After the decent but overly predictable Fast and Furious 7 the summer blockbusters have properly arrived.
First up in what should be a monster summer of huge actions movies is the latest adventure in the Marvel universe, Avengers: Age of Ultron.
To be honest I am not really looking forward to the new Superman vs Batman (I can't stand Zack Snyder's style) or Star Wars (Lucas has killed his golden goose in my heart). I am ambivalent about the reboots for Jurassic Park and Mad Max as well, but I am hoping Chris Pratt and Tom Hardy can rescue them. So this was keyed up to be the highlight to start a summer of potential disaster blockbusters with Spectre awaiting at the far end.
I had tried to avoid some of the spoilers that were rife on the internet before I got to the film, but still I knew who was coming, from the trailers and from the cast list. And then knowing the title, and some of the characters comic book history also meant that I either knew or could predict large chunks of the plot.
The big guns are all back, and most of the minor characters are squeezed in for minor appearances while others (2 incidental girlfriends and the secretly undead Phil Coulson) are dropped but referenced. This does lead to a bit of wandering around by the script to try and get to useful everyone that has been built into the previous 10 Marvel films.
The references to future films are in as well, and not just in the post-credit scene (the single extra scene this time rather than two was a bit of a let down). Some of these set up scenes are a bit of a distraction as are some of the scenes where the individual Avengers have to chase little sections of their own story to justify their appearances.
Spoilers from here:
Stan Lee has a 'real' part this time with a few lines and a purpose rather than just turning up with a one liner.
Paul Bettany's graduation from the disembodied voice of Jarvis to the full-bodied Vision is as fantastic as expected. He mixes the humour and action effortlessly despite being given a secondary character to play with. (His replacement as the iron man computer voice Friday was disappointing though).
And Elizabeth Olsen does a solid but uninspiring job as Scarlet Witch. Although she is helped out by a couple of natty outfits and some clever shooting angles of her cleavage, she never really gets enough to show what she can add.
Aaron Taylor Johnson though is something of a disaster. He is outclassed every time he is on screen and barely provides a decent foil for Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen to work with. It is no great loss when he is killed off.
The section in the middle where they all head of to Hawkeye's house is good for his character development, but otherwise it is just a real detour that doesn't make sense.
The ending with the 'New Avengers' is a bit of a let down as well. They are not nearly in the same class as the originals and I do hope that they don't try and spin them out into a new movie on their own.
It isn't as good as the first Avengers movie, but it is still a perfectly watchable action adventure and it keeps the bigger Marvel picture ticking along nicely.
Overall 8 out of 10.
Sunday, 26 April 2015
Friday, 24 April 2015
Weird advertising - Lynx / Axe
Lynx / Axe have a simple but effective advertising strategy which is basically - 'use our product and hot girls will flock to you'.
This is their new advert for their 'black' range:
http://www.tvadmusic.co.uk/2015/03/lynx-black-bring-the-quiet/
I get the idea that the new version of their product is understated and subtle and matching that with a slow and calm version of a song is part of their branding, but really it just doesn't work for anyone who knows the original track. Once you figure out what it should sound like (it took me a while because it is such a mangled version of the original that you have to fish it out purely by the lyrics) it just grates on your soul.
This track has to rank pretty near the top of the list of weirdest covers ever attempted. The ad companies seem to think if they copy Joh Lewis and take a familiar old song and play it slowly and acoustic that it will automatically be cool. Doesn't really work when you clash the lyrics and meaning of the original with the style of the new arrangement.
For anyone who doesn't realise what the original was like you can find a version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZY03tEIDKA
Friday, 10 April 2015
Film Review - John Wick
We went to see this at an unlimited screening a couple of days before it was on general release.
The story is simple, possibly too simple in places. There are a few extra characters added in to try and give a little bit of width without interfering in the main story. The calibre of the actors used for the incidental parts also gives weight to their minor roles and without additional exposition you get an automatic sense of the weight of those characters and their own back story.
The beagle puppy is ridiculously cute and serves a fabulous dual purpose of relating us to the protagonist, but also ensuring that we immediately despise the antagonist and are pretty much willing to forgive any and all of the following murderous violence as completely justifiable.
The action is pretty good throughout. The fight seasons are well choreographed and thought out. The combination of martial arts and guns is fairly well managed. The level of special effects is well balanced with most of the bullets being minimally violent (unlike recent Arnie and Stallone efforts which have been gory for the sake of it). However there are still clear signs of violence and death which include the tricks of blood spraying on the screen, which ensure that you are still left with clear indications of the significance of the fight scenes.
One of the strange aspects of this film, and one which I suspect will be costing it points on the imdb ratings is that large portions of the dialogue are in Russian and are subtitled across the screen. Normally in modern cinema I would consider this to be somewhat lazy on the part of the filmmakers. All the characters are shown to be capable of speaking English, even if they weren't there is always the Hunt For Red October approach to shift the dialogue language for the viewer. In this film however they serve a dual purpose of rounding out the characters, but also the actual font and screen positioning of the text provide something of a comic book feel to the film which validates some of the fighting and violence.
All in it is a really strong film. Nothing spectacular in terms of scripting or story, but what is there is executed really well.
Rating 8 out of 10.
The story is simple, possibly too simple in places. There are a few extra characters added in to try and give a little bit of width without interfering in the main story. The calibre of the actors used for the incidental parts also gives weight to their minor roles and without additional exposition you get an automatic sense of the weight of those characters and their own back story.
The beagle puppy is ridiculously cute and serves a fabulous dual purpose of relating us to the protagonist, but also ensuring that we immediately despise the antagonist and are pretty much willing to forgive any and all of the following murderous violence as completely justifiable.
The action is pretty good throughout. The fight seasons are well choreographed and thought out. The combination of martial arts and guns is fairly well managed. The level of special effects is well balanced with most of the bullets being minimally violent (unlike recent Arnie and Stallone efforts which have been gory for the sake of it). However there are still clear signs of violence and death which include the tricks of blood spraying on the screen, which ensure that you are still left with clear indications of the significance of the fight scenes.
One of the strange aspects of this film, and one which I suspect will be costing it points on the imdb ratings is that large portions of the dialogue are in Russian and are subtitled across the screen. Normally in modern cinema I would consider this to be somewhat lazy on the part of the filmmakers. All the characters are shown to be capable of speaking English, even if they weren't there is always the Hunt For Red October approach to shift the dialogue language for the viewer. In this film however they serve a dual purpose of rounding out the characters, but also the actual font and screen positioning of the text provide something of a comic book feel to the film which validates some of the fighting and violence.
All in it is a really strong film. Nothing spectacular in terms of scripting or story, but what is there is executed really well.
Rating 8 out of 10.
Saturday, 4 April 2015
Film Review - The Water Diviner
On the whole I am not a fan of Russell Crowe. I don't like him as a person. I am not a fan of most of his work. However, he does have his moments. While he was getting rave reviews and winning an Oscar for Gladiator I much preferred his performance the year before in The Insider where he lost out to the over-rated Kevin Spacey in American Beauty.
He fits well with the ensemble of LA Confidential. For the most part I like what he does in A Beautiful Mind, but I don't think it was Oscar-nomination worthy.
And the Water Diviner, as his Directorial debut, is a microcosm of Crowe himself. There are a lot of parts I can't be bothered with interspersed with some genuinely top quality filmmaking.
The battle of Gallipoli is used as an icon of ANZAC culture. A moment of time with no equal in the culture of a nation. The sections of the film covering the battle and the horrors of war are outstanding. It doesn't quite match Saving Private Ryan or Gallipoli for sheer heartbrake, but it is certainly competing in the same league. Just the timing and placement of those scenes in the movie is not quite right.
Some of the establishing shots are fantastic. The scenery in Australia and Turkey and the devastation of the latter are fabulous. The interior architecture of some of the buildings is shot from unusual angels, but mostly in sympathetic ways.
The Turkish Major Hassan and his Sergeant are an effective foil for Crowe but some of their decisions seem at odds with their motivations.
Jai Courtney finally does a job that doesn't grate. That has eased my fears about the new Terminator movie.
The CGI sections are a bit weak. The sandstorm looks like it was done in the 90's the explosions during the battle are often similarly 'budget'.
*SPOILERS FROM HERE*
The continuity in the size of Crowe's belly is an annoying distraction. He starts the film as a farmer digging a hole looking like he just walked out of the gym and ends the film as a fat older man, supposedly less than a year later. That in itself is too big a shift, but the problem is that it must have been shot out of order as his weight goes up and down between scenes.
The relationships between characters seem a bit rushed, but that is a constraint of having so many of them squeezed into the film. Most of the characters going through a paradigm shift in their attitudes almost within scenes seems overly hurried.
The tacked on love story and the ridiculous happy ending are a particular annoyance. Harking back to my previous complaints; the chubby, ageing man with no respect for the local culture and from a country recently at war and directly to blame for killing her first husband just doesn't fit with the mourning ex-Bond girl half his age.
Overall it is a great debut. Crowe definitely has a career behind the camera if he chooses that route. 7 out of 10. I could easily have gone to 8 if the pacing had been better.
He fits well with the ensemble of LA Confidential. For the most part I like what he does in A Beautiful Mind, but I don't think it was Oscar-nomination worthy.
And the Water Diviner, as his Directorial debut, is a microcosm of Crowe himself. There are a lot of parts I can't be bothered with interspersed with some genuinely top quality filmmaking.
The battle of Gallipoli is used as an icon of ANZAC culture. A moment of time with no equal in the culture of a nation. The sections of the film covering the battle and the horrors of war are outstanding. It doesn't quite match Saving Private Ryan or Gallipoli for sheer heartbrake, but it is certainly competing in the same league. Just the timing and placement of those scenes in the movie is not quite right.
Some of the establishing shots are fantastic. The scenery in Australia and Turkey and the devastation of the latter are fabulous. The interior architecture of some of the buildings is shot from unusual angels, but mostly in sympathetic ways.
The Turkish Major Hassan and his Sergeant are an effective foil for Crowe but some of their decisions seem at odds with their motivations.
Jai Courtney finally does a job that doesn't grate. That has eased my fears about the new Terminator movie.
The CGI sections are a bit weak. The sandstorm looks like it was done in the 90's the explosions during the battle are often similarly 'budget'.
*SPOILERS FROM HERE*
The continuity in the size of Crowe's belly is an annoying distraction. He starts the film as a farmer digging a hole looking like he just walked out of the gym and ends the film as a fat older man, supposedly less than a year later. That in itself is too big a shift, but the problem is that it must have been shot out of order as his weight goes up and down between scenes.
The relationships between characters seem a bit rushed, but that is a constraint of having so many of them squeezed into the film. Most of the characters going through a paradigm shift in their attitudes almost within scenes seems overly hurried.
The tacked on love story and the ridiculous happy ending are a particular annoyance. Harking back to my previous complaints; the chubby, ageing man with no respect for the local culture and from a country recently at war and directly to blame for killing her first husband just doesn't fit with the mourning ex-Bond girl half his age.
Overall it is a great debut. Crowe definitely has a career behind the camera if he chooses that route. 7 out of 10. I could easily have gone to 8 if the pacing had been better.
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