action – NZ Film Freak

Tenet

Tenet movie poster 2020

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan
Released: September 2020
Starring: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine and Kenneth Branagh
—

Well, right off the bat this movie screams IT’S THE SAME DIRECTOR AS INCEPTION. The familiar cast members, the editing, colour-scheme and the over-complicated storyline were just a few of the tell-tale Nolan signs.

However, as I am a massive Inception fan, I was not upset about this. In fact, I was hoping to see more of the same cast (where’s Leo at?).

This classically Nolan premiss is difficult for me to explain, so I’ve found the synopsis for you: Tenet is about a secret agent who embarks on a dangerous, time-bending mission to prevent the start of World War III.

(The word ‘Tenet’ is a palindrome, meaning that it’s spelt the same way forwards as it is backwards; a nod to the time-travelling theme of the movie.)

If you think you recognise the protagonist (John David Washington), you don’t, because Tenet was pretty much his debut on the big screen. He is the son of Denzel Washington though.

John David Washington Tenet

Also, if you recognise the super tall, elegant woman in the movie (Elizabeth Debicki), she’s from The Great Gatsby.

Elizabeth Debicki in Tenet

Robert Pattinson wasn’t as bad as I expected but he does pout his lips a lot, which is quite distracting. I’m pleased he was given the opportunity to do an action role and avoided being trapped as the heavy drama/romance actor. (I must point out that I think he was a very poor choice as our new Batman though.)

If I learnt anything about keeping up with complicated movies, it’s that you have to listen carefully to the dialogue as that’s where the storyline is explained, and Tenet is no different. The conversations between characters last across multiple locations within a scene, with lots of details being explained.

Tenet

The complexity of the film is not to be shied away from, however. Considering the cinemas have been shut for MONTHS, Tenet was a welcome debut! It’s full of action and drama, which was a perfect balance for my husband and I to enjoy.

If you’re a time travel nut like I am, you’ll thoroughly enjoy the car chase scene, as well as all the little bits and pieces where they talk about travelling through time and debunking any holes in the science to ensure your suspension of disbelief remains firmly intact.

You may walk away from the movie feeling a bit confused over the details of the plot, but it’ll only leave you wanting to see it again to fully enjoy it the second time around. So strap on that mask and head to the cinema to see Tenet – it’s well worth it!

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

PS. If you’re seeing this in the theatres while heavily pregnant like I did, bear in mind that your baby will probably not like the scenes with all the guns and explosions. (Get ready to be kicked in the ribs a lot.)

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

mission_impossible_fallout

Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Writer: Christopher McQuarrie
Released: July 2018
Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin
—

Not being a massive action film fan myself, I was more in favour of waiting to see Christopher Robin instead. But in the back of my mind I figured Winnie the Pooh may not live up to my expectations as I was convincing myself it would be as magical as the Beatrix Potter biopic, Miss Potter. Whereas the new Mission: Impossible film is a little less risky, as you know exactly what to expect.

We were right – this film is everything you’d hope for in a Mission: Impossible movie.

mission_impossible_fallout5

It follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team, which includes geeky Simon Pegg as Benji, as they embark on another seemingly impossible mission to save the world. This time, Ethan is trying to get his hands on some plutonium that is in the wrong hand as it’s intended for nuclear bombs. Meanwhile, he is being flanked by an unwelcome CIA agent (Henry Cavill), hindered by a former flame (Rebecca Ferguson) and shadowed by his former wife.

Ethan’s unwavering loyalty to his friends and team are frequently mentioned, making him the wholesome, invincible, all-American hero (not unlike Superman) that we’ve come to know and love.

Just like the franchise promises, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is outlandish, comedic at times and action-packed. Getting electrocuted by lightening and surviving major helicopter crashes are just a couple of the ‘impossible’ twists and turns in this movie.

mission_impossible_fallout2

The film tip-toes the precipice of making fun of itself, almost becoming what Deadpool is for the superhero genre. But despite teasing the stereotypes of the action genre (making me expect Tom Cruise to turn and wink at the camera at every gun fight) it never quite holds a mirror up to itself, which keeps the integrity of the film.

I am a big fan of Tom Cruise – despite his quirks – he does all of his own stunts including the helicopter flying where he spent two years acquiring the qualifications, and he seems like a really nice guy. But I did feel a little bad for him during some parts of this film:

I’m sure everyone is aware of his accident on set where he practically snapped his ankle when jumping from one building to another, which caused production to shut down for six weeks until he healed. But if you’ve got a keen eye, you’ll notice that he is limping at random points throughout the movie. He also looks quite stiff in many of the physically-arduous scenes.

mission_impossible_fallout3

Now, I’m not talking him down. But I’m just saying you can’t disguise the fact that you’re ageing if you’re running about in an action film – Botox can only do so much!

I was convinced that crew members from Inception had worked on this film as the music was very Hans Zimmer and the locations paralleled Inception as they both begin in Paris and end in snowy mountains – which are filmed in New Zealand! (After a quick Google search I have discovered that the composer for this film is Lorne Balfe who has a studio at Hans Zimmer’s company.)

As a general action film avoider, I was entertained by this movie. It was fun, and the gun fights and car chases were not dragged out too long. So despite the length of the film, it holds your attention.

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It didn’t make fun of itself so much that you lost respect for the franchise. (Although I wouldn’t have been surprised if Jason Bourne, James Bond and Bryan Mills casually walked into a scene to team-up with Ethan Hunt during a fight.) But it also didn’t take itself too seriously.

It was snappy, easy to follow and entertaining, which is exactly what you hope for in a Mission: Impossible film.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Ocean’s Eleven

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: Ted Griffin (screenplay), George C. Johnson and Jack Golden Russell (story)
Released: December 2001
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy García, Julia Roberts
—

After hearing about Ocean’s Eight coming out, I decided it was time to watch the first instalment.

Actually, Ocean’s Eleven is a remake of a 1960s movie called Ocean’s 11 (number instead of word) featuring Frank Sinatra as the protagonist. I had no clue!

Ocean’s Eleven is a fun, shallow film about a star-studded cast who rob a casino. Why? Because Danny Ocean (George Clooney) has just got out of prison and doesn’t accept that his ex-wife (Julia Roberts) has moved on with a wealthy casino-owner.

oceaneleven2

Hence why him and his former colleagues rob the casino, in order to try and win Danny’s wife back. How romantic.

It’s harmless fun, really, which is what the director wanted; enjoyment without embarrassment or cheese. It looks like everyone on set had a good time – and apparently their chemistry is all completely genuine! They hung out together, played pranks on Julia Roberts and even gambled together outside of shooting.

This is a short review because although I enjoyed it, I was hoping for a bit more comradery, a bit more comedy and more deep-and-meaningful moments. To be honest, I was expecting The Parole Officer featuring cool Hollywood superstars.

Oh, and Don Cheadle as Basher was a terrible choice; his English accent was cringe-worthy. Otherwise, they should have just allowed him to be American! (Apparently Ewen McGregor was considered for his part initially.)

It’s a classic and I enjoyed it for what it was, but maybe it’s simply more of a man’s man film.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10

War of the Worlds

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Josh Friedman, David Koepp (screenplay), H.G. Wells (story)
Released: June 2005
Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins
—

Firstly, ‘yes’ I am a massive fan of War of the Worlds. I studied film at high school and university, where H.G. Wells’s original story The War of the Worlds and the 1953 film of the same name were frequently picked apart.

Also, one of my favourite childhood memories is going to see Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds musical in Auckland during 2007.

I had always been obsessed with Jeff Wayne’s 1970s musical interpretation of the story. I listened to his soundtrack on repeat before I went to bed most nights as a teenager, as did my father before me. It’s a masterpiece and it can not be improved upon.

Therefore, for the first time ever, I was disappointed to hear Morgan Freeman’s narration on Spielberg’s film version. In my mind, it was an insult to change Richard Burton’s spoken word on Jeff Wayne’s soundtrack.

Nevertheless, I definitely love this film interpretation despite it not reflecting the musical masterpiece that came before it.

It is a sci-fi horror about Ray (Tom Cruise) and his two children Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin) trying to escape the alien invasion. The aliens are relentless and terrifying as they displace millions of people.

There’s no where to run, there’s no where to hide and there’s no way to kill the aliens and their machines.

Horrifying!

Ray soon finds a safe haven with a man named Harlan who takes them in. But Harlan begins to lose his cool and Ray realises that with the pressure on, it’s survival of the fittest – the aliens are no longer the only danger.

Steven Spielberg aced the art of suspense, but so has Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning – they are both incredibly talented no matter what you think about them on a personal level. They’ve done well to capture the essence of our most primal fears and created a blockbuster film out of it.

Although, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg do turn this global disaster into a very American hero, nuclear family sort of story. I think it would have been a little more raw and real if it was English-made. Or maybe I’m just being too patriotic.

To me, this film is a classic in many ways. I can see the essence of Signs in this retelling of War of the Worlds, and I have seen War of the Worlds echoing in many sci-fi invasion films since.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Source Code

Director: Duncan Jones
Writer: Ben Ripley
Released: April 2011
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
—

I love time travel films! This is a brilliantly simple story combined with the mind-bending possibilities of time travel.

‘Source Code’ is a top-secret military experimental operation where injured pilot Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) is given the ability to repeatedly relive the final eight minutes of a man’s life. The man is Sean Fentress who dies in an explosion on a train.

Each time Stevens relives the final eight minutes of this man’s life, he is given the opportunity to seek out the person responsible for planting the bomb on the train in an attempt to stop it from ever happening.

But, time travel being the way it is, can he really stop it happening? Or will he only stop it happening in that alternate version of life.

(Watch Back to the Future if you need an explanation on this theory.)

The story line reminds me of the Tom Cruise film Edge of Tomorrow, where he is able to relive the same day over and over until he figures out the solution. Except, Source Code is a intelligently simple film (in other words, clearly had a far tighter budget). At it’s core, it’s basically three location and four characters. So smart! Maybe it could be developed into a stage play.

It’s intense and brilliantly written. I looked it up, apparently the guy who wrote it really struggled to get his script to see the light of day. The director hadn’t had much experience either, while the cast is star-studded.

Source Code is an easy-watch, and despite its action/sci-fi themes, is actually quite an emotional film where the main character contemplates death and family a lot.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Hot Fuzz

Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
Released: July 2007
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent
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A brilliant action-comedy from writers Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. It’s one of my favourite films, and I can’t believe I’d never gotten around to review it.

Hot Fuzz is the second instalment of what is referred to as the ‘Cornetto trilogy’ by Edgar Wright fans (due to the ice cream’s frequent appearances). Shaun of the Dead being the first, The World’s End being the third.

This is my favourite film of the three because it is so cleverly written and very funny. It follows the story of goody-two-shoes London policeman (rather “police officer. Being a man has nothing to do with it.”) named Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) who gets transferred to a small, rural village against his wishes.

Sergeant: …we’re making you sergeant.
Nicholas: I see.
Sergeant: [mumbles]
Nicholas: In where, sorry?
Sergeant: In Sandford, Gloucestershire.
Nicholas: But that’s in the country…
Sergeant: Yes! Lovely!

The straight-laced Sergeant Angel is frustrated by the Sandford police who prefer to turn the other cheek rather than causing a fuss when someone breaks the law. He soon discovers there is a reason for this.

So, with amateur officer Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) as his sidekick, Angel’s love for the law is put into full swing as they begin a full-on investigation into what is going on in the village.

Inspired by stereotypical action films, the writers have made fun of the genre by including all the sorts of characters you’d usually see in an action film. They even go as far as re-enacting popular action movie scenes, or quoting them. They’ve studied the genre very well!

Danny: Where’s the trolley boy?
Nicholas: In the freezer.
Danny: Did you say “cool off?”
Nicholas: No I didn’t say anything…
Danny: Shame.
Nicholas: Well, there was the bit that you missed where I distracted him with the cuddly monkey then I said “play time’s over” and I hit him in the head with the peace lily.
Danny: You’re off the fuckin’ chain!

This entertaining and fast-paced film is littered with hilarious one-liners and nods to action film tropes and quotes. The script for this movie is so clever – it must have taken ages to work out how it was all going to piece together.

The script has a lot of fore-shadowing all through it, weaved through an intriguing mystery of murders and outrageous characters. My favourite being two officers, both named Andrew – AKA ‘The Andes’ played by Paddy Considine and Rafe Spall.

The editing is incredible, which is classic Edgar Wright. We studied his work for an entire year at high school; I can see his influence a mile off now, even in his most recent film, Baby Driver.

If you love gun fights, car chases and a good belly laugh, then this is the perfect film! A classic date night movie too, I think. Just like Shaun of the Dead and The World’s End, it’s a great blend of genres to keep everyone happy.

For me, some of the action scenes were a bit long-winded, and just when you think the film is finished, it doesn’t. But maybe that’s because I don’t actually like action films all that much.

Danny: Have you ever fired two guns whilst jumping through the air?
Nicholas: No.
Danny: Have you ever fired one gun whilst jumping through the air?
Nicholas: No.
Danny: Ever been in a high-speed pursuit?
Nicholas: Yes, I have.
Danny: Have you ever fired a gun whilst in a high speed pursuit?
Nicholas: No!

I love films that make fun of themselves, and this is the king of them all. I can recite the whole film, I think – I’ve watched it so many times!

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Unbreakable

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Released: November 2000
Starring: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and Robin Wright Penn
—

Did anyone else not realise that Unbreakable is a prequel to Split?

As soon as we found out, we got our hands on the DVD since we loved Split so much.

You can tell it is an M. Night Shyamalan film immediately. The looooooong shots, the reflections in televisions and glass… The list goes on – it’s very Shyamalan-y.

Unbreakable is about David (Bruce Willis) who discovers he’s invincible. He’s essentially a superhero. So this is the story about him coming to terms with this, and discovering his arch enemy – something ever superhero must have.

Doctor: To answer your question, there are two reasons why I’m looking at you like this. One, because it seems in a few minutes you will officially be the only survivor of this train wreck, and two, because you didn’t break one bone. You don’t have a scratch on you.

The film is an arduous journey. It’s a long, slow arch that takes you on an epic journey, very… very… very… slowly…

I thought, because of this, Unbreakable must have have been made well before The Sixth Sense, as Unbreakable felt a little less complex, and it looked a bit ‘basic’.

Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson): Do you know what the scariest thing is? To not know your place in this world, to not know why you’re here. That’s – that’s just an awful feeling.

The casting for The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable are very similar – I can only assume Hayley Joel Osment was not available, because Shyamalan found his doppelgänger, Spencer Treat Clark.

Just like every other Shyamalan film, he makes an appearance – keep an eye out for him!

If you’re a comic book fan, you’ll probably enjoy the nuances of the comic-inspired characters, and will be happy to endure the long pauses and dialogue-heavy scenes.

Elijah Price: It’s alright to be afraid, David, because this part won’t be like a comic book. Real life doesn’t fit into little boxes that were drawn for it.

It was good, but not great. I like Bruce Willis, and I like Shyamalan films, but this wasn’t their best work. (The Village is still my favourite film by this director.)

Nevertheless, it’s an interesting backstory to Split. It fills the holes in a bit.

Keep an eye out for the third instalment: Glass.

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

Baby Driver

Baby Driver Movie poster

Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Edgar Wright
Released: June 2017
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey, Ansel Elgort, Lily James and Jon Hamm
—

From the genius that is Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End and Scott Pilgrim vs the World), comes Baby Driver. A music-infused movie about a getaway driver named Baby, played by baby-faced actor Ansel Elgort (The Fault in our Stars).

Deborah (Lily James): “You’re name’s Baby? B-A-B-Y, Baby?”

Baby scores his own life by picking the appropriate music on his iPod for everything he does. He doesn’t do anything without music playing in his ears, stemming from a traumatic car crash as a child that left him with tinnitus.

Doc (Kevin Spacey): “Still got a hum in the drum, he plays his iPod to drown it out”

I’m thinking this might be converted into an all-singing, all-dancing musical or stage play one day.

In some ways, it’s a ‘runaway film‘. But this theme in the movie is soon hijacked by reality, how you can’t run forever and how you must face the music at some point. This realism is something I like about the film.

Baby Driver movie

Whereas I usually fall asleep during action films, such as in various James Bond scenes, I didn’t in Baby Driver. I think because it was mixed with comedy a lot of the time, and it appears to be a tad more realistic, because the protagonists actually get hit in gun fights.

Bats (Jamie Foxx): “The moment you catch feelings is the moment you catch a bullet.”

I have studied Wright’s films ever since I started studying media at high school. Baby Driver exhibits classic Wright hallmarks, including extremely layered shots where you’ll pick something new up on every watch. There is nothing in this movie that is there by accident. Their costume, the music; everything is there for a reason.

Baby Driver movie - Kevin Spacey and Ansel Elgort

My favourite Wright hallmark is the very long scene without a single edit, all perfectly choreographed, just like in Shaun of the Dead when Simon Pegg’s character walks to the corner shop and back.

Another one, is the compilation of short, sharp edits. Finally, Wright’s English humour running through the dialogue, making Baby Driver stand out from the more glossy Hollywood action films.

Baby (Ansel Elgort): Your tattoo says ‘hat’?
JD: Yeah, it used to say ‘hate’. But to increase my chances of employment I had the E removed.
Baby: How’s that working out for you?
JD: Who doesn’t like hats?

While I thoroughly enjoyed the first third of the film, it went a bit long and flabby in the middle. Toward the end it picks up again, until the very end, which seems rushed, causing my suspension of disbelief to be stretched.

JD: I left my shotgun behind.
Bats: Not groovy JD. Not groovy at all.

While this isn’t a favourite film of mine, it is certainly a one-in-a-million film, and a good date night movie. The characters are cool and are played by talented actors, with a love story and a ton of wicked car chases and gun fights.

Griff: Is [Baby] retarded?
Doc: Retarded means slow. Was he slow?
Griff: No.

Jodie’s rating: 6.5/10

Deadpool

Deadpool movie review

Director: Tim Miller
Writer: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
Released: February 2016
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T. J. Miller, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand and Stefan Kapičić
—

I only had a vague idea of what Deadpool was. I hadn’t seen the trailer, but countless people had recommended the superhero film, saying it was hilarious.

Frankly, you’d have to have a bit of a dark side to you, tough skinned, if you will. A bit of black humour, to have a full-on belly laugh at this film.

The blood, gore and violence reminded me of Watchmen – no one warned me of this… So, consider this a warning to all the girlfriends who have been convinced by their boyfriends that this is a funny film.

It is…

But.

It’s also incredibly gory.
Deadpool film review For those of you non-comic-book people out there, basically Wade Wilson aka Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is a sarcastic, normal dude who has got mutated in some creepy underground experimentation lab.

It turns him into a super-human being, but with an incorrigible urge for revenge on those who made him the way he is; scarred and invincible. As well as an insatiable urge to win back his girlfriend, who currently thinks he’s dead.

The main character, Deadpool, is most certainly sarcastic, light-hearted, with a few funny come-backs. I can see why the protagonist’s cockiness can get on some people’s nerves though.

Deadpool film review This is mostly due to the film blatantly making fun of itself, breaking fourth walls frequently, and generally not taking itself seriously at all. It is essentially a mock-hero film. Like the film Vampires Suck – a spoof of Twilight. Or, The Starving Games – spoof of the Hunger Games.

Deadpool has been made with a far larger budget, of course. Taking the sarcasm and irony from Iron Man and the violence from Watchmen.

Fun fact: Ryan Reynolds was engaged to singer Alanis Morrisette, then he was married to Scarlett Johansson!

*No one cares*

I would say it’s pretty average over all. But this is a superhero film – which is basically a chick flick for men. As in, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.

You can’t take it too seriously. It’s funny enough, and for men in their mid-twenties, early-thirties who are comic book, video games know-it-alls, it will be the peanut butter and jam sandwich with chocolate sprinkles of superhero films – you’ll love it.

For the rest of us, however, it was sufficient. Although, potentially irritating and gross.

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

Godzilla (2014)

Godzilla 2014 film poster Director: Gareth Edwards
Writers: Story: David Callaham Screenplay: Max Borenstein
Released: May 2014
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, Bryan Cranston
—

I thoroughly enjoyed Godzilla. I thought it would be just another King Kong movie: looooooong, with a damsel in distress and a brutal ending highlighting the selfishness of mankind.

Godzilla 2014 film - Breaking Bad actor However, this was more like a monster sci-fi movie. Giving a nod to Jurassic Park, Space Odyssey (music), War of the Worlds, Captain America… You name it.

A movie that plays on our fears of nuclear and natural disasters… And, giant lizards. It’s fantastic. My favourite part is when they talk about why the nuclear testing occurred in the 1950s. Very. Scandalous.

The director definitely teases us. Every time we think we’re about to see Godzilla, he cuts away. Just as a massive fight is about to happen, he cuts away. Right until the bitter end! Certainly keeps you interested though.

The sound design is flawless. Absolutely incredible. Don’t waste it by watching it on a laptop or something. Invest in some decent speakers or headphones, because you don’t want to miss the sound effects of some of these monsters!

Godzilla film 2014 - Olsen sister Yes, you may have noticed I’m using a plural: monsters. IT’S SO AWESOME!

I think the makers may have spent all their money on making the monsters look realistic, and on the spine chilling sound, because the smoke and landscapes in some scenes look quite unrealistic. But I’m not complaining! Something had to give.

Better than Kong (2005). This is scary, exciting, and untypical of the genre! Must see!

Godzilla 2 is, of course, on its way.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Lucy

It was a great concept, but it was just so weird! It was simply bizarre.

Scarlet Johansson plays the protagonist, Lucy, who is kidnapped and used as a drug mule. The new drug seeps into her system, which enables her to use more and more and more of her brain.

She is able to manipulate everything from pain tolerence to technology. She even pulls some solid Matrix moves.

It would have been a great as a short film… It’s almost as though it should have been an arty film festival film. The mere fact it ha Johansson and Freeman in it threw it into the Hollywood sphere. I don’t think it belongs there though. It attracts the kind of audience who want an awesome sci-fi film, when it should attract the deep-and-meaningful film analysts.

Some parts of the script were super cool, particularly in regards to how people have evolved, how we think and behave.

Other parts were plain odd.

Basically, this movie isn’t what you think it will be like. The trailer advertises a Hollywood action sci-fi, when in fact it’s mind-bender with a screwed up ending.

Jodie’s rating: 4/10

Hercules

Director: Brett Ratner
Writer: Based on Hercules: The Thracian Wars by Steve Moore. Admira Wijaya.
Released: July 2014
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan
and John Hurt
—

Hercules was a blood bath with a sense of humour.

Based on Hercules: The Thracian Wars by Steve Moore, the story weaves in the legends of the Demi-God, Hercules (played by wrestler, Dwayne Johnson), but centered it on the more human aspects of him. The movie follows Hercules and his right-hand men (and woman) into multiple battles, but Hercules soon questions who he is really fighting for.

A violent and relatively shallow film, but the characters make fun of themselves and their circumstances, which saves the movie from the bargain bin.

I did enjoy how the legends of Hercules are being spread purposefully to glorify a mere mortal. With Iolaus (Reece Ritchie) being the storyteller, he exaggerates Hercules’ adventures to encourage followership and unity of the people.

Thought you saw Jude Law? Turns out the character (Autolycus) I thought to be played by Law with olive-tinted skin, darkened hair and green contacts, was in fact Rufus Sewell… Just in case you were as equally mistaken by the little round head and English accent.

Speaking of which, Dwayne Johnson’s accent switches a few times throughout the movie, but does remain the only American accent in the entire film.

As a side note, Johnson’s veins are too visible and makes me squeamish.

Overall, a perfectly adequate film for the lovers of Greek mythology and ancient battles. A chick flick for the men… A man movie, a boy story… If you will.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10

Transformers: Age of Extinction

Director: Michael Bay
Writers: Ehren Kruger
Released: June 2014
Featuring: Mark Wahlberg and Stanley Tucci
—

One was enough!

This is the fourth Transformers movie. This has gone on for too long.

It’s about government agencies coming after people who have found a Transformer. Transformers are no longer welcome as they are deemed ‘alien’.

I’m not a Transformers fan, but I can appreciate that cars becoming giant robots are cool.

However, the fighting was endless and exhausting, and acting was hopeless. It was a pointless and boring two hours and 45 minutes.

Assuming that Transformer fans enjoy these movies because of the graphics when the machines physically transform will be sorely disappointed. The entire premise of this fourth film is based around how the man-made Transformers don’t “transform” at all, and when the original machines are about to transform, the camera pans away!

The product placement was blatant and outright ridiculous. Stanley Tucci is amazing, but conveniently drank a Chinese soy-based beverage toward the camera, with the branding beautifully framed and presented. It was pathetic.

If you’re okay with being belittled and being nothing more than a captive audience to sell Victoria’s Secret, Bud Light and energy drinks to, be my guest. But it is certainly an exhaustingly long film with a stupid storyline. Although, to be fair, I zoned out by the time the characters made it to China…

Transformers: Age of Extinction is a three hour ad break.

Oh so boring. Please, no more.

Jodie’s rating: 2/10

Two points were given because:
1. The dinosaur transformer things were pretty cool
2. Stanley Tucci

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
Released: July 2014
Featuring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell and Kodi Smit-McPhee
—

koba_an-ape-never-forgets I wasn’t expecting much from this sequel, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

A desolate planet with a small population living within the remains of an apocalypse. The humans are in search of a water supply to ensure electricity to their commune. However, the apes that were used in trials in the prequel have populated the forests where the water supply is.

I found the body language of the apes and the reactions of the humans fascinating.

The apes didn’t use English too much of the time so subtitles were uses, but even without them it was remarkably easy to understand them.It’s clear the makers did their homework regarding the body language of the apes!

la_ca_0403_dawn_of_planet_apes_028 Although, I did find the human storyline almost irrelevant. I was so captured by the story of the apes that the humans became uninteresting. Apes riding horses holding spears? Come on. Who needs people?

It was a great balance between emotion and action. The fight scenes showed off the motion capture incredibly! Particularly with apes riding the horses… I can’t get over how realistic it all was.

An exciting and captivating film about the clash of cultures and revenge. The storyline is more-or-less typical of the genre, but it is one of the best examples of modern film making; taking advantage of today’s technology… The motion capture will make you drool.

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Directors: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Writers: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Released: April 2014
Featuring: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Robert Redford and Samuel L. Jackson
—

Wow! Okay, I haven’t seen the first of the Captain America films (Captain America: The First Avenger) but I feel I still got the impact of the movie without much of the back story.

I haven’t seen the Avenger movies either (don’t kill me!).

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is about Captain America’s (AKA Steve Rogers) past haunting him. He was once in the army where he lost a dear friend, Bucky. The flash backs are gorgeous; back to the 1940s. Steve Rogers is trying to fit into the modern day but the values of the people in charge don’t sit well with him.

Basically there is a lot of action, awesome characters who are well developed, and the plot is so relatable with our current battle against Nanny States and over-surveillance.

I thought Captain America was going to be a patriotic conservative goody-two-shoes… A wannabe Superman if I may say so…

How wrong could I be.

Captain America is a bad ass super soldier with a ridiculously calm attitude. What a dude. With awesome morals, too.

My favourite quote of his comes about when Nick Fury (director of the super-spy agency, SHIELD, that Captain America is a part of) says that the world needs more surveillance to eradicate potential threats to humankind. Captain America/Steve Rogers, finds it difficult to justify this lack of privacy:

“…holding a gun to everyone on Earth and calling it protection… That’s not free, that’s fear!”

But the most impressive character was Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff. She is equal to male superheroes intelligence-wise and combat-wise. She is also witty… I don’t know if I’m going too far saying this, but she is CLOSE to being a female version of Batman… I’m not taking it back! It’s out there.

It happened.

Natasha is just the coolest. She doesn’t have a fat cry when things get difficult, she is sneaky and knows how to work the system. She is still so feminine without wearing next to nothing too.

I said Black Widow should have shorter hair, but then I realised that would be inconvenient for Johansson’s stunt double whose face is obscured in all the long-shot fight scenes.

captain-america-winter-soldier-sebastian-stan-set-photo_jpg_crop_display A super exciting film that doesn’t let your mind wander during the fight scenes. Relatable characters and plot with awesome enemies. The Winter Soldier is a good-looking son of a gun, yet ridiculously ruthless with an upsetting back story.

Fantastic. Such a fun film. Even for somebody who hasn’t seen the previous film, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Scary, funny, exciting, thrilling and dark.

Go see it.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Thor: The Dark World

Director: Alan Taylor
Writers: Don Payne and Robert Rodat. Based on Thor by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby
Released: November, 2013
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston (the ninth Dr. Who!), Kat Dennings…
—

I haven’t seen the 2011 prequel, but Thor: The Dark World was still entertaining.

Obviously this is an action-packed, exciting and a surprisingly funny superhero movie which is bound to be a hit with most.

I saw this movie twice, and I certainly enjoyed it more the second time around – which I think is common for superhero films. The first watch is just about the storyline, but the second time is about the characters.

Loki is my favourite character for sure! He is vindictive and vicious with a quirky comedic element throughout most of his dialogue.

The best thing about Thor: A Dark World is the self-awareness of the characters. The references to Captain America and, my personal favourite, when Loki says that a comment repeated by various characters will “become a line”.

I really like the lighter side of Thor. Marvel films don’t tend to take themselves too seriously, which is cool.

Personally, I don’t think Chris Hemsworth is hugely attractive, but I am aware I’m in the minority. If you’re keen for a bit of eye-candy, you will appreciate this film.

But, if you’re wanting a pretty cool supernatural storyline with frightening villains, then you’ll be quite pleased with the twists and action scenes in this sequel. They jump through time and space which is ah-maz-ing. Any time travel enthusiasts will appreciate these elements.

I love the costumes of the dark elves – so creepy! Also, the environment the characters fought in were amazing – Iceland scenery of volcanic ash wastelands being the most impressive.

Worth a watch!
Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10

The Wolverine

Director: James Mangold
Writers: Christopher McQuarrie (uncredited), Mark Bomback and Scott Frank
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Famke Janssen, Svetlana Khodchenkova and Will Yun Lee
Released: July 2013
—

Average much!

I am a Wolverine fan though! Absolutely. The character is a wicked hero who didn’t fail to impress.

However, the storyline was bland, boring and predictable. Nothing special.

There were some great scenes though. The ninja scenes was rather entertaining. The fight scenes and roof jumping was cool too. But nothing really sticks in my mind as being outstanding.

I enjoyed the more light-hearted and comedic dialogue, similar to that of Iron Man at times, which fitted well.

The villain was absolutely ridiculous!! Every scene Viper was in she was wearing a little less clothing. She was not scary. Not cool. Not shocking. She was just creepy and weird…

A painfully average film. There were no real highlights, or overly appalling parts. The acting was not amazing, nor was the story. No twists, just a straight-shooting film.

However, the fact that Wolverine was portrayed as a convincing hero, did make the film worth-while.

Jodie’s rating: 5.5/10

The World’s End

Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
Released: July 2013
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan and Rosamund Pike
—

…what the hell did I just watch..?

So I’m guessing most of you are huge Edgar-Simon-Nick combo fans! I’m sure you were just as psyched when you heard about the final instalment of the Cornetto trilogy being released!

Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End – bring your check list for all of the similarities and shared jokes! It’s like being a part of a huge inside-joke.

Anyway! So I was so excited to see this film! But this was more wacky, more psychedelic, out of left-field, ‘what the hell’ material that I ever thought could be possible for these three guys to invent.

The movie started out awesomely! It was hilarious as they introduced the main characters.

The general storyline was that the five main characters wanted to complete the 12 pub pub-crawl they failed to finish in highschool. So these near-on 40 year olds begin their journey, until they realise the people in the town are super weird.

Many people in the town turn out to be blue-blooded robots. And a Shaun of the Dead-esk pursuit begins… It got pretty weird. Not going to lie.

Just on a deeper note, I felt the robots were a metaphor for being in the institution of 9-5 jobs and not fulfilling the more enjoyable parts of life.

Simon Pegg’s character is my favourite of all their creations within the trilogy! He was absolutely convincing! Fantastic!

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost had loosely swapped their Hot Fuzz characters around, as in, Nick Frost had the straight-laced character and Simon Pegg had the weird and lazy guy. It was cool to see a different side of them.

I wish more of the characters from the previous two films showed up in this one… Although I did adore Rosamund Pike! I’ve been a fan of hers since Made In Dagenham.

I felt bad noticing how old everybody looked in this film. But I LOVED how they wrote that into the script – their story is about 40 year olds rediscovering the freedom of their youth.

It was sort of nostalgic reflecting on how long ago Shaun of the Dead was made – 2004 and Hot Fuzz – 2007. For some reason, I think all of their fans feel like they’ve followed them on their journey for the last eight years.

I really want to see it again – I feel like it will be better the second time around. But, it’s definitely in third place within the trilogy, for me. I feel like the storyline was a little too similar to Shaun of the Dead, and it didn’t flow nearly as well as the other two films.

Just like the other two films, the structuring was impeccable. Although the ending was… Questionable.

However, the strong character development was enough to keep you totally engaged throughout the entire film. Let alone the well-choreographed fight scenes.

OMG I HAVEN’T REVIEWED HOT FUZZ YET! It’s on my priority list!

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10
PS: You’re going to feel the urge for an ice cold lager after this movie.

Man of Steel

Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Christopher Nolan and David Goyer. Based on Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster’s Superman
Released: June 2013
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni and Russell Crowe
—

I went to the Man of Steel premiere that I was eagerly awaiting. We dressed up as a character (me as Lois Lane) and joined a large audience of Clark Kents, with only two Supermans and one Lex Luthor.

The trailer showed extensive fight scenes, which I was concerned would dominate the entire movie. I also wasn’t sure how original this film could possibly get since there have been countless remakes.

I was correct in expecting a much more serious tone, which seems fitting with the recent flood of darker superhero movies on the market like Spiderman, Batman (The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises) and Iron Man movies. These superhero films seem to focus on the hero’s flaws and humanity.

Although, I do enjoy the scene when Clark Kent has his first day at the Daily Planet, and Lois says:

“Welcome to the planet”

Henry Cavill is the best Superman yet. This guy has the moves down! The furrowed brow, the all-American look and expressing the inner turmoil, yet still retaining the famous righteous attitude of the hero. However, this version of Superman did not have the hair curl on his forehead… That was mildly disappointing.

Cavill is super buff in this movie, unlike many former representations. The suit has changed into a darker blue, which looks like skin-tight armour rather than a cotton onesie. Yes, Clark has since figured out that underwear on the outside is an unpopular fashion statement.

When the full extent of his powers were realised, he was not immediately able to fly. Instead, he makes mistakes, jumping miles into the air and crashing down, which seemed more realistic.

The soundtrack is incredibly powerful and epic. It supports the movie perfectly! (By Hans Zimmer).

The storyline was surprising. With no Lex Luthor or Kryptonite. Instead, there was a more extensive back story about Krypton, what happened and why Superman is the way he is, which is not a major element in most other Superman versions.

Superman’s flashbacks were well done, and the filming had an am-cam look to it with quick zooms and re-focusing on the hero when he takes off from the ground suddenly or flies over head. Sort of puts you in the environment, as though you’re a part of the crowd on the ground.

The biggest disappointment was this; Amy Adams. She doesn’t look like a convincing Lois. Perhaps I’m used to Lois with dark hair. In conjunction with this, the fundamental character of Lois was totally uninspired. She was weak, awkward and generally stupid. I was expecting the female lead to be updated, to become a strong side-kick like Pepper Potts (Iron Man) or the strong female lead of Cat Woman (The Dark Knight Rises).

Instead, Lois Lane has not moved much further from the sixties where she is domineered by the male characters, with unconvincing actions and cringe-worthy dialogue. She appears to be an incompetent reporter, despite the attempt of remedying this perception by Lane casually mentioning all of the awards she has won as a journalist.

Shut-up, Lois.

I think I would have enjoyed the film more if there was more in-depth detail of the hero’s emotions, and development of the villain who didn’t seem complex enough to become totally believable. The extensive fight scenes (like in Star Trek Into Darkness) became an uphill struggle toward the end. Seriously, about half an hour of the film could have been easily cut. It did become exhausting to stay focussed through these scenes, but I didn’t hear any complaints from the boys I went to see the movie with.

Overall, a solid movie. Although a little long, with little character development, it was entertaining and a welcome update for all Superman fans.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10

Star Trek Into Darkness

Director: J.J Abrams
Writers: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof
Released: April/May 2013
Starring: John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Peter Weller and Anton Yelchin
—

I went to the midnight premiere of Star Trek Into Darkness! Pretty cool, guys. Pretty cool.
Although, I was quite disappointed that nobody dressed up…

I haven’t seen any previous Star Trek movies or television episodes, so I have to say I was at an emotional disadvantage, because I didn’t have a relationship with the characters that many others had.

Having said that, I did enjoy the movie – especially in 3D. It actually made the movie better. For once. The scenes in space were pretty epic with stars flying at your face. As for the sound effects though, the screechy scratchy gun fire put my teeth on edge.

The villain was incredible! John Harrison/Khan was played by Benedict Cumberbatch… His voice.. Oh my God… So amazing. However, Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu is my favourite character – I wish he had more dialogue.

Oh! Of course, Simon Pegg’s character Lieutenant Commander Montgomery “Scotty” Scott was pretty hilarious. Some great laugh-out-loud moments. Wicked fight scenes, particularly the final fight between Spock and Khan. Intense!

I am embarrassed to say that all of the jokes about Spock made by Sheldon Cooper on the Big Bang Theory finally make sense… -_-

Although it was an entertaining movie, I did find that it had the typical and predictable plot structure which made it all too easy to assume who would prevail. But perhaps that just comes with the genre. The morals of the story were pretty much spelled out for you too… Very little mystery.

A pleasing and entertaining sci-fi action film which will be popular among the Trekkies. There are no surprises or unexpected twists, so it really is more about the characters and nostalgia that comes with the territory of the long-running series.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10 (From the perspective of a Star Trek newbie)

Iron Man 3

Director: Shane Black
Writer: Based on Stan Lee’s Iron Man. Screenplay by Drew Pearce and Shane Black
Released: April 2013
Featuring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwenyth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley
—

Holy crapolah. This movie… Guys… Just..

Wow.

This is a huge step away from the typical and clichéd superhero movies. This one is very funny with a switch up of roles among the characters. Like, it is an action-comedy with an underlying deep and meaningful storyline.

Throughout the movie, Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has anxiety attacks. Although I think it could have been more effective and emotional by having flashbacks, it was still pretty intense watching the usually unemotional hero break down.

The story is pretty decent, although I have to say that the villain, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) is a little disappointing. He isn’t overly scary, freaky, creepy or quirky. Just. A dude who was out to get Iron Man.

The new characters in this film include a boy named Harley who helps Tony Stark. Every conversation these two had is hilarious. Tony is his legendary sarcastic self.

Rebecca Hall played Dr. Maya Hansen who is a totally undeveloped and uninteresting character… She is almost pointless. Which is disappointing, because I really liked Rebecca Hall in The Prestige and I don’t think she could show her complete talent in this film due to the empty character.

I’m not a huge fan of Gwenyth Paltrow who plays Pepper Potts, but she definitely picks up her game in this movie – she is bad ass!

I reckon the music could have been way more epic…

Overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! It was so funny, exciting and I didn’t get bored during the fight scenes.

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10

Skyfall

Director: Sam Mendes
Writers: Screenplay by: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan
Released: 2012
Starring: Javier Bardem, Daniel Craig, Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes
—

I’m not a huge James Bond fan, nevertheless I can fully appreciate the epic awesomeness of the 23rd film of the 50 year-long Bond series.

This had it all. Fighting, car chases, scary bad guys and beautiful women. Obviously all of these are the ingredients necessary to make a successful and authentic Bond film. So what was different about this one?

The lighting is absolutely amazing. It really accents the traditionally spectacular surroundings that are classically chosen for Bond movies. Skyfall was most certainly no different with beautiful Scottish environment where the final fight occurs – Bond fights Silva; ice fights fire – and everything makes a full circle. The storyline was very well intertwined with the history of James Bond and supported by the amazing locations! I want to meet this location scout they used…

skyfall7 — Raoul Silva played by *Javier Bardem*

Javier Bardem plays the villain Raoul Silva which he played so convincingly! No jokes! He creeped everyone out in the theatre when he first appeared on screen with his bleached hair and he is most certainly a serious personal-space-invader, where you lean back in your seat to try and get some distance. He’s also a sadistic killer, a techno-freak and over-all a dodgy character, which makes him so perfect! An amazing villain!!

I enjoyed this film so much that I managed to ignore the fact that I really don’t like Daniel Craig... As James Bond anyway. He just seems too arrogant to be 007… Plus his blue eyes look unnaturally blue…

Judi Dench who plays M finds herself in the field with Bond which makes the stakes higher than ever! So intense! I don’t even need to go into what a fantastically talented actress Judi Dench is. She’s amazing as per usual.

benwhishawq600 — I love this guy! Q played by *Ben Whishaw*

Ben Whishaw plays the character Q – the Quarter Master – and does a spectacular job too! He was so cool with his dry humour and casual intelligence. Very cool. Very cool indeed. Actually, the casual humour was all the way through the movie by several characters which was a great way to lighten it up.

I was surprised that there were not many car chases… Only one I think. With very few flash-looking cars! To be honest I can barely distinguish a Mini Cooper to a Land Rover, but I did notice that the amount of cool-looking vehicles was at a minimum.

As a side note, the music for the opening title sequence was by Adele. I don’t think it was a bad choice at all. But, perhaps not the best? I suppose it’s the thought of having a pop star singing for a traditional and long-running film franchise, she just seems a little too superficial for a noble and deep-rooted James Bond movie..? Then again, she is very talented and I’m not sure who I would have preferred to have sung it.

Overall, this Bond film is full of twists and turns, shocking moments, action (but not to the point where it gets boring) and creativity. It is a bit of a marathon to watch at 143 minutes. So make sure you don’t drink too much before going to see it – at no point will you want to miss out on anything to run to the loo.

You won’t know what’s coming!
Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10

Hit & Run

Directors: David Palmer and Dax Shepard
Writers: Dax Shepard with David Palmer
Released: August 2012
Starring: Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Kristin Chenoweth, Tom Arnold, Bradley Cooper
—

Well. It wasn’t bad. I mean, I wasn’t exactly expecting a lot after seeing the trailer, but it wasn’t as terrible as it made it out to be.

There were are few funny parts, but they were few and far between. The actors were good though, and the car chase scenes were pretty good. But, I swear the producers had a check list:

Good-looking people: check!

HitandRun-shepard&bell — Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell. (I thought these two had great chemistry – turns out they’re dating in real life)

Fast cars: check!

Guns: check!

Storyline: n/a

At the end of the film, we wondered where the conflict actually was, since it seemed like the ‘absolute low’ was not that much below the climax. It was just a series of unfortunate events that led to a pleasant resolution.

But the parts that were funny made up for some of the lame scenes/humour as well as the unbelievable gun fights… But this was a comedy so realism isn’t exactly on the top of the list anyway, I guess.

An easy-to-watch and entertaining movie. Probably not worth seeing twice or buying the dvd since it would take me 10 seconds to recite the storyline after one viewing (including the five minutes I missed when I fell asleep).

But, you know. It was okay.

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

Total Recall

Director: Len Wiseman
Writers: Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon, Jon Povill and Kurt Wimmer
Released: 2012
—

So, it was between watching Total Recall or Bourne Legacy. I am not a fan of action so after watching the trailers I decided on Total Recall based solely on the fact that it mentioned dreams. Due to being an Inception fanatic, I decided that this action film would be the best choice.

It was alright. Not great. But not unbearable either.

The overall exterior urban sets were pretty much Blade Runner – a futuristic Asian city with bright lights and pouring rain. Just to make sure that you knew that it was set in the future, they threw in a few flying cars… Just in case you weren’t sure. My friend said he was surprised there were no laser guns to further reinforce the time era.

There were a few cool things though, like the plate in some of their hands that was a tracker/phone and when their hand was placed on a piece of glass, the image of the caller was projected onto the glass.

I think that the two main women characters should have been made to look a little more different… Two tall long-haired brunettes running around begin to look like the same one after a while.

I suppose I wasn’t really emotionally invested in it so I didn’t get worried when the protagonist was in a spot of bother, nor did I feel a relief when he got himself out of a sticky situation. Perhaps this was because I didn’t see the original film with Arnold Schwarzenegger in it, or because I’m not a fan of the genre. However, I think a vital issue was that it was so predictable. It was the standard stereotypical structure of an action film which left nothing to the imagination.

A few typical characteristics of action films (including Total Recall) were:

Despite the amount of bullets being shot, nobody ever seemed to get hit.

When one character got knocked out in a crash landing of a hover car, she had a full recovery within hours with nothing but a 2 centimetre blemish to prove she was previously unconscious. (Don’t want the main characters to be unattractive)
When the ‘baddie’ had the protagonist trapped, she gave a monologue so the ‘good guy’ had the chance to kill her.
The ‘baddie’ always makes a come-back before the end. (The fatal finale)

There is a big question at the end, of course. Was it a dream all along? But due to the lack of ‘minor details’ to back up either theory, I found that it really did not matter either way. Unlike Inception where the end was debatable with lots of nit-picky bits to back yourself up. (“The spinning top was tipping at the end” or “the memory was identical to ‘real life'” etcetera… ).

If you’re in to a bit of action and a bit of sci-fi, or you enjoyed the original, I’m sure you will like this film…

But it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

PS: Bill Nighy was epic as usual! Pretty decent American accent too.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Director: Chrisopher Nolan
Written: Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Characters created by Bob Kane
Released: July 2012
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman
—

Perhaps my expectations were simply too high. I loved the 2008 The Dark Knight so much that I expected this film to be equally as captivating and shocking… Just in a different way due to the obvious absence of Heath Ledger… *sigh*.

Bane Joker — The Joker was way more scary, more funny and much more shocking than ‘Bane’.

Of course it was epically shot with fantastic sets, lighting, special effects, stunts and characters – kudos to Mr. Nolan who is a fantastic film maker with Inception and The Prestige being my two of my favourite movies of his…
It’s just the storyline of The Dark Knight Rises sucked a bit…

Now, I know many people who have seen the film will be up in arms about what me thinking badly of this Batman film, and the people who haven’t seen it will be gob-smacked and shaking their heads. But seriously, if you just ignore all the “10 out of 10” and “better than the previous film” comments and take away your high expectations that will probably blind you into thinking that it is epically incredible… You will see that it wasn’t – at least not in every way. This is why:

I go to see superhero films because I like to see super people acting heroically. However, I found that for the majority of the film, Batman was in a spot of bother with no foreseeable way of escape. It just got depressing watching Batman being defeated right until the end pretty much… I mean, it’s called a three-act structure because there are ups and downs that keep the audiences’ attention. It just seems that the hero’s journey was going increasingly downhill from the beginning.

Also, Batman’s enemy, Bane, is a masked man who sounds like he has an amplifier attached to his belt which, although it was creepy, his voice kept distorting and I missed quite a few lines.
Plus, the fact that his name was “Bane” began to sound like “Wayne” (as in Bruce Wayne) and they were talking about being in ‘pain’ a lot too, so the rhyming didn’t help the understanding of the characters. Christian Bale’s Batman voice gets on my nerves too… Sometimes I just couldn’t take him seriously.

I have to say I was extremely concerned about Anne Hathaway being Catwoman! However, she certainly stole the show – the Cat Burglar was incredible. Good on Anne Hathaway for her performance.

Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman were obviously flawless, that barely needs to be mentioned; they’re both very well established and respected actors for good reason.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was terrific too – I’m sure we will see more of him in the following Batman films.

I only know people who thought this film was fantastic. Having said that, every one of them could think of at least one major thing that they would change in film.
I’m afraid I will have to break the mould and not give full marks to this very well made film.

It’s worth seeing, but don’t get your hopes up.
Jodie’s rating: 6/10