January sees the release of Goon, starring Sean William Scott and directed by Michael Dowse. (more…)

In my review of Drake’s debut album, Thank Me Later, in the summer of 2010; I pinpointed a parallel that could be drawn between the artist in question and Chicago hip-hop revolutionary Common. On Common’s second album, which was released in the Autumn of 1994; the artist weaved together a collection of lyrically pugnacious, challenging, socially aware hip-hop – penning one of greatest allegorical rap songs ever put together in I Used to Love H.E.R. (more…)

After the less than satisfying finale to the original X-Men trilogy and the loathsome Wolverine spin-off in 2009, director Matthew Vaughan – last seen lighting up cinema screens with last year’s excellent Kick Ass – had his work cut out for him to reignite the faltering franchise. Instead of rebooting the series entirely, he has decided to go down the prequel route with the 60s period piece – a first for comic book films? – X-Men: First Class, based loosely on the original comics by Stan Lee in 1963 and the mini series of the same name published in 2006.

Unlike pretty much every X-Men film previously, this one leaves Hugh Jackman’s charmless Wolverine behind and concentrates on the early years and friendship of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnserr (Michael Fassbender) before they gained their infamous titles of Professor X and Magneto respectfully.

Over the course of the story we see them assemble the earliest form of the X-Men with stalwarts such as Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Havoc (Lucas Till) and Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones) and go up against the devious Hellfire Club featuring Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), Emma Frost (January Jones) and Azazel (Jason Flemyng).

First Class certainly sets itself apart from the usual comic book films of recent times, no more so than in its beautifully poised 1960s setting. While being a brilliant, honestly good fun, superhero movie, it also manages to conjure memories of classic James Bond films from the Sean Connery and Roger Moore era. Michael Fassbender’s portrayal of Magneto was very much his own and all the better for it, after having to step into a role made famous by the great Ian McKellen. He was a dark, tragic individual who I almost felt bad for hating by the film’s closing moments. His chemistry with James McAvoy’s Xavier was simply glorious, bringing up some of the more tender and philosophical moments of the film. Neither man could be argued for being right or wrong and if placed in their shoes, which side would you choose…

While X-Men films can be littered with too many characters to mention in one review, I’ll say that the highlights were Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique who was giving probably a more care and attention in this film than she had in the previous trilogy – having a beautiful brother/sister relationship with Xavier, to a schoolgirl crush on Beast, to then being seduced by the ideals of Magneto. Matthew Vaughan also did a clever job of paying tribute to Rebecca Romijn who portrayed the character in the original films.

After having my reservations of his original casting, I particularly enjoyed Nicholas Hoult’s Beast. As oppose to the gentle, sophisticated, creature seen in his later years of the X-Men comics, cartoon and third film, he was never a being comfortable in his own skin – or fur – even when in the presence of fellow mutants. His transformation into his more famous appearance managed to come off like the infamous transformation in An American Werewolf in London.

Other notable mentions include Kevin Bacon’s return to form – and the mainstream – as the sinister Sebastian Shaw, who can take most of the credit for how Magento feels towards mankind, despite being a mutant himself. Rose Byrne did just enough to not be considered just another pretty face in the role of Moira McTaggart, though probably could’ve benefited from having a couple more scenes with McAvoy to make the love story grow a bit on screen. While I’m a huge fan of January Jones in her role of Betty Draper in TV’s Mad Men, she didn’t really do much as Emma Frost to convince me she can play any other character, but considering how Frost is in the comics, it would be unfair to say Jones didn’t pull the character off well. Also look out for a certain cameo involving ‘the man with the claws’. You can’t miss it.

Matthew Vaughan should be praised for turning the franchise into something fun, exciting, light hearted and action packed – especially when looking back, the original films can look so beige in comparison. It was also quite brave, in a huge mainstream blockbuster, for the director to implore the use of subtitles for a large portion of the film’s flashback scenes – including a tense opening in a Nazi concentration camp – and the moments set on foreign soil. It was a gamble that generally paid off and added much needed authenticity. Also the way the story managed to tie itself into the original trilogy’s continuity was pulled off with much more panache and respect, than the disappointing Wolverine film from two years ago.

In a film which did everything in its power to put me off seeing it with the awful marketing strategy and half arsed posters, X-Men: First Class was a bold, fun, action summer blockbuster in the most traditional sense. It’s not only reinvigorated an ageing film franchise, but with some fantastic performances and an exciting, immersing, plot, it’s also managed to become the best film of the series to date. First class indeed…

4.5/5

By Andrew Moore

Directed by Rob Marshall

Well, where to start with this absolute car crash of a movie.  Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides succeeds where the last two sequels failed: I now cannot stand the sight of Captain Jack Sparrow.  The last two films had worn my patience dangerously thin with the Keith Richards inspired buccaneer, but he was still the best thing to be found in two truly terrible films.

To add insult to injury, the BBC showed the first film, Curse Of The Black Pearl, on Sunday and it really hit home just how lazy and complacent everyone involved in the production of the subsequent films have become, Johnny Depp included.  In fairness, it’s not their fault – it’s ours.  If we keep insisting on handing over our hard-earned cash to the cinema every time a lacklustre Pirates sequel hits the box office, then we have no one to blame but ourselves when Pirates Of The Caribbean 12: Jack’s Search For A Colostomy Bag limps its way out of Hollywood and on to our screens.  Basically, what I’m getting at, is that if you go and see this movie, you are never allowed to complain about crappy Hollywood movies again, as it is YOU who are the problem.

Anyways, rant over.  So, why did this film ruffle my feathers so?

The plot is remarkably uninspired: Captain Jack Sparrow returns, this time in search of the fountain of youth, but first there are plenty of opportunities for ludicrous disguises, sword play, and chance meetings with an old flame (Penelope Cruz).  There’s also a lot of Jack Sparrow, as he spends this film being the sole protagonist.  The main problem with this is, in small bursts, Jack can be hilarious, especially backed up by a couple of “straight” characters like Will Turner or Elizabeth, but when he’s left to carry the entire film by himself, there are only so many non sequiturs, flakey hand movements, and intense eye-play expressions you can take before you want to shout instructions at the screen telling Johnny Depp exactly where he can stick his cutlass.

Surely there must be some exciting action set pieces to rescue the movie?  Well, yes there are.  They’re relentless.  Somebody needs to post the producers an explanation of the law of diminishing returns, as after 20 minutes I was so sick to death of seeing Sparrow dicing with danger, buckling and swashing, and camping his way out of situations, I was secretly hoping for the man next to me in the cinema to pull a gun, hold it to my head, and march me out of the theatre, demanding the use of a helicopter and £100,000 in unmarked bills.

About a quarter of the way through the film, Blackbeard (played by Ian McShane) makes his entrance as the captain of the ship Jack has found himself press ganged on to.  He has a sword that allows him to magically control the ship with a wave of his fingers.  This is never explained.  If ever there was an opportunity for a back story, this was it, and it’s never explored.  I have a terrible feeling that a Blackbeard prequel is being demonically conceived in some air-conditioned studio by a team of chimpanzees on a higher salary than I will ever achieve.

Writing a bad review is never a rewarding experience (especially as it usually follows having had to endure the unsatisfying experience of watching a bad film), but with Pirates the experience is even more depressing.  Not only have I had to relive the experience of being trapped in a cinema, sat in front of someone who insisted on chatting throughout the entire movie (at a press screening, no less – the place was packed with kids, none of them made a peep.  Yet the woman behind me couldn’t keep quiet for two minutes), but I’m under no illusions that no matter what anyone says about this film, it’s going to be huge.  If it wasn’t for internet ticket booking, people would be queuing around the block to watch it.

So, please don’t encourage them.  Go and watch something else.  Please.  They’ll only keep making more if you don’t.

1/5

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is released nationwide on 18th May 2011.

Title: THE WAY BACK
Running time: 128 minutes
RRP (DVD): £19.99
RRP (Blu-ray): £24.99
Ratio: 2.35:1 (16×9)
Certificate: 12
Subtitles: English
Special features: ‘Making of’ featurette,Cast and crew interviews
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong.

Directed by Peter Weir

The story is told through the eyes of Polish prisoner Janusz (Sturgess) as he finds himself thrown into a Siberian Gulag on the testimony of his wife, obtained under torture by Stalin’s men. Sentenced to 20 years he is thrown into a world of turmoil and pain. A world where kindness can kill.

A small group of prisoners, out of desperation and necessity, band together to make their escape. Little do they know that Communism will be harder to escape than they think and that beyond the 1000 miles of Siberian wilderness is another 3000 miles to freedom.

As they battle through beautiful desolation they traverse the harshest terrain on the planet facing certain death with every step. It is only after they are joined by innocent waif Irena (Ronan) that the humanity lost in the harsh prison world is slowly reawakened.

The Way Back is a visually stunning film as Director of Photography Russell Boyd takes us from icy Siberian Wilderness through snowy forest, empty desert and eventually to the Himalayas. The scenery is as engaging as the story, reflecting the desperation in the characters with the sparsity of features. The conflicting colours of each terrain changes along with the character of each of the men as they fight for survival against the elements. The Siberian landscape is a dark and empty world for dark and empty hearts as the men retain the ethos of prison life  Colours brighten as they slowly start to rely on each other when they have spent so long living with no-one to rely on but themselves.

The outstanding ensemble cast, led by the infallible Ed Harris, keep the story grounded with the emmense combined talent on show here. Harris is Mr Smith, the inevitable gruff loner who trusts no-one. As usual there is a heart there to be found, especially when they are joined by Irena, played by the fantastic Saoirse Ronan taking another step on her meteoric rise to fame. Ronan and Harris easily portray two lost souls who form an uneasy friendship in adversity. Mark Strong makes a short but memorable appearence as Khabarov, Janusz’s first friend in the Gulag. He (Strong) plays this with the usual menacing and untrustworthy undertone that always leaves you questioning his integrity. Unfortunately the weak link in the cast is Colin Farrell who plays career criminal Valka. His acting here harks back more to ‘Bullseye’ in Daredevil, a role any Farrell fan would surely wish to forget. This is only compounded further by a rather half hearted story arc that tries to soften his harsh exterior at times but to no real effect.

The stand out performance of the film is definately Sturgess. With the combination of innocence and a forced and de facto leadership role placed upon him by the group, he is able to show a great range of talent as the conflict inside is evident throughout. It is, through every beat, his story and he lives up to it with fantastic emotion often seen in a fleeting glance or moment of weakness. While Saoirse is a very talented actress it is Sturgess who comes out as the rising star of the film and is certainly a young man with a very bright future ahead of him.

Director Peter Weir does a great job combining the scale of the surroundings with a rather intimate story about perserverance and the determination of man. The only problem is that at times, in order to move the story on, it becomes a little flitting with quick cuts from explanation of a plan to the men after completing the plan without showing the actions that got them there. I understand that he has 4000 miles to cover in a little over two hours but it takes away some of the urgency of the characters plight.

The Way Back is a beautifully shot and thoroughly entertaining film that is definately worth a watch.

The Way Back is out on DVD and Blu-Ray on 9th May.

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Chris Writes

Twitter: @Chris__Writes

Website: www.chriswrites.net

Visionary director Luc Besson branches out into family entertainment. Besson is most famous for ‘Nikita’ and ‘The Fifth Element’, both thrillers of exceptionally good standards. Seeing him take on the task of adapting the Jacques Tardi’s cult French comic series is definitely a fantastic treat. A wonderful mix somewhere between the curiosity of ‘Amele’, the adventure of ‘The Mummy’ and the unique humour of ‘Persepolis’ is this amazing family feature.

Adèle Blanc-Sec is a well known travel writer, famous for her expeditions to the far corners of the world where she always get herself into sticky situations. Exotic and daring tales need told and Adèle succeeds in pleasing her readers every time. Bold and forward, Adèle is not the typical lady of the early 20th Century and her charms and wit make her as endearing as her adventures. Her fame travels almost as far as she does, so it’s no surprise that admirers and enemies abound.

After a serious accident involving her dearly beloved sister, Adèle becomes obsessed with a scientist who wields a mysterious power. Said reclusive genius has unlocked the secrets of reanimating mummified remains and thus literally holds the key to life itself and hopfully the cure for her sister. As Adèle travels to Egypt to uncover the mummy of King Tut’s personal doctor, an ancient egg has hatched and is causing havoc back in peaceful Paris.

The set designs are as beautiful as the post World War 1 costume, setting the pace for a stunning period adventure. Overall, highly entertaining and very lush to look at, Luc Besson has cleverly created a piece of such a standard that it should please all. From the discerning cinephile to the casual cinema attendee, there’s plenty to draw in the crowds. Don’t let the French language with English subtitles idea put you off, as the misleading trailer might suggest. Fresh and light-hearted, it’ll have you chuckling away and holding your breath, and all in one scene, how many films can boast that rate of enjoyment? ‘Adèle Blanc-Sec’ is surely the best film on release this Easter holiday season.

Brought to you by the director of ‘Twilight’ Catherine Hardwicke, there’s definitely a teenage girl draw in the narrative. Not to give away too much, but torn between the man to whom she is betrothed and the man she loves, Valerie finds herself in a similar triangle of love interest as Bella in the ‘Twilight’ saga. This is played on and drawn out to fill the huge gap that would be otherwise present in the plot. Seemingly this is the only way that Hardwicke felt it was okay to tackle a reimagining of the Brothers Grimm classic fairytale. If you’re a fan of ‘Twilight’ then it’ll definitely put a lot of ticks in the narrative satisfaction box. Of course, there’s the eye candy element amplified to appeal for that simple reason.

For those who are looking for a new werewolf flick, then you might be disappointed. Unfortunately it’s hard to mention alongside such werewolf classics as’An American Werewolf in Paris’ and ‘The Company of Wolves’. There’s no big CGI budget and nor is there that one scene that can make or break a werewolf film. It’s distinctly lacking in the expected, but just when you might question whether it’s even a werewolf film it jumps out at you with the same clever twists.

As far as intelligent adaptations go, it’s a pretty fair attempt. Not quite holding its own up against red riding hood, fans of ‘The Village’ and ‘Hard Candy’ will find it a little bland. Similar to ‘The Village’ it’s an odd tale about a small medieval community in a mountainous region, who are haunted by a blood thirsty werewolf. Falling prey to the wolf’s whims for centuries, the residents live in fear and when the regular blood moon truce is broken, things start getting hairy. Singled out and hunted down, Valerie learns that she is the one that the wolf desires. So begins a rather deadly game of who’s who. With one key identifier Valerie must crack the code and expose the wolf to save her village.

Gary Oldman plays the knowledgeable expert Father Solomon who rides into town just in time. Bringing with him armed soldiers and strange ideals, he offers a challenge to the wolf. Quickly taking control of the village and turning it into a fort ready for battle, the attacks come thick and fast as the plot peaks. Mostly a thriller, it takes the horror out of the werewolf film and focuses on becoming a fast paced guessing game.

As far as sets go, it’s well set up and creatively structured. Clearly letting Hardwicke place her mark on her work and making her style unmistakable. Sticking to long shots of dense forests, good costumes and intimate moments of personal affections, it’s not too far off the ‘Twilight’ typical standards. As far as the fairytale element stretches, there are no magical overtones. It’s a human driven plot that like the original dark tale, tells more about community structure. Trust being the key theme, lots can be read into the weave and bob of the guessing and this is something the audience can whole heartedly get stuck into. Still enjoyable as the guessing game unfolds, there’s enough plot to keep you on your toes until the big reveal. Probably not for werewolf film fans, but a really good fairytale adaptation that will speak to younger audiences. Nothing new otherwise.