2000-2009, Film Review

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Image is property of Hasbro Studios, Dreamworks Pictures and Paramount Pictures

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – Film Review

Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Ramón Rodríguez, John Turturro, Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving, Tony Todd

Director: Michael Bay

Synopsis: After saving the world from the Decepticons, Sam (LaBeouf) tries to leave all that behind and go to college. However, due to some clues that are in his possession, the Decepticons are ferociously hunting Sam once more…

Review: The first live action foray into the world of live action talking robots, was certainly if anything a noisy affair. Lots of explosions thrown in with robots fighting in a human metropolis. If that for whatever reason, didn’t provide you with a couple of hours of some mindless dumb popcorn entertainment, chances are this sequel to Bay’s Transformers mayhem probably won’t tickle your fancy much either, as it serves up more of the same in many ways, but the results this time, are not nearly as pleasing to the eye as the first instalment.

With the Decepticons seemingly defeated, Sam Witwicky now seems determined to lead a normal life, by going to college. Unfortunately for him, his role in the Transformers Civil War is not yet over, as a clue to another ancient artefact’s location on Earth sees him become the target for the Decepticons once again, and cue again lots of explosions and a Transformer Civil War reignites on Earth once more. What Bay does well is the visual effects are once again excellent, and for what it’s worth the opening sequence is for the most part, extremely entertaining to watch. These scenes are scattered throughout the film, and they, along with Steve Jablonsky’s score, are undoubtedly the high points of this expensive metal extravaganza.

**Bruised and beaten, but still the ultimate badass…**

The problematic dialogue has unfortunately not gone away, there are times when it is painful to just watch once again. The chemistry between the lead characters is not awful but its paper thin at best. The plot, once again is completely ridiculous and it seems was once again nothing more than an afterthought in production. You go into these movies to see Autobots fight Decepticons, but that is almost second fiddle here, as the humans are the centre of the attention. As such when those humans are front and centre for the majority of the run time, it’s really frustrating, especially since screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman have proven themselves to be capable screenwriters.

As well as the bland humans, well they’re ably supported by some equally bland new Bots. Of course Optimus is his usual Peter Cullen-voiced badass self and the not so talkative Bumblebee. The rest apart from Ironhide are not nearly as developed as the aforementioned robots in disguise, thus rendering them big and uninteresting pieces of tin. Two robots that are not uninteresting, but for all the wrong reasons, are The Twins. Annoying and just offensive, it’s a pity they didn’t end up in the scrapheap of the editing room. In the Decepticon corner however, there is the eponymous Fallen who wants to do what Megatron did, and that is essentially destroy the human race, with a really absurd way of doing so. Bay’s style of editing is carried over from the first movie, and while it does have its merits to the way he frames his action scenes, it could quite possibly be migraine inducing.

It had its flaws but Bay had the platform to build on what he achieved from the first one and make a meaningful sequel. From quite the considerable production budget, the end result is certainly bigger in scale, but better it most certainly isn’t. There’s enjoyment to be had, as such it’s not a complete car crash, but it’s not far off. Ultimately it is one colourful and noisy mess that doesn’t add anything new to the franchise. Instead it takes the problems of the first film, and just makes them that so much more noticeable.

Nothing more than meets the eye to be found here, a messy and absurd script is slightly compensated by some good effects, but even they become extremely tiresome after a while.

2000-2009, Film Review

Avatar (2009)

Posted on November 22, 2016July 10, 2019 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Image is property of 20th Century Fox, Lightstorm Entertainment, Dune Entertainment and Ingenious Film Partners

Avatar Film Review

Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribsi, Joel David Moore, C. C. H. Pounder, Laz Alonso

Director: James Cameron

Synopsis: A paraplegic former marine is recruited as part of a mission on the alien world of Pandora, to drive a hybrid body known as an Avatar, and soon finds himself with conflicting thoughts as to where his loyalty truly lies.

Review: If ever you were to talk about certain directors and their passion projects, then for the mastermind behind Aliens and the first two exceptional Terminator films, James Cameron, Avatar is most certainly his passion project. Back in 1994, the director wrote an 80 page vision for the film, yet his vision could not be realised due to the limited technology that was available to him at the time. As such, the project was put on the back burner, but years later after going through much effort to create a rich and immersive world, and finally that vision was truly realised, and it certainly was worth it.

The world of Pandora is immediately visually absolutely stunning and breath taking to look at, it looks and feels as though Pandora could be a place somewhere out there in the universe. The terrain and the wildlife are all so rich in detail, it is incredible to watch, and the indigenous people of Pandora, the Na’vi are also equally beautifully realised, again they feel as though they could be a species that actually inhabits a planet somewhere out there in the reaches of the universe. Cameron went to great effort to create their language and his endeavour absolutely pays off. It is so authentic and so beautiful, if it was a real place, admit it, you would want to go there. The visual effects are truly magnificent and the film absolutely deservedly bagged an Oscar for its astounding visual effects, it was a game changer when released back in 2009 and remains the absolute pinnacle of what a film can achieve in terms of visual effects.

Of course, a film with pretty visuals looks great but, being all style and no substance wouldn’t be any good to anybody. Fortunately, that isn’t the case as the screenplay, penned by Cameron does have substance to it. At the heart of the story is Jake Sully (Worthington) who after a death in the family is recruited to the Avatar programme, an arm of the human operation on Pandora which is seeking possession of an extremely rare mineral. With use of said avatars, Jake becomes a part of the Na’vi clan and soon falls head over heels for the fierce and strong willed Neytiri (Saldana). Yet the love story is only one facet of the story, with many themes running through it, some of them could be perceived as being very political, but it drives home the message in an emphatic manner, carrying plenty of emotion and suspense with it, and James Horner’s score, is equally brilliant.

As a leading man, Worthington is functional, but he could have been a lot more compelling and less monotone would have been helpful. Saldana though shines as Neytiri, she’s very well developed and a very capable warrior who certainly can hold her own against anyone. The chemistry between the two leads is for the most part, solid, but it is a bit iffy in other parts. Signourney Weaver is also excellent as Grace Augstine, the head honcho of the Avatar programme. The humans here though are the main baddies with Parker Selfridge (Ribsi) and Miles Quaritch (Lang) the principal antagonists, with Lang being the standout as a gruff colonel who won’t take any bullshit from anybody. Cameron is one masterful director and here he helms the action to an impeccable quality. It is a rare feat to make the audience want to see members of its own species fail, but everyone watching should definitely be on Team Na’vi when the shit starts to go down.

Avatar certainly was responsible for the resurgence in 3D, and that certainly helped boost its numbers at the box office, as it smashed records here, there and everywhere taking just seventeen days to make one billion dollars, before eventually ending up with a total of nearly THREE billion, or 2.788 billion to be exact, to earn the title of the highest grossing film of all time, a title it has retained to this day, and it will take an almighty force (Star Wars?) to take that title away. Or maybe given Cameron is planning on return to Pandora at some point down the line, that title will remain with this franchise, whenever that sequel will eventually arrive in cinemas. One thing is for sure though, is when that sequel does arrive, there will be no shortage of people out there, keen to make a return to the vast and incredible world of Pandora.

An absolute visual masterpiece, rich with gorgeous and vivid detail, with some great characters and a for the most part compelling story with some powerful themes, Avatar remains a wonderful, breath-taking cinematic achievement.

2000-2009, Film Review

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009)

Posted on November 9, 2016June 26, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Image is property of Warner Bros,Dreamworks and Heyday Films

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – Film Review

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Evanna Lynch

Director: David Yates

Synopsis: Now into his sixth year at Hogwarts, and after a turbulent fifth year, Harry comes across a mysterious book belonging to someone known as the Half-Blood Prince and begins to delve deeper into Lord Voldemort’s past.

There will be spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t read the book or seen the film, turn back now you silly Muggle!

Review: The world of Hogwarts may have started off as a delightful adventure for the whole family to enjoy. Yet as the series has gone on, each film has gradually got darker, with some rather bleak events taking place for all who attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in particular for one Harry James Potter. After a traumatic fifth year which culminated in the death of his uncle Sirius, Harry is now one detached individual. Yet, the work must continue to bring down Voldemort, and in this chapter, we learn quite a little bit more about the Dark Lord’s past and how he can be defeated.

After boasting some incredible action sequences in the fourth and fifth films, this is significantly reduced here, to allow for significant character development, and not just for Harry but for many others including Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape. The screenplay by Steve Kloves once again is not perfect, there are some puzzling additions, such as the scene one scene The Burrows which was not present in Rowling’s novel, which just feels a bit out of place. Yet there is some great character development, although some characters are much better fleshed out than others. As with the previous films, there is humour to ensure the gloominess doesn’t become too overbearing.

The high standard of visuals is maintained here, and Yates steers the ship excellently through these dark waters. Although the action has given way for some crucial character development, the acting isn’t as good as it could be. The three leads have certainly grown into their roles but this is not applicable for everyone. What’s more, their is something of a lack of chemistry between Harry and new love interest Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright), as such you do not just buy their romance, which does detract from the story a little. It’s not cringe inducing but it could be so much better. By contrast, the romance between Ron and Hermione is where a bulk of the humour lies, as it’s a bit off and on between them with a new love interest entering the picture, namely Lavender Brown, but it never feels like a comedy, as the audience knows, it is dark times for all of those who inhabit the wizarding world.

Each film boasts a new arrival to the cast, and this time the key new introduction is Jim Broadbent’s Horace Slughorn. A man who has some crucial information connected to Voldemort’s past that must be obtained in order to defeat him. Broadbent is a welcome addition and reinforces the stellar standard of acting that the more experienced actors, such as Gambon and Rickman provide. Speaking of which, Gambon gives perhaps his best performance yet as Dumbledore, the scenes between him and Harry are extremely well executed and both actors really deliver. Of course this results in the crucial scene which results in Dumbledore’s death at the hands of Snape. Everything about this scene is just masterful in its execution and the resulting aftermath is heartbreaking, but incredibly well realised by Kloves and Yates, and the score by Nicolas Hooper in this sombre scene is just outstanding.

Every film has got darker than its predecessor, but with this heartbreaking twist, Hogwarts will never be the same again, and for Harry, there is no to mourn for the loss of Dumbledore, there is work to be done to ensure that Voldemort is defeated. It is the climax that all of these films have been building towards, the battle between good and evil is coming.

Darker perhaps than ever before, but with brilliant visuals, and franchise best performances from Radcliffe and Gambon, this is another fine addition to the Potter filmography.

Rating: A-

2000-2009, Film Review

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Posted on October 20, 2016November 19, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Inglourious Basterds – Film Review

Cast: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Melanie Laurent, Daniel Brühl

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Synopsis: A group of Jewish American soldiers set out with the intention of killing Nazis in the heart of Nazi occupied France, all the while, a plot to assassinate Nazi High Command is being devised by a cinema owner with a tragic past.

Review: The Second World War, a truly dark and troubling part of European History in the 20th century. The rise of Fascism and Communism and a continent that was seemingly on the brink of tearing itself to pieces. A period that has been the subject of many textbooks. Therefore presenting a perfect opportunity it would seem for writer and director Quentin Tarantino, a chance to make a fun and violent movie during the period that quite literally throws the history textbook out of the window, and shoot it a couple, or maybe ten times.

Set in 1944 with the war raging across the continent, enter the Basterds lead by Lt Aldo Raine (Pitt) a group of Allied soldiers who are killing Nazi soldiers with with a large amount of glee as they do. Meanwhile a cinema in Paris becomes the centre of a plot by the owner (Melanie Laurent) who is after one thing only, vengeance. The perfect ingredients for a three hour Tarantino flick filled with violence and superbly written dialogue and some truly memorable characters, and it sure is bloody entertaining stuff!

With what is without doubt one of the finest opening scenes in cinema history, we meet Colonel Hans Landa, played wonderfully by Christoph Waltz who’s on his way to meet a farmer, about the whereabouts of some missing Jews. Although this conversation is initially warm and hospitable, it isn’t long before things go cold, unwelcoming and becoming all the more tense with each passing scene. On this scene alone, Waltz deserved the many accolades that came his way for this performance, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Tarantino has created many memorable characters in his filmography, but Landa is right up there with the best of them. Laurent is also spectacular as the cinema owner, Tarantino knows how to make compelling female characters, and he does so yet again as both Shoshanna (Laurent) and Bridget (Kruger) are intriguing and well developed characters, the former more so than the latter though. Brad Pitt as the gruff Aldo Raine is also on spectacular form as the leader of the Basterds, with Michael Fassbender also lending his tremendous talents as a British Double Agent in what is a very talented cast.

Tarantino is one of the finest writers and directors working in the industry, and there are more than a few scenes that are just flawless in terms of the writing, the actors performances and the execution of the scenes are all just exceptional. The aforementioned beginning sequence jumps to mind, but so too does the quite brilliant restaurant scene, which has potential to be one of the finest Mexican stand off scenes ever put to film. The tension is almost unbearable at some points. Whoever knew that a scene where two characters eat strudel could be so tense? This being a Tarantino flick means that there will be violence, and there is plenty of that indeed, and it’s glorious to watch. The script also manages to fuse a perfect amount of comedy in there as well, watching Pitt try and mask his thick American accent to masquerade as an Italian is just extremely entertaining.

The length is often a gripe with some of Tarantino’s work, and yes at and at just over 2 and a half hours, Basterds is certainly a movie you need to sit down and invest your time in. Yet it’s a worthy investment when the climax is reached and the credits begin to roll. “This might just be my masterpiece,” says one character as the film reaches its conclusion. It almost feels as though that dialogue was from Tarantino himself direct to the audience, and on the evidence of this film, it is kind of hard to disagree with him.

With exceptional writing, tremendous acting, and a bloody exciting story set in the heart of the Second World War. This is vintage Tarantino, and one of his best.

2000-2009, Film Review

Star Trek (2009)

Posted on July 18, 2016April 29, 2018 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Star Trek – Film Review

Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Leonard Nimoy

Director: JJ Abrams

Synopsis: James Tiberius Kirk is a young man with seemingly no future ahead of him, until he is persuaded to join Starfleet and follow in the footsteps of his father.

Review: Reboots certainly are a very common occurrence in Hollywood movies these days, with every popular franchise getting one. So of course, it was only a matter of time until Star Trek underwent the reboot treatment. A franchise that has endured the test of time, and has had its fair share of setbacks and disappointments. Seven years after 2002’s Star Trek Nemesis was released, fresh after directing the third Mission Impossible Movie, JJ Abrams came on board, sat in the director’s chair and fired this franchise into warp speed and in very impressive style too.

The film focuses on a young James T Kirk, a man who is sort of on the road to nowhere and likes gets into a few fights. He is looking for something to give his life significance and meaning and he eventually finds this in Starfleet. Also arriving on the Starfleet scene is the Vulcan Spock, who due to his human mother is almost looked down upon by his fellow Vulcans. Through this the two of them form an understanding of what it’s like to be cast aside, and a friendship of sorts, is formed, but it’s not without its problems. With the timeline in this movie dramatically altered, Abrams almost gives himself a clean slate to work from, but he also knew how to make this reboot work and work well. Yes it is cool to see ships travel at Warp Speed and to see impressive planets, but at its heart, Star Trek is a franchise that focuses on its characters, as the brilliant pairing of William Shatner and the late Leonard Nimoy demonstrated in the older films.

The new cast certainly give credit where credit’s due, but they all make the roles their own. Special mentions must go to Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. Much like Messrs Shatner and Nimoy, the pair of them are brilliant in the roles of Kirk and Spock respectively. They may bicker and clash about almost anything they can, but there is a connection, a mutual admiration in many ways between them. Also great is Karl Ubran as Dr Leonard McCoy AKA Bones. He gives off that typical Karl Ubran gruffness, and he is a little bit grumpy for sure, but there is sincerity and depth to his performance, as is just about everyone else. Star Trek is nothing without the crew of the Enterprise and this crew all give very fine performances, and you enjoy watching them work.

Abrams certainly showed with MI that he knows how to handle action, and here he displays it once again. The action is glorious to watch and there’s plenty of it too. From the epic clash in the opening sequence to a enthralling space jump sequence that is packed with his trademark lens flares in more than a few scenes. One could certainly never accuse Abrams of lacking style. He brings a very exciting style to the way he directs and it works very well for the film. However, the main thing dragging this movie down is the villain Nero played by Eric Bana. He looks menacing enough for sure, but he is in many ways a throw away villain, and will not leave the viewer with a lasting impression when the credits begin to role.

That being said, despite his predisposition to the Star Wars Franchise, Abrams gave the Trekkies just what they needed after seven years. Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, along with Abrams certainly set out to please the fans, and bring new people on board to the franchise, and they certainly did just that! It was just about the perfect start for this new Star Trek franchise with all phasers set to thrill!