Top 10 Movie Tips for 2010

As we turn away from 2009 with a grateful tear in our eye, we find ourselves immediately swept into the loving arms of 2010. Any reluctance instantly melts at the sight of the incredible cinematic treats which await us. Here are ten of the best, a bit about what makes them so great and when we can expect to receive them... Happy New Year indeed.

1. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (27th August)

Bryan Lee O'Malley's original graphic novels are a source of infinite wonder and joy. Titular hero Scott Pilgrim must do battle with seven evil ex-boyfriends in order to win the heart of his elusive dream girl Ramona Flowers. It's a unique fusion of computer game/indie band pop culture with inventive action, dry wit and sincere romance. If directing prodigy Edgar Wright can find a way to translate the striking look and mesmerising wackiness from page to screen, then this could be the next big thing you're obsessed with.

2. Twilight Saga: Eclipse (30th June US/9th July UK)

If you have a girlfriend, a sister, or are in fact a girl... then you will watch this at least three times this summer. Robert Pattinson's face and Taylor Lautner's abs continue to fight for Kristen Stewart's love, in a doomed effort to make her smile. A higher quota of vampire and werewolf fighting should make it just about acceptable for guys to sneak into cinemas full of swooning girls. Expect 'I like Twilight' to soon replace 'I Love You' as the phrase most women want to hear.

3. Toy Story 3 (18th June US/23rd July UK)

Returning to their flagship franchise Pixar simply cannot fail to make another hit. In contrast to Disney's embarrassing trend towards appalling straight-to-DVD sequels, it's nice to see Buzz and Woody back on the big screen. Hopefully polished visuals and fancy 3D will also be accompanied by a script which equals the multi-layered magnificence of its predecessors.

4. Alice in Wonderland (5th March)

A potentially perfect marriage of subject matter and director, Tim Burton takes us down the rabbit hole for Lewis Carrol's dark children's fantasy. His trademark Gothic visuals and the presence of Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter guarantees it will at least be interesting to look at and a bit odd.

5. Tron Legacy (17th December)

The 80's original pioneered CGI and its iconic neon style still has an enduring magical charm. This overdue and somewhat unexpected sequel should be a delightful success, provided it doesn't try to hard to update the 'futuristic' look of the first film and keeps its retro fan-base happy.

6. The A-Team (11th June US/30 July UK)

This continues the pattern of risk adverse Hollywood studios plundering the goldmine of 1980's television for proven winners in the absence of fresh ideas. Apparently 1990 was the last time anyone thought of something cool that didn't involve vampires. Interesting to see how the A-team works without Mr T. Perhaps he was too busy pimping snacks and 'World of Warcraft' to pity any more fools. But with a the right plot, good natured mercenaries who own a van could become very popular again.

7. Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (10th December)

'Prince Caspian' was exponentially better than 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe', thanks to its maturing cast finally being capable of credible action scenes. Its plot was also less reliant on painfully heavy handed religious metaphors. 'Voyage of the Dawn Treader' always seemed to be the most popular of the books and TV series, perhaps because it explored the world of Narnia at it's most fantastical. Dragons, dwarfs, mermaids and a mouse knight voiced by a former transvestite comedian (Eddy Izzard) should make it an interesting adventure.

8. Iron Man 2 (7th May)

Looks set to follow in the proud footsteps of 'Spiderman 2' and 'Dark Knight' as a superhero sequel which is both bigger and better than a promising first outing. Robert Downey Jr is a perfect fit for Tony Stark, the billionaire playboy who dons a flashy suit to become Iron Man. He's captured just the right mix of playful arrogance and troubled intensity. Mickey Rourke's thuggish Russian villain, Scarlett Johansson in a catsuit and actions sequences pushed to the next level could make this brilliant.

9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I (19th November)

Harry, Hermione and Ron (*the world's most popular ginger) begin their final battle against the evil lord Voldemort, as the franchise grows darker and increasingly watchable. Although most of the satisfying resolutions will be saved for the climactic second part, this penultimate instalment of boy wizardry should still be essential box office magic.

10. The Beaver (release date unknown)

Watch Mel Gibson try to make you forget everything you wish you didn't know about him through the power of laughter, in this black comedy about a Toy company CEO who has a breakdown and starts letting out his inner angst though a talking beaver puppet. It's directed by Jodie Foster with a script rumoured to have been one of the best still on the market. Could be a major step towards public rehabilitation for Gibson, assuming you forgive him enough to buy a ticket.

Finally, Look out for.... Anna Kendrick.

The young Twilight actress is THE next big thing. Her performance in 'Up in the Air' has already brought her well deserved awards and countless nominations. She should soon find her self in the running for a best supporting actress Oscar. Expect her to be a household name by the time 'Up in the Air' reaches DVD. She's already finished filming Eclipse and Scott Pilgrim... keep an eye on her, greatness beckons.

Harry Potter World Premiere

After a painfully long two year wait, the world’s most famous boy wizard returned to Leicester Square for the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Witches, wizards and Rupert Grint obsessed fangirls swarmed together in their thousands to celebrate the long delayed release of the sixth movie. Fans started camping out over 30 hours before the premiere to secure a front row spot to meet their beloved heroes and villains. It was hard to spot a muggle anywhere in the square.

Unfortunately dark magic worthy of he who shall not be named was most certainly at work on the weather. Mere moments before the cast arrived so did torrential rain and hailstones as big as a golden snitch. An hour of the most appalling weather imaginable proved too much for a small number of distraught fans, who gave up after days of waiting. It’s hard to blame them for being unprepared for such adversity in the middle of July. Those that remained kept their spirits up by singing Monty Python’s whimsical ballad ‘Always look on the bright side of life’. It’s a compelling testament to the devotion of fans that most toughed it out and were still waiting eagerly when the damp stars finally emerged.

The determination of fans was ultimately rewarded, as all of the film’s stars made special efforts to acknowledge their support. A half-drowned Daniel Radcliffe was predictably the main attraction. He’s the boy who lived and the boy everyone wants to meet. However his co-stars Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Evanna Lynch and Alan Rickman were greeted with equal adoration as they signed autographs and posed for pictures with the rain drenched crowds. Those fans were clearly also especially delighted to see that Rupert Grint had made a full recovery from his recent case of swine flu. In spite of the weather, he wore his usual cheeky grin. Some fans even got the rare chance to meet the actual author of their obsession, J.K. Rowling herself.

The films astonishing box office success is unsurprising given that ‘Pottermania‘ shows no sign of diminishing. After the fourth biggest opening day box office of all time, the film took a solid $78 million in its opening weekend in America. The film has brought in over $ 437 million worldwide to date. That’s an awful lot of muggle money for the goblins in the Warner Bros accounts department to play with. It’s also a figure set to rise as the film lingers in cinemas for many weeks to come. It’s hard to imagine what levels of hysteria and riches will greet the release of the final two films. We can only hope that it will at least stay dry...

For those who couldn’t make it or who want to relive the experience, enjoy the gallery of pictures and some video links below...

Daniel Radcliffe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeFOQCK8VAc&feature=channel

Emma Watson:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU1rEm--cUI&feature=channel_page

Rupert Grint:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNov1IRhvS8&feature=channel

Valkyrie

Tom Cruise used to be a universally adored global superstar. He was Hollywood’s golden leading man. Unfortunately, in recent years that image has been tarnished by bizarre behaviour and his highly publicised association with the Church of Scientology. Perhaps in an effort to recapture his former popularity, Cruise’s latest film finds him fighting against the most despised of all history’s evils, the Nazis.

Directed by ‘X-men’ and ‘the Usual Suspects’ wonder-kid Bryan Singer, ‘Valkyrie’ is a film about the last of many attempts by Germans to assassinate Adolf Hitler during World War II. It’s an important story to be told, but one rarely seen on American screens. It’s too often forgotten that even at the height of Hitler’s power there were many German people who risked and ultimately gave their lives fighting against him. Whether or not it’s a subject more suited to documentary than dramatisation is a matter of debate.

Cruise remains a compelling leading man and he’s surrounded here by a cast of skilled (mostly British) character actors. However, even this laudable ensemble cast can’t breathe tension into a film which is fundamentally misconceived as a suspense thriller. The problem is that anyone with the most basic knowledge of world history knows that Hitler was not assassinated. With absolute historic certainty we know that their plans must fail. ‘Will they, won’t they’ excitement is instead replaced by a grim inevitability which makes the film difficult to watch at times. As an audience it’s hard to allow yourself to emotionally invest in characters doomed to failure and death.

‘Valkyrie’ is lucky to be able to rely on actors like Bill Nighy , Tom Wilkinson and Cruise to bring a credible intensity to its drama. It won’t bother global audiences, but British viewers may find it a little odd to see former transvestite comedian Eddy Izzard manning Hitler’s telephone switchboard. However, having worked to established himself as actor for some time, it’s easier to accept him amongst a sombre cast than you may think. Bryan Singer could not have hoped for a better collection of acting talent to demand respect and attention from an audience.

Playing Colonel Claus Von Stauffenberg in ‘Valkyrie’ was actually a brave and surprising choice for Tom Cruise. His personal life may have affected audiences’ willingness to accept him as a hero, but this role is a very different type of challenge. From the Indiana Jones trilogy to Tarantino’s latest film ‘Inglourious Basterds’ , Nazi Germany has been relentlessly and justifiably demonized on the big screen. Portraying these German officers as men capable of honour and compassion sits a little uncomfortably with the reassuringly simple depiction of evil we’re used to. It’s simply impossible to see a man in a Nazi Uniform and ignore the horrific legacy it represents to mankind. This is yet another major hurdle to the film’s success.

There is a clear limit to how entertaining a film about such serious and tragic subject matter can be. However, any attempt to glamorize the story to fit the usual Hollywood action movie stereotypes would have been unwise. The film can’t hide from ugly truths and harsh realities, but at least it can aspire to educate its audience about them. Having taken $200 million at the box office it appears audiences do have an appetite for such an education. ‘Valkyrie’ is out on DVD and Blu-Ray now for those that still do...

Meeting Guillermo Del Toro

Guillermo Del Toro is one of my favourite things in the entire world. Just uttering his name is enough to bring me exquisite joy. For those unfamiliar with his greatness, he is the writer and director responsible for critically acclaimed and visually magnificent films such as ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ and ‘Hellboy II: the Golden Army’. Currently he’s on a whirlwind world tour to promote the new vampire novel ‘The Strain’, which he co-authored with horror writer Chuck Hogan. It’s the first in a trilogy of books and its release has provided a rare opportunity for devoted fans to meet their hero.

Having graduated from inventive low budget horror movies to Hollywood blockbusters, Del Toro’s talents are now in fierce demand. His next project is a two part big screen adaptation of J.R.R.Tolkien’s epic fantasy masterpiece ‘the Hobbit’. So for the next four years Guillermo will be living in the distant realm of Middle Earth (formerly known as New Zealand). In a recent interview he remarked that "Contributing to the 'Lord of the Rings' legacy is an absolute dream come true.” This is a sentiment shared by many fans who wisely regard him as the perfect choice for the daunting project.

There are many reasons why I love Guillermo and you should too...

His voice is like a warm Mexican blanket. It’s the kind of voice you could get lost in and wander around happily for several days. But this isn’t the only reason for listening to him. His DVD commentary tracks are master classes in literature, pop culture and the art of making cinema. Del Toro has an astounding imagination as a writer. Pulp novels, comic books, fairytales and mythology are all part of his rich heritage of influences. Del Toro’s own unique vision, combines fantastical beauty and horror, with subtle human melodrama.

Visually his films are strongly influenced by iconic artists such as Jack Kirby and Ray Harryhausen. Del Toro’s films often combine kinetic comic book action with his own lifelong fascination for monsters. Mechanical Nazis, indestructible golden armies, fairies and a seven foot red demon detective are just some of the dazzling creatures to inhabit Guillermo’s worlds. He prefers the ‘old fashioned’ magic of prosthetics and puppetry to the shiny false gods of CGI. This makes his most absurd and wonderful creations even more real and tactile.

One of Del Toro’s most admirable traits is his self-proclaimed desire to make the films that he would want to see as a fan. His unashamed passion for the things that he loves is inspiring to hear and evident on screen in all his work. In person he is warm, jovial and as excited by what he creates as any of his admirers. Knowing of his enthusiasm for mechanical toys, I gave him a book about it. I also gave him some clotted cream (his secret obsession). I hope he enjoys them as much as I have enjoyed endlessly re-watching Hellboy II.

They say that you should never meet your heroes, because they’ll only disappoint you. However, for me, meeting Guillermo was a profound pleasure and a privilege. I can now happily confirm that he doesn’t just look like a friendly bear, he hugs like one too...

Link below to video of Guillermo at the launch of ‘the Strain’. (Our special moment at 2.55).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_fYM3EO6Zc&feature=channel_page

‘The Strain’ is available in stores now, ‘the Hobbit’ won’t be finished for several years yet, but WILL be worth the wait...

MTV Movie Awards 2009

The MTV Movie Awards is a bit like the Oscars naughty cousin. It’s less dignified and respectable, but much more popular and playfully tongue in cheek. It’s a celebration of what’s ‘big’, but not necessarily what’s ‘clever’. As each year, an eclectic mix of celebs swarm together for a night of silliness, music and movie parodies.

Tonight, the Emo revolution took another worrying step toward global domination, as Twilight won everything in the world. Robert Pattinson won best male breakthrough performance and the undying love of your moody teenage sister. It must be fun to be dreamy. Twilight also won best fight, best female performance, best film and the infamous best kiss award. Slumdog Millionaire was this year’s big star at the Oscars, but it left empty handed, wondering why it didn’t have more hot vampires in it.

Elsewhere, Zac Efron and Ashley Tisdale both picked up awards for their wholesome musical efforts in High School Musical 3. (Yes, they did make three of them... no, don’t worry, it probably won’t happen again). Heath Ledger won yet another posthumous prize for his best villain performance as the Dark Knight’s Joker. Hannah Montana and/or Mylie Cyrus (which one’s real again...?) won for best song. Jim Carrey picked up an award to prove he’s still got some funny left in him, while the nights semi-prestigious ‘MTV Generation Award’ went to Ben Stiller. There were even some glimpses of the new Harry Potter and Transformers movies for anyone who bothered to watch the whole thing live.

The MTV award shows consistently produces landmark pop culture moments. It usually involves Britney Spears making out with aging pop queens, dancing with snakes, or self destructing. This year, it was Eminem getting an unwelcome face full of Sacha Baron Cohen’s crotch. Dressed in a thong and angel wings, Cohen was making his way to the stage on a high wire when he ’accidentally’ plummeted upside down into the rap star's lap. It seems to be widely accepted that he was in on the joke, but I’m just not sure why anyone would volunteer for such public humiliation. I will say this; Eminem’s expression was not one of a man pleased to see buttocks.

Pictures and links to the video below check it out and make up your own mind....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8076898.stm

Twilight Premiere footage below for anyone who enjoys screaming and Robert Pattinson's face...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcuCWkGyyrY&feature=channel_page

Bafta TV Craft Awards 2009

The Bafta TV Craft Awards are the annual celebration of those responsible for the magic behind the scenes of the best British shows on TV. Familiar faces from in front of the camera spend one glamorous night applauding the talented technicians, writers and directors who make their enviable lives possible. This year’s ceremony was held at the luxurious London Hilton. A place so fancy it should probably come with a free top hat and monocle. Crystal chandeliers drip from every ceiling, staircases sweep in all directions and there’s opulence in the air.

The surroundings add a sense of grandeur to what is otherwise a pleasantly low key affair. Unlike the televised spectacle of the acting awards, tonight is more about industry acclaim than public praise. The guests and nominees don’t seem to mind the lack of media glare. They’re mostly just happy for the rare chance to escape their editing suites and sound stages. Wearing big grins and black tie, they pour into the hall, in search of free drinks and a moment of glory.

In the press room, impatient journalists glance at the winners list, spoiling any surprises. It feels like peeking at someone else’s Christmas presents. Eventually back in the hall, the lights dim, the speeches start and the long evening grinds into life.

The rumbling thunder of noisy applause means that we no longer have nervous hopefuls; we’ve now got genuine winners. They arrive backstage dazed, delighted and burdened with heavy gold. Between the photos and interviews, their frantic phone calls spread the good news to absent family and friends. There are a few more proud mothers out there in the real world tonight. Those mums would certainly want me to tell you who won, so here’s the way it went...

Kenneth Branagh’s Scandinavian detective drama Wallander picked up three more awards to add to its recent best drama win. Doctor Who finally picked up a well deserved award for visual effects. Peter Moffat won best writer for his dramatic exploration of the British justice system in ‘Criminal Justice’. Rowan Joffe won best director for fact based drama ‘The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall’. The BBC was also rewarded for their brave but welcome choice to advertise the Olympics with cartoon monkeys.

Aardman Animation studio received this year’s special award, for decades of joyous creations, such as Wallace and Gromit, Creature Comforts and Chicken Run. The founders of Aardman announce that not only have they got more stop-motion magic on the way, but that they’re also working on a feature length foray into CGI. Pixar, consider yourself warned.

I was lucky enough to chat to Jason Isaacs. He’s Harry Potter villain Lucius Malfoy and the walking epitome of charm. News sure to please Potter fans is that for the first time he’s going to be making an appearance on the red carpet for the forthcoming Half Blood Prince premiere. We can only hope he escapes the clutches of screaming fans in time to finish making the last film. Good luck Jason, I recommend a big stick.

I managed to get my hands on an award before the ceremony started. In accordance with the well known legal principle of ‘finders keepers’, I think that makes it mine. Unfortunately, security was not familiar with the concept. Perhaps one day the Academy will rectify this cruel injustice...

Link below to the chat with Jason Isaacs, prepare to be swept away on a tsunami of charm..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTWLH-rS2rw

Aardman Animation founders chat about the future and job opportunities for budding animators..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlTQEUjI0UE

The Spirit

Frank Miller is a notorious comicbook artist whose work is characterised by stark visuals and a flare for ultra-violence. It was only a matter of time before Hollywood began to plunder his back catalogue of creations. ‘300’, ‘Sin City’ and even the gritty tone of ‘the Dark Knight’ were all ripped from Miller’s pages. They transferred easily to the cinema, with devastating box office success. Confident, Hollywood turned to Miller to adapt Will Eisner’s cult comic ‘the Spirit’ into their next big hit. He failed miserably.

The Spirit is an immortal masked avenger who spends his nights prowling the roofs of his crime ridden city, looking for wrongs to right and dames to rescue. At every turn he faces his nemesis, a diabolical crime-lord known as ‘the Octopus’. So far so good (and so Batman), but unfortunately here’s where the fun stops. The film isn’t just bad, more unforgivable than that, it’s dull.

In two dimensions, the comics at least had a quirky charm, but this is obliterated by the transfer to the big screen. The sight of our stoic hero actually skipping along the tops of buildings is unavoidably ridiculous. The film’s plot is equally absurd and features a worrying mix of pseudo-science and ancient Greek mythology. Is our hero a ghost, a god or just a man? Only one thing is certain, after twenty minutes you’ll have given up even trying to care.

Much of the blame lies with the film’s appallingly mundane leading man Gabriel Macht. His monotone monologues gradually gnaw the fun out of all the films cartoonish visuals. Supposedly smart one-liner s, are left ruined by an agonisingly wooden delivery. Miller’s decades of making comics has clearly left him ill equipped to direct real people. Perhaps he had aspirations of turning bad acting into some form of parody, but the film’s just not clever or subtle enough to be satire.

It’s tragic to see someone as emphatically cool as Samuel L. Jackson trapped in such a monumentally mediocre film. He might be the only man alive who can make Kangol hats and tartan trousers look stylish, but even he can’t save this mess. Though at least for his sake, he looks like he had fun trying. It’s also a pity to see the smouldering efforts of Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes and a whole host of dangerous damsels go to waste. Poor little vixens.

‘The Spirit’ feels like it should have been made 20 years ago, in the dark ages when comicbook movies were just embarrassing and silly. Back then, superhero movies were like pornography; their awful acting and camp innuendo was a guilty pleasure, only to be enjoyed in private. It's sad to see them reduced to this yet again.

‘The Spirit’ is out on DVD and Blu-ray now, but if you buy it then they’ll never learn...

The London Expo

Its 9am on a sunny Saturday morning and a large army has descended on the Excel centre in London. Some of them have guns, others giant swords and quite a few of them appear to be ninjas. But I’m not panicking. Why not?... partly because I’m a hero (and heroes don’t cry), but mostly because it’s just the London Expo.

Expo is heaven (albeit a crowded one) for fans of Movies, TV, Anime and Manga. It features countless stalls selling toys, t-shirts, DVDs and all manner of nerdish delights. There’s also a few famous faces signing autographs and posing for pictures too. This year’s guest stars were a varied bunch; they included John Connor’s gun totting mother form the Terminator movies (Linda Hamilton), that evil looking bunny from Donnie Darko (James Duval) and a Hollywood acting legend who used to date Marilyn Monroe (Tony Curtis).

This eclectic gathering of stars should be the big lure for the crowds, but it’s not. An increasing number of people flock to Expo for one reason, it isn’t celebrities or shopping, it’s Cosplay. The opportunity to gawk at someone in ill advised spandex, wielding a Styrofoam sword while wearing a head made of papier-mâché. Impressive, beautiful, shocking or bizarre... pick an adjective and you’re guaranteed to bump into it walking around the Expo. A bearded man dressed as a Japanese schoolgirl is like a roadcrash, it’s horrifying, yet difficult to avert your eyes. Thankfully, some of the costumes are more alluring and amusing. Each year the costumes get more elaborate and numerous; once a minor oddity, they have become a principle attraction.

The term ‘Cosplay’ was first used by a man called Nov Takahashi to describe behavior he witnessed in L.A. in the 1980’s at the Sci-Fi Worldcon. Japanese language has a penchant for combing separate words to make one really cool one, in this particular case, Costume and Role-play. It’s more than just fancy dress, as ardent fans compete to recreate the look of their favorite characters in intricate detail. Popularized in Japan (the place where crazy trends go to become national pastimes) Cosplay has long been a part of the American convention scene too. Judging from this year’s Expo, we’re catching up in some style....

If you want to see what you missed or just relive the magic/ordeal then check out the gallery of this year’s heroes, villains and weird looking furry things.

UPDATE - Video links now below...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmhKizGIOQY&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAbAkbDYOYw&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBInbOo30ic&feature=channel

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

After the X-men trilogy made over a billion dollars it was a commercial inevitability that Wolverine, the series most popular brooding hero, would return. This film is the first of three planned solo outings, plotting the years of Wolverine's life before he joined Professor Xavier's team of X-Men. ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’, shows us just how Wolverine got his indestructible adamantium skeleton and those famous claws. It also reveals his bitter rivalry with his ferocious half-brother Victor (aka Sabertooth) and the tragedy of his doomed first love.

In the comics, Wolverine’s exact origins were an elusive secret for a long time. In a way, revealing the character’s back-story in such explicit detail does rob him of much of his aura of mystery. Arguably Wolverine is a more intriguing character as a man haunted by a terrible forgotten past. In particular, the introduction of an obligatory love story, feels more like a plot device rather than a genuine emotional connection between the characters. The film’s attempts complicate Wolverine and his origins don’t match the simple animal rage that epitomised his best comicbook incarnations. The film isn’t convincingly dramatic or mindlessly entertaining; but what else is worth watching?

The innate problem with any prequel is that we already know what’s going to happen. It’s all but impossible to generate suspense when we know with absolute certainty who’s going to live and die. Added to the fact that Wolverine is already almost impervious to physical harm, this leaves all the film’s earnest action deprived of danger. Another major challenge for this film is that it has to maintain continuity with all the existing X-men movies. This severely limits the plot, which at times seems contrived and painfully predictable. It's certainly not helpful that X-Men 2 already dwelt heavily on Wolverine’s murky past. Most of the film's supposed revelations will feel overly familiar to anyone with a basic knowledge of the character.

The film draws heavily on the endlessly vast universe of popular characters from Marvel comics for its supporting cast. However, the rapid parade of fan favourites looks like a cynical ploy to widen the appeal of the film as much as possible. The huge potential of characters like Gambit and Deadpool is wastefully squandered on a handful of scenes and a few glib lines. It’s pretty clear, the only reason they’re really here is to test the waters of audience interest before these characters get their own spin-offs. The fact that the studio announced that Ryan Reynolds's Deadpool was getting his own movie, within weeks of Wolverine's opening, seems to confirm these suspicions.

Although the film’s visual effects are without fault, the high standards set by the previous X-men trilogy leaves little room for it to distinguish itself. The spectacular has become so commonplace that it’s now impossible to overwhelm an audience’s good sense with some CGI and a few explosions. Hugh Jackman convincingly captures Wolverine’s iconic feral look yet again, but his surly charms are nowhere near enough to save an uninspired script. Pruning away the ensemble cast of the X-men trilogy was supposed to be a good thing. However, the weight of credibility which actors like Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen lend to a film can’t be underestimated. Liev Schreiber is an effectively menacing presence as Victor, but the film generally lacks performances of substances. Good actors fight a desperate losing battle against shallow writing, armed with only limited screentime. The film’s casting was adept; unfortunately almost every other aspect of the production falls disappointingly flat.

Marvel has already announced production on a further five movies in the X-men franchise. Only time will tell if these efforts will repay the faith of comic fans or further disappoint them. Of course you’ll still watch Wolverine, but you probably won’t like it much. Let’s just hope they find a proper script and some real claws for the sequels, because we both know, you’ll end up watching those too.

Star Trek

When I arrived at the cinema I was sweating. It wasn’t excitement. I’d been running. I wanted to make it to the early showing, because Star Trek draws a big crowd. I had moved with haste, but had modest expectations for the film that awaited me. For all its series and many movies, Star Trek had always disappointed me. Star Trek felt like quite a dull and sterile view of the future. It was a place where phasers were mostly set on stun and everything looked too shiny and brand new; like it had all just come out of the props department. It was also less spiritual than the Star Wars Trilogy; with no force, no dark side, just a lot of talking about particle physics. It’s impressive that with a film so faithful to its original inspiration director J.J. Abrams has still managed to change almost everything about Star Trek.

From the opening moments it’s clear that Abrams has introduced some much needed blood and danger into the supposedly ‘safe’ world of Star Trek. Ships explode, people die and are sucked into the silent crushing void of space. For the first time I truly felt the utter urgency and peril which such adventures should merit. For a while, big screen re-imaginings of old franchises had tended toward camp parody. They sacrificed convincing drama in favour of the lowbrow appeal of kitsch comedy. Now, studios finally seem convinced that there is an even greater box office appetite for dark realism. As a result ‘Star Trek’ is one of the best crafted summer blockbusters in some time.

When an alien race bent on revenge and the destruction of the peacekeeping federation of planets inadvertently travel back in time, it has a profound impact on those destined to crew the U.S.S. Enterprise and threatens the lives of billions. Though concepts of time travel and alternative realities may sound off-putting, this is just a necessary way of ensuring that the re-born franchise can stand alone from all the previous series and movies. It simply means forget what you think you know about Star Trek, because this is something new. The film is essentially an epic origin story, propelled at a blistering pace with relentless action and light flashes of humour.

The difficult challenge of re-casting the familiar crew of the USS Enterprise has been met with more success than fans could have dared hope for. The film’s fresh faced cast treads the fine line between impersonation and re-invention almost perfectly. Instead of A-list stars, the studio has wisely chosen emerging talents who bear a remarkable physical resemblance to the old crew. Their performances re-discover all the drama and humour of these characters, with little amiss to anger old fans.

Leading by example, Chris Pine captures the precise mix of arrogance and boyish charm that epitomises Captain James T. Kirk. Getting this role right was absolutely critical if the film was to succeed and win fan approval. William Shatner is a very tough act to follow, but as with many things, the film gets it absolutely right. Zachary Quinto looks and sounds convincingly like a young Leonard Nimoy, as logical Vulcan Spok, complete with those iconic pointy ears. His bickering tension with the impulsive young Kirk is well played and destined to become a powerful friendship. Karl Urban is also particularly impressive as Dr ‘Bones’ McCoy, the ships likeably cantankerous medic. Simon Pegg pulls off a difficult accent as miracle working engineer Scotty; while navigator Chekov’s lifelong struggles to pronounce the letter ‘v’ continues with amusing effect. Perhaps the only character to get a slight re-vamp is communications officer Uhura, who proves a more alluring love interest than you may remember.

For long time fans there are plenty of in-jokes and nods to the previous films and TV series to enjoy. Some references are more subtle than others, but none of them distract from the stunning success of this movie in its own right. Over the last few years many blockbusters have proved to be overhyped disappointments; devoid of emotion and fatally contaminated with bad CGI. However, ‘Star Trek’ fully delivers on its promise of entertaining adventure. The film’s action has compelling momentum and its characters have credible substance. It’s quite frankly rare to see a major summer release so unblemished by the typical failings of Hollywood.

As I leave the cinema, I see an almost endless line of people impatiently queuing outside. I ask someone what they're waiting for. Star Trek is the obvious reply. To boldly go?...the answer is yes. Warp Speed Mr Sulu!

Monsters vs. Aliens

DreamWorks animation studios can claim credit for Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and the phenomenally lucrative Shrek franchise. Despite having persistently lagged behind Pixar in animation techniques and Oscar acclaim, DreamWorks’ bright, unashamedly childish efforts have brought them inconceivably vast box office success. Shrek 2 is the 10th highest grossing film of all time and made $919.8 million at the cinema alone. The DVD and Shrek 2 merchandise are estimated to be worth a further $800 million. Just one film about a green ogre with a suspiciously Scottish accent made DreamWorks nearly $2 billion. No wonder they’re starting production on Shrek Goes Forth with greedy haste. But first they aim to take a technical leap past Pixar with Monsters vs. Aliens in 3D.

You have to admire the cheerful simplicity of any title which manages to capture a film's plot and playful spirit in just three words. When aliens attack Earth, a desperate President turns to a crackpot general W.R. Monger and his ragtag team of monsters to save the day. The monsters and their foes of robots and alien clones are all joyously ripped straight from classic sci-fi B movies. The prospect of watching them duke it out for the fate of the planet is appealingly silly and unpretentious.

Like most of DreamWorks’ efforts, the film’s vocal cast sparkles with unquestionable A-List calibre. Reese Witherspoon is typically endearing as Susan, a young woman whose wedding day is ruined by a meteorite which turns her into the towering 60 foot ‘Ginormica’. With much of the film focusing on her struggles to accept her newfound monstrousness, this character could easily have been irritatingly timid and hysterical. Luckily, Witherspoon’s trademark plucky charms translate well to animated form. The rest of the cast also seems equally well chosen.

Taking a rare break from all Jack Bauer’s bad days, Kiefer Sutherland clearly enjoys playing the gruff and battle hungry general W.R. Monger. Likewise, Hugh Laurie revels in the chance to show off his rare comedic gifts as a Mad Scientist turned into a cockroach by an experiment gone deliberately awry. Seth Rogen feels strangely typecast as BOB the likably brainless and indestructible blob. His attempt to romance a bowl of jelly is perhaps also one of the films funniest moments. Meanwhile, skyscraper sized bug ‘Insectosaurus’ just might be the most adorable thing to ever terrify on the big screen. Arrested Development’s Will Arnett plays Neanderthal fish-man ‘the missing link’, while political funny-man Stephen Colbert fulfils the secret wishes of many Americans by playing the President.

Recent 3D Movies have ranged from the sublime Nightmare Before Christmas re-release, to the ridiculous Spy Kids 3-D. The concept had previously found more consistent success in theme park rides than feature films; remaining a novelty rather than establishing itself as a filmaking norm. Perhaps, new technology and the recent wave of successful 3D movies, finally marks the real arrival of a new dimension in cinema. The added depth and sense of motion compliments the playful cartoonish action of films like Monsters vs. Aliens. Of course there’s a couple of scenes where things fly off the screen into the audience, startling kids and parent alike, but such tricks are sparingly used. Overall, 3D is less jarring and distracting for animated films than it often seems to be for live action.

Considerable time and effort has clearly been put into Monsters vs. Aliens with evident visual and casting success. However, my one major reservation would be that the action focused plot is quite insubstantial for more grown-up audiences; the film really has little to offer beyond a traditional "it’s okay to be different" moral. Unfortunately, the sophisticated brilliance of Pixar efforts like Wall-E and Ratatouille has permanently raised expectations for children’s cinema. Compared to the endlessly re-watchable magic of those films, Monsters vs. Aliens seems disappointingly simple and ironically two dimensional. There is just enough silliness and action to cling to an audience’s attention once, but certainly not much to merit a second glance. It's good... it's just not Pixar good.

A link below to the history of 3D for all those who prefer to know how magic tricks are done...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Cinema

BAFTA TV Awards 2009

Last Sunday the red carpet rolled out for the 2009 BAFTA TV awards, the annual celebration of big success on the small screen. Having abandoned its usual venue at the London Palladium, this year’s prestigious event took place in the more spacious surroundings of Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank. The attending stars and glorious sunshine brought with them the usual throngs of excited fans and media. The atmosphere was jubilant but not quite as frenzied as the hysteria which tends to accompany the BAFTA film awards and its A-list parade. Ant and Dec don’t have quite the same effect on a crowd as Brad and Angelina. The likes of Michelle Ryan, Mischa Barton and Dame Helen Mirren did at least give Sunday’s Red carpet a light splash of Hollywood glamour.

Wearing a shiny silver mistake Graham Norton was this year’s competent but unexceptional host. There were surely many better candidates for hosting duties, but it’s unlikely that they would have wanted the job. At least Norton’s inoffensive and tamely scripted quips kept proceedings going at a brisk pace. Perhaps the organizers were fearful of how easily a genuinely fierce wit could have sunk their teeth into the stars and the ceremony itself. The entire evening is essentially an exercise in vigorous backslapping, as the British TV industry congratulates itself on being British and for making it onto to TV despite the flood of consistently brilliant and popular American programmes.

This year French and Saunders were honoured with the outstanding achievement award, Harry Hill was crowned most entertaining performance and the ‘X factor’ won yet again. No, you’re right... it’s really not good enough is it. The problem is that beyond documentaries and occasional one off dramas it’s hard to find legitimate domestic brilliance on British TV. David Attenborough deserves his rapturous applause for ‘Life in Cold Blood’, but he is in a minority of greatness. It would be worrying if a bald man with ‘wacky’ glasses and a novelty shirt really was the most entertaining thing on British television.

Rounding up the rest of this year’s winners... the Skins cast won the public vote award and went home delighted to be 15 and popular. The Bill won best soap for the first time in 25 years, thus proving the law of averages. Kenneth Branagh failed to make it through his acceptance speech for ‘Wallander’ without referencing Shakespeare. Stephen Dillane (‘The shooting of Thomas Hundall’) and Anna Maxwell Martin (Poppy Shakespeare) collected gilded trophies for best actor and actress respectively. The Comedy awards went to David Mitchell (apparently still funny after those awful PC/MAC ads) and Harry Enfield/Paul Whitehouse (apparently still funny after a 100years).

When the curtain fell, the winners and guests scurried off to the after-party to try and get their picture taken near to David Tennant whilst drinking free booze. Hopefully this year’s marvels and mediocrity will inspire even greater things for British TV in 2010.

Eagle Eye

Making a good technological thriller is a notoriously tricky task; few other genre’s are shamefully responsible for quite so many cinematic atrocities. A frequent problem is that these films are usually plagued by implausible overly complicated plots based around one simple theme, namely what if technology turned evil. Time is also often unkind to such movies, as today’s cutting edge gadgets and science becomes redundant history at an increasingly rapid pace. Watching people in old movies marvel at lasers or explain what a microchip is can be an embarrassing ordeal. It’s like seeing cavemen congratulate themselves on inventing the wheel. I cautiously avoided Eagle Eye when it strolled through cinemas, but as it emerges on DVD I find myself inescapably confronted.

Supposedly based on Steven Spielberg’s first original story since ‘The Goonies’, I was left uninspired by Eagle Eye’s generic premise. Two strangers lose control of their lives to a mysterious voice on a phone that uses an eerie power over technology to manipulate them into doing its bidding. There’s little originality in such a literal representation of the well established cliché that our lives are ‘controlled by technology’. The power to change street signs or remotely operate heavy machinery is unlikely to inspire the desired fear and awe in a savvy technology encrusted audience. These concepts already felt tired and rehearsed even in their mid 90’s heyday.

Unfortunately the film’s cast is just as underwhelming as its lacklustre story. Lead actor Shia LaBeouf is a rising star who has grabbed leading roles in Transformers and the latest Indiana Jones movie. Even Steven Spielberg has an admitted if frankly inexplicable admiration for him. I will admit that LaBeouf’s ‘talents’ are unique. I can’t think of many other actors who can be both painfully melodramatic and devoid of any emotion at the same time. He seems to approach every role with the same combination of flaccid wit and sullen agitation. LaBeouf’s label as the ‘next Tom Hanks’ does a huge disservice to the legacy of a great talent and massively overestimates the appeal of LaBeouf’s ‘everyman’ qualities.

LaBeouf’s co-star Billy Bob Thornton has more screen presence and accomplish as an actor, though his most recent achievement has been to offend the entire nation of Canada with just one disastrously obnoxious CBC Radio interview. The actor apparently took objection to being called an actor whilst pretending to be just a musician. With the myth of his charisma finally exposed there’s really little appeal left in watching Billy Bob play a stereotypical surly FBI agent.

Eagle Eye isn’t unbearably awful; it’s just average and unexceptional. The plot holds very few surprises and hinges largely on the fact that LaBeouf’s character has an identical twin brother. Such a ludicrous cliché threatens to collapse the films fragile credibility into a big pile of silly. The film might actually have been more entertaining if it had been worse. Sometimes it’s better to be memorably terrible than just mediocre and forgettable...

Fast & Furious

By the time most action movie franchises limp to a fourth instalment they’re usually dying a slow undignified death with talentless straight to DVD offerings. It is rare to see a sequel bounce back to the big screen complete with the entire original cast. Perhaps the failing fortunes of these cast members can help explain this strange phenomenon. Michelle Rodriguez got ‘Lost’ then went to prison, Paul Walker swam ill-advisedly ‘Into the Blue’ and most shamefully of all Vin Diesel made ‘The Pacifier’. ‘The Fast and the Furious’ still represents a career high for each, despite being at its best just a hip hop flavoured remake of vintage Keanu Reeves effort ‘Point Break’. You can’t help but feel that if anyone’s careers had taken them where they'd expected, they wouldn’t be back doing this again.

‘Fast & Furious’ finds former friends FBI agent Brian (Walker) and illegal street racer Dom (Diesel) reuniting to take down the vicious drug lord responsible for the death of their mutual friend. Of course the only way to possibly do this is with a series of increasingly implausible car stunts. Why? because that’s just what justice means. Much like its predecessors, ‘Fast & Furious’ is heavily reliant on a distracting mix of gratuitous close ups (of both pretty girls and cars) and pounding hip hop beats to stop its audience from searching for substance. It’s a low brow tactic which has proved resiliently effective and lucrative.

Unfortunately ‘Fast & Furious’ only lives up to its boastful name some of the time. The film’s frequent attempts at character drama are slow ordeals that flirt dangerously with dullness. Without the help of a high octane action sequence the cast are incapable of generating any convincing emotional intensity. It’s unlikely anyone will be fooled that the character’s personal dramas are really anything more than a means of setting up the next enjoyable chase scene.

The film’s well choreographed and CGI enhanced action scenes make it at times an enjoyable guilty pleasure. The film regurgitates the successful components of its popular predecessors, without ever threatening to add any originality or substance. The surprising box office success of ‘Fast & Furious’ show’s there’s a continued public appetite for entertaining eye candy. It will be interesting to see whether the studio is confident enough to risk a fifth instalment and whether its resurgent cast will be quite so quick to abandon a profitable ship the second time around. The question is just how many times the same thrills can bring a smile big enough to make people forgive such obvious failings? The answer appears to be four times... and counting.

Religulous

There are three things you’re not supposed to talk about in polite society: sex, politics and religion. Religion is easily the most controversial and inflammatory of the three, combining issues of sex and politics with dangerous elements of faith and fundamentalism. Political humorist Bill Maher attempts to tackle this most sensitive topic in his brash, opinionated documentary ‘Religulous’. Those familiar with Maher’s abrasive wit may be apprehensive about whether his mischievous hands are equipped to handle such delicate subject matter.

The main problem with Maher’s documentary is that he makes too little an effort to conceal his obvious disdain for religion in all its varied forms. Although it’s less offensive when he finds deserving targets for scorn and derision, we often find ourselves left to watch him bully and belittle people about their most intimate beliefs. The victims of Maher’s mocking cynicism are mostly inarticulate and quite incapable of defending themselves or their ‘irrational’ beliefs from his onslaught. Maher chooses to forsake constructive dialogue and debate in favour of the more entertaining tactics of deliberately provoking and antagonising. This exploitative approach of exposing handpicked stupidity uses too many cheap laughs to make its heavy-handed points about the failings of religion.

‘Religulous’ is not an objective investigation of issues; instead it is simply a blunt statement of the personal opinions of its creators. Like Michael Moore’s ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’, ‘Religulous’ fails as a documentary by allowing itself to be transparently agenda driven. At times, Maher displays exactly the same opinionated arrogance which he himself finds so objectionable in the religious followers he encounters. His motives are not to inspire his audience to ask questions, but to convince us of his own conclusions. Such an attitude would perhaps be more forgivable if the film provided a more substantial examination of the complex social and historical factors surrounding religion, rather than just a superficial glance.

It is admittedly satisfying to see Televangelist con-men dressed in $2000 suits and gold jewellery ridiculed as they should be. However, it is hard not to feel that more creditable theologians would have proved to be a more informative and thought provoking subject matter for ‘Religulous’. The film entirely avoids any debate or discussions about the existence of God as its sole preoccupation is in establishing the collective failings of organized religion. It is a gross oversimplification to blame religion for all mankind’s wars, prejudice and stupidity. There is also a mistake in equating all religious and philosophical beliefs with literal interpretations of arcane religious texts. The narrow scope of Maher’s unsophisticated and generic criticisms place firm limits on the film’s ability to accomplish anything meaningful.

Maher’s more intelligible encounters, along with his flashes of genuine wit and well occasioned sarcasm keeps ‘Religulous’ watchable. However, the film is likely to polarize audiences rather than inform or persuade them. People who agree with Maher’s assertions of the evils and insanity of religion will no doubt be more entertained and empowered by the film than those who find their faith and traditions crudely challenged by it.

The Boat That Rocked

Writer and director Richard Curtis is the proud architect of the British romantic comedy. After a string of genre defining hits (such as ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, ‘Notting Hill’), his magnum opus ‘Love Actually’ billed itself quite legitimately as the ultimate romantic comedy. Its stellar cast and clever interweaving of six or seven typical rom-com stories brought Curtis’s work to a warm and emotionally satisfying crescendo. Now, armed with a few familiar faces, Curtis attempts the daunting task of surpassing or at least equalling this feat. ‘The Boat That Rocked’ carries a burden of expectation, but also the promise of much reward.

Wisely shifting the focus away from purely romantic exploits ‘The Boat That Rocked’ tells the story of pirate radio stations, who defied oppressive 1970’s authorities to keep Britain rocking. They supplied an eager public with 24hrs of non-stop Rock and Pop with their taboo breaking offshore broadcasts. It was an era rich with musical genius and exhilarating playful rebelliousness. The film perfectly captures the bright optimistic essence of that time, assisted greatly by a vast soundtrack of timelessly brilliant songs.

Music is an admitted passion for Curtis and it’s the secret weapon which he cleverly deploys to keep ‘The Boat That Rocked’ on track for greatness. There is undoubted truth in the films central theme that the power of music to inspire and enthral should not be underestimated. Of course few films can survive on their musical virtues alone, but ‘The Boat That Rocked’ thankfully has much more to recommend itself.

The film’s cast is rich with winning comedic charm, much of which comes from the surprisingly fertile breeding ground of British TV. Talent such as Nick Frost’s ample mirth and Chris O’Dowd’s hilarious vulnerability provide great support for brilliant turns by returning Cutis’s collaborators Rhys Ifans and Bill Nighy, both once again on top form. The presence of Oscar winning acting heavyweight Philip Seymour Hoffman adds an air of dramatic credibility to proceedings, but he clearly revels in shedding the shackles of seriousness to share in the fun. Kenneth Branagh and Jack Davenport ham it up brilliantly as the villainous government officials determined to shut down the party. It’s a varied cast devoid of any trace of a weak link.

This film is clearly amongst the most personal and autobiographical of its creator. Curtis admits that the awkward virginal adolescent around whom much of the story centres is a character dear to his own heart and drawn from his own painful memories. Luckily new face Tom Sturridge is up to the task of playing the films only real straight man amongst a sea of competing funny faces. He trades serious musings with Hoffman and shares the film’s most outstandingly hilarious moments with Nick Frost and Gemma Arterton.

It’s typical to end a review by dissecting a film’s faults, but other that it’s slightly long running time ‘The Boat That Rocked’ has very few failings. It stands shoulder to shoulder with Curtis’s best efforts and defies audiences to leave the cinema without a smile on their faces.

Out everywhere April 1st and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for some Rock and Roll joy in their life.

The Damned United

Last week the red carpet rolled out in Leicester Square for the world premiere of ‘The Damned United’. The biographical film tells the life story of Brian Clough the outspoken and astonishingly successful football manager, widely celebrated and fondly remembered as a unique sporting genius. The film focuses on Clough’s sensational but disastrous 44 day attempt to manage Leeds United. It has courted minor controversy after the late Clough’s family publically shunned both it and the book it’s based upon.

Oscar nominated screenwriter Peter Morgan (The Queen, The Last King of Scotland) and director Tom Hooper suggest the film gives a more rounded and affectionate portrait of Clough than the book. Explaining the film's decision to focus on one of Clough’s brief periods of failure, Oscar winning cast member Jim Broadbent says that it is simply more inherently dramatic and revealing to watch someone fail rather than winning.

Early reports and his co-stars suggest that the film’s star Michael Sheen has produced yet another uncanny performance as the flamboyant young manager. His performances as Tony Blair in ‘The Queen’ and as David Frost in ‘Frost/Nixon’ have earned the rising British star a reputation for skilfully dramatising familiar public figures. Sheen himself has been quick to make clear that he is more than just a mimic. Much of the film’s success will hinge on the credibility of the film's fictitious private moments, built around real lives and events.

Accompanied by appropriate seventies tunes, the stars of the film were joined on the carpet by broadcasting legend Michael Parkinson and Emma Watson out supporting her Harry Potter co-stars Broadbent and Timothy Spall. The film is on general release on 27 March and aims to be an engaging drama accessible to more than just football fans.

The link below is to interviews with the cast at the premiere to help you make up your own mind
http://www.lsq.tv/red-carpet/the-damned-united-world-premiere-red-carpet.html

Anvil: The Story of Anvil

It is impossible to talk about the story of Anvil without referencing the well known and eternally popular spoof rock-umentary “This is Spinal Tap”. The two films are essentially identical as they follow a likeable but ludicrous heavy metal band on its painful descent from the cusp of fame back to the depths of grim forgotten obscurity. The band itself has just enough witless charm and musical talent to make their increasingly implausible delusions of rock star grandeur not only bearable, but endearing. There is only one difference between the two films, the story of Anvil is entirely real, making it more tragically painful and by turns hilarious than its fictitious counterpart.

At their peak, Canadian speed metal pioneers Anvil shared festival stages with global megastars who still hail them today as inspirations. But while those bands went on to sell millions of records and live out the rock dream, Anvil watched it all slip away. Three decades of mismanagement and misadventures had reduced them to playing in empty bars to tiny crowds of friends and family. But in the face of depressing reality, financial ruin and non-existent support Anvil has kept on rocking past the point of all reason and almost to the brink of insanity.

Like the protagonists of Spinal Tap, Anvil’s singer ‘Lips’ and guitarist Rob Reiner are childhood friends who share a vision of rock greatness that seems destined to escape them. Their bickering and casual philosophising are unknowingly hysterical if occasionally tainted by genuine sadness and despair. Beneath the leather and flowing manes of thinning hair, their wide eyed enthusiasm is simply overpowering as they lurch from one disaster to the next. It’s impossible not to find yourself rooting for them while at the same time feeling sorry for their poor families, who provoke sympathy similar to that bestowed upon the wives of alcoholics. But, few things are more infectious than confidence in the face of certain and utter failure. As complete underdogs, Anvil has a startling power to enthral audiences with a potent mix of pity and affection.

It’s compelling to watch as the band embarks on the most disastrous European tour imaginable and struggles against all odds to release their ‘masterpiece’ album. At times it’s hard to believe events so perfectly scripted and such absurd characters can possibly be real. While the band clearly plays up to the cameras and revels in the novelty of attention, their desperate tragedy and obsessive passion simply cannot be faked. Anvil are the sort of brilliant failures that can only be born not invented. A rare breed to be cherished.

Celebrity fan Keanu Reeves flew to London just to introduce this film at its festival premiere. When the band took to the stage to rock after the credits rolled, it’s hard to describe the pure joyous rapture that greeted them. So, put your fist in the air, crank the volume to eleven and enjoy what is perhaps the greatest rock documentary of all time.

My Name is Bruce

Bruce Campbell is the bumbling epitome of ‘cheeseball charm’. His cinematic appeal in cult movies like the Evil Dead Trilogy stems almost entirely from his vast charisma as a hapless goof. He has crafted his popular persona through a genuine skill for physical comedy and a unique brand of likeable buffoonery. His autobiographies ‘If Chins Could Kill’ and ‘Making Love..The Bruce Campbell Way’ are self deprecating and self aggrandising in equal measure, but consistently funny. Even his cameo as Spiderman 3’s snooty French waiter almost stole the entire film from an emo Peter Parker. So, as I settle down for ‘My name is Bruce’ I prepare myself for more B movie magic and another wave of the Campbell charm.

When the backwater town of Goldlick accidentally awakens a bloodthirsty Chinese god of war, they kidnap movie star Bruce Campbell in the mistaken belief that he’s a zombie slaying real life hero. He plays along, convinced it’s all just another atrocious monster film. With Bruce playing himself and directing the whole show, this promising idea is unfortunately mostly squandered with disappointing results.

At the beginning of ‘My Name is Bruce’ our titular hero is a drunken, moronic misogynist. Campbell sacrifices his likeability in a misguided attempt to subvert and parody the popular perceptions of himself. His usual affable idiocy strays dangerously into the unwelcome territory of obnoxiousness. Watching Bruce drunk dial his ex-wife and hurl pathetic come-ons at every woman on screen is not pleasant or remotely amusing. Mercifully, as the film plays out, Bruce learns the error of his ways; he remains typically clueless but a little less crass. Perhaps complacent in his own appeal, Bruce plays the ‘jerk’ a little too real, making his redemption a tough task even for him.

‘My Name is Bruce’ trades a little too carelessly on the affection of Campbell’s cultish devotees. Films like 'Army of Darkness' are enjoyable because they are cartoonish satires of traditional horror movies and their wooden action stars. We forgive them their own flaws because these are films that know exactly how silly they are and embrace it. In attempting to poke fun at those movies and Campbell’s own fanbase this film stretches the in-joke past the breaking point. Most of the film’s self-referential humour will be lost on anyone who isn’t already a Campbell fan.

Long time Campbell collaborator Ted Rami appears in the film as a series of characters with comedy accents; at best this can be seen as silliness, but at its worst slightly racist. It’s another unnecessary stumble, but despite this, the film manages to become more watchable in its second half. By the end of the film it has mitigated much of the damage of its poor opening stages without living up to its abundant potential. If you want to celebrate Bruce Campbell’s true genius, you’re probably better off re-watching Army of Darkness or Bubba Ho-Tep.

I can’t help but feel that ‘My Name is Bruce’ was made purely to mop up the Campbell fanbase money. Made in 2007, it has only recently emerged, wisely side-stepping cinemas for the straight to DVD market. Since then, Bruce has been lending his voice to the odd cartoon and starring in hit US spy show Burn Notice. According to recent reports, it is unlikely that 'Evil Dead 4' will ever happen, but you never know... “hail to the King baby”.

Who Watches the Watchmen..?

Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' comic book masterpiece “Watchmen” has been acclaimed as one of the hundred greatest novels ever written. At a time when comics were still dismissed as childish fantasy, "Watchmen" showed that graphic novels could be adult, profound and important. After over two decades of delay, hype and failed attempts, ‘Watchmen’ has finally made the perilous journey to the big screen. Many were sceptical that the sprawling narrative, iconic visuals and cerebral subtext of the book could ever be adequately captured on film. Moore himself labelled this task impossible and disowned any interest or involvement in attempts to adapt his work. But was he right...?

The film preserves the book's urgent plot in its entirety. In a grim alternative reality where the cold war rages on in 1985, the world stands on the brink of nuclear apocalypse. Costumed superheroes have been outlawed and left to the concerns of their own broken lives. But when the savage murder of a former ‘hero’ begins to expose a plot to hasten global annihilation, will the forgotten Watchmen save mankind and is it even worth saving?

Visually, the film is painstakingly faithful to its original inspiration. The book’s dark and gritty imagery comes to life with each scene lifted from the page. Special effects finally seem to have caught up to Moore and Gibbons’ imagination. Even more challenging characters such as the blue, god-like and often naked Dr Manhattan are brilliantly realised. Handled with less care, such absurd imagery could easily have ruined the films ability to function seriously. Director Zack Snyder applies the stylised slow motion skills from his previous film ‘300’ to 'Watchmen'’s visceral action scenes, but thankfully gives equal prominence to the weighty dialogue.

Avoiding the box office lure of big name stars, the film's relatively unknown cast look and feel like their familiar characters. The absence of famous faces doesn’t weaken the film, but instead gives it an added air of realism and credibility. Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley is perfect as the gravel voiced and appealing psychotic vigilante Rorschach. His noirish narrative propels much of the film with brutality and success. Billy Crudup is equally effective as Dr Manhattan, Watchmen’s most unique, thought provoking and enigmatic character. Solid performances from the rest of the cast are largely successful in showing the flawed complexity of their characters. If at times they do fall a little flat, this is more a failing of the characters themselves than the manner of their portrayal.

To call ‘Watchmen’ a superhero film is perhaps a mistake since none of the characters really fulfil the definition of a hero. Collectively marred by unapologetic cruelty, apathy, insecurity and psychosis, they are grim caricatures of familiar comicbook ideals. Audiences expecting camp, costume-clad adventure will be left disappointed and shocked. 'Watchmen' is a deliberate and merciless parody of the ‘superhero’ genre, which it exposes as cartoonish moralistic fantasy. Those unfamiliar with the book and its intentions may find this concept less understandable and immediately digestible.

‘Watchmen’ is an ambitious effort to convert a superb piece of literature which far exceeds the cautious expectations of many fans. But the film risks overreaching itself and alienating audiences by refusing to simplify or condense it’s more high brow ideas. Some will no doubt be left weary and confused during 'Watchmen'’s vast 160minute runtime. Viewers may also find the ugly ultra-violence of the film more difficult to stomach than that which is still, admittedly, a bloody part of the book. However, it is likely that cinema audiences have now become too numbed and desensitised to nasty death and dismemberment to really notice or care much. Personally, I found that 'Watchman's desire to shock detracted from its efforts to be profound. By similar measure, those seeking violent thrills will be left bored by the film's more pretentious diversions.

Overall, Watchmen will be a relief to established fans, but may struggle to please the appetites of wider audiences. The film's box office success is almost assured thanks to hype and a well oiled marketing machine, but it probably does merit the attention. The successful aspects of the film demand viewing even if its flaws inhibit any desire for endless re-watching. As the tagline reads “who watches the Watchmen?”... perhaps you should.

Link below to red carpet coverage from the world premiere featuring interviews with Dave Gibbons, the cast and fans.

http://www.lsq.tv/red-carpet/watchmen-world-premiere-red-carpet.html

Avenue Q

The West End has many musical treats on offer for frequent theatre goers and the more casual tourist crowd, but only one can boast a successful combination of hilarity, music and muppets. With tongue firmly in furry cheek, this spoof Sesame street musical is something unique.

Don't let the puppets fool you though, they might bring back a flood of happy childhood memories, but this show isn't one for the kids. With song titles including "If You Were Gay", "Everyone's a Little Bit Rascist" and "The Internet is for Porn", you begin to get a sense of what you're really getting. Such subject matter also helps to understand why this is, without question, the biggest hit with the student crowds. The fusion of kitch children's television with humour that treds the fine line between genius and political incorrectness is something everyone can delight in.

The humour is note perfect, but the real triumph of Avenue Q is that it also has depth and substance. You don't have to look too hard beneath its catchy songs and clever gags to find some profound messages about tolerance and what it means to be an adult.

It's hard to describe just how brilliant this show is. I have been to see it nine times and I just can't imagine doing that with any other show. I've dragged countless friends to see it and without fail they leave the theatre declaring it to be the best thing they've ever seen on stage. Perhaps best of all, unlike a Lloyd Webber effort, tickets are reasonably priced and often available even on the day of the performance. Finishing it's run at the Noel Coward theatre soon, Avenue Q will be back in a new home on Shaftsbury Avenue. But don't waste time, I urge you in the strongest possible way to go and see this.

Vicky, Christina, Barcelona.

Vicky Christina Barcelona continues the career resurgance of prolific oscar winning director Woody Allen. It's a steamy
sensuous drama, laced with the wry cynisicm and astute emotional observations which have characterised much of Allen's best work. This film falls somewhere between the neurotic romanticism of Manhatten and the dark suspensful brilliance of Match Point. After a period of creative stagnation Allen has rediscovered the magic that once made his films such an alluring and essential cinematic prospect.

Pragmatic Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and free spirited Christina (Scarlett Johansson) are two friends caught in a tangled web of love and desire with a passionate artist (Javier Bardem), while Oscar winner Penelope Cruz plays his fiery and exotic former lover. A mood setting Spanish guitar soundtrack and voice over narration carry the story forward with pace, style and charm. The cast are a pleasure to look at of course, but are also captiating in the emotional subtilties of their performances and the relationships between them. Allen harnesses the best of new muse Johansson and her dazzling co-stars, with delightful results.

A critical study in desire the film is passionate, intelligent and humerous in equal measure. Allen neatly sidesteps the cheap laughs of bawdy farce in favour of more rewarding sophistication. By reigning in his own neurosis and avoiding the indulgences which have marred his less popular efforts Allen has produced another rare gem.

Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace is the 22nd Bond film and Daniel Craig's highly anticipated second outing as the iconic Birish superspy. Since Sean Connery abandoned the role Bond had seemed to be a franchise in terminal decline, it's style and rugged charm erroded away by decades of abuse. Increasingly ridiculous plots overeliant on special effects and pathetic innuendo had turned Bond into an outdated cliche. But when Craig slipped on the tux for Casino Royale Bond was reborn as the cold, swaggering, efficient killer of Ian Flemming's original books. Clearly inspired by the Bourne trilogy, this long overdue reinvention left fans with one question, what next?

Quantum starts with a bang and a bruising high speed pursuit; the traditional pre-title action sequence dominated by a blur of frenetic camera work. After a disappointing and sputtering theme song the film continues its blistering paced assault. Bond is out for revenge against the mysterious criminal orginisation responsible for the death of Vesper Lynn. As he pursues this shadowy organisation around the world he crosses paths with old friends, new foes and a beautiful fellow spy on her own personal vendetta. An exciting prospect on paper , but sadly Quantum fails to deliver fully at it's crtical moments.

Its well choreographed action and adrenalin fueled momentum keeps Quantum watchable but can't disguise its ultimate lack of direction. Beneath it's loose themes of vengence and emotional acceptance there's little actual plot. As the first sequal in the Bond franchise Quantum largely fails to advance much beyond the closing scenes of Casino Royale.

Craig once again keeps Bond surly and visceral, while Olga Kurylenko is one of the most convincing and effective 'Bond girls' ever. The supporting cast is strong too, but held back by a lack of real story. Quantum is a decent effort which avoides disaster whilst squandering the opportunity to be brilliant. In the end the film leaves fan's with exactly the same question, what next?...