Film Review: CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE (2011)

Directors: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa
Writer: Dan Fogelman
Running time: 110 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
UK Release date: 23^rd September 2011

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 11^th November 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Every now and then you have to let a little romance into your life; I know this can be hard for some, but believe me, it’s really worth getting in touch with your mushy side every now and then. As a bit of an old romantic at heart I have no problem with the occasional rom-com; so long as it’s a good one (not overly schmaltzy, that kind of thing). Having heard some good reports on this one I decided to give it a look when it came up in the TV listings recently… Here are my thoughts.

I actually found it quite engaging eventually; it was a little hard to get into at first but when the narrative began to settle down I could see a structure there that had potential. Brief summary: When Emily Weaver (Julianne Moore) announces to her husband Cal (Steve Carell) that she wants a divorce, his world collapses around him. She had slept with another man, David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon) and Cal finds that hard to take since they had been together since high school. He takes to going to bars to drown his sorrows and is taken under the wing of Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) who shows him how to dress, behave and (most importantly) how to pick up women. At this he is quite successful (eventually) but he feels there is still something missing. Meanwhile there are a couple of other sub-plots going on. One involves Cal’s son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo), who has become infatuated with his babysitter, Jessica (Analeigh Tipton). She, meanwhile is holding a torch for Cal… With me so far?... Also, there is law student, Hannah (Emma Stone) who Jacob had been unsuccessful in picking up when we first meet him (I can’t really say any more about her without giving too much away, so here I’ll stop). All these threads eventually tie together in what (at times) appears like a French farce, but which does ultimately have a very valid point.

All the performances were very good with Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Julianne Moore taking centre stage. I thought Kevin Bacon was slightly underused, and more could have been made of Emma Stone’s character. Over all, it’s pretty well made but the narrative does tend to wander in places. An endearing film that does have quite a strong message about love and about soul mates. I freely admit this old romantic found it quite relatable.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.5/10

IMDb Score: 7.5/10 (based on 158,600 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1570728/

MetaScore: 68/100: (Based on 40 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 78/100 (based on 199 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 80/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 76,762 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/771203531/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Jacob: I'm going to help you rediscover your manhood. Do you have any idea where you could have lost it?

Jacob: The skin under your eyes is starting to look like Hugh Hefner's ball sack.
Cal: [Carefully looks at himself on mirror and sighs... ] Yes, it is.

Jacob: I'm wildly unhappy, and I'm trying to buy it, and it's not working.

Robbie: You wanna talk about The Scarlet Letter, Ms. Tafferty? All right. Well, the A they're both wearing - I think it stands for "asshole." Wanna know why? Because they fell in love and love is for stupid assholes. And this book is just about a bunch of assholes who fell in love, like assholes, then had to die, like assholes. I'm sorry about all the "assholes."

Liz: Your life is so PG-13.

Hannah: Will you take off your shirt... fuck! Seriously? It's like you're Photoshopped!

Cal: Are you pointing at me?
Robbie: You're pointing at him?
Emily: She's pointing at him? OH!

Cal: I have loved her even when I hated her... only married couples'll understand that one...

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

Film Review: SUPER (2010)

Writer/Director: James Gunn
Running time: 92 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Action/Comedy/Drama
UK Release date: 8^th July 2011 (Limited)

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 2^nd September 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is another of those films that came up in an online conversation; this time I believe we were discussing ‘Kick-Ass’. I wasn’t too sure about it at first, but as it went on it kind of grew on me. It’s one that has had a bit of a mixed response both among the critics and the public alike. I didn’t think it was all that bad; much stronger violence that ‘Kick-Ass’ which does give it an edge, but I’m not here to do a comparison. Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

Frank Darrbo is a bit of a loser and after his wife, Sarah, leaves him for a low-life drug dealer called Jacques, he flips out. Realising he wasn’t strong enough to get Sarah back on his own, he looks for a way. Believing he has heard a message from God, he re-invents himself as ‘The Crimson Bolt’; a super-hero crime fighter. Realising he has no powers he goes to a comic-book store and here he meets Libby; she helps him in his research. Eventually he’s out there fighting crime with his trusty pipe-wrench. This, of course, comes to the notice of the police and it is subsequently reported on TV. Having followed Sarah, Frank discovers where she is living and makes an attempt to rescue her. He fails and is shot while trying to escape; he can now only turn to Libby. She is thrilled and allows him to stay with her while he recovers and it is here that ‘The Crimson Bolt’ acquires a side-kick, ‘Boltie’. Can this crime-fighting duo go into the evil lair and rescue Sarah from the clutches to Jacques? Well, you probably guess I’m not going to tell you here… I’ve already said too much.

Well made with some nice incidental music; a collection of songs mostly, but nicely chosen. All the performances were very good; Rainn Wilson was excellent as Frank Darrbo/The Crimson Bolt; as was Ellen Page as Libby/Boltie. I felt that both Liv Tyler as Sarah and Kevin Bacon as Jacques were woefully underused. Honourable mentions go to; Gregg Henry as Detective John Felkner, Michael Rooker as Abe and Michael Rooker as Hamilton. Oh, and look out for Nathan Fillion as The Holy Avenger.

For me, the star of the show was Ellen Page; she brought such enthusiasm to the role and I have to say, she was also pretty funny. To be honest, given the quality of the rest of the cast I ended up a little disappointed, I expected more somehow. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a good movie with some great moments and some nicely done effects; it just seemed to be lacking. I did like that the violence was quite brutal and it wasn’t depicted as glamorous in any way. In fact, the consequences of it were plain to see. I didn’t much care for the ending; it all got a little too schmaltzy for me. Even so, a decent movie; but most definitely NOT one for the kids.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED.

My score: 7.1/10

IMDb Score: 6.8/10 (based on 32,290 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1512235/

MetaScore: 50/100: (Based on 26 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 47/100 (based on 112 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 56/100 (based on 18,516 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/super-2010/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE
Sarah Helgeland: What are those?
Frank Darrbo: I'll wake up and see these first thing every morning. My perfect moments. They can inform my day. Set me in the right direction.
Sarah Helgeland: The hands are a little big, don't you think sweetheart?

Jacques: Alright, pal. Haven't I been nice to you? I mean I've been nice, right? I complimented your cooking. You don't know who I am, so I'm gonna give you one last warning. Out of the fucking kindness of my fucking heart don't
[shouting]
Jacques: fucking touch my car again.

Libby: Batman had Robin. The original Human Torch had Toro. The Flash had Kid Flash. I could be your kid sidekick!

Frank Darrbo: Maybe you need to be bored sometimes.
Libby: You don't see them bored in comic books.
Frank Darrbo: That's what happens in between the panels.
Libby: Wow, in between the panels! Is that where we are right now?
Libby: We could do anything here.

Frank Darrbo: [Repeated line] Shut up, crime!

Frank Darrbo: You don't butt in line! You don't sell drugs! You don't molest little children! You don't profit off the misery of others! The rules were set a long time ago! They don't change!

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

Film Review: X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (2011) - Revisited

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Writers (screenplay): Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn
Writers (story): Sheldon Turner, Bryan Singer
Running Time: 127 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama
UK Release Date: 1^st June 2011

Watched on Sky+ Friday 29^th June 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I saw this film on the first day of release just over a year ago and was keen to see it it was still as good when it aired on TV for the first time this week. What follows is basically the review I wrote then with a few alterations and additions. A really enjoyable film with quite a complicated plot but I found that despite a running time of over two hours it really flew by! Testament to the writers, actors, director and everyone else involved, it’s a big thumbs up from me. Here’s a brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

We are told the story of how Charles Xavier founded his school for mutants in 1963. How he and his best friend, Erik Lehnsherr, later to be known as Magneto, had differing visions for the future for mutants. The stories of Hank McCoy (Beast) and Raven (Mystique), amongst others, are also told, particularly how Raven grew up with Charles but ultimately couldn’t see his vision. The narrative is set against the Cuban Missile Crisis, which, for the purposes of this story, is manipulated by one Sebastian Shaw, who has his own reasons for wanting to start a nuclear war. Shaw also has a very strong significance to Erik but I’m not going to tell you about that here (no spoilers here).

A really well made film with, at its’ heart a really enthralling, well thought-out storyline. Great performances all round, particularly from; James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto, Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw, Rose Byrne as CIA agent Moira MacTaggert, Jennifer Lawrence as Raven / Mystique and Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy / Beast.

As we have come to expect from these films, the special effects are of the highest quality. Fortunately this does not distract from the excellent plot that gives so much more depth to the main characters. There is a fair amount of humour as well, look out for a very brief appearance from Wolverine (very funny). Over all, an exceedingly well made film that I hope becomes a big hit. It’s intelligent without ever talking down to the audience and I really enjoyed it. I would be happy to see it again and it’s still pencilled in to be added to by DVD collection… Recommended.

My Score 8.2/10

IMDb Score: 7.8/10 (based on 195,866 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1270798/

MetaScore: 65/100: (Based on 38 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 87/100 (based on 239 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 88/100 ‘Liked It’ (based on 115,264 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_first_class/

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

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Professor Charles Xavier: Ready for this?
Erik Lehnsherr: Let's find out!

[about the Class going into action]
Professor Charles Xavier: They're just kids...
Erik Lehnsherr: No, they WERE kids. Shaw has his army, we need ours.

1st German: Who... What are you?
Erik Lehnsherr: Let's just say I'm Frankenstein's monster. And I'm looking for my creator.

Sean Cassidy: You truly believe I'll fly this time?
Professor Charles Xavier: Unreservedly.
Sean Cassidy: I trust you.
Professor Charles Xavier: I'm touched.
Sean Cassidy: [pointing at Hank] I don't trust him.
Professor Charles Xavier: [to Hank] Say nothing.
Sean Cassidy: I'm gonna die!
Professor Charles Xavier: Alright. Look, we're not gonna make you do anything without...
Erik Lehnsherr: Here, let me help you.
[pushes Sean off the antenna]
Professor Charles Xavier: Erik!
Erik Lehnsherr: What? You know you were thinking the same.

Raven Darkholme: We have to call him, Havok. That's his name now. And we were thinking...
[points to Charles]
Raven Darkholme: ...you should be Professor X...
[points to Erik]
Raven Darkholme: ...and you should be Magneto.
Erik Lehnsherr: Exceptional.

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer:

Film Review: X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (2011)

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Running Time: 132 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama
UK Release Date: 1st June 2011

Watched at the Cinema Wednesday 1st June 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

It isn’t often I get to see a film on the first day of release, but due to a timely week off work I was able to make it to the first screening at my local cinema. There was no need to rush, the other eight people there were well spread out and I had an entire row (or six) to myself! I guess I should talk about the film… that’s why you’re reading this after all. Really enjoyable with quite a complicated plot but I found that despite a running time of over two hours it really flew by! Testament to the writers, actors, director and everyone else involved, it’s a big thumbs up from me.

We are told the story of how Charles Xavier founded his school for mutants in 1963. How he and his best friend, Erik Lehnsherr, later to be known as Magneto, had differing visions for the future for mutants. The stories of Hank McCoy (Beast) and Raven (Mystique), amongst others, are also told, particularly how Raven grew up with Charles but ultimately couldn’t see his vision. The narrative is set against the Cuban Missile Crisis, which, for the purposes of this story, is manipulated by one Sebastian Shaw, who has his own reasons for wanting to start a nuclear war. Shaw also has a very strong significance to Erik but I’m not going to tell you about that here (no spoilers here).

Great performances all round, particularly from; James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto, Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw, Rose Byrne as CIA agent Moira MacTaggert, Jennifer Lawrence as Raven / Mystique and Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy / Beast.

As we have come to expect from these films, the special effects are of the highest quality. Fortunately this does not distract from the excellent plot that gives so much more depth to the main characters. There is a fair amount of humour as well, look out for a very brief appearance from Wolverine (very funny). Over all, an exceedingly well made film that I hope becomes a big hit. It’s intelligent without ever talking down to the audience and I really enjoyed it. I would be happy to see it again and it’s already pencilled in to be added to by DVD collection… Recommended.

My Score 8.5/10

LINKS:
(RT = Rotten Tomatoes)
IMDb Page: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1270798/
RT Page: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_first_class/
Official Site: http://www.x-menfirstclassmovie.com/
Trailer: