Superhero movies are enjoying something of a golden era at present, and certainly Avengers Assemble is a very good, possibly even great continuation of the high standard set by previous Marvel movies such as Thor, Iron Man and Captain America. For casual viewers, it is a first rate bit of summer blockbuster fun, with plenty … Continue reading
The Hunger Games, based on a trilogy of bestselling novels by Suzanne Collins, has been turned into a big screen event. Director Gary Ross has adapted the first novel, and on the whole the result is a good one. The plot is set in a dystopian post nuclear war America. Twelve districts are forced to … Continue reading
The extremely tired found-footage motif is churned out yet again for Chronicle – a low budget indie pic which is essentially a riff on the superhero origin story. Directorial technique issues aside, the story itself is an entertaining, well-told one, and against the odds manages to bring something fresh to a very crowded genre. When … Continue reading
Since George Lucas has decided to re-release his Star Wars films in chronological order (as opposed to the order they were made), I have decide to attempt to review them as someone with no previous knowledge of the franchise. Frankly, for anyone new to Star Wars, viewing them in this order is ridiculous as it … Continue reading
Whilst viewing Melancholia, the latest from controversial director Lars Von Trier, I experienced something I have never previously experienced when watching his work: indifference. Normally I either love or loathe his films, but not in this case. Usually Von Trier specialises in provoking extreme reactions from his audience. I find his shock tactics sometimes justifiable … Continue reading
Shah Rukh Khan is such a massive Bollywood star that any film with his name above the title is automatically going to find success, however silly and improbable said film may be. He is versatile and fun to watch, though not without his faults (the amazing wobble-headed emotional moments are always a standout), and is … Continue reading
I’m sure there are very few people reading this that haven’t seen Jurassic Park. But if you haven’t seen it on a big screen, and more specifically, if you haven’t experienced it in a THX screen (or equivalent sound system), you haven’t really seen it at all. The good news is that it’s back in … Continue reading
There are cowboys, there are aliens, and it’s a lot more entertaining than some reviews are suggesting. That more or less sums up this deeply silly film from Iron Man director Jon Favreau. In fairness, it’s easy to understand the snooty response. After all, Cowboys & Aliens is supposedly based on a joke that Steven … Continue reading
Essentially a reworking of 1972’s Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (the fourth sequel to the original), Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a very pleasant surprise in that it is intelligent, exciting, emotional and above all satisfying. The plot involves chemist Will Rodman (James Franco), hard at work looking for an … Continue reading
2011 seems to have been the year to nostalgically celebrate the early films of Steven Spielberg. With Paul and Attack the Block paying homage in their own way, JJ Abrams’ Super 8 comes with the unique distinction of actually having the great man involved as executive producer. The plot (set in 1979) was originally conceived … Continue reading
