The blog is back......

It's been a while, and a lot has gone on in movie land.  I've seen some great films, and sadly some terrible films.  I thought I'd get back on the horse and share my thoughts with the world (or rather the six people who actually read this thing!)

Quick Reviews

This is going to be my new format.  Unless a movie particularly impresses, or indeed disappoints,  I'll keep the reviews short, simple and to the point.  Here's what I've caught at the flicks in the last few months.

Source Code


A movie I'd been looking forward to for a while.  Given Duncan Jones's incredible debut with Moon, I was curious to see how he would handle a big budget.  And for 95% of the running time, this did not disappoint.  It actually reminded me of the kind of flick the great Alfred Hitchcock would have had fun with.  It was intelligent, engaging and a fun ride.  And then came the last five minutes......I would never spoil a movie for anyone by revealing anything, but suffice to say it did not sit well with me.  It was such a tonal shift, and so in opposition to the rest of the movie, that I'm convinced it must have been studio interference.  Hopefully a director's cut will be released on blu ray, and it can bring me back again.

Scream 4


Better than expected but my expectations were low.  Entertaining enough, but probably will never be rewatched, unlike the superior Scream and Scream 2.

The Hangover 2


This is a movie that left me a little confused.  Did they really just remake the first film in a different location?  Yes they did.  Is it still funny?  Yes it is.  I get the feeling this is a series that has to end at 2 movies, as it has lost all the freshness and surprise elements that made the first so much fun.  As I say, still entertaining, but again, I'll probably not be in a rush to see it again.

X-men : First Class


This could be the most divisive movie of the summer thus far.  Some have commended it's measured tone, it's integration of a real world crisis into the X-men timeline, and the performances of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. Others have lamented the lack of action, the amount of money shots contained in the trailers and how Beast was handled.  I'm somewhere in the middle.  I think it was as good as it was going to get after the Brett Ratner shitfest that was X Men 3.  It reintroduced the characters to the world, and brought a level of gravitas back to the Magneto, Professor X dynamic.  But to me, it was a set up movie. The sequel to it should be fantastic.  The world is established, the factions decided and a great story should follow.  It might be a while before I watch it again, but it was almost worth the entry fee alone for a certain cameo, and the best use of the word 'fuck' in any movie for a long time.

Thor


My pick for movie of the summer so far.  I've been to the cinema to see it twice, once in 3D and also in 2D.  If you haven't caught it yet, I'd go 2D all the way. Aside from Avatar, 3D just is not convincing me so far.  (Though apparently James Cameron has seen Transformers 3 and says it is the best use of 3D since his opus).  Thor was just flat out fun.  It had a bit of weight to it as well due to the fractious family relationships, but for me it was just pure spectacle and great characters.  It was funny as well.  Played just the wrong way, this could have been a modern day Flash Gordon, all camp and wooden.  Instead, great credit has to be given to Kenneth Branagh, who along with Jon Faverau, Joe Johnston and Joss Whedon, was a bit of a left field choice for a superhero film.  But then again so was Christopher Nolan, and look how he singlehandedly got the world to take the superhero movie genre seriously.  Highly recommended for a great night at the movies, plus, you know, Natalie Portman.  Enough said.

Coming Soon


A breakdown of what's coming up.

Captain America


Another Marvel movie to look forward to.  The early trailers have been impressive and I am pumped for this.  One of the best looking movies of the summer for sure.



Green Lantern


This one from DC, and possibly the film I'm looking forward to the most this season.  The early footage was underwhelming, but recent trailers are hinting at something truly epic.  It's a great time to be a comic book geek.



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2


I was initially a hater of Harry Potter, but then I read the books.  Imagine.  Great storytelling that has translated well, if a little awkwardly, to the silver screen at times.  This is the book that has the epic Battle of Hogwarts, and this should be worth the price of admission alone.



Transformers : Dark of the Moon


There's no disguising that after a great start with the first movie, that Transformers 2 fell well short of expectations.  It's not a terrible movie, but it is a mediocre one.  It has great moments, nearly all of which feature Optimus, but it also has Tranformer balls, a horny dog, and a terrible Aussie actress as a transformer / human hybrid.  I have faith Michael Bay can turn it around.  After all, he did make Armageddon.



Cowboys and Aliens


That title + James Bond and Indiana Jones in the same film + the director of Iron Man =  There on opening day.



So there you have it, a quick update and I hope to be back much more frequently. What movies are you looking forward to?  What have I missed?  And more importantly, why is it not July 20th 2012 yet?  To all Batman fans, you know what that date means...........

Until next time........