Posted on August 9, 2012 by Darren
The biggest problem with Shrek the Third is arguably reflected in its lead character. Despite producing two sequels, making a boatload of money and establishing a massively iconic franchise, it seems like the creators are unwilling to accept their changed reality. Much like the title character refuses to adapt to his new-found circumstances, and the possibility that he will become a father, Shrek the Third refuses to admit that it has essentially become the fairy-tale establishment that it so sorely ridiculed and mocked. The wry and subversive take of fairy tales championed by the original Shrek is no longer on the outside looking in, but on the inside looking out. Shrek the Thirdjust stubbornly refuses to accept that.
Has the franchise lost direction?
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: animation, arts, cameron diaz, Donkey, eddie murphy, Fairy tale, Fiona, List of Shrek characters, Lord Farquaad, Mike Myers, Movie, Ogre, Prince Charming, Princess Fiona, shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek Series, Shrek the Third, snow white, tangled, The Walt Disney Company | 4 Comments »
Posted on August 8, 2012 by Darren
Julius Caesar is a very ropey production. Produced by Commonwealth United Entertainment and American International Pictures, it doesn’t stand up as an enduring adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy. While quite a few of the essential ingredients are lacking, Charlton Heston actually does a fairly good job as Marc Anthony – it’s just that he’s never quite as good as Marlon Brando had been in the role back in 1953. On the other hand, Jason Robards is woefully miscast as Brutus, transforming “noble Brutus” from the most honest man in Rome to the most sinister of assassins. The production values are fairly decent, but Julius Caesar perhaps provides evidence that these sorts of historical epics were already on the way out by the start of the 1970s.
Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Lend my your expensive set designers!
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Antonius, Brutus, Caesar, film, Gregory Doran, Jason Robards, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, michael gough, Movies, non-review review, Paterson Joseph, review, simba, William Shakespeare | 4 Comments »
Posted on August 7, 2012 by Darren
The premise of Justice (or Seeking Justice, as it is named in the States) is not fundamentally unworkable. The basic plot seems almost like an affectionate homage to Hitchcock, with people essentially trading motivations for murder, with a mysterious organisation (known as “the Organisation”) offering people a chance for revenge against the person who hurt them – but with a caveat. If they do you a favour, you will have to do them a favour later on. It’s not a bad premise for a revenge thriller, but the problem with Justiceis that it takes itself far too serious, and expects us to do the same. What could have been a cheesy-yet-enjoyable thriller becomes an overly long and self-important waste of time.
Cage rage!
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: arts, business, Business and Economy, Coca-Cola, film, Food and Drink, Guy Pearce, Harold Perrineau, Hurricane Katrina, January Jones, Jennifer Carpenter, Manufacturing, Movie, New Orleans, nicolas cage, non-review review, Opportunities, Pearce, review, Seeking Justice, Simon, Supplies and Equipment, Vending, Vending machine, Will, Will Gerard | 4 Comments »
Posted on August 7, 2012 by Darren
The first Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes was a pulpy pleasure, an enjoyable steampunk occult mystery with a casual sense of fun and two solid central performances with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson respectively. Unfortunately, the sequel, A Game of Shadows, doesn’t seem to be quite as much fun. It seems to lack the pulpy edge of its predecessor, perhaps taking itself a bit too seriously at times. The are moments when Ritchie seems to get into the swing of things, and Downey Jr. and Law work as well together as ever, but A Game of Shadowsdoesn’t quite feel like the ideal spectator sport.
He bought, hook, line and sinker!
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Doctor Watson, film, jared harris, jude law, moriarty, non-review review, Noomi Rapace, professor moriarty, review, robert downey jr, sherlock holmes, sherlock holmes: a game of shadows, watson | 2 Comments »
Posted on August 3, 2012 by Darren
I actually quite enjoyed Jonathan Demme’s 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate, even if it seems to lack the same clear political bite of the novel and original film version of the tale. In many respects, Demme’s film adaptation is a triumph of atmosphere, featuring a superb cast and a perpetual sense of uncertainty. While its politics seem a bit less provocative and engaging than the source material, Demme is still a superb film maker. There’s a wonderful sense of unease and discomfort that seems to pervade every frame of the film, with the politics of the movie perhaps the only facet that is never unclear.
The naked truth…
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Abraham Lincoln, California, Demme, Democratic Party, film, Filmmaking, Gulf War, Jonathan Demme, Jude Ciccolella, Kuwait, Manchurian Candidate, Marco, Movie, nixon, non-review review, review, richard nixon, Senate, silence of the lambs, Simon McBurney, United States | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 3, 2012 by Darren
Rampart features a powerhouse central performance from Woody Harrelson as corrupt Los Angeles Police Officer Dave Brown. Harrelson manages to take a character who should be (and is) reprehensible, and yet manages to imbue him with the faintest sense of tragedy. However, the problem is the movie that takes place around Brown. Brown’s story is an inherently tragic one, a relic of a by-gone era trapped in his own self-destructive pattern. He’s not dynamic or proactive, and so reacts to the world around him. While director Oren Moverman populates the film with any number of iconic and recognisable character actors, the film can’t help but feel a lot too sterile, a little too inert. We’ve seen this story before, and while Harrelson’s performance is compelling, the film around him is not.
He’s got this police thing working gangbusters for him…
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Brown, California, Counties, film, Harrelson, los angeles, Los Angeles Police Department, Movie, non-review review, Oren Moverman, Rampart, review, sigourney weaver, steve buscemi, United States, woody harrelson | 5 Comments »
Posted on August 1, 2012 by Darren
Ted is an impressive directorial debut from Seth McFarlane, the creator and star of Family Guy. Those familiar with McFarlane’s work will know what to expect from Ted. It’s loud, it’s crude, it’s full of retro pop culture references, but it’s also constructed with almost surreal innocence and earnestness. McFarlane can be brutal at times, and he does make a few cheap shots here or there over the course of Ted. (Take that, Justin Beiber! Take that, Brandon Routh!) However, for the most part, the film actually does a remarkable job of balancing its crass in-your-face offensiveness with a weird emotional warmth. At it’s heart, Ted is still the story of a boy and his teddy bear. It just so happens to be a really messed up teddy bear.
Bear with me…
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: adam sandler, brandon routh, family guy, film, John, Lori, mark wahlberg, McFarlane, mila kunis, non-review review, Peter Griffin, popular culture, review, Seth MacFarlane, Seth McFarlane, TED, Teddy bear, will ferrell | 2 Comments »
Posted on August 1, 2012 by Darren
Magic Mike has a lightness of touch that’s been missing from a lot of Steven Soderbergh’s recent work. It’s nowhere near as ambitious as Contagion was, but that isn’t necessary a bad thing from the perspective of the film about male stripper living a rock and roll lifestyle. While Magic Mike won’t get any marks for originality, it does manage to feature two impressive performances and has a refreshing sense of “fun”about it. It a solidly entertaining and diverting piece of entertainment, executed with considerable skill that helps distract from its relatively conventional nature.
It’s getting hot in here…
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: 21 Jump Street, Alex Pettyfer, Channing Tatum, Cody Horn, Contagion, Dallas, film, Magic Mike, Male stripper, Matthew McConaughey, Mike, Movie, non-review review, review, Steven Soderbergh | 2 Comments »
Posted on July 30, 2012 by Darren
Part of me wonders how far you can stretch a particular concept. I’m a big fan of the original Paranormal Activity, and I think it’s fair to argue that it was a massive game-changer for low-budget horror, somehow finding a novel twist on the “found footage” genre. However, there’s only so many times a particular trick will work. Paranormal Activity 3 works a lot better than Paranormal Activity 2 ever did, even if it comes with its own set of problems and its own diminishing returns.
Putting this spectre to bed…
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: arts, Camera, Dana Scully, Dennis, Equipment and Services, ghosts, Imaginary friend, Oren Peli, Paranormal, paranormal activity, Paranormal Activity 3, Photography, Randy, Shopping, Video camera | 5 Comments »
Posted on July 29, 2012 by Darren
Brave is certainly a significant improvement upon Cars 2, even if it doesn’t necessarily measure up the finest films in the Pixar stable. Part of the problem is the sense that, for the first time, the studio is telling a story that isn’t really their own. I know that particular films in the studio’s history owe a great deal to certain influences (The Incredibles to The Fantastic Four, for example), but Brave really feels like the studio is very much trying to put its own take on the conventional “Disney Princess” movie. While the results are certainly interesting, it never feels like Braveis entirely comfortable with itself. While the film is, technically speaking, quite impressive, it does feel like it never quite strikes the right balance.
The right to bear arms…
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: animation, arts, Brave, Cars 2, disney, Disney Princess, emma thompson, fantastic four, film, incredibles, John Ratzenberger, Kelly Macdonald, Little Mermaid, Merida, Movie, non-review review, pixar, review, Scotland, The Walt Disney Company, toy story, wall-e, Walt Disney Company | 10 Comments »
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