Pirates of the Caribbean 4 Review

Summer 2011

Genre: Action-Adventure/Blockbuster/Sequel.

Starring: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush, Sam Claflin,

Astrid Berges-Frisbey, Kevin McNally, Richard Griffiths, Keith Richards and Dame Judi Dench.

Running Time: 136 mins.

Certificate: 12A

Seen at: Didsbury.

On: Saturday, 28^th May, 2011.

In 2003, the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie was the unexpected runaway success of the summer. Now, two sequels later, Johnny Depp returns as the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow – a role and indeed a character, that is one of the most iconic of its generation.

   This time around, there’s a much more patriarchal feel to the proceedings, as the action opens in the courts of Buckingham Palace, where our piratical protagonist is captured and forced to face Richard Griffith’s oily King George, who sets him on a quest to find the Fountain of Youth.

   Along the way he reignites a spark with his voluptuous old flame Angelica (a fiery Penelope Cruz), who’s father just happens to be the so-called: ‘pirate all pirates fear’ – Blackbeard.

   Considering this tyrannical figure is supposedly such a threat, Ian McShane’s performance is oddly downbeat, with lots of ghoulish facial expression, but not much substance.

  Unfortunately, the absence of both Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley as young lovers Elizabeth and Will is far too keenly felt for this to equal the standard of the first three installments.

  It’s not the only problem either. The plot is as muddled and convoluted as ever, with too many double-crosses and triple crosses to keep track of. There is an influx of intriguing new talent however, in the shape of Sam Claflin as young servant boy Philip – of course the substitute for the Orlando Bloom mould. Astrid Berges-Frisbey plays a mermaid who’s given little more to do than flop around, and Geoffrey Rush is sadly rather underused.

  Thank goodness once again then for Johnny Depp. It’s a joy to see this character again, and Depp infuses Sparrow with his trademark sparkle, wacky facial expressions and sharply anecdotal witticism. ‘I saw everything – I can name fingers and point names’ – is one of many slurred sayings that are slyly observational.

   The action set-pieces are also suitably impressive. Early on, Sparrow is seen balancing on top of two horse carriages, one of which is occupied by a quixotic society lady – none other than Judi Dench – in a delightful blink-and-you’d-miss-it cameo. Assuming she is about to be propositioned by the dashingly irreverent Sparrow, Depp simply snatches one of Dench’s earrings as she replies incredulously: ‘Is that it?’.

  Where the original film utilized the conceit of pirates turning skeletal in the moonlight, here we have the price that mutineers must pay while under Blackbeard’s servitude, as well as a genuinely spooky mermaid attack, made all the more unsettling by the duel combination of Hans Zimmer’s rousingly shocking score, and of course the novel addition of 3D.

   3D was at its very best when suited to the florescent, frenetic frenzy of a huge effects vehicle like TRON. Here, the overall feel – cinematographically at least -  is rather dark and dingy occasionally – but thankfully, there are plenty of moments that serve the extra dimension very well – with the tip of a sword swung right up into your face.

  To conclude, this is a lively, always entertaining mixture, of laughs, adventure and extravagant effects, with Depp on peak form and a witty screenplay, but here’s hoping that Bloom and Knightley decide to agree to reunite once again when the sails are set for a rumored fifth outing. I wonder just how much leverage is left in a filmic formula where they remain absent – because these wonderful movies – my favourite film franchise of all time – it just isn’t the same without them!

Rating: ***

Scream 4 Review

May 2011.

Genre: Horror/Comedy/Sequel.

Starring: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox-Arquette, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Erik Knudsen, Nico Tortorella, Marielle Jaffe, Marley Shelton, Alison Brie, Mary McDormand, Adam Brody, Anthony Anderson, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell and Roger Jackson.

Running Time: 111 mins. Approx.

Certificate: 15.

Seen at: The Trafford Centre’s Odeon Cinemas.

On: Thursday, 5^th May, 2011.

In 1996, horror veteran Wes Craven, who made his name with a plethora of terrifying horror classics such as The Last House On The Left, The Hills Have Eyes, Friday The 13^th and Nightmare On Elm Street, completely remade and reinvigorated the tired slasher genre that was once so popular with such milestones as John Carpenter’s 1978 seasonal babysitter shocker Halloween.

    Scream, like Jamie Lee-Curtis before her, made a scream-queen out of Neve Campbell as Sydney Prescott, an unsuspecting teenager who falls victim to being stalked by a masked serial-killer, known elusively only as ‘Ghostface’...

    From the moment Drew Barrymore picked up that fateful phone in the opening sequence and heard the chilling catchphrase – ‘What’s your favourite scary movie?’, Craven solidified Ghostface as an instantly iconic killer of the classic horror-movie cannon, in a similar mould to Freddy Kruger and Micheal Myers.

   The most distinctive watermark that makes the Scream  franchise so unique is the fact that its screenplays are constantly referencing the movies throughout , both visually, and in their dialogue. There’s endless talk of body counts, remakes and sequels. Craven is so refreshing in the method he utilises in approaching his audiences. He’s saying that we already know all of the conventions of the genre, so he then delights in usurping each one of them. Phones ring, doors creek ajar and shadows lurk outside windows, but always, never in the way we expect.

Lines like: ‘I’ll be right back!’ and ‘The five things you must do to survive a horror movie are…’, are constructed in such a way as to make the characters think they’re almost in a movie of their own.

  Scream also has the admirable distinction of being the only horror franchise that is actually just as funny and clever as it is scary or gory, with audiences screaming and laughing in equal measure – a notoriously difficult conceit to accomplish. It does this in such a way that strikes a pitch-perfect balance between always being just light-hearted enough, with its tongue firmly in its cheek but always without descending into spoofery territory, such as the parody of the Scary Movie series, which are funny films in their own right and certainly have their place, but only if you’ve seen - and are a fan of – what they are parodying.

     With this latest instalment, it’s ten years since the excessive events of Scream 3, and Sidney Prescott, now a life-coach author, chooses for some reason to return to her secluded hometown of Woodsbourghro – you’d have thought she’d have known better by now wouldn’t you?

   No sooner has she arrived back, when the phone rings (what else?) only for Ghostface’s chilling tones to declare: ‘Welcome home Sidneeey, watch the preview of coming events’...

   Because a decade’s past, of course technology has changed a great amount, so whereas the original trilogy had the distinct nineties zeitgeist of high-school lockers and house-phones, appropriately, this time around, Facebook, iphones, BlackBury’s apps and Twitter are all quickly established to reflect the apparent rise in social networking.

      David Arquette is still Dewey Riley, officially the worst police officer in cinematic history, and his wife, formally news reporter Gale Weathers is now a struggling novelist. Suffice is to say, it’s not long before this latest gaggle of perfect-looking teenagers are gradually disposed of one by one...

    In the now legendary pre-credits sequence, this one is particularly inventive as it sees three sets of teenagers each watching an instalment of the film’s very own movie franchise – Stab. It’s tantalisingly clever, as it completely fools us, subverting our expectations of what we think we’re watching, despite the fact that many of the purposefully clichéd conventions are still present in homage to the original, including a hapless victim’s particularly gruesome fate with an electric garage door.

     Other Hitchcockian references are especially clever this time around as well, whether it be a Vertigo-like fall from a parking lot, or a mock-up of the foreboding,  low-angle shot of the showerhead from Psycho’s iconic shower scene.

So clever, and just so much fun to watch. Here’s hoping there’s a fifth one soon...

                        

Rating: * * * *

The Tourist Review

January 2011.

Genre: Action/Adventure/Spy/Crime/Romance.

Starring: Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Paul Bettany, Steven Berkoff and Timothy Dalton.

Running Time: 103 mins. approx.

Certificate: 12A.

Seen At: The Trafford Centre’s Odeon Cinemas.

On: Sunday, 16^th January, 2011.

 

Picture the scene: Kevin Spacey’s Verbal Kint is walking down a street gradually dropping the pretence of being physically afflicted as his hand straightens, and his formally inward feet return to normal. We then cross-cut to a fax machine as a hand-drawn e-fit of a mythical serial killer is being printed. Suddenly, the penny drops and Kint is finally revealed as the notorious Keyser Soze. Thus ends one of the most famous and classic shockers’ ever in modern cinema, as the twist in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse finally reaches its crescendo, in 1995’s double oscar-winner, The Usual Suspects.

   Its screenwriter Christopher MacQuarie, pens this latest project from a director with the best name in the business, Florien Henkel Von Donnersmark, who burst onto the directorial scene a few years ago with flair and substance with the lives of others.

   Many of the ingredients which MacQuarie weaved in so well into Suspects are thankfully still present, (the teasing chase of cat-and-mouse for instance), but they just lack quite as much punch. In typical style again, there is a final twist, but it’s rather more damp squib than fire-in-the-hole when really, there is no surprise at all.

  But actually, none of that matters when this is so much more fun and enjoyable than Suspects. Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie are an absolute powerhouse example of Hollywood casting at its peak – casting two of the industries’ most bankable stars really works a treat.

  Depp plays Frank Tupelo, a shady and unassuming everyman who meets Jolie’s glamorous femme fatale Elise Ward on a train. A case of mistaken identity ensues as Frank is thrown into a world of intrigue, kidnap and attempted murder. Depp is clearly having fun as he jumps over rooftops and dodges bullets.

    It transpires that Elise’s ex-lover is arch criminal Alexander Pearce who owes a large sum of money to Steven Berkoff’s threateningly imposing antagonist. Frank is of course mistaken for Pearce... 
   What I loved so much about it was all the elements of both the classic, traditional old-style Hollywood caper and its glamour, captured perfectly. The handsome, relatable leading man, a stunningly beautiful temptress, and a truly magnificent setting (in this case, the picturesque gondolas and sunsets of Venice), or various Hitchcockian MaGuffins.

    John Seale’s glossy, luminescent cinematography is simply gorgeous, whether it be photographing boat chases, a ballroom sequence or Jolie in one of her many mesmeric dresses. ‘You look ravenous’ says Frank, with a twinkle in his eye, as he prepares to accompany Elise to luxurious ball. ‘Don’t you mean ravishing?’ Elise asks. ‘I do’  is Frank’s chuckled reply.

   The rich dialogue retains all the humorous wit and sparkle you’d expect from our two stars, again wonderfully reminiscent of Hollywood’s golden age.

   It’s fiendishly Hitchcockian – it is of course no accident that these two characters should first meet on a train – there is of course the obvious comparison with 1951’s wonderful Strangers On A Train, but you suspect that cast and crew were even more heavily influenced by one of my most favourite pictures by the master of suspense, the Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint 1959 classic – North By Northwest.     

    One of the most striking qualities of the film is James Newton-Howard’s pacy, conspiratorial score.  Starlight and Map of the Problematique are just two of the songs on the soundtrack, by the brilliant band, Muse, and they prove an ideal choice.

It’ll also come as little surprise to learn that the relationship between our duo is practically sizzling before too long.

    One of the best and cleverest films of the year, if only for sheer, simple entertainment value. Depp is outstanding in one of his very best roles. 

Rating: * * * *

The Kings Speech Review

January 2011.

Genre: Biopic/Biography/Period-Drama/War.

Starring: Colin Firth, Helena Bonham-Carter, Geoffrey Rush, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall, Jennifer Ehle, Derek Jacobi, Claire Bloom and Ramona Marquez.

Running Time: 118 mins. approx.

Certificate: 12A.

Seen At: Parrs Wood Cinemas, Didsbury.

On: Monday, 10^th January, 2011.

The true stories of the Royle Family are always a great success with award voters. Five years ago in 2006, Stephen Frears directed one of his finest films, The Queen,  with Dame Helen Mirren’s magisterial portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II – for which she deservedly swept the accolade board.

   Now, distinctive second time director Tom Hooper, already experienced with biopics in his first feature of football manager Brian Clough in The Damned United, collaborates with the immensely talented British actor, our very own Colin Firth, in the charming, inspirational and heartwarming true story of King George VI’s struggle to overcome a terrible stutter – and his tutorship under the speech therapist Dr. Lionel Logue, in his attempts to rectify the impediment.

   It’s in fact his wife’s idea to find alternative treatment. Bertie, as he was affectionately known by his friends and family, had tried everything including marbles to aid in ridding him of his stammer.

   There is a heartbreaking scene towards the beginning of the film, where, at one of his public speeches in the stands of a racecourse, the future King’s throat becomes clogged with the debilitating stammer, as his nerves get the better of him.

     Remember, the mid nineteen thirties was also a time when the birth of radio was just starting to become conceptualized, so, up until a time came when more sophisticated recording devices were to be developed, politicians and newscasters had no choice but to deliver their speeches in public. So ensues an enduring, touching and at times highly amusing relationship with Logue, a charismatic Australian whose methods are more than just a little unorthodox… Don’t be too fooled by its seemingly simple premise though, there is a definite dark layer ever-present consistently, whether they be personal – (Goerge V’s death, or Bertie’s recounting of the premature death of his younger brother, Prince John, at the hands of the then unnamed disease of epilepsy).  Or, on a far more worldwide scale – (the pounding threat of the impeding Second World War)...

   Don’t at all be deterred to join the millions of cinemagoers who are currently sending the multiplexes takings skyrocketing though. One of the film’s most endlessly endearing qualities is its great capacity for warmth and humour, most notably in another attempt to help relax Bertie’s vocal chords, he lets fly a tirade of expletive swearing, in one of the funniest scenes.

    The level of both the popularity and awards buzz surrounding this film is huge. In the truest possible sense of the phrase, it really has captured all the hearts of the nation.

  Colin Firth, as was the case with Helen Mirren before him, has most deservedly won every major award of the season. It is an absolutely masterly performance. With the stutter in question, he captures it so expertly, you can even see Firth’s vocal chords tightening and blocking with vulnerability. There are even moments when the burden placed on him as the future King (due to his mocking brother, Guy Pearce’s Edward VII’s abdication of the throne thanks to his scandalous affair with the American socialite and divorcee Wallis Simpson), simply becomes too much.

  Outstanding support includes a pitch-perfect performance from the eclectic Helena Bonham-Carter as Bertie’s wife (the future Queen Mother), and Geoffrey Rush’s wonderfully funny turn as therapist Lionel. ‘Your physicians are idiots’ he remarks. ‘They’ve all been knighted’ is Bertie’s reply. ‘Makes it official then’ is Logue’s smug retort.

  Artistically, proceedings are a faultless marvel. Whether it be a gently atmospheric score by stalwart Alexandre Desplat, the haunting sight of blip zeppelin’s towering above the London cityscape, blisteringly voyeuristic, frequently low-angled cinematography from Danny Cohen to put us directly at the heart of the action, or an acerbically sharp, witty screenplay from David Seidler. The peerless final scene of Bertie’s final speech, where Logue is almost conducting opposite him as he addresses the troops and we cross-cut to the trenches accompanied by Beethoven, is so uplifting you’ll feel like cheering him on. A sensational delight and instant classic.

Rating: ***** 

Meet The Little Fockers Review

New Year 2011

Genre: Comedy/Sequel.

Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner, Owen Wilson, Jessica Alba, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand and Laura Dern.

Running Time: 98 mins. Approx.

Certificate 12A.

Seen At: Parrs Wood Cinemas, Didsbury.

On: Wednesday, 5^th January, 2011.

The original Meet the Parents was a worldwide smash-hit, with the inspired pairing of comedic favourite Ben Stiller and Hollywood great Robert De Niro, both proving to audiences just how funny they both are.

  An even more impressive sequel followed in 2004, introducing us to Greg’s (Stiller’s) full-on parents played by Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand.

  Now, a trilogy is created. It’s smartly released over the festive season not only to increase its box-office success but more importantly because it presents an endless capacity for various yuletide-related humour, most memorably a messily disastrous carving of the turkey at the annual family thanksgiving.

  There’s a flurry of new characters such as Jessica Alba’s conniving gold-digger colleague, and a brilliant turn from Jurassic Park’s Laura Dern as a spritely schoolteacher. It’s lovely to see Dern back on the big screen – she’s and actress I feel we don’t see enough of – here’s hoping the spinning rumour-mill regarding the alleged fourth instalment of the blockbusting dinosaur franchise is true.

   One observation of this film though, is that considering its title refers specifically to the children of that nearly profanity-sir-named family – for all its visual jokes and comic misunderstanding, not very many of either seem to feature the youngsters themselves.

  The focus remains instead on the continued retorted sparring between the affably unlucky Stiller and the grimacing disapproval of De Niro’s Jack – either caught up in a word of words or an unfortunate bathroom incident. Alas, once again toilet-humour never fails to make an appearance, even if a substantial amount of that involves one of the best running gags of the series – Mr. Jinx the Persian cat!

  Performance wise, Hoffman and Streisand’s relationship is still among one of the highlights, they bounce of each other wonderfully – it’s just unfortunate that Hoffman in particular is rather underused.

  To conclude, while not quite equalling the hilarity that ensued in the second film, this does actually surpass the original.

Rating: ***

MegaMind in 3D! Review

Christmas 2010

Genre: Animation/Family-Comedy/Spoof.

Starring: (the voices of): Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, David Cross, Ben Stiller and Brad Pitt.

Running Time: 95 mins. approx.

Certificate: PG. (Contains mild, comic, action-fantasy-violence).

Seen At: Parrs Wood Cinemas, Didsbury.

On: Sunday, 5^th December, 2010.

Thankfully, over the past few months there’ve been a brilliant cluster of computer-generated animations presented in glorious 3D, such as Toy Story 3 and the final Shrek installment. A lot of these films though, have either underused this fantastic tool, or, if it’s possible, even bombarded its audience with too much.

  Here however, refreshingly filmmakers have the restrained balance exactly right – pulling back with only occasional, subtle flourishes of brilliance that really make a difference – whether it be a droplet of rain, the flash of a ray-gun or the peerlessly dazzling cityscape of the comic book-inspired setting, MetroCity.

   The combination of superheroes and animation is nothing new, the most notable examples being of course Pixar’s The Incredibles and more recently, Despicable Me. But what sets this apart, is a catalogue of very cleverly understated references taken from many sci-fi, or superhero movies. From Star Wars to Superman, there’s hardly a film in the genre that isn’t either parodied or spoofed ingeniously...

  Will Ferrell voices Megamind our bright blue dome-headed antagonist who once delighted in being bad but now strives to be a reformed character.

  But not before he’s kidnapped the beautiful hotshot news reporter Roxanne Ritchie voiced by Tina Fey...

  Enter Brad Pitt’s Metroman, my favourite character: an arrogant, vain, quaffed high-flyer adored by his public in the Clark Kent/Superman mould...

  Complete with a hugely upbeat soundtrack with hits including Michael Jackson’s Bad, AC/DC and Elvis’s A Little Less Conversation, this is the best, most enjoyable animation of the year. Vividly colourful and endlessly inventive, this is also the first computerized feature to use 3D technology to its full potential, due to a beautifully crafted, even tactile, attention to detail.

  Hugely entertaining!

Rating: ****

Pirahna 3D Review

August 2010

Genre: Horror/Comedy/Remake

Starring: Steven R. McQueen, Jessica Szohr, Elizabeth Shue, Kelly Brook, Jerry O’Connell, Ving Rhames, Adam Scott, Richard Dreyfuss and Christopher Lloyd.

Running Time: 88 mins.

Certificate: 18.

Seen At: Parrs Wood’s Cinemas, Didsbury.

On: Thursday, 26^th August, 2010.

The deep blue sea and its inhabitants have been scaring the life out of audiences for almost four decades. This was due of course to the colossal success of the very first blockbuster, in 1975 that made holidaymakers everywhere stay out of the water – Jaws. How fitting then that the opening sequence of this latest summer 3D effects-extravaganza should feature an unsuspecting Richard Dreyfuss, sitting in a tiny fishing boat in the middle of a secluded lake...

  As you might have guessed, he doesn’t last long though. Soon, he’s descending into a whirlpool after being the latest meal to a swarming school of bloodthirsty piranhas...

   Thousands of teenagers then arrive at that very lake in question – Florida’s Lake Victoria, to party over their spring break. Needless to say, those clear-blue waters soon turn a distinct shade of red, as prey is served and predators tuck in...

  The film’s tagline ‘3D shows its teeth’ actually couldn’t be more apt – once the proper carnage really starts, these monstrous creatures of the deep really do look and feel like they’re teeth will come and devourer you up! The 3D itself is on blisteringly terrific form, using every opportunity to great effect. The actual attack scenes themselves are both exhilarating and entertaining to watch, without ever being unnecessarily brutal or gratuitously gory.

  Of course, with the effects being as seamless and superb as they are, the dialogue is often weak, clichéd, even predictable, but there’s one aspect of the script that is surprising; that is that it is just as funny as it is scary – whether you find that this is the case for the right reasons however is an open question.

The majority of roles are somewhat underdeveloped, with most performances being poorly acted, but Christopher Lloyd almost steals the show as a piranha expert.

  If the rumors are to be believed, filming has already started on a sequel to be released next November. Lloyd’s startling revelations in the  final scene certainly provide an ideal set-up for a return. For me, personally I can’t wait to see more, if only because this is so much fun to watch, as it had me screaming and laughing in equal measure – bring on the next one! Enormously entertaining!

Rating: * * * *