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Thursday 31 March 2011

Review: SUCKER PUNCH




THE CAST
Emily Browning - Baby Doll
Abbie Cornish - Sweet Pea
Vanessa Hudgens - Blondie
Jena Malone - Rocket
Scott Glenn - Wise Man

THE STORY
A young girl (Baby Doll) is framed for the murder of her sister by her abusive stepfather, the man responsible for the crime. After being locked up against her will in a mental asylum, she only has five days to fight her way to freedom, before being lobotomised.  With the help of four friends and her vivid imagination, she begins planning her escape by entering her dream world, where anything is possible.





THE STRENGTHS
Zack Snyder has built a reputation for directing incredibly stylised movies (300, Watchmen) and Sucker Punch is no exception. It is visually stunning, beautiful even at times, with some of the best CGI I have ever seen on the big screen. There are moments when you'll feel your retinas actually begin to detach, as they're overloaded with the sheer awesomeness of the action set pieces. The burning airship and the dragon are so realistic, it's difficult to even comprehend how a group of computer nerds were able to create it virtually. It's nearly impossible to absorb everything you're seeing during these spectacular scenes because there's so much going on and I really enjoyed that feeling. Honestly, it's like you're watching someone play the world's coolest video game and you really want it to be your turn. The soundtrack is superb and adds an important extra layer to scenes that may otherwise have been lacklustre, especially the remix of The Eurythmics's Sweet Dreams or the reworking of The Pixies' Where Is My Mind?  The film is so stylised though, there isn't time for any decent acting. Having said that, Oscar Isaac (Blue Jones) does a fantastic job as the main villain and the man that runs the asylum. He's more evil than any of the characters Baby Doll dreams up and I really wanted to see him get his comeuppance, which he sort of does, just not as painfully as I would have liked. Emily Browning (Baby Doll) and Abbie Cornish (Sweet Pea) were all right considering the material they'd been given, but on the whole, most of the cast were there to look pretty in short dresses...which they did.




THE WEAKNESSES
This is the first time Snyder has directed an original film concept (he also co-wrote it) and it shows. He clearly had free reign to indulge himself and somewhere along the way he got a bit lost, which is exactly what happens to the audience as they're watching this film. It's all a bit too disjointed and the line between what's 'real' and what isn't, is constantly blurred. Baby Doll is told at the start of the film that she needs to collect five items to help her escape, but it turned out they weren't that important, as they didn't manage to get them all and they still escape. The key part of the film is that her dancing is so captivating and hypnotic, people are totally distracted, allowing her to complete her missions. The problem is, we don't ever see her dance and it isn't clear how she can have these amazing dream sequences at the same time, so it doesn't really work.  Maybe I'm over thinking it, but it was starting to bug me after the third dream sequence. Apparently Snyder did shoot dance routines with the cast, but they didn't make the cut. Finally, after I'd invested a hundred minutes of my time into Baby Doll's story, patiently waiting for her to get revenge on her stepfather and the asylum owner, it never happened.  I don't want to ruin for you, but sufficed to say, the ending of the film fell really flat. After all of these superb action scenes, I hoped there'd be one big finale, but there wasn't.




THE SUMMARY
Sucker Punch is a visually stunning film, but lacks any real depth or consistent narrative. Expect to come out of the cinema feeling cheated, but agreeing that the effects and look of the film were superb. This is proof if proof were needed that great CGI does not a great film make. There's no doubt that Snyder is an exceptional talent, I just hope he learns from this and puts it to good use for his next project, Superman: Man of Steel next year. 

Sucker Punch is released in the UK on 1 April 2011.


MICHAEL'S MOVIE MARK    5/10


Tuesday 29 March 2011

Competition: INSIDIOUS FILM SCREENING TICKETS!



How would like to see brand new movie INSIDIOUS three weeks before anyone else? I've got five pairs of tickets to an advance screening on 7th April 2011 to give away in an all new competition.  The screening will take place at a Central London location, the details of which will be given to the winners.

INSIDIOUS stars Patrick Wilson (Josh) and Rose Byrne (Renai) as parents who have a happy family life with their three young children. When tradegy strikes their young son, Josh and Renai begin to experience things that science cannot explain.  

Take a look at the trailer below and see if you'd like to be among the first people to see this film in the UK. INSIDIOUS is released on 29th April 2011.

To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the question below.  The winners will be selected at random and the closing date is Saturday 2nd April 2011.

INSIDIOUS director James Wan is famous for directing which hugely popular horror film?

A) HALLOWEEN
B) SAW
 C) NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST

Send your answer to:  michaelsmovieblog@hotmail.co.uk


Monday 28 March 2011

Movie News: POSSIBLE SUPERMAN VILLAIN?



There's been no official announcement, but rumours are flying around Hollywood that Michael Shannon (top left) and Edgar Ramirez (top right) are top of the list to play the main villain in Zack Snyder's Superman: Man of Steel.

Shannon stars in the hit TV series Boardwalk Empire and Ramirez is currently filming the sequel to Clash of the Titans. There's been no word as to which villain Snyder is considering, but I think it's fair to say it won't be Lex Luthor!

Superman: Man of Steel will be released Summer 2012. 

Sunday 27 March 2011

Movie News: AMY ADAMS IS LOIS LANE!



There's been a lot of speculation over the past few months about which actress would be chosen, but the wait is over, as Amy Adams has officially landed the role of Lois Lane in Zack Snyder's Superman: Man of Steel. She'll be joining Henry Cavill (Clark Kent), Kevin Costner (Jonathan Kent) and Diane Lane (Martha Kent).

I think Adams is a fantastic choice. Apart from the fact she's a superb actress, having picked up an Oscar nomination for her role in The Fighter, she also has that feisty quality Margot Kidder successfully brought to the role back in the late 70s.

Superman: Man of Steel will be released Summer 2012.

Monday 21 March 2011

Movie News: DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 - FEATURETTE




We're only four months away from the conclusion of one of the most successful film franchises of all time.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is almost upon us and to whet your appetite, my friends over at www.joblo.com have gotten hold of this featurette of the final film. It's only short, but there is some new footage in there and of course we get to hear a bit from the cast as well.

Take a look and see what you think. Hopefully, we'll have a full trailer for you very soon.

Saturday 19 March 2011

Review: LIMITLESS



THE CAST
Bradley Cooper - Eddie Morra
Robert De Niro - Carl Van Loon
Abbie Cornish - Lindy
Johnny Whitworth - Vernon
Robert John Burke - Pierce

THE STORY
Eddie Morra is an author with a serious case of writer's block, whose struggling to pay the rent, keep his girlfriend and stop his life from heading to rock bottom. Things change though when Morra bumps into his dodgy ex-brother-in-law, who offers him a 'pick-me-up' in the form of a little clear pill.  This pill gives Eddie superhuman abilities, allowing him to access 100% of his brain instead of just 20%, meaning his life will never be the same again.


THE STRENGTHS
The main concept of this film is a great one; what would happen if you could take a pill to turn you into a genius? Well, it's an enjoyable ride finding out how Eddie Morra answers that question and that's mostly due to director Neil Burger, who manages to keep the pace of this film up throughout, not allowing it to get bogged down in some slightly ropey plot holes. This film isn't trying to be a thoughtful exploration into complex workings of the human brain, therefore you can easily forgive it's lack of depth.  Bradley Cooper is clearly having a great time (playing Bradley Cooper!) and that definitely shows on-screen, making this movie even more entertaining. The truth is though, I think my liking of this film came from the fact that, deep down, I could imagine reacting the same way after taking this pill...please don't judge me! I should also mention Abbie Cornish, who is incredibly likeable actress, who does a great job with the small role she has in this film. I'm looking forward to seeing her kick all sorts of butt in Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch next month.




THE WEAKNESSES
From the moment this film starts, there is a dizzying array of visual effects that will start to make the back of your eyeballs hurt. Seriously, it's like the editor just graduated from film school and wanted to use some new  tricks he'd learned in his final exam. To be fair, at first it was a cool effect, after the umpteenth time however, it started to get a bit annoying.  Now, it pains me to have to write this, but why oh why did Robert De Niro take this part? He's Robert bloody De Niro, he doesn't need to be accepting crappy little roles like this. I understand his Tribeca Grill restaurant must cost a lot of money to run and we are coming out of a recession, but does he really need the cash this badly? When it comes to the central premise of the film, they could have done a lot more. After taking the pill, did Morra develop a cure for cancer, explain the mysteries of the Universe or calculate exactly how much tea is in China? No, he learned a few languages, finished his book and made a load of money from the stock exchange. Really? With all those abilities, that's the best the film's screen writer could come up with? Also, there's a sense the film is promoting the fact that, if you take drugs you could be cool, rich and get beautiful women and cars. As this film is a 15 certificate, it's probably not the best message to send today's teenagers.




THE SUMMARY
Limitless is a surprisingly good film, especially if you just want to go to the cinema and be entertained for ninety minutes.  It's a throwaway movie, that you'll talk about after you've seen it, but you'll forget about the next day.  What it lacks in substance and depth, it makes up for in style and humour.

Limitless is released in the UK on 18 March 2011.


MICHAEL'S MOVIE MARK    7/10

Wednesday 16 March 2011

Movie News: COLIN FIRTH IN A VAMPIRE MOVIE?



Don't panic! He hasn't signed up for a role in the new Twilight film, but the word spreading around Hollywood is that Colin Firth's first post-Oscar role will be as the lead in Stoker, starring alongside Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowski. There's not a lot of info about the film, but it seems that it will focus on Bram Stoker (Dracula author) and his relationship with the fang-toothed killers. 

If that wasn't interesting enough, the film was written by Prison Break and Mariah Carey video star, Wentworth Miller! I can't wait to find out more about this project and I won't have to, as an announcement is expected sometime in the next few weeks.

UPDATE : Latest news is this isn't a vampire movie, so those initial rumours are untrue.  As soon as I have anymore info, I'll let you guys know.  

Movie News: SOURCE CODE - 1ST FIVE MINUTES!



I went to see a screening of this film last night and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. You can read my full review on this blog next week. In the meantime, how would you like to see the first five minutes of the movie? Well, here's your chance, just click on the link below and see what you think.    

Movie News: DAREDEVIL IS GETTING A REMAKE?



When I heard about this news, I was surprised.  Not just because the 2003 movie starring Ben Affleck was really bad...and by really bad I mean totally crap, but I've always thought Daredevil was never an interesting comic book character in the first place. It's taken Ben Affleck about seven years to fully recover from the damage this film caused and it gave comic book films a bad name. 

It doesn't matter what I think though, because the reboot is happening and 20th Century Fox have selected their director, David Slade. Who? Well, his most recent directorial duty was on Twilight: Eclipse. Enough said. Although, to be fair, he did also direct Hard Candy and 30 Days of Night, both of which were really strong films.

It's going to be interesting to see what direction Slade takes this film, but truth be told, I'm not that bothered about it yet. What do you guys think?


Friday 11 March 2011

UK Top Ten: 4-6th MARCH 2011





 No.

Film

   Weekend in £s  

    Total in £s  


1


RANGO

£1,638,613

£1,638,613

2


THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU

£1,395,715

£1,395,715

3


UNKNOWN

£1,356,345

£1,356,345

4


PAUL

£1,109,766

£12,207,049

5


THE KING’S SPEECH

£1,076,381

£41,930,117

6


GNOMEO AND JULIET

£842,278

£14,083,933

7

I AM NUMBER FOUR


£498,822

£2,590,955

8

TRUE GRIT

£463,320

£7,474,378


9


WEST IS WEST

£452,076

£1,624,926


10


YOGI BEAR

£435,564

£8,217,352

Monday 7 March 2011

Movie News: I'LL BE BACK - ARNIE RETURNS!



Some people believe he never should have left, but ex-Governor Schwarzenegger is heading back to the big screen in a big way.  He told his fansite (http://www.arnoldfans.com/) there are at least fifteen scripts he's considering, including a new Terminator, a Predator movie and Running Man remake! Really? A Running Man remake?

He goes on to mention that he's close to making a decision about playing a comic book character.  This news fills me with fear, as I still have nightmares about him playing Mr Freeze in Batman and Robin. That being said, I'm interested to find out what character he's talking about. Let's hope Christopher Nolan didn't get drunk at the Oscar's after party and sign him up to The Dark Knight Rises!

Apparently, there'll be an announcement sometime in April, so we'll just have to wait and see.



Trailer of the Week: KUNG FU PANDA 2



There have been some fantastic animated movies over the last twelve months, including Toy Story 3 and How To Train Your Dragon, but I didn't think there were too many being released this year that I'm excited about seeing. At least that's what I thought, until I saw this trailer for Kung Fu Panda 2. I enjoyed the first film, but this one does look better, unless they've packed the trailer with all the funniest bits. Either way, it's definitely on my 'one to watch' list.

Take a look and see what you think.