Ad Astra - To the Stars & Back, NOT a Space Odyssey

The first half of the film, I thought, was well made. A little bit of a slow burn but visually very good and it felt like it was building up to something big. While some shots like the rovers though, were amazing, there was a weird dichotomy in the sets.  The ships and space walks were fantastic but the buildings on the moon and Mars felt like a mix of plain concrete walkways and cheap, nailed together boards and office furniture. 

That aside, I was enjoying the film for the first 2/3s and could see almost Kubrick type elements building to a confrontation and possible psychological break down. 

Unfortunately, the end was a fizzle. No real confrontation or explaination. No really answered questions, no dire threat. And an uneventful return home. In the end, what felt like it could have been a great film, in the style of 2001 a Space Odyssey,  ended up being mediocre at best. 

A Dark Beginning for the Dark Universe

Anyone who has been online this week has probably come across the many bad reviews being put out for Universal Studios' newest incarnation of The Mummy.  It's even currently sitting at a not so fresh 17% on Rotten Tomatoes, though if you look closer the audience score is actually 45%.  That's probably a bit more accurate and fair.

The studio has decided to create its own Dark Universe, likely inspired by the success of such franchises as Marvel's MCU, and bring to life the army of classic movie monsters it just happens to own the rights to.  The Mummy is the first step into this new overlapping world and gone is the campiness of the 1999 Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz romp along with the brooding full body wraps of the classic 1959 version with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Instead, the film is full of clear visuals, crisp visual effects and surprisingly not horrible acting.

I went into the film not expecting much, I will be honest.  I knew what people were saying and I have also grown somewhat tired of the recent offerings from Tom Cruise, action hero. I can say though, quite honestly, I was pleasantly surprised.  Yes, some parts almost have a slightly desperate quality where you can tell the team making it wanted to put in everything they could in the hopes of making it successful but nothing jarring.  The story's main antagonist in the vengeful Egyptian princess Ahmanet is carried off really well by actress Sofia Boutella and the sweet looking blonde from the trailers, played by Annabelle Wallis, has more depth that I was expecting from the trashing her character was getting in the reviews.  To the point where I'm really hoping they intend to branch her out and make her the main lead and tie in for the next story.  I think both the character and the actress have more to give if they are given the chance and the script to work with.   Even Cruise manages to give some good comedic timing moments and character development. 

It definitely has some flaws but I watched it and was entertained.  There were some jumps, some snickers, some moments of genuine surprise and I enjoyed seeing nods both to what is alluded to for the rest of the Universe and to earlier imaginings of the story.

The movie is no Iron Man, breaking barriers and leaving audiences astounded, but its more enjoyable and entertaining than it's being made out to be. If Universal can step its game up a bit for the next installment, it may actually be able to get more audiences on side and build this Dark Universe it's hoping for.

John Wick

What can I say about John Wick? Firstly, the fact that it seems to be coming to the end of it's run in our cinemas, despite only having been out 2.5 weeks, is a bit of a travesty.  I'm sure that those who make the decisions have some great reason for this.  Just like I'm sure there's a reason a lot of people haven't gone to see this film, but I'm not entirely sure what either of these are.

I've been curious about this film since first hearing about it, mostly because the production involved some of the most talented names of the stunt community today and I knew the action scenes would be visually interesting.  I also thought it interesting that Keanu felt strongly enough about the film to help back it as one of the executive producers.  What's it about?

John Wick is a simple story of sadness, revenge and an ex-hitman coming out of retirement for very personal reasons.  One of these is the death of his dog at the hand of some thugs. 

No, this is not a spoiler, it's shown in the trailer. For those who may have skipped this film because of that fact, let me put your mind at ease. I was worried about my reaction to that part too but it is, thankfully, short and off camera. It hits home and makes a point, makes you feel, but it's not the excruciating moment it could have been otherwise, in my opinion.

It definitely makes you feel for John, though, and makes you want to cheer him on.

The film has a pretty straight forward plot and there isn't a lot in the way of character development but that's actually okay.  This is, in a way, an action film made by action fans, for action fans.  First time directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch are stuntmen, through and through. They've been in the business a couple decades each and have worked on some of the biggest name movies in Hollywood.  They know what works on film and what looks good.  The action shots were clear and free of shaky cam, wide enough to get a good sense of the action and allowed the viewer to follow everything easily without jumping from cut to cut.  The fights themselves...well, they just worked. They were fast, brutal and realistic and they didn't seem like rehash of fights scenes you've seen before.  A lot of that credit goes to the guys and gals at 87Eleven Action Design, who did the stunt work in the film.  This is a group of talented and hard working people who live and breathe stunt work, and it shows in their projects.

For all that John Wick is a pretty simple action flick, it's also got an underlying sense of humor that helps move the story along.  It keeps the film from being too morose and dark, gets the viewer cheering even more for John and adds to the entertainment value of the film.  I personally found myself snickering quite a few times.  Some of that is definitely due to some of the fantastic actors thrown into some of the smallest of parts.

Generally speaking, I found it an entertaining movie.  What more can I say?  It has 84% on Rotten Tomatoes?  I'd probably agree with that.  I enjoyed seeing it on the big screen, where it's easy to take everything in, and I'm fairly certain I'll watch it again when it comes out on dvd.  If you can catch it before it leaves the cinemas (without breaking the bank) then do it. Take a night and just enjoy some entertaining action.

87Eleven Action Design on YouTube

 

Snowpiercer

I'm still kind of processing what I just watched, not because it was strange or confusing but because it was more than I was expecting.

Like most people, I'm sure, I heard about the film 'Snowpiercer' because its star is none other than the very popular Chris Evans. Realising that it was both a somewhat post-apocalyptic sci-fi film and one with a serious tone to it made me very curious, especially because Chris is known more for his comedic side than his serious one.

Note to Avengers fans, this is also the role he was in the midst of when he had to hide his grown out beard for the infamous Shwarma credits scene.

That was quite literally all that I knew going into the film. I certainly didn't know it was based on a 1980's French graphic novel known as 'Le Transperceneige' but have discovered that since and am now curious enough to try and track down a copy of the novel.

The basic premise of the film is that humans have screwed up royally (as we tend to do, especially in post-apocalyptic scenarios) and the entire world has been covered in ice and snow. The few surviving humans live on the Snowpiercer, a special train that travels continuously around the world, never stopping. Going outside means death. If the train were to fail, everyone would die. And, in a perfect representation of society as a whole, there is a class system in place where the rich and powerful have everything they want and ride at the front of the train while those with nothing ride at the tail.

Curtis Everett (Evans) is a man who has lived half his life in the tail of this train, surviving on the little given to them by the elites at the front. As with any story involving caste systems and the downtrodden, Curtis and his cohorts want a change and they plan a rebellion.

This is South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's first English language film and contains a cast of Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Ed Harris and a grown up Jamie Bell alongside the earlier mentioned Evans, which kind of surprised me as I'd tried not to read much about the film beforehand. It's all pretty much perfect casting, as is the rest of the ensemble that makes up the group of interesting and classic characters.

Visually, the film had a strange kind of beauty to it and the contrast between the different parts of the train and the starkness of the white snow outside it was quite eye catching. The effects weren't perfectly flawless but there wasn't anything that jumped out too badly and some parts were amazingly well done. For all that my brain knew the truth behind this miraculous train to be an impossibility, it all blended well enough together that I was allowed to believe in it for the sake of the film.

The story was simple, classically so, so there weren't too many surprises but some of the twists towards the end were unexpected. Despite the simplicity of the story, or maybe because of it, I found myself actually quite drawn in and fascinated throughout the film. Seeing Chris in this role was also a real draw as there were no one liners, no snappy comebacks, just a seriousness and gravity to the character that was very believable and deeper than he's shown in even his role as Captain America. Of course, you find out about his story as the film goes on, through his own words and his interactions with those around him and some of it is a little shocking.

I don't want to give much away, and I certainly don’t want to drum up expectations, but I found this film enjoyable and entertaining. I would actually like to watch it again so I can pay more attention to the background. I recommend this film, to anyone who likes survival stories or that dead world atmosphere and certainly to anyone fond of Evans' work as it's a good role for him and quite a change of pace.

Evil Dead Rises Again

After many months of pouting and wishing they had actually released this film to standard Australian cinemas (it was made in New Zealand! We should have got it here), I have finally had the opportunity to watch the brand new Evil Dead film.

Like so many films, especially the ones that are remakes or sequels of beloved favorites, I went into this with an expect the worse but hope for the best attitude.  I knew it wasn't going to be that strongly tied to the original and much loved Evil Dead trilogy and I had already heard, as many have, that Bruce Campbell was not in this film at all.  The main thing I had heard was that it was bloody, gory and supposedly had some people retching in their seats in the American cinemas.

Wow, distracting! I'm trying to write this up right after having watched the film but the other half has Olympus Has Fall playing at the same time.

Anyway, back to Evil Dead.  I kept notes while watching the film, pretty much checking off all the 'needed' classic horror movie elements.  I'd list them...but, you know, spoilers.  It had them all and then some.  You know all those things that movies like Cabin in the Woods makes fun of? Yah, they're pretty much all there.  To me, an avid horror fan, it was both really welcome and a little cheesy. It means, though, that you start to recognize things and kind of know what to expect.

This movie has been tag-lined as 'The most terrifying film you will ever experience'  To that, I have to say only if you don't generally watch horror movies. For pure scary or creepy factor, I personally didn't find it that strong. But the gore...the gore was definitely one of its strengths.  For pure blood quotient and things you really wouldn't want to have done to you, this film did pretty good.  And for anyone who's a fan of the original Evil Dead film, that very first piece of classic horror cinema, you will definitely recognize and enjoy certain nods to that film.

Overall, the writing and the storyline could be called a little soft and the actors and characters probably don't have quite the charismatic strength that Bruce Campbell and his cohorts managed to express.  In a time where almost everyone has seen movies like The Ring, the Hostel films, anything from the Saw franchise or Paranormal Activity, this film probably doesn't have quite the impact the filmmakers would have hoped but it's a straight out, decent horror film and an alright addition to the Evil Dead family.  I enjoyed watching it, I will probably add it to my collection because it was straight out fun even if it could have been stronger and I will almost definitely watch the sequel when it happens. Just don't expect it to be everything you might have dreamed of.

I do very much wish I could have seen it in the cinemas, though. I'm sure the impact would have been much greater.

Oh yah, you might want to watch until after the credits, too.

Of Legacies & Evolutions

At this time, I've watch the movie twice and played through the game twice so I thought now might be a good time to do some reviews of each of them, my first for the new year. I'll start with the film first, since that's the way it should be done.

Tron: Legacy

Tron: Legacy opens and introduces us to Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a young man with a taste for adrenaline and a dislike for responsibilities and authority. Having grown up without his father, and still having no idea what happened to him, has left a mark on the young man. His father's company of Encom is now run by a board of directors that would be more to Dillinger's liking than Flynn's and good friend Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) has been sidelined.

Right off the bat, I found Sam to be a likable character. He's got his own set of issues but they're tempered by an obvious sense of humor and a good heart. And it's clear that Alan has done his best to look out for his friend's son.

After getting a nostalgic look at Flynn's Arcade, we end up on the Grid with Sam, where he faces Recognizers, sentries, Clu and gets thrown into the Games. He escapes with the help of a friendly program named Quorra (Olivia Wilde) and soon finds his father and learns the truth of what happened so many years before, including the fate of the movie's namesake.

Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is a very interesting character in this, part visionary, part hacker, part zen philosopher. He's been trapped inside all these years and has done his best to come to terms with his new life and the things he's lost but you get the idea that everything he was is still simmering just under the peaceful seeming surface. Seeing his son again, all grown up, definitely shakes things up for him and solidifies his priorities, things his long captivity has made him realize were more important all along.

Throughout the film, as Flynn, Sam and Quorra race to stop Clu, you meet a whole host of interesting characters including Castor (Michael Sheen) & his crew at the End of Line Club, Siren Gem (Beau Garrett), the unstoppable Rinzler and Clu's somewhat oddball sidekick, Jarvis (James Frain). There is even a great cameo by Daft Punk as a pair of mp3 programs.

Some would say that the film's plot is too simple and sparse to be enjoyable but I can't agree. In an industry where everyone is trying to create the new Inception, the next A Beautiful Mind or is just resorting to blowing up as many things as they can, I found watching this sequel to the original Tron very refreshing. The story is classic, a young man's search for the truth, and his father, and his growth along the way. It sucks you in right from the very beginning and makes you care about the fate of the characters and it's all set against the beautiful backdrop that is the stunning visual effects of this film

Fans of the first film will immediately spot the familiar recognizers and tanks, though they have been updated, and the new Grid is pure eye candy. No hand done rotoscoping here and the new suits look fantastic. Each effect is done with an eye for detail and is flawless in its execution while Tron City looks like you could live there, and you want to by the end of the film. The only exception might be when you see young Kevin Flynn and his grid sidekick Clu 2. Yes, you can tell that the faces are entirely digital and under certain lights can look a little too false but when you consider they're attempting to create a young version of an actor who is now in his 60's, I can't entirely fault them.

Combine all of this with the amazing soundtrack created by Daft Punk and you really can't go wrong. The score is distinctive, bringing to mind certain scenes from the film long after you've finished watching it, and several of the songs, such as Derezzed, wouldn't be out of place on Daft Punk's latest album. Those planning to buy the OST do need to realize, though, that it IS a soundtrack and not a new studio album from the pair so it contains the entire score of the film and not just the dance hits. Personally, I enjoy driving to it.

I really can't recommend this enough. It's a beautiful film and I found I actually enjoyed it more, and got more out of it, when watching it the second time. The first time, you are so dazzled by the look and sound of the film that the plot actually takes second place. Just don't watch it expecting a high brow art-house film because that's not what Tron: Legacy is. This is a film for the imagination and the inner child, a film that makes you smile and catch your breath and that anyone, of any age, can sit and enjoy time and again.

SOME SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT!

Tron: Evolution

The first thing I need to say about the game is don't play it first. While Tron: Evolution IS intended as a prequel to the film, the storyline works better if you have already seen the film. Not only do you see the correlation with certain events and the tie ins they've worked into it but you won't be spoiled about certain information. There are several things that you learn in the game that are, more or less, meant to be surprises in the film such as Castor/Zuse, Quorra being an ISO and the last of her kind and few other bits a pieces.

The first thing you will notice about the game, though, is that it is just as visually breathtaking as the film. You really do feel like you're in that world, which is great because in playing the game you get to explore more of what you only glimpse in Tron: Legacy.

The year is 1989 and your character is Anon, a specially programed system monitor created by Kevin Flynn to sort out what's been going on with the Grid. In this role you meet Tron, Quorra, Clu, Zuse, many of the ISO's, a friendly program named Gibson and eventually come face to face with the creator himself. You witness Clu's attack on Tron and Flynn in a cut scene taken almost perfectly from the film, see the destruction and purge of the ISOs and go up against the game's real enemy, a terrible virus by the name of Abraxas. Towards the end, your main goal is to protect Quorra and get her to safety. Yes, that sympathetic program she mentions in the film...it's you!

Whether going up against Clu's variety of sentries or the virus infected programs Abraxas has created, you generally fight with your light disc. The game carefully teaches you the basics of fighting and moving through this digital realm and then gives you a list of combos to use. Different enemies have different weaknesses and you can upgrade your software, adding mods to your disc to make it easier to fight them or just increase your health and energy.

Controls for moving about take a little bit of getting used to and can be a tiny bit frustrating for a bit but, with practice, getting through the game becomes very interesting and enjoyable. Even after playing it twice I still often derezz when I hit the controls wrong but you get used to that quickly. The moves you use have been predominately taken from Parkour so you leap over objects, run along walls and spend a lot of time flying through the air over the bright lights of the Grid. When not competing hand-to-hand, you also go up against tanks...and then get to drive and fight with one! I have to say, using a tank to blast Recognizers out of the air is one of my favorite parts. Not to be left out, there are also fast paced lightcycle sections where you have to move quick while avoiding being derezzed by recognizers, tanks or an assortment of objects that get in your way.

Tron: Evolution is not a very long game and can go quite quickly once you get the hang of the moving and fighting but every minute is fun and very beautiful. Even once you finish the game, you can try again on higher levels or play online multiplayer battles with discs, tanks or lightcyles and you keep your level throughout. On the Xbox 360, there are of course a variety of achievements to be won and they aren't impossible to reach.

Remember that, like most of the Xbox games, you need an Gold membership to play the online multiplayer maps with friends or other random players but for anyone who has enjoyed either of the Tron films and wants another way to get immersed in the world, I highly recommend this game. It's eye catching and fun and challenging enough without discouraging less proficient gamers and adds a bit to the storyline of the film.

Let Me In? No, let me OUT!

There are probably going to be a number of people that won't agree with me on this one. I know this for a fact because the two people I watched this film with kind of think I'm nuts. The reason is because I really didn't enjoy this film.

I can't blame my dislike of Let Me In on being a fan of the original or anything like that. What did it for me is the sheer amount of BOREDOM I had to deal with for the first 2/3s of the film. The story was not enthralling, the pacing was slow and I don't think there was actually anything scary about it. For a film that was being advertised as 'the scariest ever!', it actually almost put me to sleep. The last part was decidedly more interesting but still not to the extent that I would choose to watch it again, let alone buy a copy.

Chloe Moretz plays Abby, a little girl with a secret. I'm sure I'm not spoiling anybody by saying that secret is that she is a bloody thirsty vampire. Chloe does a fantastic job in the role, especially given the general lackadaisical tone of the film, and she truly was the one bright spot. This didn't surprise me and I find myself looking forward to her future work. Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Owen, a young boy living with his recently separated mother in the early 1980's. Owen is a bit of an oddball and gets quite heavily picked on and beat-up at school. The film does manage to show a very clear and real look of what it is like for a kid like that in school but I was never able to feel a huge amount of sympathy for the kid like I should have. He's really quite creepy, somewhat antisocial and seems incredibly dense. I'm going to assume that was what the character was supposed to be like and not what the child actor himself is really like. It's hard to give him the benefit of the doubt, though, since the last film I saw him in, The Road with Viggo Mortensen, was another one where I really didn't like his character. Kind of wanted to shoot the kid myself by the end of THAT film.

There are a couple of somewhat bloody attacks in the film and they could be scary to someone...I'm just not sure who. The digitally animated movements of Abby's more feral vampire side looked more ridiculous than terrifying and the effects themselves were quite under par. It all boiled down to me being quite glad when the film was finally done so I could go on with my life and forget the time I had just wasted. Had I been alone, I would have left long before the movie finished...somewhere around the time I was trying not to doze off in my seat.

One truly good thing I can say about the film is that all the teens and tweenies that are currently going crazy over how romantic and amazing vampires are, they should watch this film. It would give them a somewhat more realistic look at vampires and make them realize they don't REALLY want some creepy pale dude stalking them and hanging around outside their bedroom windows.

Tron Legacy - A Preview Review

Not long ago, I came out of the Parramatta Greater Union cinema, having gone there to see the exclusive preview screening for the new Tron: Legacy film. This preview consisted of 23 minutes of footage, most of it from towards the beginning of the film to avoid spoilage.

In the preview, we got a glimpse of the story including a bit of an intro to young Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), an up close and personal look at the newly revamped Recognizers, a bit of what we can expect from the fully 3D disc games and light cycles and a some time with the one and only Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) himself. Having seen all of the released trailer footage so far, I had a bit of an idea of what to expect but none of it really came close to seeing it all up there on the big screen.

Now, I'm not a big fan of the over use of 3D filming right now but I fully admit that some films really do suit the new technology. This is going to be one of them. Tron Legacy will probably look just as breathtaking and beautiful in 2D but the designs, lighting and film effects all work incredibly well with the new tech.

The new visual effects are seamless and are the same step up the ladder that the original film was. All of the classic and recognizable vehicles are there, polished up and dusted off, along with a couple new designs that actually look original and not like a knock off of some other film. The classic Tron suits have also been given a slightly more modern look but are still completely recognizable, though they now come in more than just basic black! And the lights aren't rotoscoped!  In one scene, there are four women wearing suits fairly recognizable from the classic film but they are entirely white and silver, the women's movements synced with each other like a carefully choreographed dance. You also get to see Sam Flynn make his transformation from normal everyday clothes to a Tron suit, complete with ID Disc, and the way it happens looks great. A really amazing amount of detail was put into every moment of the film so far.

The preview didn't give much away story wise, certainly not much more that the trailers have, but what I did see just made me want more. I have to say that the de-rezzing effect was perfect and really gave a proper feel of why that term is used. And even though we didn't see the very start, I got right into the movie right away, I was sucked in. Of course, the soundtrack helped. Done by the ever amazing Daft Punk, every musical cue suits the visual aspects of the film and really make you feel what's going on. I look forward to the whole soundtrack being released, as I will be definitely be getting a copy.

I'm really glad I got the opportunity to see this small bit of footage because it's made me very excited for the December release. Like a lot of fans of the classic, I'm sure, I was at first a bit worried when the sequel was announced but my worries have really been put to rest. I very much look forward to enjoying the whole film, both in 3D and in 2D. The official release date is the 16th of December, the full soundtrack comes out on the 8th of December and the dvd & blu-ray versions should be out in April 2011. Also, until the release of the film, gamers can try their hand at Tron: Evolution which is to act as a bit of a prequel to the upcoming film and is said to be very action packed with moves inspired by parkour and a capoirea fighting style. The game comes out on the 25th of November and features the voices of Bruce Boxleitner and Olivia Wilde from the film and also the very popular Jensen Ackles from Supernatural. Word has it that the limited edition of the game comes with a Lightcycle, courtesy of Sideshow collectibles.

I look forward to the film, I look forward to the game, to the soundtrack...to everything. Even all the merchandising Disney is bound to be doing. Is that a replica ID Disc I see? Hmm.....

I will definitely be watching this come opening night. Until then, I have several friends I need to introduce to the original! :)



X-posted to LJ

Updates & Thoughts

Just realized that it has been a while since I last updated this so I figured I should get off my lazy butt and do something about that.

I had sort of meant to do some movie reviews, one for Inception and one for The Expendables, but it seems silly to do it now. Plus, do I REALLY need to tell everyone to go watch Inception? I mean, really, I think word of mouth did a great job on its own in getting people out to see that flick. Talk about a bit of a mind bender but I did really enjoy it. Not something I think I would watch over and over again but definitely worth a couple watches. The second time you see it, you notice different things, pick up stuff you missed on the first go around. I do recommend going to YouTube, though, and looking up an interesting little video regarding the main musical cue in the film. You know that deep, booming sound they use for the ads? Yah, has a very interesting connection with a certain Edith Pief song...the same song they use as a 'wake up' cue in the film!! The film is chock full of connections like that. Oh, like the girl who plays the wife? Is well known for her role in another film as...wait for it...Edith Pief. The layers (ha ha, get it? Layers...) of this film are kind of insane. I love the girl named Ariadne, though. I mean...she's the maze maker, right? Well, the mythological lore is that Ariadne was the one who gave Theseus the ball of thread to help make his way through the Minotaur's MAZE. Like I said, layers.

Go watch it, if you haven't yet! Bloody hell. *laugh*

Okay, so mini review there. :P And go watch Expendables because it's fun and funny and just great to see so many major action stars in one flick. It's a huge, mindless, testosterone filled blow up fest but entertaining.

Meanwhile, still using the ipad...it goes everywhere with me and is again the instrument of my current blogging. So far, the only thing I think I wish I could change is to make it just that tiny bit more computer like. To be able to access files and folders a bit would be good and word processing situations seem to be a tiny bit of a let down but that hasn't been an issue for me yet. Oh yah, that and the whole no directional arrows on the internal keyboard. That's still a pain once in a while but they may change that with a firmware update. Otherwise, all is good. I think I've become surgically attached to the damn thing, though. Guess I can't make too many cracks about people and they're iphones now but at least this is, technically, an actual computer. *shrugs* Need to hunt down a different bag/backpack thingy, something that will carry all of my purse gear and the ipad at once if I need to. Much easier for traveling because atm I'm carrying my purse and this in a separate shoulder bag. Easy but still an extra bag.

Oooh, got a look at the new ipod Nano's! I'm drooling, I will admit it. I love my Nano but these new ones are TINY! Along with a full tiny touch screen, it clips on and is about half the size of the current Nano. Just another toy to add to my list of things to get as soon as I can.

M's been laughing lately. I'm not a major tech head but I guess I look a little like one now when at my desk in the office. I have the laptop open, the ipad docked with the external keyboard, my cellphone next to me...all I need is some sort of uber cool over-head display and my set up would look awesome. Maybe when M gets around to updating his Mac monitor, I'll snarf the older one and put it on an arm. Yes...plans I have. *does evil steepled fingers*

I have three books to read through right now so when those are done, I'll post reviews on them. One is the newest Anita Blake novel, Bullet, one is called Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder and the third is the newest vamp diaries book from L.J. Smith. While not a huge fan of the show, I was a fan of Smith's books as a teen so it's funny to see them back in print and have her writing for them again. Makes me curious so I'll give it a go. Just too bad they haven't decided to reprint her Secret Circle books as well. Maybe soon.

That's all for now. Will attempt to not leave it so long again. I've had this blog just over a year now and still haven't done too much with it but I'm slowly feeling my way along.

PS...using the Kindle app on ipad? Lots of fun and SO convienient. I still like to buy certain books for the collection physically but others are great as digital Kindle books...and no shelf space required! I imagine the physical Kindle, which I almost bought prior to getting the ipad, is almost as cool. :)

Mass Movie Reviews – Legion

Last, but not least, on the list is the newly released film Legion, starring Paul Bettany, Adrianne Palicki, Lucas Black and Kevin Durand. (Getting a lot of work lately, isn't Kevin? Great to see a fellow Canuck doing well!)

Jeep (Black) is a young man who's grown up in the middle of nowhere at a dusty diner owned by his dad, played by Dennis Quaid. Charlie (Palicki) has grown up with Jeep and now works as a waitress at the diner while waiting to give birth to her baby. Their lives revolve around the few customers they get, though Jeep's centers even more on Charlie and his long held unspoken love for her. This is all they know...until one day, a very strange and creepy old woman walks into the diner, heralding much worse things to come.

Legion is pretty much your classic christian biblical apocalypse story where the lives of everyone in the world hang in the balance. Deeds and decisions made by a small group holed up in the diner, led and protected by a man known only as Michael who arrived with a small arsenal in his car, are what will decide the fate of all humanity. Simple, classical story, recognizable characters and an easy to follow plot create a fairly enjoyable film. The biggest weakness lies in much of the dialogue, which comes across cheesy and pointless at times. The fight scenes are fantastic, though, and coupled with nearly flawless, highly detailed, CGI. If the same eye for detail had gone over the dialogue before it was filmed, this would be not just a decent film but a really good one.

Most people could probably wait to see this when it comes out on DVD but if you're looking for something different to see at the cinema and, like me, REALLY have no interest in Sex in the City 2 then I would recommend this as an interesting alternative. It's one of those films to just sit back and enjoy with a big box of popcorn and some friends, no thinking required.

Mass Movie Reviews – Prince of Persia

Okay, the day after the comic book based film, I went and saw the video game based film. Yes, it was a busy week.

While I'm a long time fan of video games in general and can get quite addicted to them from time to time, there are some games that I have never played or that just slipped through the cracks. One of them is the Prince of Persia series of games, so going into the film I knew very little about the franchise and even less about the story. This didn't stop me from getting into the film from the very beginning and definitely didn't stop me from enjoying it. The visuals were amazing and flawless and the story interesting. They kept the story fairly simple because the concentration was obviously on the action and visuals but it was still an interesting story with enjoyable characters and an ending that was somewhat unexpected.

The film centers around Dastan (Jake Gyllenhal), a young man who was adopted into the Persian royal family when he was a poor orphan living on the streets. At the time, the King saw something special in the boy and chose to raise him with his other two sons. What happens because of that decision, the interaction of the brothers and their choices in life are much of the main idea that threads though the story. Along the way, Dastan meets Tamina (Gemma Arterton) who is princess of another country and guardian of a very special treasure.

The way Dastan moves and fights makes it really easy to see that this was based on a game and not reality but it's really fun to watch and pulls you in very quickly. It actually reminded me of the real life sport called Parkour (aka Freerunning). The shots are clean and the CGI quite good with only the occasional 'shaky cam' shot to annoy the hell out of me. Hollywood has become far too enamored of that technique in order to both convey action and movement and hide any flaws in the CGI or the stunts. I keep hoping that film makers will realize that we have steady cams for a reason but so far, no luck.

Again, in all, an over all enjoyable film and definitely worth seeing in the cinemas rather than waiting for it to be out on DVD. The action sequences alone are great on the big screen!

Mass Movie Reviews – The Losers

The next film on the list definitely went a different direction.

Simply called The Losers, this is a story based on a series of recent comic books...that were based on a series of OLD comic books! It involves a special ops team, five men of very different and very specialized skills, who have been betrayed by their handler, Max, while in Bolivia on a mission. Clay (Jeffery Dean Morgan) is the leader of the team and the man with the plans, Roque (Idris Elba) his ruthless second in command, Jensen (Chris Evans) is the techie and computer geek, Pooch (Columbus Short) the laid back pilot with a touch for anything that moves and Cougar (Oscar Jaenada) the sniper in a cowboy hat.

They are believed to be dead after the mission blows up in their faces and they go into hiding, but the thought of getting home, and getting revenge, is never far from their minds. They are given the chance at both when a strange woman named Aisha (Zoe Saldana) shows up and says she can, essentially, hand them Max on a silver platter. Of course, things don't go quite according to plan and no one is ever exactly who they seem.

Someone going into this film expecting a serious film is going to be really disappointed. It's comic book fights mixed with comic book humor and cheesy one liners delivered by a series of somewhat kooky characters. But it's a really fun film and completely entertaining if you don't go in with any expectations besides looking for entertainment and some laughs. Yes, you can very easily draw some major similarities between this and the upcoming A-Team remake but it also has a lot of differences and is still a good film to watch. Actually, anyone who is a fan of the A-Team, or humorous action films in general, should really get a kick out of this. Personally, I'm going to add it to my DVD collection.

One word of caution...I hope you like the song 'Don't Stop Believing' by Journey because it's fairly major in the soundtrack and you WILL come out of the cinema with this lovely little earworm firmly lodged in your brain. :)

Mass Movie Reviews – Robin Hood

In the last couple weeks, I have had the opportunity to watch quite a few of the new films out in the cinemas so I thought now would be a good time to do a review of each of them in a series of mass postings. I want to be able to put my thoughts down while I can still remember!

There have been four films, so I will start with the oldest and work my way through them. Easier that way.

First film was the new Robin hood film starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. I didn't know a great deal about the film going in because I wanted to keep as open a mind about it as possible. It's always hard when a classic story is remade again because all of the previous versions you have seen or read tend to color the film. The first thing to strike me about it, though, was “Oh, thank goodness...no tights!” Sure, I have a personal bias regarding costume authenticity but I think everyone can agree that the previous incarnations of Robin Hood, and many of its similar themed stories, all had problems regarding accuracy of costume. This one looked good, it looked REAL. A die hard medieval recreationalist or such would be able to tell you the dozens of problems still left in each outfit, but it had a much more true feel to the look of the sets and the clothing on each character.

Which is good since the story itself seemed to be an attempt at accuracy in itself as well. It reminded me a bit of the recent King Arthur film, starring Clive Owen. The story takes place somewhat before the usual story, before Robin has taken his band to Sherwood forest. Robin Longstride (Crowe) is in the Middle East, assisting his king in his current crusade. King Richard is older, worn out but still fighting but also considering a return home. Home to a place filled with unrest, where the people are broke from paying for the crusade and the French are, as always, eyeing off the country for conquest. Robin Longstride, a long bowman, and his men do return to England, where his life becomes entwined with that of the Locksley family. The way they bring the two together, the different real men believed as possible basis for the Robin Hood of legend, is really well done and pulls together a very complete and interesting story.

There are, of course, plenty of sword fights and archery, some romantic moments between Marion (Blanchett) and Robin, behind the scenes plots and the always hated Sheriff of Nottingham. I love that they also managed to mix in some great moments of humor and some of the most recognized members of Robin's band, namely Little John (Kevin Durand), Will Scarlet (Scott Grimes), Allan A'Dayle (Alan Doyle) and Friar Tuck (Mark Addy).

The film closes with his entrance into Sherwood Forest as Robin of the Hood and finishes nicely, while still leaving space should they chose to continue the story with the more classic portion of the tale. In all, it's a film a would definitely recommend to fans of the story or those who just wanted a night out with a great film. It's not perfect and different people are bound to have different issues with the film, but I found it thoroughly enjoyable.

The End is Nigh!

So, I went and saw the movie 2012 the other night.  I wasn't expecting a great deal from it and I am not what you would call a John Cusack fan, so I went into the movie with a fairly open mind.  And while I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't 'wowed' either.

The concept and story are those of your classic end-of-the-world disaster film.  Humans discovered the world is going to end, find out they have less time then they thought, world starts to go belly up and everyone makes a mad dash for what little safety there may be.  Some people show themselves to be selfish and, typically, end up dieing in the long run, and others show how selfless the human race is capable of being and, unsurprisingly, are the most likely to live. 

The visual effects were very well done, the scenes very eye catching and able to keep you entertained.  There were instances where you KNEW something just wasn't physically possible of happening but that was put mentally put aside for the sake of entertaining mayhem and explosions.  As it was an Apocalypse film, you of course had your prerequisite of the crazy conspiracy guy who knows about everything that's going on  In this movie, that was played by Woody Harrelson, and he actually kind of steals the show when he's on screen.  John Cussack does well as the ever reluctant hero, the every man forced into situations know one could predict and managing to get through alright.  His only thought, to try and save his family, of course.   I was somewhat surprised by his ability to hold his own against a rather stellar cast as his strength is more light romantic comedies than action and adventure films.

Another stand out performance, btw, was Chiwetel Ejiofor as Dr. Adrian Helmsley.  I know Chiwetel best for his outstanding role in the film Kinky Boots but every time I see him, I am again impressed by his acting and his presence on film.  I look forward to more work from him, since he seems to be getting better and large roles as time goes on.  To anyone that hasn't seen the movie Kinky Boots, btw, I HIGHLY recommend you go and rent it.  Still one of my favorite films.

In all, not a bad film.  Entertaining, which is really all a flick needs to be in the long run.  Worth seeing in the cinema because the effects look better on the big screen but if you can get a cheap night, go for it.  Someone on Twitter asked me for a 0-10 rating and I said 7.  The production value is really very high but there are parts that tend to drag out just a little too much for my liking.  It gets to the point where you just want them to get on with it already.

Not sure what the next flick will be that I see but there are tons about to come out and I will be sure to post an opinion on here is I get the chance.  Let me know if there's one in particular you'd like some thoughts on!

Updates & Reviews - How To Be Hero!

Wow, just realized it's been nearly a month since I have updated this. It's been a weird but busy month, I have to say. There's been a few things of note but not sure what all I'm going to mention here...think I might keep this short or just move onto some reviews I need to do. Yah, reviews sound pretty good!

A couple weeks back, I had some friends over for a movie night and we watched a selection of fun and somewhat quirky films. Among the selection were the independent film Ten Inch Hero and an odd family flick from the early 90's known as Airborne.

Now, I watched Airborne when I was just a kid in school and I loved it. It was funny, it was light hearted and it's heavily based around hockey and rollerblading...two things I love. The last 15 - 20 minutes of the film is taken up with a hardcore downhill rollerblade race between two rival teams and is probably the most entertaining part of the film to watch.

The star of the film is Shane McDermott as the teen Californian surfie, Mitchell Goosen, forced to spend 6 months in Cincinnati, Ohio with his aunt, uncle and cousin Wiley...a very dorky cousin played by a very young Seth Green. Going from sunny California to snow-locked Cincinnati is hard to begin with but he also ends up on the wrong side of the local jocks (including one named Augie, played by Jack Black) who decide to make Mitchell's life a living hell. The only thing that ends up making life a little easier for him is meeting a girl from school, Nikki. That is, until he finds out she's the sister of the head jock/meat head making his life hell.

Mitchell has to win back the girl after some stupid things said, survive his new high school, help out his dorky cousin and try to get on the good side of the jocks who hate him. Antics ensue but it all turns out in the end when the two teams go head to head on 'The Devil's Backbone' race and the jocks ask Mitchell to skate with them.

It's pretty schlocky and coated with a thick layer of 'cheese' but it's cute and fun at the same time. VERY 90's teen film. As I said, best part of the film is the race at the end, especially since all the stunts and blading effects were done by Team Rollerblade. Good film to get if you need a filler rental with some cheesy laughs and the chance to see now famous actors looking painfully young.



And then there's Ten Inch Hero.

Originally created as an independent film and never given a cinema release, this quiet little flick has a huge cult-like following and has now made it's way onto dvd release. Something well deserved because this is a well written, interesting film that seems to appeal to just about everybody.

Taking place in Santa Cruz, CA and centering around a quirky little sandwich shop, the story brings together a diverse group of interesting characters who, you eventually realize, all have a some sort of problem regarding image and perception of people. It has a lot of elements that one would find in a 'chick-flick' but the humor laced through the whole plot, and the way the different characters interact, make it a much more interesting and well rounded film.

The main plot is driven from the POV of Piper, a young woman who moves to Santa Cruz to be closer to a young girl she thinks might be the daughter she gave away for adoption. She gets a job at the sandwich shop where she meets quiet and unassuming Jen (Clea Duvall), sexy and vivacious Tish (Danneel Harris), mohawked and unorthodox Priestly (Jensen Ackles) and the mellow hippie Trucker (John Doe) who owns the shop and is secretly in love with Zo (Alice Krige). The young girl's father, Noah is played by Sean Patrick Flanery.

Friendships are made, secrets are revealed and, through it all, Priestly's mohawk color changes as often as the wacky shirts he wears. I really do recommend this as a must watch, though it may not be a film for a younger audience as there are some sexual scenes and rough language.

As a last note, I'll point out that those I have shown this film to...all with a rather wide range of movie tastes...have all said that it is one that would watch again and most likely add to their personal collections. :)

P.S. I am still VERY much in love with my new cell phone! Just FYI. :)

The Fun of Being a Basterd

So, tonight I went and saw Inglourious Basterds with its quirky cast and even stranger spelling. It ended up being a different film to what I was expecting but, in a lot of ways, it seemed almost subdued for a Tarantino flick. I did enjoy it, though.

While the trailer makes it seem like quite a comedic film, and it really does have its amusing moments, the film is a bit more serious than it first appears. The Inglourious Basterds that are Brad Pitt's character's crack team of Jewish Americans are out to get back a bit of their own by killing Nazi's and keeping count by taking their scalps. By being on Pitt's team, they each owe him 100 Nazi scalps or to die trying. I did like the choice of a baseball bat as a preferred weapon by one of the Basterds, known as The Bear Jew.

Meanwhile, there is also the story of a French Jewish girl who survives the massacre of her family and ends up running a Paris cinema. She would also like to get her own back, especially on a Colonel Landa, the quirky detective SS officer known as The Jew Hunter and who was responsible for the death of her family. Taking out as many of the Gestapo's best and brightest becomes her goal when an opportunity falls into her lap.

In all, it was an entertaining film full of interesting characters, a few odd scenarios, some humor and some great gore effects. All set against a background of a slightly AU WW2. Though it doesn't state it's based on an events in any way, I do hope that no one tries to think this is a documentary in any way. Maybe more of a mockumentary or 'If Only' kind of scenario.

Watch it, enjoy it, though if you miss it in the cinemas and have to rent it, you'll probably get just as much enjoyment out of it.

District 9 or Real Life?

I saw the movie District 9 tonight. There's been a lot of talk about the film and most people I have spoken to have raved about it. What did I think of it? Well...

Let me start with the easy part. Yes, it is a great film. Well written, well made, great visual effects, some amusing shots, gutsy story...there is really nothing bad you can say about the film. It is well worth watching, though I do not recommend it to those with a weak stomach as Peter Jackson really goes back to his roots with the gore factor.

Did I enjoy this film? That is a hard question to answer. I thought it was a really fantastic film but I don't think it is one I would choose to watch again; not for entertainment, anyway. It's a very gritty, brutal tale full of the dark side of humanity and I found a great deal of it downright depressing. This doesn't show humans prevailing over darker forces or showing the better side of mankind's spirit, it shows the brutal truth of what we do to ourselves and our own kind in rough corners of the world everyday but uses the aliens to create an outside view.

The main human character is incredibly selfish and shows almost no redeeming qualities until the very end and the only person you really find yourself relating to and feeling for is the main 'prawn'. There is a very strong use of a lot a grey area, with there being no actual villain besides humanity itself and one jackass military type the audience cheers for when he finally gets killed in a very gruesome fashion.

Peter Jackson did a fantastic job with this film, going places with it that few would have the guts to and none really expected. It isn't a cheerful or feel good movie but it IS thought provoking and eye-catching and likely to be the subject of many conversation for quite a while.