Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, as some of you may have seen, in 2016 I started a film podcast entitled Film Focus and on this podcast, I talk about various topics in film and reviews as well on a biweekly basis. And the latest episode is a spoiler-heavy discussion on Avengers: Infinity War.
Anyway here’s the episode 53:
I’ve done already done my posted my original review, however, unlike most reviews I do there is a written and audio-based review. But I felt that because Infinity War would be a film I would be naturally excited about, I wanted to make my main review audio-related so that you all could understand my feelings towards the film in its purest form. And I also had so much fun recording with Drew that I felt like a written review would come across a bit redundant. However, that recording wasn’t the only episode recorded, as we also did a spoiler-based discussion talking about all of the major talking points from Thanos to the funniest scenes and character interactions to the character deaths and what the end of this film could mean for the MCU going forward.
Now I actually dropped this episode online last week, but because of timing issues I didn’t share it on my blog, plus I feel like a fortnight is plenty of time to wait before busting out the juicy spoilers haha. So yeah if you’re curious to hear the fun, interesting and fun thoughts on Infinity War from Drew and I then you’re in the right place. It was one of my favourite episodes of the podcast so far! 😀
As I mentioned before I’ll cover a different topic or review in each episode and since I don’t have much in the way of listeners or promotion, I’m here to spread the word about my podcast. 🙂
So if you have some spare time on your hands and would like to listen to the ramblings of a passionate/strange man then please check it out, and share it with your friends if they are fans of film discussion. Also, you have any feedback or if you’d be interested in joining in future episodes be sure to let me know, until next time, laters! 😀
Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, how is it going? So yeah this review is up a little later than I had wanted but let’s just say I had a hella busy weekend, but putting that aside, I am finally here to share with you my thoughts on the latest Marvel Studios, Avengers: Infinity War! Now I did consider doing a written review, but I feel like my podcast would be able to better describe my feeling about the film in a more vivid and raw manner. So my review will be presented via my podcast Film Focus and features a returning guest, my homie Drew from Drew’s Movie Reviews.
Anyway here’s the episode 52:
Now I will admit this review was largely unscripted and since we were trying to avoid spoilers, there is a fair amount of vagueness to our comments, that being said we do cover a good deal of material in the story, character and presentation departments highlighting the highs and lows of the film, and generally just gushing about how much we liked the film haha. It is a good listen and I hope that you’ll enjoy the episode because I know Drew and I had a lot of fun making the episode. 😀
So have you seen Infinity War and if so what did you think of it? Did it meet or exceed your expectations? OR were you disappointed? Drop your thoughts in the comments section below and I’ll see ya in the next review, until next time, laters! 😀
Howdy ladies and gents, time for a new film review and today I’m going to be talking about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the long-awaited sequel from Marvel Studios. Now back in 2014 I loved Guardians of the Galaxy, it was an unexpected surprise of that summer and so creating a sequel that would equal or exceed the previous film was going to be a mammoth task. But anyway I saw the film yesterday/this morning as part of a double bill at Cineworld and now I’m reading to pass judgement!
The story can be summed up as the following:
“The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.”
At this point in time I’m finding it a tad difficult to formulate my thoughts into works. Guardians Vol. 2 is an interesting beast, it is really good and an overall fun adventure, however it’s also uneven and not as cohesive as the first film. So depending on how you felt about Guardians 1, this film will be more of what you enjoyed before or be a disappointment.
If the story does one thing well it is covering the main theme of family as this film has a strong emphasis on the ties between Peter Quill and his father, Gamora and Nebula, and of course the Guardians team themselves. This film shows what it means to be a family, whether you’re blood related, adopted or have a strong connection to someone and we also see the highs and lows of those relationships. Another strong element was the fact that the story also got quite emotional and dramatic and I didn’t expect that, but it was a welcome surprise. As for the humour, one the first film’s strongest points, it was a little hit or miss, some of the jokes were amazing and other didn’t land as well, plus they were coming a little too frequently for my liking, so anyone annoyed with the frequent humour in Marvel films won’t be a fan of this film. And lastly for the first time in a while Guardians Vol. 2 feels like a standalone adventure with ties to other films or the larger MCU being next to non-existent and there not being any major set up for future films. Now of course there is some set up for a sequel and some great references to the comics, but otherwise this was an isolated film, so anyone hoping for MCU connections definitely be disappointed.
As for the cast they were all very good, though some stood out more so than others. Chris Pratt is a standout as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, he has not only a great sense of timing for his humour but he’s incredibly engaging and has good dramatic moments too. Zoe Saldana was solid as Gamora, she had some good moments with Peter and Nebula, but like the last film I wish I had seen more from her. Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer like the last film had some great comedic moments, and some unexpected subtle dramatic material too, some of his jokes didn’t land but otherwise, good stuff. Baby Groot was adorable, hilarious and used well throughout, and Rocket Raccoon had some really solid moments in this film and like before, Bradley Cooper’s voice work was really great. Other returning cast members including Karen Gillan as Nebula and Michael Rooker as Yondu do really well, Nebula got a lot of additional story material that really enhanced her as a character and while Gillan’s performance was a little overdone at points I still liked her, oh and Rooker was incredible as Yondu having more dramatic and hilarious material than before and I loved the character. As for the new cast members Kurt Russell did well as Star Lord’s dad Ego, I thought he brought a dramatic sense of flair, personality and humour to this role and his scenes with Peter was great. Pom Klementieff as Mantis was so cute and funny, I liked her abilities and interactions with the guardians team and Elizabeth Debicki was interesting as Ayesha, she had some funny scenes, but other times it was a little awkward. I also appreciated the appearances from Sean Gunn, Laura Haddock and Sylvester Stallone.
When it comes to the presentation it was really solid. Visually like the previous film, we are treated to a gorgeous film with a vivid colour scheme, good cinematography, great artistic direction, really detailed CGI and action sequences that were fast, ferocious, inventive and fun to watch. The soundtrack for this film was pretty good, though not as recognisable and as varied as the previous film, and Tyler Bates returns for the film score and he crafts some really nice music, some returning themes and some new material that works well with the on-screen action.
So to conclude Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was a solid sequel, it did well to advance the story of the characters, had good action, humour and heart. However, the uneven story, misuse of certain characters and a not so solid humour prevent it from being the amazing sequel I thought it could be. And so how would one compare this film to the other MCU films. Well as a sequel I’d say it’s better than the worst two films, Iron Man 2 and Thor: The Dark World, and Iron Man 3, so I’d say it’s sort of on the same level as Age of Ultron, okay now here me out before you verbally attack me. Age of Ultron is a film I that had a lot of great elements within but overall wasn’t as consistent and enjoyable as the previous film and I felt a similar way about this film, while not as disappointing, I felt like this film wasn’t as straightforward or consistent as the last adventure, but it’s still worth a watch.
So have you seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and if so what did you think of it? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀
Howdy ladies and gents how’s it going? Today I’m here to finally review Star Trek Beyond, a film that I’ve been cautiously optimistic for a while now. So yesterday I went to Cineworld for a film triple to check out Star Trek, Into Darkness and Beyond, and I LOVED having the chance to see the 2009 film in the cinema again, and it was also rewatch Into Darkness for the first time since 2013. However it was so annoying how the projectionist messed up the image twice for around 10 or so minutes on the first two films that totally ruined my immersion, but luckily Beyond‘s screening was fine. Now I loved the first film and Into DarknessI liked at the time, but have since become a less interested in it, but now its time to pass judgement on Beyond! 😀
So the story can be described as the following:
“The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a new ruthless enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.”
I thought story was interesting was pretty good because it felt smaller in scale but still had all the right amount of importance, drama, adventure and action like that this series has become known for. This film was a lot more thought-provoking, intimate and character-driven than before. I also appreciated how this film really got into explored the life and times of the Enterprise crew and got into the psyche of the main characters and fleshed out their personal lives too. And while there were certain elements that I predicted, it was still a fairly entertaining story that felt very in line with the 60’s Star Trek TV show and had some nice references to the past for long-term fans.
The cast all did an admirable job in their roles. Chris Pine was great as Captain James T. Kirk, I appreciated how he’d matured from the previous films and started to feel the weight of being the captain of his ship. Equally good was Zachary Quinto as Spock, it was interesting to see him such a different mindset and in a vulnerable state, but luckily he still provides some really great humour through his Vulcan demeanour. It was great to see Karl Urban again as Bones as he felt like the voice of reason and had some of the best humour, seeing Simon Pegg back as Scotty was great as he some really funny and important moments. I also liked how Zoe Saldana had more to do in this film as Nyota Uhura, John Cho was also really good as Sulu, and finally out the returning crew, Anton Yelchin as Chekov was delightful and had some cool moments, and it was both great and saddening to see this film after Yelchin’s death. This film also continued to illustrate the wonderful friendship and banter between the main Enterprise crew especially with Kirk’s connection to Spock and Bone. As for the new cast members, Idris Elba as Krall was fairly generic and uninteresting at first, but by the end of the film he became a more interesting character with extra layers of depth, and Sofia Boutella did well as Jaylah, for a character I didn’t expect to like she had a lot of great comedic and badass action moments, plus her motivation and interaction with Kirk’s crew was great.
When it comes to the presentation was pretty solid. Visually the film was large in scale with some good cinematography, nice and thrilling action sequences, and cool hand-to-hand combat. Though some of the CGI looked a little lacking in detail though I’m not sure if that was because of the 3D glasses). And finally Michael Giacchino returns for the film score, and brings such a bombastic and charismatic sound that was consistent with the previous films, though I believe this soundtrack lacked the intensity and style that I loved his work with the first and second film.
In conclusion Star Trek Beyond was a pretty good film and was much better than I expected, and while it may not be my favourite in this new set of Star Trek films, it was certainly a good session. I recommend this for sure. 🙂
So are you going to see Star Trek Beyond and if have you seen it what did you think of it? Also what’s your favourite film out this new trilogy so far?
Good day to you ladies and gents, time for a film review I was meant to have done last week Friday, I am of course talking about the film that’s on fire in the cinema right now, Guardians of the Galaxy. At this point in time I’ve already seen the film twice and I’m not going to hide the fact that I think this film is incredible and I’m going to tell you why in this review!
The story for this film can be described as the following:
“Brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits-Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand-with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.”
The story in this film basically involves a group of misfits from very different backgrounds coming together to become something more and take out a common enemy. Yes this a type of story that has been done many times in the past and very recently with Marvel’s Avengers film that came out two years ago, but this film is so delightfully different in its execution that it easily stands on its own two feet. Guardians of the Galaxy is not only a very different kind of Marvel film but also a different brand of superhero film too. And in a way I wouldn’t even brand it in the superhero genre as this film is clearly of the science fiction genre and it has all the great codes and conventions of what makes the genre so fun to watch. The film is incredibly strange and quirky, it is not typical in any way, there is so much unexpected moments for humour spread throughout and luckily the humour isn’t over-bearing as it has a reason for being there. In addition to the comedy there is a surprising amount of heart to this film. I feel like Marvel Studios are diving deeper into emotional territories and producing very intriguing stories with intimate character moments that are well-crafted and engaging. This film has a great balance of humour and seriousness, and that’s the thing that I think will surprise people. For all the comedic moments there are also some moments to think and reflect, be melancholy and a lot more.
The performances were all great and the core team of heroes are probably the best set of characters together since the Avengers were assembled. Firstly Chris Pratt just ruled as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, he is a man with history and now lives life on the edge sleeping with women and obtaining special treasures. It is not until he sees the danger of the item he holds that he decides to do something that benefits the galaxy and not just himself by assembling his group of misfits. Pratt has so much energy and charisma and it makes for such an engaging, funny and well-rounded performance. Zoe Saldana as Gamora is awesome, she is deadly, sexy and a totally cool warrior. Gamora is clearly a woman with a troubled past and wants to start life anew but happens have run into some complications along the way involving her sister and Quill. Saldana is no stranger to action and sci-fi and she is so beautiful and good in this role. Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket Raccoon was pretty much the best thing ever. The character is the source of so much humour but also so much drama as well. Every line Rocket had been super memorable and funny as hell and Cooper’s delivery of his lines are so good as well. Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot was great, I know he just says “I am Groot” all the time, but the different ways in which he said it was very cool and versatile and just hearing Diesel scream and shout was so cool and reminiscent of The Iron Giant. One surprise for me was Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer as he was a lot more enjoyable in the role than I expected. Drax is a maniac driven by revenge and hatred, but he is also very literal and simple-minded and loves chaos. I loved how many funny lines and moments this character had and I really liked what Bautista did with this role, that being said there was some moments where the delivery of his lines could have been better.
Lee Pace as Ronan The Accuser was pretty decent, he was an evil, corrupt and power-hungry individual who ultimately wanted to rule over all the inhabitants of the galaxy, he was a serviceable villain, but did fall into the trap of Nero from Star Trek and Malekith from Thor: The Dark World in the sense that he ends up not being as well-developed or as interesting as the heroes he is fighting against. Karen Gillan as Nebula was totally hot and great as this female villain who clearly has sibling rivalry with Gamora and hearing about her history with Gamora and Thanos makes her seems really intriguing. Another person of interest is Michael Rooker as Yondu, Rooker is always a joy to watch and he was just as enjoyable as ever here as a man who is closely linked to Quill’s history and a man who looks out for number one and takes out anyone in his way. Rooker was so funny, cool and charismatic, he was such a joy to watch. Benicio Del Toro was great as Taneleer Tivan / The Collector, I feel like he was a little more serious and less cartoony than he was in Thor: The Dark World. I really liked Djimon Hounsou as Korath the Pursuer, he was intimidating and badass as hell. Even though it his inclusion was small, Josh Brolin as Thanos was totally cool and gave us a wonderful look into what to expect from the Mad Titan in the future. And finally the performances from Glenn Close and John C. Reilly as Commander Rael and Rhomann Dey are pretty good too.
When it comes to the presentation I think it is incredible on both the audio and visible side of things. Visually the film is incredibly unique, distinct and just bursting with colour and detail. Along with the story, the cinematography and CGI work on space, planets and even the characters instill a great sense of wonder and mystery to the film and anyone who is well versed in sci-fi will feel glimpses of Star Wars, the J.J. Abrams Star Trek films and Serenity too. The soundtrack maybe just as impressive if not more so than the visuals. This film is filled to the max with nostalgic songs from the 1960’s and 70’s and it is a very eclectic soundtrack which is very unconventional when it comes to Marvel films, but it works on three levels, a) Because of Peter Quill’s love for the music he grew up with, b) It adds to the film’s quirky nature and c) For those who are old enough, it is like stepping into the past and having a crazy nostalgia rush with some really good music. In addition to the great selection of songs, the score by Tyler Bates is pretty good and has some beautiful and epic moments throughout.
In conclusion the Guardians of the Galaxy is definitely a different kind of superhero film, in a way it hardly a superhero film at all. It is truly a film of the science fiction genre with all sorts of humour, action and fun. and I can’t wait to see it again lol.
Rating: 8.5/9 out of 10 (Seriously liked this film a lot though I’m not sure it is 9 material yet)
So what did you think of the Guardians of the Galaxy? Did it live up to your expectations or not? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to drop them in the comments below.
Good day to you ladies and gents, time for another trailer review and today I’ll be talking about the second trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy that was released yesterday. Now I recall seeing the first trailer and liking it, but not being blown away by it, however after a while I really grew to love it and see it in the cinema has gotten me hyped on a few occasions. So with this new trailer I was hoping to be shocked beyond belief. So how does the second trailer fare? Well read on and find out!
Check out the trailer below:
So what and I thinking after seeing this trailer? Well this is what I would say, “Cool, I like it. However I wasn’t blown away.”
I feel like I’m getting some deja vu because I did have similar thoughts to the first trailer that was released, but I feel like that one you could give the benefit of the doubt because it was the first one. Plus I feel like that trailer had a more engaging tone and style, while this one of more of the same just with new scenes and music.
That’s not to say that this trailer didn’t have cool things to show off and new things for us to learn. What’s on display here is pretty cool and I like how much more we get to see of Star-Lord and his grew coming together. This second trailer really emphasizes the fact that this is a group of misfits, brought together through pure circumstantial reasons, but when put together they can achieve great things.
What I like the most about this trailer is seeing more of the world, this film looks gorgeous from what the trailer is showing us. The visual effects look incredibly detailed, large in scope and the colour scheme is so vivid and versatile, it looks like a whole new type of space that hasn’t really been seen before. For me, there haven’t been too many films that have depicted the look of space in a unique or interesting way (not since Star Wars at least), but GotG looks like its set to change that and I can’t wait to see what the rest of film has in store for us. And speaking of the visuals both Groot and Rocket Raccoon look awesome, we get to see a lot more of them, we hear them speak, move around a lot more and just see their personalities in general and it feels they’re getting a fair amount of screen time in this trailer and rightfully so, these are the characters that the film has to see to the casual audience.
In conclusion the second trailer Guardians of the Galaxy looks delightful and I can’t wait to see it. While the trailer didn’t really make me geek out like the later trailers for Godzilla and X-Men: Days of Future Past, in the end it is still a good trailer with plenty of interesting things to talk about for weeks to come. August is taking too damn long to get here, like a spoilt child would say, “I want it now!” 😀
So what did you think of the Guardians of the Galaxy second trailer? Are you more or less excited for the film than before? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to drop them in the comments below.
Howdy ladies and gents, time for a trailer review and today’s trailer is one that I and a lot of other Marvel fans have been anticipating for AGES! I am of course talking about Guardians of the Galaxy. Even though Marvel Studios misses a CLEAR opportunity to show off this film at this year’s Super Bowl, it is here now so let’s start talking about it!
Here’s the trailer:
So my immediate thoughts? This is the most bizarre thing I have ever seen and I’m pretty sure that is a good thing. There is a fair amount of humour, mystery and chaos going on here.
The first thing I’ll say I liked was the tone, this film looks like it’ll be pretty funny and I’m always down for that. Some have complained that since Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 that Marvel films have too much humour in them and lack a serious tone, personally I don’t mind it. If all film were dark and moody like The Dark Knight Trilogy and Man of Steel then comic book movies would suck. But anyway moving back to the teaser trailer it is the small things like Chris Pratt’s character calling himself Star-Lord or when he gives the Nova Corps officers the finger or when Rocket Racoon spits while being examined, it is all pretty jokes and I can see many moments like that going down throughout the film. And with a property as random as this, there is gonna have to be a least a little bit of humour if this film is gonna be taken seriously.
We also get a run-down of the team. Chris Pratt seems to be on good form as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, he’s likeable, relatable, funny and charismatic and since he’s sort of the main character it was nice to get a feel for his personality the most in this trailer. Dave Bautista is looking a lot better in motion as Drax the Destroyer, there wasn’t much in the way of speaking for him but he did have a firm and scary presence. Zoe Saldana continues to show that she can look hot no matter what colour she is as Gamora, her character looks rough and ready and I like how she smiled when her crimes were being listed off in that examination room. Rocket Raccoon looks cute and totally badass, he’s small but very agile and knows how to use a firearm. And then there’s Groot who seems pretty docile and nice but also looks like he has a temper on him too. Side note, I like how Rocket and Groot are paired together, that’s nice and convenient for the sake of story.
The appearances of John C. Reilly as Rhomann Dey alongside Peter Serafinowicz as a Nova Corps officers was great, they had great lines and good comedic timing. Djimon Hounsou seems pretty badass-looking as Korath and quick glimpses we got on Karen Gillan as Nebula and Benicio del Toro as The Collector was nice.
Then like all other trailers there’s a montage of scenes and a lot of it looks mad. There’s spaceship battles in the sky, Rocket and Groot fighting together, Groot throwing someone, Star-Lord looking badass topless, explosions, Nebula look even more awesome, there is a lot to take in basically.
Overall the look and feel of this film has my anticipation really high. My only issues with the trailer would be that song at the end, I guess it is meant to be funny or something but it really rubbed me the wrong way. Like the trailer doesn’t want you to take the film that seriously, but after seeing the trailer a second time I’m getting over it.
In conclusion the teaser trailer Guardians of the Galaxy looks unlike a film unlike anything that Marvel have done before and at this point that is a very good thing. It is really random. I like the look of this new space adventure, the cast look awesome, the humour is great and the action looks like it’ll be on-par with anything Marvel Studios have produced before. While I wasn’t completely blown away, I am still hyped for this film and my curiosity has definitely risen a lot more.
So what did you think of the GotG teaser trailer? Leave your thoughts below.
Hello again ladies and gents, I’ve got another film review for you. So after two other films in the cinema, the final one I watched was Out of the Furnace, a film I’d been wanting to see just because of the hype surrounding Christian Bale and Casey Affleck’s performances. I went in with fluctuating expectations, so was it good or not? Read on and find out.
So the story goes like this:
“Russell and his younger brother Rodney live in the economically-depressed Rust Belt, and have always dreamed of escaping and finding better lives. But when a cruel twist of fate lands Russell in prison, his brother becomes involved with one of the most violent and ruthless crime rings in the Northeast – a mistake that will cost him everything. Once released, Russell must choose between his own freedom, or risk it all to seek justice for his brother.”
Before I continue I just want to say that the first scene in this film is awesome, its terrifying, but awesome nevertheless, okay moving on. I really liked the story and thought that it was very interesting. I liked the relationship between the Baze brothers and their individual stories and how they progress. The story of this film was pretty dramatic, graphic and depressing, part of that reason is not only the character situations but also because of the locations. Russell and Rodney’s story takes place in Crap Town, that’s what I’m calling this place because its dull, sad and not much is going on and it doesn’t feel like people can amount to anything without doing legit work. But if you think that’s bad just wait til you see Shitsville, another location where other bad things take place which is even worse than the last place full of savages and nutjobs doing horrible things. This film reminded me a lot of Prisoners, but whereas that film made me feel uncomfortable and sad, this one gave me a more satisfying story and conclusion.
When it comes to the cast there is a really impressive cast on show and while not everyone is utilized fully, the ones that do stand out are very good. Christian Bale as Russell Baze is great, Russell is a man who is very devoted to his family and has a lot to take care of, but things go from bad to worst after an accident which causes him to lose so many precious things in his life. Bale continues to be a very cool actor as he commits to this role and I like his emotional range. The performance that may overshadow Bale is Casey Affleck as Rodney Baze, Jr., I’ve not seen too many films with Casey in them, but I am now aware that he is an actor I should be paying attention to due to his stellar performance in this film which is very powerful and realistic. At first you question the man’s actions but when you realize what he’s been through and know what’s going on in his head, you begin to understand him and hope that he gets himself together for the sake of not only himself but his family.
Though the stand out person in this film for me Woody Harrelson as Harlan DeGroat. Bloody hell, what a beast! Harlan is such a brute, totally messed up and unpredictable. When he’s around people you don’t know what’s gonna happen and you fear for their lives. I’ve only become a fan of Harrelson in recent years but seeing him in this film makes me wish I’d noticed him years ago, the man is SO good and easily stole the screen time for others. Zoe Saldana as Lena Warren was pretty good, I liked her and she can do crying moments very well. I also like Willem Dafoe as John Petty, he was a typical business man, very serious though he did have some form of compassion for the people he worked with. Forest Whitaker was decent as Wesley Barnes but he wasn’t in the film as much as I thought he’d be. And Sam Shepard as Gerald “Red” Baze, he didn’t move that much but he was good in the film too.
In conclusion Out of the Furnace is a great dramatic thriller with awesome performances from the cast and the story is interesting with grim atmosphere. While I wasn’t totally satisfied with the way the story progressed and the over depressing aura of the film, it is still really good and I recommend it.
Rating: 8/10 (Great performances make this worth a watch)
So have you seen or are going to see Out of the Furnace? Whatever your thoughts are leave them in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review yo! 😀
It’s 2013 and we now have Star Trek Into Darkness, a film I’ve waited 4 long years to see. After the success of 2009’s Star Trek I knew that a sequel was coming. This new film looks bigger and darker than before, plus it has Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain, how could the film fail right? So does this film succeed in being awesome or does fall short of the previous film’s quality? Read on and find out!
So the story for this film is as follows:
“After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.”
I really liked the story in this film, it was basically an epic game of cat and mouse between the members of the Enterprise and John Harrison. It was crafted in a lovely way with a great deal drama, danger, mystery and sacrifice. The story in this film takes place not to long after the last film and has some great connections to not only the last Star Trek film but other films in the series and the TV show. There was some great developments for the returning characters as well as the new ones who make their mark in this film. The pacing was good and at not point did it feel like the plot was dragging though at first as good as the story was it didn’t get really good until John Harrison came to the forefront of the story.
While the story is great, it is the cast that brings these characters to life and makes you care about the events that’s taking place around them. So let’s start with the returning cast starting with Chris Pine as James T. Kirk. I loved Pine as Kirk in the last film, his new interpretation on the character and the transition into the on from the original TV show was great and he continues his good acting in this new film. Here Kirk has a lot more of an emotional story arc and it really tests him as not only a person but as a leader of his crew. And then there’s Zachary Quinto as Spock was simply fabulous! I thought he was incredible in the last film especially with his more emotional interpretation of the character and in this film it is taken to new heights, Quinto was made for this role and really has some great moments verbally and physically too. Also I like how the relationship between Kirk and Spock was still at the forefront of the film and was developed even more than before, Pine and Quinto still have incredibly good chemistry.
As for the rest of the Enterprise crew their still all on top form. Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy is still funny, enjoyable and has good screen time with Kirk. Zoe Saldana is still hot and efficient as Nyota Uhura and Simon Pegg is still awesome and hilarious as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott too. Also John Cho and Anton Yelchin are still cool as Hikaru Sulu and Pavel Chekov. Even Bruce Greenwood as does great returning once again as Christopher Pike.
As for the newcomers, Alice Eve and Peter Weller add some interesting elements to the story as Carol Wallace and Starfleet Admiral Alexander Marcus.
But the standout performance has to be from Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison, HE WAS A BEAST! That is the best way to describe him really. I loved his performance in this film, Harrison plays this former agent of Starfleet who’s now got a beef with them and wants to take down th organization. There is a lot of mystery surrounding his character and the less you know the better really because as the mystery unfolds you get to discover so much and it’ll be totally surprising. Cumberbatch is insanely badass in this film delivering lines and fighting people with intensity, fear and tenacity. Cumberbatch definitely sold the film for me, I thought he was a truly incredible nemesis for the Enterprise crew and he definitely made up for Eric Bana’s Nero in the last film.
He’s such a badass, only badass people smash through glass like that.
When it comes to the presentation of Star Trek Into Darkness I would honestly say that it is pretty much on par with the 2009. Industrial Light & Magic still know how to make some damn good-looking CGI, there are some great scenes and sequences crafted whether they be on Earth, an alien planet or in space, wherever it is it looks incredible. There some truly epic and larger-than-life spectacles to take in from space battles to seeing the Enterprise in warp drive, it’s just awesome stuff! As for the soundtrack, Michael Giacchino returns as composer and he delivers some truly awesome music while retaining some of the themes from the previous film. There is a music for every scenario and it amplifies the film but ten times, Giacchino still knows how to craft music that is epic, godly, but also soft and emotional too.
In conclusion Star Trek Into Darkness is a cracking sequel to the 2009 film which not only advances the story and characters from the before but presents much bigger challenges and threats that make the film so much more epic. While there are some elements of the 2009 film I like better, I can easily say that Star Trek Into Darkness is my favourite film of 2013. Go out and watch it now. That’s an order! 😀
Rating: 9/10 (Totally worth your time!)
So what did you think of Star Trek Into Darkness? Did you love, think it was alright or did you hate it? Whatever your thoughts are drop me comment and let me know! Until the next review later on people! 😀
Oh yes! Now this is a film I have wanted to review for quite some time but I really wanted to find the right time to do it, and with Star Trek Into Darkness pretty much coming out today it’s about time I reviewed this film. Ever since I saw it in the cinema I fell in love with it and it quickly became one of my favourite films ever, so without further ado I give you my review of Star Trek (aka Star Trek XI). By the way it’s a bit of a long one so please try to endure it haha.
So the premise for this film is as follows:
“The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father’s legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful, time-traveling Romulan creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.”
I loved the story in this film, it is exciting, entertaining and heartfelt too. We basically get to see the genesis of the members of the USS Enterprise as they come from their different backgrounds and converge and then come together as a crew. But at the center of the film is the relationship between Kirk and Spock, we see how they have very different upbringings and how it shapes them into the men that they are. They’re polar opposites and at first they really don’t get on because one likes to run before he acts whereas the other thinks before he moves. And it is truly beautiful to see these characters come rely on each other and become the partners that we know from the old 60s TV show. The plot of the film is pretty streamlined when compared to the 60s show, it is also much more action-oriented (that is apparent from the beginning) and there isn’t as much of that techno babble and over scientific stuff that the show was known for, however this was probably done to appeal to new audiences. Some veterans of the series may not like the changes done to the old formula and the story but for me it works in an incredibly fun, adventures and emotional way.
But what is a good story without a good cast? Thankfully the cast in this film are all wonderful at bringing these classic characters to life in a brand new way while feeling familiar at the same time.
Let’s start with Chris Pine as James T. Kirk. Pine gives a very different take on the character as this young, reckless, yet skilled individual who could be much more but chooses to live a simple life until he enlists in Starfleet. After that he goes into space, butts heads with Spock and eventually becomes the character we remember from William Shatner. Chris Pine makes a great Kirk, he’s incredibly likeable, relatable and funny and makes for a great opposite to Spock. And speaking of him let’s move onto Zachary Quinto as Spock. Here we have a version of Spock that while he has all the mannerisms from the old show he has to deal with his dual heritage as half Vulcan and half human. He’s very smart, logical and is a great opposite for Kirk as they bicker and fight. Let me just say that Quinto was MADE to play this role, he’s so stern, logical and has a dry sense of humor. He knocked it out of the park with this role.
As for the rest of the crew they are all on point. I thought Karl Urban made a great Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy, and Zoe Saldana Nyota Uhura was incredibly beautiful and engaging. A special mention needs to be given for Simon Pegg as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, he was incredible. While his character was pretty much there for humour purposes I loved what Simon Pegg did with the role and he was funny as hell! Then there’s John Cho and Anton Yelchin were awesome, dynamic and humourous as Hikaru Sulu and Pavel Chekov respectively. Also Bruce Greenwood as Capt. Christopher Pike was wonderful. And Leonard Nimoy’s appearance as old Spock is great and really connects this new film to the original continuity. I guess the only weak link in this chain is Eric Bana as Nero, his villain role is only used as a plot device and he really isn’t as fleshed out as the rest of the cast. However he gets props for the best line in the film: “FIRE EVERYTHING!” Totally badass.
When it comes to the presentation of Star Trek it is just one a high level of awesomeness. The film just looks and sounds so good!
Visually the film is incredible, Industrial Light & Magic do a magnificent job of creating these beautiful, highly detailed scenes of space, different planets and the spacecrafts. The CGI is just beautiful and really shines in scenes of massive spectacles like the Romulan attack on the USS Kelvin or the skydiving sequence with Kirk and Sulu or when Kirk is marooned on the ice planet and gets chased by giant monsters. I also like the camera work in the film too, there is some dynamic angles used and there are a few zoom shots and quick camera movements that just make the pace so much swifter than previous Star Trek films. And obviously we can’t talk about Star Trek without highlighting the now-infamous lens flare in the film, at first I never really noticed it until my uncle pointed out to me and after that it couldn’t be unseen. While it does get used to extreme a few scenes to be honest I like it, for some reason it adds some cool lighting effects to the shots its used in and it doesn’t bother as much as everyone else.
And then of course there’s the soundtrack by Michael Giacchino and to say that I love it would be an understatement. It honestly sounds INCREDIBLE! Ever since I saw this film in the cinema the soundtrack was one of the main things I remembered after I saw the film. Giacchino is absolutely amazing and really brings the film to life with his score, the tracks are epic, impactful, soft, emotional and all-round good stuff. The song “Enterprising Young Men” is amazing and I get insanely kiddy whenever I hear it, I get goosebumps, that’s how incredible it is. The sound effects for this film is also very good with some returning from the old TV show and there’s smart uses of sound or lack of it that make the film feel incredibly atmospheric.
Now I remember before this film came out there was a lot of talk and building hype, though at first I wasn’t really interested. I remember when my uncle showed me the first teaser trailer back in 2008 and I thought the concept of a new Star Trek film would be interesting but I wasn’t overly fussed. It wasn’t until the first full trailer came out in the later part of that year where I was like, “Okay now this is a film I have to watch!” Then the film came out and I think the overall response pretty positive from both casual audiences and the fans and it made a lot of money at the box office and it also brought Star Trek back into the mainstream media. Because let’s face it before this reboot Star Trek had been dead in the world of cinema since 2002 and the franchise was just exclusive to the Trekkies who really cared for it. But this film really put Star Trek back on the map because its more action-oriented approach to the franchise which I think the series really needed.
In conclusion Star Trek is a great re-imagining of the old television show for a new generation. The film is full of action and sci-fi goodness, it also has a solid story, a brilliant cast, spectacular special effects and a beautiful soundtrack to boot. While there was a great deal of things that were changed/reworked in translating the 60s TV show into this live-action reboot, I still say there’s enough of the old for fans to appreciate and I highly recommend this film not only to fans, but to those who aren’t aware of Star Trek or those who have never liked it beforehand. I with the foundations put in place with this film I absolutely can’t wait for the sequel; Star Trek Into Darkness in May, it should be one hell of a sequel!
Rating: A Solid 9/10 (Seal of Approval!)
Well that’s been my review ladies and gents, hopefully you’ve found it informative and drop me comment and let me know your thoughts on the film. This review was meant to be out months ago but I never got around to finishing it now haha. Look out for my Star Trek Into Darkness review in the next few days! By the way don’t forget to follow the blog for more juicy reviews yo! Later peeps! 😀
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