Film Review: FROM PARIS WITH LOVE (2010)

Director: Pierre Morel
Running Time: 89 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Action/Thriller
UK Release Date: 26^th February 2010

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 2^nd April 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Based on a story by Luc Besson, this is an action thriller set in modern-day Paris. What, at first, seems to be a run-of-the-mill shoot-‘em-up does improve towards the end, but it’s still no masterpiece. A plot involving the U.S. Embassy, the C.I.A., drug dealers and terrorists twists and turns it’s way through the streets of Paris at a break-neck speed, only pausing every now and then for you to catch your breath. Here’s a brief summary before I give you may thoughts (summary haters, and those that don’t wish to know about the plot, please check the room for bugs while I write the next paragraph).

James Reece is the personal assistant to Ambassador Bennington in the U.S. Embassy, not surprisingly, in Paris (France). He has a girlfriend, Caroline, who he lives with, and he does the odd job for the C.I.A.; swapping number plates, planting bugs… etc. Having just got engaged, he receives a call from his C.I.A. contact telling him that if he has a job, and a new partner. Reece is keen to move up in the organisation and so is pleased to get this chance. He picks up his new partner, a very brash agent called Charlie Wax, at the airport and they immediately set to work. Following a trail starting at a Chinese restaurant supplying drugs and ending with a terrorist cell, the body count mounts up quickly as Wax gets to work. Reece, a very intelligent man, sometimes finds it hard to keep up, but eventually finds a way when events turn on those close to him. I’ll leave it there so as not to offend the Spoiler Police too much.

This is a pretty well made film with some nice cinematography and some decent stunt work. The action sequences are all very well done, although there isn’t really anything we haven’t seen before here. Decent performances all round, particularly from; John Travolta as Charlie Wax, Jonathan Rhys Meyers as James Reece and Kasia Smutniak as Caroline.

Although it won’t live long in the memory, I did find this film quite entertaining. It starts off like an 80’s action blockbuster and continues in that vein for quite a while. The plot, although it twists and turns quite a bit, is a tad predictable which doesn’t really add to the enjoyment. It’s not until the final scenes that we see some more intelligent dialogue and a slightly less predictable twist. If you can switch you brain off for 90 minutes and like to watch Travolta blow the bad guys away with gusto, then this is the film for you. Personally, with a hang over on a Saturday morning, waiting in for the meter reader, it was perfect! Recommended.

MY SCORE: 5.7/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1179034/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/from_paris_with_love/
Official Site: http://www.frompariswithlovefilm.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1726415897/

Film Review: BOLT (2008)

Directors: Byron Howard and Chris Williams
Running time: 96 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): PG

UK release date: 6th February 2009

Watched on Sky+ Monday 30th August 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I wasn’t sure I would like this one when I saw it on the TV schedule. I seem to remember it not doing all that well at the box-office when it was released. I shouldn’t have worried; it has all the best bits that go into a Disney animation plus a heart-warming story to boot! But more of that later, here’s a bit about the plot first.

Bolt is a dog, not just an ordinary dog, he’s a dog with superpowers! Penny, his human, and her father put him in a device that enabled him to run like the wind, be as stronger than a speeding truck, jump further than anyone, gave him laser vision and a super-bark that will destroy anything in its path. Each day, he saves Penny and they go back to the safety of his trailer, but one day she is taken by the evil Dr. Calico and Bolt is left alone in the trailer. Determined to find Penny he escapes into the real world, a world where his powers no longer work. He finds a cat, Mittens who, he believes, knows the whereabouts of Dr. Calico’s lair. She eventually tells him it is in Hollywood, a long way from their current location, New York. And so, taking Mittens with him as insurance, Bolt begins a journey that will change his life. On the way they bump into his number-one fan, a hamster called Rhino. But that’s all I’m going to say about the plot, don’t want to give too much away now.

A really well animated film, in the Pixar style as I like to call it. Some great gags and some really engaging characters combine to make this an enjoyable experience. Good performances all round, so honourable mentions go to; John Travolta as Bolt, Smiley Virus (ok, Miley Cyrus) as Penny, Susie Essman as Mittens, Mark Walton as Rhino and Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Calico.

Over all a really enjoyable movie with some great characters and some really good sight gags and one-liners. I wasn’t so sure about the music but then I’m not a big country music fan. It was also nice to see dog and a cat getting on together in a Disney film for a change! It does happen in real life you know! (ok, minor rant over). So, enjoyable, engaging, heart-warming, funny, exciting and recommended.

My score: 7.7/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0397892/
Official Site: http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/bolt.html
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi3253338393/

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/