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Non-Review Review: Movie 43

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Darren

For a collection of comedy sketches assembled together from a bunch of different writers, directors and actors, Movie 43 is pretty consistent in quality and tone. Sadly, in the worst possible way. It’s consistently and awkwardly unfunny, substituting rude words and crude references to male and female anatomy for jokes or witticism. You know you’re in trouble when the sketch that comes closest to fulfilling the promise of the movie – the lure of crass, immature and ridiculously low-brow comedy – is directed by Brett Ratner. Even then, it’s hardly anything to write home about. Ratner’s sequence is the best part of the film, but it’s hardly anything especially memorable.

Don’t worry, Mister Gere. In a year, nobody will remember this.

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: arts, brett ratner, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Stone, Halle Berry, hugh jackman, kate winslet, Movie, Movie 43, Naomi Watts, richard gere, Stephen Merchant, United States | 1 Comment »

Non-Review Review: Les Misérables

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Darren

It’s hard not to admire Les Misérables. It’s the first honest-to-goodness entirely sincere and mostly unironic big budget musical that we’ve seen released in quite some time. While song and dance will always be a part of the movies (The Muppets, for example, carrying many a dainty tune last year), there’s something quite impressive about seeing a music as epic and as iconic as Les Misérables carried across to the big screen. The stage musical became something of a cultural phenomenon on the West End, and Tom Hooper does an effective job of transitioning from stage to screen – even if he doesn’t consistently capitalise on the format shift.

There are some fundamental problems. The second half is a little too awkwardly paced and too disjointed to come together as well as it should, and Hooper seems to have a great deal pitching the right amount of camp (and humour) for an Oscar-bait musical about the aftermath of the French revolution. However, if you can look past those problems, the opening half is a superbly staged musical and the performances are impressive. Including the much maligned Russell Crowe, who might – hear me out – be the best thing about the film.

Sing when you’re winning… or at least nominated…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Amanda Seyfried, anne hathaway, art, film, helena bonham carter, Hooper, hugh jackman, jason segel, Jean Valjean, Les Misérables, Movie, Muppet, muppets, Musical theatre, non-review, paris, Performing Arts, review, russell crowe, sacha baron cohen, Samantha Barks, Tom Hooper | 1 Comment »

Non-Review Review: Rise of the Guardians

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Darren

Rise of the Guardians might be the best-looking addition to the Dreamworks canon. It’s a visual feast, a testament to the imaginations of those working behind the scenes, with a vivid visual aesthetic that is often breathtaking. Even with the colours toned down by the 3D glasses, it still looks good, and the particles of snow and dust lends themselves to an immersive 3D presentations. The cast is also charming bringing the titular fairy tale team to life, with a wonderful group dynamic and an enthusiasm that’s hard to dismiss.

Just in the Nick of time!

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: alec baldwin, chris pine, Dreamwork, Easter, Easter Bunny, film, Guardians, hugh jackman, Isla Fisher, Jack Frost, Movie, non-review review, Pitch Black, r eview, Rise of the Guardians, Santa Claus, Tooth fairy | 7 Comments »

Watch! Live Singing in Les Misérables…

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Darren

Universal Pictures Ireland just sent over this behind-the-scenes look at Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables. The film is opening here in January 2013, and I’m actually quite curious to see how it pans out. We’ve had juke box musicals, and modern movies like The Muppets incorporating songs, but there really haven’t been too many legitimate old-school-style musicals in the past number of years. Even Sweeney Todd seemed remarkably subversive. I’m fascinated with this attempt to play the genre straight, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a musical in a cinema. I can’t remember a large-scale musical like this, with a lot of pundits suggesting the genre has been relegated to history.

I actually find this snippet quite insightful, because I would have assumed – for purely practical purposes – the film would have been shot with actors recording the songs separately to filming the scenes. It also illustrates just how skilfully Hooper has put all this together – even offering an off-hand reference to a tune from the musical, Hugh Jackman has a fantastic singing voice. Anyway, check it out below.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Amanda Seyfried, anne hathaway, arts, Eddie Redmayne, Hooper, hugh jackman, Les Misérables, russell crowe, Tom Hooper, universal studios | 2 Comments »

Les Miserables Trailer

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Darren

Just a quick one. The guys at Universal Pictures Ireland just sent on this trailer for Les Miserables, the next film from the Tom Hooper, the director of The King’s Speech. It features Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman… and Hugh Jackman’s great big bushy beard. All joking aside, I’m amazed that Hollywood hasn’t been quicker to adapt more of the more vintage or “classical” stage musicals. Sure, occasionally you end up with Phantom of the Opera, but I really enjoyed Sweeney Todd.

With films like Hairspray proving you can adapt a musical in a fun and sharp (and engaging) manner, there’s no reason to be afraid of the genre – if done right. And Hooper, I think, definitely has the elegant style necessary to transition a work like this from stage to screen. I’m quite curious about this one, and I like that it’s up front about being a musical – unlike the infamous Sweeney Todd trailer that made a point of cutting around the singing.

Filed under: Movies | Tagged: anne hathaway, hollywood, hugh jackman, King's Speech, Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, russell crowe, Tom Hooper | 6 Comments »

You’d Be Muppets To Say No: Let the Muppets Host the Oscars…

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Darren

UPDATE: Well, time marches on. Sometimes by the hour. It’s Billy Crystal. Not that I expected the gang to get a look-in. Still, I think the points stand.

There are days when it seems like the internet is about to explode. Somebody has a random thought, posts it or shares it, and it just catches on like wildfire. Before you know it, it seems like half the world is saying “that’s actually not a bad idea!” and the other half is saying “that’s a great idea!” The campaign to have the Muppets host the Oscars is one of those things that has just come to life, like a phoenix from the ashes of Brett Ratner’s resignation and Eddie Murphy’s departure. I generally don’t comment on these things, because they speak for themselves, and I don’t like to just run a post saying “everything these guys are saying is true!”, but this is the exception rather than the rule. I want to see the Muppets host the Oscars. I know it isn’t going to happen, but damn if it isn’t the most outrageous, ambitious and insane idea that has been suggested.

And that, my friends, is exactly why it should happen, even if it probably won’t.

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: Academy Award, Bob Hope, eddie murphy, hugh jackman, James Franco, Muppet, Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Oscars, oscar | 3 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Real Steel

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Darren

Well, at the very least, Real Steel confirms that Hugh Jackman is a bona fides movie star (as if X-Men Origins: Wolverine didn’t already do that). It proves that the actor can pretty successfully anchor and ground any high concept blockbuster in a charming performance, one that’s engaging and witty enough to allow the audience to overlook some of the movie’s more obvious flaws. Still, despite the rather wonderful special effects and the strong cast, I left Real Steel feeling just a little bit strange, as if I’d been watching a movie that I appreciated, but never really engaged with.

And in the neon orange corner...

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: Boxing, Charlie, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly, films, hilary swank, hugh jackman, James Rebhorn, Kevin Durand, mark wahlberg, Million Dollar Baby, Movies, non-review review, Real Steel, review, Shawn Levy, Steel | Leave a comment »

Requiem for The Wolverine: Why Darren Aaronofsky was the Perfect Choice to Direct The Wolverine…

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Darren

I was actually really anticipating what Darren Aronofsky could bring to The Wolverine, the sequel to the rather lackluster X-Men Origins: Wolverine. So I was actually genuinely disappointed when it was announced – rumoured to be for the inevitable creative reasons – that Aronofsky would not be directing the film after all. While it’s great that this affords Aronofsky complete creative freedom on the next film he works on, and while I certainly don’t want a film that has been subject to Fox’s executive meddling, I can’t help but regret what might have been.

Blades of glory?

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: brett ratner, bryan singer, chris claremont, Christopher Nolan, Clint Eastwood, Darren Aronofsky, films, Fox, hugh jackman, Movies, sequels, The Wolverine, x-men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine | 6 Comments »

How Do Studios Decide What Movies Get Sequels?

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Darren

This is a question which has bothered me for quite a while now, because it seems like there should be an obvious answer, but I can’t really make a lot of decisions fit based on that. The deciding factor, one would assume, in any industry as to whether a product gets a continuation, a re-release, or a spin-off, would be that of box office. You imagine that the studio executives include an option for sequels in the contracts of any actors they want to stick around, and then wait for the box office totals to come in before they finally decide if they want to make the investment. However, this doesn’t always seem to be the case.

Should I get on my bike?

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: box office, dreamworks, entertainment, hugh jackman, movie sequels, Movies, Real Steel, sequel, Shawn Levy, studios, tron: legacy | 15 Comments »

Non-Review Review: X-Men III – Last Stand

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Darren

I’ll confess right off the bat that I don’t share the same honest-to-goodness hatred of this third film in the X-Men series that most on-line commentators do. It isn’t a patch on Bryan Singer’s original two films (and – looking at Superman Returns – it might have been better for all if he’d stayed on here), but it isn’t quite as weak as other third-instalments in other superhero franchises (Spider-Man III and Batman Forever, for example). It’s not a fantastic film, and it’s not the final chapter that the film series deserved, but it’s not a complete disaster.