space – NZ Film Freak

Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Writers: Alfonso Cuarón and Jonás Cuarón
Released: October 2013
Starring: Sandra Bullock and George Clooney

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This movie is out of this world!
Ha.
I saw Gravity 3D and it was spectacular. The director, Alfonso Cuarón, said movies should be a visual experience – a lot of dialogue isn’t necessary to tell the story – and he certainly did that well.

Claustrophobia, agoraphobia, isolation, suffocation and death. This is a terrifying movie, playing on our natural fears. It is a very ‘human’ film – it goes back to basics – which is extremely effective in such an alien environment.

I’m not sure how to describe the epicness of the visuals… It is inviolable. Simply spectacular. The shot of the Northern Lights from outer space, and of the sun emerging from behind Earth… Wow. gravity_inline_2

Ryan (Sandra Bullock) and Matt (George Clooney) were absolutely incredible. I am a huge fan of George Clooney anyway, who played a chatty and upbeat character. But I was pleasantly surprised with Sandra Bullock! She convincingly played a strong protagonist.

All the dialogue used makes a huge impact. There is literally no unnecessary dialogue. The spoken word is almost used as a parallel storyline; Ryan’s back story links to her current traumas.

The audio is so detailed and layered. The use of silence is powerful and serene. Ryan’s heartbeat can often be heard in the background. The point-of-view shots include the dampened sounds of collision as though heard from inside the astronaut suit.

Speaking of audio, the soundtrack is incredibly moving – especially in the final scene! RANDOM FACT: Steven Price, who composed for Gravity, also composed for The World’s End.

Structurally, the story keeps you hooked. The count down before the next debris shower from the destroyed satellite near-by, and the suspense as the oxygen depletes… You literally find yourself holding your breath.

The loneliness, desperation, mourning, horror and serenity creates a hugely emotional journey. The point-of-view shots, as mentioned before, just gets you closer to the action.

All my favourite movies are character-orientated and emotional. Juno, Young Adult, About A Boy, Little Miss Sunshine, The Perks of Being A Wallflower.. I could go on! But imagine that character development in a terrifying thriller with a totally original environment.

Intense, stunning and creative. It is definitely worth seeing in 3D.

I loved it!
Jodie’s rating: 9.5/10

The trailer gives away nothing. The storyline is barely touched upon – you’re in for a treat!
I just got chills. Again.

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
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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)