Sorry there haven't been any posts recently, lots of things have got into the way like illness and hangovers. I am also going to be away next week but I will try to put something out ASAP.
Sorry again.
-Joe
Wednesday 29 July 2015
Friday 24 July 2015
Bond Gadgets Galore
As mentioned in my lats post, Bond is getting gadgets back for the upcoming Spectre, for his car at least.
That inspired me to create this top 5 list on Bond's best gadgets of all time.
5: The multi-touch table, Quantum of Solace.
Whilst this is not specifically Bond's and more MI6's I always found it super cool, definitely the coolest thing from the movie.
Its really smooth to use and can track multiple hands and fingers at once, it can also detect objects that are placed onto it. It looks awesome too and is connected to a wall monitor with the flick of a wrist and when your work is done you can attach a net to it and have the most kick-ass table tennis table ever!
4: Submariner Watch, Live and Let Die
The coolest and possibly the most multi-functional watch Bond has ever had with a magnet (which Bond uses to both annoy M and unzip a woman's dress all in the same scene) and a buzz saw built into the face if it which if you ask me is super unsafe.
Bond uses this watch to save his life on multiple occasions like attracting the shark bullet to himself then giving it to Kananga and also sawing through his ropes. Pretty cool and a bit over the top, so basically its the perfect Bond gadget.
3: X-Ray Specks, The World is not Enough.
I have this one on the list just for the fact that I want a pair really badly. I mean they are glasses with x-rays only able to see below clothes, none of that gross bone stuff normal x-rays can see, just peoples underwear and any hidden guns. Pretty great if you ask me. Bond also uses these is classic Bond style to check out lots of hot women then to get the upper hand on a thug, real classy Bond, real classy.
2: Jet-Pack, Thunderball.
Used in only a small scene it was still clear that this jet-pack is awesome, even if you do have to put a goofy helmet on first. There was nothing too special about this jet-pack (except the fact its a jet-pack), it didn't go fast or high or shoot stuff but instead the reason it stood out is because its, and correct me if I'm wrong, the only working jet-pack on film. Yes, it is actually a working jet-pack and it was actually fired up to get that shot and I think that's awesome!
This is a clip of a similar one flying if you don't believe me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjurw67StXg
1: Aston Martin DB5, Goldfinger
Could it be anything else really, this is the quintessential Bond gadget and is still the best looking car of all time an it has a tonne of gadgets:
Hope you enjoyed the list, I sure had fun making it. I am probably going to see Inside Out at some point in the nest few days so I will bring you the review of that ASAP.
I would love to hear your favorite Bond gadget in the comments below!
-Joe
That inspired me to create this top 5 list on Bond's best gadgets of all time.
5: The multi-touch table, Quantum of Solace.
Whilst this is not specifically Bond's and more MI6's I always found it super cool, definitely the coolest thing from the movie.
Its really smooth to use and can track multiple hands and fingers at once, it can also detect objects that are placed onto it. It looks awesome too and is connected to a wall monitor with the flick of a wrist and when your work is done you can attach a net to it and have the most kick-ass table tennis table ever!
4: Submariner Watch, Live and Let Die
The coolest and possibly the most multi-functional watch Bond has ever had with a magnet (which Bond uses to both annoy M and unzip a woman's dress all in the same scene) and a buzz saw built into the face if it which if you ask me is super unsafe.
Bond uses this watch to save his life on multiple occasions like attracting the shark bullet to himself then giving it to Kananga and also sawing through his ropes. Pretty cool and a bit over the top, so basically its the perfect Bond gadget.
3: X-Ray Specks, The World is not Enough.
I have this one on the list just for the fact that I want a pair really badly. I mean they are glasses with x-rays only able to see below clothes, none of that gross bone stuff normal x-rays can see, just peoples underwear and any hidden guns. Pretty great if you ask me. Bond also uses these is classic Bond style to check out lots of hot women then to get the upper hand on a thug, real classy Bond, real classy.
2: Jet-Pack, Thunderball.
Used in only a small scene it was still clear that this jet-pack is awesome, even if you do have to put a goofy helmet on first. There was nothing too special about this jet-pack (except the fact its a jet-pack), it didn't go fast or high or shoot stuff but instead the reason it stood out is because its, and correct me if I'm wrong, the only working jet-pack on film. Yes, it is actually a working jet-pack and it was actually fired up to get that shot and I think that's awesome!
This is a clip of a similar one flying if you don't believe me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjurw67StXg
1: Aston Martin DB5, Goldfinger
Could it be anything else really, this is the quintessential Bond gadget and is still the best looking car of all time an it has a tonne of gadgets:
- Front machine guns
- Rear shield (which I never understood as its mentioned to have bullet proof glass)
- Oil slick
- Revolving number plate
- GPS tracking
- Tire slashers
- Smoke screen
- And most importantly, the ejector seat
That is a lot of stuff to be crammed into one car and the ejector seat is now one of the most iconic scenes in movie history! All the gadgets are also used perfectly in the car chase that happens in and around the Auric Goldfinger compound. How can this not be #1.
Fun Fact: In Thunderball it is seen to also have rear shooting water guns.
Hope you enjoyed the list, I sure had fun making it. I am probably going to see Inside Out at some point in the nest few days so I will bring you the review of that ASAP.
I would love to hear your favorite Bond gadget in the comments below!
-Joe
Wednesday 22 July 2015
New Spectre Trailer: My mind has melted!
So as I have previously mentioned, the Bond movies are my favorite franchise of all time and they were a very important part of my child hood so when MGM announces a new one I get beyond excited.
It was no exception for Spectre , especially since I think Skyfall is the best one so far, and this new trailer just heightens my excitement even more so I'm going to do a shot for shot analysis for it. Stick around folks, this is going to be a long one!
The trailer starts with Bond basically being told off by the new M (Ralph Fiennes) because he went to the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico to do something, we don't know what yet, without authorization.
It shows Bond in a skull mask and top hat which is cool because we rarely see Bond in disguise. It then shows him jumping between rooftops and exploding a guy in a window with some sort of weird gun.
I have no idea what this could possibly be about but I love how the location and setting really harkens back to Live and Let Die's voodoo aesthetic. It's also quite reminiscent of the scene from Thunderball in which Bond is running through a parade. Fun fact, Live and Let Die is director Sam Mendes' favorite Bond film.
We then get taken back to London and Eve/Moneypenny is talking to Bond about how he's 'finished', this seems like it could sort of be a nod to Licence to Kill where he got disavowed.
The next bit is more interesting though, the car. It shows Q and Tanner showing it to Bond and mentioning it has 'a few tricks up her sleeve' and then we see a short clip of it driving. This is definitely one of the coolest cars Bond has ever had. That's mainly down to the fact that it has been specially designed by Aston Martin for the film which makes it a one off (probably excluding the fact they probably had multiple ones that undoubtedly got wrecked during filming). We also get a sneak peak at a gadget on the car (yes, finally Daniel Craig has a gadget filled car!) in a later scene where he shoots flames out the back of it! Hell Yeah!
He then asks Q to make his 'disappear', this won't be the first time Bond has gone rouge. It then shows him going to the same hut with Mr White in that we saw in the teaser trailer. Then we get a shot of Bond with the new Bond girl, Lucia Sciarra (played by Monica Bellucci). I think it was a good idea to cast a bit older actor as the Bond girl as it fits in well with Craig and that fact that he doesn't exactly look young himself. She is also very glamours looking which is a quality that has been missing from the Bond girls as of late (with the exception of Vesper and Severine) and give this a more classic Bond feel.
The next bit is really interesting, we see the henchman Mr Hinx (Dave Bautista) killing some dudes and he really looks like a force to be reckoned with. What I'm hoping for however with his character is that we get a quirk like we have done with old henchmen such as Oddjob or Jaws, having one would really make him a classic henchman especially since his name seems like something a character back in the days of Sean Connery could be called.
We then get some action shots in the mountains with clips of Lea Seydoux's character Madeleine Swann (another great name) having a heated discussion with Bond. It really looks like these two could work really well together in the movie and be almost like a better version of Bond and Camille from Quantum of Solace.
Then we are shown some dialogue about how Bond 'links it all together' and some stuff about Spectre. We also get conformation that it was Christoph Waltz playing that shadowy guy from the teaser trailer who's official character name is Franz Oberhauser but he is assumed to be Blofeld, we also see him later on in a very Blofeld-esque shirt that was reminiscent of what he wore in You Only Live Twice, but you never know I suppose. Some have said that Andrew Scott's character could turn out to be Blofeld.
We then get the obligatory action montage with the overlapped dialogue, not much to talk about there. We then see a sweet stunt with a helicopter which is a little bit like the stunt from The Man With the Golden Gun where they corkscrew the car over the river (I just hope they don't play a cheesy sound effect with it this time).
Oberhauser then says that he has been 'the author of all your pain' to Bond. I really hope this means that everything that happened in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall has been down to him because that would really connect Craig's films nicely and make them seem like one continuity more than they do now.
Then there is more of the action montage and the trailer ends on the Spectre logo.
The cinematography in this trailer is really wonderful and clean, it looks like Sam Mendes has done it again. The acting also looks great with maybe the exception of Naomie Harris, that's probably only because I really didn't like her from Skyfall.
The only thing I would say is wrong with this trailer is that it may have given us a bit too much, especially with that 'author of all your pain' line. They really should have done what DC did with the Batman V Superman trailer and just shown imagery and not too much dialogue.
Great trailer nonetheless and I'm super excited! and I especially love the nods to all the older Bond movies, this could be a real classic!
Link to trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTDaET-JweU
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. The schedule that I'm following now (about 1 post every 2 or 3 days) is what I'm going to be sticking to for a while just to inform you.
-Joe
It was no exception for Spectre , especially since I think Skyfall is the best one so far, and this new trailer just heightens my excitement even more so I'm going to do a shot for shot analysis for it. Stick around folks, this is going to be a long one!
The trailer starts with Bond basically being told off by the new M (Ralph Fiennes) because he went to the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico to do something, we don't know what yet, without authorization.
It shows Bond in a skull mask and top hat which is cool because we rarely see Bond in disguise. It then shows him jumping between rooftops and exploding a guy in a window with some sort of weird gun.
I have no idea what this could possibly be about but I love how the location and setting really harkens back to Live and Let Die's voodoo aesthetic. It's also quite reminiscent of the scene from Thunderball in which Bond is running through a parade. Fun fact, Live and Let Die is director Sam Mendes' favorite Bond film.
We then get taken back to London and Eve/Moneypenny is talking to Bond about how he's 'finished', this seems like it could sort of be a nod to Licence to Kill where he got disavowed.
The next bit is more interesting though, the car. It shows Q and Tanner showing it to Bond and mentioning it has 'a few tricks up her sleeve' and then we see a short clip of it driving. This is definitely one of the coolest cars Bond has ever had. That's mainly down to the fact that it has been specially designed by Aston Martin for the film which makes it a one off (probably excluding the fact they probably had multiple ones that undoubtedly got wrecked during filming). We also get a sneak peak at a gadget on the car (yes, finally Daniel Craig has a gadget filled car!) in a later scene where he shoots flames out the back of it! Hell Yeah!
He then asks Q to make his 'disappear', this won't be the first time Bond has gone rouge. It then shows him going to the same hut with Mr White in that we saw in the teaser trailer. Then we get a shot of Bond with the new Bond girl, Lucia Sciarra (played by Monica Bellucci). I think it was a good idea to cast a bit older actor as the Bond girl as it fits in well with Craig and that fact that he doesn't exactly look young himself. She is also very glamours looking which is a quality that has been missing from the Bond girls as of late (with the exception of Vesper and Severine) and give this a more classic Bond feel.
The next bit is really interesting, we see the henchman Mr Hinx (Dave Bautista) killing some dudes and he really looks like a force to be reckoned with. What I'm hoping for however with his character is that we get a quirk like we have done with old henchmen such as Oddjob or Jaws, having one would really make him a classic henchman especially since his name seems like something a character back in the days of Sean Connery could be called.
We then get some action shots in the mountains with clips of Lea Seydoux's character Madeleine Swann (another great name) having a heated discussion with Bond. It really looks like these two could work really well together in the movie and be almost like a better version of Bond and Camille from Quantum of Solace.
Then we are shown some dialogue about how Bond 'links it all together' and some stuff about Spectre. We also get conformation that it was Christoph Waltz playing that shadowy guy from the teaser trailer who's official character name is Franz Oberhauser but he is assumed to be Blofeld, we also see him later on in a very Blofeld-esque shirt that was reminiscent of what he wore in You Only Live Twice, but you never know I suppose. Some have said that Andrew Scott's character could turn out to be Blofeld.
We then get the obligatory action montage with the overlapped dialogue, not much to talk about there. We then see a sweet stunt with a helicopter which is a little bit like the stunt from The Man With the Golden Gun where they corkscrew the car over the river (I just hope they don't play a cheesy sound effect with it this time).
Oberhauser then says that he has been 'the author of all your pain' to Bond. I really hope this means that everything that happened in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall has been down to him because that would really connect Craig's films nicely and make them seem like one continuity more than they do now.
Then there is more of the action montage and the trailer ends on the Spectre logo.
The cinematography in this trailer is really wonderful and clean, it looks like Sam Mendes has done it again. The acting also looks great with maybe the exception of Naomie Harris, that's probably only because I really didn't like her from Skyfall.
The only thing I would say is wrong with this trailer is that it may have given us a bit too much, especially with that 'author of all your pain' line. They really should have done what DC did with the Batman V Superman trailer and just shown imagery and not too much dialogue.
Great trailer nonetheless and I'm super excited! and I especially love the nods to all the older Bond movies, this could be a real classic!
Link to trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTDaET-JweU
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. The schedule that I'm following now (about 1 post every 2 or 3 days) is what I'm going to be sticking to for a while just to inform you.
-Joe
Monday 20 July 2015
Ant-Man: A Surprising Hit!
There has been a lot of trouble behind the scenes of Ant-Man for quite a while, mainly director Edgar Wright stepping down and Peyton Reed filling in for him, so its safe to say not a lot of people had confidence it would be any good.
Boy were they wrong!
*Possible spoilers ahead*
Ant-Man is one of the most sincere Marvel movies yet because of its emotional core of Scott Lang, played to perfection by Paul Rudd (Role Models, The 40-Year-Old Virgin), longing to be able to spend time with his Daughter Cassie, played by Abby Ryder Forston (Playing it Cool), after just being released from prison.
As mentioned, Paul Rudd does an excellent job portraying Scott Lang. His comedic timing is spot on and there is always something funny happening or going to happen when he is on screen. He also manages the more emotional/serious moments well but never plays them off too straight faced.
This has got to be the funniest Marvel movie yet, with the funniest lines coming from Luis, knocked out the park by Michael Pena (Fury, Shooter). Pretty much everything he says is hilarious and works so well in the movie and mixing so well with Rudd's more sarcastic and blunt style of humor.
The other characters of Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne, played by Michael Douglas (The Game, Basic Instinct) and Evangeline Lilly (Real Steel, Hobbit 2&3) respectively, also work well in the film and they have a great tension between them over the real cause of their mothers death which plays out intriguingly and both gives depth to Pym and sets something up that is used later in the movie really well.
The action, as you would expect, involves lots of shrinking an growing between lots of punches and Peyton Reed handles this very well with some unusual camera work and inspiring fight choreography and settings, the final fight being the highlight of the movie.
At its core however this is not really an action movie, its a heist movie with action in. This creates an interesting structure we haven't really seen in these movies since the first Iron Man, where the majority of the movie is light on action with a big all out finale. This is good for the movie because it give plenty of time to explore the characters in depth and to get the audience liking them. It also means we can have a lot of really cool sequences where Scott is learning to use the suit with varying degrees of success for hilarious results, once again, much like the first Iron Man.
Its not all good however. The villain Darren Cross/Yellowjacket is very forgettable and his motivations are not really ever that clear. His portrayal by Corey Stoll (House of Cards, Non-Stop) is quite average as all he is really doing is playing the average evil guy that we see in so many movies. Another thing that is kind of under par is the out of action cinematography as some of the shots used seem quite flat and most are very standard shots we see in every other sort of movie, I feel this is something we would have avoided if Edgar Wright had stayed on as director.
There is also a small gripe I have with this movie about the physics of shrinking in the Ant-Man suit, it is never explained fully and they seem to change form scene to scene. This will by no means ruin the enjoyment of the movie but on reflection it bugs me slightly (no pun intended).
This is probably the third best Marvel Cinematic Universe movie after Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier and is well worth a watch in theaters as it is such a visually interesting movie, the likes of which have rarely been seen due to the way the shrinking is filmed. I would also recommend seeing it in 3D as it really lends great depth to the shrinking parts and does enhance them a lot. And do please give this movie the money it deserves as its doing worse than all the other Marvel movies have except The Incredible Hulk which is a real shame.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, sorry this isn't as long as my Terminator: Genysis review its just I don't want to spoil any of it as it really is a spectacle to watch knowing nothing about it. Oh and there are mid and post credit scenes so be sure to stick around, they are pretty great ones.
-Joe
Boy were they wrong!
*Possible spoilers ahead*
Ant-Man is one of the most sincere Marvel movies yet because of its emotional core of Scott Lang, played to perfection by Paul Rudd (Role Models, The 40-Year-Old Virgin), longing to be able to spend time with his Daughter Cassie, played by Abby Ryder Forston (Playing it Cool), after just being released from prison.
As mentioned, Paul Rudd does an excellent job portraying Scott Lang. His comedic timing is spot on and there is always something funny happening or going to happen when he is on screen. He also manages the more emotional/serious moments well but never plays them off too straight faced.
This has got to be the funniest Marvel movie yet, with the funniest lines coming from Luis, knocked out the park by Michael Pena (Fury, Shooter). Pretty much everything he says is hilarious and works so well in the movie and mixing so well with Rudd's more sarcastic and blunt style of humor.
The other characters of Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne, played by Michael Douglas (The Game, Basic Instinct) and Evangeline Lilly (Real Steel, Hobbit 2&3) respectively, also work well in the film and they have a great tension between them over the real cause of their mothers death which plays out intriguingly and both gives depth to Pym and sets something up that is used later in the movie really well.
The action, as you would expect, involves lots of shrinking an growing between lots of punches and Peyton Reed handles this very well with some unusual camera work and inspiring fight choreography and settings, the final fight being the highlight of the movie.
At its core however this is not really an action movie, its a heist movie with action in. This creates an interesting structure we haven't really seen in these movies since the first Iron Man, where the majority of the movie is light on action with a big all out finale. This is good for the movie because it give plenty of time to explore the characters in depth and to get the audience liking them. It also means we can have a lot of really cool sequences where Scott is learning to use the suit with varying degrees of success for hilarious results, once again, much like the first Iron Man.
Its not all good however. The villain Darren Cross/Yellowjacket is very forgettable and his motivations are not really ever that clear. His portrayal by Corey Stoll (House of Cards, Non-Stop) is quite average as all he is really doing is playing the average evil guy that we see in so many movies. Another thing that is kind of under par is the out of action cinematography as some of the shots used seem quite flat and most are very standard shots we see in every other sort of movie, I feel this is something we would have avoided if Edgar Wright had stayed on as director.
There is also a small gripe I have with this movie about the physics of shrinking in the Ant-Man suit, it is never explained fully and they seem to change form scene to scene. This will by no means ruin the enjoyment of the movie but on reflection it bugs me slightly (no pun intended).
This is probably the third best Marvel Cinematic Universe movie after Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier and is well worth a watch in theaters as it is such a visually interesting movie, the likes of which have rarely been seen due to the way the shrinking is filmed. I would also recommend seeing it in 3D as it really lends great depth to the shrinking parts and does enhance them a lot. And do please give this movie the money it deserves as its doing worse than all the other Marvel movies have except The Incredible Hulk which is a real shame.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, sorry this isn't as long as my Terminator: Genysis review its just I don't want to spoil any of it as it really is a spectacle to watch knowing nothing about it. Oh and there are mid and post credit scenes so be sure to stick around, they are pretty great ones.
-Joe
Thursday 16 July 2015
My Top 4 Favorite Movies
I just thought this might be a fun little filler post until I see Ant Man or something else noteworthy.
1. Skyfall
I have been a James Bond fan for as long as I can remember and they were an important part of my childhood. With the 23rd installment of the series they really out-did themselves.
Sam Mendes directs in a very no nonsense manner with a mix of steady wide shots and close-ups to create a very epic narrative but also one which Bond is clearly at the center of. It also has, in my opinion, the best Bond villain there has ever been, Silva, played to perfection by Javier Bardem. He is excellently crazy and he performance is just enthralling from the moment he come on screen in that epic long monologue shot.
The action is also well choreographed and shot but doesn't quite carry the weight that previous Craig Bond films have and it has a heavier reliance on gun combat as opposed to hand to hand fights. The downside however is that Eve (Naomie Harris) is not a very compelling character and Harris's portrayal of her is annoying in some scenes. There are also some lines that don't quite work but they are a rarity in an otherwise excellent script which has a potent end to it.
The action is also well choreographed and shot but doesn't quite carry the weight that previous Craig Bond films have and it has a heavier reliance on gun combat as opposed to hand to hand fights. The downside however is that Eve (Naomie Harris) is not a very compelling character and Harris's portrayal of her is annoying in some scenes. There are also some lines that don't quite work but they are a rarity in an otherwise excellent script which has a potent end to it.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
By far the best of the current Marvel cinematic universe movies, it focuses on a rag tag group of thieves and assassins from around the galaxy who have to protect a mysterious orb from the villain Ronan the Accuser. This plot structure is very similar to an Indiana Jones movie where the actions of characters are driven solely by their want or knowledge of the object. Although this little amount of plot depth really lets the colorful characters shine.
Chris Pratt plays the part of Star Lord beautifully, almost becoming a parody of Han Solo at times, and his charm is limitless. The stand out character however is Groot, a sentient tree creature who can only say the words "I am Groot" in that order. It is Vin Diesel's portrayal of Groot that makes him shine though with Diesel really giving his all for every scene and giving such emotion to him, especially in the last act of the movie.
The soundtrack of this movie is also phenomenal, made up of 70's and 80's rock and pop songs which play at perfect times throughout the movie, it almost becomes a character in itself.
The first few minutes of the film however are surprisingly dark and don't convey the tone of the movie as a whole which makes it feel somewhat out of place.
3. Mad Max:Fury Road
A very recent addition to this list and I am going to do a more in depth review of this when I do my 'Best of Summer' piece so I will keep this brief.
Stunning visuals, the best action since maybe ever, great characters, stunning score and a guy who has a guitar that shoots frickin' flames!
Need I say more?
4. Whiplash
A very different movie to the others on the list, This follows the drumming student Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) as he gets a spot in the best jazz band in his school. This class is taught by the menacing Terrance Fletcher (J K Simmons), this guy is like the worst teacher you ever had in school times by a million. Simmons plays it oh so excellently though and everything he says is laced with venom. Although Simmons got the award for this movie I really think the stand out performance was Teller, his decent into almost insanity whilst trying to achieve perfection is engrossing and played very believably.
Simmons and Teller's back and forth are really where this movie shines, you really believe the hate developing between them but also that deep rooted respect that is at the core of the movie.
The drumming is also mind-blowing. As Teller has been a drummer from an early age, most of the shots you see of him doing these insane drum solos are actually him which lend a much greater credibility to his performance. The final quarter of an hour of this movie is just filled with one epic drum solo which has excellent back and forth between Teller and Simmons laced throughout, it truly is one of the best movie endings of all time.
The only problem with this movie is that before Simmons' character is introduced there is not much momentum in the movie, but this does change very soon into it. Whiplash also does suffer slight on repeat viewings as its not pulled along by any sort of action, which is inevitably more re watchable, but by slow physiological warfare which doesn't have the same effect on the viewer the second time round. It will still keep you perched on the edge of your seat though with some really suspenseful scenes directed extremely well by Damien Chazelle in his first blockbuster directing gig. What a way to start!
Sorry this is only a top 4 list, I honestly can't think of what would go in the number 5 slot,
contenders were:
The first few minutes of the film however are surprisingly dark and don't convey the tone of the movie as a whole which makes it feel somewhat out of place.
3. Mad Max:Fury Road
A very recent addition to this list and I am going to do a more in depth review of this when I do my 'Best of Summer' piece so I will keep this brief.
Stunning visuals, the best action since maybe ever, great characters, stunning score and a guy who has a guitar that shoots frickin' flames!
Need I say more?
4. Whiplash
A very different movie to the others on the list, This follows the drumming student Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) as he gets a spot in the best jazz band in his school. This class is taught by the menacing Terrance Fletcher (J K Simmons), this guy is like the worst teacher you ever had in school times by a million. Simmons plays it oh so excellently though and everything he says is laced with venom. Although Simmons got the award for this movie I really think the stand out performance was Teller, his decent into almost insanity whilst trying to achieve perfection is engrossing and played very believably.
Simmons and Teller's back and forth are really where this movie shines, you really believe the hate developing between them but also that deep rooted respect that is at the core of the movie.
The drumming is also mind-blowing. As Teller has been a drummer from an early age, most of the shots you see of him doing these insane drum solos are actually him which lend a much greater credibility to his performance. The final quarter of an hour of this movie is just filled with one epic drum solo which has excellent back and forth between Teller and Simmons laced throughout, it truly is one of the best movie endings of all time.
The only problem with this movie is that before Simmons' character is introduced there is not much momentum in the movie, but this does change very soon into it. Whiplash also does suffer slight on repeat viewings as its not pulled along by any sort of action, which is inevitably more re watchable, but by slow physiological warfare which doesn't have the same effect on the viewer the second time round. It will still keep you perched on the edge of your seat though with some really suspenseful scenes directed extremely well by Damien Chazelle in his first blockbuster directing gig. What a way to start!
Sorry this is only a top 4 list, I honestly can't think of what would go in the number 5 slot,
contenders were:
- Casino Royale
- Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Back to the Future
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day
- Hurt Locker
- District 9
Also sorry for the weird post timing, I will try and make it more consistent in the future, probably changing it to like 3 or 4 a week.
Hope you enjoyed this list, I would love to hear your top 4 (or 5) in the comments below, I have set it so even people without a Blogger account can comment as well, I hope that is better.
-Joe
Wednesday 15 July 2015
Why Tom Cruise is the best movie star of all time
The title of this post alone will probably get people to hate me but hear me out.
I watched Top Gun for the first time yesterday (shocking I know) and Maverick, played by Tom Cruise is one of the most human characters in movie history whilst still being entertaining and almost larger than life.
To fill people in if they haven't seen the movie. Maverick is hot shot fighter pilot who has a tonne of skill but butts heads with his superiors for his cockiness and constant rule breaking. That part of the character already sets up some good conflict. Add that to the emotional center of the film, which is not the romance between Maverick and Charlie, but instead is Mavericks close friendship with his wing man Goose (Anthony Edwards). This really drives the movie along, following them getting in and out of trouble and then playing some very homo-erotic volleyball, but that's a different conversation all together.
On top of those things you have Mavericks aforementioned relationship with Charlie (Kelly McGillis) which is very genuine and has great on screen chemistry which is always the most important thing when portraying love on the big screen.
All of these things show that Cruise has incredible acting chops (that is excluding 'Cocktail') that he can pull off these things in one movie, not many other movie stars that I can think of would have been able to do that to such a high standard and with such style.
His range is also something that a lot of other high profile movie stars don't have.
He started off doing mostly drama and some comedy with things like 'Risky Business' and 'The Color of Money' and has been put up many times for many different awards for best actor, leading and supporting.
Just when everyone thought Tom Cruise was just a drama actor he goes and stars as Ethan Hunt in 1996's 'Mission Impossible', one of he best espionage movies of all time. That was followed up by more Mission Impossible movies (the fifth one to be released in the UK on the 30th of July) which are all great movie, with the exception of 2. This really cemented Cruise as a full blown action star backed up by other such films as 'Oblivion', 'Knight and Day' and the more recent 'Edge of Tomorrow' or 'Live Die Repeat' depending on what title you prefer.
Cruise also surpasses other action stars by doing pretty much all of his own stunts, he even throws tantrums if he isn't allowed, if recent gossip is to be believed. This adds so much more legitimacy to his movies and makes it a lot more immersive because there wont be any time where you notice a stunt double that looks a bit off (looking at you Terminator 2). This is epitomized in the trailer for Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation where he is strapped to the side of a plane taking off and it is clearly him the whole time, I mean that is a frickin' cool scene you just would't get with other actors.
Yes, he is a Scientologist, and yes it is stupid as s**t, and yes it almost killed his career (Jesus, you remember that Oprah interview). This however doesn't detract from his acting ability at all and to level it out he is a super nice guy in interviews and funny too.
To conclude it is very rare you get all of the talents and skills that Tom Cruise has and he looks so slick doing it. He looks awesome running to (even if he does it quite a lot) and he is so damn likable as pretty much any character. Even when he played the villain in 'Collateral'.
My top 5 Tom Cruise films would be
1. Edge of Tomorrow. That has been criminally underrated
2. Mission Impossible 1. Still the best of the franchise
3.Top Gun. One of the best buddy movies ever
4. Collateral. Nice to see a different role for Cruise and he does it so excellently
5. Minority Report. This film should be remembered a lot more as it is truly excellent
Thanks for hearing my thoughts, I would love to know who you think is the best movie star is?
These pieces about my opinions are basically going to fill gaps between reviews of movies and new trailers.
-Joe
I watched Top Gun for the first time yesterday (shocking I know) and Maverick, played by Tom Cruise is one of the most human characters in movie history whilst still being entertaining and almost larger than life.
To fill people in if they haven't seen the movie. Maverick is hot shot fighter pilot who has a tonne of skill but butts heads with his superiors for his cockiness and constant rule breaking. That part of the character already sets up some good conflict. Add that to the emotional center of the film, which is not the romance between Maverick and Charlie, but instead is Mavericks close friendship with his wing man Goose (Anthony Edwards). This really drives the movie along, following them getting in and out of trouble and then playing some very homo-erotic volleyball, but that's a different conversation all together.
On top of those things you have Mavericks aforementioned relationship with Charlie (Kelly McGillis) which is very genuine and has great on screen chemistry which is always the most important thing when portraying love on the big screen.
All of these things show that Cruise has incredible acting chops (that is excluding 'Cocktail') that he can pull off these things in one movie, not many other movie stars that I can think of would have been able to do that to such a high standard and with such style.
His range is also something that a lot of other high profile movie stars don't have.
He started off doing mostly drama and some comedy with things like 'Risky Business' and 'The Color of Money' and has been put up many times for many different awards for best actor, leading and supporting.
Just when everyone thought Tom Cruise was just a drama actor he goes and stars as Ethan Hunt in 1996's 'Mission Impossible', one of he best espionage movies of all time. That was followed up by more Mission Impossible movies (the fifth one to be released in the UK on the 30th of July) which are all great movie, with the exception of 2. This really cemented Cruise as a full blown action star backed up by other such films as 'Oblivion', 'Knight and Day' and the more recent 'Edge of Tomorrow' or 'Live Die Repeat' depending on what title you prefer.
Cruise also surpasses other action stars by doing pretty much all of his own stunts, he even throws tantrums if he isn't allowed, if recent gossip is to be believed. This adds so much more legitimacy to his movies and makes it a lot more immersive because there wont be any time where you notice a stunt double that looks a bit off (looking at you Terminator 2). This is epitomized in the trailer for Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation where he is strapped to the side of a plane taking off and it is clearly him the whole time, I mean that is a frickin' cool scene you just would't get with other actors.
Yes, he is a Scientologist, and yes it is stupid as s**t, and yes it almost killed his career (Jesus, you remember that Oprah interview). This however doesn't detract from his acting ability at all and to level it out he is a super nice guy in interviews and funny too.
To conclude it is very rare you get all of the talents and skills that Tom Cruise has and he looks so slick doing it. He looks awesome running to (even if he does it quite a lot) and he is so damn likable as pretty much any character. Even when he played the villain in 'Collateral'.
My top 5 Tom Cruise films would be
1. Edge of Tomorrow. That has been criminally underrated
2. Mission Impossible 1. Still the best of the franchise
3.Top Gun. One of the best buddy movies ever
4. Collateral. Nice to see a different role for Cruise and he does it so excellently
5. Minority Report. This film should be remembered a lot more as it is truly excellent
Thanks for hearing my thoughts, I would love to know who you think is the best movie star is?
These pieces about my opinions are basically going to fill gaps between reviews of movies and new trailers.
-Joe
Tuesday 14 July 2015
More DC news with the Suicide Squad Trailer
Another thing to come out of San Diego Comic Con has been the Suicide Squad trailer.
There isn't as much to talk about with this trailer as there was with the Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice one but there is one very interesting point in it.
Firstly I just have to say, Margot Robbie (Focus, Wolf of Wall Street) as Harley Quinn looks like absolute perfect casting, everything that comes out of her mouth in this trailer is drenched in a super sinister twang but also has a shred of innocence left. This perfectly captures the character of Harley Quinn (although I hope for a it more humor to be thrown in for her) and her costume design/look fits perfectly well into the whole universe Warner Bros seems to be creating here with their DC universe. I do think its a slight shame thought that we wont be seeing her in a more traditional Harley Quinn role more akin to the comics but you cant have everything right. Her "I hope he has insurance" line is delivered perfectly as well.
The other stand out character that's not the Joker in the trailer is Deadshot, played by Will Smith (pretty much everything).
His costume for one seems dead on comic accurate, especially when he is seen wearing the mask. But this does leave me to wonder, will this fit in with the rest of the DC universe well as all the other villain characters (at least so far) have this updated and revised, almost punky look about them. I suppose only time will tell.
I also can't say much about how Smith will play the part as in the trailer he only has a couple lines and none strike me as anything but standard Will Smith. He is a fantastic actor though so I'm sure whatever he does with the role will be great.
Batman played by Ben Affleck (see my break down of the Batman V Superman trailer to find my thoughts on him) also appears in the trailer hanging onto the Jokers car, I suppose its nice to have a bit of Batman but I'm worried that maybe him and the Joker will take a bit too much of the spotlight away from the actual Suicide Squad.
The rest of the characters seem kind of dull if I'm being honest, especially Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, the worlds dumbest villain. Killer Croc looks alright I guess, could have been a bit beefier.
OK, so the main reason everyone is so hyped for this movie is Jared Leto (Fight Club, Requiem for a Dream) as the Joker. When the first picture of him in costume was released the reaction was pretty awful, understandable so as it was an awful picture. (shown Below)
People hated and still do hate the tattoos (myself included) and the fact that he looks like Marilyn Manson has had his hair dyed green. The problems didn't stop there either, the weird silver grill, that gigantic ring and the lack of the purple suit, which has been a Joker staple since like forever and is vital to the characters comedic roots.
But oh man, this trailer has completely turned me around, Leto's performance seems awesone from the short time we got to preview it. The laugh is sinister as anything and the way he delivers the line "I'm not gonna kill ya, I'm just gonna hurt you really, really bad" is legitimately terrifying. This could be the scariest Joker yet. I still hate the look though and the fact he has a bright purple super car doesn't make it any better.
I also wonder who the person at the end of the trailer, who he is obviously going to torture, is? Could it be Harley Quinn as a step to make her insane. Or could it be a flash back to him with the second Robin, who he ultimately kills (we see the suit in the BvS trailer). We will have to wait and find out.
I'm still slightly skeptical about this movie, mainly for the fact that for it to work as best as possible it really should be as dark and gruesome as possible but I'm afraid they might go down the route of making it a 12a to fit in with the rest of the franchises which would hurt it a lot.
But if they pull this one together it could turn out to be an interesting new concept and a cracking movie.
Link to trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI3hecGO_04
-Joe
Hope you enjoyed this, I should be going to see Ant Man on Sunday so I should have a review of that up on Monday and at latest Tuesday.
There will be another post between then and now but at this time I'm not really sure what its going to be, suggestions in the comments would be helpful. As always I am grateful for any amount of views and currently I am at 17 which is way more that I could have expected, thanks everybody.
There isn't as much to talk about with this trailer as there was with the Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice one but there is one very interesting point in it.
Firstly I just have to say, Margot Robbie (Focus, Wolf of Wall Street) as Harley Quinn looks like absolute perfect casting, everything that comes out of her mouth in this trailer is drenched in a super sinister twang but also has a shred of innocence left. This perfectly captures the character of Harley Quinn (although I hope for a it more humor to be thrown in for her) and her costume design/look fits perfectly well into the whole universe Warner Bros seems to be creating here with their DC universe. I do think its a slight shame thought that we wont be seeing her in a more traditional Harley Quinn role more akin to the comics but you cant have everything right. Her "I hope he has insurance" line is delivered perfectly as well.
The other stand out character that's not the Joker in the trailer is Deadshot, played by Will Smith (pretty much everything).
His costume for one seems dead on comic accurate, especially when he is seen wearing the mask. But this does leave me to wonder, will this fit in with the rest of the DC universe well as all the other villain characters (at least so far) have this updated and revised, almost punky look about them. I suppose only time will tell.
I also can't say much about how Smith will play the part as in the trailer he only has a couple lines and none strike me as anything but standard Will Smith. He is a fantastic actor though so I'm sure whatever he does with the role will be great.
Batman played by Ben Affleck (see my break down of the Batman V Superman trailer to find my thoughts on him) also appears in the trailer hanging onto the Jokers car, I suppose its nice to have a bit of Batman but I'm worried that maybe him and the Joker will take a bit too much of the spotlight away from the actual Suicide Squad.
The rest of the characters seem kind of dull if I'm being honest, especially Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, the worlds dumbest villain. Killer Croc looks alright I guess, could have been a bit beefier.
OK, so the main reason everyone is so hyped for this movie is Jared Leto (Fight Club, Requiem for a Dream) as the Joker. When the first picture of him in costume was released the reaction was pretty awful, understandable so as it was an awful picture. (shown Below)
People hated and still do hate the tattoos (myself included) and the fact that he looks like Marilyn Manson has had his hair dyed green. The problems didn't stop there either, the weird silver grill, that gigantic ring and the lack of the purple suit, which has been a Joker staple since like forever and is vital to the characters comedic roots.
But oh man, this trailer has completely turned me around, Leto's performance seems awesone from the short time we got to preview it. The laugh is sinister as anything and the way he delivers the line "I'm not gonna kill ya, I'm just gonna hurt you really, really bad" is legitimately terrifying. This could be the scariest Joker yet. I still hate the look though and the fact he has a bright purple super car doesn't make it any better.
I also wonder who the person at the end of the trailer, who he is obviously going to torture, is? Could it be Harley Quinn as a step to make her insane. Or could it be a flash back to him with the second Robin, who he ultimately kills (we see the suit in the BvS trailer). We will have to wait and find out.
I'm still slightly skeptical about this movie, mainly for the fact that for it to work as best as possible it really should be as dark and gruesome as possible but I'm afraid they might go down the route of making it a 12a to fit in with the rest of the franchises which would hurt it a lot.
But if they pull this one together it could turn out to be an interesting new concept and a cracking movie.
Link to trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI3hecGO_04
-Joe
Hope you enjoyed this, I should be going to see Ant Man on Sunday so I should have a review of that up on Monday and at latest Tuesday.
There will be another post between then and now but at this time I'm not really sure what its going to be, suggestions in the comments would be helpful. As always I am grateful for any amount of views and currently I am at 17 which is way more that I could have expected, thanks everybody.
Monday 13 July 2015
Lets talk about the Batman V Superman trailer
Well, as most of you might know by now San Diego Comic Con was ran over the past couple.
The highlight of the event for me and many other people was the new trailer for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.
I have to admit, whilst I though Man of Steel was alright (the fighting was awesome but everything else was pretty dull) I have been on the very skeptical side towards this movie since it first got announced and I wasn't too thrilled by the first trailer. That's mostly down to the fact that I don't have too much faith in Zack Snyder and Warner Bros in making a cohesive universe like Joss Whedon and Disney have done with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This trailer has totally turned me around though. Firstly Batman. This might be the most bad ass Batman we haven ever seen on screens, the small segments of fighting we have seen with him look very fluid and full of motion. Ben Affleck, or 'Batffleck' if you will, looks great as Bruce Wayne as well having the right on screen presence for the role.
Whilst I think Henry Cavill is fine in the role of Superman, the most interesting part about his character in the trailer is his relationship with the public. He is clearly hated by some people for wrecking Metropolis in MoS (including Bruce Wayne) but he is also loved by others for saving people and doing good. This is a really interesting dynamic that hasn't really been shown in a superhero movie before, normally it is an either hate then love or love then hate relationship, never both at once.
This also brings me onto another interesting point. This trailer definitely critiques Man of Steel's amount of destruction as a bad thing, much like the general public did after its release. This makes me wonder, was this Warner Bros reacting to criticism and somewhat correcting its mistakes? Or was this a planned move all along and the fact that the public hated it was just some side effect for setting up the new movie? It makes me wonder, if it was response to fans however I have to give major props to Warner Bros.
The cinematography in this trailer also looks top notch. It seems like Snyder is going back to his patented 'glossy' style of film making we saw in the likes of 300 and Watchmen as apposed to he faux Nolan approach we got in Man of Steel. Lots of the shots are well framed and look really nice, especially that one of Batman on the side of the building which homages Frank Miller Dark Knight Returns cover, which this movie is based on some what.
The coolest shot of them all though was the final one of Superman Ripping off the doors to the Batmobile and Batman standing up to look him in the face. The tension from that few seconds alone really makes me excited.
Oh yeah, Wonder Woman makes an appearance in the trailer too, she doesn't do much in it but her costume looks cool at least.
The bad. Not all of this trailer is great. firstly there are some dialogue lines that don't work too well, especially that one by Mama Kent to Clark where she says he doesn't owe the world anything and therefore doesn't have to save anybody if he doesn't want to. Jesus, the Kent's are sh***y parents.
I feel I also have to mention Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthour. He looks awful. His one major line in the trailer is delivered almost laughably and he has no gravitas at all which is like the main trait of Lex!
The main thing that will hurt this movie if not handled well will probably be the amount of stuff in it. It looks incredibly bloated. We have the Superman-Batman fight, the bit with Lex Luthour and the kryptonite, Zod's body is going to play a part in it, Wonder Woman shows up, so will Aquaman and Cyborg apparently, the romance between Clark and Lois, back story about the dead Robin's suit in the Batcave (which is really cool by the way). That a LOT of stuff to fit in one movie.
You might say though "But Captain America: Civil War is going to have lots of characters in". Yes, it does. But they have already been established in many other previous films so no introductions are needed. That is not applicable to BvS.
Also I don't like the fact we are going to see Bruce's parents dies AGAIN, haven't we seen that enough!
I will say though that if they can pull this off it's going to be one hell of a movie. The casting looks on point (mainly on the Batman/Alfred side of things), the cinematography looks beautiful and the story seems like its going in new interesting directions. So yeah, I'm supper pumped.
Oh, and I can bet you one thing, that lump of kryptonite is gong to make Lex's stupid hair fall out.
Link to trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WWzgGyAH6Y
Hope you enjoyed this discussion, please drop a comment if you think I missed anything or would just like a chat about the trailer. Ideas for future content would also be appreciated. Thanks
-Joe
The highlight of the event for me and many other people was the new trailer for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.
I have to admit, whilst I though Man of Steel was alright (the fighting was awesome but everything else was pretty dull) I have been on the very skeptical side towards this movie since it first got announced and I wasn't too thrilled by the first trailer. That's mostly down to the fact that I don't have too much faith in Zack Snyder and Warner Bros in making a cohesive universe like Joss Whedon and Disney have done with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This trailer has totally turned me around though. Firstly Batman. This might be the most bad ass Batman we haven ever seen on screens, the small segments of fighting we have seen with him look very fluid and full of motion. Ben Affleck, or 'Batffleck' if you will, looks great as Bruce Wayne as well having the right on screen presence for the role.
Whilst I think Henry Cavill is fine in the role of Superman, the most interesting part about his character in the trailer is his relationship with the public. He is clearly hated by some people for wrecking Metropolis in MoS (including Bruce Wayne) but he is also loved by others for saving people and doing good. This is a really interesting dynamic that hasn't really been shown in a superhero movie before, normally it is an either hate then love or love then hate relationship, never both at once.
This also brings me onto another interesting point. This trailer definitely critiques Man of Steel's amount of destruction as a bad thing, much like the general public did after its release. This makes me wonder, was this Warner Bros reacting to criticism and somewhat correcting its mistakes? Or was this a planned move all along and the fact that the public hated it was just some side effect for setting up the new movie? It makes me wonder, if it was response to fans however I have to give major props to Warner Bros.
The cinematography in this trailer also looks top notch. It seems like Snyder is going back to his patented 'glossy' style of film making we saw in the likes of 300 and Watchmen as apposed to he faux Nolan approach we got in Man of Steel. Lots of the shots are well framed and look really nice, especially that one of Batman on the side of the building which homages Frank Miller Dark Knight Returns cover, which this movie is based on some what.
The coolest shot of them all though was the final one of Superman Ripping off the doors to the Batmobile and Batman standing up to look him in the face. The tension from that few seconds alone really makes me excited.
Oh yeah, Wonder Woman makes an appearance in the trailer too, she doesn't do much in it but her costume looks cool at least.
The bad. Not all of this trailer is great. firstly there are some dialogue lines that don't work too well, especially that one by Mama Kent to Clark where she says he doesn't owe the world anything and therefore doesn't have to save anybody if he doesn't want to. Jesus, the Kent's are sh***y parents.
I feel I also have to mention Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthour. He looks awful. His one major line in the trailer is delivered almost laughably and he has no gravitas at all which is like the main trait of Lex!
The main thing that will hurt this movie if not handled well will probably be the amount of stuff in it. It looks incredibly bloated. We have the Superman-Batman fight, the bit with Lex Luthour and the kryptonite, Zod's body is going to play a part in it, Wonder Woman shows up, so will Aquaman and Cyborg apparently, the romance between Clark and Lois, back story about the dead Robin's suit in the Batcave (which is really cool by the way). That a LOT of stuff to fit in one movie.
You might say though "But Captain America: Civil War is going to have lots of characters in". Yes, it does. But they have already been established in many other previous films so no introductions are needed. That is not applicable to BvS.
Also I don't like the fact we are going to see Bruce's parents dies AGAIN, haven't we seen that enough!
I will say though that if they can pull this off it's going to be one hell of a movie. The casting looks on point (mainly on the Batman/Alfred side of things), the cinematography looks beautiful and the story seems like its going in new interesting directions. So yeah, I'm supper pumped.
Oh, and I can bet you one thing, that lump of kryptonite is gong to make Lex's stupid hair fall out.
Link to trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WWzgGyAH6Y
Hope you enjoyed this discussion, please drop a comment if you think I missed anything or would just like a chat about the trailer. Ideas for future content would also be appreciated. Thanks
-Joe
Sunday 12 July 2015
Terminator Genysis. Better than you might expect
Terminator Genysis Movie Review.
I think we can all agree that this movie can not, under any circumstances, be considered good.
That said on the other hand, because I went into this movie with such low expectations (due to T3 and T salvation, god they were bad) I had a much better time than I thought I was going to so this review will be a bit more positive than others out there.
*Mild spoiler warning ahead*
First thing is first, Arnie is still great as the terminator, even when old. That part is actually well explained and implemented. His relationship between him and Sarah Conner works well too with them having some good dialogue.
Acting:
I have already mentioned that Arnie is great in the perfect role for him, a lifeless robot.
But, and its a big but, there are no other standout performances, or even good performances for that matter.
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) as Sarah Conner seemed on the face of it to be a good choice as she can clearly play the feisty, independent, bad ass woman we see in Game of Thrones. But in this move her performance is very lackluster and at time almost seems like she is doing the performance after someone has briefly described what Sarah Conner should be like to her. It does get better through the movie , even to a point where it doesn't bother you so much though so its not the worst.
Her co-star, Jai Courtney (A Good Day to Die Hard, Jack Reacher) is just bland, there is no other way to put it. He has been bland in pretty much everything he has been in and to be honest, I don't know why he even gets works anymore. He is a vast downgrade from Michael Biehn who played the part so brilliantly in the first terminator.
The other major character in Genysis is John Conner played by Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and if you have seen any of the trailers for T5 you will know *HUGE SPOILERS* that he is a terminator. Whilst the idea of a human being turned into a terminator is an interesting one and makes for a formidable foe, the fact that is its John Conner is dumb, plain dumb. Also Jason Clarke is not good in the role. First off he is a bit too creepy to be John Conner, the savior of mankind and when he is the terminator he deliver all his lines in the same sort of tone of voice which give a flatness to everything he does. *SPOILERS ENDED* .
Matt Smith (Doctor Who) gives the most competent performance in the move, although he only has a few lines. His part is an interesting one too which I won't spoil her as its integral to the plot.
J K Simmons (Whiplash, Spider-man) also has a small role in this in which he is great. Why is he not just in everything.
Plot:
The plot is convoluted and way to complicated also with lots of plot points that are started and never really finished which is quite frustrating when you want a payoff.
Although its complicated it does tread some ground that is interesting and give it almost a breath of fresh air that we haven't seen before in Terminator. Saying that though it also tries to rekindle the viewers nostalgia for the first two that it even goes to the length of recreating some scenes, sometimes even shot for shot. I will never understand that.
The addition of the T-1000 from T2 was nice and had some good CGI to it and young Arnie was a nice little addition too but I was disappointed that he wasn't featured more as he was an interesting antagonist.
Directing.
The directing and cinematography really is this one of this films weakest points. Its directed by Alan Taylor (known mostly for TV work except for Thor: the Dark World) and its not that his shots are necessarily bad per say but just flat and uninteresting. The only thing that makes the fights interesting at all is that the stuff that's happening on screen is cool (terminator on terminator, yes please).
Score.
Honestly, I already can't remember a thing about the music in this movie. I think that says it all
Conclusion.
No, this film is not the best Terminator film, not even close but it is better than Rise of the Machines and Salvation, by quite a lot.
It has sub-par acting and whilst the plot is convoluted it has some interesting ideas that keep the film moving along at a swift pace.
So I would say if you haven't, for some reason seen a Terminator film before, go and watch The first two and stop there.
If however you have seen them all and you are just up for a bit of stupid terminator action, yeah you might find a bit of enjoyment out of this flick like I did. Just don't go expecting Judgment Day levels of quality because sadly the franchise will probably never reach that height again, unless James Cameron comes back to it which I don't see happening because of his preoccupation with Avatar.
I also found the 3D pretty impressive in this movie too so if you wan't to fork out the cash for that I would recommend it. Oh and the title is stupid.
So I hope you all enjoyed my first review. Not all posts will be reviews of this length as most posts will probably be about film news an therefore wont be as word heavy. But thanks anyway. Please leave comments and stuff, I am really interested in hearing feedback and I will answer any questions you may have.
-Joe
I think we can all agree that this movie can not, under any circumstances, be considered good.
That said on the other hand, because I went into this movie with such low expectations (due to T3 and T salvation, god they were bad) I had a much better time than I thought I was going to so this review will be a bit more positive than others out there.
*Mild spoiler warning ahead*
First thing is first, Arnie is still great as the terminator, even when old. That part is actually well explained and implemented. His relationship between him and Sarah Conner works well too with them having some good dialogue.
Acting:
I have already mentioned that Arnie is great in the perfect role for him, a lifeless robot.
But, and its a big but, there are no other standout performances, or even good performances for that matter.
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) as Sarah Conner seemed on the face of it to be a good choice as she can clearly play the feisty, independent, bad ass woman we see in Game of Thrones. But in this move her performance is very lackluster and at time almost seems like she is doing the performance after someone has briefly described what Sarah Conner should be like to her. It does get better through the movie , even to a point where it doesn't bother you so much though so its not the worst.
Her co-star, Jai Courtney (A Good Day to Die Hard, Jack Reacher) is just bland, there is no other way to put it. He has been bland in pretty much everything he has been in and to be honest, I don't know why he even gets works anymore. He is a vast downgrade from Michael Biehn who played the part so brilliantly in the first terminator.
The other major character in Genysis is John Conner played by Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and if you have seen any of the trailers for T5 you will know *HUGE SPOILERS* that he is a terminator. Whilst the idea of a human being turned into a terminator is an interesting one and makes for a formidable foe, the fact that is its John Conner is dumb, plain dumb. Also Jason Clarke is not good in the role. First off he is a bit too creepy to be John Conner, the savior of mankind and when he is the terminator he deliver all his lines in the same sort of tone of voice which give a flatness to everything he does. *SPOILERS ENDED* .
Matt Smith (Doctor Who) gives the most competent performance in the move, although he only has a few lines. His part is an interesting one too which I won't spoil her as its integral to the plot.
J K Simmons (Whiplash, Spider-man) also has a small role in this in which he is great. Why is he not just in everything.
Plot:
The plot is convoluted and way to complicated also with lots of plot points that are started and never really finished which is quite frustrating when you want a payoff.
Although its complicated it does tread some ground that is interesting and give it almost a breath of fresh air that we haven't seen before in Terminator. Saying that though it also tries to rekindle the viewers nostalgia for the first two that it even goes to the length of recreating some scenes, sometimes even shot for shot. I will never understand that.
The addition of the T-1000 from T2 was nice and had some good CGI to it and young Arnie was a nice little addition too but I was disappointed that he wasn't featured more as he was an interesting antagonist.
Directing.
The directing and cinematography really is this one of this films weakest points. Its directed by Alan Taylor (known mostly for TV work except for Thor: the Dark World) and its not that his shots are necessarily bad per say but just flat and uninteresting. The only thing that makes the fights interesting at all is that the stuff that's happening on screen is cool (terminator on terminator, yes please).
Score.
Honestly, I already can't remember a thing about the music in this movie. I think that says it all
Conclusion.
No, this film is not the best Terminator film, not even close but it is better than Rise of the Machines and Salvation, by quite a lot.
It has sub-par acting and whilst the plot is convoluted it has some interesting ideas that keep the film moving along at a swift pace.
So I would say if you haven't, for some reason seen a Terminator film before, go and watch The first two and stop there.
If however you have seen them all and you are just up for a bit of stupid terminator action, yeah you might find a bit of enjoyment out of this flick like I did. Just don't go expecting Judgment Day levels of quality because sadly the franchise will probably never reach that height again, unless James Cameron comes back to it which I don't see happening because of his preoccupation with Avatar.
I also found the 3D pretty impressive in this movie too so if you wan't to fork out the cash for that I would recommend it. Oh and the title is stupid.
So I hope you all enjoyed my first review. Not all posts will be reviews of this length as most posts will probably be about film news an therefore wont be as word heavy. But thanks anyway. Please leave comments and stuff, I am really interested in hearing feedback and I will answer any questions you may have.
-Joe
My blog intentions, hope you like
Hey, in this blog I'm going to be reviewing movies, old and new and giving my thoughts on movie related news.
I will mostly be covering blockbusters, especially when it comes to new movies as I just don't have enough money or time to see them all.
I hope you enjoy the content.
I will mostly be covering blockbusters, especially when it comes to new movies as I just don't have enough money or time to see them all.
I hope you enjoy the content.
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