August 18, 2007 – 12:14 am
Movie: Die Hard 4.0
52-year old Bruce Willis reprises the name, if not actually the character of the hero-cop who’s always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some impressive action scenes mixed with painful computer-related dialogue and a bad guy who makes more mistakes than all of the previous bad guys put together. Not [...]
Movie: Amazing Grace
The story of William Wilberforce; the man who was largely responsible for the abolition of slavery in 19th Century England. It’s a good - more than watchable - but not a great movie, and it distills Wilberforce’s life down - if anything, he worked even harder than was portrayed in the film. [...]
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (IMAX 3D version)
With the release of the last book only days away, it was high time to grab a couple of the lads and head to the IMAX to check out the latest potter movie. This is the 5th installment, and certainly competently made. Sadly, with so [...]
Movie: Transformers
There aren’t many movies that are based on toys, and this is probably the best movie adaptation of a toy to-date. Loud, with a thumping soundtrack, an amazing array of highly detailed special effects, and a strong sense of the legacy (of a cartoon show and childhood memories) it represents. It also manages to [...]
Movie: Ocean’s Thirteen
Not as good as eleven, made all the more infuriating by its visual similarity to the original. Some character development has taken place, perhaps, in the intervening years, but this is mostly a couple of hours watching a group of old friends have fun together. Clever, but doesn’t have the heart of the [...]
Movie: Zodiac
Most of the people I mentioned this movie to hadn’t heard it, which isn’t too much of a surprise. Unlike director David Fincher’s earlier, more enigmatic work, this is a much more restrained piece. Like a 2.5 hour episode of Law and Order, this meanders along, telling the story of a serial killer who [...]
Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
It’s a long film, with a lot of action; the number of crosses and double-crosses make it hard to keep track of everything, but just about everything wraps up nicely: if you can stay through all the credits, there’s a tiny window into the post-movie timeline future.
Movie: Deliver Us from Evil
Saw this as a popcorn taxi preview. A documentary about the documented and admitted failings of an Irish priest in America, and the fallout from his actions. Although there’s nothing shown, the subject matter means it’s not for the faint-hearted. Perhaps surprisingly, the film doesn’t set out to demonize anyone: everyone [...]
Movie: Spider-Man 3
On the IMAX at Darling Harbour, which was itself a little too big to watch the film: there are occasions where things happen just out of shot, and you find yourself turning your head to see what’s happening.
Though filled with visual effects, and a worthy sequel, don’t expect anything beyond the relationship understanding [...]
April 23, 2007 – 10:19 pm
Movie: The Reaping
What starts out as a documentary-style film with the occasional jump moment quickly orphs into a horror movie, all with a religious sub-plot. Special effects are good, but without the plot and characters to hold it together, this is more a cautionary tale of movie-making than anything else.
April 21, 2007 – 10:32 pm
Movie: Shooter
Mark Wahlberg in a by-the-numbers Hollywood action thriller. If you like movies with explosions, and with plot twists, and you’re prepared to suspend your sense of legal justice, then this is a movie that you’ll like to see. Having decided on the film based on Wahlberg and the explosions, dodge the trailer if you [...]
Movie: The Lives of Others
The critics have been fairly uniform in their praise for this film. The period of history - East Germany before the Berlin Wall came down - was unfamiliar to me, but the film captures the mood of people living under such a regime: constantly fawning to those in power, looking for [...]
April 14, 2007 – 10:24 pm
Movie: Copying Beethoven
This wasn’t on my “must see” list, but a free ticket is a free ticket. Early on, I was wondering to myself what the point of the film was: after al, it’s a fictionalised account of the last year (or three) of Ludwig van Beethoven’s life: so we’re not seeing the historical figure, [...]
Movie: 300
I wasn’t going to watch this one, but having arranged to see a movie with a friend, we had a late venue change, and this was the leading option. As it turns out, it was quite a watchable film, and not as violent as I had feared.
There’s certainly a lot of violence, but it’s [...]
Movie: Hot Fuzz
From the makers (and some of the cast) of Shaun of the Dead. Instead of subverting zombie films in creating a movie that switches genre every two or three scenes, this movie is based on buddy cop films - and has worse language even than those. It also, in its scenes of violence [...]
Movie: The Queen
If ever someone earned a best actress Oscar for embodying a role, it’s Mirren. Perhaps she already looks like Queen Elizabeth the second, and that certainly helps, but the dignity she brings to the role, the masterfully constrained emotion: excellent work, good to watch.
The other characterisations are good, but it’s the title role [...]
February 22, 2007 – 8:42 am
Stranger Than Fiction
Easily the biggest surprise of the film is that Will Ferrell can actually act. This film won’t be to everyone’s tastes; if you enjoyed I Heart Huckabees, then you’ll like it. Emma Thompson and Maggie Gyllenhaal are both excellent, and well cast, and Dustin Hoffman was probably my favourite character in the film. [...]
February 19, 2007 – 11:31 pm
Movie: The Good Shepherd
When De Niro directs a film, it’s usually worth a viewing, and this one is certainly no exception to that. Sure, the film lacks something in plot. Mostly a story about self-sacrifice for the greater good, this is largely a study of Matt Damon’s acting abilities, and they’re certainly on the rise.
Not [...]
February 9, 2007 – 10:24 pm
Movie: Deja Vu
Don’t think too hard about the plot, or the characters, just enjoy the ride. If you’re a fan of the work of Jerry Bruckheimer, and/or Tony Scott, you know what to expect. As a refreshing change, some of the violence is left as implied, rather than shown on screen - what is it [...]
February 3, 2007 – 9:04 am
Pan’s Labyrinth
Filmed in Spanish, with English subtitles. Billed as a fairytale for adults, this is close to the mark. It’s hard not to be caught up in the story, and swept along with what’s happening. Del Torro has written and directed an amazing work. Yes, it’s violent - mainly the violence of the ruthless Captain, [...]