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bumblebee1001
Reviews
Iron Man Three (2013)
: ( I'm still weeping inside
Given all the hype and the talk of darker story lines and Tony stripped of the suit and using his mind again I really thought this was going to be awesome. Iron Man was brilliant. I try and pretend Iron Man II didn't happen and The Avengers was INCREDIBLE but this is a really poor movie. The humour is not through the usual one liners but through silly scenes. They wheel out Air Force One and the whole scene is a complete time filler that does nothing to move the plot on - it's just clichéd and gratuitous. For the first time in a Marvel movie the best scenes are all in the trailers and the rest is actually completely miss-able. There is so much wrong it is hard to talk about it without discussing the plot. It really is poor and...and...I can't believe this script was okayed. I'm so upset I can't keep...writing...there's even stupid toilet humour...
The Avengers (2012)
Simply fantastic!
This really is a great superhero film, outclassing all of the previous films except Ironman I. This is a superb ensemble piece where all the characters shine. I have to say that Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner was a stroke of genius - as portrayed by Ruffalo, Banner is mild, humorous, hurt and self effacing. The Hulk here gets his best outing yet as a flaw in the previous two movies was that the Hulk was more likable than Banner and you spent the whole time waiting for him to change. This is not the case in the Avengers where Bruce Banner is just as entertaining and Ruffalo portrays him as hurt but not dull or sullen (as happened in the other movies). He manages to hold his own even with RDJ on screen (no mean feat!). In the film the best of the scenes involve Hulk and Ironman but everyone plays vital roles and no one is superfluous. Although, Tony Stark really does steal every scene and he finally gets to show just what Ironman can do. Ironman gets his best action outing to date! If only Ironman II could have been even a tad like this. The script is witty, coherent and just fun. Pepper Potts returns to continue the awesome romance with Ironman which really fits in perfectly with the film.
The King's Speech (2010)
Quite simply, sublime.
This is quite simply a beautiful film. The acting is superb - Colin Firth does deserve an Oscar for this role and Helena Bonham-Carter beautifully portrays the late Queen Mother. The lack of a running musical soundtrack also lends weight - there is nothing to distract you from the characters' speech. Every decision made for this film was correct. This is a witty film full of humour that also portrays the anguish of a man who, although privileged, had not recovered from a harsh upbringing and felt inadequate in assuming the role thrust on him. His triumph is presented simply and is all the more powerful for it. Perhaps most importantly of all, between King George VI and Queen Elizabeth there is a dignified, beautiful love story that is the heart of this film.
Clash of the Titans (2010)
A potentially great movie with an unworkable premise
Contrary to what a few have said I do think that this is a fantastic action movie. The opening scenes with the description of the Titans and gods is spine tingling. The scenes of Olympus are magnificent and any movie dealing with the Greek myths has the potential to be simply mind-blowing.
Bizarrely, however, the script writers and/or director decided to turn it into man vs the gods and gave it an unworkable post-modern twist. These gods who brought down the Titans, built worlds and have vast powers can be weakened if people don't pray to them???!!! Had someone read Terry Pratchett? It doesn't even fit. It was frankly a ludicrous angle to have brought into a movie on Greek mythology. It weakened the story terribly as Perseus became a whining brat who wouldn't use Zeus' gifts and kept saying he would succeed as a man when he is patently a demi-god and therefore could not and would not ever be just a man. Are we really expected to believe that a puny band of humans could defeat the gods of Olympus? And why would they wish to? In Greek mythology Helios was the sun crossing the sky every day - spit in his eye and the sun doesn't rise. In a vain attempt to make humans appear supremely noble and good there are no really bad people in it. This, again, weakens the plot. Even toward the end of the movie Calibos tells Perseus not to be like the gods....so be like Calibos? Murder your wife and attempt to murder a baby? Really? Instead of creating in-depth characters and a strong storyline with layers we were irritatingly lectured on post-modern humanism in a movie based on Greek mythology and truthfully it doesn't work. And so a movie that could have matched some of the greatest fantasy movies slips into mediocrity.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
A dull, hackneyed movie
I was very excited about going to see this film but it was a spectacular disappointment.
It is a very contrived film and any hint of originality is ruined by being presented in a heavy handed and clumsy way. There are grandiose attempts at profundity that come across as awkward and contrived. This is particularly apparent in the attempt to picture the alcoholic, tattooist, tug-boat captain as an artist - it might have worked with a different director or better script but in this situation it is trite and blatant. Also, watch out for the hummingbird...
The script is also packed with absurd lines that I think were meant to be profound and insightful but are downright banal and obvious leaving one with the urge to laugh in embarrassment. The characters are unlikeable and self-absorbed (he abandons his wife and child without any good reason). Some of the minor characters are very interesting, namely Mr Gateau and Tilda Swinton's character and their stories would perhaps have made the better film.
What has happened to Brad Pitt? He couldn't carry this movie but perhaps no one could have. You leave with the distinct impression that a committee set out to create an 'original' and 'beautiful' film, utilised the most clichéd lines and scenes in their arsenal and managed to produce a hackneyed, dull and ugly movie.
Prime (2005)
The pain, the terrible pain
I thought this was possibly the most excruciatingly painful movie I had seen in a long time. It is really terrible and considering the quality of the cast that was surprising.
The characters are manipulative and tiring - the whole movie is so contrived that it actually makes you squirm. I didn't realise until the end when they show a 'this was our relationship' montage which scenes the director had even meant to be romantic.
It is not really funny and to be honest rather than being a movie about a relationship between an older woman and younger man, at times the movie seemed to be more about the difficulties of people of different faiths trying to work out a relationship.
If you think it is cute and endearing that a man has never cleaned his ears in his life then go and see this move - otherwise run for the hills!!!
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Great leading lady, disappointing leading man
As a fan of the novel I have to say that it was with a little trepidation that I went to see this but it is an enjoyable movie. Keira Knightley is superb as Elizabeth, with the right mix of liveliness and impudence without losing the sense of propriety that was so dear to Jane Austen's heart. I also thought that Donald Sutherland was quite impressive and his accent was very convincing on the whole (although it did slip a bit once or twice). I thought he really carried off the role of Mr Bennett very well adding a strong edge to him. Dame Judi Dench is of course a scene-stealer as Lady Catherine de Bourgh (but then she never fails to disappoint) and Brenda Blethyn truly brings Mrs Bennet alive. All the female leads presented robust and enjoyable characters. For me the disappointment lay with the male leads (other than Mr Bennet). Darcy instead of being arrogant and proud comes across as a bit wet and frankly looks lost and miserable for most of the movie. Mr Bingley seems almost silly on a number of occasions. It is difficult to flesh out the characters of a novel like Pride and Prejudice in a movie but the male characters are very shallow and one-dimensional. Wickham is almost invisible. Perhaps just as disappointing is the dialogue. Jane Austen wrote some fabulous dialogue in this novel and it seems a shame that it was so little used. Why not have used some of the great lines already in P&P?