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Avatar - PG-13
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After years of James Cameron not gracing us with any blockbuster, it's obvious that his return would make a bang. And although people were expecting something big, no one was expecting Avatar. Not the safest choice a director could make but an interesting choice nonetheless. Cameron's Avatar really is nothing like he's done before, sure there are robots here and there but really this is new territory for the director and for such a nutty project, he does very well. Avatar demands a little time to get into it and you'll no doubt freak out a little bit after seeing the big blue version of Sigourney Weaver for the first time but eventually you'll feel engulfed in the sci-fi fantasy madness involved. Visually, Avatar will blow you away: the action sequences are breathtaking and the new settings often gorgeous to look at. It's a beautiful-looking film by any standards and deserves much praise for that. Unfortunately this is where the praise must stop. For although Cameron has succesfully brought his vision to life, he has forgotten to match the superb visuals with a decent narrative. A massive flaw which plagues the film throughout. For every cool-looking plant, there's a corny line ("I see you"), for every freaky creature, there's a cliché (nutty army guy). At first, Avatar can feel completely original but for anyone familiar with animated films of the 90's, it really isn't. Essentially, we all waited 10 years for a live-action remake of Ferngully, which had pretty much exactly the same storyline: creatures of the woods living in peace, dude comes in and becomes one of them, learns their ways, falls in love, becomes converted to the Green party, then Man comes in and knocks down their trees, the creatures stick together and fight back. Sound familiar? Visually also, Avatar owes a lot to the likes of Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke (way superior to Avatar), from which it steals many many ideas. And of course the Neytiri character is nothing more than a blue version of Disney's Pocahontas. It's a real shame that Cameron felt that the film didn't deserve anything better than a by-numbers Ferngully set-up. Had Avatar not ripped off the films mentioned above, it might just have been one of the most beautiful films ever, but of course without the rip-offs, would Avatar even exist? Overall, an uneven, flawed film (with a less-than subtle environmental message), but one which looks incredible.
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December 22, 2009
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N/A
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Legion - R
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God? Angels? What is this? lol
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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The Book of Eli - Unrated
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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It's Complicated - R
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel - PG
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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The Princess and the Frog - G
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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The Lovely Bones - PG-13
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Up in the Air - R
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Whatever Works - PG-13
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The pairing of Larry David and Woody Allen is one which feels so perfect it shouldn't even exist. And yet it does, which is very very good indeed. Similarly to how Anything Else updated Annie Hall and Match Point updated Crimes and Misdemeanors in many ways, Whatever Works could be seen as a slight update to Manhattan. Obvious parallels between the two films will spring up to anyone familiar with the director's earlier work but that doesn't stop Whatever Works from feeling fresh and working very well on its own. Larry David proves to be more than perfect for the role of Boris Yellnikov, a moody, self-proclaimed genius with a lack of patience with young chess players and a suicide-attempt track record. Evan Rachel Wood is adorable and delivers a spot-on performance all the way. A strong all around cast offers fine supports and makes Whatever Works Woody's best since Scoop or even Anything Else depending on how charmed you were by the whole Tarot-card killer thing (it was great!). Whatever Works proves once more that Allen is far from losing his touch and is still one of the best filmmakers working today. Essential viewing.
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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A Serious Man - R
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Can The Coens do no wrong? Is that possible? It certainly appears that way. A Serious Man is indeed yet another mini-masterpiece from the men behind The Big Lebowski, Fargo and countless other triumphs. After a truly perplexing opening 5 minutes, it looked like The Coens were going to really lose us on this one. But of course they were only teasing. A Serious Man is probably their most personal film and feels closer to the likes of Barton Fink than anything else they've done in the past: small, focused, stylish, incredibly clever, truly unique and of course very funny. For anyone with Jewish heritage, the film will probably feel extra-perceptive but at its core the film's ideas and messages are universal. Larry Gopnik's struggle to make sense of the unjust treatment he suddenly receives from the world around him is one which anyone can empathise with and understand. A Serious Man, like a lot of Coen Brothers films, is a bit like watching an ant struggle under a magnifying glass as the sun slowly but surely burns its body until there's nothing left. There are surprises aplenty though and The Coens have more than sadism on their minds (which is not to say they aren't sadistic). This is an engrossing, deep little gem which stays with you and teases you long after the credits have rolled. Its devastating ending will no doubt leave you frowning, with your jaw wide open, but after some thought you'll be thankful you paid good money to check out masters at work once again. Keep 'em coming boys, seriously.
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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The Descent: Part 2 - R
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Planet 51 - PG
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold - Unrated
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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Humpday - R
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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The Men Who Stare at Goats - R
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George Clooney as a wacky psychic soldier, Jeff Bridges as a stoner hippie, Kevin Spacey as their rival...The Men Who Stare at Goats sounded like the best comedy of the year by far, on paper that is. In practice, the film just never quite hits the mark somehow. None of the actors are to blame though, all of them deliver brilliantly and are perfectly cast. Unfortunately the problem lies with the script and direction, both of which are fine but unimaginative in their storytelling style. This is a film which would have been hilarious about 10 years ago but that kind of quirky style has been done and redone. It doesn't matter how many good actors you have, if the film doesn't have anything new to offer, it's just not going to work. Such a great premise, in the right hands (Coen Brothers?), would have meant comedy gold. But here, barring a few chuckles, there are just not enough laughs and not enough fresh ideas to lift The Men Who Stare at Goats from being just an average, forgettable little film. A real shame but definitely watchable if only to see the talent do what they do best.
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December 17, 2009
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N/A
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The Wild Blue Yonder - Unrated
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November 22, 2009
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N/A
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Martian Child - PG
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Martian Child has not only a great premise but a great actor to make it happen. Unfortunately the film never really takes off like it should. That said, it is pretty engaging and has a lot going for it. The Martian Child himself starts off as a complete weirdo and probably one of the creepiest characters since Heath Ledger's Joker but slowly he becomes a child you can actually feel for and almost actually like. Cusack is fine, which is slightly disappointing since we all know he's way better than most of the movies he stars in these days, which all seem to be numbered (1408, 2012?). Overall, the film itself is very watchable and moving in places but ultimately it doesn't really live up to its premise fully. Shame.
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November 10, 2009
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N/A
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WarGames (War Games) - PG
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November 5, 2009
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N/A
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Step Brothers - R
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The pairing of Ferrell and Reilly should have been comedy gold, unfortunately Step Brothers only manages comedy bronze. Having said that, Step Brothers has a lot going for it and if you allow yourself to give in to the pleasantly retarded proceedings, you'll love it. The step brothers in question clearly have a ball improvising and just being silly as they happily bring their own take on Dumb and Dumber to the 21st Century. In contrast to the chaotic buffoonery involved, Jon Brion provides a beautifully orchestrated, subtle score which manages to fit in very well even though it is somewhat out of Step Brothers' league. Overall, Step Brothers may not be the single most memorable comedy you'll ever see but it's a bunch of fun for anyone willing to shut their brain off for a couple of hours, sit back and lol.
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November 1, 2009
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N/A
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Fantastic Mr. Fox - PG
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Quirky indie king Wes Anderson takes on Roald Dahl's classic story and really makes it his own. And although fans of Dahl's will sulk grumpily by Fox and friends' Americanisation and the many changes to the story, when a film is this good...who cares? There's a myth going around which states that when adapting a book, for example, filmmakers should just stay 100% faithful and not stick any input whatsoever into the original material. This is ridiculous. Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo were all very different from their original novels but managed to be just as good in their own original way. Fantastic Mr Fox is no exception, with Wes Anderson bringing his own unique brand of style and subtle comedy to the mix to create a charming little tale which looks amazing and feels fantastic. What would have been the point to get Anderson on board as director then castrate him of his talents? A book may open the mind and get our imaginations working but in the end, a book is a bunch of two dimensional pages and there's nothing better than seeing beloved characters leap off the page and come to life. Especially when Anderson is involved.
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November 1, 2009
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N/A
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Chelovek s kino-apparatom (Man with a Movie Camera) - Unrated
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October 22, 2009
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N/A
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Snakes on a Train - R
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October 22, 2009
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N/A
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Love at First Bite - PG
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October 22, 2009
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N/A
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V - The Final Battle (MINI-SERIES) - Unrated
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October 22, 2009
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N/A
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The Letter - Unrated
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October 22, 2009
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N/A
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5674 ratings
1340 reviews
