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Showing posts from June, 2013

Film Review: Man of Steel

After seeing Zack Snyder's direction of Sucker Punch, I had an idea of the style he would bring to the visuals in this film. Of course, for any DC Comics/Marvel film, the extremes of any previous outing are turned up to eleven, and in this, that rule is kept, as well as the style. This is Superman  they are making a story of, so naturally the graphics are quite literally at times, out of this world. None of the actors will win Academy awards (for this film at least) but they all bring a believability and convincing performance to their respective roles. Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne, Christopher Meloni, Richard Schiff, all brought the story to life. I had high expectations of this film and I am delighted to say that they were not only met, but exceeded them enormously. It was like watching the last Harry Potter film. After reading the books, you knew how it all ended, but even so, I was still thinking

Film Review: The Great Gatsby (2013)

Due to the fact I have never yet read the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald or watched the original film that was released in 1974, I went into the cinema with only a vague notion of what the film was about, thanks in part to the trailer and what I heard of it from others. Australian director Baz Luhrmann, well known for his grandiose style of filming, sets the scene of 1922  beautifully. Complete with wondrous set design and a few pieces of CGI to keep the picture seamless. And he adds a score from the masterful Craig Armstrong who is known for his scores for In Time, Elizabeth the Golden Age and interestingly, Moulin Rouge, which is complimented with modern songs, but these do not feel unnatural or in your face in any way. Its a beautiful combination that adds a whole layer to this film. The actors. Another interesting fact, the majority of the principal cast are Australian, like the director. Other walk on roles are given to them as well. Jack Thompson, Steve Bisley, Barry Otto, Ric

Film Review: Star Trek into Darkness

In the first film, JJ Abrams brought us a film with genuine characters and a great story, for not just hard core Star Trek fans, but for the rest of the world to enjoy as well. With the second, every facet of the film's quality is raised to a whole new level. All the original actors return to reprise their roles, with Benedict Cumberbatch joining the cast. Mr Cumberbatch has proved his more than considerable worth in Stuart: A life backwards, Sherlock and To the Ends of the Earth, as well as his more recent work, and in this film as always, he brings depth and life to his character. If nothing else, the film is worth watching just for the seriously impressive work that the entire cast does here, Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood and Anton Yelchin have all given their varied roles a hundred and ten percent. The screenwriters, teamed with the director, and composer, special effects team, take the viewer on a wild ride. T

Film Review: The Bourne Legacy

From the makers of the first three Bourne films, comes a fourth, set during the second and third of the former. From the premise that "Bourne was the tip of the iceberg" comes a whole background of other agents, focussing on one - Aaron Cross, portrayed by Jeremy Renner. The other focus is on Doctor Marta Shearing, portrayed by Rachel Weisz, who is instrumental in the improved physiology of these agents. Like the other films, this too is a good thriller, with a few chase scenes and some sly bits of humour on the side, just to keep things somewhat cheerful. Mostly though, things are serious and everything is on the line. Most of the main players from the earlier films are back, Edward Norton is added to the cast, as is Oscar Isaacs, Corey Stoll and Donna Murphy. One slight thing though, that may prevent this film being considered truly excellent, is that the screenwriter, director, assume that the audience is up to speed on the Bourne stories and knows what is going