Monday 28 October 2013

FILM: Dredd (7/10)

Why did I watch it?
I still have yet to see the original 1995 Stallone film Judge Dredd so I decided that I would make a point of seeing the remake.

What's it all about?
With a population of 800 million, violent metropolis Mega-City One is policed by so called Judges, with the authority to serve as judge, jury and executioner. Dredd (Karl Urban) takes his rookie partner (Olivia Thirlby) to investigate three murders in a 200-storey tower block under the control of local drug lord Ma-Ma (Lena Headey).










The Good:
  • I had some concerns after reading that Karl Urban never takes his judge's helmet off during the film but this actually worked. Credit to director Pete Travis for this decision and more so to Urban for being able to portray Dredd's emotions through voice and the lower half of his face.
  • Stripped down and action packed, maintains interest throughout
  • Great creation of Mega-City One
  • Visual effects - slow motion
  • Wood Harris - good to see Avon Barksdale get a decent role
  • Deranged Ma-Ma (Headey)
The Bad:
  • Very, very simple plot
  • Not much going on in the character department
Favourite line:
Obviously...'Ma-Ma is not the law, I am the law' - Dredd

Stand-out moment:
Ma-Ma busting out a couple of Gatling guns to destroy an entire level of the tower to flush Dredd out

Like the effects? Watch: Wanted
Like the story? Watch: Judge Dredd (1995)

What my wife would say: No thanks

What the world thinks:
Rotten Tomatoes - 78%
Metacritic - 59/100
LAMB Score - 3.34/5

Sunday 27 October 2013

BOOK: A Clash of Kings, George. R. R. Martin (7/10)

Why did I read it?
I own the A Song of Ice and Fire book boxset but rightly or wrongly my policy is to only read the book having watched the associated HBO Game of Thrones series. I had heard that elements of the second book A Clash of Kings were being split between the second and third season so having recently finished the third season it was time to return to George Martin's epics.   

What's it all about?
Civil war begins in Westeros as Renly Baratheon and his brother Stannis both refuse to recognise their nephew Joffrey as King of the Seven Kingdoms. Meanwhile Robb Stark is crowned King of the North and Baron Greyjoy declares himself King of the Iron Islands. Split between Winterfell, King's Landing and everywhere between, the Stark family is caught between the warring factions. Elsewhere, Jon Snow ventures North of the Wall to hunt wildlings and Daenerys tries to recruit support for her cause in Qarth.

  

The Good:
  • The depth of Martin's universe is staggering
  • Chapters told from the point of view of nine characters breaks the story down and keeps the plot compartmentalised
  • Theon's humbling return to the Iron Islands and foolish return to Winterfell
  • Tyrion's appointment as the Hand of the King 
The Bad:
  • Picky, but the sheer length of the book. 915 pages is a very long read to commit to and the level of detail can be confusing if not read regularly.
  • Daenerys' story often seems too detached from the majority of the book's events occurring simulatensously in Westeros
Favourite line:
'Only a fool humbles himself when the world is so full of men eager to do that job for him' - Theon

FILM: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (7/10)

Why did I watch it?
I'm no LOTR geek by any stretch, give me a gritty L.A. cop drama any day, but I watched, enjoyed and own blu-rays of Peter Jackson's epic Middle Earth trilogy and having never read The Hobbit I was more than prepared to sit through three more epic films to see what the fuss was all about.

What's it all about?
Ok here goes....sixty years before Frodo's journey to destroy the Ring, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is recruited by Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to join a group of dwarves, led by kingdom-less dwarf king Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), on their quest across to Middle Earth to Erebor the Lonely Mountain, the dwarves' former home, where Smaug the dragon resides. 






The Good:
  • Familiar return to Middle Earth with re-appearances from many of the original cast
  • Excellent lengthy prologue narrating a previously unknown history of the dwarves and creating the basis for film's story
  • As with all Peter Jackson films, An Unexpected Journey looks fantastic
  • Dwarves, elves, orcs and goblins
The Bad:
  • Similarities to the LOTR story are hard to ignore - a quest of unlikely heroes getting into trouble on a journey across Middle Earth while being chased by Orcs.
  • The film's protagonists, 13 dwarves, a hobbit and a wizard has much less diversity than the Fellowship and as such the character distinction for most of the group is minimal
  • No doubt about it, the film is slow. The arrival and introduction of the group at Bilbo's house was a bore.
  • I like Martin Freeman but after three hours his comedic fussy style and self-deprecation really began to wear me down. Still at least it wasn't three hours of Frodo and Sam.
Bearded Dwarf #1, Bilbo, Bearded Dwarf #2
Favourite line:
'These are Gundabad wargs. They will outrun you.' - Gandalf
'These are Rhosgobel rabbits, I'd like to see them try' - Radagast 

Stand-out moment:
Bilbo meeting Gollum and the Ring  

Like the film? Watch: Might be a crazy idea but maybe the original Lord Of The Rings trilogy?
Like the story? Read: Another unoriginal idea but The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien

What my wife would say: Which one is he again? When is Orlando Bloom in it?

What the world thinks:
Rotten Tomatoes - 65%
Metacritic - 58/100
LAMB Score - 3.66/5

FILM: Star Trek Into Darkness (8/10)

Why did I watch it?
I enjoyed J.J Abrams' 2009 reboot of the Star Trek brand and his sequel, and probably last Star Trek film in the director's chair due to being lured over to that other famous sci-fi franchise, was No. 4 on my Most Anticipated Films of 2013 list

What's it all about?
Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) leads his crew on an intergalactic man-hunt to the Klingon world to bring former Starfleet Commander John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) to justice after a devastating terrorist attack on Starfleet Command.

The Good:
  • Cumberbatch's standout performance as Harrison.
  • Great villain, light years (sorry) better than Eric Bana's Nero in Star Trek
  • Abrams' usual style and flare (not of the lens variety)
  • Surprisingly emotional bromance between Kirk and Spock
The Bad:
  • Plot loses it's way with all the twists to divert attention and ultimately reveal the film's true villain
  • Another movie villain gets caught on purpose. Please stop it. Least original plot device now.
  • Crew members outside of Kirk, Spock and maybe Bones, underwritten for and their scenes feel of a token nature 
Remember when prison cells were just small rooms with bars and locks?
Favourite line:
'Are you giving me attitude Spock?' - Kirk 
'I am expressing multiple attitudes simultaneously. To which are you referring?' - Spock

Stand-out moment:
Alicia Eve in her undies, just kidding....Kirk's selfless trip into the reactor as the Enterprise plummets

Like the film? Watch: Star Trek, the 2009 reboot or the original TV shows
Like the director? Watch: Abrams in space again, watch out for the next Star Wars film (2015)

What my wife would say: Geek

What the world thinks:
Rotten Tomatoes - 87%
Metacritic - 72/100
LAMB Score - 3.6/5
Twitter - 'J.J. Abrams delivers the goods once again'

Wednesday 23 October 2013

FILM: The Man With The Iron Fists (6/10)

Why did I watch it?
I'm a pretty big fan of the Wu-Tang Clan and therefore a bit of a RZA acolyte so I was pretty keen to see his directorial debut.

What's it all about?
In Feudal China rival clans plot to steal the Emperor's gold as it passes through Jungle Village. Caught in the middle of the war between the clans and the Emperor's escort is the village's blacksmith (RZA), brothel madam Madam Blossom (Lucy Liu), the blacksmith's lover Lady Silk (Jamie Chung) and mysterious stranger Jack Knife (Russell Crowe). After suffering at the hands of the Lion clan the blacksmith forges ultimate weapons of his own and joins the fight.












The Good:
  • The likes of Crowe and Liu have fun with their roles, Crowe in particular as Jack Knife
  • Some good choreography and wire work, I'm thinking of the Gemini twins, the Black Widows and The X-Blade fights.
  • Fun mix of characters, eccentric Brit Jack Knife and the brass version of Fantastic Four's The Thing

The Bad:
  • It pains me to say this but the RZA was perhaps a little too self-involved as director, main cast member and narrator. His narration and acting were both very monotone and uninspiring, particularly as the titular role.
  • Heavy editing (original cut was four hours long and the final edit was 96 minutes!) results in congested character introduction throughout
Favourite line:
''I always bring my gun to a knife fight'' - Jack Knife

Stand-out moment:
Madam Blossom's orchestrated attack on the Lions by the Black Widows 

Like the film? Watch: Kill Bill, 13 Assassins
Like the soundtrack? Watch: Kill Bill, Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai
Like the director? Watch: Can't help you here, TMWTIF was RZA's directorial debut

What my wife would say: Who is the RZA?

What the world thinks:
Rotten Tomatoes - 49%
Metacritic - 51/100
LAMB Score - 2.5/5
Twitter - 'uneven', 'messy', 'fun'

Saturday 12 October 2013

TV: Ray Donovan (S1) (9/10)

Why did I watch it?
Purely based on the intriguing trailers and admittedly more on the 'fixer' to the stars angle that the show was marketed under.

What's it all about?
Working as a shady 'fixer' for a L.A. law firm representing Hollywood's finest, things have been good for Ray Donovan (Liev Schreiber) after he and his brothers, Terry (Eddie Marsan) and Bunchy (Dash Mihok), left Boston and a scarred past behind them to move out West. Unfortunately for Ray, things all change when his estranged father Mickey (Jon Voight), the source of much of the family's drama, is released early from prison and heads to L.A bringing the FBI in tow. 

Should you watch it?
Ray Donovan is definitely my favourite new show of 2013. Combining Hollywood and the less privileged areas of L.A. alike with a fantastic cast and taking more than a passing inspiration from Tony Soprano's family problems the show ratchets up the drama throughout the twelve episodes and delivers a gripping second half to it's first season.

Boasting the likes of Schreiber, Voight, James Woods and Elliott Gould, the acting is first class. Special mentions for Eddie Marsan, excellent as Terry, the boxing trainer suffering from Parkinsons and Jon Voight, who must be in contention for an award for his portrayal of equally crazed and happy go lucky Donovan patriarch Mickey. Voight attacks the role with relish and doesn't look anything close to his seventy-four years of age as he asks a woman he chats up at a spa 'Do you know how to twerk?'.  

After the second episode it became apparent that the show was going down the family drama path relying on Ray's fixer career as a background narrative and I was unsure about this but the characters on offer are so strong that the show definitely benefits from being a character driven drama and ultimately excels at this.

FILM: Bullitt (8/10)

Why did I watch it?
Always wanted to see 'the' car chase in this film and going to San Francisco recently gave me more of an excuse to check out Steve McQueen tearing up the hilly streets.

What's it all about?
Famously set in San Francisco, Steve McQueen stars as Frank Bullitt, a SFPD Lieutenant charged by self-serving politician (Robert Vaughn) to protect a Chicago mob informant for three days before delivering him to give evidence. After the mob track down the safehouse Bullitt decides to turn the tables and go after them.

Should you watch it?
More than just the famous car chase, which obviously stands out as it's centrepiece and still looks great, Bullitt is a well-paced cop thriller that I enjoyed watching throughout. Director Peter Yates had plenty to work with with old hands Steve McQueen and Robert Vaughn heading the cast. The scenes with the two at odds over Bullitt's approach are great to watch, more so with Bullitt's uncompromising attitude to being told what to do by some suit.


Slightly cooler than Herbie
The film's twist, if you can call it that, seemed to be unnecessarily contrived and following the car chase the story seemed to lose the tautness it had beforehand and definitely stutters at this point, not because of the chase but due to the revelation relating to the mob defectors true identity. Thankfully it regains it's momentum once Bullitt races to the airport in time for the film's climax. 



FILM: Premium Rush (5/10)

Why did I watch it?
Nothing specific here really. Wasn't fussed in seeing this at the cinema or on DVD but when it was on TV I thought I would check it out. Fact - director David Koepp is the fifth most successful screenwriter of all time in terms of domestic box office receipts, according to Wikipedia.

What's it all about?
Thrillseeking New York bike messenger Wilee (Joseph Gordon Levitt) is the man at the centre of the action when he collects a delivery that a desperate and corrupt cop (Michael Shannon) is willing to chase him all across NY to get his hands on. 

Should you watch it?
Premium Rush wants to play out like a modern day Speed, cat and mouse adrenaline fuelled chase with no brakes. Literally in the case of the protagonist Wilee's fixed speed bike, which deserved it's own credit considering the number of references to it. Unfortunately, Rush combines a basic premise, strengthened by a non-linear timeline, padded out with a contrived plot about Chinese nationals with what in places is an awful script, full of cheesy clichés. Clichéd adrenaline junkies spouting lines such as 'brakes are death' or 'this is the most fun I've had with my clothes on' really didn't help me to relate to any of the main characters. Koepp breaks up the action with graphics of the riders locations, displays of timers counting down as well as pausing time to allow the riders to consider and play out the options open to them when their most obvious route is blocked. These devices are effective but can't save the film from it's weaknesses. 

Michael Shannon is one of my favourite actors but here his bug-eyed expression combines with the bad lines resulting in a really cartoon villain. Shannon chews the scenery hard to make up the material but the result is only unintended amusement for the audience. Despite this Shannon is still watchable as always.

Thursday 10 October 2013

TV: The Americans (S1) (7/10)

Why did I watch it?
I caught on to the success of this over the pond and decided to give it a go. Also, Justified creator Graham Yost is attached as showrunner, and the bloke knows his stuff.

What's it all about?
Living in Washington at the height of the Cold War, Elizabeth and Phillip are KGB agents posing as the perfect American married couple tasked with gathering intelligence. Things become complicated for the spies when Stan Beerman, an FBI Counter-Intelligence agent, moves in next door.

Should you watch it?
Another brief review here........
Matthew Rhys was tipped by some to earn an Emmy nomination for his role as Soviet spy Phillip Jennings and although he ultimately missed out on making the list, for my money he can't have been too far away. As half of the undercover couple, his performances throughout the debut season, in all manner of dodgy 80's wigs, certainly deserve some credit. I found Keri Russell to be trying to hard in her portrayal of the more resolute and dogged Elizabeth.

As far as the story goes the show starts strongly, 
driven by the stronger episodes, 'Pilot' and 'Gregory' but loses its momentum towards the end when the agent double-crossing becomes a little benign before an excellent finale 'The Colonel' closes the season on a high note.

FILM: Blue Valentine (7/10)

Why did I watch it?
Blue Valentine has been on my radar for a while after seeing lots of positive reviews for the film. I enjoyed the style of director Derek Cianfrance's next effort The Place Beyond the Pines and as luck would have it Blue Valentine appeared on TV shortly afterwards.

What's it all about?
Blue Valentine tells the story of Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) and is told across two spells in their relationship, the initial courtship with the pair full of passion for each other and the present day several years later as their marriage finally falls apart.

Should you watch it?
I watched this a long time ago so I'm going to keep this review short and sharp. 

Not a film for Valentine's Day
There's no denying that watching Blue Valentine, a film that tells the story of the complete breakdown of a couple's marriage is not an easy watch (especially for someone just married!) and is certainly an intense, claustrophobic experience, as the audience never really gets a break from the two characters but honestly I was slightly disappointed that the film didn't turn out to be quite the emotional heart-breaker I was expecting. Perhaps in anticipation I had turned my heart to it's complete stone setting. That's not to take anything away from the film's leads who gave brilliantly sincere and convincing performances as the troubled couple. Special comment for the 'Future Room' which with it's tacky futuristic decor and lighting must have been director Derek Cianfrance's ideal shooting location!