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nathan_franklin2006
Reviews
Fainaru fantajî sebun adobento chirudoren (2005)
A fan-pleaser definitely. A genuinely good film for everyone? Not so much...
Yes, you read the title correctly; this is indeed the movie incarnation of one of the most popular RPGs ever created. If you've got a games shelve lined with Final Fantasy titles at home, then the likelihood is that you've got this beautifully animated CG movie already in your collection. If you haven't, you're missing out on something big. If you're a Sci-Fi movie fan who hasn't even heard of Final Fantasy let alone play it, then you probably won't find any enjoyment out of this here film.
The plot is a continuation of the one in the PlayStation game of 1997, taking place two years later. I'm not going to recite the plot because it should already be available in the Plot Summary, but it is simple for FF fans but obviously non-FF fans may find it rather confusing, even despite the quick recollection of the game's events at the beginning. There is a special feature on the DVD called 'Reminiscence of Final Fantasy VII', but rest assured non-FF fans, it'll bore you to the brink of insanity. FF fans may dwell in the nostalgia however.
One thing that is immediately apparent is the eye-catching CG which is simply amazing. Every wrinkle is finely caught on the faces of the characters, every single strand of hair displayed in detail. Clearly, technology is improving and seeing as Square-Enix are renowned for their impressive CG cut-scenes, this is pretty much no surprise for a FF fan. The Cg allows for near-impossible camera angles and inhuman stunts to be performed without killing the actors. Seriously though, the fights and action in this are amazing and will keep you stuck to your seat. So what if the stunts look as though they were co-ordinated by Superman? It looks cool, which is pretty much the point.
So, yes, unless you are a FF maniac, you'll probably get confused about the story, although you'll love the fight scenarios. However, if you are a FF fan add this to your collection.
The Pink Panther 2 (2009)
Ambitious, but in the end just not funny
It's disappointing when you excitedly enter the cinema, expecting great things from a sequel to a film you really like. I mean, look at it; the first sequels always tend to be the best films don't they? Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight, From Russia With Love, The Godfather Part II, The Empire Strikes Back etc, etc. You would think that The Pink Panther 2, the sequel to, funnily enough, The Pink Panther, would be brilliant, right? You would, unfortunately, be wrong.
I don't really have an awful lot of reasons for why this film is rubbish. The only reason I can possibly give is this; it just isn't funny. Clearly, it tries to be - there are many moments in the film where you will feel 'oh yeah, I see how that was supposed to be funny' and you'll subconsciously think to the film 'better luck next time in entertaining me!' But you won't laugh, unless, of course, you possess the sense of humour of a disillusioned monkey. If you ask me, parts like the flashback where Inspector Cluso burns down the restaurant are incredibly exaggerated even for a slapstick comedy such as this and sometimes Steve Martin's accent can become increasingly annoying when you hear him go on for hours.
So, in conclusion, I have one thing to say; 'don't watch this film'. Do you want it in capitals? DON'T WATCH THIS FILM. If you REALLY want a slice of decent Panther action, try watching the Peter Sellers classics or, if you're too 'high-tech' to go for a blast to the past, try watching the original PP remake from a few years back, which is quite decent.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Bruce Wayne is back!
Batman ranks along the likes of Superman and Spider-Man as one of the most popular superheroes ever. In his brand new film, Batman has given us a satisfying sequel that's filled to the brim with action, drama and suspense.
The Dark Knight places Batman (Christian Bale) in a struggle against the dreaded Joker (Heath Ledger) and his dastardly minions as the Joker attempts to dose Gotham City with large amounts of fear. In fact, The Joker is not so much interested in money as he is in bringing the city to it's knees! Bruce Wayne and Batman are played incredibly well by British actor Christian Bale who did a fine job in the previous movie. He makes the two identities of Wayne and Batman very different and gives a distinctive flavour to each one. Michael Cain does a great job as Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's butler, who is against Bruce's desire for justice.
What can I say? There are great special effects and the good thing is, there is hardly any CG - most of the fights and dangerous sequences are performed by humans making these fights extremely realistic. The film is - in most cases - extremely dark and this fits snugly into the tone of Batman. I don't mean 'I can't see!' dark, but dark as in night-time or dark streets with flickering lights etc.
There are some bad things though; Batman's pretend 'dark voice' is comedic and there are times when it is impossible to take him seriously. Near the film's ending, Batman gives a speech that you can't understand at all because of his stupid voice. Looks like there's more than one Joker in town... Secondly, the plot can be quite confusing at first as it develops, but this isn't a major thing; you'll get it as it progresses even further.
In conclusion, Batman has come to us in good form. Apart from some slightly boring moments and some other niggles, the film is generally amusing and incredibly entertaining.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
A cracking thriller
Whilst in the past, I've had somewhat mixed feelings about the Indiana Jones series of films, I rather liked The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I watched it recently for my sixteenth birthday in May and despite reviews, I thought it was a brave move to bring the whip-swinging, hat-wearing hero back into the age.
Sure, Harrison is ageing, but Indy's age was reflected in his knowledge. There is plenty of action and excitement in this film to keep the blood running in Jones fans; I was kept glued to my seat with enjoyment throughout the film. Old wise Indy fans will be pleased to know that Marion Ravenwood, Jone's love interest from the Raiders of the Lost Ark makes a return, but may be somewhat put aside with the various Sci-Fi elements contained within the film. And the Russians. Maybe.
In conclusion, there is no shortage of thrills here and Ford is as great an actor as he always was. Amusing stuff.
Superman Returns (2006)
Ultimate Superman Action!
Brandon Routh is a talented actor, no doubt about it - he plays the part of Clark Kent and his heroic alter-ego Superman incredibly well. It just takes one to look past Christopher Reeve to appreciate his fine acting skill. Why did I choose this subject as my introduction? For one reason, Super-Nerds are not yet ready to accept Routh into 'Superman Society' just yet. They've grown emotionally attached to Reeve; they can't bear the fact that someone new must take the stage. Routh is a GREAT actor who portrays the character well and gives him a new breath of life.
The story takes place five years since Superman II, therefore wiping hideous sequels Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace out of continuity thank god. Kal-El has taken a trip back to Krypton after hearing that astronauts had found remains of the planet. After seeing that Krypton is most definitely no more, Kal-El, known to his loved ones on Earth as Clark Kent, returns to Earth to resume his heroic duties as Superman, only to discover that the love of his life, Lois Lane is engaged and has a five-year-old son and that nations have moved on without him. Time to reintroduce yourself into society, Supes! Firstly, as is the case with every modern film created, CGI has been integrated into the film to create scenes that aren't humanly possible. Examples of this include when Superman flies into space; a cleverly-constructed CGI render of Brandon Routh is used for those scenes as is some of the scenes that involve the handsome hero swooping through the air at vicious speeds. If you're not too eagle-eyed, you probably won't see the difference. Still, the CGI technology creates scenes that 70's Superman director Richard Donner could only dream of.
As for actors, Kate Bosworth proves a decent choice for the part of Lois Lane - she's a cool actor who clearly knows what she's doing. She represents the character well. Kevin Spacy, who plays Superman's mastermind arch-villain Lex Luthor, gives a slight resemblance to Gene Hackman and plays the role brilliantly; there are moments when you actually believe that he's a psychotic maniac! The plot itself revolves around change. Nothing stays the same forever as we all know, but Clark must deal with this. Admittedly, the plot is rather weak when compared to earlier films but on a whole, the film is great and will entertain you to the bitter end. As Empire magazine once said, "Superman doesn't fly, he soars!"
Superman (1978)
Christopher Reeve's first appearance as the caped wonder
You'd probably be considered an alien from Krypton yourself if you didn't know about Christopher Reeve's Superman films. For many, he truly WAS Superman and Superman fans are currently having a hard time accepting newcomer Brandon Routh into the tights. I must admit I thought Routh was alright, but I digress.
Superman: The Movie begins with Jor-El (Marlon Brando) putting his infant son Kal-El into a spaceship and sending him off to Earth as, seeing as he's a cunning scientist, he has estimated that his home planet Krypton is going to blow up pretty soon. Sadly, the Kryptonian Council disagree with Jor-El's theory and refuse to evacuate everyone off the planet, therefore Jor-El sees sending off his son to another planet as the only way to preserve the Kryptonian race. Kal-El eventually reaches Earth after three years and is found by a kind farmer and his wife who adopt him and name him 'Clark Kent'. From then on, the infant will grow up to become the unstoppable superhero Superman (Christopher Reeve) after he eventually learns of his Kryptonian heritage.
Good points? Firstly, Christopher Reeve manages to take on the role of both mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent and his heroic persona Superman extremely well. Reeve deliberately made Kent goofier and made him lose the S curl in his hair in order to stop anyone sussing out he and Superman are one and the same. On the other hand, Reeve made Clark's alter-ego Superman have that great S-Curl and of course, he loses the large glasses, displaying his handsome features more clearly. The differences between Clark and Superman are brilliant - its almost convincing. If I didn't know that Superman was actually Clark Kent, I reckon I'd be fooled.
Secondly, the visual effects are great and are quite advanced for a film which was created in the seventies. It's hard to shake off the thrills as Superman flies about and the tension as the natural disasters occur late in the film (which is no spoiler I can tell you; trust me, there are more exciting things I could spoil you on in this movie, but I won't :)).
Thirdly, Marlon Brando's scenes are brilliant and you get a real sense of a God-Jesus relationship between Kal-El and Jor-El (which is what the Creative Consultant Tom Mankiewicz wanted). Whilst most of the credit should be directed towards the script, some should be given to Brando who says his lines in such a wise, posh manner as he declares to his son that "you will never be alone, even in the face of our death" and other great lines.
One thing that bugs me with this film is the fact that it contains no real 'action' as such. During the film, a few robbers try to hit Superman with a crowbar which, of course, results in "bad vibrations" and Superman races through the earth's core effortlessly but there isn't much action. Don't get me wrong, I love character relationships as much as the next guy, but the Superman moments were dreadfully wasted. I'm not saying that there should've been a large kickass villain - Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) was great; instead of just chucking Supes into a swimming pool, perhaps he should've kicked the crap out of him a la Superman Returns? It would've provided much more action at least! In conclusion, Superman: The Movie satisfies as a great superhero flick that taught many the lesson of how a superhero movie should be made. The love relationship between Superman and Lois is gripping as is Superman's rivalry with criminal mastermind Lex Luthor. One of my favourite parts of the movie is Clark Kent's relationship with Lois; he never fails to make me laugh! So should you watch this film or shouldn't you? If you're someone who appreciates a good film no matter what era it was made then go ahead. If you're someone who has been brainwashed already with mind-blowing CGI, then steer clear - want some modern day Superman action? Try Superman Returns featuring the talented Brandon Routh instead!
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (2004)
More darker than the previous one...
After thoroughly enjoying the previous game, The Sands of Time, I was excited to find that Ubisoft were creating a sequel to it. At first, Warrior Within may look like your typical goth-brawling epic, but look behind the daunting colours and you've got an action adventure/platform romp that will challenge you in many hours of incredible game play.
In this game, you play as the Prince as he attempts to change his fate to die before the guardian of time, the Dahaka kills him. You can still do all the acrobatic moves and stunts that were available in the first game and more (including the ability to slide down curtains using your sword as a brake), but the thing that has improved the most is the combat. Now, you pick up temporary secondary weapons and chain together buttons to execute blood-spilling combos. It's good, because The Sands of Time's battles were rather linear with few combat moves. This game has over 50 combos to slice and dice your enemies with.
Thanks to a magical Medallion, the Prince can use the Sand Powers that made Sands of Time's game play so unique - rewind time, slow down time and learn some new sand moves (including a cool move called Ravages of Time which lets you hack away at enemies at breakneck speed). Unlike the previous game though, you can only obtain up to six sand slots - in Sands of Time you could have MUCH MUCH more. This is a particularly bad feature of the game because it feels like it's been downgraded a bit. Also, Power Tanks are not included - every sand move (even the Slow-mo move) consumes at least one sand tank. Later powers often cost even more. This provides an unfair element to the game, seeing as Power Tanks were in the original.
This is a very good game. despite minor elements of bad features, it is still worth buying. You should get it definitely if you had the last one.