TRON: LEGACY (22 minute preview)

Wow. just wow.

this was an exclusive preview of the new Tron film due for release in december. and boy does it look amazing.

most of the scenes are extended pieces we have seen clips from the trailer, and the first scene we see is a non special effect piece where we see Flynns son go back to the arcade. All ok, nothing to wet your pants about.

then they unleash the good stuff. special effect wizadry and sublime 3D. the virtual set looks stunning, but still seems relevant to the computer sets of the original. it is all just so slick and smooth and immersive.

the one thing that hit me the most as i sat in the cinema, was the soundtrack. a stunning thumping, visceral musical score by Daft Punk thumps through your veins as you watch the stunning images on screen.

this will be sensory indulgence the like we have not seen since Avatar, and i for one cant wait.

5 stars

Walking Dead Pilot Episode

Why am I reviewing a tv show you may ask... because Shawshank Frank Darabont not only directed the first episode but also penned the adaption to screen for the whole season. Not seen Shawshank Redemption? How about the Mist? The Green Mile? And this guy is doing a tv show now? An awesome ongoing zombie tv show?!
Starting out as one of the best on going comics out there by Robert Kirkman "The Walking Dead" is already what in TV terms maybe around 7 seasons in, all of it gripping... I've been reading since early on. The first episode is very faithful (and proves what I've always been saying about comic adaptions, keep faithful and you'll make something good). Starring Andrew Lincoln from our own English shores (from Teachers fame) doing a bang up American accent. Everything is spot on... catch this show you'll be missing out if you don't. First season has 6 episodes... hopefully it will be renewed.

SAW 3D

AW GOD THIS WAS BAD! It was barely a movie, made very little sense and was very badly acted, it was as disgusting as it could be. There was very little point in even having the traps to get out of in this film as there was no hoping in surviving one. Also fairly confused by having missed out out Saw 4-6, not saying I didn't understand what was going on... it was just really badly delivered... it is a crappy 3d film making a cheap buck for Halloween, which also managed to shit all over the original Saw (which would have been remembered as a classic if they just had left it as one film)... won't say anymore and ruin the twist in case you actually end up watching this piece of shit... 0 Stars

Burke & Hare, RED

I'm a fan of Simon Pegg.. liked Jessica Hynes sharing screen time with Simon Pegg again (bring back SPACED!)... maybe not overly won over by Andy Serkis yet,I'm in love with Isla Fisher. I didn't like this film. It seemed to have LOADS of cameos for the sake of it. Burke & Hare are down on their luck, until they find out they can make loads of money by selling dead bodies... and when they can't find any more easily... they start making dead bodies to sell. Could have been quite good, it wasn't. 2 1/2 stars.

RED was definitely a great ensemble piece. Similar to the Expendables, all old actors (altho not action stars except maybe Bruce) come out of retirement because someone is trying to kill them. But they are Retired Extremely Dangerous. The good difference between this and the Expendables is that the acting is very high class with the likes of Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Bruce Willis, Brian Cox and Helen Mirren. Has great pace, doesn't introduce everyone at once and can be pretty funny at times. 4 Stars.

Easy A

Basically this is a teen comedy with intelligence.

if you're expecting an American Pie rom-com with gross out toilet humour, then i think you'll be disappointed. instead this is a character driven story that happens to be set in the world of an all american high school.

as with most american high school films you do get the sense that the actors playing the parts are supremely older than of high school age, but you kind of have to forget that and if you do you will find Emma Stone putting in a very solid performance as the lead girl Olive who basically spreads rumours about her sleeping with other guys in order to help said guys be more popular. A tale of nice girl does what she thinks is right but it all goes to far with emotional if not quite disastrous consequences.

A film about gossip and how stories can circulate and the complexities of the teen social structure this is. and tere a small parts for some heavyweight adult actors to, most noticeably Stanly Tucci and Patricia Clarkson who put in a comedic and unique performance as the parents of Olive.

it struck me as a similar film to clueless back in the 1990's that still stands out as one of the high school films that had a brain, and i hope this stands the test of time and stays in the memory as that did - it deserves to.

4 stars

RED

This is an amusing take on the action comedy genre.

the main premise of the film is to gain enjoyment and glee from a cast of old actors firing massive machine guns and killing people. these are actors we are more used to seeing in oscar winning films giving heavy weight performances (with the exception of Bruc Willis) and it is clearly good fun to see them let loose on an action comedy. It does however feel a slightly weak structure to base a whole film on. the smaller moments where we see Morgan Freeman slapping someone round the face are great, but the larger action set pieces where it involves them actively running seem a little unbelievable even with your suspension of disbelief still firmly in place.

John Malkovich steals the show as the slightly insane CIA old timer who was used for LSD testing back in the eighties, and who is clearly not all there. a great show with some film stealing dialogue and expressions.

a fairly simplistic plot involves the cast trying to clear their name from an old assignment, throw in a few strange love interests - one for Bruce Willis, with a young woman from a call centre and Helen Mirren and Brian Cox getting it on and you have an enjoyable if unsubtantial film.

a fun half term treat.

3 stars

The Social Network, Wall Street 2 and World's Greatest Dad

I am going to quiet few reviews of the first two, Film Nut Peter G did them already.

The Social Network, great film, loved seeing the story of how facebook came to be. Justin Timberlake finally showed some acting teeth & I approve of the new Spider-man. Jesse Eisenburg proves he's more than the guy they get when they can't afford Michael Cera... Gripping story. I personally felt sorry for Mark Zuckerburg by the end of it, while the friend I saw it with said he didn't feel bad for him at all and that he was an asshole start to finish. 4 1/2 stars!

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps - It was interesting enough, quiet relevant considering the recession we're in or just out of or whatever is actually going on with all the money. Sam Witwicky is trying to save the world by being a stock brocker and funding something to create clean energy. Megatron comes out of jail, manages to trick Sam into thinking he's a good guy... guess what he isn't. It gets a bit boring and then everything turns out alright... 3 stars.

World's Greatest Dad - Robin Williams would say don't call it a come back... because unfortunately it isn't. This film is out of most cinemas now. Doubt maybe people have seen it, but it is very good. Robin Williams plays a failed writer, who teaches at a high school, his son dies via what looks like suicide, Robin becomes a hit with his dead sons fake diary. This is a very funny but also deep film. This film really needed more notice. 3 1/2 stars.