Reel Review

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Review: Inception

Posted by reelreview On July - 25 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

“Your mind is the scene of the crime”

Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now, Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back, but only if he can accomplish the impossible — inception.

Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Duration: 2hrs 28 mins

The more I think about this film, the more I realise I thoroughly enjoyed it. What wasn’t there to like? Visually stunning, intelligent and captivating, the film makes you really think about what’s going on, and draws you into its world. The issue that some people may have with it, is it can have the ability to confuse – but only if you switch off for a second.

It’s a dynamic and imaginative storyline, layer upon layer of storyline blasting onto the screen before our eyes. It demands your full attention, but you’re so riveted to it anyway, that how could you possibly switch off? (if you need to pop to the toilet, you may then regret it) but overall, such a technical and tremendous film.

Full of action, brilliantly directed by Christopher Nolan, and with a fantastic cast (DiCaprio is thrilling, Hardy is outstanding, and Page is mesmerizing) it’s definitely one to snap up when released on DVD. If you’re a High Definition fanatic, this is one that will outstand on blu-ray.

Brilliant and original, plays on your mind days, and even weeks after you’ve seen it. Amazing.

Rating: (4/5)

Review: Funny People

Posted by reelreview On July - 19 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

“George Simmons was prepared to die, but then a funny thing happened.”

George Simmons is a famous stand-up comedian, who learns that he has a terminal illness and less than a year to live. When, he meets Ira, a struggling comedian at a comedy club where both the comedians are performing, George hires Ira to be his personal assistant and opening act at his performances. The two forge a close friendship as George helps Ira with his career and Ira helps George find closure in his legacy. However, when George learns that his disease has gone into remission and an ex-girlfriend re-enters his life, he’s inspired to reevaluate what is important to him and what truly gives meaning to his life.

Director: Judd Apatow
Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogan, Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill, Eric Bana
Duration: 2hrs 16 mins

When Funny People was released, I was hoping this would be my Comedy Of The Year but unfortunately it seems like the best bits were saved for the trailer. How can an Apatow film have turned out so bad? Sandler isn’t at his best here, and suprisingly, the person who shines the most is Leslie Mann with her quirky manner.

I didn’t find this to be the best Apatow has had to offer, but thats not to say it hasn’t got its moments. When it’s funny, it’s hilarious. But the length of film, coupled with sparse moments of humour mean this just feels like it’s dragging it’s heels.

A rather sophisticated and mature comedy, but not what you may expect.

Rating: (3/5)

Review: Rogue

Posted by reelreview On July - 19 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

“Welcome to the Terrortory”
 
 Pete is an American travel writer reporting on the booming tourist industry in the Northern Territory. While taking a river cruise he finds himself stuck with a collection of interesting characters, including Kate, the beautiful local tour guide. There is an immediate attraction between the two, but when their boat is rammed by something from below, the tour is thrown into disarray and they become stranded on a tiny mud island. As night falls and the tide starts to rise, the group slowly realise they are being stalked by a huge saltwater crocodile, beginning a terrifying struggle for survival in one of the most remote places in the world.
 
Director: Greg Mclean
Starring: Radha Mitchell, Sam Worthington, Michael Vartan
Duration: 1hr 39 minutes
An enjoyable film, with all the heart-stopping thrills that are meant to come from this genre of film. Lots of suspense, a believable performance from all the cast – especially Radha Mitchell who really shines in this croc-horror. Though the thrills underline the whole film, it’s entertaining from start to finish.
Blu-ray quality is fantastic, giving us pin-sharp views of the Australian landscapes, beautiful colours and crystal clear audio. A slick flick that’s competent and strangely believable. The plot isn’t rushed, and though it isn’t a truly original film, it doesn’t matter.
A fabulous Australian film.
Rating: (3.5/5)

Review: Friday The 13th (2009)

Posted by reelreview On July - 19 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

Searching for his missing sister, Clay heads up to the eerie woods of legendary Crystal Lake, where he stumbles on the creaky remains of rotting old cabins that lie in wait behind moss-covered trees. And that’s not the only thing hiding under the brush. Against the advice of police and cautions from the locals, Clay pursues what few leads he has, with the help of a young woman he meets among a group of college kids up for an all-thrills weekend. But they are about to find much more than they bargained for. Little do they know, they’ve entered the domain of one of the most terrifying spectres in American film history-the infamous killer who haunts Crystal Lake, armed with a razor-sharp machete.

Director: Marcus Nispel
Starring: Jared Padalecki, Derek Mears, Amanda Righetti, Danielle Panabaker, Travis Van Winkle
Duration: 1hr 41 mins

The arrow through the head, I liked. The rest of the film, not so much.

Some films you could understand the need for a remake – with all the advances in technology that could possibly make an outstanding film even more innovative. But for a franchise such as Friday The 13th there was simply no need. There was nothing new nor outstanding with this remake, and the outcome is disappointing.

Not so thrilling, and tiring to watch, it fails to impress with its predictable killings and lack of imagination.

A boring, badly acted film.

Rating: (2/5)

Review: 100 Feet

Posted by reelreview On July - 19 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

“Till Death Do Us Part Wasn’t Enough”

A young woman, Marnie Watson, is granted early release from her prison sentence for manslaughter (killing her husband – a violent NYC cop – in self defense) on condition she wear an electronic ankle bracelet and remain within her home, effectively under house arrest, for the remainder of her sentence. Her late husband’s partner keeps tabs on her from a patrol car parked across the street, hoping she’ll violate probation and he can send her back to prison. But the 100-foot radius her ankle bracelet allows isn’t the worst of her problems. Her dead husband –now a malevolent ghost–is still in the house, where he died – intent on savage revenge.

Director: Eric Red
Starring: Famke Janssen, Ed Westwick, Bobby Cannavale
Duration: 1hr 43 mins

Sometimes, the only thing that can salvage a film is the actor. In this case, Famke Janssen helps to keep this lame horror effort from being completely disastrous. The concept is a good one, but it doesn’t quite play out the way you would like. There are a few tense moment, a few jumps, and enough graphic gore to keep your interest.. yet it’s lacking something, and it’s never enough. 

Famke Janssen is a clever addition to the cast, and British actor Ed Westwick is a treat, but unfortunately the other actors are mundane. Bargain bin nightmare.

Rating: (2/5)

Review: Pontypool

Posted by reelreview On May - 16 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

“Oh, God. You’re gonna eat me soon, aren’t you?”

Shock jock Grant Mazzy has, once again, been kicked-off the Big City airwaves and now the only job he can get is the early morning show at CLSY Radio in Pontypool Ontario, which broadcasts from the basement of the small town’s only church.

What begins as another boring day of school bus cancellations, due to yet another massive snow storm, quickly turns deadly when reports start piling in of people developing strange speech patterns and committing horrendous acts. But there’s nothing coming in on the news wires. Is this really happening?

Before long, Grant and the small staff at CLSY find themselves trapped in the radio station as they discover that this insane behaviour taking over the town is actually a deadly virus being spread through the English language itself.

Do they stay on the air in the hopes of being rescued or, are they in fact providing the virus with its ultimate leap over the airwaves and into the world?

Director: Bruce McDonald
Starring: Stephen McHattie, Lisa Houle, Georgina Reilly
Duration: 1hr 36 mins

So… Pontypool. Not to be confused with the Welsh town, or the Canadian village in Ontario. This is the 2009 Canadian horror film by Canadian director Bruce McDonald. It’s bizarre. Cheesy, yet original and strangely compelling. A fairly minimalistic film adapted by Tony Burgess from his own novel Pontypool Changes Everything.

Though a truly original concept for a zombie-horror film, it felt overly complicated, and I feel like I’m missing out on something. Pontypool has received positive reviews from a number of sources, collectively Rotten Tomatoes in which 83% of critics highly rated this film.

I was baffled, I was bored. If this is meant to be a new wave of high-concept films in the zombie-horror genre, then we’re all doomed. A sparse cast of four main characters creates hope that this is going to be intense and psychological. We don’t need a big budget, huge special effects and a big cast for a film to be amazing and unforgettable.

We just need it to be exciting, crystal clear and well acted. Pontypool was neither.

Rating: (2/5)

Review: Iron Man 2

Posted by reelreview On May - 16 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

“Look, she speaks Yiddish, Arabian, Russian, Latin… Latin? Who speaks Latin?”

In “Iron Man 2,” the world is aware that billionaire inventor Tony Stark is the armored Super Hero Iron Man. Under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military, Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the information will slip into the wrong hands. With Pepper Potts and James “Rhodey” Rhodes at his side, Tony forges new alliances and confronts powerful new forces.


Director
: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jnr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson
Duration: 2hrs 4 mins

When you watch a film as exciting as Iron Man, two years can feel like a long time when you’re anticipating the sequel. Thankfully, Iron Man 2 was just as exciting and action-packed as the first. Directed again by Jon Favreau, it’s bigger (and better!), with a returning cast that gives us fantastic, strong performances.

A few additions to the cast include Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke, both of which are superb to watch. Robert Downey Jnr never disappoints, returning to his role as Tony Stark, and Gwyneth Paltrow continues to impress as Pepper Potts.

Funnier than Iron Man, witty from start to finish (Senator Stern: [after he pricks Tony with his badge] “Sorry, it’s funny how annoying a little prick can be.”) and packed with fast, impressive special effects, Iron Man 2 has proved a big hit with critics and fans worldwide (75% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 174 ‘fresh’ reviews out of 233).

EntertainmentNewsi filmed this interview with Jon Favreau, definitely worth a watch for Favreau’s insight into the basis of Iron Man 2.

Fast paced and even more thrilling that the first film, Iron Man 2 will impress. Not one to miss out on.

Rating: (4/5)

Review: Splinter

Posted by reelreview On May - 1 - 2010ADD COMMENTS
A young couple retreats to the wilderness for a romantic camping weekend, but their idyll is shattered when they are car-jacked by an escaped convict and his girlfriend on the run from the police. As the foursome travel the back roads together, each plotting their next move, they find themselves in deeper trouble than any of them could have imagined — a blood-crazed, parasitic creature that absorbs the corpses of its victims has laid claim to the woods, and the two couples are now in its sights. Finding shelter at an abandoned gas station, they must use their wits and every weapon at their disposal to stave off the onslaught, not only from the insatiable creature, but also each other….

Director: Toby Wilkins
Starring: Shea Whigham, Paulo Constanzo, Jill Wagner
Duration: 1hr 22 mins

It may have only been created with a slight budget of $227,000, but don’t let that put you off. At the Screamfest Horror Film Festival in 2008, Splinter won awards for Best Directing, Best Score, Best Editing, Best Picture, Best Make-Up and Best Special Effects. Though the special effects may be limited, they’re effective and sometimes chilling, and it’s these little effects that make this film as thrilling as it is.

The acting at the start is a little ropey, but as the characters develop, the performances also improve. There are thousands of dreadful horror films out there, but Splinter isn’t one of them. It may not be the best horror/thriller that you’ve seen, and it’s certainly not believable (who analyses the situation and comes up with logical theories when there’s a 90% chance they’re going to be ripped in half?!). But it’s a great film to watch in the dark, and the quality of the picture on blu-ray is superb.

Splinter was Toby Wilkins first film as director, and on that basis alone, this is a reasonable start to his horror career (next came The Grudge 3 in 2009, it’s unknown if there’s another film to follow). Follow Wilkins on Twitter here, and maybe ask him what’s to come…

Rating: (3/5)

Review: District 9

Posted by reelreview On May - 1 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

1982, Johannesburg, South Africa: A large alien spaceship hovers above the city carrying hundreds of thousands of ailing extraterrestrial creatures that the population of the ‘Joburg’ would soon come to unaffectionately refer to as ‘Prawns’.

Twenty-eight years later and tensions are mounting. The ‘Prawns’ live in a militarized ghetto zone called District 9 where they are confined in squalor. Munitions company Multi-National United is contracted to remove the extraterrestrial element with force to a distant compound. Unexpectedly, bureaucrat Wikus van der Merwe supervises the military charge. However, when Wikus discovers an unknown substance and accidentally ingests it, he soon becomes the most hunted man in Johannesburg. Alone and stripped of his former life, Wikus’ only allies are the creatures he once sought to banish.


Director
: Neill Blomkamp
Starring: Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope, Mandla Gaduka, Vanessa Haywood
Duration: 1hr 52 mins

With a relatively small budget of $30m, District 9 has already proved to be insanely popular, having already generated a gross revenue of approximately $205m. In the US, it ranked at number 1 in the Box Office in it’s first weekend of release, exceeding the inital budget of the film with an opening gross of over $37m.

Popular, yes. But is it any good?

Critics loved it (90% of Rotten Tomatoes users rated it highly). Almost every other person you speak to has seen it, and has nothing but good things to say about it. But it always worries me when I announce that I’m watching a certain film, and receive the response “.. it’s excellent … you’ll love it”, or “.. I can recommend it..” Generally, I watch, and feel let down, disappointed, unimpressed.

I wasn’t completely ‘unimpressed’ with District 9 – but I wasn’t blown away. Deemed ‘technically brilliant’, it was action packed, detailed and often thrilling, with a fairly original concept (adapted from Alive in Joburg, a 2005 short film directed by Blomkamp and produced by Sharlto Copley). Lots of blood, and gruesome scenes makes for an adventurous, fiendish film.

Now looking forward to seeing Sharlto Copley in the new A-Team.

Rating: (3/5)

Review: Last House On The Left

Posted by reelreview On April - 18 - 20101 COMMENT

If bad people hurt someone you love, how far would you go to hurt them back?

The night she arrives at the remote Collingwood lakehouse, Mari (Sara Paxton) and her friend are kidnapped by a prison escapee and his crew. Terrified and left for dead, Mari’s only hope is to make it back to parents John and Emma (Tony Goldwyn and Monica Potter). Unfortunately, her attackers unknowingly seek shelter at the one place she could be safe. And when her family learns the horrifying story, they will make three strangers curse the day they came to The Last House On The Left.

DirectorDennis Iliadis
Starring
: Spencer Treat Clark, Joshua Cox, Garret Dillahunt, Tony Goldwyn, Riki Lindhome
Duration: 1hr 49 mins

On the whole, I enjoyed this. Never having seen this at the cinema, I don’t know what the differences were between the theatrical version and the unrated version. On blu-ray, I watched the unrated version. There’s always one type of scene in a film that I really hate, and unfortunately, that scene in this film was lengthy and quite graphic. It put me off.

That aside, and trying to focus on the rest of the film, I thought it was good. Not great, but thrilling enough. Gruesome, bloody, intense, and kind of .. believable. ‘If bad people hurt someone you love, how far would you go to hurt them back?’ – would you do what the Collingwood’s did?

Performances were intense from 50% of the cast, just ‘okay’ from the remainder of the cast. Whereas a lot of horror/thrillers can be painfully slow, this goes by nicely. Watch it in the dark, lights off, on your own!

Rating: (3/5)

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