Last of the November Movie Reviews

Unstoppable

                Denzel Washington and director Tony Scott are reunited for the fifth time in this enjoyable action thriller, Unstoppable.  For those that saw their last movie, ‘The Taking Of Pelham 123’, breathe a sigh of relief because it is a step up from that train wreck.

                Frank (Washington) is wise and experienced after working 28 years on the railroad and has been put to work with Will (Chris Pine) who is fresh out of training, half Frank’s age but his superior which creates friction between the two as Frank questions his experience for such a position.  However, a spanner, a very large spanner, is thrown into the works to change what was meant to be an every day job into anything but.

                The plot is simple; there’s a runaway train.  A runaway train that happens to be a half-mile long freight train.  It is on a rampage and has the potential to destroy the city due to the high level of explosive chemicals that it is carrying.  Oh and on top of that, there is also a train of schoolchildren that are in danger which just adds fuel to the drama.  To be honest, there’s not much more you need to know other than the fact there is an unstoppable train that needs to be stopped.  Simple, but enjoyable.

                There are gripping moments and the stunts are well performed in a story that is helped made believable by the fact that it is actually based, loosely it has to be said, on true events that took place in 2001 in Pennslyvenia.  All in all, not epic but highly enjoyable.

Megamind

                How many of you have often dreamt and imagined yourself as the superhero saving your local city and adored by all?  Apparently even the villains have.

                Two infants drop from the sky and into our world but both have two completely different upbringings; Metro Man (Brad Pitt) was taken in by a loving family who raised him to be the loved and adored protector of Metro City while Megamind (Will Ferrell) went through the experience of being raised in prison which leads him along the path of evil, becoming Metro City’s very own super villain.  Just goes to show that it really is nurture over nature.

                The two fight it out for supremacy over Metro City, with Megamind always losing because that’s what villains do, until one day when he wins and finds Metro City is his to rule.  But with no opposing force stopping him at any turn, he is left feeling unsatisfied and without purpose until another villain emerges.  Metro City needs a hero and that hero is Megamind.

                If you liked the recent ‘Despicable Me’ animation, which is still showing for those that haven’t seen it, then you’ll like Megamind.  The US box office smash hit is both clever and hilarious that is filled with action and also has a good story that develops well throughout. 

London Boulevard

                London Boulevard is the directional debut of William Monahan who was the screenwriter for Scorsese’s ‘The Departed’ but unfortunately, London Boulevard isn’t in the same league.

                Ireland’s own Colin Farrell stars as Mitchell, who has just come out of Pentoville after three years in for GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm) and he’s hoping to put the life of crime behind him as he attempts to go straight.  However, luck has seemingly deserted him as he gets anything but as he becomes the bodyguard of the reclusive neurotic movie star Charlotte (Keira Knightly) but feels the pull of his former life.

                This is not one to bring the kids along to as the characters are saturated in profanity and the body count rises to phenomenal heights.  It does a good job of showcasing the underbelly of London’s worst and the cinematography of London at night is excellent but the romantic chemistry between Farrell and Knightly fizzles instead of sizzles and the story starts off slow without ever really getting going or becoming riveting.

The American

                An American stereotype is loud and brash which ironically is everything the movie isn’t.  Jack the steely, introspective assassin, also known as the American, is George Clooney in this suspense thriller.

                Jack is hiding out in Italy awaiting new orders but his past is starting to haunt him and paranoia is setting in and intensifying as the story progresses.  It is evident in the early scenes that the years of such a profession are having an emotional toll and when a job in Sweden goes horribly wrong, Jack decides that it’s his time to call it a day.  The only problem is, how can you walk away from such a profession alive and that’s what Jack discovers as enemies start to hunt him down.

                Used to living a recluse live, in this reminiscing period of his life, he creates bonds with a few of those in the village, including a romantic connection with Clara (Violante Placido), a local brothel girl which intensifies too quickly. 

                This is a slow burning, intelligent and well crafted movie that is short on thrills.  There is a story here to be told so for those looking for over the top action, you should go see Unstoppable or London Boulevard, while those that want to sit back and fall under the spell of a methodical and thoughtful movie should see The American.

A Great Dose of Magical Entertainment

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Review

                Muggles, it has begun.  The end is here and the greatest children adventure of our generation is set to wrap up in spectacular style.  I do stress though that this is the end and I wouldn’t make this your first Harry Potter movie.  If you never read the books or watched the previous movies, you could still enjoy it, but you’ll be constantly thinking ‘the who-what-where-what now?’ which would take away from the magical experience.

                Technically, this is stated as the first part of a two part production but in reality, this is actually the unofficial second part of a trilogy.  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was really the first part because the Deathly Hallows literally picks straight up from the end of the last movie so see that first if you can.

                Dumbledore is dead and Harry Potter (Radcliff) is on a quest; to defeat he-who-must-not-be-named …. but I’m going to risk it anyway, Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), but first he must survive long enough to do so.  From the very start, we are stung by the sinister element of the movie and this trend continues throughout.

                With his friends in tow, Ron (Grint) and Hermionie (Watson), they embark on their own plan; to take down Voldemort; scouring for the Horcruxes;  the items that each hold a part of the Dark Lord’s soul and must be destroyed if Harry is to defeat Voldemort.  A mission that leaves our favourite wizard and his unfortunate friends, who must have often thought ‘why did I sit next to him on the first day’, facing constant moments of peril.  Their path leads them to uncover the secret of the Deathly Hallows; three of the most powerful items in the magical wizard world.  However, they’re unknowingly in a race against Voldemort who is also on the search with the Dark Lord seemingly a step ahead of our young trio.

                 For those that aren’t so keen or haven’t read the books, you may feel that the middle is dragged out while those that know the story will be glad that the movie kept for the most part in line with the book.  Those that love to get lost in the world of magic should see this movie.  While it is darker than the previous Harry Potter movies, it is how it was intended and there is enough light humour to keep it from becoming too intense.  Particularly from Ron and it must be said that for any women watching, they will identify with Hermionie as she takes on the role of having to do everything as the other two prove to be quite incompetent without her.  Fans of the Harry Potter series will love it.  Those that aren’t so fanatical and are just along for the ride will enjoy it.

Skyline Weaves in and out of Complete Irrelevance

Skyline

                ‘Stay out of the light’ would be a good tagline for Skyline.  Literally.  Since we were invaded in 1996 by Independence Day, we’ve been waiting for a movie about life from another planet looking to eradicate the human race and when it seems like all hope is lost, we manage to overcome the odds and send those pesky extraterrestrials packing.  With Skyline, there was potential, but it fell short.  Very short.

                It drags you in from the very start when the two main characters, Jarrod (Eric Balfour) and Elaine (Scottie Thompson), are woken up by strange lights that are descending from the heavens and making people disappear.  Instantly you’re intrigued but instead of continuing on from there, it brings you back to earlier in the day and spends about twenty minutes explaining to you exactly why they’re in Los Angeles (why that mattered, I’m still trying to figure out) and trying to establish a rapport with the characters.  Except all this does is lower your interest and it’s hard to raise it back up after that.

                During the next thirty minutes after the lights appear, we learn that humans are being sucked up at  an alarming rate into the massive spaceship and that those that are hiding are being hunted by aliens.  This is the time when usually a hero, or several, would stand out but we didn’t seem to get any in the ones we were forced to watch as they spent their time creeping down halls and making sure the blinds were kept closed.  All while you could hear gunfire coming from outside the apartment that they had chosen to hide in.  There was a line in the movie which said ‘Don’t you get it? We’re at war!” I wish somebody had mentioned that fact to the director and the writer.  If the characters weren’t going to be involved in it, then I would have at least liked to have seen it bar the few snippets through a telescope.

                Because there was no moment of heroism by any of the characters, rooting for them to succeed, or even caring about them was hard.  There was one moment in the movie where a hero did stand out and you got that sense of, ‘all of our hope rests on him if we’re going to get through this’.  This came from a fighter jet, who we never see the pilot for and is only on screen for a minute, which weaves in and out of alien fire as it tries to shoot down the mother ship.  The fact that the jet was the inspiring hero in Skyline says it all.

                Without giving the end away, needless to say, it wasn’t the most inspiring.  The very end is actually probably the best bit of the movie and no, not just because it was over, but unfortunately it leads absolutely nowhere.  If it had come maybe thirty minutes earlier, maybe some of its potential might have been reached.  However, it sets it up for the sequel which is currently in the works and, if it takes up directly from where this movie finished, then it has potential to be a blockbuster.  However, potential is one thing.  Living up to it is another.

                 Visually, Skyline was stunning.  The cast, even though they were B-list actors, didn’t do a bad job so the blame for the disappointment that accompanies Skyline has to be laid at the feet of the writers and the director.  For those that just want a good action movie, or some sort of action movie, or want to at least watch it so that they can watch the sequel when it is eventually released, then give it a go.  For me, it gets a two out of five rating at best.  One mark for managing to make it to cinema and a second for brief moments of entertainment and great visual effects.