Preview: Thor (2011)

So as the release of 'Thor', the story of a magnificent warrior sent down to earth as a punishment who comes to defend our planet, draws near its seems appropriate to take a closer look at this one. The element of this film that excites me most is that Kenneth Branagh directs it! It is a rather strange match and I will be interested to see if Branagh can pull a first class fantasy action out of the bag. Here's to hoping.

The film also includes an as yet little known actor as its lead man. Chris Hemsworth plays the mighty warrior in this one, but will it prove a gamble to employ a relatively unexperienced actor to such a major role? We all have to start somewhere though and I am hoping his performance will put to shame many of our 'action' heroes who, at times, lack any pretences of being macho. Hemsworth could provide a breath of fresh air in this department. If not we will be well spoilt with the talents of both Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman, two characters who have been very active of late in the movie scene.

What I hope most that this film will achieve is not to be nearly as cheesy as the description makes it sound. A mighty warrior sent to earth as a punishment who ultimately comes to love our fair planet and defends it with all his might. Unfortunately it all sounds slightly predictable. I'm sure a love interest with Portman will also be included. This film has plenty of potential to be a huge hit as it touches upon a fantasy character we have seen little of in film. However, it could end up being as one-dimensional as 'Clash Of The Titans'. Now we don't want to go down that road Kenneth so make sure it doesn't!

The Wolfman (2010)

Lacked depth - 3/5

So I saw this film last month called 'The Wolfman'. I'd heard that this film was, and I quote, 'quality' and so I was looking forward to it. Furthermore, as a massive fan of Benicio Del Toro, I was looking forward to seeing him in an action packed, gory horror film, the sort of film we haven't really seen him in before. But it was about as far away from 'quality' as you could get. I just didn't get into it. The action scenes were pacy and hard to get in to and the story lacked any real substance. His performance was amazing either. I expected this film to be very dark and have a few more jumpy moments in it; it was attempted by director Joe Johnston but to me it really didn't hit the spot.The best scene was probably Benicio transforming in front of a lecture room full of the best minds of the day and beginning a wild chase through London. The scenes of Del Toro attempting to track down the killer of his brother in the town are really just filling and get very tedious towards the end. Anthony Hopkins performed well and most of the scenes he was involved with were enjoyable.
Again, like 'Clash of the Titans', we see a film that doesn't live up to its trailer. They stuffed every last bit of excitement from the film into the trailer and left the film with little else to reveal. There were attempted twists to the plot line but you could see them coming a mile off. Now, before I go too far, this film wasn't awful. It was well made and who doesn't want to see Benicio Del Toro transforming into a werewolf? It was quite evident however that it was trying to ride on the back of the successful 'Twilight' franchise. And I can't stand 'Twilight'.
The special effects were probably what held the film together. They were impressive and it was evident that huge efforts had been taken during the making of the film to make the effect wow the audience. However, it is unfortunate for the makers that good special effects don't make a bad movie good.
Would I recommend it. If you like 'Twilight' then yes. Not for me however.

What To Look Forward To In 2011

Thought I'd have a quick break from reviews to take a look at what is coming soon and, more importantly, what is worth seeing. So hang onto your hats and get excited for what you can expect in 2011!
'Battle: Los Angeles' looks like it may attract a lot of attention when it comes to cinemas in March 2011. The film brings an alien invasion to LA, with a Marine force battling back against them. From what I have seen this film will be an attempt to mirror the success of 'District 9', and being a lover of the aforementioned flick, I am dying to see this. Unfortunately the only acting prowess we have to look forward to is Aaron Eckhart. Put a Wahlberg or a Foxx in the driving seat and I would be slightly more enthused. Still definitely one to watch though.
Are we excited about a film of the popular children's fairy tale 'Red Riding Hood'. When I saw Gary Oldman on the bill I certainly was. When I saw that the film's director will be Catherine Hardwicke however, I immediately closed the page. I'm sure here will be plenty of teen fans queueing for this take on a classic fable, but I will be avoiding it like the plague.
Ever wanted to see a superhero action film directed by Kenneth Branagh? I'm sure it has never even entered your mind. But 'Thor' will be hitting the big screen in April 2011. With a so far unknown Chris Hemsworth playing the lead, we have to hope that co-stars Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins will bolster the performance. It will be exciting to see just how the new guys does however. May wait for this on DVD, but I would still love to see it.
'Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides'.....PASS. The third one was bad enough. Take out Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley and you make it, somehow, even worse Not interested.
One I will definitely be in the queue for will be 'The Hangover Part II'. I just hope, with part one being as genius it was, that Part II won't go the way of so many sequels and fall by the wayside. This one has Bill Clinton in it! Get in the queue now!

Beowulf (2007)

Best action animation ever - 5/5

So I saw this film a while back called 'Beowulf'. I had previously read the description and was like, yeah this sounds pretty sweet. The DVD cover also drew me in, and did not in any way lead me to believe it was an animation. So, after about five seconds into the film I was disappointed. I thought there was no way an animation could do justice to the age old epic poem that is 'Beowulf'. Boy I was wrong.
I have literally never seen an animation like it. It contained arguably more gore than your average horror! I suppose you can get away with more when animation is involved. However, the action still took my breath away. After the first scene of fighting between the fearsome Beowulf and his men and the genuinely gruesome monster Grendel I was gobsmacked. How could they create an animation like this? It was utterly fantastic. Add to all this an A-list cast including the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone and John Malkovich, whose role I actually didn't enjoy, and you can see why I found this flick so encapsulating.
The ending was possibly one of the greatest scenes I have ever laid my eyes on, and no, I'm not joking. Hugely cinematic scenes were created to great effect. If you haven't seen this film, just try to imagine a naked Beowulf leaping, sword outstretched, at a dragon, plunging the sword deep into the dragon's neck and sliding down the length of it and then half severing his own arm to enable him to pierce the heart of the dragon. Pretty cool right?
Now I'm not sure just how accurate to historical fact this film really is, but that is the beauty of the original poem. It was very much an embellishment of possible truths of the time. In my opinion the film captured this magic, the sort of magic that only comes from mis-truths and from overestimating the facts. The film certainly captured the excitment surrounding myths and legends of the time and it could not have been done better.
Would I recom..GO AND SEE IT!!!