The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) - a competition that could change Panem forever. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in the Districts of Panem.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Writers: Simon Beaufoy (screenplay), Michael Arndt (screenplay)

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

 Review :

 

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Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3

Marvel's "Iron Man 3" pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted . When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

Director: Shane Black

Writers: Drew Pearce (screenplay), Shane Black (screenplay)

Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow

Review :

Let me start of by saying I am a big fan of Iron Man. The first movie as many of us know was gold, followed by a pleasing but lacking Iron Man 2. There was a lot of hype leading up to this third installment of the Iron Man series and I admit I was caught up in it. Having seen IMDb brand it a score of above eight and several movie critics give it a decent score I figured, naively, that it was almost going to be a sure thing to be a great film.

Sorry to say guys, I was wrong.

Iron Man 3 was ultimately a disappointing experience. There are a number of reasons, but the main issues included grandiose action, cop outs in the plot, and a distancing from the comic itself.

Shane Black seems to have taken up the 'Baysplosion' (a term relating to the overuse of explosive effects by director Michael Bay) mantle in a very big way. This is a man with an action pedigree including the Lethal Weapon series, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Last Action Hero, and The Last Boyscout to name a few that he has been associated with. He still managed to create a film with too many action scenes that were often excessive. The result was a disconnection between non-action scenes, leaving plot and character development to be drowned out by fight sequences that became tedious and silly to watch. All of this could have been avoided via Shane Black exercising a lot more restraint which, coincidentally, may have given said action scenes greater impact without interrupting the rest of the film.

Another major offender in Iron Man 3 were the convenient escapes. Multiple times we see Tony or loved ones in danger only to have his suit fly in to save them. While I get it is Iron Man and that the suit will at times save the day, the number of times this occurred sucked away a lot of the movies tension.

Finally without putting too fine a point on it as I have no desires to spoil, there were a number of divergences from what was in the comic to how the story played out in the film. It is a Hollywood film and I understand this will happen, but usually they do it for the right reasons. Here what was changed seemed to be a lesser, more confusing version of what was originally an enjoyable, logical journey. Go figure.

Anyhow,its how I felt walking out of the film and still feel days later. I'm not going to go on about what good points there were as this is more a review of grounding some peoples high expectations for this film, in the hopes it may better their film experience. I write this only wishing I'd had something similar to have read before going in.

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Star Trek Into Darkness

Star Trek Into Darkness

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew. After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

Director: J.J. Abrams

Writers: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman

Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana

Review :

While I gradually came to accept 2009's Star Trek as mindless fun, I remember sitting in the theater when I first saw it and just getting this sinking feeling, like a balloon with the air slowly being released. My reaction was the complete opposite this time around. Into Darkness surpasses its predecessor by leaps and bounds. This is a movie that should appeal as much to most Trekkies as it will to general audiences just looking for a cinematic thrill ride.

JJ Abram's inaugural foray into this franchise kind of seemed to leave loyal fans in the dust in the rush to attract a wider demographic. Even before Abrams, I'm pretty sure there were complaints that Trek movies had become too much about space battles and the like and had gotten away from going boldly where no one has gone before. I feel like the writers of Into Darkness must have taken some of those criticisms to heart and set out to address them in what I think is a fairly clever way.

The people behind this film got to have their cake and eat it too: they made the most action-packed Star Trek movie ever, but at the end of the day, it's also a reaffirmation of the core ideals of Star Trek and is a lot more reverential to the canon. Having said that, however, the question still remains whether it's possible to craft a movie that is actually about seeking out new life and new civilizations rather than simply paying lip service to that concept.

Of course, not all Trekkies will agree with my assessment, but it's impossible to please everyone and fanboys are notoriously difficult to please. In my opinion, though, it's one of the best films I've seen this year.

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The Family

The Family

A mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in France under the witness protection program after snitching on the mob. Despite the best efforts of CIA Agent Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones) to keep them in line, Fred Manzoni (Robert De Niro), his wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and their children Belle (Dianna Agron) and Warren (John D'Leo) can't help but revert to old habits and blow their cover by handling their problems the "family" way, enabling their former mafia cronies to track them down. Chaos ensues as old scores are settled in the unlikeliest of settings in this darkly funny film by Luc Besson (Taken, Transporter). The Manzoni family, a notorious mafia clan, is relocated to Normandy, France under the witness protection program, where fitting in soon becomes challenging as their old habits die hard.

Director: Luc Besson

Writers: Luc Besson (screenplay), Michael Caleo (screenplay)

Stars: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianna Agron

Review :

David Twohy is back to his roots, and thankfully coincides "Riddick" with the tone and plot-line of the cult-classic "Pitch Black", rather than the overblown and messed up "The Chronicles of Riddick". It might have quite a few recurring elements from the series' first installment, but to Twohy's credit, the film also ends up standing on its own as one of those darkly haunting sci-fi tales that's interlaces plenty of action, suspense, and horror, to keep you riveted and guessing till the end. The monsters are scary, well-made, and appear only when required, so that they are used as a major plot device to add a lot of depth to the narrative. The actions is brilliant, but never overdone, and successfully enhances your viewing pleasure instead of numbing your senses (as is the case in most overblown CGI fiascos passing of as sci- fi nowadays).

The character of Riddick has already been established as a sardonic, strong, dubious, and enigmatic personality, and here, this dark anti- hero just grows on you with each passing frame. Vin Diesel brings all his star power and macho charisma to the role once again, and reminds you why he's currently one of the world's biggest moviestars. The rest of the cast, especially Katee Sackhoff also do a good job. "Riddick" is a treat for hardcore sci-fi fans as well as fans of the franchise, and is sure to remain with you long after leaving the cinema hall.

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Riddick

Riddick

Betrayed by his own kind and left for dead on a desolate planet, Riddick fights for survival against alien predators and becomes more powerful and dangerous than ever before. Soon bounty hunters from throughout the galaxy descend on Riddick only to find themselves pawns in his greater scheme for revenge. With his enemies right where he wants them, Riddick unleashes a vicious attack of vengeance before returning to his home planet of Furya to save it from destruction. Left for dead on a sun-scorched planet, Riddick finds himself up against an alien race of predators. Activating an emergency beacon alerts two ships: one carrying a new breed of mercenary, the other captained by a man from Riddick's past.

Director: David Twohy

Writers: David Twohy, Jim Wheat (based on characters created by)

Stars: Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Katee Sackhoff

Review : 

I saw Riddick last night and enjoyed it very much. No, it wasn't a perfect film, but I knew going in that I wasn't going to see an Oscar contender!!! The action and special effects were great, the story is nothing we haven't already seen before though it was well done, and the acting was as expected for this genre. What it does lack in originality, it makes up for in intensity. It is a violent film, but it is action violence and nowhere near "torture porn". Yes, you will have to suspend a good deal of belief, but no more than in any other action film. If you are looking for a heartwarming tale of humanity at it's best -- skip this one. If you are expecting a modern retelling of 2001, than forget this one. If you are looking for mindless entertainment with a lot of action and a plausible storyline, this is for you.

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World War Z

World War Z

Life for former United Nations investigator Gerry Lane and his family seems content. Suddenly, the world is plagued by a mysterious infection turning whole human populations into rampaging mindless zombies. After barely escaping the chaos, Lane is persuaded to go on a mission to investigate this disease. What follows is a perilous trek around the world where Lane must brave horrific dangers and long odds to find answers before human civilization falls. United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself.

Director: Marc Forster

Writers: Matthew Michael Carnahan (screenplay), Drew Goddard (screenplay)

Review :

I haven't read the book so I'm not coming from viewing this as an adaptation but rather a stand-alone film. (From what I've heard it's pretty far from the original source anyway.) First off, a zombie film watered-down and free from blood and gore? That idea alone would lose a big slice (pun-intended) of hardcore fans in the audience. How does it hold your attention then? By stringing you along on the edge with tension and suspense from beginning to end. It does a pretty good job of maintaining this grip even without the standard horror elements of slasher flicks.

Brad Pitt easily slips into the role of a family man desperate to keep his family safe. It's not difficult to root for him and share in his urgency. His charm certainly makes up for and saves the movie from its flaws (and there are many!) not the least of which are its gaping plot holes and loose direction.

The audience in the theater seemed to have fun screaming along and allowing themselves to be entertained and toyed with. There are a handful of funny scenes (whether intentional or not). If you're willing to quit analyzing the movie like a critic, you'll probably start enjoying it.

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Rush

Rush

Set against the sexy, glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing in the 1970s, the film is based on the true story of a great sporting rivalry between handsome English playboy James Hunt (Hemsworth), and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Austrian driver Niki Lauda (Bruhl). The story follows their distinctly different personal styles on and off the track, their loves and the astonishing 1976 season in which both drivers were willing to risk everything to become world champion in a sport with no margin for error: if you make a mistake, you die.  A re-creation of the merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

Director: Ron Howard

Writer: Peter Morgan (screenplay)

Stars: Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde

Review : 

As a Cineworld Card Holder I was invited to a screening last night of Ron Howards new movie Rush.

Before I start...I am not a F1 fan, but I knew enough of the history of the main protagonists to appreciate the film. The main set pieces of the film set a year before I was born in 1976, so mainly my knowledge was based on my Fathers recollection of the events. I'd seen James Hunt in interviews and recently watched footage with Niki Lauda so got an idea of the characters.

The film is bang on in period, cars fashion and sets the tone excellently, the cinematography is nothing short of breathtaking and the fx are very much in keeping with the period, no ridiculous CGI.

The acting, on the whole is nothing short of miraculous, Hemsworth and Bruhl are fantastic, particularly Hemsworth, who's accent, mannerisms and natural acting was a big surprise. I could see a few awards for this role. I have seen Bruhl in quite a few films and I am always impressed so this just continues the trend. All the support actors are very good in smaller roles.

The film is well paced for 2 hours and quite graphic, particularly a few accident scenes.

Direction: Ron Howard - nice job, I'm not a massive fan and particularly after the da vinci/Angels fiasco's a big return to decent form. The flair was there but played safe (As normal) but let the story and the actors take centre stage.

If you like History in F1, a well documented rivalry and a film that capture this, watch it. It is similar to the excellent Control, Moneyball etc but with a bit of heart. 

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The Intouchables

The Intouchables

In Paris, the aristocratic and intellectual Philippe is a quadriplegic millionaire who is interviewing candidates for the position of his carer, with his red-haired secretary Magalie. Out of the blue, the rude African Driss cuts the line of candidates and brings a document from the Social Security and asks Phillipe to sign it to prove that he is seeking a job position so he can receive his unemployment benefit. Philippe challenges Driss, offering him a trial period of one month to gain experience helping him. Then Driss can decide whether he would like to stay with him or not. Driss accepts the challenge and moves to the mansion, changing the boring life of Phillipe and his employees.  After he becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, an aristocrat hires a young man from the projects to be his caretaker.

Directors: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano

Writers: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano

Stars: François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny

Review :

Well, I've just got out of the theater and i must say that all the reviews are right. this is an amazing film! The actors are simply the best, Omar is not only a great comic but also a great actor.

The filming has a certain touch that brings to mind "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" in the way the director was able to capture not only the suffering of Phillip but also the joy.

Not wanting to spoil the film for others, i highly recommend seeing this in the theaters and with a loved one.

It is also a good film for teenagers as it holds a few wonderful life lessons.

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City of God

City of God

Brazil, 1960's, City of God. The Tender Trio robs motels and gas trucks. Younger kids watch and learn well...too well. 1970's: Li'l Zé has prospered very well and owns the city. He causes violence and fear as he wipes out rival gangs without mercy. His best friend Bené is the only one to keep him on the good side of sanity. Rocket has watched these two gain power for years, and he wants no part of it. Yet he keeps getting swept up in the madness. All he wants to do is take pictures. 1980's: Things are out of control between the last two remaining gangs...will it ever end? Welcome to the City of God. Two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro take different paths: one becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer.

Directors: Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund

Writers: Paulo Lins (novel), Bráulio Mantovani (screenplay)

Stars: Alexandre Rodrigues, Matheus Nachtergaele, Leandro Firmino

Review :

I am a big fan of foreign film, because its great to see directors with different points of view than the average American director. City of God is the epitome of a great foreign film. It shows the classic struggle between right and wrong, in a brand new way. The raw directing style, coupled with a great soundtrack makes for a movie which many different kinds of people can enjoy. Weather your a Harvard intellectual or the local idiot, you can enjoy this. The vicious cycle of the gangster lifestyle is portrayed with haunting accuracy. It even forces the audience to sympathize with some of the nastiest thugs in the world. All in all, City of God is one the greatest movies of my time and each time i watch it i enjoy it more than the last.

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Inception

Inception

Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming. A skilled extractor is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible.

Director: Christopher Nola

Writer: Christopher Nolan

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page

Review :

Inception is truly one of a kind. A concept which has long gestated in Christopher Nolan's mind, his eye for drama mixed with his large scale sensibilities ring true in Blockbuster season making Inception a true original in the sea of reboots, remakes and sequels.

To try and explain Inceptions many plot twists and incredibly intelligent arcs, would be a foolish task. As Nolan himself has been reluctant to. The best way to approach the film would be with an open mind, if you are prepared to be taken on a ride of a lifetime, then trust that you 100% will. If Avatar was a seminal film in technology (although coming out as a rather poor film, in my opinion), then Inception is seminal in it's storytelling. With a 148 minute running time, you would expect a lot to take place, but what you wouldn't expect is the pace of it all. I did not think at one time in the film about how long was left. I was simply blown away by the depth in every single part of the film. If my enthusiasm for the storytelling aspect of the film has left you worried about the spectacle, then don't worry. They are, as hinted in the trailer, incredible, looking real and unbelievable simultaneously. The most pleasing thing about the action set pieces, is that they are genuinely used to illustrate the story, rather than to blow stuff up a la Michael Bay.

With this complex movie in it's high concept, a stellar cast is needed. And Nolan as always, delivers with just that. This is vintage DiCaprio, perhaps only equalled in The Aviator, which is even more impressive as his role as Cobb in Inception is not a showy one, needing DiCaprio to be the constant at the centre of the film. And he pulls off Cobb's emotional contradictions sublimely. The rest of the cast members all shine in parts of the films, Cillian Murphy shows off his usually non-existent tender side, Gordon-Levitt bottles his usual charm for his confidently reserved turn as the reliable Arthur, Watanabe is devilish as the seemingly ambiguous Saito, Page shows why she's the next big female star and Tom Hardy revels in being the comic relief of the film compared to his recent turns as decidedly psychopathic characters.

Overall, Nolan has indeed surpassed himself. He has created a world as expansive as his Gotham, a plot dwarfing the intricacies of Memento and one which blows The Prestige's cinematic reveal out of the water. This is truly unmissable cinema. Revel in it, we've still got to wait a whole two years before Batman 3.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

While Frodo & Sam continue to approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, unaware of the path Gollum is leading them, the former Fellowship aid Rohan & Gondor in a great battle in the Pelennor Fields, Minas Tirith and the Black Gates as Sauron wages his last war against Middle-Earth. Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.

Director: Peter Jackson

Writers: J.R.R. Tolkien (novel), Fran Walsh (screenplay)

Stars: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen

Review : 

Feeling weary and battle-worn, I have just staggered out of the cinema after three and a half hours of special effects creatures fighting other special effects creatures. I had taken refreshments but barely touched them - probably because the film I had watched is one of the most mesmerising, evocative, inspiring, and awesome I have witnessed of any big adventure epic. Not to mention superb ensemble acting, moods that shift effortlessly between mediaeval battles of colossal proportions and convincing bloodshed, beauty and wonderment, fantastic natural and artificial landscapes and cityscapes, touches of humour, well-paced dramatic tension, and human bonding that is moving enough to just let you dry your eyes as the unassuming credits flash by.

Return of the King is the greatest of the Tolkien trilogy by New Zealand director Peter Jackson. Although I've seen the other two and read the book, I felt it would also stand alone well enough for people who hadn't done either.

The storytelling is much more professional that the first one - which maybe laboured to introduce so much information - or the second one - which has little let up from the tension of long battle scenes. In Return of the King, there is an emotional sting at the start, as we watch the transformation of Gollum from warm, fun-loving guy to murderous, mutated wretch. The movie then moves deftly between different segments of the story - the sadness of the lovely soft-focus Liv Tyler as fated Arwen whose travails and woman's love succeeds in having the Sword that was Broken mended, the comradeship of Sam and Frodo (Sean Astin & Elijah Wood) that is tested to the limits, the strong commanding presence of Gandalf (Ian McKellen) who keeps an eye on things whilst turning in an Oscar-worthy performance, the ingenious and very varied battle scenes, and the mythical cities of that rise out of the screen and provide key plot elements.

This is a fairy story of human endeavour, the defeating of power cliques and the triumph of the human spirit that could almost be compared to Wagner's Gotterdammerung. It is a fairy story without any sugary sweetness, a fairy story the likes of which hasn't been told so well before, and is even unlikely to be done so well in the future. The haunting scream of the Nasgul stays with you, the physical attractions are not airbrushed, and the battles are about as far from pantomime characters waving wooden swords as you can get. The ingenious monsters keep you on the edge of your seat. The whole narrative maintains the spirit (if not archival, detailed accuracy) of the original and makes you want to read the book (or read the book again!)

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Seven Samurai

Seven Samurai

A veteran samurai, who has fallen on hard times, answers a village's request for protection from bandits. He gathers 6 other samurai to help him, and they teach the townspeople how to defend themselves, and they supply the samurai with three small meals a day. The film culminates in a giant battle when 40 bandits attack the village. 

A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves.

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Writers: Akira Kurosawa (screenplay), Shinobu Hashimoto (screenplay)

Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima

Review :

Story-telling at its finest, "Seven Samurai" is a terrific film not because of a handful of memorable scenes or lines, but rather because scene-by-scene, frame-by-frame, it tells an interesting story as well as it is possible to tell it. The story and characters are developed carefully, and everything about the movie, from the settings and props to the musical score, is done carefully and expertly.

Mifune grabs the attention in most of his scenes, and Shimura's more restrained character is a nice balance. Those two have the best parts, but all seven of the samurai are memorable characters. The sequence of events that collects the seven together occupies the first part of the movie, and forms a perfect foundation for the rest. A few of the villagers are also portrayed nicely, although they are naturally overshadowed when the samurai are around.

The story always moves along nicely, with many ups and downs. It has enough unpredictability to keep you interested the whole time, without ever losing its credibility. There is plenty of action, but there is also substance behind the action to give it more significance. The only possible drawback is the long running time (you can always split it up into two installments, but it's more satisfying if you can watch the whole story through at once), but there is little that you could cut out, even if you wanted to. It holds your attention the entire time with a good story and great technique, not by resorting to sensational or sordid details.

This movie well deserves its reputation for excellence, and is one that everyone who appreciates classic cinema will want to see and enjoy.

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