Previewed: May's Releases

Summer is heading our way and that can only mean one thing... lots of Summer blockbusters to look forward to with May officially being the start of the blockbuster season in my books. So are there any noteworthy blockbusters in the month of May or will we have to wait for June and July to come along before the real movies hit the screens?

Just quickly before I get into May, I have to briefly mention Apollo 18 which at the time of me writing was due for release at the end of April and hence included in my Previewed: April's Releases article. This has now been shifted to the end of 2011/start of 2012 depending on where you read so apologies as anyone wanting to see that will have to hold out for an extra few months now.

Top movies of May:       1. The Hangover Part II
                           2. Win Win
                           3. 13 Assassins
                           4. The Tree of Life
                           5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
                           6. The Way

Action/Fantasy/Thrillers
13 Assassins (6th May) [my review]
When a tyrannical lord goes one step too far, a group of 13 assassins are called together for a mission from which they are unlikely to return as they take on the might of his army. Spoken in Japanese but expect lots of blood and guts to do the talking instead with no doubt a couple of well choreographed samurai fights included. Will give me my gore requirement for the month.

Hanna (6th May) [my review]
A 16-year-old girl who was raised and trained by her father to be the perfect assassin instead of having a childhood is dispatched on a mission across Europe. Tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and their operatives can she complete her mission and experience the world as she never has before? Action and mystery thrown together in a plot that takes a twist on the conventional one man against the rest scenario. Shows promise.

Priest (6th May) [my review]
A priest disobeys church law in order to track down the vampires who kidnapped his niece. Gauging from the trailer I think this might be another bog standard vampire movie. Partly to do with Paul Bettany inclusion but it looks like another Legion which will not amount to much at the cinemas. My verdict is to give it a miss.

Blitz (20th May)
When a serial killer starts targeting police officers to kill the force brings in tough cop Statham to get to the bottom of it and make the arrest. Whenever Statham is involved you know you are heading for an entertaining 90 minutes. Action, some comedy and an interesting plot will lead to this becoming the next Crank/Transporter at the very least.


Animations/Children 
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (18th May) [my review]
It's a Disney movie, that's why it's in the children section! Jack Sparrow and Barbossa return to embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too. Despite the series growing weaker the more they released I hold out hope that this will bring it back to its original best. A rejigging of the cast with Bloom and Knightley out and Cruz and McShane in should help facilitate this change. 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (27th May)
Back in middle school after summer vacation, Greg Heffley and his older brother Rodrick must deal with their parents' misguided attempts to have them bond. Sequel to Diary Of A Wimpy Kid that will no doubt get the kids laughing and probably a couple of smirks from the parents but nothing more.


Comedy
Something Borrowed (6th May) [my review]
Friendships are tested and secrets come to the surface when terminally single Rachel falls for Dex, her best friend Darcy's fiancé. Extreme romcom alert for all those who are interested. I am not.

Attack the Block (13th May)
This comedy is about a teen gang in South London defending their block from an alien invasion. Graphics look piss poor but the script might make up for that. A stupid comedy combining aliens with London gangstaaaas and the chance to see Nick Frost after being surgically removed from Simon Pegg's side! Worth a trip to the cinema if your in the mood.

Take Me Home Tonight (13th May)
Follow an aimless college grad who pursues his dream girl at a wild Labor Day weekend party. He, his twin sister and their best friend struggle with their burgeoning adulthood over the course of the night.Adults reverting to their teenage states and consuming excessive alcohol in what is likely to be the poor man's Hangover Part II.

Win Win (20th May)
A disheartened attorney who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach, stumbles across a star athlete through some questionable business dealings while trying to support his family. Just as it looks like he will get a double payday, the boy's mother shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything. Doesn't sound like much but it looks like it has struck the right balance of comedy and drama to make a powerful movie experience. I'm looking forward to this one.

The Hangover Part II (26th May) [my review]
I'm rubbing my hands together in anticipation for this one as you should be too. Phil, Stu, and Alan travel to Bangkok for Stu's wedding only to find themselves in another post-blackout misadventure. Might be a bit of a challenge to keep it as fresh as the original and hit the high hopes that I have for it but my fingers are crossed... summer blockbuster time!!!


Drama/Documentaries
The Tree of Life (4th May) [Changed TBA]
The story centres around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence. If it hits the right notes and doesn't come across as too pretentious then I'll bet it will be a forerunner to nick a couple of Oscars. Could go either way so I'm going to sit on the fence until I've seen it.

Water for Elephants (4th May) 
A veterinary student (Pattinson) abandons his studies after his parents are killed and joins a travelling circus as their vet, where he meets animal trainer August (Waltz) and his wife Marlena (Witherspoon). Not my cup of tea so I'm going to say wait for the DVD but might interest some.

The Way (13th May)
An American father heads to France to recover the body of his estranged son who died while travelling "El camino de Santiago" from France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. A touching drama with some comedy thrown in and also a father-son partnership on-screen as well as off from Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. Most likely slip under the radar but I think it will be worth a watch.

The Messenger (27th May) [Changed 17th June]
An American soldier who is tasked with delivering the news to the next of kin of their relatives deaths struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer. A moving drama that will have all the more effect if you know of anyone who lost their life fighting for their country. In any other month this would be up there but there's a lot of good movies vying for top spot.


Horror
Insidious (29th April) [my review]
Like Apollo 18, its release was shifted (forward one week in this case) so despite being released in April, it has snuck into the May releases. A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further. Children in a horror- that's enough to freak me out, how about you?

Julia's Eyes (20th May)
The story of a woman who is slowly losing her sight whilst trying to investigate the mysterious death of her twin sister. Produced by Guillermo del Toro much in the same way that I think James Cameron had a hand in Sanctum (ie not a lot). Should be a reasonable shout if your not up to much else though. In Spanish.


Next time I look at Hanna [my review] released on the 6th May to see whether it's living up to the hype. Trailer below...

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @ FAbFilms

Reviewed: Fast Five [2011]

Fast Five [2011]

12A - 130mins - Action/Crime/Drama - 21st April 2011

The latest in the Fast and Furious franchise has recently hit the screens and what with the others being a good way to spend a few hours I was hoping for a similar type of movie from this one with plenty of great cars and car chases to boot.

Set after Fast & Furious (No. 4) but before The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (No. 3), this time the action is played out in Rio, Brazil after Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) has escaped from police custody in the US with help from his old pal Brian (Paul Walker) and sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) and gone into hiding. With them needing money to disappear forever, Dom hatches a plan to steal all the money from Rio's most reputable underworld kingpin Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida).

At the same time they are being hunted down by the elite federal agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and his team who are trying to capture and take him back to prison. Although it is quite possible to watch this movie without seeing the previous 4 there will be some parts that may slip you by as the writers have assumed that, if your coming to see this movie then there is a very strong possibility you have seen at least a couple of the prequels/sequel.

One thing that I was quite surprised about was the lack of actual cars in the storyline. Sure they were involved slightly more than a normal action movie but I was expecting a lot more. There were probably only 2/3 scenes involving racing or car stunts and when the whole movie is supposed to be based around cars I was expecting just that little bit more. If fact in one scene just when you are expecting a good old fashioned drag race, they cut away to reveal the car back in the garage and already won!

The action does make up for this though and is fast flowing throughout as they jump from one explosion/fight scene to the next. The casting of Johnson as the bad-ass agent was a stroke of genius with him bringing his former WWE smack talk to the character. He really makes you want to hate him and I especially enjoyed the Johnson Vs. Diesel fight scene as the 2 heavyweights traded blows.

At over 2 hours this is by far the longest in the franchise and although in general the time will pass quickly, they could have easily chopped off a few minutes here and there to stop the risk of it dragging for some people. The acting and script is nothing special and you will have to sit through a fair bit of 'we're doing this for family' talk but that is not what people will come to watch this movie for.

With Neal H. Moritz announcing in March the development of a sixth and seventh movie for the series it is doubtful that this surprisingly long lasting franchise will go away quietly. Despite having lots of good action and successfully filling a void in my day, lets just hope that they return to the core basics for the next one rather than forgetting the main reason for these movies was supposed to be the cars.

Rating: C+

Next time readers I look ahead to the wonders of May to see what will be whetting my appetite and what will have me running to the hills as I preview May's releases. [my article]

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: The Darjeeling Limited [2007]

The Darjeeling Limited [2007]

15 - 91mins - Adventure/Comedy/Drama - 23rd November 2007

The Darjeeling Limited is about 3 brothers Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman) who have not seen each other since their father's funeral over a year ago. The death of their father has affected them all individually and along with other problems in their life has left them somewhat flawed and drugged up. Peter has girlfriend issues, Jack has father issues and Francis has family issues, he wants to be closer to his brothers and be a happy family and yet his demeanour drives them away.

The lack of seeing each other inspires Francis to bring them together so they can carry out a 'spiritual journey' across India on a train in order to rekindle their relationships with one another become closer and more brotherly. However this idea does not go completely to plan with much brotherly bickering and fighting, the involvement of some pepper spray and one of the brothers buying a highly poisonous snake which he then misplaces amongst some of the things to look forward to.

The brothers and their interactions and chemistry with each other is where this movie wins from my point of view. Despite showing hardly any emotion- they never seem sad or cry, rarely smile etc. they convey what they are feeling in different ways. Having only ever seen Wilson in the bumbling comic/romcom type role, I was impressed with him in this where he shows off his talents as the brother who needs to always be in control. Brody also impresses with Schwartzman, despite not quite being as good as the other brothers still performing admirably.

The shooting of some of the scenes in the train reminded me in principal of similar work in the movie The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou whereby the camera moves alongside the train cutting between rooms as if the nearest wall to the camera did not exist (I've heard it called the dollhouse effect?). This similarity was explained when I discovered both movies were directed by the same man, Wes Anderson.

These types of shots could be achieved due to The Darjeeling Limited being filmed inside a moving train- Anderson rented a ten carriage train and locomotive engine, completely redecorated it and then ran it between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer on a live section of railway track. This unsurprisingly providing a great challenge for cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman as nothing could be fixed to the ceiling and filming equipment couldn't be more than a metre out of the windows. He does a fantastic job though which has to be highly commended.

This is not an 'in your face' comedy but is rather more sly, subtle and witty one which I preferred in this context. There are some great one liners that I particularly enjoyed.  The characters make it what it is while dragging their emotional (and actual) baggage around with them for the whole of the movie. If you like Anderson's other movies then this will not disappoint either.

Rating: B

Next up I bring you Vin Diesel and his cars in the from of Fast Five. [my review]

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: Hobo With A Shotgun [2011]

Hobo With A Shotgun [2011]

18 - 85mins - Action/Adventure/Crime - 22nd July 2011

So you may have a while to wait if your living in the UK for this one to hit your screens with it not due to be released until the middle of the summer but will it be worth the wait? The movie title kind of hints at what is in store if you go and watch this and in that regard it does not disappoint at all. Although you will have to wait a little bit before hobo and shotgun are united in a cacophony of blood and guts.

This movie is about a nameless hobo (Rutger Hauer) who rides the rail and arrives in a new town where the movies intentions are immediately made obvious. As he wanders the streets with robberies, prostitution, child abduction and hobo fighting occurring all around him, we are introduced to Drake (Brian Downey) the twister ruler of the town and his two sons, Slick (Gregory Smith) and Ivan (Nick Bateman). When father and sons decapitate their brother/uncle with a car, manhole cover and barbed wire rope we are left with the distinct impression that they rule the roost and are not to be messed with. After observing more obscenities Rutger comes to the aid of a prostitute in trouble, Abby (Molly Dunsworth) and they strike up an unlikely friendship as the movie progresses.

Now our hobo's dream is but a simple one, he is intent on starting a honest gardening business and gathers his pennies to buy an old lawnmower. However fate conspires against him and he ends up with a pump action shotgun instead and sets about ridding the streets of crime (definitely makes for a better story!) With one liners as classic as:

Abby: "You can't solve all the world's problems with a shotgun!"

Hobo: "It's all I know."

it's not hard to see the standard that this movie has set for itself! It doesn't take itself seriously but then neither should you.

This movie is literally bubbling over with blood and gore left, right and centre and leaves little to the imagination. In fact I don't think it leaves anything to the imagination whatsoever. Jason Eisener, in his first proper movie as a director, knows how to make a bloody scene even more gory than you could imagine. At times the gore looks quite convincing and at others less so but it comes so thick and fast that you won't have time to worry yourself with small matters such as that.

If you don't have a strong stomach them I definitely recommend that you give this one a miss and that also goes for people who think that this movie won't involve children in the mayhem, because it does and on several occasions as well. I also liked the way in which the movie was done with old school technicolor style credits and titles making the movie feel it was made several decades ago rather than in 2011.

All in all this was what I was expecting but in some places it went further than I thought it would. If you are looking for a gore and guts fest with a couple of very cheesy one liners strewn about the place then this does it well and is for you. If your not then I'd give it a wide berth.

Rating: C+

Next up for you is the The Darjeeling Limited [my review]. Check out the trailer below.

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: Into The Wild [2007]

Into The Wild [2007]

15 - 148mins - Adventure/Biography/Drama - 9th November 2007

It has been a while since my last review as I've been filling myself with Easter eggs and travelling over the country so I'd thought I'd make it up to you by reviewing one that you really should be watching and at least a few of you may not have heard of.

Into The Wild is a movie about one man, Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) and his voyage into the unknown. This movie is based on the true story (which was first adapted into a book by Jon Krakauer) of Christopher who one day after graduating with top marks from Emory University, gave all of his $24,000 savings to charity and up and left his family to go and live in the wilds of Alaska. He did this without telling anyone where he was going and when, if ever, he would return.

This story is told from several different perspectives. There is the story of Christopher as he voyages across America meeting a plethora of different people along the way- this takes precedent, the story of him when he finally makes it to Alaska where he finds an old empty bus that he turns into his home and finally the story as told from the perspective of his sister who fills us in on the family background and the emotions that they were feeling during his journey. They are all interwoven and skip from one to another during the movie.

It is beautifully shot, especially with so many different locations and scenes to film. Sean Penn is the director and despite not voyaging into this directorial role often you would be hard pushed to realize. My only slight issue is that Penn sought to glamorize his journey when at times, he could be considered a bit of an idiot... ignoring flash flood warning signs, canoeing without a helmet, preparing for Alaska by reading a few books rather than getting the necessary equipment etc.

The acting of Hirsch is excellent and the thoughts and emotions, most likely gleaned from the actual Christopher, have been portrayed well. Christopher believes that he can get by without the need for relationships with other people but because of his charisma, people seek him out. (think Franco from 127 hours) Some might find parts of his monologues a bit preachy but I felt they gave depth to his character and helped to explain the reasoning behind his journey. The movie is well written and has it all- adventure, action, some comedy, sadness and most importantly it feels real- in my experience it is not often that a movie captures reality successfully without lacking at some point.

I have to say that this movie hit a chord with me for some reason and I found it to be excellent. You can just get lost with Christopher's beliefs and his ethos. He has done what so many of us would like to do but will never have the courage to. He disregards his money and possessions through choice and sets off on an adventure without a worry in the world. The fact that it is based on a true story only adds to the exceptional story that is told.

This movie will leave you remembering it for several days after and is one that will get you wanting to change the way you think and do things.

Rating: A

Next I shall review Hobo With A Shotgun [my review] which may or may not have just a little bit of gore in it!

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: Your Highness [2011]

Your Highness [2011]

15 - 102mins - Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy - 13th April 2011

Now let me see if I can think of some appropriate words that would aptly sum up this movie (apart from 'it's a comedy') to those who know nothing about it... lude, rude, a bit of nude and most definitely crude! And yet there is something about it that will keep you watching right until the very end.

Brought to us by the guys behind Pineapple Express, Your Highness follows two brothers Thadeous (Danny McBride) and Fabious (James Franco) with their trusty man slave Courtney on a quest to save the recently rescued princess (Zooey Deschanel) who has been re-kidnapped by the evil warlock Leezar (Justin Theroux). Yup there are quite a lot of famous faces in this aren't there but that's not always the sign of a good movie.

McBride makes the character his own as a fumbling stoner of a man who would rather be at home in the castle than out questing with his much loved brother- something that makes him rather jealous. It was also good to see Natalie Portman (think I could just stop that sentence now... but I won't) in a different light as a comic actress where she put in an impressive performance as well.

I got the feeling that this movie may have been written by some 14 year old boys, not because the script was poor but just that the content was rather vulgar and filled with just a few (hundred) testosterone induced sexual references. Quite ironic really considering its ideal viewer, the 14 year old testosterone induced male teenager cannot even watch it due to the 15 rating. Oops! But it was not all about the ,ahem, clever and subtly worded jokes because the gore and blood also took centre stage during several parts of the movie. Impressive it was too with a good fight scene involving a 5 headed monster.

I really must emphasise the 'cringeworthyness' at some of the scenes and things that were being said where a cushion to hide behind to shield you from it may have been warranted. In the same respects though this is more of less what I expected from this movie that also gave me many laughs from beginning to end. It even reminded me in parts of Lord Of The Rings with the panoramic shots over the hills accompanied by dramatic music and similar characters, if you have a bit of an imagination that is.

I think you have to be in a certain frame of mind/have a certain kind of mind to fully appreciate this movie and luckily for me I was/do. It gets you laughing, cringing and there is a decent story in there well backed up with good CGI and music. It's better than it's directors predecessor, Pineapple Express but probably not one for those who are easily offended.

Rating: C+

Next up I take a look at Into The Wild [my review] the true story of a man who gave his entire savings to charity and left behind his family to go and live in Alaska.

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: I Am Number Four [2011]

I Am Number Four [2011]

12A - 109mins - Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller - 23rd February 2011

Part teen drama, part sci-fi and part coming of age is how I would best describe this one and I don't think that amalgamation came together as well as it could have, which if I'm being honest would not have been very good anyway.

I Am Number Four is about a boy called John (Alex Pettyfer). He is no ordinary boy but an alien that has found himself on planet Earth with his guardian, Henri (Timothy Olyphant) who helps to protect him. Protect him from what you ask? John is being tracked down my the mysterious enemy of his race known as the Mogadorians who are intent on destroying every last one of his kind. In the opening scene of the movie we are shown the demise of one of his kind, the aptly named Number 3. Therefore for some reason that is never expanded upon, John is next as he is Number 4! Quite why the Mogadorians have an OCD killing problem is also beyond the scriptwriters knowledge- all we know is that in total there are 9, 3 are dead and poor John is next.

In order to stay safe, both John and Henri have to keep moving towns so that they are harder to find. They end up in Paradise, Ohio where John settles into a high school and our teen drama begins where he gets bullied by the jocks, hangs out with the geeks and falls for a girl (Dianna Agron) as in every other high school movie. We must now add to this the need for John to harness his powers which he is only just becoming aware of and to keep his real identity a secret. Remind anyone of some TV series called Smallville? This movie tends to mish-mash other ideas and tries to turn it into something new rather than be original which is ironic considering this is one of the few new movies out that is not based on anything (book aside) or a sequel/prequel to something else- it's an unoriginal original!

The Mogadorians are convincing as an enemy but not what I would call that scary with shaved tattooed heads, sharper teeth and a enhanced ability to smell the only thing distinguishing them from anyone else. The CGI for some of the monsters was a bit basic as well leading to an altogether average experience.

Other things that made this not quite my cup of tea (which is strange because in general I am a fan of sci-fi) were simple things such as the baddies guns all fired red light and the goodies all fired blue- could you get any more stereotypical! Or the fact that the movie didn't really have a conclusion in the normal sense of the word i.e. they have definitely left it open for there to be a sequel. In fact thinking about it, this concept would probably have worked better as a series rather than a movie.

Summing up then, I Am Number Four didn't do it for me. There was the potential for a decent storyline but the background detail was glossed over and it felt very 'samey' when comparing it to other ideas already out there. Saying that though I never felt it drag and the movie passed the hours without me demanding my time back at the end of it. One to watch if you want a sci-fi action but don't want to think too hard.

Rating: C-

Next I delve into funny medieval times with Your Highness. [my review]

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: Rio [2011]

Rio [2011]

U - 96mins - Animation/Adventure/Comedy - 8th April 2011

Rio is an animation from the same people that brought us Ice Age and so it has a fair amount to live up to. It follows the tale of a blue macaw, Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) who is bird-napped as a chick and smuggled into the USA to be sold. During the move though, he falls from the back of the truck and is found by Linda (Leslie Mann) who takes him in and looks after him.

The years pass by until Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro), a extremely bird obsessed ornithologist pays them a visit and offers them a chance to come to Brazil as Blu is the last male of his species and the last female, Jewel (Anne Hathaway), resides in Rio. Blu (who cannot fly) has lived a sheltered, comfortable life with Linda and is all the more happy for it whereas Jewel is the stark contrast and longs to be free from the cage that restricts her as she has tasted freedom before. So when the two meet, the fun starts to happen.

First off, Blue is one happy bird with the animation and his characteristics reflecting that. You immediately like him and this feeling doesn't fade with time. In fact each character has their unique quirks which enables the comedy to flow seamlessly. I was never gulping for air but the jokes are well written and non-stop with the movie certainly having its moments.

Rio, the movie, brings alive the carnival nature and flamboyant mood that one normally associates with Rio, the city, by including a couple of musical numbers into the story. Unfortunately they are not up to the standard of Disney- they are not very catchy or memorable. It's more pop music and rap with Will.I.Am lending his talents to the vocals than the traditional song associated with animations. The background music however certainly get across the energy and vibrancy of Rio with plenty of samba flooding your ears from the off.

The visuals of Rio are impressive (though not quite as good as Rango) and during the flying scenes in particular the city and its surroundings are well captured with many of the iconic landmarks easy to spot. It probably helped that the director Carlos Saldanha was born and raised in the city and so was able capture the true feeling of the place that other directors would not have been able to.

Did this live up to Ice Age then? Very nearly and I wouldn't mind watching it again to see how it handles a second viewing.

Rating: B-

Sci-fi thriller I Am Number Four [my review] up next. O and Happy Birthday Charlie Chaplin!!!

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: Catfish [2010]

Catfish [2010]

12A - 87mins - Documentary - 17th December 2010

Documentary time now with Catfish taking centre stage. Before you start reading this, check out the trailer below first and then come back to me. Right trailer watched? Then lets continue. On the trailer alone your assumptions are pushed towards this being the next Blair Witch Project or something similar but you would be wrong. This is actually quite a hard movie to review without giving away too much of the story but I shall give it my best shot.

Catfish is a documentary following 3 men- Henry, Ariel and in particular Yaniv aka Nev. Nev is a published photographer and one day receives an excellent painting of one of the photos that he has been commissioned for from a young girl Abby. Over several months, he sends her more photos and in return receives more paintings. Through Abby he gets to know her mother, father, brother and older sister Megan as well. The 'Facebook family' as he so aptly calls them.

Henry and Ariel, Nev's brother, are small-time film producers and notice this internet relationship developing. Like all good filmmakers they decide to start following Nev around, much to his discomfort and make a film about it. However it slowly becomes apparent that something is not quit right about Megan and her family so due to a work commitment nearby, they decide to go and visit her to find out exactly what is going on.

I have to say that at some points I was trying to work out whether this movie was being staged as several parts play out that way. Conversations seem slightly forced and not quite natural which you obviously would not get if you were just recording real life. Some believe that the whole movie was staged but I tend to another hypothesis that says that the end of the movie was shot first and then the beginning was shot to set up the ending.

Having expected one thing and then been thrown in a completely different direction deserves credit in itself for some very good advertising/editing from whoever put the trailer together. The one issue being that it is likely to draw in the wrong crowd and alienate some of the people who would appreciate it more. They seem to hope to dupe extra people into watching their movie which is a shame because done another way this story could have been told better.

The movie makes use of the internet with programs such as Google Earth, Facebook and Youtube being heavily relied on to connect the scenes together enforcing the impact that the internet has on the story being told and on everyone's lives in general.

This is not only a hard one to review but in some aspects also to rate. It had me gripped but then lost me towards the end. Regardless it does open up some interesting points for discussion about who is on the other side of the computer screen but I would have preferred to see it either as a docu-horror or a documentary done in another way. And why is the movie called Catfish you ask? Well all will become clear if you watch it.

Rating: C+

Hope you are all in the mood for another animation for next I shall bring you Rio [my review] to see how it compares to April's other animation attempts- Hop and Mars Needs Moms.

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: Red Riding Hood [2011]

Red Riding Hood [2011]

TBC - 100mins - Fantasy/Horror/Mystery - 15th April 2011

I am somewhat disappointed this year by the lack of original content being released with so many new movies being either sequels, comic book characters or as is the case for Red Riding Hood rehashing a concept and putting it on the big screen. Only Cowboys And Aliens (directed by Jon Favreau- Iron Man 1 & 2) and perhaps the highly advertised and hyped Super 8 (J.J.Abrams) look like they are going to give us something new to think about this year and that's a real shame.

This Red Riding Hood is based loosely on the original fable with parallels able to be drawn from it. We have a girl wearing red, a grandmother who lives in the woods and of course a wolf. The girl, Valerie, (Amanda Seyfried) lives in a small village in the mountains that is cursed by the presence of a werewolf. There has long been an understanding between the villagers and the wolf whereby they leave out their best livestock every full moon and in return the wolf does not harm them. However on this particular full moon a girl is found dead and the villagers seek revenge.

A reputable priest (Gary Oldman) who has slain werewolfs before for other villages is called in to try and rid them of their curse. He is ruthless and will stop at nothing to see daemons rid from the Earth. While these events are unfolding there is also a love triangle developing with Valerie. She is engaged to be married to a reputable man (Max Irons) but longs for the tradesman woodcutter (Shiloh Fernandez) who she often goes to visit in the woods.

I wouldn't necessarily class this as an out and out horror, I suppose it can have its moments but apart from some suspense and shadows there isn't a lot to get you jumping out of your boots. If you liked the Twilight saga on screen then I can see you liking this as well with Catherine Hardwicke giving this production a similar feel to that of her previous work. She has also, like Twilight picked relative unknowns to act the main roles- Oldman aside and I'm sure they will be popping up again and again over the next few years.

The most impressive thing about this movie is the set and backgrounds which are beautifully designed, especially the thorny trees that surround the village and 'grandmother's house'. Unfortunately that is the only thing I can think of at the moment that would make me want to see any part of this movie again and that's not enough.

It also becomes quite predictable and despite keeping me thinking for a short while, it's increasingly obvious who the werewolf is by the end.

So in conclusion, I found this to be another below par movie that doesn't offer up any real surprises or intrigue. I would not recommend going out and paying for this and even when it hits the TV's it will not be hard to find something better on.

Rating: D

So from a soon to be released 'blockbuster' to a movie that has most likely slipped under your radar when it was released in December of last year. I give you Catfish [my review]...

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: How Do You Know [2011]

How Do You Know [2011]

12A - 121mins - Comedy/Drama/Romance - 28th January 2011

So I'd thought I'd spice things up again and opt for a good old fashioned romcom. It's your usual affair- guy meets girl, guy falls for girl, there are some ups and downs inbetween but eventually guy and girl get together. Now you are wondering why I've spoilt the ending for you? Well I haven't because there are two guys in this movie in a lovely romance triangle.

Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) plays our indecisive femme fatale with George (Paul Rudd) and Matty (Owen Wilson) the men doting after her. The movie compromises of 2 separate storylines that eventually merge. In one Lisa is a USA softball player who has just been dropped from the national team and Matty, her current boyfriend, is a major-league baseball star. He is a player both on and off the pitch and doesn't totally understand the workings of a relationship but is trying to for her.

In the other George, like Lisa is going through his own problems as he is being indited by the government and faces some serious charges if convicted and has also been dumped by his girlfriend. However due to a series of phone calls and chance encounters George keeps meeting Lisa which leads to the 2 men competing for her affection in their own unique ways.

George's father (acted by Jack Nicholson) and Annie, George's secretary (impressively portrayed by Kathryn Hahn) are the outlets from the romantic side of the story and bring with them some of the better moments in the movie from a comic point of view. It seems that this kind of role is starting to become Wilson's mainstay in the movies with the majority of his performances being based around the slightly error prone man (Hall Pass, You Me And Dupree). He never really impresses me and the chemistry is not there from the start unlike with Rudd who puts in a convincing performance with Witherspoon.

I felt that the plot surrounding this is slightly more in-depth than some of the other romcoms out there but by no means that complex that it becomes hard to follow. It just tended to be a bit more detailed than I was expecting before I sat down to watch it. This could be due to it's 2 hour length though which is quite a long time to invest in a romcom that does drag at points.

This isn't in the same league as the last movie where James L Brooks and Nicholson teamed up (As Good As It Gets) but if you feel slightly brain dead and want to waste a few hours then this might just do the trick. If there had been a bit more comedy then it might have faired slightly better.

Rating: C

Next up I look at the soon to be released Red Riding Hood [my review] to find out how Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke has interpreted the old fable.

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: Hop [2011]

Hop [2011]

 U - 95mins - Animation/Comedy/Family - 1st April 2011

What with Easter fast approaching, there was bound to be a movie that tried to exploit this market just as there is every Christmas with the swathe of below average Santa Claus movies. Hop gave me some hope that it might rise above the average though as it was made by the same people that brought us Despicable Me (but then again they also gave us Alvin and the Chipmunks, twice and soon to be thrice!)

This movie has obviously set it's target market at the kids and so there is no shortage of lovable furry characters and simple smirks to be had at their bumbling about. This means the movie isn't going to make you think all that hard. It follows two main characters- a rabbit E.B. (damn that's original although I'm embarrassed to say it took me longer than it should to make that connection) voiced by Russell Brand and Fred O'Hare, James Marsden, (spot the next connection), a human, in both the animated and real worlds. Both have overbearing fathers who want something for them that they themselves do not.

Deciding that being the Easter bunny is not the life for him E.B. makes for the big lights of Hollywood to try and show off his skills as a drummer and prove his father wrong. There he runs into Fred and their relationship gets off to a slow start. E.B. is very much the protagonist causing problems all over the shop that Fred has to keep resolving which is where I think most of the laughs are expected to come from. Add to the mix the pink berets (a crack squad of ninja bunnies) and a couple of token celebrity experiences from the Hoff and Hefner and there is enough to keep the plot moving forward.

The animation holds up quite well and there are only a few times in the movie where you can sense that the animators just didn't quite make it work. I'm still not totally convinced by movies that put animated characters in the real world when the movie is not an action adventure or sci-fi but they are getting better at it with Paul being a good example of the tide starting to turn.

It was slightly disappointed that Hop leaned so heavily on the template that made Despicable Me a relative success. Despicable Me has the excitable yellow minions and Hop has just added feathers and in some cases another eye to give us the chick minions lead by Carlos (Hank Azaria). Although they provide some of the better comic moments they don't really have that same impact as the critters from Despicable Me.

Now don't get me wrong this isn't a bad movie, it's just that anything aimed so one dimensionally at children with no real overlay for adult jokes or anything other than 'aww look at the cute fluffy bunny' is not really going to get me going. If you've got young kids then this will be an ideal way to spend an hour and a half otherwise wait for it to hit the TV screens.

Rating: D+

Next up is the romcom How Do You Know [my review]. Haven't really reviewed many in this genre yet so thought I'd add to it. As always, cast your eyes below for the trailer.

Finally a big thanks to all those who are reading my articles as this site just broke the 1000 visits barrier today!!! Cheers everyone!

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: Rubber [2010]

Rubber [2010]

15 - 82mins - Comedy/Drama/Horror - 10th November 2010

Now here is a strange and weird one for you to get your teeth into. I saw a trailer for this several months back and although I knew this was going to be no high roller, it intrigued me so much that I just had to watch it. Rubber is all about a tyre named Robert. One day Robert who used to be just like and other inanimate tyre comes into existence and starts rolling around the desert where he discovers that he also has telepathic powers enabling him to blow things up with his mind. During the movie he also gains a love interest in the form of Sheila (Roxane Mesquida) and woe betide anyone that gets in his way.

The opening sequence is quite possibly one of the weirdest that I have ever seen from a movie but it introduces us to the main concept that it's based around..... "no reason". This somewhat gives Quentin Dupieux, the director, a free licence to do whatever he wants. A sheriff (Stephen Spinella) directly addresses the viewer breaking the so called fourth wall and throughout we are continuously reminded that we are watching a movie, altering the norm of trying to draw the viewer into the movie experience. Not only this but there is also an audience watching the movie from within the movie via binoculars. (Your just going to have to watch it for this to make more sense.)

I did like the way that Robert was cleverly moved around and would be intrigued to know the techniques that were implemented to make that happen. What with the main 'character' being unable to speak, the score of the movie took precedent for large parts in an attempt to make us feel for Robert and I think a combination of this and the cinematography (including plenty of close-ups and 'tyre-cam' shots) really worked to bring home his character. He also has flashbacks/dreams, gets tired and does normal menial tasks that we do so he becomes rather human in some respects.

Along with the in-movie audience, the sheriff is also hard to work out and it isn't obvious if he knows that he is an actor who wants to finish or if he is just a character who wants the story to end so he can go home. Along with sneaking in other movie references (try and spot the obvious Hitchcock for example) Dupieux (a DJ who gave us this classic) also mocks his own movie where at one point Robert's love interest states- "Who wrote this garbage?" when reading from a script the sheriff had given her.

Add to this some dark comedy and a fair dose of dry wit which gave me a few moments of laughter and it's looking like an even stranger movie. My overall emotions were probably that of confusion and intrigue which drew me through some parts where there was a bit of repetition- i.e. bang goes another head. This leads me onto the gore which was present but if you are expecting a massive blood-fest then I don't think this movie is quite what you are looking for.

This is definitely one you are either going to love or hate and I think I loved it. It is certainly the most original piece of film work that I have seen in a long time with good music, cinematography and that feeling that it's not quite as one dimensional as it wants people to think it is. Yes the plot can drag slightly but anyone who can make a tyre seem interesting in any way has my vote!

Rating: A-

Since we are heading into the festive Easter period, I thought I'd treat you to something that should get you in the mood. Hop [my review], an Easter animation, is up next to be reviewed.

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: Sucker Punch [2011]

Sucker Punch [2011]

12A - 110mins - Action/Adventure/Fantasy - 1st April 2011

Sucker Punch intrigued me before its release due to the seemingly random storyline and what looked like impressive graphics. So I sat down to watch it wondering whether I was going to enjoy the story it has to tell or be confused by it. Unfortunately it was the latter. Now I try and find both positives and negatives in everything I review but graphics aside (which were very enjoyable to watch and engaging) I struggled to for Sucker Punch.

Sucker Punch revolves around Baby Doll (Emily Browning) who is imprisoned in a mental asylum by her wicked and abusive stepfather so that he can lay claim to an inheritance meant for her and her sister. Whilst in the asylum she retreats to a fantasy world of a brother and then further again (Inception-esque) through the medium of dance while her attractive and scantily clad new found friends assist her in her quest to break out of the asylum/brothel and gain freedom. Still with me? Good.

It is quite obvious that this movie comes from the same director (Zach Snyder) that brought us 300 as the return of the super slo-mo fight scenes have arrived in abundance as they did in 300. I have to say they work well in the action scenes in the fantasy world but are also used when no action is taking place... the film could cut 10 minutes from its 110 by just running those parts at normal speed with no real loss.

Now I'm not sure whether I just completely missed the point of this movie or not but I don't want to have to watch it for a second time to find out. Usually I would warn of spoilers but there can't really be any when there is no plot in the first place and the scenes are so random and disjointed that nothing really makes sense. I got the logic behind the desperation of Baby Doll needing to escape her reality as a way of coping but come on she can only do this through dance? And when she is dancing this puts every man in the real world into some sort of a trance?

So on the positive side then the graphics do drag this movie upwards in the ratings with the overall CGI action being very impressive covering a plethora of locations and situations. Even so the graphics did not really add much to the story. Don't get me wrong they were great and I enjoyed the scenes but I got the feeling that Snyder just put them in because he could when he should have perhaps been concentrating slightly more on developing the characters and making us care about them.

Finally my last gripe with this movie is that you never think that the girls are in any danger during the fight scenes and so even if you did end up caring whether they die of not, they don't look like they are ever going to making the slo-mo bullets and swords kind of pointless.

Bonus marks for people who can work out it this is going to get a good rating or not. Despite impressing with graphics, the plot and acting are poor, you never invest in the characters well-being and the graphics seem to be surplus to the movie anyway. If the graphics were the punch then the rest of the movie was definitely the suck.

Rating: D

Next time to make up for Sucker Punch I shall bring something completely different to the table in the form of Rubber [my review]. The story of a tyre with telekinetic powers that goes on a rampage through the desert. Check out the trailer below before you write it off!

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms

Reviewed: Source Code [2011]

Source Code [2011]

12A - 93mins - Action/Mystery/Romance - 1st April 2011

So I sit before you having just watched one of my top tips for an April hit and I find myself somewhat stuck on the fence before I even start writing the review so I shall have to watch this one again. I think this is more down to a mild bout of sleep deprivation rather than the movie though but lets see.

Upon second viewing, I have concluded that it was indeed lack of sleep working its magic to confuse me rather than the movie (although it does try its best to). Source Code follows a soldier, Colter Stevens, (Jake Gyllenhaal) who awakens to find himself on a train heading for Chicago. After talking to the stranger opposite him, Christina (Michelle Monaghan) who seems to know him well, he goes to the bathroom and standing in front of a mirror sees another person staring back at him. As we think about what on earth is going on, the train suddenly blows up and he wakes up, again disorientated, to another scenario. Leaving all those questions unanswered, it kind of drags you in!

Now within a dark room we find he is linked to a program, the source code, that uses shadows of peoples memories to relive the last 8 minutes of their lives. Goodwin (Vera Farmiga), a sympathetic operator of the source code sets him the task of finding the train bomber so that other attacks that have been planned later in the day can be stopped before they occur.

When I watched this movie, I thought that it was going to be solely the whodunit mystery revolving around the train and the identity of the bomber. However this is not quite the case as Colter finds himself unsure of his surroundings while not in the source code. This leads to the viewer having two riddles to solve- on the one hand who is the bomber and on the other the mystery behind who has put him into the source code and why is he there. I feel this puzzle within a puzzle adds to the excitement giving the movie several levels to work on.

The one thing that this movie had to contend with is the potential for there to be large scenes of repetition whilst Colter is on the train reliving the same moments again and again. This is well handled with enough variety that you become more intrigued by what he is going to do next and start demanding that he pick on a particular character that you have had your eye on for a while rather than the one he is currently investigating.

The movie is well acted with Gyllenhaal in particular putting in another strong performance to follow up his one in Love and Other Drugs with the relationship factor once again playing a strong part in his role in the movie. In general though the acting is impressive and I look forward to Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie wouldn't ya know!) next foray into the movie world because after this and Moon he has a lot of pressure to deliver something exceptional.

The only slight issue I have with this movie is something I can't really talk about until you have watched it. So all I will say is this- I was not a great fan of the way things ended.

Source Code looked like it was heading for a good haul before it was released and it does not fail to disappoint. I was never falling off my chair in anticipation but it is a cleverly thought out plot that is executed well with good CGI, acting, music and enough mystery to pull you through to the end. Not a classic but a very good watch none the less.

Rating: B

So from one hot off the press release to the next with Sucker Punch [my review] next on my to do list. The graphics look stunning so lets see if the movie can hold up under some scrutiny. Check it out...

Farm
Are you fanatical about film? Then follow this site on Twitter @  FAbFilms