The Movie P.I.

Latest Movie News

2009-05-06T01:02:00.000-07:00

Star Shots

Empire magazine recently made a 20th anniversary issue of their magazine and to celebrate they invited 27 of the biggest movie stars in the world recreating their iconic performances in a photoshoot. I thought it was cool so I am sharing eight of them below with you.

Transform-a-trailer:

The trailer for what is likely to be the biggest movie of the summer – Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen– has gone online. Click here now to check it out .

Iron Man 2: First Pictures:

Jon Favreau promised via his Twitter feed, the first image from Iron Man 2 and voila here it is.

It shows Robert Downey Jr., returning as Iron Man’s brilliant but bruised creator and alter-ego, Tony Stark, standing in his workshop, busy as usual, working on his next mission or something.

But the biggest point of interest in the photo lies in the background, where we can see, in a nod to classic Iron Man comic books, that Stark has his entire back catelog of Iron Man suits on display, kinda like a gallery.

Who Rebooted Roger Rabbit?

There is "wild speculation" going about. Recently, MTV talked to Robert Zemeckis recently about bringing Roger Rabbit back to the big screen, and the director's apparently considering the idea.

“I’ll tell you what is buzzing around in my head now that we have the ability—the digital tools, performance capture—I’m starting to think about ‘Roger Rabbit,’” he told the channel.

Thats a big revelation. I loved the hand drawn Roger when it came out in the 80s and anything less would be surely blasphamous. I can see that if the reboot did occurr, they would want to modernise it. So I guess the proof is in the puddin.

But then it shouldn't be a surprise: Zemeckis has been working with motion capture solidly since The Polar Express in 2004, and doesn't show any signs of going back to traditional directing. The question here is whether they'll combine mo-cap performances with live action to preserve something of the original film. It was cool at the time, but whether it will have the same effect on the younger generation is another story.

A Goonie Sequel in the Works?

You may not have realised, but March 17, 2009, was an historic day. It was on that day in Hollywood, California, that all of The Goonies, including director Richard Donner and producer Steven Spielberg, were reunited for the first time in over 20 years (most did reunite for a DVD commentary special, but Spielberg wasn't present that day) to have their photo taken for Empire's 20th birthday issue.

Naturally, whenever one or more Goonies are gathered together, they're always asked about a sequel, and this time was no different. Here's a little taste of what they had to say.

Richard Donner: "We tried for a long time. Steven and I had many meetings with writers but nothing stuck. It seemed disrespectful."

Corey Feldman: "So I guess the answer about the sequel is that there's always hope."

Donner: "No. No hope."

Sean Astin: "A year from now, ten years from now, 50 years from now, I'm absolutely convinced there'll be one. We'll figure it out. A sequel could be great. It could be shitty. You never know. But the original is the thing it is and no-one can ever change it."

That said, they do of course never say die.

Brand to Drop Dead

Russell Brand has agreed to star in a remake of Drop Dead Fred in his next effort to make his name known worldwide.

Drop Dead Fred was film starring Rik Mayall, a well known British comedian from 1991.He plays in the film the character Phoebe Cates’ anarchic imaginary best friend. It wasn't the best film at the time but, it’s somehow gathered something of a cult following over the years, enough to make Universal feel that a Brand-led remake might be just the ticket.

Dennis McNicholas, one of the writers on the upcoming Will Ferrell comedy, Land Of The Lost, will write the script for the movie, which will focus more on the world of imaginary friends, with Brand, as you’d expect, taking on the Mayall role. I can imagine Brand being just as annoying as Mayall in many ways... just look at his photo.... annoying stare, smile and not to mention his hair. Its a film that I'd want to see in any event.

REVIEW: Paul Blart: Mall Cop

2009-04-28T02:15:00.000-07:00

Director: Steve Carr

Writers: Kevin James and Nick Bakay

Cast

• Kevin James as Paul Blart

• Keir O'Donnell as Veck Simms

• Jayma Mays as Amy

• Raini Rodriguez as Maya Blart

• Shirley Knight as Mom

The story revolves around Blart, a single suburban dad, who lives in New Jersey with his mother (Shirley Knight) and daughter (Raini Rodriguez) trying to make ends meet by working as a mall security guard.

Blart immerses himself in his job at a New Jersey mall, where he traverses nimbly around on a Segway (which James himself got a bit carried away with during and after filming the film) checking for any problems and follow his code, "detect, deter, observe and report." His failed aspirations of becoming an actual cop due to narcolepsy make him want to excel at his current job. The fact that he has no real authority in his job is an idea the filmmakers try to exploit for comedic value. The best scenes involve him trying to give a speeding ticket to an elderly person and trying to solve a problem in a store but ends up being tackled by a female shopper.

The movie starts off really slow, just depicting him going about his job, secretly yearning for a store owner called Amy (Jayma Mays) and lonely nights in. The film eventually kicks off about three quarters of the way through where an elaborate robbery scheme code named Black Friday occurs. This involves a hostage scenario, criminals played by actual X Games athletes and a shot at redemption for our hero. Little did they know that Blart is on the case, with his expert knowledge of the layout of the mall and skills on a Segway.

The audience who are used to seeing James in King of Queens will be familiar with his unlucky guy character and most will find his character relatable and familiar. Under all of his slapstick humour and goofy veneer, the character is deep and emotional and it adds a whole new perspective to the film.

The younger generation of teenagers who love slapstick humour and goofy comedy will love this film, but the film is same old for the rest of us. The movie mostly involves running into stuff, embarrassing moments and hopeless flirting for quick laughs, which is what you would expect coming from the director of Daddy Day Care and Dr Dolittle 2.

I would give the film a 3/5 mostly because James does the character so well and I'm just a sucker for slapstick humour and action films. Definately check it out.

NEWS: Crowe in Tights

2009-04-24T06:09:00.000-07:00

Around this time last year Crowe was signed up to commence work again with Ridley Scott on a “reinvention” of the Robin Hood story called Nottingham. Being the perfectionist as he always is Ridley Scott delayed shooting the film due to the leaves not being the right colour. This put the film back almost a year and is now scheduled for release on the 14 May 2010.

As far back as September 2008, rumours have been circulating that Crowe will be playing two characters, Robin and the Sheriff of Nottingham. And since then an all star cast has signed up to join Crowe in this film including Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Vanessa Redgrave, and Kevin Durand.

Crowe mentioned to press this weekend that Nottingham is "one of those things where we're taking our time with. You don't want to be doing Robin Hood unless you're going to be doing it really f*cking well. It's got to be the best one ever done otherwise you should do something else." Fair enough, but if people are left waiting too long and the film is pants, then its going to stir some bad press and reviews.

More recently, photos have surfaced of Crowe in full costume. Whilst, it stays true to the green garb of Sir Robin of Loxley, Crowe just doesn’t fit the part in my view. The hairstyle looks just like the one he had in gladiator, which will in no doubt have people imagining him playing Maximus pretending to be Robin. Having said that the Robin character has come a long way since the 1930s where Errol Flynn portrayed Robin as being a jovial “gay” Robin Hood with a startling green ensemble. So I guess it could be worse.

Here’s a few clips from my favorite Robin Hood films from the past and why I love them.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) – Starring Errol Flynn

Well who doesn't like a good swashbuck, I for one love to swashbuck and see it done well on the silver screen. Don't get them like you used to. Errol Flynn was the master of Swashbucking and there was no one who he could swashbuck..... thats enough of that. Well, this 1930s rendition of Robin Hood is always good to watch, as Mr Flynn has the charisma to pull off a really good "gay" Robin Hood. Yes I say gay... as in jovial and happy.... Way Back when colour was a rareity, they made Sherwood Forrest into the Las Vegas of England and set about having really pretty people play Brits... now thats just not accurate is it lol

Disney’s Robin Hood - 1973

I was brought up on this classic and is undoubtedly my favourate Disney animation film ever. Its got songs, much loved characters, humour and a good storyline. As a child I remember staring at the beautiful colours and loving the fact a fox could talk let alone shoot arrows and have amazing friends. I later went onto The Jungle Book and other animated classics, but Robin Hood will undoubtedly be my favourate.

Robin Hood Prince of Thieves – 1991 - starring Kevin Costner

"Look into my eyes and you will see, what you mean tooooo me" Woops, sorry, I had a musical interlude there. I'll see my doctor about that.

Even though many despite this version, I viewed it during a weak stage of my life, my teens where I was easily influenced and I thought this film rocked. I bought all of the figures with bows and the works. I still cherish the days where I used to swing Robin off zip wires across the house and have him stealing from my parents lol. I hate the film now being an adult. Robin just wasn't meant to be an American and the film is still too colourful to be a good representation of Robin Hood and his travels.

Men in Tights 1993 – starring Cary Elwes

Well Men in tights is just a good laugh, taking the Michael out of the Robin Hood Story, which as the poster says, it had it coming lol Its a laugh out loud comedy with brilliant humour and storyline. He had the swashbuckle, yes he did. I think maybe they chose him for his Errol Flynn-esque look. Yes it went a bit OTT with the wisecracks, but as a kid, I loved it. I also loved another Cary Elwes film The Princess Bride, which had the same kind of humour.

The best rendition I've seen so far is the new Robin Hood on the BBC. The guy playing Robin Hood looks around the right age fore part of Robin, around his 20s. He looks British and not too pretty. His clothing looks authenticly historic and the storylines are really good. Its like the Brits showing the rest of the world how to do a proper Robin Hood. If you havn't seen it, take a look. I mean to watch it more, but with watching other shows like Smallville, heroes and Lost, I've just not had the time.

REVIEW: Crank 2: High Voltage

2009-04-23T02:30:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor;

Starring: Jason Statham (Chev Chelios), Amy Smart (Eve), Clifton Collins Jr. (El Huron), Efren Ramirez (Venus), Ling Bai (Ria), Reno Wilson (Orlando), Joseph Julian Soria (Chico) and Dwight Yoakam (Doc Miles).

In the 2006 action hit Crank, hitman Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) spent twenty-four energetic: fighting, killing, having public sex and keeping his adrenaline flowing at full-force to combat a deadly poison injected into his body. It was a fast paced and experimental film, which went away from the norm of everyday action flicks to go on to be a hit.

Picking up immediately where the first movie left off, Crank High Voltage informs us that instead of being a pancake on the streets of Los Angeles after plummeting from a 1000 mile high helicopter, Chev survives only to be kidnapped by a mysterious Chinese mobster. Three months later, Chev wakes up to discover his much sought after strong heart has been surgically removed and replaced with a temporary battery-operated ticker that requires regular jolts of electricity in order to work.

After an easy escape from his captors, Chev is on the run again, this time from the charismatic Mexican gang boss El Huron (Clifton Collins, Jr.), and the Chinese Triads, headed by the dangerous 100 year-old elder Poon Dong (David Carradine). He once again turns to Doc Miles (Dwight Yoakam) for medical advice to guide him through this ordeal and to keep him alive.

Verdict:

If you are interested in going to see this film, a word of advice my friend, prepare to be very tired. Not tired as in sleepy, but tired as in physically. You’ll be tired from cringing at scenes containing gratuitous self harm scenes where Chev does anything to stay alive, you’ll have tired eyes from trying to follow the action and constant running in the film and no doubt your heart itself will be tired from getting all pumped up, as the film will make anyone get all hyped up when watching it.

Phew..... tired just thinking abot the film lol

If you saw the first one, you’ll know the score. It’s basically the same concept. Someone does something to Chev which means he needs to go on the run to find someone and do anything to stay alive long enough to find the guy.

There are differences as you may have guessed though, instead of adrenaline he needs electricity. The film goes OTT with this idea and whereas a normal every day guy would be a shivering wreak or dead after going near a high voltage-danger of death-no coming back electricity box, Chev just seems to be charged up by it... I didn’t buy it. It just seemed like a mindless action, sex, swearing and running kinda film that a mindless person would enjoy, but being one with a brain, I found some scenes too far fetched and way over the top.

For instance Chev chases down this Mexican dude with a box supposedly containing Chev’s heart. He corners him at a electricity plant thingy. After Chev opens up a extremely high voltage box and sticks his hands into it gripping the coils and charging his heart, the director found it suitable to put a Godzilla type fight into the film, not with monsters however, but with a giant Chev and a giant guy throwing each other about into pylons and buildings. If that wasn’t a result of a drug session at the directors pad, then I don’t know what is. Oh and I have to mention the scene where Chev is grinding against a pensioner.... *shudders*. Not nice to see, neither was the horses dong.... uncalled for.

The supporting actors/actresses are really annoying. There is a character called Ria who is the definition of annoying, irritating and you feel like slapping her just for being in the film. Then there’s venus who has physical tourettes, whose acting is just really cheesy and badly done. Amy Smarts character made a welcomed reappearance, but was only in the film for all of 5 minutes and then disappeared, probably unable to keep up with the fast paced action after a public sex session at a horse racing track.

Overall, the films worth a watch for adrenaline junkies who like a mindless action film containing drugs, sex and action galore. I prefer Statham’s Transporter films to these ones however and if there is a third in the series (which the film leaves open ending for)..... I probably will watch it for kicks, but my heart will be with the Transporter line of films...

3/5 - reasonably good, but too OTT.

REVIEW: The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations

2009-04-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

This is probably a film in which many will not bother to see. The main reason for this is the really poor sequel that was made following the original Butterfly Effect, which was a 2004 American science fiction thriller film starring Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Eric Stoltz, and others, distributed by New Line Cinema. The title is a reference to the Butterfly Effect, which theorises that a change in something seemingly innocuous, such as a flap of a butterfly's wings, may have unexpected larger consequences in the future, such as the path a hurricane will travel.

The original Butterfly Effect, released on 23rd January 2004, was about Evan Treborn played by Ashton Kutcher, who suffered severe traumas as a boy and as teenager, blacks out frequently, often at moments of high stress. While searching for an answer to heal his emotional wounds, he finds that when he reads from his adolescent journals, he travels back in time, and is able to essentially "redo" parts of his past, thereby causing the blackouts he experienced as a child. However, his plan does not go to plan and things take a turn for the worse. It was this original storyline that made it a big success at the box office. It was very popular with audiences, grossing around $57 million at the US box office, ($96 million worldwide). I personally really enjoyed the film. It had adventure, time travel, thriller element ands even a bit of romance. It was really well made and the ending was really cool. I thought at the time if a sequel was ever made, it better had be a good one.

I was wrong however. The sequel was released 10th October 2006 and while the sequel had the same premise (having the ability to go back into ones past and change things to benefit yourself, but instead making things worse), I found the film to be not as enjoyable as the first. It was basically about a couple who are involved in an accident while driving and causes Julie to die. He discovers that the accident has left him with the ability to go back in time to certain parts of his life when he looks at photos. He tries to change the timeline of events, but fails dismally and a new timeline is made changing his reality. blah blah blah.

The Butterfly Effect 2 was met with poor reviews and reviewers claim that the sequel adds nothing to the message of the first movie, covering exactly the same ground with different characters. I agree, it seemed like we, the audience were going over the same ground and therefore it was boring. Additionally, it was argued that the character in the first Butterfly Effect, Evan Treborn, was a likable character in his own right who tried to make things correct for his friends and family without thinking about himself. However, the main character in this movie often does things such as going back in time to get himself promoted instead of one of his colleagues. This in effect made him into a highly unlikeable 'salesman'. The ending scene with his child in particular was also highly criticized as only being used to be able to continue the successful concept started with the first movie. So, all in all, the film realy did suck. I didn't enjoy it and thought that that would be it for the BE series.

Here entered The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelation. It never came out in cinemas in the UK, but was released in the US in Jan 2009. I only found out about it online. I approached with caution, visioning a worse film then the sequel. Imagining a really poor, low budget film with nothng on it compared to the first again... I was wrong. It started off well, introducing us to a character Sam Reid (played by Chris Carmack), a guy employed by the police to use his abilit, aided by his sister, to go back to crime scenes to correctly identify the criminals. (This is where the third excells the second, the character is instantly likable because he is trying to use his ability for good.).

During the movie, he is asked by an old aquaintance to use his ability to look into who killed his ex and to prove that her boyfriend was innocent. However, when he goes back to check this out, he changes the timeline just by being there and as a result, the killer goes on to be a serial killer. The rest of the film sees him trying to solve this series of murders and trying to put everything right.

With a mix of flashbacks and forwards, the film delivers an in depth insight into the characters past and how one wrong decision was the result of all of this. The acting is excellent and diverse. The effects, although not as good as the first in the series, still had the desired result. Definately one to check out and I will award it a 3 1/2 out of 5.

Cloverfield DVD Review - Re-blog

2009-03-25T04:18:00.000-07:00

First of two review I did in my other personal blog a while back. Enjoy

Heres the first in many reviews on games, DVDs, movies and music I'll be posting in upcoming months. This time I'm reviewing Cloverfield's UK DVD release.

For starters, I absolutely loved this film. I followed its viral marketing campaign for over half a year before its release, which shows how much I was into this film.After seeing the film at the cinemas in early February of this year, I was amazed. The film blew me away. Mind-numbing effects, brilliant acting, humour, romance and action. The film had it all. Its main concept was - what if you could watch a monster movie from the perspective of someone down on ground level, someone completely unimportant in the grand scheme of things, someone completely unable to do anything but watch the city crumble around them? The innovating thinking of all those involved made this film a landmark in movie history.Onto the DVD review. Unlike most movies, Cloverfield, in my view, hasn't lost its impact when taken from the big screen and put onto DVD. This is mainly because Cloverfield's format, being like a personal home video, shaky and seemingly amature, it looks more real when views on household televisions. Saying that though, the film was amazing to watch at the cinema, but with most televisions and surround sound, it is easy to replicate the atmostphere of the cinema at home. Problem solved.

Disc 2 is jammed packed with extra material - an extensive Making Of documentary, a look at how the visual effects for the film were created, and a featurette entitled "I saw it, it's alive, it's huge!", which explains JJ Abrams' interest in Godzilla and covers creature designer Neville Page's conception of the Clover monster itself. 'Clover Fun' is a series of bloopers, in a way - mostly T.J. Miller, who played Hud, improvising silly dialogue, but also other cast members horseing around or accidentally catching members of the crew in their in-character taping, and props behaving like they have minds of their own.

There are four deleted scenes, with optional commentary from Matt Reeves, which are entertaining enough in themselves, but no great loss to the film (except maybe a moment between Lily and Marlena), and two alternate endings, one which doesn't change the outcome of the main storyline, but instead replaces the final footage of Rob and Beth at Coney Island with another scene of blissful, pre-monster ignorance, and one which does sort of change the ending of the movie, implying that perhaps Rob and Beth were rescued, maybe. The version used in the actual film is probably the best, but these are nice too methinks.

There are loads of hidden extras. I won't list them here, as searching for them yourself can make it all the more enjoyable.

3 1/2 / 5 for the DVD and 4/5 for the special features.

FILM REVIEW: WATCHMEN

2009-03-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

Watchmen Review

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Written by: David Hayter and Alex Tse

Starring: Billy Crudup, Malin Akerman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jackie Earle Haley, Carla Gugino

Back in 1986, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons published a 12 part miniseries of graphic novels titled Watchmen. You mention Watchmen these days and anyone who is into comics will say that it is the best graphic novel they own. It is hard to explain why these series of comics are held in high regard. Safe to say however, that they had an impact on the masses. It was only a matter of time before someone turned this popular graphic novel into a movie. 25 years later Zack Snyder, director of 300, steps forward to take on this complex and ambitious film.

The movie takes place in an alternate version of 1985, where Nixon is still president and superheroes are real (however most have no special powers). They helped the United States win the Vietnam War, and now help keep the Russians in check. But when the superheroes go too far policing their own people, using harsh ways to enforce their own kind of law, the government is prompted to outlaw their activities. It is this scenario that finds a mysterious assassin knocking off the members of a former superhero group called the Watchmen. Masked vigilante Rorschach however is hot on his trail, and during his investigation, he visits former superhero pals like Nite Owl, Ozymandias, Dr. Manhattan and the Silk Spectre and upon each meeting we are welcomed with a flash back to the lives of these heroes, who are revealed to be just as flawed as the rest of us.

Overall, the film itself was well put together. It gave the audience a good introduction showing us an insight into this alternate 1985 accompanied with Bob Dylan’s “Times they are a changing”, which was quite appropriate to the introduction, which showed the rise and fall of superhero policing the community. The CGI (specifically that of Dr Manhattan) was superb, the focus on detail was amazing and there are many breathtaking scenes, like Manhattan’s mars hideout.

The acting was surprisingly good throughout the film and you could really relate with many of the characters, as the actors/actresses portrayed their characters well. There wasn’t one instance I thought the acting was really bad and Snyder chose the cast well.

Every film comes with its own flaws though, flaws which everyone has their own opinion on. For one, the action scenes. They made you cringe. They involved bone splintering, head cracking, body impaling violence, which seemed way over the top and in other fights they seemed too similar to Matrix-type fights, with slow motion being preferred to show the crime fighters every move. It would have been better if Snyder chose one style or did something unique. I for one would have perfectly happy without seeing a poor hapless thug’s wrist bone being shattered and jutting out towards the camera.

Some of the soundtrack choices were baffling, inappropriate and, at times, goofy. Some of the song choices in the film were out of place and just didn’t work, such as the funeral scene set to Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence”, the small intermission of Nena’s “99 Luftballons” during a dinner date or more bizarrely rough voiced Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” during a scene verging on porn. I think Snyder was trying to be experimental and getting away from the stereotypical soundtracks for similar scenes, but seriously, shoot the soundtrack guy.

Another flaw is Dr Manhattan’s....... wiener. I’m sure the women and men alike couldn’t keep their eyes off his blue member. Speaking of size, I’m sure they over exaggerated on Nixon’s nose, maybe to the point where the actor himself couldn’t move his top lip because of the weight.

Then there’s the issue of the movie’s length. The movie feels very slow, partially because there is so much slow-motion, and partially because it just tries to pack so much into the two hour, 45 minute run time. However much information they did cram into the film, I could imagine many being confused when trying to figure out this film is actually set in an alternate timeline, it didn’t state clearly, it just left the audience to pick up on it when Nixon remains president (many Brits or other foreign viewers lack basic US presidential history, so wouldn’t have thought there was a difference).

The strength of the original story prevents it from getting too dull, but I do think the story could have been shortened, abbreviated a little more and tightened up in places. There are points where the movie feels a bit too full of itself, too showy, and I think those who haven’t read the comic will be checking their watch and/or rolling their eyes.

Still check it out, like I've said, its a beautiful movie with stunning CGI, great acting and storyline.

I'll give it a 4/5

Oscar Results

2009-03-02T02:58:00.000-08:00

Its a delayed post, but a post non the less with the results from the Oscars that took place on the 24th Februarty 2009. Its a copy and past job, but I've done my job in giving the info of the results lol

Best Picture: “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Director: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Actor: Sean Penn, “Milk”

Best Actress: Kate Winslet, “The Reader”

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Best Adapted Screenplay: “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Original Screenplay: “Milk”

Best Art Direction: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Best Cinematography: “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Costume Design: “The Duchess”

Best Film Editing: “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Makeup: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Best Music (Original Score): “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Music (Original Song): “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Sound Editing: “The Dark Knight”

Best Sound Mixing: “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Visual Effects: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Best Animated Feature Film: “WALL-E”

Best Foreign Language Film: “Departures”

Best Documentary Feature: “Man on Wire”

Best Documentary Short: “Smile Pinki”Best Short Film (Animated): “La Maison en Petits Cubes”

Best Short Film (Live Action): “Toyland”

MOVIE REVIEW - PUSH

2009-02-22T12:06:00.000-08:00

PUSH

Starring:

Dakota Fanning, Chris Evans, Camilla Belle, Djimon Hounsou, Neil Jackson, Ming-Na, Cliff Curtis, Nate Mooney, Lu Lu

Director:Paul McGuigan

Synopsis: A group of young American ex-pats with telekinetic and clairvoyant abilities are hiding from a clandestine U.S. government agency. They must utilize their different talents and band together for a final job enabling them to escape the agency forever.

When scanning through the years upcoming movies, I tend to look for movies that catch your eye from the first few lines in the description. If I gain an interest in it, I delve deeper to find out if it is worth going the cinema or just purchasing on DVD. This film struck me as worth a trip to the cinema. It had a great promotional picture (as seen above), the storyline seemed watertight and the cast was alright. How could I lose?

The film started off alright. A good flashback scene was provided to give more depth to the story of Nick, the main character, and during the intro, we are supplied with a description of the different kinds of powers that people had in the film. It proved handy as the film itself didn't provide enough info.

We, the audience were all supplied with enough information ot make us interested in how this film will progress. That is when things turned for the worse. After 10 minutes into the film, we are given a taster of what most of the film is about; the main characters wanding aroung Hong Kong, with orchestral sountrack backing it up adding emotion to the scenes. These scenes dragged on and left the viewer wondering when something will happen.

Having said that, the film isn't all doom and gloom, with the characters wandering round aimlessly. They do have an aim and that is to get to a suitcase containing a special power super-booster inside before the bad guys called The Division do. The Division is a government group dedicated on harvesting mutants for their own purposes. Their goals adds a well needed skeleton to the film.

The best parts of the film however, were the action scenes. Top quality SFXs were added into every fight scene making them truly awsome. In particular, the telekansis gunfight between Nick and Division henchman, Victor, (see below for the full scene) or the final fight near the end of the film, which not only incorporates telekanisis but mind control also.

So, even though theres a lot wrong with the film, it's still not a bad movie. I was entertained for the most part. There did seem to be too much going on even though the basic premise wasn't that complicated. The concept of the "evil" government agency hunting down the oppressed lead characters isn't anything new (as seen in films like Jumper). The delivery was decent. The effects overall worked (seeing Chris Evans as a human pinball machine was fun). Chris and Dakota worked well together, although not brilliantly.

Its not one of the best films by far that I've seen, but its well worth a try. I'd give this film a 3 out of 5.

Most Anticiated Movies of 09

2009-01-20T12:33:00.000-08:00

Watchmen - Release Dates: 6th March 2009 (UK & US)

Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson and Carla Gugino star in this adaptation of the famed graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

When an ex-superhero is murdered, a vigilante named Rorshach begins an investigation into the murder, which begins to lead to a much more terrifying conclusion

Movie PI's Views: One of many films this year I am eagerly anticipating. From the trailer available online, the movie looks set to be a huge success, with amazing CG graphics, great characters and a story that has been a huge success in the graphic novel already.

Monsters Vs. Aliens - Release Dates: 3rd April 2009 (UK), 27th March 2009 (US)

Staring Reese Witherspoon and Hugh Laurie.

When a meteorite from outer space hits a young girl and turns her into a giant monster, she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years.

Movie PI's views: I'm a big fan of animated family movies like this. They always tickle me and always have really good storylines. Plus, its a sci-fi family film... bonus! lol

Fast & Furious - Release Dates: 10th April 2009 (UK), 3rd April 2009 (US)

As he is released from prison, Brian O'Conner (Walker) teams up with Dominic Toretto (Diesel) work with the feds to bring down a heroin importer by infiltrating his operation.

Movie PI's Views: Its the Fast and the Furious series trying to go back to its former glory. This time they've tweaked the title to take out "the". No doubt, after three below par sequels, director Justin Lin is trying to recreate the success he had with the original. I'll check it out, but I doubt it'll have the same spark.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine: Release dates: 1st May 2009 (US)

Hugh Jackman stars in this prequel to the X-Men trilogy exploring how Logan became the adamantium blade-wielding mutant Wolverine.

Movie PI's Views: This is yet another film I'm getting all excited over. Wolverine is one of my favorate Marvel superheroes and I can't wait to see into his past, how he came to be and the people he crosses paths with. From the trailer, it looks amazing. I can't wait!

Star Trek - Release Dates: 8th May 2009 (UK & US)

"Lost" creator J. J. Abrams reboots the beloved sci-fi franchise in this prequel exploring the early days of Kirk and Spock.

Movie PI Views: Being a big Star Trek fan, this film has me shivering with excitement also. Its the reboot the Star Trek franchise needs and judging from the trailer, its going to be a massive success. Many skeptics fear the actor's renditions of much loved characters will not live up to their predecessors verisons, but I have no doubts, they'll do us proud.

Angels & Demons - Release Date: 15th May 2009 (UK & US)

Tom Hanks returns as the Da Vinci Code cryptologist Robert Langdon to thwart a plot by the Illuminati, a terrorist organisation, to blow up the Vatican.

Movie PI's Views: Having just finished reading the book, i'm looking forward to seeing if they can recreate the fast paced and fun filled roller coaster ride of a journey in film format. They tried, but failed I thought with The Da Vinci Code, so i seriously hope that this film will be a fitting adaption to the big screen.

Terminator Salvation - Release Dates: 5th June 2009 (UK), 22nd May 2009 (US)

After Skynet has destroyed much of humanity in a nuclear holocaust, a group of survivors led by John Connor (Christian Bale) struggles to keep the machines from finishing the job.

Movie PI's Views: Its a turn in the right direction in the Terminator franchise after a poor T3. Christian Bales on side for this film, which will make it no doubt that much better.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - Release Dates: 3 July 2009 (UK), 1st July 2009 (US)

Manny, Sid, Diego and Ellie are back in this third installment in the "Ice Age" franchise, featuring the voice talents of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, and Queen Latifah.

Movie PI's Views: I love the Ice Age series and think they are great family films with action, comedy and more. I'll be looking forward to seeing this, but not exactly rushing to the cinema.

Public Enemies - Release Dates: 3rd July 2009 (UK), 1st July 2009 (US)

Johnny Depp stars as legendary bank robber John Dillinger and Christian Bale is the G-man on his tail in this true crime drama directed by Michael Mann.

Movie PI's View: It will be interesting seeing Johnny in a serious flick instead of a dark and gloomy film like he has done in the past. He is one of my fave actors and I look forward to seeing this one very much.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Release Dates: 17 July 2009 (UK & US)

As Harry Potter begins his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he discovers an old book marked mysteriously "This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark past.

Movie PI's Views: Well, its another Harry Potter movie, another much anticipated movie. I love the harry potter series having read all of the books. I will be attending the local cinema to watch this one.

Sherlock Holmes - Release Dates: 20th November 2009 (UK), 13th November 2009 (US)

Detective Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.

Movie PI's Views: It will be interesting to see Downey Jr's portrayal of Holmes. Holmes being one of the most famous characters in history. Definately one to watch.

FILM NEWS: Golden Globe Awards

2009-01-13T02:59:00.000-08:00

Heres a quick rundown of who won what at this years Golden Globes.

Cecil B. DeMille Award
Steven Spielberg

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

Best Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy
Colin Farrell – In Bruges

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Kate Winslet – The Reader

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

Best Animated Feature Film
Wall-E

Best Foreign Language Film
Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

Best Director - Motion Picture
Danny Boyle –
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Slumdog Millionaire - Written by Simon Beaufoy

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Slumdog Millionaire - Composed by A. R. Rahman

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
"The Wrestler" –
The Wrestler - Music & Lyrics By: Bruce Springsteen

Overall, I have no critisism over who won what this year. Everyone deserves the award for they have made an effort and have acheived a lot.

FILM REVIEW: The Spirit

2009-01-12T13:52:00.000-08:00

Movie Informaiton	Starring
Director: Frank Miller Writers: Frank Miller(screenplay) Will Eisner(comic book series Release Date:1st January 2009 (UK)	Jaime King as Lorelei Rox Gabriel Macht as The Spirit / Denny Colt Dan Gerrity as Det. Sussman Eva Mendez as Sand Saref Eric Balfour as Mahmoud Samuel L. Jackson as The Octopus Scarlett Johansson as Silken Floss

Movie Informaiton

Starring

Director: Frank Miller

Writers: Frank Miller(screenplay)

Will Eisner(comic book series

Release Date:1st January 2009 (UK)

Jaime King as Lorelei Rox

Gabriel Macht as The Spirit / Denny Colt

Dan Gerrity as Det. Sussman

Eva Mendez as Sand Saref

Eric Balfour as Mahmoud

Samuel L. Jackson as The Octopus

Scarlett Johansson as Silken Floss

There comes times when one has a desire to view films on the big screen, mostly due to feeling that watching movies on the home TV or computer just doesn’t cut it. Recently, I had that desire.

I asked my nephew, being the only one I knew at the time to be free of commitments and such like, to go the cinema with me to see what was being shown. After looking through the many films on offer and realising I had seen most of them at home, I decided to give The Spirit a go thinking “hey, it’s a superhero flick, maybe it’s worth a try”.

We entered the cinema screening room and proceeding to find a seat. To my surprise, five people were in the giant room and we therefore went to sit in the best seats in my view, which is half way up the seats and in the centre of the room. In any case, this gave me a feeling that this film wasn’t going to be good.

I honestly didn’t know what I was to expect with this film apart from what I had seen in the trailer, Sammy J Jackson being glammed up with glitter and furry clothes and this guy jumping from building to building and apparently not able to die. The Sin City look was cool, but didn’t really appeal to me having already seen that done in the past. Been there, done that. I was hoping there was something extra to the film to explain the very large promotion campaign that had been made for the film.

The brief story to the film is that former police officer Denny Colt (Gabriel Macht) (who was gunned down in the line of duty) is now a masked crime fighter in Central City. He’s alive because he was a guinea pig for a scientist’s experiment on immortality.

He doesn’t remember how or why he’s come back from the dead, and hasn’t really cared until his arch-nemesis “The Octopus” (Samuel L. Jackson) tells him that they have more in common than The Spirit thinks. One of the odder things in the movie (which was never explained) is his need to be tended to by Dr. Ellen Dolan (Sarah Paulson) to help him recover - even though he supposedly has Wolverine-like healing powers.

The Spirit works closely with the police and in particular with the Commissioner (Dan Lauria), who happens to be Ellen’s father. He thinks the masked one is losing it due to his obsession with the Octopus, plus he’s not happy with the fact that the Spirit seems to both put out and be extremely susceptible to pheromones - falling in love with every woman he meets. Ellen lusts for the Spirit and even though he romances other women right in front of her, she still can’t help herself.

The Octopus is looking for the key to immortality, and even though he’s most of the way there, he needs to drink some of “Heracles blood” to seal the deal. He has a bunch of cloned henchmen all played by Louis Lombardi who make the “Otis” character in the Superman movies look brilliant by comparison. They wear t-shirts each with a different saying on them - the first three guys have either “Pathos,” “Egos” or “Logos” on their shirt. Later on as more copies appear they have other single, and progressively stupider, words on them.

Following the swamp fight between the Octopus and the Spirit that included a giant wrench, a toilet and… wait for it…. the kitchen sink, the t-shirt gag was a clue that perhaps director, Frank Miller, was going for an Adam West/1960s Batman TV show/film type of camp with the film. They went with camp humour hoping that it was add a comedic value to the film, however just made the film unbearable at times.

The dialogue was terrible with people saying “I had you beat like eggs” and scene settings including dressing up like Nazi and making a speech on his plans to the tied up superhero, before The Spirit miraculously escapes with the exotic belly dancer who saved him, who then proceeds to hit him over the head with a iron bar (which afterwards is bent in the shape of his head). Seriously, the so called comedy of the film was cringeworthy.

I’m surprised big stars such as Samuel L Jackson and co, agreed to even accept to act in the film after reading the script. Someone must have fed them false promises of high popularity and high box office results. I hope this film can be gone and forgotten soon as it deserves to be. I thoroughly did not enjoy the film. The only thing that appealed to me was Eva Mendez being the hot sexy lady she is and that’s it.

I will award this film 1 out of 5 for inducing a sheer shock value to its audience that many have not had in a long time due to its poor acting, script, fight scenes and dialogue. Something in which I have not seen in a film since the above mentioned Batman film from the 60’s

Definitely one to miss, don’t even download it, don’t.....seriously.....don’t.

FILM REVIEW: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009-01-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

It was a cold Sunday afternoon and I had no immediate plans or ideas on how to make use of my time. As any other would do, I resolved to watch a new film through the internet.

The film I chose on that particular day was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. A strange name for a film if I have ever heard one.... then again, I have seen a film called "Night of the Day of the Dawn of the Son of the Bride of the Return of the Revenge of the Terror of the Attack of the Evil, Mutant, Alien, Flesh Eating, Hellbound, Zombified Living Dead Part 2: In Shocking 2-D".... so maybe this title isn't that strange. The title is mysterious and makes you wonder..o(hmm, I wonder Mr Ben Button is a curious case). So I followed my detective instincts and ventured forth to watch this movie.

The film starred Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett mainly, but most of the other actors in the movie played their parts well. The film started off well. The prelude was an elderly lady in hospital on deaths welcome mat recounting a tale to her daughter using the diary of Mr Ben Button. As soon as she starts reading, the tale begins.

The summary of the story is a tale of a person who was born elderly and grows younger, yes younger. It sounds strange and curious, hence the title. Narrated by a hoarse voiced Brad with a southern drawl explaining his day to day life through his childhood through to the latter part of his life and the twist and turns that befell him on the way.

At the start, it's humorous, seeing an elderly looking person wanting to run around with the kids. There must have been some CGI to place Brad's resemblance on the character. As the film progresses, the humour changes to wonderment as the people surrounding Mr Button in the elderly persons home are amazed by how he appears to be getting younger and more virile. He eventually leaves home to enlist as a boat hand as a job.

To cut a long story short (at least three hours), he goes on travels and across the world, meets many women along the way, one being Cate Blanchett's character Daisy, who he meets when she is a child. They both cross paths throughout his story, but eventually get together when they are virtually the same age and both fall in love. The story then depicts how they come to terms with Ben's ailment of growing younger and know their relationship will not last. The rest however, is for you to see if you want.

Many people will no doubt see this film as being like Forrest Gump, due to the life story and both characters coming from southern America, but this film has more depth and meaning to it. Forrest Gump will always be a favourite of mine, as will this. This film however is on entirely another higher level then Gump. It may not be everyone's idea of a good film, but to me it definitely stood out as one of the best films I've seen in years.

Overall, the film is definitely worth a try, maybe to watch at home on DVD. Like many films which are edging towards the three hour mark, this film takes its toll on your saddle, but keeps you entertain to feel like it was worth it. If you enjoy the film however, you will come away with a sense of make the most of life while you are young, the films emotions are that strong.

I'll give this movie a 8 ½ out of 10.