Film Review: Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (12A)

A K.O. of a film. Edgar Wright WINS!

THE PLOT
Twenty-two year old geek and front-room rocker Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is still coming grips with life after a heart-wrenching break up. To make matters worse his ex, Monique, a local up-and-coming indie music star, has just landed a contract with the hottest producer around, Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman). In an attempt to convince his friends he’s over her, Scott finds himself a 17 year old ‘fake’ girlfriend, Knives, just days before he meets mysterious newcomer Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead – Die Hard 4.0) and is completely besotted. But Ramona comes with baggage, serious baggage, in the form of seven evil exes, each with super powers. Scott Pilgrim must defeat each of these jealous exes if he’s to keep his new girl.

THE REVIEW
Edgar Wright hits the mark with his latest release. The dialogue is snappy and just the right mix of geek and cool. The used of comic book ‘kapow-style’ and video game graphics throughout the film add to the stylised cinematography and bitchin’ soundtrack to create a genuinely fun, often laugh-out-loud experience.

There are some nice little cameo-esk bit-parts from other super hero types Chris Evens (Fantastic Four), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) and Thomas Jane (The Punisher). In addition, Kieran Culkin steels virtually every scene he appears in as Pilgrim’s inappropriate gay room mate Wallace. He is the perfect bastard you can’t not like.

There is only one slight issue and it’s not the plot, the acting or the script. It’s the film’s star, Michael Cera. Haven’t we seen him in this role in virtually every film he’s ever been in? Don’t get me wrong, he was perfect for the part but Kick Ass newcomer Aaron Johnson proved an unconventional fan-boy flick didn’t need a ‘somebody’ to bring in the numbers. It just smacked of more of the same in a film that was anything but. Only a small criticism from what is an otherwise glowing recommendation and I’m already planning to see it again and clearing space on the shelf in anticipation of the DVD.

THE VERDICT
This is a seriously fun flick and comes highly recommended. Smart, clever and a must see. Stop reading and go watch. Go! NOW!
TC

UK Release Date: 25 August 2010

Film Review: Salt (12A)

Mrs Smith is Bourne for the Hunt

THE PLOT
Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is a CIA spy, freed on exchange 2 years ago from internment and torture in North Korea. When a KGB agent hands himself over to CIA custody Salt performs the interrogation during which she is told, in front of her colleagues, that she is in fact a sleeper assassin for the former Soviet Union. An assassin planted to kill the visiting Russian President, plunging the East and West into a second, and immediate, cold war. Fearful for her freedom, and her husband’s safety, Salt goes on the run. Will she clear her name? How long can she evade capture? Is she who they think she is?

THE REVIEW
These are all good questions. How we get to the answers is routine fare. The action is quick and certain, as we’ve come to expect from a modern spy-action flick, but nothing new. Our lead is on the run to clear her name and find some answers resulting in the usual running gun fight and car chase, donning a latex disguise along the way. Sound familiar? Ethan Hunt perhaps? In fact the title role is rumoured to have been originally offered to Tom Cruise (he did well to stay away from this, of all people).

There are twists and inevitable turns, and a smart viewer will see them coming, but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment. The thing is, this is all sounds very negative, but this is not a bad film, in fact it hovers around good, but falls well short of great.

THE VERDICT
Not a must see but certainly not a must avoid. Salt is not well seasoned but won’t leave a sour taste.
TC

NOW SEE THE TRAILER...

UK Release Date: 18 August 2010


AWARDS
Academy Award Nominee - Sound Mixing: Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin

Film Review: The Expendables (15)

A small band of famous old guys kill a bunch of stuntmen

THE PLOT
A group of mercenaries led by Barney Ross (writer/director Sylvester Stallone) are hired by a CIA operative (Bruce Willis in cameo) to ‘remove’ the drug-lord dictator of a small island in the Gulf of Mexico. The general is being supported by rogue CIA agent (Eric Roberts) to run his own drug cartel. Things are made complicated and personal when Ross reflects on his life-long military service, along with all the terrible things he’s undertaken and witnessed, and feels obliged to rescue the General’s daughter.

THE REVIEW
Look, this movie was never going to win any awards, OK. It was never even going to be a blockbuster. This is indulgent macho cinema, but to that end it’s nearly perfect. Eighties beefcake’s abound, although curiously absent are the expected countless one-liners. That’s not to say there isn’t humour, but there is a little more depth to this flick.

Jason Stratham is entirely watchable in his usual cheeky way. Terry Crews, Randy Couture, and Dolph Lundgren are all well cast as an over-the-hills band of brother’s mercs (what, no Van Damme?). Jet Li’s Ying Yang stands out as the most miscast of the bunch but doesn’t detract from the whiplash speed of the action and provides a focus for some of the ‘matey’ humour. Buffy and Angel’s Charisma Carpenter also makes an always enticing and busty appearance as Statham’s girl.

The stand out performance comes from Oscar nominated Mickey Rourke as Ross’ former colleague and loyal friend. Rourke lends credibility to every scene he’s in, without overshadowing it.

The joy of this film is in the tempo and frequently jarring action. Be it explosions (not frequent, but friggin’ huge) or just the number of ways you can break (or explode) body bits, I found myself gasping for air at one point as I’d forgotten breathe amidst all the action! In fact, there were numerous times the small audience winced and sucked in air, often followed by a chuckle.

THE VERDICT
It is hard to justify a recommendation for this film on the basis that it’s not much more than a guilty pleasure for any fan of fun, pointless, fast-paced action. However, this is unexpectedly one of the better fun, pointless, fast-paced action movies so far this summer. Sit down. Eject brain. Insert popcorn. Enjoy.
TC

NOW SEE THE TRAILER...

UK Release Date: 19 August 2010

Customer disservice, how may I help you?

Today, the first sunny day in over a week, I spent well over an hour walking in and out of shops. Boo! I was looking for something particular. Something I know exists. Something I would call a ‘counter’. You know, the kind that doormen and bouncers use to count the number of people going into a club or bar as part of crowd control. And do you think I could find one?

Could I bollocks!

I tried sports stores, I tried outdoors stores, I tried gadget shops, I tried pound stores and I even tried what ever the hell kind of store ‘Wilkinsons’ is! And nothing.

The thing is, ‘if’ I could find a shop assistant, they looked at me like was speaking in Latin and asking them the atomic weight of a chicken nugget expressed as to 5 decimal places. No Idea! And (sorry ladies) without fail, every girl/woman I asked and explained it to, differed the answer to a male colleague.

Now I can possibly understand this; the only time women are likely ever catch a glimpse of one of these devices is on the way into a busy pub or club, and as we men know, if you have breasts (minus hair) you get ushered in quickly, no questions. Thus, these lady folk had no idea.

Now the guys, well they eventually figured out what I was after but of course they didn’t stock them and universally suggested another possibility. I, of course, dubiously followed this advice right up to the moment I was led around a sports store by a kid (getting hopeful now, although he didn’t look old enough to shave) when finally, with a look on his stupid face that said ‘shit, I have no idea what he’s after but as I’ve taken him all over the store I better come up with something good’ and a mouth that said ‘we sold out of them a few months back and we haven’t had any more stock’. Bastard!!

(Oh, and I only really wanted it to count the explosions in a film I was going to watch!)
TC

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Film Review: Knight And Day (12A)

Cameron Diaz finds Mission Impossible’s funny bone

THE PLOT
Tom Cruise is secret agent Roy Miller and he’s gone rogue. He’s on the run from his former spook colleagues, the law and other ‘very bad guys’ and he’s taking June Havens (Cameron Diaz) along for the ride. The race is on to secure a perpetual battery and it’s inventor, played by ever off-centre Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine). Cue over-blown action sequences.

THE REVIEW
This action comedy is strictly movie by numbers stuff. All the elements you’d expect of a modern action spy movie, a la Bourne, Bond and Hunt, are here. Sharp set pieces delivered with humour are the defining aspect of this film, and it’s the humour that keeps this flick from being just another action movie in the same vein as Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Big explosion – Check
Car chase – Check
Shoot out – Check
Rooftop chase – Check
Double-cross – Check

There is nothing special or new here, just an enjoyable enough ride to hold your attention for what feels like too long by the time the end credits roll.

THE VERDICT
Good fun, but nothing special. You wouldn’t be missing much if you waited for it on Sky.
TC

NOW SEE THE TRAILER...

UK Release Date: 6 August 2010

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Film Review: The A-Team (12A)

Peppard ‘might’ be stirring in his grave.

THE PLOT
This movie gives us the origins of our familiar 80’s heroes; Hannibal, Murdoch, Faceman and B.A. A 4-man Alpha Team (or A-Team) of US Rangers are framed for a crime they didn’t commit; the theft of a complete set of US bank note print plates resulting in the death of their commanding officer. Six months into their 10-year sentence they escape in order to clear their names. Inevitably, their escape means they are pursued by the Military Police and some other, more clandestine, characters resulting in the chase scenes, shootouts and the kind of explosions that are so massive they must have been done in CG.

THE REVIEW
As I sat down in the flippy-uppy cinema seat my thinking was ‘how disappointing will this really be?’ Probably not the most open minded approach but I was watching this out curiosity and to escape further housework!

I should also point out that I’ve never been a big fan of Liam Neeson. And once again this was a film starring Liam Neeson as Liam Neeson, in a Liam Neeson role! Ok, so George Peppard is a tough act to follow, but Neeson seemed unable to either capture his essence or stamp is own presence on the part.

Sharlto Copley’s Murdoch was criminally underused, despite his accent dropping in and out. Bradley Cooper almost managed to bring Faceman to life, but for better or worse didn’t quite pull off the smarmy aspect of the Templeton Peck character. As for B.A., who else could pull it off like Mr T? Not Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson that’s for sure, not really, although he is likeable enough.

There were also the inevitable references and homage’s to the 1980’s TV hit, including the obligatory adlib and elaborate escape plan, this time using fireworks and an up-scaled ball and cups trick!

The black-ops bad guy was stereotypical of countless TV and Film bad guys, even without much screen time. In addition, the guy-behind-the-(bad)-guy is obvious from the start.

Whilst mostly entertaining, the action sequences being a logical progression of the mid-80’s ‘everything that can blow up must blow up’ school of cinema, the film is not blockbuster material. Whilst the ending clearly opens a sequel possible, let’s hope producers Ridley and Tony Scott restrain themselves.

** SPOILER ALERT **
If you are going to spend money seeing this film then you might as well sit to the end of the credits for cameos from Dwight Shultz and Dirk Benedict, the original 80’s Murdoch and Face.

THE VERDICT
Not a great watch, but if you do see it you won’t feel like you’ve been robbed of your cash. Not quite. If you can wait for it on satellite or cable then you won’t really be missing anything, and the popcorn will be cheaper!
TC

Release Date: 30 July 2010