can never have as much impact. Michael Mann did a fair enough job but I felt there were a few too many lingering shots and a little too much exposition in places. Even so, I still quite enjoyed it, although the book is much better.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED (Just)

My score: 6.2/10.

IMDb Score: 5.7/10 (based on 5,072 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0085780/?ref_=sr_1

MetaScore: No Data: (Based on 0 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 20/100 (based on 10 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 55/100 (based on 3,226 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/keep/

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FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Alexandru: No-one's ever died here.
Captain Klaus Woermann: Then what drives people out, in the middle of a rainy night?
Alexandru: Dreams?
Captain Klaus Woermann: Nightmares? Look, man, the real nightmares man has made upon other men in this war. The bad dreams of your Keep are nursery rhymes by comparison.

Captain Klaus Woermann: Why are the small stones on the outside and the large stones here on the interior? It's constructed... backwards. This place was not constructed to keep something... out.

Captain Klaus Woermann: [catching Lutz attempting to chisel out a cross] Soldier, what's your assignment?
Lutz: To string lights, sir.
Captain Klaus Woermann: Then what the hell are you doing? Answer!
Lutz: The silver crosses, sir. There's talk among the men. They hide silver here. Treasure, sir.
Captain Klaus Woermann: Private Lutz, it's been a profitable day for you! Not only have you learned the crosses are made of nickel, not silver, but you have earned yourself a place on first watch all week!

Molasar: You have... death around you.

Captain Klaus Woermann: And what truth do you see? What are you discovering about yourself Kaempffer, uuh? "I murder all these people. Therefore, I must be powerful." And you smash them down only because that raises you up. It's a psychotic fantasy to escape the weakness and disease you sense in the core of your souls! You have scooped the most diseased psyches out of the German gutter! You have released the foulness that dwells in all men's minds! You have infected millions with your twisted fantasies! And from the millions of diseased mentalities that worship your twisted cross... what monstrosity has been released in this keep? Who are you meeting, Kaempffer, in the granite corridors of this keep?...
[pokes Kaempffer with his finger, whispers]
Captain Klaus Woermann: ... Yourself.

LINKS:
(NOTE: All links were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer: (Sorry about the picture quality)

Film Review: THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY (2012)

Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro
Running time: 169 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Adventure/Fantasy
UK Release date: 13^th December 2012

Watched at the Cinema Friday 14^th December 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Having successfully avoided all reviews of this one before seeing it, you can feel safe that all opinions that follow are actually my own and haven’t been subliminally affected by outside influences. I attended a matinee viewing, mainly to avoid the crowds; I needn’t have worried, some truly awful weather ensured an attendance of just seven. So I took my favourite seat, right in the middle, and settled down for an epic (almost) three hours.

This time I won’t give you a plot summary as I feel if you’re reading this then you have most probably read Tolkien’s novel on which the film is based. We begin in the Shire where Old Bilbo (Ian Holm) and Frodo (Elijah Wood) give the audience a reminder, if indeed one is needed, that this tale and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ are linked. Of course all the dwarves eventually arrive at the door of a much younger Bilbo (Martin Freeman) at the behest of Gandalf (Ian McKellen). They are; Thorin (Richard Armitage), Balin (Ken Stott), Dwalin (Graham McTavish), Bifuf (William Kircher), Bofur (James Nesbitt), Bombur (Stephen Hunter), Fili (Dean O'Gorman), Kili (Aidan Turner), Oin (John Callen), Gloin (Peter Hambleton), Nori (Jed Brophy), Dori (Mark Hadlow) and Ori (Adam Brown). From here the adventure begins, but there are several departures from Tolkien’s book that make for quite a different journey than I was expecting. Without giving too much away, a lot is made of an evil making its presence felt in the world and several different characters, some familiar, some not, appear. All this makes for quite a departure from the original novel but all of the important parts are still there.

Of course it’s all very well made, very much in the style of the LOTR films with plenty of CGI. I should say, for the record, that I watched it in 2D and at the normal frame-rate of 24 frames per second. A really nice score by Howard Shore, again, brings back echoes of the LOTR films with several familiar themes cropping up here and there. All the performances were very good, but those that stood out were Martin Freeman as Bilbo, Richard Armitage as Thorin and Andy Serkis, reprising his role as Gollum.

The things that struck me about it were one, it’s very long, and it’s very long because; two, the pacing is pretty slow for the most part. Yes, there are some spectacular set-pieces (the rock giant fight being my favourite), but there is an awful lot of stuff in-between these gems. But then I guess that’s Jackson’s adopted style for these films. Did I enjoy it? Yes… Would I buy it when it comes out on DVD? Again, yes… Am I looking forward to the next instalment? Hell yes!... It’s a Hobbit movie after all!

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.9/10

IMDb Score: 8.8/10 (based on 26,068 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/

MetaScore: 58/100: (Based on 38 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 65/100 (based on 191 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 81/100 ‘Liked It’ (based on 148,951 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hobbit_an_unexpected_journey/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Gandalf: Bilbo Baggins, I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure...

Gandalf: You'll have a tale or two to tell when you come back.
Bilbo Baggins: You can promise that I will come back?
Gandalf: ...No. And if you do, you will not be the same.

Bilbo Baggins: My name is Bilbo Baggins!
Gollum: Baggines? What is Bagginses?... Precious.

Elrond: So this is your purpose; to enter the mountain!
Thorin Oakenshield: What of it?
Elrond: There are some who would not deem it wise.

Radagast: A dark power has found its way back into the world.

LINKS:
Official Blog: http://www.thehobbitblog.com/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHobbitMovie
Official Site: http://www.thehobbit.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003)

Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: J.R.R. Tolkien (novel), Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, & Peter Jackson (screenplay)
Running time: 241 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
UK Release date: 17^th December 2003

Watched on DVD Saturday 13^th October 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Although I have seen all of the Lord of the Rings films before, I had never read the books, and so recently I decided to read them. I then thought it might be fun to watch each film as I complete each part of the story. And so, having finished ‘The Return of the King’ we come to the third and last of Peter Jackson’s films. For the record I have to say that I watched the extended version, available on DVD and Blu Ray.

NOTE: There may be spoilers in here; if you haven’t seen the ‘Fellowship of the Ring’ and ‘The Two Towers’ please skip this paragraph.

We begin with some back-story on how Sméagol came across the ring; how it corrupted him and turned him into Gollum. Sam and Frodo are still on their way to destroy the ring and Gollum is still steering them along his chosen route into Mordor. A route that may work to his advantage. Meanwhile the rest of the fellowship is reunited briefly at Isengard before being split again when they ride to Rohan. They hear that Sauron’s forces are on the march and they intend to attack Minas Tirith, a city of Gondor. Gandalf takes Pippin directly there after he steals a look at Saruman’s ‘seeing stone’ which is linked directly to Sauron. Gathering their forces, King Theodin and Aragorn set off towards Minas Tirith, only for Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli to leave them and take another path there. Aragorn has had word that he must fulfil a pact made by his ancestor if they are to succeed at Minas Tirith. With the city under siege, all seems lost as Sam and Frodo are split asunder by the cunning wiles of Gollum. I think that’s enough to whet the appetite… for now.

Yet another epic film with tremendous scope; Peter Jackson and the many others that worked on this really did an excellent job! Yet again, the original music by Howard Shore is tremendous another great score with some really great themes, following on from the previous two films with great aplomb. As far as performances go, well everybody did a great job but those that stood out (for me) were; Elijah Wood as Frodo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Sean Astin as Samwise ‘Sam’ Gamgee, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn and Bernard Hill as Theodin (King of Rohan). Also worthy of note were; John Noble as Denethor, Billy Boyd as Pippin, Dominic Monaghan as Merry, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, John Rhys-Davies as Gimli/Voice of Treebeard (briefly), Liv Tyler as Arwen, Miranda Otto as Eowyn, David Wenham as Faramir, Christopher Lee as Saruman, Karl Urban as Eomer and not forgetting Andy Serkis as Gollum/Sméagol.

The book could very easily have been made into two films; there is such a lot that happens and so many twists in the plot that it might have benefitted if that were the case. But we’re not here to speculate I guess; although it does depart from the book in many respects, I did find that most of the important bases were covered. A film which has some tremendous scenes of epic battles but also some very tender and thought-provoking moments as well. For me the most powerful scene was where Denethor has sent his son, Faramir, to his doom and is eating a meal while Pippin sings a haunting ballad. The intercutting of the images of battle with Denethor and Pippin safe in Minas Tirith and the haunting melody over the top makes for a scene that has stayed with me since I first saw it back in 2003. I did find it did tend to drag a bit towards the end, but other than that a very fine film that is a fitting end to a great trilogy.

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

My score: 9.4/10

IMDb Score: 8.9/10 (based on 595,849 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0167260/

MetaScore: 94/100: (Based on 41 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 94/100 (based on 244 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 83/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 33,010,271 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lord_of_the_rings_the_return_of_the_king/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[in a drinking game]
Gimli: It's the Dwarves that go swimming with little, hairy woman.
[he burps]
Legolas: I feel something. A slight tingle in my fingers. I think it's affecting me.
Gimli: What did I say? He can't hold his liquor.
[Gimli passes out]
Legolas: [to Eomer who is watching] Game over.

Aragorn: We have time. Every day Frodo moves closer to Mordor.
Gandalf: Do we know that?
Aragorn: What does your heart tell you?
Gandalf: That Frodo is alive. Yes. Yes, he's alive.

Aragorn: I summon you to fulfil your oath.
King of the Dead: None but the king of Gondor may command me.
[Swings sword; Aragorn blocks him with the sword Anduril]
King of the Dead: That blade was broken!
[Aragorn takes him by the throat]
Aragorn: It has been remade.
[Aragorn releases the King of the Dead; pause]
Aragorn: Fight for us... and regain your honour.

Sam: [Both are overcome by exhaustion] Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It'll be spring soon. And the orchards will be in blossom. And the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. And they'll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields... and eating the first of the strawberries with cream. Do you remember the taste of strawberries?
Frodo: No, Sam. I can't recall the taste of food... nor the sound of water... nor the touch of grass. I'm... naked in the dark, with nothing, no veil... between me... and the wheel of fire! I can see him... with my waking eyes!
Sam: Then let us be rid of it... once and for all! Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can't carry it for you... but I can carry you!

Sam: [reading the book's title] There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale by Bilbo Baggins, and The Lord of the Rings by Frodo Baggins. You finished it.
Frodo: Not quite. There's room for a little more.

…and there are so many more!

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

Film Review: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002)

Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: J.R.R. Tolkien (novel), Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair & Peter Jackson (screenplay)
Running time: 225 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
UK Release date: 18^th December 2002

Watched on DVD Sunday 23^rd September 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Although I have seen all of the Lord of the Rings films before, I had never read the books, and so recently I decided to read them. I then thought it might be fun to watch each film as I complete each part of the story. And so, having finished ‘The Two Towers’… and read the first eighty or so pages or so of ‘The Return of the King’ we come to the second of Peter Jackson’s films. For the record I have to say that I watched the extended version, available on DVD and Blu Ray.

NOTE: There may be spoilers in here; if you haven’t seen the ‘Fellowship of the Ring’ please skip this paragraph.

With the Fellowship broken at the end of the first film we follow the fortunes of the remaining adventurers. Frodo and Sam are to make their own way to Mordor, but not without a little help from an unexpected quarter. Gollum has been following them and now he finds himself aiding them on their quest; but can he be trusted? Sam certainly thinks not. Meanwhile Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are on the trail of Merry and Pippin who had been taken by a band of Orcs towards Isengard, the stronghold of the wizard Saruman, a follower of Sauron. The Orcs had been attacked by a band of horsemen from Rohan but the Hobbits escaped into the forest. Here they meet an Ent called Treebeard and he takes them to a gathering of all the Ents in the wood. Following them, the other three are surprised to be met by Gandalf who they thought had perished in the mines of Moria. From here on it begins to get a little complicated but needless say there are battles to be won as the war for Middle Earth hots up.

Peter Jackson and his team did not disappoint again, another epic film with tremendous scope. I also have to mention again the original music by Howard Shore; another great score with some really great themes. As far as performances go, well everybody did a great job but those that stood out (for me) were; Elijah Wood as Frodo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Sean Astin as Samwise ‘Sam’ Gamgee, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn and Bernard Hill as Theoden (King of Rohan). Also worthy of note were; Billy Boyd as Pippin, Dominic Monaghan as Merry, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, John Rhys-Davies as Gimli/Voice of Treebeard, Liv Tyler as Arwen, Miranda Otto as Eowyn, David Wenham as Faramir, Christopher Lee as Saruman, Karl Urban as Eomer and not forgetting Andy Serkis as Gollum/Smeagol.

Having recently read the book I did find that this departed from J.R.R.Tolkien’s original to a much larger extent than the first instalment ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’. Much more is put into establishing background and motive than in the text and, to a large extent, it works pretty well. It does, however, distract from the task at hand in places and I did find it a little heavy going here and there. I can’t, on the other hand, fault the production; it is all brilliantly brought together and it looks fantastic! The battle scenes are immense and to be admired. It’s certainly one, despite a couple of misgivings, I still rate very highly.

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

My score: 9.1/10

IMDb Score: 8.7/10 (based on 528,180 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0167261/

MetaScore: 88/100: (Based on 38 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 96/100 (based on 222 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 92/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 1,207,142 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lord_of_the_rings_the_two_towers/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Theoden: A great host, you say?
Aragorn: All Isengard is emptied.
Theoden: How many?
Aragorn: Ten thousand strong at least.
Theoden: [astonished] Ten thousand?
Aragorn: It is an army bred for a single purpose: to destroy the world of men. They will be here by nightfall.
Theoden: Let them come.

Gollum: [to Sam] Stupid, fat hobbit.

Gimli: Oh come on, we can take 'em.
Aragorn: It's a long way.
Gimli: Toss me.
Aragorn: What?
Gimli: I cannot jump the distance, you'll have to toss me.
[pauses, looks up at Aragorn]
Gimli: Don't tell the elf.
Aragorn: Not a word.

Gollum: We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious. They stole it from us. Sneaky little hobbitses. Wicked, tricksy, false!
Smeagol: No. Not master!
Gollum: Yes, precious, false! They will cheat you, hurt you, LIE.
Smeagol: Master is our friend!
Gollum: You don't have any friends; nobody likes you!
Smeagol: I'm not listening... I'm not listening...
Gollum: You're a liar and a thief.
Smeagol: No!
Gollum: *Murderer*.
Smeagol: Go away!
Gollum: "Go away?"
[Gollum laughs as Smeagol begins crying]
Smeagol: I hate you, I hate you.
Gollum: Where would you be without me, gollum, gollum? I saved us! It was me! We survived because of me!
Smeagol: [stops crying] Not anymore.
Gollum: What did you say?
Smeagol: Master looks after us now. We don't need you anymore.
Gollum: What?
Smeagol: Leave now, and never come back!
Gollum: No!
Smeagol: Leave now, and never come back!
[Gollum screams in frustration]
Smeagol: LEAVE! NOW! AND NEVER COME BACK!
[Gollum is silent]
Smeagol: [looks around] We told him to go away... and away he goes, Precious! Gone, gone, gone! Smeagol is free!

Gandalf: The fate of the world will now be decided.

Theoden: So it begins.

…and there are so many more!

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

Film Review: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)

Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: J.R.R. Tolkien (novel), Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson (screenplay)
Running time: 220 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): PG

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
UK Release date: 19^th December 2001

Watched on DVD Saturday 25^th August 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Although I have seen all of the Lord of the Rings films before, I had never read the books, and so recently I decided to read them. I then thought it might be fun to watch each film as I complete each part of the story. And so, having finished ‘The Fellowship’… and read the first hundred pages or so of ‘The Two Towers’ we come to the fist of Peter Jackson’s films. For the record I have to say that I watched the extended version, available on DVD and Blu Ray.

Frodo Baggins, nephew of Bilbo, has been left all of Bilbo’s possessions after Bilbo decided it was time for another adventure. For those that haven’t read ‘The Hobbit’ well I guess that won’t make much sense… fret not, they’re making a film (or three) of that as well. But I digress, amongst the things left to Frodo was a ring, a very powerful ring, in fact so powerful that the wizard Gandalf will not even touch it. This ring, it transpires, is the embodiment of evil; the remnants of the long-gone evil king, Sauron. With its finding comes trouble, for it has a will of its own and it wants to be reunited with its maker. Finding himself and all his people in danger, Frodo leaves The Shire with his friends Samwise ‘Sam’ Gamgee, Peregrin ‘Pippin’ Took and Meriadoc ‘Merry’ Brandybuck. After many adventures they make it to the Elves at Rivendell. Here it is decided that the ring must be destroyed; cast into the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor, a very dangerous task. Frodo volunteers to take the ring, along with Sam, Merry and Pippin representing the Hobbits. Gandalf also volunteers, along with Aragorn and Boromir for mankind, Gimli, son of Gloin (another ‘Hobbit’ reference there) for the Dwarves and Legolas Greenleaf for the Elves. These nine form the Fellowship of the Ring… and this is not even half the story.

The word ‘Epic’ seems insufficient to describe the scope of this production; it is truly mind-blowing. I also have to mention the original music by Howard Shore; a truly magical score that I will seek out just to listen to (it’s really that good). As far as performances go, well everybody did a great job but those that stood out (for me) were; Elijah Wood as Frodo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Sean Astin as Samwise ‘Sam’ Gamgee, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn and Sean Bean as Boromir. Also worthy of note were; Billy Boyd as Pippin, Dominic Monaghan as Merry, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, John Rhys-Davies as Gimli, Liv Tyler as Arwen, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Christopher Lee as Saruman, Ian Holm as Bilbo and not forgetting Andy Serkis as Gollum (more from him in the next two instalments).

This is the second time I have seen this cut of the movie and, although it is very long, I must say I have seldom enjoyed a film as much. I will not try to compare the book with the film; I’m sure there are many out there that could do a far more eloquent job than me. Needless to say, there are differences, and I can see the reasons for them. Just daring to bring such an epic tale to the screen would be enough for many, but to also do it justice is beyond imagining. Hats off to Mr. Jackson and all those involved; you did a tremendous job! I know it’s not to everyone’s taste and I really feel sorry for those that can’t appreciate the imagination and effort that goes into an undertaking like this. All this praise and I only give it a 9.4? Well, let’s say I’ve seen the other two films and I’m leaving a little room for improvement.

My score: 9.4/10
SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

IMDb Score: 8.8/10 (based on 592,380 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0120737/

MetaScore: 92/100: (Based on 34 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 92/100 (based on 209 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 92/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 1,219,515 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lord_of_the_rings_the_fellowship_of_the_ring/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Aragorn: Are you frightened?
Frodo: Yes.
Aragorn: Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you.

Aragorn: If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword...
Legolas: And you have my bow.
Gimli: And *my* axe.
Boromir: You carry the fate of us all, little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done.

Elrond: Nine companions. So be it. You shall be the fellowship of the ring.
Pippin: Great! Where are we going?

Gimli: Nobody tosses a dwarf.

Gandalf: You cannot pass! I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun! Go back to the shadow. You shall not pass!

Boromir: [holding the ring after Frodo has lost it] It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing.

Sam: I made a promise, Mr Frodo. A promise. "Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee." And I don't mean to. I don't mean to.

…and there are so many more!

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

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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: