Archive for June, 2008
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Released 2nd July 2008
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Fantastic - definitely the best Will Smith action flick since Men in Black!
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We all love a superhero, especially one with flaws, and ones that are whopping great big flaws that some of us mere mortals can relate to: It makes us feel that little bit smugger that someone who appears to have it all, simply doesn’t. Will Smith’s brilliant new superhero action film, Hancock, plays on just that and is absolutely hilarious at the same time. Whilst previous superhero films show the vulnerable side of the hero, used as a weak point by their arch nemesis, Hancock has a little more depth and comes at you from a completely different and refreshing angle. Not only does it present its hero as a total screw-up from the start, but he develops to be so much more and feels so much more as the film progresses. Hancock’s ‘real’ enemy is himself. This sarcastic and turbulent superhero goes from immortal to mortal with feelings and values that halt his own path to destruction in the nick of time — he grows from petulant child to responsible adult in 92 minutes of screen time, whilst having some fun about it.
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Released 25th June 2008
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Are you sitting comfortably? Hold on tight because this high-voltage, bloodthirsty film from Russian visionary supremo, Day Watch and Night Watch director Timbor Bekmambetov grabs you by the eyeballs and gut, and doesn’t let go for a second. It’s The Matrix on speed, but with the most graphic bullet piercing shots ever witnessed on screen, slowed down for full projectile (vomit) effect, so as not to miss one blood drop or tissue tear. The ‘nobody’-cum-assassin-extraordinaire main character, Wesley Gibson, played by James McAvoy, apologises constantly for everything in his miserable little life: This film makes no apologies for tallying up the body count and cranking up the violence to exhilarating effect. From the word go, you witness slick, adrenaline-pumping assassination scenes that defy gravity and belong in another realm, like the comic book series by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones that it is based on.
Released 27th June 2008
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An honest, harrowing and influential piece of filmmaking that demonstrates what all good wartime dramas should be made of: smaller life experiences to portray the bigger picture of the feelings of being at war at the time. The storyline ignores grand and daring escapes, played out in many wartime films to date, but illustrates the impact of World War II on the lives of the individuals involved, showing the real human sacrifice at a personal level through lost relationships, innocence and heartbreak. It is very deterministic as it is based on a true and courageous story — no happy endings here — and unashameable replays the fear, the courage and the confusion of the botched missions that emphasised the danger of the time. Its uniqueness and appeal stem from the fact that it has female protagonists — an angle rarely touched on in fictional accounts. In this tragic but heroic tale the mission is run and carried out by women, illustrating some of the risks that women in the French resistance took to liberate their country. It also highlights how people from all walks of life rally together in such times in a common cause, regardless of any dubious past or prejudices. It is about making a new future free from Nazi control, and in that sense, it is somewhat, equally, uplifting.
Released 26th June 2008
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Director Andrew Adamson’s sequel to his 2005 Narnia film may ‘untangle’ much of the background babble of C.S Lewis’s book for the screen, but its grandeur, stunning panoramic scenery and epic battles with monster-looking trees greatly resemble those of a Lord of the Rings trilogy film, with the fantasy characters, but with kids as the courageous protagonists. It’s for this reason a younger audience will lap up the adventure and heroism of the characters and connect with their vulnerability.
