29 April 2013

Is the Third Iron Man Really the Charm?

I must confess that I was conflicted to whether I should actually go and recommend this one or not.

It is not how you might think it would be given the trailer, I will say as much. Also it should definitely be noted that if you are a fan of the Iron Man comic book I should warn you that there is a risk you might be disappointed with certain developments in this story. Last but not least keep in mind that this is not The Avengers (2012) and that Shane Black and is not Joss Whedon.

I am going to be honest; I am very partial to, what I think is, Whedon's ability to maintain depth while still having his characters deliver funny one-liners. I love his wit and his kind of humour. I did expect something similar from Shane because of the good work he did on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) but just as that film falters slightly story-wise and struggles with character depth at times so does Iron Man 3. The one-liners are, in my own honest opinion, too many, not always spot-on placed and tended to feel piled up. There is an honest attempt at development and depth but it does struggle a bit. What I personally would have liked, though, would have been if they had explored certain character elements and put emphasis on that more than they did.

As far as the plot goes I will say it's not as much about plot holes, as some might have said, as weak plot points. There are some genuinely amazing scenes though and a bunch of the comedy is actually entertaining. The problem is that the story feels jumbled, that a few things are just too convenient for the story to the point where it's almost deus ex machina devises and that reactions and motivation in all characters seems shaky and off at times.

On the plus side this film did have me on the edge of my seat a bunch of times. And it did make me laugh at a few points. Also all the actors did brilliantly and I personally enjoyed that Pepper Pots was not the damsel in distress in this film because that is just one of the most tiring and overused themes out there. I also enjoyed, even though it had its weaker moments, the closer portrayal of Tony Stark and I am very biased here, I must confess, because I think Robert Downey Jr is an amazing actor and he is perfect in his role as Tony Stark. Even in the moments where I felt like the jokes Tony delivered were a bit too scripted, as opposed to the effortlessness it had in The Avengers, Downey Jr still delivered quality acting.

All in all I am still not sure how to feel. I am conflicted. Though whilst some say they regret ever going and that it's not worth your money I am, for one, going to go see this again. I feel like I need to in order to fully form an opinion and decide if I do really like it for the good acting, nice special effects and clever underlying story (not mentioned here since I don't want to spoil) and the edge-of-the-seat moments or if I don't like it because of the deus ex machina and faltering character development and the characters' strange actions/reactions/motivations as well as the comedy that went overboard.

To the important part then; do  I recommend it? Well, I do not do typical reviews so I would not write this if I had no intent in recommending it. I do recommend it. But I also recommend that you keep in mind that it is not like what you have seen in the trailer, it does not stick to the story arc in the comic books and that it is not like Jon Faveru's Iron Man films. What it is on the other hand is Ben Kingsely, Guy Pearce, Paul Bettany as the sassy voice of Jarvis, Gwyneth Paltrow as the lovely and fantastic Pepper Pots and, of course, the one and only Robert Downey Jr being undeniably awesome as Tony Stark and Iron Man and, on my part, they (along with the other great actors) absolutely make this film worth a recommendation!

21 April 2013

A Spielberg Classic

One of my personal favourites is Steven Spielberg's Artificial Intelligence: A.I. (2001). It's a heartbreaking film about a robot boy named David (Haley Joel Osment) who is "adopted" by Monica (Frances O'Connor) and Henry Swinton (Sam Robards) since their child Martin (Jake Thomas) is very ill, seemingly in some sort of coma, and hospitalized.

David is a highly advanced robot that can be "imprinted" to be like an actual child to the one who activates that function. The problem, however, is that once activated David is just like a real boy. Which means that the company who manufactures them has a rule; should a family no longer want their imprinted robot child it must be handed back to be destroyed as it is not programmed to be put up for adoption once imprinted.

It might seem weird but the story is also partially about a robot called Gigolo Joe (Jude Law) that gets framed and in trouble with the law and thus he is on the run when he and David cross pats. Out of context like this it might seem very strange but trust me when I say that this film is absolutely brilliant and equally sad and beautiful. It also enraging because you see so much injustice and unnecessary suffering. Yet I cannot recommend this enough because it has amazing acting, a fantastic story and is overly so well made.

So if there's one film out there you haven't seen this one is the one film you really need to give a chance!

6 April 2013

Rock-A-Doodle

Don Bluth and Gary Goldman is a duo that has created a number of wonderful animated cartoons and one of my childhood favourites is Rock-A-Doodle from 1991.

It has Elvis-style singing, lovely colour-scheme and magic. What's not to love, right?

The story can be summarised by saying that the human child Edmund loves the story of a rooster named Chanticleer who, in the bedtime story Edmund reads, wakes the sun every morning. Since to this little boy the rooster is fantastic Edmund calls for him with a child's desperation when his home threatens to flood due to heavy rain. Unfortunately for Edmund it's not Chanticleer who hears him but an evil owl who transforms the boy into a kitten and tries to eat him. He is saved in the nick of time though by friends of Chanticleer and they all set out on an adventure to find Chanticleer and bring him home before the dreadful owls, who love for it to be night always, take over.

All in all it's a film for children, ultimately. But I think that if you enjoy colourful animated cartoons which actually do have a quite good storyline and characters it could very well be a film for you. And if you have seen it as a kid, why not revisit it? I can't promise anything but I know I found it to be as wonderful still as it was when I was a child!

4 April 2013

The Superb Combo of Scorsese and DiCaprio

If you are a fan of Martin Scorsese's films and if you like a good mystery/thriller Shutter Island (2010) could be something for you. It is based on Dennis Lehane's novel from 2003 and then taken to the big screen by Scorsese with screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis. Starring in Shutter Island are Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsely, Max von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson.

It is not a film for those who enjoy a straightforward, easy-to-follow plot since this is a film that has you question most everything. It is not overly complicated, however, and it  is simply the somewhat classical dilemma of what is and isn't true - or real, if you will.

To give a little summer for those interested it is set in 1954 and centres around the character Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) who, together with his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), is to investigate the disappearance of one of the inmates of Ashecliffe Hospital; a hospital for the criminal insane. The mental hospital is located on Shutter Island and the missing patient, a murderess named Rachel (Emiliy Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson), is expected to be somewhere nearby. It therefore seems uncomplicated at first - the escapee cannot get off the island - but the deeper Teddy digs into the case the stranger everything becomes.

Scorsese has directed many great films and this is no exception. Shutter Island is a dark and intriguing story and it is definitely worth the while.

1 April 2013

A Must-See Sci-fi Classic

One of my own personal favourites of all times is Mell Brooks's parody Spaceballs from 1987. This over-the-top space adventure is, in my opinion at least, a good example of a parody that is properly made. It's of course most entertaining to watch if one is familiar with sci-fi film of the eighties because it contains a whole lot of references - some of which are the punchlines to the jokes - but it is, of course, possible to watch it and still find it amusing even without having watched a bunch of popular eighties sci-fi.

This film has a mixture of cheap gags and clever references as well as some more subtle jokes.

Rick Moranis stars as Dark Helmet - the one who is sent by the president Sroob (Mel Brooks) to steal the air from planet Druidia - and by mere appearance alone makes a hilarious parody on Darth Vader (the Star Wars films). He, of course, also gives a brilliant performance and is probably one of the funniest actors in this parody. Also contributing to the hilarity that is Spaceballs are Bill Pullman as Lone Starr, John Candy (1950-1994) as Barf the Mog (half man, half dog) - Lone Starr's sidekick - and Daphne Zuniga as Princess Vespa of Druidia along with Joan Rivers as the droid who is meant to protect Vespa (and Vespa's virginity).

In short; as long as you are in the mood for folly this film will not fail to make you laugh!

(Worth noting is that Joan River's is also a stand-up comedian. I do suggest you at least give her shows a try!)