Inception (2010)

I've already got quite a few movies still to watch, but when I've got through my backlog of DVDs that I haven't watched yet, an Inception DVD is going to be high on the list of movies I want to get. I didn't get round to watching it at the cinema, which was a bit of a shame, but since it's been so well reported on (including by people whose opinion I actually trust! :-D), it's got a whopping average rating of 9.0 on IMDB [placing it at #6 in their Top 250 movies list], and has a fantastic cast list (I've long admired Leonardo DiCaprio's acting talents and it also features Michael Caine and Tom Berenger among others). I admit that I've never taken to Ellen Page, but to be fair I haven't seen her in much.

The thing that really draws me to this movie though is that it's got a reputation for being intelligent science fiction - something of a rarity in these days of mindless blockbusters where popularity is counted in the number of explosions (yes Michael Bay, I'm talking about you).  Christopher Nolan seems to be a Director who isn't afraid to try new things - I sometimes think he's guilty of overkill (i.e. Batman Begins), but he's also capable of creating a movie that grips you by the seat of the pants and won't let go (i.e. Dark Knight).  The ability to enter dream worlds is a fascinating concept; I look forward very much to seeing what Nolan has done with the idea.

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971)

Featuring a very similar plot to and largely the same cast as Support Your Local Sheriff, this spoof Western isn't quite as funny but is still enjoyable. James Garner this time stars as Latigo Smith, gigolo and conman, who ends up convincing local mine-owning magnate Taylor (the irrepressible Harry Morgan) that washout Jug May (the equally irrepressible Jack Elam) is in fact a famous hired gun. Garner's character here is nowhere near as likable as in Support Your Local Sheriff, and the inevitable love interest (Patience, played by Suzanne Pleshette) isn't as endearingly goofy as Joan Hacket was in the earlier movie, but it's still a lot of fun.  If you like one movie, you can be 99.9% certain that you'll like the other.

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

New Documentary Movie about the Birth of the Video Game Industry Announced

Filmmakers Anthony Caulfield and Nicola Caulfield have announced they have begun production on a documentary feature film titled ‘From Bedrooms to Billions’ which looks at the early pioneering years of the video game industry. The film, which is slated to have an Autumn 2011 release is the first to attempt to bring this fascinating story together and will feature interviews with virtually every main player in video game development, publishing and journalism over the last 40 years. 

Producer, Anthony Caulfield said “From Bedrooms to Billions will tell the remarkable and true story of how the creativity and vision of only a small number of individuals from around the world pioneered in shaping the video games industry, which today is a billion dollar business. What’s so fascinating is how what was originally nothing more than a scientific curiosity snowballed into the industry we have today. As we started putting this film together we uncovered so many incredible stories, these people had to literally make up an industry as they went, some were very successful, but others were not so, however collectively we felt it a strong story that’s long overdue and should make a wonderful movie”

As well as traditional film distribution methods, Nightfall Films have stated that due to the movie’s subject matter they would like the film to have an on-line premiere and are discussing teaming up with a website to make this happen.

www.frombedroomstobillions.com
www.nightfallfilms.co.uk

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)

Featuring laconic Jason McCullough (James Garner) as the fastest gun in the West and new sherrif of a gold-rush town, Prudy Perkins (Joan Hacket) as an unconventional heroine and her father Olly Perkins (Harry Morgan) as the town's mayor, this comedy western is full of vitality and humour.  Bruce Dern, Walter Brennan and Jack Elam are among the other co-stars of this movie in which Sheriff is the job no-one wants, but McCullough does it on the basis that he's "just passing through... on his way to Australia", so it's just temporary... right?

A whacky plot combines with great performances, good dialogue and some sparkling site gags to create a great movie.  It's a truly ageless movie that doesn't even require you to like Westerns to enjoy (I don't like Westerns but love this film).

This here jail don't need no iron bars...

Eulogy given at the intro of Support Your Local Sheriff, just before they discover gold in the freshly dug grave:

"We are gathered here today to consign the mortal remains of Millard Frymore... or whatever his name really was. I ain't really got a whole lot to say about Millard because he only rode amongst us two days ago, and was promptly struck down by whatever deadly disease it was struck him down. We can only hope that whatever deadly disease it was, it wasn't particularly contagious. And with that in mind, I suggest we all bow our heads in devout prayer." 

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Cars 2 Trailer

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader Trailer

Hoping to get time to see this one, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is one of my favourite books in the Chronicles of Narnia series (though The Silver Chair just about edges it).

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

MegaMind Trailer

I quite like the look of this one...

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Burlesque Trailer

Is it just me or does this look like Chicago with a different name?  Maybe with a bit of Coyote Ugly thrown in.

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Tangled Trailer

Disney turns fairytales on their head...

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

On Other Movie Blogs...

TecPerSpec has posted a review of Harry Potter VII: The Deathly Hallows - Part 1

I've also been told about an article on movie franchises that refuse to die.  (Bill and Ted 3?  Really?!?)

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Unstoppable - Trailer and Short Review

Unstoppable is loosely based on a true story about a runaway train that has to be stopped - with the cargo of toxic chemicals in some of the freight cars, it would create a huge disaster if it crashes. Eventually only veteran engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) and newly qualified conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine). Director Tony Scott can normally be relied upon to direct a visually attractive action fest, but to me the fly-on-the-wall documentary style didn't quite work here. 

I didn't enjoy the first half of the movie much to be honest, too much of it seemed coincidence-driven or simply uninteresting. However the second half was much better (basically from the point Frank and Will have to try to stop the train themselves), though still some scenes tested my ability to continue suspending my belief. (Virtually every scene featuring Ned [Lew Temple] struck an unrealistic chord to me.) Still, there was a lot of tension being racked up in a lot of scenes, a few moments of humour scattered throughout.  Eventually the relationship between the two men - first resentment, the begrudging acceptance, and finally friendship  - became a compelling part of the story.  The back stories with their families were never particularly interesting though.

Overall you'll enjoy it if you like disaster movies on the whole; I'm not a great fan which perhaps coloured my view, but I give the screenwriter (Mark Bomback) credit for not introducing some kind of ridiculous conspiracy theory (extremists sabotaging the brakes and using the freight train as a bomb sort of thing), which I actually thought was going to happen, and was glad it didn't.  Not a great movie, but not a terrible one.

Er... so there you have it. Here's the trailer:

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

The Queen (2006)

This is quite an unusual film in that it focuses entirely on the reaction to Princess Diana's death. The main characters are Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) and new Prime Minister, Tony Blair (Michael Sheen); their reactions are very different - Blair is in touch with the attitudes of the general public, the Queen isn't. Much of the movie is devoted to showing Tony Blair trying to help the Queen to understand how much the apparent attitudes of the Royals is hurting their reputation.

Peter Morgan does very well crafting an interesting story out of the fallout from a single event; it remains interesting throughout. It's neither pro or anti Royal Family or Government - it's actually quite sympathetic to both the Queen and Tony Blair, with only Cherie Blair (Helen McCrory) and Prince Philip (James Cromwell) coming out badly in how the characters came across, and Alistair Darling (Mark Bazeley) coming across as insufferably smug.

Much as it's a good movie and interesting in terms of the main plot, it was some of the final detail that fascinated me - one scene particularly stood out, which ironically was probably the most mundane scene of the whole movie. Tony and Cherie Blair are at home eating dinner, watching TV, and deciding whose turn it is to wash up; somehow one never thinks of the people who run the country having mundane domestic chores to perform. (Maybe it's just me...?)

Anyway, The Queen isn't exactly fast-moving but Stephen Frears directs with warmth, compassion, and an eye for detail. A fine movie, in many ways a peculiarly British film, for which Helen Mirren won an Academy Award, while the movie was also nominated in the Costume Design, Directing, Music, Writing and Best Picture categories. All those are merited, but I feel a bit sorry for Michael Sheen not getting a nod as his performance was superb.

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Enhance your film experience by watching movies online (Guest Blog)

Almost everyone at some time or other enjoys watching a movie, whether it is an old classic or a must-see new film releases. Movies allow us to step into another world, experience the emotions of others, laugh along, cry, smile and discover new destinations in faraway fantasy lands.

Movies certainly hold the same charm now as they did many years ago, however, with today’s heavy workloads and hectic lifestyles it can sometimes be near impossible to make it to that showing and visiting the DVD store every other night can prove extremely expensive.

The internet has thankfully answered our prayers when it comes to catching up with the latest TV shows and an assortment of must-see movies online. Watching movies online has become extremely popular with today’s generation and doesn’t require you to disrupt your daily schedule. The internet allows film fans everywhere to watch exactly what they want, when they want!

There is an assortment of websites that provide a service that allows you to keep up to date with all the latest releases, as well as watch any old favourites. The viewer is simply required to search for a title and in a matter of moments; the movie you wish to watch will be streamed directly to your computer screen. With the right plug-ins film fans are able to create the ultimate movie experience and stream the film to their television set, a projector or through a games console.

One particular site that is proving to be popular amongst many movie fans is LOVEFiLM, the website currently house 1000’s of titles meaning there is certainly something to suit all, viewers are able to watch an array of films and this is all made possible without the hassle of downloading, running out to the DVD store or standing in long queues at the cinema.

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Stormbreaker

After reading the book Stormbreaker, I felt that it would definitely make a better movie than book.  I was right... sort of.

It's a junior James Bond really, with Alex Pettyfer as Alex Rider, superspy schoolkid - though he doesn't quite know it yet.  After a daft scene where he single-handedly fights off a small army of thugs, he still doesn't quite work out that he's been trained rather well be his uncle (Ewan McGregor) in readiness for becoming a lackey to a shady government department.  The rest of the plot is similarly enjoyable but daft hokum.

There's a stellar cast here, with Mickey Rourke, Missi Pyle, Damian Lewis, Sophie Okonedo, Bill Nighy, Andy Serkis, Alicia Silverstone, Robbie Coltraine and even Stephen Fry appearing as various good guys, bad guys (and sometimes both).  A few moments were nearly poignant, but soon lost in another sea of action sequences that sometimes had the bare bones of a plotline clinging to them.

It's all fast and fun, sometimes quite amusing; it never quite gels together into an homogeneous whole, and those looking for plot cohesion and depth will be disappointed.  For a bit of light entertainment it's fine though; Alex Pettyfer, still only 20, looks more than capable of becoming a major star.  It was nice to see Alixia Silverstone again, even if her character was a bit baffling.

For fans of the book, look out for a few updated bits of technology - the DS instead of GBA, for example.

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Most and Least Anticipated Movies of 2011

I don't entirely agree with the choices, but over at the Techperspec site, their features on the Most Anticipated Movie Releases of 2011 and the Least Anticipated Movie Releases of 2011 make interesting reading. Head on over and vote for what you're looking forward to watching next year - and, of course, what you're not!

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Just About Famous

Just About Famous by Blue Collar Films is a short documentary about celebrity lookalikes. There's no narration - all the talking is done by the celebrity impersonators themselves, and the scenes cut smoothly from Elvis to George W Bush to Britney Spears to Robert De Niro, all telling anecdotes about their careers, and reflecting on why they like what they do so much. It manages to be all three things a good documentary should be - enlightening, perceptive and entertaining, while all the time giving the distinct impression that its stars are simply a bunch of people who make fun of themselves pretending to be famous people.  One of the highlights is George W Bush and Bill Clinton on stage together singing a song... very surreal!

Just About Famous has been screened at several film festivals; a DVD release is planned (I saw a private screener which lasted about quarter of an hour; I presume more material is going to go on the official release DVD); you can get more information at the Official Website.

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Night and the City (1950)

This somewhat strange film directed by Jules Dassin.  It starts promisingly enough, with London nightclub tout and general hustler Harry Fabian (Richard Windmark) trying to make it big and getting mixed up with some really dodgy (and powerful) people in the process. His long-suffering girlfriend Mary Bristol (Gene Tierney) tries to keep him pinned down to some sort of sense of reality, but without much success.  Harry tries to corner the wrestling market with the help of nightclub owner Philip Nosseross (Francis L. Sullivan), his wife Helen (Googie Withers) and former wrestling star Gregorius (Stanislaus Zbyszko). Virtually everyone's double-crossing everyone else, and the only thing stopping wrestling's big promoter Kristo (Herbert Lom) from obliterating Fabian is the fact that he's Gregorius' son.

It's an entertaining game of cat and mouse, to start with albeit with only two sympathetic characters (Mary and Gregorius), with Fabian seeming to somehow stay one step ahead, against all the odds. However it can't last... After about an hour there's a weird, overlong wrestling scene in which Gregorius dies; the ensuing scenes with Fabian trying to outrun Kristo seem to go on forever. Acting-wise Lom, Sullivan and Withers do a good job; I was never really quite convinced by Windmark's performance, and Tierney was criminally underused.  I think the direction was aiming for noir but didn't quite get it. 

Night and the City felt like a film in which the writers didn't know where to go after a promising start; I couldn't really recommend it myself, though a lot of people liked it more than I did.

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Skyline - AVOID! Half-machine, half-organic aliens want to eat your brain...

It wasn't my choice, but we watched Skyline this evening - I have to say that pretty much everything about it was awful. Well okay the special effects were good, the music tried really hard to be stirring, and the cinematography occasionally showed flashes of inspiration. However it's a largely tedious affair of unlikeable bland characters running around shouting and aliens taking over the earth. It doesn't really matter that almost all the characters are annoying or stupid though as they all get killed sooner or later. The dialogue is awful, the characters and situations often unbelievable and it has one of the most stupid endings in film history.

Still, if you really, really want to waste some money, go ahead and see it! 

Watch the Skyline trailer

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Legends of the Guardians Trailer

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

I Have Found The Most Annoying Thing Anywhere EVER!

Fred, the Movie... I defy anyone to find anything more annoying than this.

I'd even rather watch a PeeWee Herman movie than this...

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Saw this animated movie last night and enjoyed it, though I'm not sure it's one for very young children - it's rather dark in tone most of the way through and some scenes could easily frighten younger children.

It's a good story though the ending could have maybe done things a little better; the visuals are breathtaking; the music never quite seemed to do the film justice to me, but it wasn't bad. Of course there are a lot of familiar themes explored here, but it doesn't in any way feel like "just another animated movie".

Review coming soon...

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Star Trek TNG Episode Guide

Full season three episode list now available.

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog

Top 5 Computer-Animated Movies that aren't by PIXAR (Guest Post)

It's no secret that Pixar is the go-to studio when it comes to quality CGI films. Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Wall-E - these are considered by many to be some of the best films of all time, and that's only a small portion of the studio's work.

But while Pixar may be the best in town, it doesn't mean that the competition stinks. And with Dreamkworks's superhero romp Megamind in theaters now, it's a good time to look back on some great CGI films that Pixar had nothing to do with.

Shrek

This was the first movie that came to mind. While the merit of the sequels can be debated, there's no arguing that the original Shrek was a monumental hit, and deservedly so. It was funny, exciting, and boasted an excellent voicecast. Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy have never been better (though fans of Austin Powers may disagree), John Lithgow made a deliciously evil villain, and while I'm far from a fan of Cameron Diaz - she did a wonderful job of bringing Fiona to life. There was - and still is - a lot to love about Shrek.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, like the food that rains from the movie's sky, was a welcome surprise. While I braced myself to watch Hollywood ruin a beloved book from my childhood, the movie ended up having a big heart and even bigger laughs. And while the voice acting wasn't as memorable as other movies, Bill Hader is a likable guy with a likable voice. And just to ensure that there was something for everyone, they even threw in a monkey!

Ice Age

While some CGI films take viewers to extraordinary new worlds, Ice Age kept it close to home, only some 2 million years in the past. Like Shrek, Ice Age gave way to numerous sequels of varying quality, but the first film, released in 2002, seemed to be a hit with audiences and critics. There was something about John Leguizamo as a sloth, Denis Leary as a sabre-toothed tiger, and Ray Romano as a woolly mammoth that just resonated with people. And like Eddie Murphy, John Leguizamo is much more tolerable when he's just a voice.

Kung Fu Panda

This list features a startling number of actors that should stick to voicework. The nearly-unbearable Jack Black is next in line. I know he's popular, but his style of humor wears thin with me very quickly. However, even I can't disagree that he was fantastic as Po, an adopted giant panda who spends his days working in his father's noodle restaurant and his nights dreaming of being a kung fu legend. Kung Fu Panda contained heart, soul, and all the stuff that makes a great family film. It also had an impressive cast featuring Angelina Jolie, David Cross, Dustin Hoffman, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, and appropriately, Jackie Chan.

How to Train Your Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon is just out of the gate, but already it's an instant classic, with a whopping 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. It tells the story of Hiccup, a young viking desperate to impress his father, but lacking a certain heroic quality. Luckily for him, he makes a friend in a dragon, which is something I think we've all wanted at some time or another. Again, this is another one that boasted a fantastic cast, including late night host Craig Ferguson.

As you can see, Pixar doesn't have to be involved for a CGI film to turn out great, though it certainly doesn't hurt!

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Our guest writer, Dylan Duarte, is a horror buff and writer who writes about Halloween costumes for StarCostumes.com.

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CaptainD - Movie Reviews Blog