A Random Life In Review: Movies

Colombiana

Staring:

Zoe Saldana

Jordi Mollà

Lennie James

Trailer 

Whats it About: 

Well with the name as it is, it’s not hard to know drugs are going to be featured at some point in the movie, and you would be correct. A small girl, daughter to a drug lord has to run for her life when his top’ed off after a small disagreement with one of his business partners.

Later, once she’s escaped to America, and trained to be a lean, mean killing machine by her uncle she set’s out to kill her furthers killers. There is a love interest, which although I thought it was trying to play a bigger part of the movie it was a side line.

The Fed’s also play a side line to the main story, by allowing Columbia into the USA there given names and details of different drug lords, but rather than taken them out they put pressure on them to work for the Fed’s, this kinda back fires for them when Columbia finds out, well lets just say she’s not best pleased with them.

Is it Any Good:

This is an action film with a female lead, and I’ve got nothing but respect for female leads, there have been loads of great action films with female leads – Ripley in Aliens, Sarah in Terminator, just to name a couple. Alas this is not one of those, the action scenes are all a little predictable and there is nothing new here.

One scene, you get to see this really obnoxious bad guy, beside a pool with glass on the top which is the only thing keep the module on top from a nasty encounter with some sharks, and these are not just sharks these are 1970’s bad ass sharks that will no matter what react with utter killer instinct and devour any thing that go’s in the pool. I don’t think I need to tell you what happens in the very next seen other then said bad guy is fish food.

Thats the problem with the whole film, every scene is predictable, and for an audience that is now used to action such as Bourne, this kind of action would be better suited to a TV show then a 120min feature film.

Which is a shame, because if you can get past this, then there is a fun film here, I enjoyed the fact that yes, I knew what was coming next, and the film never failed, but it did it in such a stylized way that it was still enjoyable.

Overall: 

If you looking for a griping, engaging action thriller than don’t go to Columbia, however if you’re looking for an easy on the eye, no gray matter needed but keep me entertained action then welcome to Columbia.

3 out of 5

A Random Life in Preview: Movies

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

 

 

 

 

 

Staring:

Ian McKellen

Elijah Wood

Cate Blanchett

Evangeline Lilly

Trailer:

Whats it About:

Before Tolkien placed pen to paper to scribe the trilogy The Lord Of The Rings he wrote The Hobbit, where we’re first introduced to Middle Earth, the Hobbits, Gandalf and Elves oh and not forgetting Gollum. You know in Jacksons interpretations of the trilogy that Bilbo had seen the world and be a bit of a rebel (well for a hobbit any way) well The Hobbit is Bilbo’s story.

Bilbo is persuaded to go off with 13 Dwarfs to help save a kingdom from a dragon, but he must also face Goblins, Orcs and other evil creatures including (although you could ask the question is Gollum evil or did the ring turn him)  Gollum and the one ring or My Pressios.

Three Reasons why I want to see it:

1) I’m a geek and this is high fantasy at its best

2) There is a dragon

3) “My Precious”

The Hobbit was written as a story for children (unlike The Lord Of The Rings) so The Hobbit should feel fresh as well as re-introducing us to old friends – However as Jackson is doing this backwards ref: The Hobbit after The Lord Of The Rings, it will be interesting to see how the film can introduce us to elements we have already seen three times – for example we know the Ring is evil, we know Gollum and have seen him at his highs and lows, we’re seen a simple hobbit change the world so its going to be interesting to see if The Hobbit is going to be a easy way to add profit into the franchise of Middle Earth or if Jackson is going to do some thing different – as a fan I’m sure I’m going to love this move but will the non-hardcore fans forgive a re-hash of the same story?

Out December 2012

 

A Random Life In Preview: Movies

The Bourne Legacy

 

 

 

 

 

Staring:

Jeremy Renner

Edward Norton

Rachel Weisz

Donna Murphy

Trailer:

Whats it about: 

Set in the same world as Bourne, expect high action, high impact and great car chases oh and CIA spy action, Aron Cross is our new hero and he faces more life or death events again triggered again by past events – will the CIA never learn, not in the universe of Bourne.

I really hope they keep the action up as well as the gripping story line with out slowing the pace down just like in the origional three movies.

A Random Life In Review: Movies

Moneyball

 

 

 

 

 

Staring:

Brad Pitt

Jonah Hill

Trailer:

Whats It About:

In sport as in life not every thing is fair, some times not matter how good a job you do or hard you work you’ll never reach the same level as over people and Baseball is no exception, that is until some one re-invents the rule book and looks at building a team not based on their star quality but on their ability to win games as part of the team. You could say it is cheating, you could say it is total war but its 100% what Moneyball is about.

Is it Any Good:

As a sports movie its great, it has all the highs and lows you expect, it has the insane challenges to be over come, it has the personal sorry of Billy trying to balance his personal life with his working life – in short it has it all. More so Moneyball also has something for non-baseball fans (and I am one of those) fans in the fact that yes its about baseball but it’s also about doing every thing you can and staying the course even when every one around you thinks your insane.

Overall:

A great sports film with great acting from the whole cast, it’s not cheesy, it’s very real to life (it’s based on a true story) although if you can’t see past the base-ball and you’re not a sports fan then its most likely not for you. 4 out of 5

A Random Life In Preview: Movies I Want To See

The Dark Knight Rises

 

 

 

 

 

Staring:

Christian Bale

Tom Hardy

Anne Hathaway

Morgan Freeman

Michael Caine

Trailer:

Whats it About:

I’m Batman… (Sorry had to get that in) Set 8 years on from the last Batman movie (which was epic if not a little long in places) the new Batman Movie looks just as epic and I hope a little bit more to the point in places but just as Dark (I can’t see Tom Hardy playing as good a bad guy as Heath Ledger but Heath was by fair the best thing in The Dark Knight) as the last two instalments. Batman is branded an enemy of Gotham City after taking the rap for Two Faces crimes in The Dark Knight and so takes a back seat allowing Gordon (Chief Gordon for the TV show fans) to keep up the good fight in cleaning up the city.

Eight years on and Gordon has almost completely cleaned the city up and Bruce is ready to give up the streets and move on with his normal life when a new bad guy turns up, one that Gordon can’t handle, one that requires a darker approach to handle and so in steps Batman to save the City.

Oh and there is Cat Women, who appears to be a little more than eye candy (as she has been in the past).

So you have:

1) Batman who’s out to defend the city and keep away from the police

2) A new bad guy who is billed as the worst thing since, well the Joker.

3) A hot Cat Women

I really want to see this movie.

A Random Life In Review: Movies

We Need To Talk About Kevin

 

 

 

 

 

Staring:

Tilda Swinton

Ezra Miller

Jasper Newell

Ashley Gerasimovich

John C. Reilly

Trailer:

Whats it about: 

First of I need to say that I have read the book from which the film is based on and loved the book, so yes as with any one that reads the book before watching a film of said book had high hopes for the movie. We need to talk about Kevin the movie is very true to the book – its about a mother and her lack of love or any kind of connection to her son, right from the start of Kevin (Eva’s Son) life until the night where Kevin completely changes every ones life for ever.

Is It Any Good: 

You may have though that because I feel its very true to the book that I loved it – well you’d be wrong, in a book you can do flash backs differently to how you do it in a film – the book uses letters from Eva to Freckling reminiscing about the past, the movie has no thought of how to tell the past life from the present day and this is a real problem as you the viewer becomes lost in whats the present day, the past or the recent past. Now I don’t like to just point out problems with out some solutions (even thought the damage is done in this case) but the film makers could have set the flash backs up with Eva going to a desk to write the letters – that would have worked fine and it would have been so easy to do.

Overall: All in all this film is fine but it should have been great which is a real let down – if you know that your going from the present to past and really focus on this you may enjoy this movie – however I read the book and knew what was and wasn’t the present and even I found it a real plot killer. 3 out of 5.

 

A Random Life In Review: Movies

Its Movie review time, I watched both of these on LoveFilm

House Of The Devil:

 

 

 

 

 

Staring: 

• Jocelin Donahue
• Tom Noonan

Trailer:

Whats it About: 

Set in the early 80’s this is a great suspense movie to start with but it takes a very long time to get going and then when it dose its over very quickly which is a shame.

The main character is a struggling student looking to move out of her shared bed sit  and away from her very messy and, how shell I say this very “active” love life and into her first place.

And heres where the story really beings, after applying for a baby sitting job she’s contact by a very strange softly spoken (to softly its spooky) gentleman and agrees to take the job.

Once at the house you have to watch about 30mins of more tension building before the horror starts.

Rating:  its an easy going thriller / horror movie but if you looking for more blood and gore then look else where – 3 out of 5.

Attack The Block:

 

 

 

 

 

Staring: 

• John Boyega
• Jodie Whittaker
• Alex Esmail
• Franz Drameh
• Leeon Jones
• Simon Howard

Trailer: 

Whats It About: 

This film seems to have loads of hype and for a English film looking at English issuers over class and the youth in London’s council estates but I have to say over all it wasn’t that great.

I would say this is more of a straight to TV film then a master pice – thats not to say it wasn’t enjoyable as all in all it was and the young cast did a great job but as the film progressed some of the relationships between some of the main characters became less and less believable.

Ok or its set in a London burrower, around a gang of youths that should by all accounts have ASBOS to there name but underneath you know there not bad kids. When in the park one of the gang members is attacked by what they believe to be a dog but what turns out to be an alien.

Your taken on a fast pasted roller coster ride around the estate as the gang try to avoid the aliens and old bill with some rather funny jokes thrown in as well.

Rating: Attack the Block is a fast past, some times funny but never meant to be taken seriously which was ok. 3 out of 5.