2000-2009, Film Review

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Posted on November 4, 2016June 26, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – Film Review

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Imelda Staunton, Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Evanna Lynch

Director: David Yates

Synopsis: With Voldemort now back in power, The Ministry of Magic is making every effort to dispel rumours of Lord Voldemort’s return, all the while Hogwarts finds itself under intense scrutinisation from the Ministry.

Review: The latter years of a person’s time at school certainly have their fair share of difficult situations such as puberty and undergoing the stress of exams, all of which can take a very heavy toll on an individual. Yet for one Harry Potter, these are somewhat minor when at the end of the last film, he had a bruising dual with the newly risen Voldemort and he must now contend with the fact that the wizard who killed his parents is back and out to get him once more.

With every year that goes past for Harry, the mood in and around Hogwarts keeps getting darker, and Harry is becoming a bit detached from those closest to him. And after a bruising hearing before his fifth year has begun, it isn’t long before things at Hogwarts are going a bit wrong, which doesn’t exactly help matters after his brush with death. The Ministry refuses to believe Harry’s claims that the Dark Lord has returned, and this is also applicable to some at Hogwarts. In addition to their refusal to believe Voldemort is back, the newly appointed Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge is taking matters at Hogwarts into her own hands, and indeed that of the Ministry’s as well.

Incoming new director David Yates, along with new screenwriter Michael Goldenberg manage to compress what is the longest of Rowling’s novels into a solid and compelling film, that despite the ever darkening tones and mood surrounding Hogwarts do their best to weave humour into the script whilst also keeping the focus on the core story. By this point you are completely invested in all things Hogwarts and that interest is maintained with more great action sequences. We got a glimpse of an exciting duel between Harry and Voldemort in the previous chapter and there are plenty more brilliant wizarding duels to witness and Yates helms these exciting battle sequences in this chapter with great style as his predecessors such as Newell and Cuaron did.

As ever with a new Potter film, there are a number of new additions to the cast, and yet again, the casting is excellent. Of the new arrivals the stand out by far is Imelda Staunton’s Umbridge, a woman of some rather twisted principles who is out to do the Ministry’s bidding. You thought you disliked Voldemort, but you WILL HATE Umbridge. She has such a loathsome on screen presence that it may want you to hurl something at the screen whilst shouting a lot of expletives. It is full credit to Staunton, as she gives the franchise a really memorable antagonist besides Voldemort of course. Also a new arrival for the Dark Lord is Helena Bonham Carter’s crazy (in every sense of the word) Bellatrix Lestrange, a witch and close associate of Voldemort. These ladies are in many ways the stand out performers of a cast of which each and every one delivers a sterling performance.

With some dramatic turn of events taking place, the suspense and excitement is maintained throughout through a solid script and excellent directing from Yates. The stakes are getting ever darker in the Wizarding world, and it is certainly gripping to watch these characters that you know and love go through tough times. By this point the Potter machine was casting its all powerful spell on its audience and as the franchise was reaching its climax, the audience were holding on to their metaphorical broomsticks, because as we will find out, things are about to get very interesting at Hogwarts.

It’s almost a cliche to say that with each film the Potter franchise gets darker, but there is effective use of humour, all the while ensuring this magical universe gets another compelling adventure.

2000-2009, Film Review

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

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

harry-potter-and-the-goblet-of-fire-movie-poster — Image is property of Warner Bros Studios and Heyday Films

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – Film Review

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Mike Newell

Synopsis: Now in his fourth year at Hogwarts, the school is playing host to the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and Harry is somewhat unexpectedly selected to take part in this deadly contest.

Review: By the time a franchise reaches its fourth instalment, there is a risk that things could start to get a bit formulaic and a bit repetitive, and viewers may soon start to lose interest. Yet in the case of Harry Potter, after coming on the back of the quite brilliant Prisoner of Azkaban, the interest remained sky high, and to counter the argument that things may start becoming repetitive, this franchise has an answer to that: The Goblet of Fire.

After the dramatic end to the last instalment which went all sci-fi on the audience with the time turner adventure, the excitement picks up almost immediately with our key trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione along with members of the Weasley clan off to the Quidditch World Cup. Visually brilliant, it’s all smiles and joyful with everyone having a good time, until it all goes a bit dark and violent as hints of Voldemort are getting louder and louder. This sets everyone off in quite a melancholic mood as they board their train to start their fourth year at Hogwarts, all the while with Harry having some very dark and sinister nightmares.

With this new year, Hogwarts is the stage for something special, the aforementioned Tri Wizard Tournament in which three champions compete in deadly magical tasks, with one champion from the schools of Hogwarts, with the ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy and the fellas of the Durmstrang Institute, all chosen by the mysterious Goblet of Fire. However, this one champion per school situation is made a bit complicated when Harry is also chosen alongside the other champions. Faced with no other choice, Harry must compete in this competition.

After Alfonso Cuaron brought tremendous visuals to the preceding chapter, new director Mike Newell continues this trend, and also bringing perhaps some of the most gripping sequences of the franchise to date. The Tri-Wizard tasks are very well put together and edited supremely well, with excellent CGI to boot. Despite all the magic and danger involved in this chapter, Newell manages to bring something everyone has experienced at some points in their lives, growing up and falling in love. The hormones are raging throughout the story, as our lead characters in particular are having a tricky time displaying their feelings for one another. The film’s screenplay is far from perfect, but Kloves does his best to squeeze the key elements from Rowling’s novel in just over 2 and a half hours.

As the actors age, their performances improve quite significantly, particularly the core trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione. The bickering between Ron and Hermione is at times funny but also at times sad, because you want them to get together, but with all those teenage angsty feelings they have going on it does make things difficult. The cast for all the movies to this point was perfect, and it remained so with the addition of some colourful new characters to the mix. The best of the bunch being Brendan Gleeson’s Mad Eye Moody. With him, the clue is in the name, he’s a colourful character, but also just a bit mental. Robert Pattinson also does a sterling job as the Hogwarts champion Cedric Diggory.

Yet the most important new piece in this puzzle was Lord Voldemort, who finally makes a full appearance and is played fantastically by Ralph Fiennes. Much like the core trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione, the casting of the Dark Lord had to be just right, and in Fiennes, they had just the actor to bring this fearsome dark wizard to the big screen. With a brilliant closing battle to close this chapter of the Potter saga, it sends a chilling reminder to its audience, the dark times are returning and no wizard that dwells in the world of magic is safe.

Blending the perils of growing up with great humour and adding in really dark terrifying stuff tremendously well, The Goblet of Fire demonstrated that this franchise may have started off as child’s play, but not any more.

2000-2009, Film Review

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Posted on October 19, 2016June 26, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

harry_potter_and_the_prisoner_of_azkaban_ver5 — Image is property of Warner Bros Studios and Heydey Films

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Film Review

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, David Thewlis, Gary Oldman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Synopsis: In his third year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter is facing a new threat, in the form of the dastardly Sirius Black who escapes from Azkaban Prison and is believed to be after Harry.

Review: The Harry Potter fandom are certainly a passionate bunch, and although there are those out there who may not have enjoyed what he brought to the franchise, every Potter fan ought to raise their wands to Chris Columbus. The director behind the first two films brought a steady hand to both movies and ensured the solid foundations of the franchise were laid. For the third outing to Hogwarts however, Columbus chose not to direct. Instead the director’s wand was passed to Mr Alfonso Cuarón, and what an inspired choice that turned out to be.

After his brave battles in taking down You-Know-Who on the back of a man’s head and You-Know-Who again in his younger self, Harry has plucked up the courage and decided enough is enough with his ridiculously evil muggle family, and escapes into more familiar and friendly terrain, in the company of his best friends Ron and Hermione. Yet before he goes, there is a hilarious incident with another member of his nasty muggle relatives. He soon finds himself back on that train to Hogwarts for the commencement of his third year, and it’s on that train when the viewer realises, that this year at Hogwarts, things are going to get darker and creepier than ever before, not least with the sinister Dementors that are lurking around Hogwarts.

Cuaron is certainly an outstanding visual director, and with this film he shows off his considerable talent in more than a few brilliant sequences. The film’s visual qualities have certainly taken a big leap forward when compared to the first two movies, and the film takes on a considerably more darker tone which is epitomised by the presence of these Dementors who are at Hogwarts because of the man who has escaped from Azkaban and is said to be coming to kill Harry, this would be one Sirius Black, played excellently by Gary Oldman. Kloves is again penning the screenplay, and he understandably does have to axe some material to streamline the script, yet the translation from page to screen remains at a consistently solid level. Additionally, the action is much more intense in this instalment and incorporates some very exciting elements such as time travel into the story.

The acting from the main trio remains at a steady pace, they’re certainly not Oscar worthy, but their performances are assured and it’s clear that they are growing in confidence. The performances of the veterans if you will such as Rickman and Oldman certainly help bring the acting standard up a couple of good pegs. This is further aided by the tremendous work of David Thewlis playing new Professor Lupin, and the introduction of Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, having taken over the role from the late Richard Harris, proved to be another excellent casting choice. The film’s effects are also for the most part, considerably improved, except in the case of the werewolf, well the less said about that the better, it could and should have been so much better.

Nevertheless, Azkaban marks a noticeable improvement in quality from Philospher’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets. The shift to a much darker, more ominous tone is immediately noticeable, and it helps to deliver a really engaging and gripping story that helps set the wheels in motion for the franchise. This is because as we all know, a certain dark wizard, thought to be long since dead, is stirring…

Darker in tone from the word go, but with plenty of humour too, Cuaron delivers terrific visuals and a really gripping story that can delight, and maybe intimidate, viewers of all ages in equal measure.

2000-2009, Film Review

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

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

harry-potter-and-the-chamber-of-secrets-theatrical-teaser-poster — Image is property of Warner Bros Studios and Heyday Films

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Film Review

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, Kenneth Branagh, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Wright, Julie Walters, John Cleese

Director: Chris Columbus

Synopsis: Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts for his 2nd year, but a terrifying entity is attacking the students, causing chaos for the school and its teachers.

Review: Given the immense popularity of these books before these movies were made, it was almost something of an inevitability that Warner Bros made quite a healthy profit on their investment to acquire the rights to these movies. The Philosopher’s Stone raked in close to a billion dollars against a budget of 125 million dollars, and set the scene for the next chapter in this franchise, and the magical world that the first film set up so beautifully is gratefully kept going in this instalment.

With Steve Kloves again penning the script with Chris Columbus again taking on directing duties, it doesn’t take long before things at Hogwarts begin to go a bit awry. Dark, creepy sinister voices, writing on the wall in blood, students being petrified, giant terrifying looking spiders. This may have been a children’s book, but there are themes present in this movie that are certainly much more adult, and it isn’t afraid to go in dark places. There is a considerable shift in tone, an ominous presence is lurking in the shadows at Hogwarts, something the plucky trio of Harry Ron, and Hermione must put all of their skills and their plucky second year wit to the test to solve.

Columbus once again delivers his great vision for this magical world and it is once again beautiful to watch Hogwarts brought to life. There are considerably more effects involved here, including the quite brilliant flying car vs the Hogwarts train sequence. The Quidditch is also a lot much more enjoyable to watch here. Having spent the first movie setting up this world and the characters, the main focus is on the story and the ensuing crisis that Hogwarts finds itself in in this particular school year. There are some slower moments in this chapter, but having introduced this world and all of its magical qualities, there is time to build and develop these, particularly the relationships between the central trio of Harry Ron and Hermione, who all remain excellent in their roles. In addition, Tom Felton who was perfect as the sneering bully Malfoy, somehow manages to make himself even more unlikable than in the first movie.

Likewise, everyone who was present is also on stellar form, and a number of new additions who also made their mark on the franchise, namely the sinister father of Draco Malfoy, Lucius played by Jason Isaacs. Like his son, he’s a cold and unlikable presence, like father, like son. Replacing the late Quirrell in the Defence Against the Dark Arts Post is Gilderoy Lockhart, a bumbling idiot and a man who seems to be more interested in his fame and appeal to the ladies than his job as a teacher at Hogwarts. Last but by no means least is Dobby, a house elf who while at first seems incredibly grating and annoying, is ultimately a strong willed elf who wants to aid Harry in his quest, any way he can, even if some of his methods are somewhat perplexing.

Chamber of Secrets doesn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor, but it is still an entertaining ride in this brilliant magical world. Columbus deserves enormous credit for bringing together this remarkable universe to the big screen for its first two films, and for casting just about the perfect actors for every role. The film does lose some of the magic that the first film had in in abundance, but it remains a solid presence in the Harry Potter universe and ensures the spell of the franchise remains .

Despite boasting some cool moments and visuals with a darker tone than the first movie, Chamber of Secrets is not quite as enthralling as its predecessor, with some slow moments bogging it down.

2000-2009, Film Review

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)

Posted on September 10, 2016June 26, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Image is property of Warner Bros Studios and Heydey Films

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – Film Review

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Ian Hart

Director: Chris Columbus

Synopsis: After spending years suffering abuse from his aunt, uncle and cousin, on his 11th birthday, a boy named Harry Potter receives a letter to study at the great Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Review: When one Joanne Kathleen Rowling sat at an Edinburgh cafe in the 1990s, and an idea for a story of a young boy finding out he’s a wizard came into her mind, she probably could have barely imagined the power of the words she was writing, of the vivid and incredible world she was creating. Sure enough, seven books later, the world of Harry Potter had millions upon millions of fans across the globe, and Rowling become one very wealthy lady. Naturally, it was almost inevitable that this world would get brought onto the big screen, and that journey began in 1998 when Rowling sold the film rights to the first four books for a cool one million pounds. Thus, Harry’s journey from book to screen began.

Like the world of Middle Earth, the world of Hogwarts and all the magic that it encompasses is so vast and so rich in detail, even if a viewer has never read Rowling’s brilliant novels, the magic on screen is enough to ensure the viewer is consumed by this world of magic and all that it is has to offer. The place of Hogwarts has so much history and so much backstory to it, it is a world that is immediately enthralling. Director Christopher Columbus brings it all to the big screen, and all of those incredible places the wizarding world has to offer. With a screenplay by Steve Kloves, the filmmakers checked with Rowling to check that everything was correct, and while there are some omissions and changes in certain places, it remains as faithful as it can to its source material, which does pose some problems, but these are not enough to drag the movie down.

Right from the off, Rowling insisted on British actors for the characters, an insistence that resulted in Steven Spielberg passing on the opportunity to take on directing duties. Yet whoever made the final decision on the casting of these characters deserves enormous praise, as the casting is just about perfect. While Daniel Radcliffe may have been a little bit rusty in certain places, he carried the enormous burden of the role very well. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were also excellent choices. The chemistry between these three actors simply had to be perfect in order for the franchise to succeed, and thankfully, they did. Similarly, casting Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, the late Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, and Robbie Coltrane as the lovable Hagrid were further examples of particularly inspired casting choices. Looking back, it is quite hard to imagine another actor playing these roles!

With just about the perfect cast, Columbus delivered a truly magical movie that made every fan who read Rowling’s books fall in love with Hogwarts all over again. The set decoration is just beautiful and you’d think that Hogwarts is a place you can visit. Alas it’s not but the Warner Bros Studio Tour near London is about as close as you can get! This is in no small part down to John Williams’s incredible score, and that beautiful theme that instantly transports you to the magical world of Harry Potter. The Quidditch match, Diagon Alley, and that very climatic final battle with the chess board is all beautifully well realised. The first movie in a franchise is crucial to its success, and this ensured the franchise got off to a very healthy start. It’s magical, intriguing, and every Potter fan no doubt left the cinema on cloud nine, while floating away on an imaginary Nimbus 2000!

Philsopher’s Stone provides the perfect introduction to the franchise for old and new fans alike! With wonderful acting, tremendous magical effects, a beautiful score and above all a superb story at its core.

2000-2009, Film Review

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Posted on September 8, 2016February 19, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

All image rights belong to New Line Cinema, The Saul Zaentz and WingNut Films — Image is property of New Line Cinema, The Saul Zaentz and WingNut Films

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Film Review

Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen , Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen , Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett , John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Billy Boyd , Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom , Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Bernard Hill ,Miranda Otto, Karl Urban

Director: Peter Jackson

Synopsis: While Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli lead the charge against Sauron and his armies of Mordor, Frodo and Sam continue their quest to destroy the ring and banish evil from Middle Earth, once and for all.

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS, SO BE AWARE MY PRECIOUSSSSSS….

Review: The journey to bring The Lord of the Rings to the big screen was one that started all the way back in 1995, and that reached its conclusion in 2003 with this closing chapter of this masterful trilogy. You just did not want it to end, but all good things must come to an end, and there isn’t a better way to close the book on this epic masterpiece than to go and make what is without doubt, one of the best films ever made, and quite possibly the best film of the 2000s. New Line Cinema rolled the dice with Peter Jackson and this adaptation and this gamble paid off big time, with three tremendous movies making one of the best trilogies of all time.

With Saruman and his armies now vanquished, the Iron Fist of Mordor and Sauron’s flaming eye is now firmly focused on Gondor as he bids to topple the world of men once for all. Yet in his path stand the rest of the Fellowship with Pippin and Merry following their victory over Isengard, who briefly rejoin the rest of the Fellowship to celebrate, but that joy is short-lived as the enemy prepares to strike. Gandalf and Pippin depart for Minas Tirith to help Gondor prepare for the imminent war and the rest of the Fellowship to mobilise Rohan and its armies for the grave and massive incoming army that is about to descend on the world of men. Sauron moves to conquer all and only it is in the hands of Frodo and Sam, aided by Gollum who all the while is growing ever more deceitful and treacherous, to stop Sauron consuming Middle Earth in darkness.

Throughout the near ten hour run time of the entire trilogy (not counting the extended editions) Peter Jackson threw some terrific action sequences upon the audience. You thought the Battle of Helm’s Deep was outstanding and a wonder in terms of film-making, the battle of Pelennor Fields is somehow almost on another level. Trolls, Catapults of severed human heads flung at the walls of Minas Tirith, Nazgul, Oliphants, this battle has just about everything, and it’s a cinematic battle of immense quality that could and should certainly stake its claim as one of the finest ever put to screen, featuring among other things, Legolas take on an enormous oliphant all by himself, which leads to one of the best one liners ever said by the great Gimli son of Gloin.

Given the stakes in the movie, the tone is considerably darker here, and this is noticeable from the very beginning with a rather twisted tale of how Smeagol was transformed into the creature otherwise known as Gollum. This dark tone is a recurring one throughout the film’s run time as Sauron’s power seems to be unstoppable for the Fellowship to contain. All the while, the Ring is taking a heavy toll on Frodo as he and Sam move closer to Mount Doom. All the while Gollum, purporting to lead them to Mount Doom, is scheming to try and take the ring back again. The script weaves between the different story lines as brilliantly as it can. Jackson, Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh again wrote the screenplay and it was this screenplay that won the trio a well deserved Oscar for their efforts. Indeed the film swept the board at the 2004 Oscars, winning all of the ELEVEN Oscars it was nominated for, setting a record in process, jointly tying with Titanic and Ben-Hur for the most Oscars ever won.

Although no one was nominated in any of the acting categories, everyone on screen gives utterly tremendous performances, right from those who were introduced to us in Fellowship and Two Towers, to those who were introduced in this concluding chapter. Of the new cast, John Noble’s Denethor, the father of the late Boromir and Faramir (David Wenham) certainly makes an impression, and quickly becomes a very dis-likeable man due to his mistreatment of Faramir, who he views in a considerably lesser light than his brother. The extended edition of Two Towers introduces the audience to Denethor but it’s here where he shows his utter contempt for Faramir. Viggo Mortensen shone as Aragorn in the previous movies, but here he really steps up to the plate as he accepts his true destiny, to become King. Also deserving of praise is Miranda Otto as Eowyn. “I can fight,” she says in Two Towers before the Wolves of Isengard attacked, and boy was she right. She certainly showed a woman can fight and own a battle scene just the same as a man. Sean Astin and Elijah Wood are also tremendous but Astin in particular really shone as Sam battles to support Frodo who is becoming corrupted by Gollum’s influence.

There really is no shortage of superlatives that can describe The Lord of the Rings trilogy in all of its magnificence, but Peter Jackson could and should remain immensely proud of what he and his team brought to the big screen. If Tolkien could see what Jackson did with his beloved book, he would surely be thrilled that his masterpiece was brought to life in such spectacular fashion. If you count the extended edition, these movies are just over eleven hours of pure cinematic joy, spectacle, drama and emotion with so many wonderful and brilliant characters. The Lord of the Rings trilogy has cemented its status as one of the best that has ever been put to screen with three perfect movies that have secured their well deserved place in the record books, and will hopefully be adored for generations and generations to come.

The third chapter in a trilogy can so often be a huge let down. Not a chance of that happening here, this is pure cinematic perfection and glorious entertainment, the trilogy took its well deserved crown. One trilogy to rule them all!

2000-2009, Film Review

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Posted on September 2, 2016March 17, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Image is property of New Line Cinema, The Saul Zaentz and WingNut Films

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – Film Review

Director: Peter Jackson

Synopsis: Continuing the journey as the Fellowship breaks apart, as Frodo and Sam continue their journey to Mordor to destroy the Ring. The trio of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli make a stand against Sauron’s puppet Saruman and his armies who seek to destroy the world of men.

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING SPOILERS! YE BE WARNED!!!!

Review: The middle mark of a trilogy, sometimes one that tops its predecessor in glorious fashion, improving every element and every aspect. Or a miserable failure that is often lost in the movie wilderness, never to be spoken about again. Okay there might be middle ground between these two, but in the case of the second chapter in the trilogy of Peter Jackson’s Lord of The Rings, neither really applies. The first film was a masterpiece in fantasy storytelling, with wonderful characters and a superb adventure that kept the audience glued to the screen for three and a half hours, and that trend continues on into The Two Towers.

The story picks up immediately after the end of the Fellowship of the Ring. The Fellowship itself has disbanded, with the death of the heroic Boromir and after Gandalf fell into shadow. Frodo and Sam continue onto Mordor to destroy the One Ring. Merry and Pippin are captured by Urak Hai and the remaining trio of Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn set out to rescue them. With three strands of the story line, the trilogy continues to thrill in all of its spectacle and brilliance as our journey into the wonder and yes indeed terror of Middle Earth continues as we explore new parts, in particular the land of Rohan and their battle to stop the treacherous White Wizard, Saruman from exterminating the world of Men.

Fellowship introduced us , for the most part, to our key characters. However, this chapter adds some new and important characters into the picture. Namely, Theoden (Bernard Hill) his niece Eowyn (Miranda Otto), Faramir (David Wenham) and of course, the creepy and sinister Gollum (Andy Serkis). All of these new characters are key additions to the story and all are portrayed excellently, with Eowyn giving the series a strong and very capable female warrior, a rarity in Middle Earth sadly. but the most stand out of all of these is Andy Serkis’ motion capture portrayal of Gollum. Gollum is one damaged and wounded creature, and Serkis generated quite the buzz with his performance, with there being talk of a potential Oscar for his work. Gollum’s arrival splits Frodo and Sam’s relationship in half, as Sam harbours strong suspicions of Gollum’s true motive. All the while, the burden of the Ring is really eating away at Frodo and taking a severe toll, thus meaning Sam needs to come to the fore, and he does so brilliantly. The acting from Astin and Wood goes up a gear here, but Serkis absolutely steals the show for his work as Gollum.

On the other side of the world, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimili, aided by a rejuvenated Gandalf the White, are preparing for the fight to stop the villainous Saruman to wipe out Rohan via a considerable army of Urak-Hai. They’re a very unlikely trio but they have great chemistry between them. Through this we are eventually led to the Battle of Helm’s Deep, and what simply is one of the best and most epic battle scenes ever put on the big screen, though some great action scenes do come before it. Whilst at the same time packing humour aplenty with the increasingly amusing relationship between Legolas and Gimli which culminates in a battle within a battle, to get the most kills. It is uproariously entertaining whilst at the same time very gripping, edge-of-your-seat action. Yet for all those epic battle scenes the scenes with Merry and Pippin and Treebeard, their Ent, tree like companion, can feel very slow and tedious at times. , However while it maybe slow to sit through these scenes, the pay off is certainly worth it.

The cinematography, visual effects and score remain as brilliant as they were in the first movie. The respective story lines do have some satisfying conclusions and the film closes at a perfect point to set it up for the concluding chapter to this magnificent trilogy. The prospect that Lord of the Rings could have been only two films is one that does not bear thinking about, as who knows what would have been butchered from the story to make it into two films. Luckily for us all it did not come to pass and we got our trilogy. For some, Two Towers marks the low point of the trilogy, but it does not bring the movie down at all from being the awesome and thrilling adventure that it is. There are some great pay offs in the respective arcs, but there is enough hanging in the balance to draw the viewer back. Jackson pulled it out of the bag again, and in spectacular fashion my precioussssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.

Though not as action packed as Fellowship was, it provides more character development, more heart, and with one of the best battle sequences ever put on the big screen, the journey continues in majestic and magnificent fashion.

2000-2009, Film Review

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Posted on August 30, 2016March 23, 2018 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

fotr — Image is property of New Line Cinema, The Saul Zaentz and WingNut Films

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Film Review

Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd , Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm,

Director: Peter Jackson

Synopsis: When a young hobbit Frodo Baggins receives the One Ring of Power. He along with eight unlikely companions set off on a quest, to journey to the heart of Middle Earth and Mordor and destroy the Ring.

Review: When discussions about films and more specifically film trilogies rage across film schools, and fans of films in general, several trilogies may get mentioned and debated vehemently. Yet, the name of one trilogy that could and should always be mentioned is Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings. A project that Jackson considered way back in 1995, but through various deals falling through, and tough negotiations that reached an impasse, with talk of it being two films instead of three. It was a tough challenge and despite the production impasses, it pulled through and the final end product is what many believe to be one of the finest trilogies in the history of cinema. and thank goodness it was three films and not two!

Thanks to the brilliance of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, the mastermind behind this incredible world of Middle Earth, came into being, and his trilogy of novels, and it was Peter Jackson who took up the challenge to adapt it for the big screen. With a screenplay by Jackson, his wife Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens, the land of Middle Earth is beautifully realised and the world is established in all of its glory. On top of that, we are provided with some sweet action sequences within the first 20 minutes. Yet there is much to be built up, events to be established in order to bring those who will have not read Tolkien’s works up to speed. Build up can be a slow tedious process, but not here. The world of Middle Earth is so enthralling, it’s just gripping to watch as the audience is introduced to this vast world and all of its key characters, of which there are many.

The cast is quite extensive, but every single performance on show shines and shines brightly. However, it is the main ensemble of the Fellowship all lead the way with sublime performances from each and everyone one of them. However, there are however some stand out performances among the wealth of great acting on show. Elijah Wood as Frodo, who is the one tasked with the seemingly impossible challenge of destroying the ring. Viggo Mortensen as the fearless and strong warrior Aragorn, who is a key piece of the puzzle, and Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey likewise. With the late and great Sir Christopher Lee also showing his tremendous ability and deep booming voice as Saruman the White. Sean Bean also gives a very memorable performance as Boromir the warrior of Gondor. All of the aforementioned give superb performances and the acting from all is of such a top quality, that you do not see the actors any more, you see the characters, and that’s a credit to everyone involved.

The cinematography is beautiful from start to finish. The film is packed with some breath taking shots of Middle Earth AKA New Zealand scenery. There are plenty of superb swooping shots that to leave the audience breathless. In addition, there is some awe-inspiring visual effects such as the with the battle scenes are also sublime but in terms of battle scenes, the best is saved for later in the trilogy. This isn’t to say that there are some terrific battle scenes here, The score composed by Howard Shore is equally epic in every sense. From the jovial tune that we hear in the Shire to the sinister notes we hear when entering Isengard. Every scene is accompanied by a beautifully composed tune that captures each scene perfectly. Out of the thirteen nominations received, the film bagged four Oscars for Cinematography, Score, Visual Effects and Make-up, and all were very well deserved.

Fellowship of the Ring was the perfect start for this trilogy and it set the benchmark. There are some great themes packed throughout this film. Friendship, honour, sacrifice and loyalty. It is just simply a joy to behold. Every element of this film hits the spot, and it hits it perfectly. Some may say its too long (not counting the extended edition!) While it is long, it is impossible to deny the sheer brilliance of what Jackson brought to the big screen. We will never know what Tolkien would have made of Jackson’s vision of his beloved trilogy, but one would hope that he would have loved what he saw, as audiences around the world certainly did!

Visually breath-taking, with a riveting and terrific story, some superb action sequences, a fantastic score and a tremendous ensemble cast, the first instalment of this trilogy set in motion one of the best trilogies of all time.

2010-2019, Film Review

Scott Pilgrim VS The World (2010)

Posted on February 27, 2016May 30, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Scott Pilgrim VS The World – Film Review

Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman,

Director: Edgar Wright

Synopsis: Scott Pilgrim is a 22 year old who is on a road to nowhere until he meets a girl he rather likes. Only problem is that in order to win his affection he has to battle all of her exes.

Review: Movies based off video games do not have a good record of being any good, and for the most part, they do struggle to achieve greatness. and some are just flat out terrible. However every so often, one movie comes along that uses elements from video games in order to tell the story. 2014’s Edge of Tomorrow for instance, with the constant re-spawning. Edgar Wright’s 2010 offering, with the screenplay penned by Wright and Michael Bacall, adapting from the series of graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley, also uses video game elements. It does this whilst also telling a love story, and uses them to brilliant, if slightly bonkers results, and one that will make anyone watching, their inner nerd extremely happy.

The focus of the story is Scott (Cera), a guy who no doubt many men who watch this movie will relate to. He looks for the direction in life, whilst striving to achieve greatness for his band, whilst also trying to win the affections of that special girl. Lo and behold he stumbles across the the girl of his dreams, in this instance it’s Ramona Flowers (Winstead.) Yet unbeknown to Scott, this lady has seven evil exes that Scott must do battle with, Tekken and Soul Calibur style, in order to win over her affection. Wright manages to fuse video game like tropes and live action very well, and the battles with the exes are somewhat ridiculous, but they are extremely entertaining to watch. There are some quirky and unique methods that Wright inserts throughout the film in order to tell the story, and sometimes to convey the awkwardness in some situations. The whole fight scenes are just like if video games, anime and movies all merged into one glorious package.

Romance in movies like these can sometimes feel forced and shoehorned into the story, but in this instance, not so. There is strong chemistry between Scott and Ramona, and you want to see them make it work, there is just the small matter of those crazy exes that Scott has to deal with, including battles with a former Superman in Brandon Routh and a pre-Captain America Chris Evans! No one ever said the hero had it easy! Michael Cera gives a great performance as Scott, he’s dorky, and a bit useless, but you just can’t help wanting to root for him. As Ramona, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, also brings her A game as Ramona, she’s not that weirdo ex, but a friend and someone Scott can turn to as he battles through the crazy exes. The rest of the cast including the likes of Anna Kendrick and Jason Schwartzman all play their roles brilliantly.

If you were to try and compare this film to another movie, you’d be hard pressed to find one similar. It’s a very unique film in this regard, and one that if it had been placed in the wrong hands, could have failed badly. Fortunately as it was in Wright’s very capable hands, it passed with flying colours. The quirky humour that Wright is brilliant, is packed throughout the film and it works perfectly. The opening of the movie is a little sluggish and slow to get going, but once the console of the film is fired up, the entertainment and the laughs will carry on all the way to the credits. This is a perfect example of a video game movie done right, even though it is not based on a video game. Nevertheless, for video game lovers out there, this is your movie.

Original, unique and very entertaining, with some top performances and some ridiculously funny fight scenes and video game references aplenty, to make the nerd in all of us extremely happy!

2010-2019, Film Review

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

Posted on December 23, 2013May 29, 2017 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

desolation of smaug.jpg — **Image is property of Warner Bros, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, WingNut Films and New Line Cinema**

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Film Review

Cast: Martin Freeman, Sir Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Kenn Stott, Graham McTavish, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Aidan Turner, James Nesbitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Luke Evans

Director: Peter Jackson

Synopsis: The Dwarven company along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey continue their quest to reclaim their homeland of Erebor. However, the villainous Smaug is waiting for them and evil is beginning to stir in Dol Guldur…

Review: A fiery return to Middle Earth and with the Desolation of Smaug comes a bigger and better adventure than An Unexpected Journey. The first instalment suffered from a slow start and thus it took its time to get going. Despite this, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable adventure. However, this second instalment wastes no time and immediately picks up from where the first film ended, as the company of Dwarves along with Bilbo and Gandalf continue their quest to reclaim Erebor.

Right from the get go, this film is immediately packed with some great scenes. From being chased from a bear-man to battling spiders that almost feast on our gang of little heroes. From there we have an enthralling chase down a choppy river as the Dwarves flee in wooden barrels, whilst being pursued by the pack of Orcs that continue to hunt them, as well as a group of elves led by Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly). While these two characters did not feature in the work of J.R.R Tolkien, and while that may upset some of the die hard Tolkienites (hardcore fans of Tolkien’s work) they were both excellent characters who were exciting to watch and memorable.

On the subject of memorable, there is a character (or should I say beast) that is very memorable and is one of the best villains that has been put on the big screen in a long time. This beast is of course, Smaug the dragon, voiced and motion captured by the brilliant Benedict Cumberbatch. This beast was ENORMOUS and very menacing. The dialogue that Smaug and Bilbo share in this film is wonderful. With the sinister voice of Cumberbatch that sent shivers down my spine, this villain was superb and the scenes with him are among the best in the film.

Martin Freeman continued to excel in the role of Bilbo and Sir Ian McKellen was also ontop form as Gandalf. A number of the dwarves within the company unfortunately do fade into the background, but there are those who come to the fore, Thorin (Richard Armitage) being one of them. He is the strong courageous leader that he was in the first film. Meanwhile the elderly Balin (Ken Stott) is another member of the dwarf company that shines through as the wisest member of the company.

Unlike the first film, this adventure does not suffer any pacing issues and is packed with action in almost every scene. The arrival at Laketown does slow things down but this is not bad thing as the audience need the time to breath with all the action that leads up to it. Again there were a few CGI issues as some things did not look as authentic as they could have been. However, on the whole, this film is very well executed and is one of the best films of the year. It is packed with great action scenes and boasts one of the best villains in modern cinema. Be prepared for a fantastic cliff hanger that is definitely going to ensure you will want to come back to Middle Earth for the third and final instalment…