Review: Iron Man Three

More of a sequel to last year’s The Avengers (Avengers Assemble) than Iron Man 2, the third solo outing for Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man puts the iconic armour on the back seat to better explore the character of Tony Stark following the events of The Avengers. 


 

Shane Black takes over from Jon Favreau as director giving Iron Man 3 a fresh feel which sets it apart from previous instalments. The are many traits and parallels from Black’s previous directorial role on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, such as the main character narration, a Christmas setting and some ingenious plot twists (although I will avoid spoilers so proceed without fear!) The movie pitches Stark against a powerful and mysterious opponent, and stripped of his armour must use his genius intellect (as he once did in a certain Afghan cave) to face this new threat and save the one thing he can’t live without (and of course, the world at the same time) Black made a point before the film’s release about its heavier focus on Stark’s human side, so the lack of Iron Suit action shouldn’t come as a big surprise. This also means we are treated to a great infiltration scene using makeshift gadgets built from the contents of a hardware store. 

Ben Kingsley provides an ominous and at times disturbing performance as the Mandarin and completely steals the show any time he is on screen. Downey Jr proves once again that there is no man better for the job as he plays a more fragile Stark perfectly, but despite Pepper Pots being more integral to the story this time round, it isn’t till the climax that Paltrow really gets to shine.

The internet is abuzz with debate about the quality of the film, and it would seem that it is the comic book fans who are left disappointed, feeling that the cinematic renditions of certain characters just don’t ring true with versions they have grown to love. However, from the outside perspective of your average movie goer this will not be an issue and you will be left with an original and well rounded experience full of some very memorable new characters.

Review: Scary Movie 5

If this film was judged based on my expectations of it before seeing it, it would get a glorious five stars for being exactly as predicted, utterly painful and not even remotely funny. 

Yes, i should have seen it coming when i saw the poster

I know I should have avoided this like the plague, but the early instalments of the franchise were pretty funny in a totally mindless kind of way. I missed the fourth one, but remember the third wasn’t too bad. And after recent cinematic travesties such as Disaster Movie, Epic Movie, Super hero Movie, Movie Movie and so on, I thought the return of a familiar name, and the one that (unfortunately) started them all may not be so bad (I must have been out of it). So, not one to judge before seeing a film, I went in with an open mind, and left feeling like it had just been defecated on.

The plot is not only thin, but also all over the place as the makers try to cram in a rediculour combination of movie parodies, some of which are not even current (Inception, black swan, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) some which haven’t (or at the time of making wouldn’t have,) even been released (Evil Dead, Mama) and some which are not even films (50 shades of grey), and if you hadn't noticed, most of which are not even horror movies. Each and every so called parody falls flat imediatly, and instead resorts to a slapstick fist fight, every single time.

In Short: Charlie Sheen’s career is further down the toilet than previously believed, and former Disney teen queen Ashley Tisdale had jumped in with him (possibly in a dreadful attempt to distance herself from her tween friendly typecast) as previously stated avoid like the plague.

I can't Believe you Haven't Seen: Dr. Strangelove

Dr Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb

Holding the prestigious honour of having the longest title of any Best Film Nominee is Stanley Kubrik’s 1964 satirical Cold War classic. Both this film and the Cold War may have been way before my time (Like most great comedies it would seem) but the subject Is one that I personally find very interesting, and one that is just as relevant today as it was almost 40 years ago. As such I made it the first film in my long list of films people keep telling me I should see (especially if I run a movie blog!)

Dr Strangelove instantly shot to the top of my list of favourite comedies. Taking the very serious, and at the time very real threat of all out nuclear holocaust, and turning it into something hilarious is in my mind one of Kubrick’s finest ideas. The studio refused to create the film unless the ever-hilarious Peter Sellers was cast in at least 4 roles; however, he gave up the role of Maj. “King” Kong on the grounds that he couldn’t do a Texas accent. This of course resulted in Slim Pickens riding the A-Bomb and waving his cowboy hat as it plummets towards its target triggering the end of the world as we know it.

The cast is stellar, the jokes stand up better than films released just a few years ago (“You can’t fight in here, this is the war room!”) and the direction is impeccable, making me wonder why on earth Kubrick never attempted comedy again, as we learn how our end will be bought about by the incompetance, distrust and constant attempts at one upmanship of our political leaders. I can’t recommend this film enough.

Robot and Frank

Clever, funny and moving tale of an old man and his robot.

Retired jewel thief Frank, who refuses to accept his memory trouble, is given a robot care assistant by his son. Frank soon realises he can exploit the robots programming, and the unlikely pair soon try their luck with a multi-million dollar heist.

Set in the near future, Robot and Frank explores the difficulties of old age dementia in a unique and touching way, revolving around Frank’s relationship with his unnamed companion. He resents the robot at first, believing he is capable of looking after himself, but a strange kind of friendship slowly develops, pushed forward more so when Frank discovers the robot’s programming means he will put his new owners well being above even the law. The relationship is both comical and moving as Frank begins to accept the robot as friend despite its inability to display any real emotion or feeling, while the onset of dementia pushes him further away from those closest to him. 

The casting is near perfection, Peter Sarsgaard’s comforting, yet monotonous voice proving a wonderful contrast to the low rasps of Frank Langella. Chemistry between the supporting characters is consistently believable and often very powerful. Susan Sarandon is wonderful as an old fashioned librarian, working in a library which has become something of a hipster relic in a time where technology has moved beyond printed information, the underlying romantic tension between herself and Frank makes for one of the most interesting love stories to be commited to film in recent years.

The beauty behind Robot and Frank is that it tackles the difficult subject old age dementia, and evokes strong emotions from the audience without ever being too heavy. There are many moments throughout the film which genuinely tug at the heartstrings; notably Frank’s refusal to accept that the robot has no feeling as he becomes more attached and the films climax manages to leave barley a dry eye in the house without being melodramatic. This is offset throughout the film with subtle humour in Frank’s incredibly cynical, often sly yet lovable nature bringing a perfect balance to what could have been a very sombre tale.

A real gem of independent cinema, which puts you through all the emotions some of Hollywood’s film makers could only dream of. A sharp script, wonderful cast and plenty of charm make Robot and Frank a must see. 

And you can now on youtube for free!

Parker

Like every other Statham movie, but not as good.
 

Despite being similar to Statham’s other characters there is something about Parker that is just far less likeable, probably the fact he is just as dodgy as the bad guys, but claims he has certain standards which make his killing and stealing out to be ok. “I don’t steal from people who can’t afford it, and I don’t hurt people who don’t deserve it.” He says while stealing $1.2m from a county fair. I don’t know much about the American Carnival circuit, but it must be one hell of a good job if they can afford to take that kind of hit. Still, a hostage starts to freak out and Statham, (dressed as a priest) helps him keep calm, earning himself some more nice guy points.

The heist successful, Statham’s criminal posse turns nasty when he decides not to use his cut to fund the gang’s next big job. Clearly these guys haven’t seen Transporter or Crank, so think attempting to kill our bald headed bad-ass hero is a wise move. Despite a good beating and a few bullet wounds, Parker manages to discharge himself from the hospital, and begins car-jacking his way to revenge. 

 

His exploits put his loving girlfriend (not Jenifer Lopez!) in the firing line, but we’re told that’s cool because he needs to kill these guys for the principal. The film comes to a grinding halt as he slowly tracks down his betrayers, kicking only the occasional ass on the way, and teaming up with hapless real estate agent Jenifer Lopez. J-Lo brings pretty much nothing to the table since we have already established the Stath’s in a committed relationship with a woman who gets about 3 minutes of screen time. Her performance appears to be taken straight out of her rom-com back catalogue, making her already pointless character seem even more out of place. continue to follow a lack lustre version of the usual Statham movie format, walking away from life threatening injuries just because he’s hard, driving J-lo wild by being mysterious and eventually (SPOILERS!) killing all the bad guys.

In short: Lacking the sexy cars, stunts and high speed chases of the Transporter movies, and the outright ridiculous action of Crank, Parker feels like it never really goes anywhere, and never gets you on the edge of your seat. If you REALLY love The Stath and have to see it, wait for the DVD.

Oz: The Great and Powerful

Explore the wonderful wizard’s origins in Disney’s latest visit to OZ

Kansas carnival magician, and self confessed con-man Oscar “Oz” Diggs (James Franco) finds himself in the magical land of Oz to discover he may be the fabled wizard destined to free the wondrous inhabitants from the wicked witch, and claim the throne.

 

James Franco gives a fantastic performance in a role that was obviously written with Johnny Depp in mind. Something about Franco’s lower profile makes the character more relatable, and certainly more unique than the Jack Sparrow clones Depp has been rolling out in recent years. The movie focuses heavily on Oz’s development as a character. His circus illusions and cocky attitude prove a hit with the residents of Oz at first who are so desperate believe their saviour has arrived. But as his arrival sparks a series of vicious attacks from the evil witch and her flying baboons he soon begins to feel out of his depth among the real conjurers. His journey from arrogant, greedy con artist to great and powerful wizard is hugely entertaining, and genuinely touching at times, especially the relationship with the little china girl which is where we really see softer side.

The Land of Oz has never looked more beautiful. The landscape comes from the sae minds that bought you Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland; however Oz is far more vibrant and full of colour which caters perfectly to its younger target audience. The characters are no loss jovial, the effect is a wonderfully unique world which audiences young and old will find themselves immersed in.  Just a small warning, some of the scarier characters, and more intense scenes towards the films climax could be a bit frightening for the little ones.

Certain elements of the plot feel a little rushed, or over convenient; Oz doesn’t ever seem overly surprised at the world he has arrived in; once Mila Kunis tells him he is in OZ, he seems pretty cool with it. This kind of thing can be expected in a family film, and with a hefty running time of 130 minutes as it is there would be little point worrying about such details.

In Short: This latest trip to Oz is a great fantasy adventure with something for the whole family; Full of l lovely nods to the 1939 classic, while still providing a thoroughly unique experience. Well worth a viewing in 3D!