The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan officially unveiled the title of the next Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. My initial reaction - I like it. It's simple and gives the impression that this time Batman might just have a happy ending.

I know that some people seem to be a bit put off with having The Dark Knight as part of the title again but I can certainly understand the decision. I'm sure Warner Bros. wanted to link it to such a successful film in the minds of the movie going public. What better way than to include it in the title?

July 20th 2012, can't come soon enough.

USA 2010 Holiday - Getting there [Part 1]

We (and by we, I mean mostly me) had been planning our trip Stateside for a very long time. I'd say we first discussed it two years before we finally went,  back in May 2010. We had been to the States once before for our honeymoon in 2007. It was a fantastic trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco via Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo on the Coast Starlight. We then flew to Las Vegas to finish the trip. Ever since then I had been wanting to go back to the US, this time to the East Coast. It was tough to narrow down exactly what cities we wanted to see, in what order and how long to take doing it. We decided on New York, Boston and Chicago in that order in just over two weeks. We would have spent longer and probably travelled by train from Boston to Chicago had our budget been healthier. Alas, the worldwide financial meltdown trickled its way down to us, via Government cutbacks in public spending, so a slightly compromised holiday was planned.

Our departure was scheduled for the 17th May 2010 but a few weeks prior Mount Eyjafjallajokull erupted to cause chaos over European airspace. Initially we were not that concerned as we still had a month to go before getting our flight. However, as the weeks went on it became clear that the ashcloud was a serious threat to our plans. The Friday and Saturday before our flight the skies were clear but on Sunday the ashcloud moved in. Later that night our flight was cancelled and I immediately booked us on the next flight out, Tuesday 18th May. We didn't mind missing one day but anymore and we would have had to seriously consider re-arranging everything. It turned out that the ashcloud cleared up on the 17th and the airport opened just after our flight had been due to depart. Our flight would be the last one cancelled out of Dublin Airport due to the ashcloud.

In the run up to the plane journey I had become increasingly worried about the long trip. On our last trip to the US I had felt unwell on the plane and back in December 2009 on a trip to London I didn't feel well either. There were other factors at work in both those cases that probably affected me but I was still worried nonetheless. In the end I needn't have been because I felt fine the whole journey. As an added bonus we actually got to board the plane first and get settled after my wife was picked out for a random search by Homeland Security. I had planned on watching a few movies on the onboard entertainment system, which was I must say very impressive. I soon realised that watching a movie for the first time on a plane, with the ambient noise and small screen is very difficult. I started to watch Fantastic Mr. Fox, Couples Retreat and Monsters vs. Aliens but couldn't finish any of them. It wasn't the quality of the film (well it was with Couples Retreat) but I just wasn't enjoying the movie experience. I found watching things I seen before to be much easier.

We arrived in New York's JFK Airport and after gathering our luggage we went in search of a taxi into the city. We were disappointed by the heavy rain waiting for us but got a taxi quickly enough. The journey to Manhattan felt very long, about 40 minutes I'd say. I'd say if felt longer for my wife who was car sick about 5 minutes into the journey. So my first memory of New York City was dumping a bag of vomit into a waste bin and running back to the taxi. Hopefully, not a sign of things to come I thought to myself.


Part 2

Can Inception save film in 2010?

I haven't posted anything about film on here since I started writing again. Photography and gaming posts have been the main focus recently. Truthfully, there hasn't been that much to write about as 2010 has proven to be a fairly poor year for film thus far. One suspects that we are now seeing the effect of the writers strike from 2008. Below is the list of movies that I have been to see at the cinema this year. Two things immediately strike me about the list. Firstly, it is shorter than it normally would be at this point in the year and secondly, only two films really stand out - Kick-Ass and The Road.

• Daybreakers
• The Road
• Brothers
• The Lovely Bones
• Alice in Wonderland
• Greenzone
• Kick-Ass
• Clash of the Titans
• Iron Man 2
• Robin Hood

The last film on the list was out about eight weeks ago. A very long time, for me at least, not to have been to the cinema. Now that the World Cup is over it frees up much more time but it wasn't just a time constraint that has kept me from seeing new films. It has been the lack of any film worthy of making the time to see it. Things might be about to change though, with the imminent arrival of Inception, the latest film from the superbly talented Christopher Nolan. If any one film can save this year from going down as the poorest in many, many years it is this film. The 16th of July can't arrive soon enough. In the meantime, I am going to take in Predators. Not likely to be a classic but I'm hopeful that it will be fun at least.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Review

Here is a review that I had written back in May but had forgotten to post. Better late than never I suppose. Now that a few months has passed I might be inclinded to look more critically at the film but I haven't changed the text since I wrote it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Quite a mouthful for a title but perhaps fitting for a movie that looks like it is going to generate some heated debate. Whatever way you eventually feel about the movie, it is without doubt one of, if not the biggest film event since Star Wars: Episode One back in 1999 and you owe it to yourself to see it.

I still remember going to the cinema to see Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade nineteen years ago, in the Savoy in Dublin. It is one of those memories that I will always treasure. It was a surprise trip with a group of friends. When we left the cinema we were all on a high from the movie and spent the day all wishing we could be Indiana Jones. It has been a long wait and a nervous one ever since it was confirmed that a new film was in production. There were so many questions. How would Harrison Ford cope with the physicality of the role? Can they capture the spirit of the original movies? How much influence would George Lucas have? Having seen the movie I can at least answer two of those questions positively and hey, two and out of three is not bad.

First let me say that I really enjoyed the movie. It is an action adventure movie first and foremost, I do not think it pretends to be anything other than that. As such, it has to deliver on the action front and it does - in spades. The opening action sequence immediately dispels any doubts over Fords ability to play the role. From here on in you forget that he is now much older and he is simply Indy as he was all those years ago. The action beats range from the vaguely realistic to the totally preposterous but never fail to entertain. I was particularly taken with the truck convoy chase through the jungle. I will acknowledge that it was insanely over the top and brought to mind one of the weaker effects sequences from Peter Jackson's King Kong. However, it was so much fun that you cannot help but love it all the same. Bazookas, sword fighting between vehicles, fistfights and giant ants what more can you ask for?

I was also particularly fond of the motorcycle chase from earlier in the film. It was more old school in its direction and I think you can see Dan Bradley's (stunt co-coordinator on the Bourne franchise) influence shine through in this sequence. This scene had more physicality to it, it may also be because looked to have a total absence of CG trickery. Indy being pulled from the bike into the chasing car and then fighting his way to the opposite window and climbing back on the bike is right up there in the hit list of Indy stunts. When you think of Indy climbing under the moving Nazi truck in Raiders, or Indy fighting on top of a tank in Last Crusade you can now add this sequence from Crystal Skull.

The feel of the movie really does capture the spirit of the originals. It follows the well established format set out before - the opening action sequence, the downtime when we get some heavy plot exposition and then the adventure starts and continues till the very end. The humour of the previous movies is all present and correct too. For me it is the small moments that make this movie. The 'punch Joe college' moment, the sand trap scene, the hints at past adventures they all combine to make the experience as a whole so satisfying.

I've already mentioned Ford's ability to play the role physically, but he also handles the acting side of things just fine. His comic timing is still there and he still radiates this feeling that he is the type of guy who you'd like to have as a friend. Thinking of the cast made me remember something that this movie has over the other films - a really likeable sidekick (I consider Sean Connery to be his mentor, not a sidekick). Shia LaBeouf's character Mutt is as good a sidekick your likely to get. Short Round anyone? Give me Mutt any day. I like the tough guy image he projects but you can at times see how frightened he is at the situation he has gotten himself into. The bonding scenes between LaBeouf and Ford came across as very genuine too; they are two of the better written characters. I think that Cate Blanchett does a good job with what she is given but her character is a little too one-dimensional. We do not get to know anything really about her background or motivation other than she is a loyal solider of the Soviet Union. Ray
Winstone is a good addition to the cast, always a reliable actor he does a good solid job here. Of all the actors and they are all good actors it is John Hurt who has the least to do. For such a terrific actor he is criminally underused, reduced to a silly comedy sideshow act, he is only given something relevant to say in the final two minutes.

I was really impressed with the look of the movie. It was bright and colourful and seemed to have a really crisp sheen to the whole proceedings. A lot of praise must go to Spielberg for putting all this together on film because there is a lot going on here. The plot is not exactly straightforward and there is not much time for exposition between action scenes. However, he
still finds time for some iconic shots - especially the introduction of Indy, putting on his fedora in silhouette. Sublime.

I have said a lot about the parts that pleased me but there are a few elements that left me cold. The story is perhaps one of the weaker in the series of films, although it might be stronger than Temple of Doom's. One of the questions I posed at the start of the review was how much influence George Lucas would have. Unfortunately, it appears to have been too much. I think it is safe to assume that the alien (and that is what they were, forget the "inter-dimensional beings" guff) aspects were championed by Lucas. Sorry if that is a massive spoiler but you were warned. He seems to be totally preoccupied with alien beings and he obviously is not happy with keeping it confined to the Star Wars universe and has seen fit to bring it into Indy's world. I will be interested to hear if reports come out over time of how accommodating Spielberg was to this idea. I think that the story line would have worked better if the alien aspect were expunged. They could still be looking for a crystal skull and the lost city of El Dorado. That would make an interesting film; there is no need for the skull to be alien in origin. Someone should have shown Lucas, Spielberg and Ford (for he has a lot of influence) the movie Stargate before green lighting this script.

There were some other problems, most notably the lack of a very strong baddie. I already said that Blanchett's Agent Spalko was one-dimensional and you never really get the feeling that she is capable of killing Indy. In fact, after Indy survives a nuclear explosion you get the feeling he might just be invulnerable. Although, he did drink from the cup of ever lasting life in Last Crusade so there is some justification for his amazing survival. I think the 'monkeys' scene is destined for the wrong kind of movie notoriety. And why has Karen Allen (Marianne Ravenwood) got a smile permanently on her face when faced with the certain of not just herself but her son too?

At this point you will have to forgive me if this review turns into a bit of a rant. I have heard a lot of negative comments about this latest Indiana Jones but the majority of these comments are in my opinion base on a fallacy. And that is, that the first three Indy films all contain amazingly complex and wonderful storylines, terrific character development, Oscar worthy dialogue and realistic action scenes. These are the thoughts of people who are looking back with rose tinted glasses on a series of movies that have not been in the cinema in 19 years

Let us look at the facts. Indiana Jones has never been realistic. There are so many examples to draw upon to prove this point and this needs to be proven so people can stop beating Crystal Skull with big fat fraudulent stick.

- The Ark of the Covenant contains the Wrath of God that will send forth ghosts to melt the faces of people with open eyes.
- People can live with their heart ripped out.
- Drinking from the cup of ever lasting life will give you immortality and heal gunshot wounds.
- Having a conversation with an 800-year-old knight from the Crusades is an everyday occurrence.

Suddenly having aliens in the movie does not seem all the unrealistic to me. In fact, it is in keeping with the outlandish stories of the past movies. I am always willing to listen to a point of view but some of the negativity this film is gathering could have been averted if these people had their facts straight.

I hope this review does not pigeon hole me as some kind of Indiana Jones fanboy. I would not consider myself to be such because not even I can defend Temple of Doom. However, for this movie I feel I had to voice my opinion on what I consider to be unfair criticisms. I have only seen the Crystal Skull once and have not had time yet to decide where to rank it against the other three. My first reaction is to say that Raiders and Last Crusade can rest easy but Crystal Skull will probably overtake Temple of Doom in my critical rating. The bottom line is Indiana Jones promises action adventure and you get it in the traditional spirit of the Indy movies.


****

Shoot 'Em Up - Bite-Sized Review

I watched Shoot 'Em Up tonight on Blu-ray. It is one of those rare movies that is so bad it is good. As the name suggest the whole movie is one long gun fight between Hertz (Paul Giamatti) and Mr. Smith (Clive Owen) who is protecting a new born baby and a lactating prostitute. It sounds preposterous and it is.

This film is so over the top ridiculous it makes Wanted look like an Sunday night BBC drama. Normally I like over the top movies but that is with the proviso that there is some sort of story going on in the background. This film really is the one of the best examples of style over substance. The director (Michael Davis) seems to think he can coast by on visual style, action and violence alone.

To be fair the movie does have its fair share of really quite inventive and humours moments, such as a gun fight while sky-diving, a gun fight during sex and a very original way of ending a car chase. Along with these highlights the film is peppered with a series of good one-liners. Giamatti as the villain of the piece gets all the best lines, as the villain usually does. My favourite being "Guns don't kill people! But they sure help".

I like the idea behind the movie, a pure action movie but I'd put it down as a failed experiment. It isn't without merit though and it is thankfully pretty short. I'd recommend it for action junkies.

Actually if you liked Crank you will probably like this.

**

The Golden Compass - Bite-sized Review

I just thought I'd post a few little thoughts on this film.

I never got around to seeing this film in the cinema when it came out but I've just finished watching it now. The overriding impression it has left me with is that it was a massive missed opportunity. Now I've never read the books but from the film it is obvious that there is a very detailed and well thought out universe there. The film however failed to get any of this detail across.

It felt as though the makers knew that they couldn't fit everything into this film and were determined to keep the running time under two hours. As a result the movie hurtles along at a million miles an hour, jumping from one place to another. There isn't enough time given to explain the world that these characters live in, which is a shame. Also the actors Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman whom the advertising was based around had barely any screen time. Especially Craig, who has little more than a glorified cameo.

Having said that I felt it was okay and I would be interested in seeing a sequel if it gets made. That is a pretty big if at this stage considering its box office in the US. It has certainly made me interested in reading the books though.

Another thing I have to take issue with is its win in the Best Visual Effects category at the 2008 Oscars over Transformers. The effects were impressive but nowhere near the level of Transformers that in my opinion set a new benchmark for visual f/x.

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army - Review

I very much enjoyed the first Hellboy movie. What grabbed me was the really likeable characters and their complex relationships with each other. Then there was the amazing universe that they were living in that fascinated me. While the actual plot was a little undercooked I still looked forward to a sequel to see and learn more about the characters. It has taken a while but Hellboy 2 has come along and given me exactly what I was hoping for.

I feel that the story in this movie is significantly stronger than in than in the first. The plot is introduced very cleverly by Guillermo del Toro in with a neat visual twist. The story of The Golden Army is told to a young Hellboy as a bed-time story and we see the story acted out in the same way as a young child might visualise it. The idea of this fantasy world starting an uprising against mankind is an intriguing idea and as a bonus allows some more complex ideas to enter into the story. The idea for instance that Hellboy just might be on the wrong side in this fight. After all, the humans that he protects are all scared of him while he fits right in with the creatures that he fights. The main antagonist in the movie is Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) an elf who believes that mankind has ruined this world with their greed and believes that his kind could make it a better world. Unfortunately, Nuada is not afforded enough screen time try to justify his actions. I think more could have been done with trying to get Hellboy to switch his allegiance but that is only a minor quibble.

As the story progresses from one set piece to the other, which are very enjoyable, the real joy to be found in the movie is in the bits in between. The everyday interactions between the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence (BRPD) team members in their personal and professional lives. We get a glimpse of the work that goes on at the BRPD or when we see how Hellboy and Abe like to kick back and relax. The film also takes the time to introduce new team member Johann Krauss in what turn out to be some of the best scenes in the movie. The Krauss character is an interesting new addition to the team. I found it unusual that this by-the-book uptight character would also provide some of the films funniest moments. Krauss really does steal the show in most of his early scenes. The movie is just filled with little moments that elevate this movie above most other comic action movies. From the post-mortem/interrogation of a tooth fairy, a POV shot of tooth fairies being crushed from above (just loved this moment) to a scene trying to get information from a troll. All throw away moments that might not get into the final cut of more high profile comic book movies but make this movie all that richer for having them.

It is good to see that most of the cast is back and on form for the sequel. Rupert Evans' character John Myers is missing without explanation but his character brought very little to the first film so his omission is no loss. Ron Perlman once again excels in now what is surely his signature role. He is just the ultimate tough guy hero with a range of one-liners to challenge even John McClane. Selma Blair gets more to do with Liz Sherman this time around rather than act depressed and confused like in the first film. I hope the success of this film will get her more recognition and higher profile roles. We could all do with more Selma Blair on the screen. Doug Jones' Abe Sapien gets the biggest boost in the film in terms of screen time. His character was a little under used in the first movie but here he is almost an equal player with Hellboy. Also a boost for Jones is that this time they have used his voice in the role rather than have it dubbed. I think he did a great job as Abe and as the other creatures that he performed as. In fact, his tentative relationship with Princess Nuala is one of the highlights of the movie for me.

The real star of this movie is undoubtedly director Guillermo del Toro. Justly acclaimed as a visionary director after Pan's Labyrinth he has continued on the fine work with Hellboy 2. The creatures in both films have a similar look and it isn't unrealistic to think that both films could be set in the same universe. I have to say that I like that idea very much. The worry about a movie like this is that it would become over reliant on CG. Thankfully this is not the case. Off course there is plenty of CG on screen but only where it is necessary and what is there is of a very high standard. The rest of the world is executed with a brilliant mix of makeup and practical effects. The result is astounding, especially in the Troll Market scene. I am already excited over getting the Blu-ray release to see everything again in sharper detail. It is amazing to see what del Toro can create with a relatively small budget ($72M) in comparison to say, the final scenes of Indy IV ($185M budget). The creature design is also of the highest quality. Many of them are grotesque and scary while others have a curious mix of cuteness and repulsion, the tooth fairies being a prime example. It is safe to say that The Lord of the Rings franchise is in very safe hands.

The movie has a bit of everything really - horror, fantasy, comedy, action and emotion. If you were a fan of the first movie then I'm sure you will be going to see Hellboy 2. If you haven't seen the first don't worry about not knowing the characters. This story is very self-contained with very little reference back to the first. Whatever you need to know is explained to you so there really is no excuse not to go see this movie. Now to add this to my Christmas wish list of Blu-rays.

****

The X-Files: I Want To Believe - Review

The title says it all really - I Want To Believe. I really did want to believe that this film would make up for a lacklustre series finale, get the show out to a mainstream audience again and lay the foundation to a series of movies. I did want to believe all that but now having seen the film, I know in my heart that is not going to happen. As you have probably already guessed I am a massive X-Files fan, I have been since the show first aired on TV. In fact only 18 months ago I purchased all 9 series on DVD and when I first heard that a sequel was in development I was very excited to see Mulder and Scully back in action.

The thing that had me most curious was how they were going to pick up the story again after the series finale when both Mulder and Scully were on the lam from the FBI. To be honest I'm not that impressed with the way they resolved that situation. They basically just swept the whole situation under the carpet in order to get the story moving. I can understand the decision though as it was likely made in order to try and keep things simple to try and not confuse newcomers to the X-Files.

The most enjoyable thing for me about the movie was the interaction between Mulder and Scully. The chemistry between the two in the series was always one of the most interesting aspects of the show. I was glad to see that with this movie the chemistry was still definitely there and that their relationship had developed in exactly the way I wanted to see. I've always liked David Duchovny as an actor and it was great to see him back as Mulder. The same goes for Gillian Anderson and Scully. Both actors just seemed to fall back into the groove. The casting of Billy Connolly was an interesting choice. I know that he is a good actor but he isn't really given much to do here other than look confused and/or creepy at various times.

The director Chris Carter has done a fantastic job in getting the movie to feel exactly like the series. I loved the use of the titles and the exact font from the series that is printed on screen to set the scenes, nice touch. There is also a great cameo from a past character that hits all the right nostaglic notes. I did like the fact that the movie reminded me of the show but this is also perhaps its biggest downfall. There is nothing particularly cinematic about the film at all. There are no particularly impressive sweeping shots of the locations, no big action set pieces or amazing special effects. The story is actually very underwhelming from a sci-fi/horror point of view. They also give Scully a subplot that keeps her away from most of the action. Unfortunately for me this subplot fell flat and I'd have rathered seeing Mulder and Scully working closer together for longer. If this was an episode of the show, which it could very well be then it would only rank as decent episode. It certainly isn't among the very best like Jose Chung's From Outerspace, Home or The Post Modern Prometheus.

Having underwhelmed at the boxoffice on its release in the US with a $10M haul I think it unlikely that we'll see any further adventures in cinemas. I think though that there could be a future for the X-Files as a series of direct to DVD films. I know that they did all they could to appeal to a wider audience by omitting an alien storyline and refraining from talking too much about the past but I knew that it wouldn't work. The show finished six years ago and even then it wasn't at the popular heights it had been four years earlier. In the end it is just a case of too little, too late. If your not a fan of the X-Files feel free to drop a star from my rating.

***

Iron Man - Review

** Part 1 of 2 old unpublished reviews. **

I just saw this film earlier tonight and I loved it. I was a little worried that the director, Jon Favreau might not be able to deliver on the action side of things. I'm glad to be proven wrong, and how!

This film just has so many things going for it. The action is great, the performances are for the most part great, especially Robert Downey Jnr. in the title role. It has been said in many places but he really is the right man for the role. He just brings so much charisma to it and it turns out that he can handle the action too with aplomb.

This is the first superhero movie that I have enjoyed the real life identity of the character more than the superhero. That is not to say anything bad about Iron Man himself but the character of Tony Stark is just so good. The other characters aren't really given that much to do as so much of the screen time is given over to Tony Stark's story, which is understandable considering it is an origin story.

The is perhaps the one disappointing thing about the movie. The fact that it is an origin story it spends so much of the time setting up the character that it really fails to deliver a villain to match. At least the story of how he became Iron Man is a very good one and for a change doesn't rely on some sort of weird science experiment gone wrong i.e. Hulk, Flash and others. I quite like Gweneth Paltrow but I found her presence in the movie a little strange. I guess I'm just surprised to see her in an action movie and I did find her a little unconvincing during the action scenes to be honest. Although if I was looking for a secretary I'd hire her in a flash (unless Maggie Gyllenhall was interested).

Another thing that impressed me were the effects. The use of CG was very impressive, especially in the flight scenes. The Iron Man character is one that could easily have turned out looking a bit corny but they pulled if off in style. It was also noticeable that many of the effects were physical rather than CG and I think this added considerably to the believability of the film.

I'm glad to see that it has been a smash hit on it's opening weekend at the box office. Fears of it suffering from the threat of GTA IV seem to have been misplaced. I'm glad for two reasons. Firstly, it is a triumph for the filmmakers and for the casting of RDJ. Secondly, it is a success for Marvel Studios in their first film so that means we are likely to see a sequel and other superhero movies from the studio.


I can see a parallel with the first X-Men movie. It is very enjoyable but you get the feeling that the sequel can be something really special. If you haven't seen it I recommend you do so now.

And oh yeah, it has a killer last line.

****

The Dark Knight - Review

I remember going to see Batman Begins three years ago with very low expectations, my love of the franchise having been crushed by the appalling Batman & Robin. I was shocked, relieved and delighted to find that it was an exceptionally good movie and certainly the best of the franchise. The final scene at the end of the movie that setup a sequel left me giddy with excitment for the next film. It has been a very long three year wait. My excitement for The Dark Knight was further heightened with all the fabulous pre-release promotional material. I mean seriously, everyone of those posters was cool. It must be a year now since the first material started to surface and this long build up, followed by a fantastic trailer and growing media hype had started to get me a little worried that I might be left disappointed. After all we'd been burned before with the likes of the Star Wars prequels. It turns out thatI need not have worried.

So how good is it? For me it is easily the best film of 2008. Also for me the best comic book movie thus far. Is it my favourite ever movie? I will delay that decision till I see it again but it is certainly in my top three favourite movies. It isn't one particular aspect of the film that has impressed me so much. Whereas in a film like Wanted I was so impressed with the visual style and action sequences for the most part, in The Dark Knight it is every aspect of what makes a movie that I am impressed with. The story, the dialogue, action set-pieces, acting performances, the score and the cinematography.

The story in the film is superb and it is simply far beyond anything that has been attempted in the comic book movie genre before. It is more complex and intelligent than going the route of so many other comic movies of having the hero face-off against a villain and throwing in some personal issues. This film is about so much more than Batman and the Joker. This is about a city trying to fight back against the power of the mob and questioning whether they are right to let a vigilante solve their problems. There are parts of the story that would work just as well in a crime movie with Batman and the Joker removed from the story. If I had to compare this film to another I would say it is resembles Heat. The plot also managed to surprise me a few times too. The supposed death of Jim Gordon was shocking, I simply couldn't believe they'd killed off a key character. Then there was the fate of Rachel Dawes. I knew the film was going to be dark but I didn't think it was going to be relentlessly so.

The performances in the film were universally excellent. Bale once again excelled as both Wayne and Batman. I think his portrayal of Bruce Wayne the billionaire playboy is fascinating. Your not supposed to find him likeable unlike other takes on Wayne character but you do really like him when he can act like himself around those who know him best, i.e. Alfred, Fox and Rachel. Bale pulls of the duality of the role with great skill. It might be lazy to say it but Aaron Eckhart was born to play a role in a comic book film, I mean just look at the guys square jaw. It is straight out of Batman the Animated Series. His performance as Harvey Dent was great as he managed to make a character so idealistic very likeable and he also makes for a very angry Two Face. (I thought the Two Face effect was superb and worked seamlessly so I don't agree with a complaint I heard that makeup would have been more effective than the visual effect used.) As for Gary Oldman I seriously think he isn't getting enough credit for his role. No longer a peripheral figure he was one of the most important characters in the movie. I really enjoyed seeing Maggie Gyllenhaal play Rachel Dawes as she did a far better job than Katie Holmes. It is much easier to believe that this character is someone important because when Holmes was playing the role she seemed too young to be in such a position of responsibility. Add in her superior acting qualities too and plus it doesn't hurt that Gyllenhaal is the sexiest woman in Hollywood.

It is impossible to talk about this film for long without getting to Heath Ledger and the Joker. I, like a lot of people thought he was a strange choice for the role but I had faith in Nolan's decision. He has certainly been proved correct. I think Ledgers portrayal of the Joker is now the definitive version, far better in my opinion than the more comic interpretation by Jack Nicholson. Ledger's Joker is so dangerous and menacing in a way that the Joker has never been before on screen. The Joker is now unequivocally a terrorist, it's a far cry from Cesar Romero camp turn as the Joker in the 1960's TV series or Burton's imagining. The Sophie's Choice style plans that he hatches and executes with no sign of humanity make him the best villian to appear on screen in a long, long time. The Joker also gets all the best bits in the film; the disappearing pencil trick, egging on the cop in the interrogation room or leaning out of the police car like dog after escaping from the MCU building.

I nearly forgot to talk about the fantastic score for this film. It isn't surprising that it is so great considering that they managed to get two heavy-weight composers onboard to collaborate on the film. Hans Zimmer (Black Hawk Down, Gladiator) and James Newton Howard (The Sixth Sense, The Fugitive) don't bombard the audience with an overwhelming score that you might expect when two composers want to get their music on film. In fact for some stretches of the film there is very little music, take for instance the opening shot of the Bat symbol shot against a vibrant blue flame. A very striking image but it is totally silent. A bold choice but it works, while other musical cues reminded me of There Will Be Blood.

For a film of this length it is important to get the pacing right and it is. It has a number of great action sequences dotted throughout the film with the standout Batbike scene at about the halfway point. I must also give the superb sequence set in Hong Kong a special mention. I'm sure this sequence if viewed in an IMAX screening would be breathtaking. Plus who didn't think the skyhook concept was cool? In between there is a lot of plot to get through and character development that never threatens to bore. Having said that this Batman film may not be for younger children as they might be confused and/or bored with the plot. I find a lot of people are praising this film because it is so dark. I don't necessarily agree with the idea that because they've made a comic book film dark that it naturally makes it better. I enjoyed the first Spider-man movie fine and it is the exact tonal opposite of this film.

I don't think one can underestimate the brilliance of director Christopher Nolan in crafting a film of this quality. I mean just look at where he has taken this character in the space of only two films since Batman & Robin. It was good to see to that he has gotten more comfortable in filming the fight scenes. It is easier to understand what is happening as they are less frantically cut than was the case in Batman Begins. Perhaps my favourite sequence in the movie is the one in which the the police commissioner and the judge are assassinated and the Joker crashes Bruce Wayne's fund raiser. The whole sequence is cut so well that the tension just keeps building and building and it is almost a relief when the Joker finally enters the party. All credit must go to Nolan and his editor for cutting that scene together so well. With all the talk being of Ledger getting a posthumous Oscar nomination, I'd like to see some Oscar recognition for Nolan and for the film as a whole.

2009 Best Picture? I don't see why not.

*****

Wanted - Review

*** This discussion contains spoilers. ***

It is hard to know where to start with this discussion of Wanted as I was so totally blown away by how awesome this movie is. I am totally serious when I say that this type of movie just reminds me of why I love cinema so much. Suspend your disbelief for 120 minutes and sit back and watch the most amazing visuals you are likely to see on screen this year, video game included.

Generally speaking movies like this don't exactly live or die by their storylines and this film is no different. We all know from the ads that this movie is being sold on the promise of amazing action and the presence of Angelina Jolie. The plot concerns a secret society of assassins, The Fraternity who use assassination as a means of keeping humanity in check. When one of there number turns renegade the group recruit Wesley (McAvoy) the son of a fallen Fraternity member to avenge his fathers death and kill the renegade assassin. The story is better than I thought and it does a good job of providing plenty of scope for those promised action set pieces. The most pleasant aspect of the story is that it isn't as predicable as you might expect, at least it wasn't for me.

Simply put this is the best action movie of the year thus far. Perhaps a little disclaimer is warranted though, as you will need to check your cynicism at the door. If you like your action realistic then stick with Jason Bourne as the action in this movie harks back to it's comic book origins. Right from the first scene the action is in high gear as we get the Fraternity's top assassin jump from one skyscraper to another, shooting bad guys on the way. This is a film that doesn't try to hide from is silliness, rather it embraces and runs with it. The action does let up as we are introduced to McAvoy in a sequence that reminded me very much of Fight Club. The action soon kicks into high gear again and never lets up.

Of course we have seen plenty of action movies in recent years with tons and tons of action, like Die Hard 4.0 for instance. What sets Wanted apart from the crowd is the inventiveness of the set pieces and the unique visual touches. Indeed, the keyword for Wanted is inventiveness. We've all seen drive-by shootings, but have we seen one where a one car is flipped over the other so the shooter can shoot though the open sunroof to bypass the bullet proof glass? There is the breathtaking set piece with a train/car/bridge mashup. There is a refreshing disregard for the safety of innocent bystanders too, just check out the aforementioned train sequence for proof. The violence is also pretty graphic for a mainstream blockbuster, with a rather large helping of onscreen blood. To counter the graphic nature of the violence the film also boasts some strong humorous moments. A personal favourite is the scene where McAvoy smashes a keyboard over his friends face only for the keys 'F','U','C','K','Y','O','U' to fly past the screen. Or the running joke about 'who's the man?' that has a wonderful payoff, with Jolie at her absolute sexiest.

The actors in this movie are all extremely well cast and deliver top performances. Angelina Jolie may be third billed but she steals the show in every scene she is in. This is the best performance I've seen her give in any of her big action roles. She manages to portray a mix of uber cool, sexiness and menace with consummate ease. You will wish she had more screen time. This is the first movie I've seen James McAvoy in and he certainly showed here that he has real star potential. His character starts off as a pathetic, whinging nobody but ends up as a super cool, confident and extremely dangerous killer. Probably not the easiest character arc to pull off but McAvoy manages it convincingly as he does with the more physical set pieces. The real star of the piece however is Russian director Timur Bekmambetov. I remember seeing his Russian language film Nightwatch a few years ago and being amazed by it. It was like a Matrix meets Underworld hybrid and the story was as confusing as that sounds but the inventiveness of the action scenes is what amazed. In Wanted he has managed to meld his visual flourishes with a Hollywood blockbuster budget to bring us something special. I can't think of any director currently working in Hollywood (possibly bar Guillermo del Toro) that has such style.

The soundtrack in th movie is another thing that I was highly impressed by. The rock style songs that they went with match up perfectly with the onscreen action beats and helps to build the excitement level higher for the audience. I must mention the best use of the song 'Time to Say Goodbye' yet seen on film. In fact I was so taken with the title track, 'The Little Things' that I want to buy it, so I Google'd the song. I was stunned to discover that Danny Elfman provided the music to this movie. Everyone knows Elfman as Tim Burtonsgo to guy for his movies, or as the creator of The Simpsons theme tune but I never associated him with a rock sound. Furthermore, it is Elfman himself who lends his vocals to the title track. Surprised is not the word, although I have learned that he provided the singing vocals for Jack Skellington so perhaps I shouldn't have been. I think I'll be taking a trip to the iTunes store later today.

I said already that this is the best action movie of 2008. I would go as far as to say it is the best since The Matrix. I do not like to make a lazy comparison to The Matrix but it surely owes a debt to that film in there use of slowing down time but understand that Wanted is no mere copycat. It doesn't do just want has been done before, it takes everything to a new level. Having given it all this praise I do want this movie to be a one-off. I don't want a sequel, for it can only diminish what has been created in this film. Also I don't want to see a poor licensed video game as no console could do this game justice. If you like action, humour and want to see a director with new ideas then check out Wanted as soon as possible. Oh, and the last line's a killer.

****

The Challenge – Update 10 (J’s)

So 31 films mined from the letter J. It is actually more than I thought I would find. From this small list there is a couple of contenders for the top movie. I think JFK is a wonderful movie but I have to give top marks to Jaws. Usually credited as the first moder summer blockbuster the film still stands up today and I always enjoy it when I catch it on TV. I actually keep meaning to buy the 30th Anniversary DVD. There isn't really much else from this category worth a mention. Apart perhaps from Juno, if you haven't seen it you really should do so.

The worst film I've seen beginning with J - Jaws IV: The Revenge deserves a mention but I think it falls into the "so bad, it's good" territory.

Current Count: 579

There Will Be Blood

I saw There Will Be Blood on Friday night. I had wanted to see the film for a while but I had been putting off going to see it. It just looked so heavy and I knew that it was a difficult film with a very long running time. Now, a long film doesn't both me but only if it is good. If a film is good then the longer the better. To say that this film is good is a serious understatement. When I got out of the cinema I knew that I liked it but wasn't sure to what extent. It was only when I started thinking about this review that I realised just how good it really is.

I do believe that I have seen a brilliant piece of work. A work of genius perhaps. It had everything from wonderful direction, beautiful cinematography, the amazing score (superb work from Jonny Greenwood), great performances and a very intriguing story. I was aware while watching the film that even over an hour into the film I was still unsure of where the story was going. Then even when it came to the end I was surprised at where it finished up. Surprisingly there were a couple of moments in the film that got the audience laughing out loud. Though I do think that in one instance it was probably not the intention of the film-makers.

It is a very long film but at no point did I notice the time going by. I just wanted to see what was coming next. I have to comment on the mood in the film. The director Paul T. Anderson (PTA) used the score and the look of the film to create a true sense of dread through parts of the film. At least that is how I felt while watching. Also the bravery of the director for opening the film with a near twenty minute stretch with no dialogue is to be applauded.

Having seen the film now I can agree that Daniel Day-Lewis was good value for his Oscar win. Some people have claimed he is overacting but I disagree strongly. Yes, it is a loud performance but that is the character he was playing, he needed to be that over the top. Having said that I would still have preferred to have seen Viggo Mortensen win best actor.

I think that PTA should have been honoured as best director at the Oscars. I just feel that the work done was more impressive in that he gave the film a totally unique look. There is a very high chance you will not have seen another film that looks like this. (No disrespect to the Coen Brothers though as I loved No Country for Old Men). Just another point about the Oscars. The score by Jonny Greenwood was disqualified and that is a tragedy. It does sound similar to some Radiohead music understandably and that for me is a major plus point.

I noticed a few people in the cinema left at around the two hour mark. That is something I just don't understand. They give the movie two hours and then leave? Why not stay for the final part rather than have the first two hours go to waste?

I would thoroughly recommend the film to anyone who has had their fill of blockbuster superhero movies for the moment.

Those Oscar nominations

The Oscar nominations went out today. I'd like to write up some of my thoughts on the nominations but due to releasing schedules between the US and Ireland some of the contenders have yet to open here. There Will Be Blood, Juno, Sweeney Todd and In The Valley of Elah have not yet been released. I was actually due to see No Country for Old Men tonight but alas that was not to be. I'll see it tomorrow hopefully. So unfortunately I won't be able to comment as fully as I'd like. Maybe I'll see some more contenders before the actual ceremony (if there is one).

Best Film
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

I've only seen Michael Clayton and I am actually surprised it got as many nominations as it did. It was a good story, well acted and had a superb ending but I felt it was slow and rather dull at times. I expect to see Old Country... and There Will... soon enough. Best director is a similar story as all the directors of the best film nominations got nominated themselves.

Best Actor
George Clooney
Daniel-Day Lewis
Johnny Deep
Tommy Lee Jones
Viggo Mortensen

I've seen two of these performances Clooney and Mortensen. I did like Clooney's turn as Michael Clayton, he is still a likeable character even though he was playing a character who wasn't really all that likeable. Mortensen though deserves to be given the Oscar. He was tremedous as the Russian mob guy. The accent, the presence and the charm. In fact, he should be given it just for the naked bath house scene alone. Talk about acting above and beyond the call of duty.

Unfortunately there really is no point in continuing as I have yet to see any of the films where the best actresses have been nominated. It appears that Ellen Page has come a long way from X-Men III. Best supporting actor / actress is the same again.

In a more technical category I expect Transformers to get the award for special effects. They really deserve recognition for bringing CGI images up to near photo realistic quality. Not to disparage Pirates III as I did leave the cinema thinking, 'wow' they are very impressive effects. Particularly the facial animation on Davy Jones but most of those effects were pioneered last year. I would have liked to have seen some recognition for The Bourne Ultimatum. I know some people will say it is merely an action movie but that is to do it a massive disservice. Not only did it bring a quality franchise to a very satisfying conclusion but it ended it on a high note. I feel that director Paul Greengrass should have been nominated for best director. He certainly put his own distinctive look on the franchise upon taking over from Doug Liman. He carried this look over to the third movie and perfected it. Nobody does shaky-cam like Greengrass. Also his narrative instincts were shown to superb by taking the risk of splitting the chronology of Supremacy and Ultimatum, then trusting the audience to figure it out for themselves. That is enough ranting about that oversight.

Another other film I expected to get some nominations was American Gangster. I really enjoyed the movie but I felt that it didn't quite have the quality to be win best picture but I did expect it to be nominated. I've just realised that Zodiac has also been shown no love by the Academy. It was similar to Michael Clayton in that it has been described as dull but it was the subject matter that really grabs you. The attention to detail in the movie is astounding and the acting was also of the highest quality. Although I had some reservations about Jake Gyllenhaal, not his performance so much but rather his presence in the role. I think the movie should at least have been given some writing nominations.

One thing I would really like to see is our release schedules come more inline with those in the US. We get the big blockbusters the same day but it would be nice to start seeing the smaller more award friendly movies be the same.

The Challenge – Update 4 (C’s)

Another letter has fallen by the wayside and it has yielded another 79 movies to add to the growing list. The thing that has immediately struck me about this selection of movies is how none of them are standing out as obvious classics. I know Chinatown is in there but it is so long since I've seen it I would like to revisit it again before agreeing with with the general consensus on that one. The one I will pick as my favourite is City of God. It is a truly brilliant film with a terrifying villain all the more so given the young age of the character, indeed all the characters bar the sympathetic bus driver.

Other films of note include Collateral (more Cruise quality), Con Air (I like a good action movie) and Casino Royale. At the other end of the spectrum I'll give a shout out to Conan the Destroyer. What a boring movie that was.

A special mention to The Count of Monte Cristo. Sometimes a film comes along that surpasses all expectations. I had none for this movie but it is a great little movie and I always recommend it to people. So if you haven't seen it make sure you do. This is the Kevin Reynolds version to be exact.

Films to see: The Contender

Current count: 251

Popped the HD cherry

Was playing some Call of Duty 4 a little earlier and after being sniped yet again I decided to give it a break (after another promotion though).

So I switch off and switch over to the TV. I see that Star Trek: Insurrection is on Sky One but at the top of the screen is a message that they are broadcasting in HD. It is the first movie I've watched in HD on the new TV and it looked pretty damn great.

Shame about the movie though, one of the worst of the Next Generation series.

The Challenge – Update 3 (B’s)

Another letter down and just twenty-four letters left to go. The letter B has provided me with another 88 movies to add to my list. If the current rate keeps up I won’t need to go through the whole alphabet to find my 1001 movies.

So you ask, has the letter B provided any interesting movies? It has thrown up a total of five franchise movies – Batman, Bourne, Blade, Beverly Hills Cop and Back to the Future. So of the best movies there excluding those franchise movies include The Big Lebowski (my favourite Coen Brothers movie, yet to see No Country for Old Men), Boogie Nights (the best P.T.A. movie too) and Breathless but for far less artistic reasons than the previous two movies.

An interesting movie here for me is The Boys from Brazil. It isn’t that this is a good film by any means but it took me ages to get a chance to see it. I had heard the gist of the story and was fascinated but the film was a big let down. Although, it does feature 1980’s superstar Steve Guttenburg.

Films to see: Blood Simple, Born on the Fourth of July

Current count: 172

The Challenge – Update 2 (A’s)

So here we are again for another update on the (stupid?) challenge I set myself. I have now finished going through the movies starting with the letter A. I came up with the surprisingly low number of 67 movies that I seen from this section. The list that I am using looks to be very comprehensive though. I just expected a higher number. It is possible that I’m looking through titles that just don’t spark a memory for me but if that is the case I would say the number is very few indeed.

It would be very hard to pick a favourite movie from this section as it contains the Alien quadrology (is that a word yet?) and Air Force One. It also has a few animated films that I saw as a child. Who else remembers Fievel? There is also the vastly overrated film All The Presidents Men. At least in my opinion.

It is funny that one of the movies listed here, Paul Hogan’s Almost An Angel is in this list. It's funny because the person in work who says you can’t see 1001 movies has this film listed as the worst of all time. Anyway, now it is onto the letter B.

Films to see: Amadeus

Current count: 84

The Challenge – Update 1 (#)

This is the first update on my challenge to identify 1001 movies that I’ve seen. So from the symbols section of the list on Boxoffice Mojo I have seen seventeen movies. There are actually far less movies than I would have expected to appear in this section, which is good because it makes the first update rather easy. Of the seventeen movies listed here I can pick an easy favourite - 12 Monkeys. A science fiction movie and a true classic of the genre, starring Bruce Willis and Madeleine Stowe. I saw this in the cinema with a friend and I still remember that when we emerged from the cinema we were just both stunned by it. I still watch it whenever it pops up on TV.

Other notables movies include 3:10 to Yuma, 300 and 28 Days Later. At the other end of the scale is 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag – a dire Joe Pecsi film.

Films to see: 25^th Hour

Current count: 17

The Challenge

At the office Christmas party a book entitled "1001 movies to see before you die" was presented as a Kris Kindle present. This sparked a conversation at our table about whether or not it was possible to see 1001 movies in your life without sitting down and watching one movie after another, but rather watching them at a reasonable rate.

Now I contend that 1001 movies is not an unreasonable number of movies to see in ones lifetime. Especially considering that 73 years is considered to be the average lifespan of an Irish male. So I've gotten it into my mind to try to prove myself correct.

I don't know what is compelling me to do this as it could be a big undertaking and I'll probably get fed up long before even the halfway point. Is there any rational for this? I suppose I'm interested to see roughly how many movies I have seen or I'm just dedicating some creative juices to the wrong task. To start this I have to lay some rules.

Firstly, I need to find a comprehensive list of movies that are out there. To this end I'm going to enlist the help of a popular online box office website called boxofficemojo.com. This site contains a listing of over 9,000 movies, arranged helpfully in alphabetical order. I like this list for two reasons. One it has enough movies to help me reach the magical number and secondly it contains movies released at the US box office. The latter point would make me believe I'm looking at a list of fairly mainstream movies, which I am not ashamed to admit is my meat and drink.

It will be interesting to go through the list and to try to remember something about the movie such as whether I saw it, my opinion of it, the cast or any interesting trivia. I will probably find myself looking up the bible (imdb.com) quite a lot.

I realise that this could turn into a rather large list, well potentially a list 1001 entries long. That kind of list is just too long to go into detail in this blog. So I intend to write periodic updates on this. I will be keeping a list of movies I've seen and I will link to it but I doubt anyone will be interested. In fact I doubt anyone has any interest in this blog at all. Anyway, I'll continue on with this madness until I get bored, forget about it entirely or finish it. For those movies I come across that I do find interesting I'm sure I'll talk about them in my updates.


I'm just thinking now to myself what is it exactly that I want to gain from this. Firstly, that I'm right about the amount of movies the average person can consume in their life. Secondly, it will give me a chance to get a list together of movies that I haven't seen but that I really should get around to. I'll have to remind myself to post about those movies that I need to see at the end of all this.

I will be starting off with the film titles starting with a number or symbol, the list of these is here. The actual list of movies can be found here.