It began with 'Batman Begins'. Continued with 'The Dark Knight'. Now Christopher Nolan being his epic superhero film to an end.
There have been very few film trilogies in history where all three films in the series are so highly regarded. There is usually one film that is not so great. But Christopher Nolan has managed to make a perfect film trilogy. All three films in this series are a work of cinematic brilliance. It was a long held belief that films with comic book heroes could not be taken seriously. Chris has managed to elevate them to a higher level where they can be seen as great crime dramas that just happen to feature a man who dresses up in a bat costume. Chris certainly raised the bar for others who will follow him.
'The Dark Knight Rises' continues the brilliance that was established in the previous two films. Christopher Nolan has brought the epic trilogy to a close with a film that has so much going on. I will need several viewings to fully appreciate its majesty. Chris and his writing team have infused the film with themes and issues which hold so much relevance to us a society today. They were never content in making a film where a good guy just fights a bad guy. There is many different layers to the story and you can read so much into what is going on. The writers have drawn on many different plot elements to bring this story to live. As well as referencing some classic pieces of literature and history. Proving that history does repeat itself. More so than 'The Dark Knight', this film does rely on you having seen the previous film but you should not let you get put off seeing it. It also references elements from 'Batman Begins' so that it really feels like the story has come full circle. Chris also knows how to stage great action sequences and this film is no exception. I think there is a little less of it here than in previous films but you don't feel any worse off. If I had one minor observation it would be in the character of Bane. The Joker was such an iconic villain so anyone who followed him would have a tough time. The Joker is a very grand theatrical villain and he is not restrained by a mask which covers most of his face. Bane is not a bad character and while he suits the plot, you just want more.
Christian Bale is such an amazing actor and once again brings his brilliance to the role of Bruce Wayne and Batman. There is not only the duality of his character but all the elements he has to endure. Michael Caine I thought was particularly great this time around. He brings some sweetness and emotion to Alfred. Morgan Freeman once again gives a nicely distinguished performance. Gary Oldman proves how diverse he can be and is able to display the conflict his character is feeling. I don't know what it is about Anne Hathaway but she just keeps getting better with each role she takes. She is able to bring her own unique take on a character who has been played by many different actresses in the past. The way she can change her characters emotions so quickly is something to behold. Marion Cotillard does a marvelous job with a character who has many different sides. Tom Hardy is excellent as Bane but as mentioned above he is rather restrained in being able to emote. He is really just a creepy voice, but he plays that very well. I was also impressed with Matthew Modine and was pleasantly surprised to see Aussie actor Ben Mendelsohn playing a key role. My favourite performer though was Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I have followed Joseph since he first came to prominence in the TV series '3rd Rock From The Sun'. He is great in every film he does. But here he surpassed himself and manages to make his character that little bit better.
A fitting conclusion to a work of cinematic brilliance. I pity anyone who tries to re-boot Batman in preparation for the inevitable Justice League movie.
The 'Ice Age' franchise continues with this latest effort. Manny, Diego and Sid seem to be getting closer to the end of the Ice Age.
The 'Ice Age' movies are another one of those series which I have had a mixed reaction to. I thought the first film was brilliant and I love it. The second film was a huge disappointment and I don't think much of it. The third film was a bigger improvement and while not as great as the first film was still enjoyable. This film is much the same. I read that the film makers wanted to go back to the first film and create a story was like that with the 3 boys on their own. That was a good idea and the pirate plot is really good. I found it interesting that they are trying to marry off their characters with Diego now getting a girlfriend. The problem with having the 3 guys go off on their own adventure means Ellie and Peaches get left behind and so rather than leave them out the makers have given them a sub plot. Sadly it was a very poor one. Peaches is now a teenager so she has to go through that typical teen story of trying to fit in with cool kids. It was really boring. I was also a bit disappointed with Scrat's scenes. I liked his plot f using a map to find buried treasure but I did not find it very funny.
The central voice cast of Ray Romano, Denis Leary and John Leguizamo work really well together and so have a great rapor. The new cast is very good. Jennifer Lopez plays it nice and sweet. Nick Frost was very funny. Wanda Sykes plays a good elderly person. It was also nice to hear Rebel Wilson in there. The best one though is Peter Dinklage as the pirate captain. He was excellent and a real highlight in the film.
Enjoyable for fans of the series and followed these characters through all their films. New comers may not be all that impressed. It would be nice to finish the series here but I know they won't. Sid still needs a girlfriend.
Writer Alex Kutzman has made a career being the writer of some very high profile action films like 'Star Trek'. Now he has become the director of an action less comedy/drama.
In movies when a parent dies it is always the start of some huge revelation of a secret the parent was keeping. In this case a son finds out his dad fathered another child. The whole secret keeping thing is then passed on as the son in this film, Sam decides to not reveal his relationship to his recently discovered half-sister. I understand that if he was to tell her the truth then the film would only be half an hour long. But it is one of those annoying things with films like this when a character has a big secret, you know where it is going. You also get that niggling thought of why does he/she not just tell the truth and get it over with. Does the reason the person not reveal their secret a legitimate excuse? In this film you can understand why Sam doesn't tell Frankie about who he really is and that is a fairly sweet reason. Which is how I feel about the film over all. It is fairly sweet and enjoyable. There is nothing terribly great about it but it does have a nice emotional core which gives you a good feeling.
Chris Pine too has been making a career with action oriented films. So it is nice to see him in a story thats a bit more low key. He is an excellent actor and handles the more emotional moments of the film really well. Elizabeth Banks is also excellent at being able to go from comedy to drama so well. She is able to move from drama to comedy in this film real easily. Michelle Pfeiffer brings some dignity and gravitas to the film. Young Michael Hall D'Addario is a good actor but he does stay into the territory of being a little bit smarter than a normal kid that age is.
While the premise of keeping the secret can be a bit annoying this is still a nicely sweet emotional film about a family.
Drugs are something that have become very ingrained into our society. Hollywood has made many films about drug dealers, now it is Oliver Stone's turn.
It seems Oliver Stone has taken a step back from making more politically motivated films and instead directing films which are more interested in entertaining than informing. That is not a bad thing. The basic plot of 'Savages' is fairly routine. In experienced drug dealers become so popular that they attract the interest of more hardcore drug dealers from south of the border. The film is made up of really interesting characters. It also has a very fascinating 3-way relationship. I found the dynamic of Chon, O and Ben is one which you could read a lot into. I may have read into it more than you might expect and perhaps saw something which was not there. Just my dirty thoughts I suppose. Nothing new is presented about the whole drug industry and how it is run. It does reinforce the notion that there is no significant way we can stop drugs from being imported into the USA or even Australia. It is human nature to become addicted to something that makes you feel good. So regardless of the side effects people will always want it. Drug cartels know this and they make huge amounts of money off this addiction, so why would they want it stopped. It also helps that they can bribe law enforcement agents so the authorities don't do anything. Oliver has made a very entertaining film about a familiar subject. I thought it was a refreshing change that a woman was in charge of the drug cartel. I also liked the ending which lets you decide how you want things to turn out.
Finally Taylor Kitsch has made a film which gives him something more substantial to work with. Aaron Johnson seems to be getting better with each film he makes and is radically different in each film. They play two very different characters here and it plays out like two sides of the same coin. Which is perhaps why Blake Lively's character of O falls in love with them both. She can experience both a guy which is sensitive and one which is more manly. Blake is quite good and is certainly growing as an actress. The trio is surrounded by an excellent trio of more experienced actors. John Travolta provides most of the films humour and it is his best performance in a long time. Benicio Del Toro is brilliantly menacing as a drug henchman. His erratic behaviour means you are always on edge each time he comes on screen. The best performance though is Salma Hayek. She has the cool calm nastiness which makes her a great villain. But she also has a sensitive side which leads to her downfall. Salma manages to play both sides of this character so well. I think she could earn some awards nominations at then end of the year.
While it does not tread new territory in the world of drug dealers it does make a great piece of entertainment. It also has some excellent performances.
Superhero franchises have become so popular that film studios become nervous when they come to an end or it looses its financial viability. So they reboot and start all over again.
A couple of years ago I saw a brilliant romantic comedy called '(500) Days Of Summer'. It was an excellent story with a fresh perspective on the romantic comedy genre. It also hit me on a personal level having experienced similar relationships. I think director Marc Webb did an excellent job. However I do not think he was the right choice to direct a reboot of the 'Spider-man' franchise. The first 'Spider-man' film was released in 10 years ago, so for me it is still fresh in my mind. 'The Amazing Spider-Man' is only Marc Webb's second film so he does not have enough experience to make a fresh looking film. This film was almost identical to 'Spider-Man' in look and story. While the film does need to adhere to the plot and story set out in the comic book I think this film needed a much more experienced film maker or one that could have done something more radically different. I like to use the example of Christopher Nolan and what he did with Batman. Chris was able to create a new and fresh version of Batman that was different to the Tim Burton and Joel Schumarcher films that had come before it. There was one moment in 'The Amazing Spider-Man' which was so similar to 'Spider-Man which made me loose my faith that this new version would be interesting. I know young people have short attention span so perhaps the thinking was that young people would not be too familiar with the Sam Raimi trilogy and so this new version would seem new. But for someone like me who has a stronger memory I would have preferred if Marc and his writers could have come up with something that was more different. If I was to forget the Sam Raimi trilogy then this new film is quite good. I would have preferred more action as Peter does not become Spider-Man until well into the film. I would not have minded if the story was strong enough to support the long wait (like it was in 'Batman Begins). I did like the action scenes and thought the use of 3D helped make Spider-Man's flying scenes more real.
Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are both excellent actors and I have admired their performances. But I think they were miscast in this film. My problem being that I think they look and feel too old. I know Hollywood likes to cast actors in their 20's to play teenagers but for me it does not work here. Largely because Andrew and Emma have made films where they move away from playing teenagers and so to go back to that for me seems a step back. Rhys Ifans is another actor I admire but I don't think he has anything interesting to work with here. He felt like a fairly conventional bad guy and was almost like Norman Osborn in 'Spider-Man'. I did like Martin Sheen, Sally Field and Dennis Leary. They were all able to make their characters more interesting and distinctive.
I will admit that 'Spider-Man 3' was a bit disappointing but not as disappointing as this film was. A group of film makers who I greatly admire did not have the strength to make something that was unique and distinctive.
On each of my trips to the USA I have seen a film which will not reach Aussie cinemas and instead go straight to DVD/Blu-ray. This is one such film.
Tyler Perry is not a name that would be familiar in Australia. However he is one of the most popular film makers in the USA. Over the past few years he has built up a successful career with many films and television series. Most of them feature the character Madea, an outspoken woman who is played by Tyler. His films are aimed mostly at an African American audience which is why his films have not had a cinematic release in Australia.
Madea is a rather cleverly realised comedic character. She is like an African American version of Dame Edna. Tyler has created a film that lets the culture of Madea clash with that of a wealthy white family. This situation does provide many funny comedic moments and the film is pleasantly amusing. I got a few giggles out of it but no huge laughs. The jokes are not terribly clever and mostly derive from Madea's outrage at how obnoxious the white children are. But I think anyone regardless of race would react in the way Madea does. There is a bit of racial humour with an older woman with Alzheimer's, which could be considered offensive but because Tyler is African American he can get away with it. The plot is quite predicable and feels very long as well. I think it could have lost about 15-20 minutes.
Tyler Perry is a very skilled comedic performers. He not only plays Madea but also plays Madea's brother George and her nephew. As Madea he is brilliant and I am quite impressed. There are some very clever improvised out-takes over the end credits. Eugene Levy is decent as the business man forced to move in with Madea. He leaves most of the really funny stuff to Tyler. Denise Richards is serviceable as the wife. Not sure why her character is supposed to be so young. Doris Roberts is good as the elderly mother but as mentioned above the constant use of Alzheimers as a comedic device was uncomfortable.
If you get the chance you should check out one of Tyler Perry's films featuring Madea. A very well realised comedic character. This may not be the best outlet for that greatness but is still an entertaining film.
Being in New York I thought it the appropriate place to see the latest film from one of my favourite directors, Woody Allen.
Woody Allen's career took a turn a few years ago when he found out that Americans had stopped watching his films. Perhaps not all of them but not enough to make his film successful there. He realised that he was more popular in Europe. As a result the only people to finance his films are Europeans. So now it seems he is traveling that continent making a film in each country to satiate his financiers. He is now reached Italy. Unlike his last few films this one is made up of 4 smaller stories as opposed to one big story. This can lead to some stories being stronger than others. As many know I am a huge fan of Woody Allen so I enjoy pretty much anything that he does. I am willing to admit that his latest effort has its weaknesses. I enjoyed this film much more than his previous film 'Midnight In Paris'. That film had a more broad appeal which is why it was so successful. 'To Rome With Love' has much for everyone to enjoy but it also has some elements from Woody Allen's older days which is what made it more appealing for me. This is evident in the plot involving an Opera director who finds out his daughter's father-in-law is a great opera singer but only in certain circumstances. It is a very silly idea but I found it to be one of the funniest things in the film. Woody manages to make his characters convincing enough that they go along with such a ridiculous idea. My favourite story was the one involving an average guy who suddenly becomes a major celebrity. It is a very clever and modern satire on the celebrity culture of today. The other two plots are a little weaker. The story of a married couple who get split up and go through a series of misunderstanding. It is funny but in a much broader sense. The other story of a guy who falls for his sister's friend starts off well but does not really go anywhere as interesting as the set up.
It is so great to see Woody back on screen again. Being the writer and director he gives himself some of the film's best lines. I think he is the best choice to play the opera director as he knows how to play the comedy in such a silly situation. Alec Baldwin does a very good job but is more the straight man with Jesse Eisenberg as his comedy partner. Jesse once again plays his nervous nerdy role. Penelope Cruz works well in a slightly stereotypical role. Judy Davis having worked with Woody many times now is excellent as his wife in this film. Ellen Page is quite good as an object of affection. Sadly Greta Gerwig does not have much good material to work with. By far the best performance is by Roberto Benigni. He is the perfect choice to play an ordinary who suddenly becomes famous. He is a gifted comedy performer who knows all the right expression to pull and is great at the physical comedy.
For me this is a bigger return to form for Woody than his last film. With glimpses of the type of comedy that made him famous in the 1970's.
How would you react to a classified ad like this? 'WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED.'
This is another one of those films that you should know very little about before you see it. The line above is all you really need to know.
Love can make you do strange things. I am a huge fan of films where someone makes a big grand romantic gesture for the person they love. While it is a bit silly, building a time machine is pretty grand. Writer Derek Connolly has created some excellent characters here who have very different personalities and found a way to bring them together when they normally may not have met. He also manages to build up tension as to whether the absurd proposition of the main character could really be true. Darius is like the audience, constantly probing Kenneth to find out if he has really built a time machine. But Kenneth is so charming that you fall under his spell and like Darius you come to believe him. These are two people who have been hurt by love and so become convinced that this strange scheme might help make the hurt go away. I think the romantics in the audience will be more susceptible to fall for the scheme as well.
Aubrey Plaza is simply amazing in this film. She is given a wonderful character arc to work with and really runs with it. She starts off as the cold cynic but this soon melts and she falls for the crazy man. You can slowly see her character change over the course of the film. Equally as brilliant is Mark Duplass. He is so charming as Kenneth that you easily fall under his spell. Jake M. Johnson is excellent as Jeff. His character provides most of the films humour which he does wonderfully. I also liked his character's sub plot. Karan Soni is delightful as the naive Arnau.
One of those films for the romantics amongst you. An unconventional romantic comedy/drama which will surely have you cheering at the end. I certainly did.
Seth MacFarlane has conquered television as creator of three successful animated shows. He now takes on the big screen as the director of a live action film.
I have been a fan of Seth MacFarlane for many years now, since 'Family Guy' first came on television. His style of comedy has an edge to it that I really liked. Much like 'South Park', 'Family Guy' could push boundaries as far as what was acceptable in terms of humour. He was also able to parody other film and TV shows so cleverly. Something I think that has improved as the show goes on. So I was very excited when it was announced that he was going to make his first feature film.
This is definitely a Seth MacFarlane film. It is very much in his style of comedy. I think that there is prevailing culture out there of men who have not grown up. Many comedies are being released about men who still act like children. I think because many guys (and girls) are staying at home longer and longer these days, there is a sense that people are clinging onto their childhoods longer than they used to. That idea has manifested itself into the form of a bear in this film. Seth and his co-writers have done a very good job of creating the idea that a teddy bear could come to life and how something like this would be accepted. I love how Ted has become like a parody of a former child star. A concept that is referenced a few times in the film. People in the film accept Ted as a talking teddy bear and don't really question how weird that is. John's parents do freak out at first but soon accept it. A few people have mentioned the odd subplot with the guy and his kid who want to buy Ted. I think that is a great example of how bad things would get if Ted were real. The film is also full of some hilarious pulp culture references that always permeate Seth's work. His references to 'Flash Gordon' are really funny. My favourite moment in the film is a scene which is a parody of a parody. I love that kind of comedy.
Mark Wahlberg is fast becoming one of the best actors working today. He is so diverse in his roles. He can go from heavy drama to light comedy so easily. Mark is hilarious in this film and seems to be having so much fun playing opposite a teddy bear. Mila Kunis has the straight person role so does not have many funny moments as such but is still really sweet. She does have one hilarious scene when she has to clean up after Ted has some 'friends' over. As he has proven on 'Family Guy' with the numerous characters he has played, Seth MacFarlane is a skilled voice over artist. He has managed to make Ted distinctive enough from all the other characters he has played. Giovanni Ribisi once again plays a creepy role but he is quite funny so you don't seem to mind. There are several other cameo appearances which add to the fun of the film. My only one disappointment was that Seth Green was unable to make an appearance, seeing as all the other members of the Griffin family make an appearance.
Definitely a film for fans of Seth MacFarlane. But I think non fans can get a great deal of enjoyment out of it as well. One of the funniest films I have seen in a long time.
With the holiday season upon us, we get in undated with animated films for the kids. This is the latest from the powerhouse animated team of Dreamworks.
Regular readers will know that I am not particularly fond of Dreamworks Animation films. To me they lack the heart and soul that defines any other animated films. They feel like they make films as a factory and to make money and not to tell a great story. Hence why they make so many sequels, such as this one. While the first two 'Madagascar' films had some fun in them, I did not think they were terribly great films. Which is why I was surprised when I found myself enjoying this film more than I expected. The writers, Eric Darnell and Noah Baumbach have created a really good story to take our characters through. I think bringing in a skilled writer like Noah is what has made the film so good. He is a great writer and that certainly comes through in the film. The circus plot gives them a better story to work with. I liked the supporting characters more in this film too. They felt better developed than in previous efforts. This is particularly true of the film's villain. Having a more distinctive bad guy made it more enjoyable and you had a reason to root for the characters a lot more. I was also quite fond of King Julien and his subplot of falling in love with a bear. The animation was amazing as well with great use of the 3D experience.
Our core cast of Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith and Chris Rock once again do a decent job in their vocal performances. However I did find Ben Stiller a bit irritating at times. Frances McDormand is not only a brilliant actress in live action films but she is now brilliant at vocal performances in animated films as well. She brings a great deal of delightful menace to her performance. Jessica Chastain is really sweet as Marty's love interest Gia. Bryan Cranston is excellent as well. Martin Short provides much of the film's humour too in a hilarious role.
Even if you're not a fan of the 'Madagascar' series, you might find yourself really enjoying this film.
The world of strippers has been explored many times in film but usually from a female perspective. It is therefore refreshing to see it from the male side.
Steven Soderbergh is a director I admire for the variety of different subject matters that he tackles in his films. He can not only make films about hard hitting issues but make light hearted and broad appealing films as well. I think he is the perfect choice to make a film like this. In lesser hands it could have been a more sleazy affair but Steven manages to make it seem normal and a job you would be proud to do. It is supposed to be loosely based on actor Channing Tatum's experiences as a stripper before he became an actor, so there is a level of authenticity to the story. Reid Carolin has done an excellent job with the script and made the characters feel like ordinary people doing a very regular job. These guys dance for a living and take their clothes off in the process. They do not get fully nude but it is still very titillating for the audience. This is perhaps one of the differences between men and woman and what they expect from their strippers. Women like a bit more razzle dazzle where as men are content with the clothes just coming off. While the story is a bit cliched and goes in a fairly predictable direction it has many strong and interesting characters. Structurally I thought Adam gets into the business a little too easily with Mike getting him a job rather quick but this can be over looked. I did like the film's dialogue. It felt very natural and unstructured like people are having a normal conversation and not something pre-written. The film is also very funny and is not above showing some of the strange things the industry can get into.
Channing Tatum is certainly a very charming presence on screen. While his character is meant to look pretty, there is more to him than just taking his clothes off. I feel he has grown as an actor and just keeps getting better with all the roles that he takes on. He is becoming skilled at both comedy and drama. Alex Pettyfer is sadly stuck with a fairly dull character. He seems to spend most of his time moping around and playing a typical lazy teenager. In that respect he does an excellent job but I was hoping he would have more to work with. Cody Horn has a very natural presence as Brooke, Mike's love interest. She feels like a normal person and not an actress. The big surprise though is Matthew McConaughey. I think this is one of the best roles that he has done. His stage work is brilliant with the way he MC's the performances and gets the crowd worked up. I feel that if he the marketing people do their job he could get some recognition come awards season.
While I know that on the surface the film will only appeal to women and gay men looking for some eye candy, if you scratch the surface you will find a fascinating look at an industry we do not get to see portrayed on film very often.
Seth Grahame-Smith has become a successful author by turning classic novels and stories into horror books. This is his first book to be adapted into a film.
I am not all that familiar with the story and history of Abraham Lincoln. I know the basic facts of how he was President during the American Civil War and abolished slavery. So I cannot speak to how accurate the film is to Lincoln's life. I am however a big fan of the film's director Tibor Bekmambetov. I love his two Russian films, 'Nightwatch' and 'Daywatch', as well as his American film 'Wanted'. He seemed the perfect choice to direct a film like this. However I was not entirely in love with it like I was with his previous films. This is largely because of the plot. Based on Tibor's past efforts I expected a more interesting story. But it is a very conventional and cliched story. Perhaps my lack of knowledge of the details of Lincoln's life meant I did not appreciate some of the ways the vampire story has been woven into the story of his life. This does do something which I am finding rather annoying with vampire stories these days which is working out a way of letting the vampires go out into the sunlight. Unlike 'Twilight' it seems legitimate but it still annoys me. The one thing that Tibor does well though is action scenes and there are some great ones here. My favourite being a fight scene that takes place during a horse stampede. I would be implausible but still real.
Benjamin Walker makes a very distinguished Lincoln. He is able to be dignified and still play the wild action hero antics too. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is also quite dignified in her role as Mary Todd. She does not get much action but still makes a nice love interest. Anthony Mackie does a good job as Lincoln's sidekick. Dominic Cooper does a decent job but does not have a very effective role. Rufus Sewell once again plays the bad guy but with no great flare. My favourite performance was by Martin Csokas. He does go a bit camp but really gets into the spirit and silliness of the situation.
Like all of Tibor Bekmambetov's films there are lots of well staged action sequences. But for me the plot lacks and originality. Perhaps my lack of knowledge of Lincoln hindered my appreciation.
