Posted on August 10, 2011 by Darren
I really enjoyed Bolt. Being entirely honest, Disney’s track record with its own CGI was hardly encouraging, with Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons hardly measuring up to the work of the company’s other animation division. Bolt might not be quite as good as Tangled, but – at its very best – it manages to hit on those big, shared emotions and themes that have helped Pixar set the standard for modern animation. For most of its run, it’s a solidly entertaining and diverting family film, but it also has moments of powerful emotional connection.
His bark's worse than his bite...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: animation, arts, Bolt, cgi, Chicken Little, Ellen DeGeneres, films, finding nemo, john travolta, Meet the Robinsons, Movies, non-review review, review, Susie Essman | 3 Comments »
Posted on August 9, 2011 by Darren
The wonderful folks over at the Jameson Cult Film Club were polite enough to sneak me into their screening of Snatch. It was my first time attending a screening organised by the team, and I was genuinely impressed. seriously, if you live in Ireland and are a film buff, do yourself a favour and pop over to sign on up. They transformed the Tivoli Theatre into a series of sets from the film, with an open trailer park out the back, a boxing ring inside and lovely bit of flavour throughout. It really was a fantastic evening, and the crew deserve a huge amount of kudos for pulling it off in such style. Hell, they even got actors impersonating the characters to introduce the film, with a Brad Pitt impersonator telling us to turn off our phones with the help of subtitles. I honestly think it might be the closest I’ve ever been to living inside a film, and I’ve been to Disneyland.
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: angelina jolie, brad pitt, christopher walken, cockney, Disneyland, film, films, guy ritchie, Ireland, jameson, jameson cult film club, Jason Statham, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Movies, non-review review, Rade Šerbedžija, review, Snatch, Vinnie Jones | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 8, 2011 by Darren
Why would have thought that a monkey rebellion could be the stuff of great tragedy? That, in a Simian revolt, we may yet see the best and the worst of ourselves reflected back? The leading monkey of the piece is named for Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, but its to the credit of Rise of the Planet of the Apes that it evokes a wonderfully powerful observation repeated many times throughout both history and fiction, perhaps best articulated by Ghandi, “We are the architects of our future, not its victims.” I think we’ve come a long way in how we use computer-generated imagery in cinema, and I would suggest that Rise of the Planet of the Apes stands as something of a signpost. For the CGI Caesar stands as one of the most tragic and compelling protagonists of the year, in a film that manages to cut to the heart of a franchise in the way that decades of sequels and prequels and a remake could only dream of. It’s undoubtedly the best film to include the words “Planet” and “Apes”in the title since Charleton Heston had a mental breakdown on a beach.
I don't have no time for no monkey business...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Alzheimer's disease, andy serkis, Charlton Heston, films, Human, James Franco, Julius Caesar, Movies, non-review review, planet of the apes, review, Rupert Wyatt, the planet of the apes | 2 Comments »
Posted on August 5, 2011 by Darren
There’s Something About Mary is easily one of my favourite comedies of all time. I don’t like to think I’m especially crass or low-brow, and I don’t have much love for the work of the Farrelly Brothers outside this film (though Dumb and Dumber was charming while Kingpinwasn’t all bad). However, there’s just something so wonderfully chaotic and random about the wit on display in the film, which manages to encompass old-fashioned physical slapstick, situation comedy, grossout humour, character-based laughs and all manner of subversive charm. All those elements and styles are at play in the film, under the watchful eye of the Farrelly Brothers conducting: they know it would be too easy to hit a bum note, but instead they manage to keep pretty much everything playing in symphony.
Had me hooked from the start...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: ben stiller, Casey Affleck, eddie murphy, Farrelly Brothers, film, Jonathan Richman, Matt Dillon, Movie, non-review review, review, Sarah Silverman, There's Something About Mary, Tower Heist | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 4, 2011 by Darren
The real problem with Dinner for Schmucks is that it’s not really that funny. I can talk for quite a while (and probably will) about how the movie takes all the flaws with unsympathetic comedic protagonists demonstrated by films like Due Date and turns them up to eleven, but that will ignore the fact that the laughs in the film are relatively few and far between, which is a shame when one considers the sheer volume of talent involved. Paul Rudd, in particular, is a talented and charismatic actor who really needs to make better choices in films.
No funny business...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: bruce greenwood, Charlie Day, Dinner for Schmucks, films, Hangover, Horrible Bosses, Morgan Freeman, Movies, non-review review, paul rudd, review, Steve Carell, Zach Galifianakis | 5 Comments »
Posted on August 3, 2011 by Darren
I’m going to level with you up front. I was born in the late eighties, so – in ways – I’m a child of the nineties. I grew up with cheesy action movies, and I have a certain fondness for that sort of outrageously cheesy nineties action thrillers. Hell, I’ll confess to being a huge fan of Demolition Man, for cryin’ out loud. So, in the interest of full and frank disclosure, you should know that I probably have some form of bias in favour of Drop Zone before you read this review. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s a great film – I’d struggle to even describe it as “good”– but, if you know what you’re going in for, it can at least be entertaining.
Oh, chute!
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Action film, Drop Zone, Gary Busey, Hans Zimmer, nineties, non-review review, Parachuting, Point Break, review, Steven Seagal, United States, Wesley Snipes | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 2, 2011 by Darren
Super 8 is a love letter to film. It’s an ode to the trashy, forgettable – yet still endearing – stuff, like a bunch kids screwing around with an obvious fixation on the work of George A. Romero. It’s also a sweet tribute to the film that emotionally connects with us, like the footage of a long lost relative projected against a wall, almost convincing us for a second that they’re still with us. JJ Abrams might consciously evoke early Spielberg with his style, but it’s only to celebrate the common ground they both share, the believe that film is truly powerful and emotion medium, one that strikes a chord on the most improbable of notes, teaching us life lessons and engaging us in nothing short of magic. The posters and trailers might convince you that Super 8 is a classic monster movie with seventies trappings – and it is – but it’s also that other difficult-to-get-quite-genre, the coming-of-age tale. Just one that features giant monsters.
Nice camera work...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Elle Fanning, film, george a. romero, J. J. Abrams, jj abrams, Joe Lamb, Michael Giacchino, Movie, non-review review, review, steven spielberg, super 8, Super 8 mm film | 2 Comments »
Posted on August 2, 2011 by Darren
I have a soft spot for Enemy of the State, I must confess. Perhaps it’s the opportunity to see Will Smith in a great leading role, perhaps it’s the fact that this is one of those movies that actually became far more relevant after its release, or perhaps it’s the superb ensemble assembled by Tony Scott. I don’t know, I think it’s a lot of those things together, but – along with Scott’s superb Crimson Tide – I think that Enemy of the State can easily be considered one of the best things that Jerry Bruckheimer ever put his name too.
Brill dishes the dirt...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Crimson Tide, enemy of the state, enemy of the state (film), film, Jake Busey, Jerry Bruckheimer, jon voight, Movie, non-review review, patriot act, political, politics, review, Scott Caan, tony scott, Wild Wild West, will smith | 9 Comments »
Posted on July 29, 2011 by Darren
Captain America: The First Avenger doesn’t have the heart of X-Men: First Class or the wit of Thor, but the story of Marvel’s star-spangled superhero does have its own charms. Part of it reflects its lead, little Steve Rogers, an appealing and sincere earnestness in dealing with material that it would be too easy to cynically dismiss. The First Avenger embraces the cheesiness at its core, and offers a rather stunning version of THE great American myth. Zack Snyder would do well to play close attention when bringing that other America fable to the big screen.
Patriot games...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Avengers The, captain america, captain america: the first avenger, chris evans, iron man, joss whedon, marvel comics, Marvel Studios, Old World, Red Skull, stan lee, Superhero film, United States, world war ii, zack snyder | 8 Comments »
Posted on July 28, 2011 by Darren
You know what? Even though history and experience has retroactively soured the movie, with M. Night Shyamalan’s career entering freefall and Mel Gibson’s personal problems clouding his career, I kinda like Signs. In fact, I’d go so far as to argue that the movie represents Shymalan’s last good film. That said, it’s a well-constructed and engaging little thriller that is, unfortunately, hugely flawed. Some of these flaws are so fundamental that they’re hard to ignore, but I think that this movie was the last time that Shyamalan demonstrated a real organic talent and skill for film making.
Shine a light on it...
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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: abigail breslin, Alien invasion, aliens, belief, film, Filmmaking, films, Joaquin Phoenix, M. Night Shyamalan, Mel Gibson, Movie, Movies, non-review review, review, Rory Culkin, signs, Sixth Sense, spirituality, the war of the worlds, unbreakable, war of the worlds | 2 Comments »
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