Reviewed: Tangled [2011]

Tangled [2011]

PG - 100mins - Animation/Comedy/Family - 28th January 2011

It has been well over 10 years since the Walt Disney Animation Studios branch of Disney has had anything to shout home about as they have struggled to live up to their past successes (Lion King, Aladdin all the way back to Snow White in 1937) and compete with the modern animations of it's sister company Disney Pixar.

Tangled is based on the Brothers Grimm story of Rapunzel (the film's title was only changed from Rapunzel shortly prior to its release) who as traditional tales go was locked away in a tower with only her long flowing hair as a chance of rescue. As a baby, Princess Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) is kidnapped by Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) from the palace for her magical healing powers that have been passed onto her. Locked away in a tall tower and believing she's Gothel's daughter, she longs only for one thing- to get out into the world and see the floating lights that appear every year on her birthday.

As luck would have it Flynn Ryder (Zachary Levi), a thief, finds his way into her tower when hiding from the palace guard and Rapunzel fearing he is one of the evil monsters her mother has warned her about knocks him out. When he comes to she strikes up a deal that in exchange for him escorting her to see the lights and keep her safe, she will let him go and return his stolen loot.

The best thing about this film is the characters and their mannerisms. Gothel is vanity personified with snide remarks aimed at Rapunzel, Ryder the perfect amount of cockiness and all of the token extras play their part well. My two favourite though say absolutely nothing and easily steal the show. Both the chameleon (Rapunzel's best friend) and a guard's horse, Maximus are fantastic. Seeing a horse which acts more like a dog got me going but this was topped by the chameleon who seemed to have an expression that summed up the mood perfectly every time. A little legend!

In terms of graphics, they are some of the best I have seen in an animation with the detail in her hair in particular being most impressive. But then this should be expected as Tangled does now hold the record for most expensive animation and second most expensive film ever made coming in at a noteworthy £157.5 ($260) million.

As with all Disney, there was a couple of sing-a-longs thrown in for good measure and although they will not live long into the memory in the way that others have, (hakuna matata anyone?) they were still catchy and you will find yourself tapping along or humming a tune or two for a while after the movie has finished.

This movie got me laughing and even having watched it a second time I was still giggling away throughout. It works for both adults and children and the witty way in which it was written appealed to me greatly. I will happily be watching this again so it has most definitely worked its Disney magic on me. Disney might well be back!!!

Rating: B+

And in related animation news, the new Tintin trailer has just been released and it's looking darn impressive to say the least. Want to see it? Click here. Next up I look at the less well known sci-fi drama/thriller Primer. So check it out below.

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

Reviewed: Super [2010]

Super [2010]

18 - 96mins - Action/Comedy/Drama - 10th June 2011

Right from the off the premise of this movie appeals to me. I was happy with Kick-Ass and the slightly more realistic approach that they made their 'super' hero take and with Super this promise of an even more ordinary man coming off the streets to fight crime made me want to watch it as soon as possible.

Frank (Rainn Wilson) is just your ordinary bloke living an altogether uneventful life with few happy memories- 2 to be precise. He lives with his beautiful wife Sarah (Liv Tyler), a recovering drug addict, and works as a burger flipper in a diner. When Sarah relapses and leaves him for Jacques (Kevin Bacon), the local drug dealer, Frank is devastated and believes she was stolen from him.

A chance viewing of a religious hero The Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion) on TV implants the 'Good Vs. Evil' concept into his mind and before long Frank has an epiphany deciding that justice must be delivered, not only to Jacques but to all wrongdoers who happen to cross his path.Seeking inspiration for his new identity he travels to the local comic book store where he meets Libby (Ellen Page) who inadvertently helps him on his way. Whereas Batman had the gadgets, Spider-man had the web and Superman could do most anything, Frank's creation- The Crimson Bolt takes the best weapon award of all time with, that's right, a monkey wrench!!

The reality of the characters, much like the wrench, hits home on more than one occasion and for the people, me included, who initially compared it to Kick-Ass well you could not be much further from the mark. This film stands on its own and is a lot grittier giving the viewer an insight into the potential of the warped human psyche whilst toying with depression and other emotions too. This is the 'deHollywoodized' version and it would only take a small step for you to imagine this on your local news channel in the real world.

Although Wilson gives a very solid performance it is Page that I was more surprised and fascinated by. Having mostly featured as her 'Juno' type character in other works it was refreshing to see her in a slightly different role you will not have seen her do before bringing out an anxious and psychotic personality which becomes even more extreme after she dons her Boltie sidekick attire. (See the clip below for proof)

No super movie would be complete without a scene with POW and WHAM making an appearance on the screen at some point but where this is usually reserved for punches, The Crimson Bolt gets use out of them when wielding a shotgun. A nice touch if I do say so! Expect the humour to follow a similar vein right through until the end.

This is a superhero comedy but it delivers so much more on top. James Gunn really delivers (especially after Slither) and I will be keeping an interested eye on his next project. This will definitely be getting a second viewing from me and I'm already looking forward to it.

Rating: B+

Next up is Tangled, [my review] the latest Disney animation to hit our screens back in January. View a short clip of the film below.

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

Reviewed: Priest [2011]

Priest [2011]

12A - Action/Horror/Sci-Fi - 6th May 2011

The only interesting thing with vampire films these days is trying to work out what kind of vampire your going to get and what rules have been thought up to govern them in the world. The vampires of Priest are actual gruesome monsters with sharp claws and fangs which makes a change from the usual humans with slightly bigger incisors. That being said, they do exist as the human-turned-vampire slaves to their true vampire masters.

Based on Hyung Min-Woo Korean graphic novel, Priest is set in a world where humans and vampires were at war. Realising that they were losing, the humans invested in training up an elite group of warriors who could combat the vampires and turn the battle in their favour. Interesting really since the original comic did not involve vampires but rather fallen angels and daemons hence why the name of this film doesn't completely fit the content.

The church decides that after the war is won they no longer need their crack team of assassins and so fearing what they could do, they are disbanded and sent away to live normal lives with the authorities and society shunning them. (I got the impression this was at least in part attempting to parallel modern day war veterans but it was a theme that was only briefly passed over.) When Priest (Paul Bettany) finds out his family have been attacked by vampires and his niece (Lily Collins) taken, he goes against the word of the church and teams up with his nieces boyfriend Hicks (Cam Gigandet), the local sheriff to get her back.

Then follows some fighting, more CGI and special effects (which as a whole are good) and an attempt to fashion a story out of the situation. I just felt that this movie didn't have much going for it with the acting rather disappointing, the 'scary' parts failing to let my heart racing let alone make me jump from my seat and I began to lose interest half way through- never a good sign. Watch the trailer below and save yourself a trip to the cinema and a few quid.

The film also didn't know what direction it was heading in. By this I mean that it amalgamated a western theme with horror and action and a slight attempt at romance and threw it into a Mad Max post-apocalyptic type world. Maybe this might have worked in the graphic novel where you can imagine a cowboy western world to be more god fearing but it just didn't adapt to the big screen.

Although a didn't see the 3D version the general consensus is that I made the correct choice in opting for the 2D. This is probably down to the fact it was post-converted into 3D rather than shot in 3D and with large parts of the film set in the dark (one guess why), the addition of 3D glasses isn't going to help your viewing experience.

Finally, you like me may be surprised to find that it's only a 12A rating. If I ever saw some of the stuff in this film when I was younger than 12 I wouldn't have slept for weeks but then maybe the kids today are made of harder stuff!

So I was not the biggest fan of this movie and I have a feeling that I will not be the only one. If it wasn't for the cross shaped tattoo across his forehead, I would have had trouble distinguishing Bettany from his role in this and the equally disappointing Legion. One word sums this up and that word is rubbish.

Rating: D-

Next to grace my blog will be Super [my review]- another normal guy decides to become a superhero in this gritty dark comedy.

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

Reviewed: I Saw The Devil [2011]

I Saw The Devil [2011]

18 - 141mins - Crime/Drama/Horror - 29th April 2011

This time I bring you a foreign movie from the country of South Korea. I Saw The Devil keeps in tune with many of the films to successfully make it out of Korea with it’s dark and gory plot based around revenge.

It follows Kim Soo-hyeon (Byung-hun Lee) who is a highly trained agent. One night while stranded on the side of the road after her car breaks down, Kim’s pregnant fiancée is attacked and brutally murdered by Kyung-chul (Min-sik Choi). This isn’t the first time he’s murdered and it’s sure not to be the last. What he doesn’t reckon on though is Kim hunting him down for retribution.

Both killer and fiancé are continuously interlocked in a game of wits and ever more sadistic acts on both each other and bystanders as they slowly converge towards the end of the movie. As Kim is dragged ever downwards into the world of violence, he treads a fine line with turning into the monster that he is hunting and it is fair to say that many of the scenes in this film will have you feeling slightly uncomfortable if you’re not well prepared.

Choi impresses as the masochistic killer who is a complete opposite from Lee’s calm and collected demeanour. Both actors breathe life into their characters that only seem to become more complex as the film unfolds. Having started out as two opposites, they slowly merge into one and it becomes increasingly hard to distinguish who should get the viewers support.

I wasn’t exactly sure where this movie was going to go especially after an hour when it could quite plausibly have finished with a few tweaks but continue on it did and I am all the more happy because of it. There is plenty of action and fight scenes split in between the character development and where normal revenge films seem to keep both protagonists apart until the end, Jee-woon Kim (the director) was on a mission to bring them together into every scene. The music perfectly suits the mood and is only trumped by the cinematography which was exemplary.

As mentioned, this is not one for the faint hearted or squeamish but the performances are fantastic and it really gives an insight into the minds of a serial killer and a man so stricken with grief that he can only comprehend vengeance. This ranks up there with my other favourite Korean movie Oldboy and although I Saw The Devil’s plot may be based on a tried and tested idea, its execution is very refreshing and keeps you guessing right until the very end.

Rating: A-

Next time I go hunting in the dark for vampires with Priest. [my review] Trailer below.

Farm
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Reviewed: Grizzly Rage [2007]

Grizzly Rage [2007]

N/A - 86mins - Horror/Thriller - TV Release



Well you sure are in for a treat today as I bring you the unique Grizzly Rage. This epic follows four students who decide to go on a road trip after recently graduating. They trespass into a gated off park for some off road fun but early into their adventure things start to go wrong as they crash their Jeep into a tree accidentally hitting a bear cub in the process.

Now as we all know grizzly bears tend to stick close by to their cubs and so it is not long before momma bear shows up and starts hunting them down (in your standard bear with a blood vendetta scenario) as they flee the scene of the crime. And just to make it all that better, this is no ordinary bear, O no, but rather a mutated super grizzly bear from all the toxic waste that has been dumped into the lake nearby.

The acting is poor with weak performances not doing much for the script that would have needed some world class Hollywood stars to make me even think about evoking some emotions. The award for the best performance has to go to the bear who most of the time did look genuinely pissed off, as would I if I had to take part in this movie.

I wouldn't say it was a redeeming feature by a long shot but the cinematography isn't half as bad as it could have been (for one of the scenes at least) when compared to what the rest of the movie was offering.

Even better though is the fact that the movie is trying to take itself seriously but fails on every level to do so. Call me cold hearted but I was laughing all the way through the 'horrifying bear scenes' as the graduates were outsmarted again and again. It doesn't take long before you end up siding with the bear and are egging it on to get the next one. I was going to give you the trailer but this is so much better...

Quote from video- "When you see the animal roar, he's smiling. He wants marshmallows" If only our poor students had known!

Whoever thought that a grizzly would make for a good terrifying enemy in a movie certainly didn't think long and hard about it- being a massive and potentially dangerous animal in real life, there is not one point in the entire movie when bear and actor are in the same shot. This leads to some quite appalling and certainly comical scenes where the film makers use obviously fake props, stock footage and shockingly bad blood CGI (I'm talking Playstation 1 standard here) to bring the bear 'to life'. My favourite scene had to be the guy in a bear costume; and you could tell, jumping on their Jeep while they are trapped inside!

Apart from those moments of unintentional comic brilliance I would rather take my chances in the movie along with the bear as then I would one, not have to watch it and two, could hope to be killed off nice and early so I didn't have to ever think about this again. Why not a zero rating you ask? I've seen worse.

Rating: F*

Next up is the movie I thought would be best in April, I Saw The Devil. [my review]

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