I believe this 'cools-off' a little from other Bond films, but as usual has some great special effects, on the edge of your seat moments to retain the viewers anxious hopes of 'will he survive' and has a good story although it is a little dullish in places losing a little lustre! I'm a keen Bond fan and recommend this a great family viewing film that continues with the English hero albeit a little worn around the edges!
This is the 23 film starring the infamous James Bond as the guy who saves the world from impeding disaster. Everyone will enjoy this thrilling film for all the family.
Dredd-full? Not at all....
Dredd is the second attempt to bring British comic book icon Judge Dredd to the big screen, and is superior to the Sylvester Stallone effort in every area...except camp, of course.
Karl Urban puts in an excellent shift as the anti-hero, demonstrating great chin acting behind the almost always on helmet, and the cast acquit themselves well all round.
The plot, such as it is, revolves around Dredd and his young partner Anderson being trapped and attacked by a Underworld boss (played with gusto by Lena Headley), but the real fun just comes in being sucked into Dredd's futuristic world; it's grim, gritty, dark and dirty, and the blu-ray brings this out in all it's glory. Although shot in 3-D, it's not an issue when watching on a normal screen, the action just seems really up close. It is not a film that will make you ponder the secrets of life, but will take you on an exhilarating 90+ minutes of breathless action. The B-Movie has come of age.
'The Amazing Spider-Man' is an outstanding superhero film, with an appeal that goes far beyond its core fanbase of comic-book geeks. Combining the usual action and adolescent wish-fulfilment fantasies of the genre with a surprisingly strong emotional backbone and some intriguing mystery elements, it's a superhero movie that offers a lot more than most, and provides a much better 'reboot' of the Spider-Man franchise than I had dared to hope.
I have to admit, I came to the film with low expectations. A reboot of the cinematic Spider-Man saga seemed so unnecessary, just a decade after director Sam Raimi's previous incarnation first made its way to the silver screen in 2002 - and only five years since Tobey Maguire made his final appearance as the web-slinging superhero in 'Spider-Man 3'. So, despite having been a huge Spider-Man fan since I was a young boy, I didn't bother to see this latest movie when it hit cinemas last year, instead waiting until it came out on Blu-Ray to see if it was any good.
As it turns out, waiting that long was a mistake. Because 'The Amazing Spider-Man' is just as good as the three modern-classic superhero movies that came before it, and it fully justifies its swift revision of the Spider-Man story by adopting a very different tone and focus to the previous trilogy.
Director Marc Webb (yeah, you can do your own spider-jokes) hits all the key aspects of the character perfectly, reprising Spider-Man's origin story and reintroducing all the key players swiftly and efficiently. However, this Spidey is a slightly more brooding and serious character than we saw in Raimi's living cartoons. In place of Maguire's goofy naivety, we get an introspective and tortured Peter Parker, played more than capably by Andrew Garfield. Whilst the movie never pushes things into the ultra-serious adult territory that was marked out by Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" Batman trilogy, it's certainly a step in that direction - but Webb and Garfield deserve full credit for mixing this slightly more up-to-date 'emo' take on Spider-Man with a lot of silly moments that help to lighten the tone a little, with plenty of jokes and comic awkwardness in Parker's various relationships with his friends and family.
After getting past the origin - which is more or less the same as that seen in the previous Spider-Man films, even if this movie inexplicably seems to go out of its way to avoid uttering the classic line "with great power, comes great responsibility" - we're treated to a lot of elements that feel fresh and new. This is a completely original story that features a fresh status quo for Peter (he's still a high school kid rather than being the young adult of the Raimi movies), a fresh villain (the Lizard, played by Rhys Ifans), a fresh mystery angle (involving the death of Peter's parents, years ago) and a fresh love interest (Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, rather than Mary-Jane Watson of the previous trilogy). It's no exaggeration to say that, after a while, you'll honestly forget that the previous Spider-Man movies even existed.
The supporting cast is great, particularly Stone's turn as Gwen Stacy, whose relationship with her police-chief father (Denis Leary) - who is trying to hunt down Spidey for his vigilante activities - turns out to be one of the most genuine and affecting in the movie. All the relationship and high school stuff is carried off well: it's emotional and affecting, without being too mawkish or predictable, so that what could have been a mess of 'Dawson's Creek' sentimentality instead ends up becoming a smart, funny superhero-drama that has far more in common with the likes of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'.
Ifans is also good as Curt Connors, the well-meaning scientist who becomes a sinister Lizard-creature after attempting to regrow a missing arm by tampering with his own DNA. The Lizard is a fairly unconventional super-villain in that he has a tragic, human story that's driven by laudable good intentions, rather than simply being an overtly evil moustache-twirling bad guy. This - combined with his believable 'mentor' relationship with Parker - helps to give the film a nice dramatic edge that's sometimes missing from these kinds of movies, providing characters that you really care about rather than ones that exist solely to throw punches in action scenes.
Not that the action isn't up to snuff: this film features several great scenes in which we see Spider-Man make use of his powers, sometimes to rescue innocent bystanders and sometimes to prevent the Lizard from proceeding with his increasingly unhinged schemes. However, my favourite 'superhero' moment of the movie is actually a quieter one: a beautiful scene in which Spidey creates a giant web that runs through the sewer tunnels of New York, which he then uses to detect his nemesis who is hiding out in a subterranean lair. It's a thoughtful, considered approach that's indicative of the movie as a whole - and the brief shots of Spider-Man passing the time as he waits on the web by playing videogames on his smartphone is yet another sign that director Webb knows exactly how to balance the serious and lighter elements of the character.
The only real flaw with the movie is that certain plot threads are left tantalisingly unresolved, presumably to be followed-up in the next film of the franchise. This wouldn't be so bad if they weren't set up as such important parts of the story - like Peter's hunt to find his uncle's killer, the mystery behind his parents' death, or the sudden and unexplained disappearance of Connors' sinister boss halfway through the movie. As it is, however, there's a sense that the movie ends with too many story strands left dangling, and too little in the way of answers. However, as the first part of what is apparently a proposed trilogy, it's understandable that they'd want to set up some ideas that will run throughout all three films - especially given the post-credits scene that sets up a strong connection between the mystery of Peter's parents and a villain that the audience might recognise from the Raimi Spider-Man movies.
As a longtime fan of Spider-Man, it's a pleasure to be able to see just how well this movie has captured him. It's the kind of film that reminds you why you fell in love with a character in the first place, and it's filled with all kinds of little heart-warming, punch-the-air moments that make it impossible not to like (such as the climactic scene in which a group of New York construction workers pull together to help a wounded Spider-Man complete his mission). Over the course of my life I've thoroughly enjoyed following Spider-Man in comics, cartoons, movies and video games. Happily, I can put my hand on my heart and say that this latest incarnation ranks among the best of them - and now that I'm old enough to have kids of my own, I couldn't be more pleased to see that the character is in such good hands as he ensnares the next generation of superhero fans in his web.
starting off as a glee look a like ,with a hard luck story meeting , continues on up with some fantastic rock god songs ; a downward dip as love is lost and a 'boy band interlude' ending with rock will never die and a love conquers all ending ... takes us back to rocks 70's n 80's highs with some of the best rock songs ever ............................ loved it .
love, life and rock and roll
This has to be one of the worst 3D programs I have seen. A complete let down. Don't waste your money.
Stick to David Attenborough.
Zzzzzz!!!! Boring!!
The funniest show on TV? Quite possibly. 'Happy Endings' takes a handful of familiar ingredients and turns them into gold.
'Happy Endings' is what the kids these days call 'a hangout show': where for the most part the characters are just hanging around their apartment or local bar/coffee shop dealing with typical sitcom storylines. Even the front cover of the DVD makes it look like every other Friends clone, with 3 guys and girls smiling in ever so slightly different ways at the camera. However, the show differentiates itself quickly by being so damn funny.
The first episode opens with Dave (Zach Knighton) being ditched at the altar by his now-ex-fiancée Alex (Elisha Cuthbert, or Jack Bauer's daughter for you 24 fans). Fortunately, this standard framing device is only important for a few episodes before the show wisely moves away to churning out as many jokes as possible. The married couple, Brad and Jane, are played by Damon Wayans, Jr. and Eliza Coupe respectively. Their relationship is odd, honest and strong; the show never focuses on how 'refreshing' or 'modern' it is for laughs. And please don't be scared off by the name 'Wayans'.
Completing the gang are Penny (Casey Wilson) and, my personal favourite, Max (Adam Pally), who dated briefly in college before Max realised he was gay. Max is completely different from all other gay characters on TV but the show doesn't go overboard in pointing out how great that is. A brilliant storyline in an early episode involves Max introducing Penny to a stereotypically gay friend of his, after she complains about him not being 'the gay of her dreams'. There's a really great resolution to that episode that I won't spoil here.
'Happy Endings' is so funny because it puts laughs first and foremost. That's not to say the storylines aren't great, but the show packs in the most laughs a minute as it possibly can. This is definitely a show for repeated viewing to get all the jokes you missed while you were already laughing.
I love the continuing character development in this series, particularly Arthur as he faces new responsibilities, and Merlin's character development. The series was fantastic, and I love how Morgana's grown as a character.
Merlin series 4
Chuck (Zachary Levi) is your everyday, regular guy, single, in a dead-end job, living with his sister; that is until he downloads the government's computer into his brain. Cue special agents from the CIA and NSA tracking him down, they are then tasked with protecting him and training him to be the world's greatest spy.
John Casey (Adam Baldwin) a trained NSA assassin and Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) a super-sexy CIA agent help Chuck fulfil missions and learn how to become a hero. Chuck must trust them with this life-changing act while keeping it a secret from his friends and family (Sarah Lancater, Joshua Gomez, Ryan McPartlin).
This show mixes comedy, action and romance to be one of the most underrated shows ever created. Chuck also has one the best soundtracks on a television show including Bon Iver, Frightened Rabbit and Band of Horses; each track expertly fitting the scene it accompanies. The DVDs also include some hilarious extras including outtakes and a documentary following the show's very own band Jeffster.
This show stands out above all others, a sparkling cast and sizzling chemistry add to great writing to produce a rare, brilliant show.
One of the most underrated TV shows ever!!
There are a lot of crime dramas on television at the moment, however Castle is in a world of it's own. It brings together the by-the-book homicide detective Kate Beckett and charming mystery writer Richard Castle, who solve the quirkiest of murders in New York. The sparks begin to fly as the chemistry sizzles between the two leads - Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion - humour, intrigue and romance follow.
Detectives Ryan and Esposito add to the comic and emotional support, while Castle's mother and daughter - Susan Sullivan and Molly Quinn - also lighten the mood. The series is well written with unusual crimes that intrigue throughout, singleling this out as a different type of crime drama.
The acting is excellent, the writing is great and the DVD extras are amazing aswell - I especially love the outtakes; it seems the actors enjoyed making the show, as much as I love watching it.
Fall in love with crime drama, fall in love with Castle!
Crime drama with a difference!
This is one of my favourite films from the 80s - it really takes you back to when 'house parties' were all the rage. The main gist of the film is Larry (billy from eastenders) is planning to hold a party while his parents are out celebrating new years eve. The film shows the ongoings and happenings of a wild teen party - who sleeps with who and who fights with who, who gets too drunk and embarrasses themselves. Who gets caught in a compromising position doing something naughty? Its such a funny film and transported me back to my late teens, even though i wasnt as wild as Larry, i do confess to holding a couple of parties behind my parents back. Theres a couple more famous faces in there - this being one of the first films they were in - gary olsen and caroline quentin appear along with nick berry. Some good 80s music give the film that edge too. I recommend it.
good 80's feel good party film
Really good to watch always at the edge of your seat. Would definitly recommend
I thought this was extremely exciting and well thought out story. We were on the edge of our seats and thoroughly enjoyed a couple of hours entertainment with a twist in the tale.
S.A.L.T.
Gosling takes us to the limit
It's like the whole world went mad for just a couple of weeks, that is when Drive was released, it became a massive hit with the critics and public alike. I've waited till after the honeymoon to watch drive, so I suppose the only real question is, will Drive make me want to reverse park or just keep on cruising?
You know sometimes reviewing films can become boring, tedious even, but few films have demanded me to review them more then Drive. It's a film that grabs your attention and holds onto it for the duration. For once I don't feel like I'm saying to much this early on in the review by saying that Drive is a film every human should see, because it's beautiful and powerful on so many different levels.
Here is what's clever about Drive. The film's title tells you everything about the movie, the whole thing is played out like one long journey, the main character is only referred to as "Driver" and what he does in the movie is, drive. Drive is simplistic in its plot and ideas, however that doesn't mean it's not majestic in doing so and not gripping.
Hossein Amini (the writer) has created a film that from it's opening, has an obvious and inevitable ending, one we can see coming from a mile away; but yet when it's happens we are still shocked,! We are surprised to see what we knew, must happen since half way through the movie. That's the true power of cinema, to show us what we expect and still make it surprising.
That's taking nothing away from Nicolas Winding Refn's directing ability, the way in which he makes the violence stark for us is impressive; in today's market we are hand fed meaningless violence continually. However in Drive, when the moments do come, they stick out and really hit home.
Maybe, it's that the piece is so simplistic and realistic which is it's greatest asset! there is nothing fantastical about Drive, it doesn't even try to be anything earth shattering, it only has one aim to be a brilliant movie! And in that goal is succeeds.
Drive only has 7 real characters in the film, it doesn't need any more, why would it? It's a film about one man and his journey, and that man is played by Ryan Gosling. Gosling is a man of many talents, and never have they been so well put together then in Drive. I truly believe that this could be the greatest role he ever plays, this is his Alfie, his Godfather! Of course there are other stars and characters in the movie, but in truth most of them are only there to make Gosling look better, and it works.
A lot of people have spoken about the soundtrack, so I'm not going to. But rest assured, it's awesome and you will want to buy it.
From it's opening signal check, to the moment the keys come out the ignition; Drive is impressive, powerful, unassuming and cool. Drive is a perfect movie, watch it.
Let it reign
It's been publicized within an inch of its life, even turning up at the Olympic Games! James Bond is Britain's pride and this is the year where we stand proud, so the real question is, will this be a royal flush or a skyfail?
You know for the last 2 Bond films people have been somewhat perturbed, in many opinions Bond has lost a step, without his gadgets and gizmos and Moneypenny's and Q's it just doesn't feel the same for some. Personally, I've maintained this is a new Bond, a 20th century Bond, one that has restarted the series from the base up, so with all that in mind, why is Q in the movie?
It would be fair to say that this is the Bond film Bond fans have been waiting for, and it knows it. From the opening shot we are shown James in a different light, in a new way, and it just makes him all the more interesting to watch. Gone is the man who loved Vespa in Casino Royal and seeked vengeance for her in Quantum Of Solace, in Skyfall stands a man who womanises and holds no regrets, this is the Bond of old, the one we have always known. But somehow he still maintains the restraint and reserves that his predecessors lacked; this James Bond is a true man of mystery.
It would be easy to say that Skyfall is Ambitious, anyone who has seen the trailer could tell you that, but I don't mean it in the way that is gathered from the 2 minutes of movie from the trailer. No, I mean it in a totally different way all together. Skyfall is ambitious because it takes it's time, because it's more story than action. Skyfall is adventurous because it shows us a weakened and aged Bond; and because it's not his story! Skyfall is all about M, it is her story, however Bond is intricately weaved and entangled in it. That is obvious from the outset of the film, where we see James Bond get shot (told you it was ambitious), but he comes back, he can't escape her.
This is the main thrust of the central villain to the movie Silva, he is from M's past, he is one of the spies, and he once was M's favourite (as Bond is now). What's impressive about Silva is that rarely have I seen on screen a man who embodies such evil, so quickly. He is created and carved to be hated, and he truly succeeds in it. Right from the first moment we see him, we hate him.
Another man who succeeds in Skyfall is Sam Mendes who's previous work screams out for him to never make a Bond film, however when you are as capable as Mendes you can do anything. To the party Mendes brings perfection and inventiveness, he brings intelligence and refinement, he brings the boldness to hold a camera shot on a villain for a prolong amount of time, to kill off a heroine without warning, to shoot Bond, to let Bond cry. Mendes has the will to shot it and the precision to make it look perfect always.
Unlike all other Bond films before, Skyfall's action isn't substantial but it is satisfying, in this movie, Bond is the man a step behind, he is the dinosaur! Ironically there are many, many comparison's I could draw with The Dark Knight Rises and Skyfall, for example both the hero and villain come from the same place, they are both different interpretations of the same person. I suppose what I'm trying to say is, this is The Dark Knight of Bond films.
I think out of all the cast, (and let me be clear, they are all phenomenal, I truly can't imagine another man portraying James Bond apart from Craig now) the real stand out member is Ben Whishaw who not so long ago was shooting Daniel Craig in Layer Cake, and now as Q he is supplying James with the weapons to kill others. You have to love the irony.
Totally different to every Bond before it, single handedly redefining it's own genre, and doing it all in style. After 3 films of waiting, this is the James Bond we all know, returned.
Willis does the time warp. again
Here's what I've got to say about Looper. It's incredible! It deserves all the praise that it's already gained and more, Looper is, put simply the film of the year; and here's why.
Before I even sat down to watch Looper I was excited, I only knew the outline; which I picked up from the trailer. Set at some point in the future, time travel has been invented but was immediately outlawed by the authorities, only drug barons and gangsters use it now, and they use it for only one reason. To send someone back to the past, to have them assassinated! That's a film I want to see without adding any other elements to it, but Looper is so much more than it's premise.
You know what makes a good film great? It's the tiny things, the little touches, they are what will elevate a film from being cool to amazing, and Looper has details in spades. I could if I chose to use the rest of this review to simply list of all the tiny little details that makes Looper exceptional, but instead I'll site only one. When Emily Blunt's character is first introduced she is shown doing a strange mime which looks highly illogical, until later when all becomes clear.
OK I'll admit it, half way through I did get scared that Looper was going to go all "Twelve Monkeys" on me, not that that's a bad movie to develop into, especially when you have Bruce Willis in your movie; but I knew that Looper had so much more still to give, to create and to challenge, and challenge it does. I suppose at points you do feel like Looper borrows a little too heavily from other movies, but really I can forgive it for that, like Wild Bill in Silence Of The Lambs, it's controversial to wear other peoples skins.
Looper asks us the most hardest of questions of all to face, I won't reveal it here as that's somewhat of a plot spoiler but needless to say, it stays with you. Of course the other nice thing about Looper is, if you want it to be, it's just a cool little sci-fi action movie and nothing more, Looper like The Matrix and the original Total Recall works on more than one level. If you want to see something easy going, see Looper. If you want to see something more see Looper, and if you want to see something mind bending see Looper.
Looper is so much of a visual frenzy, with distinctive ideas that it demands a second viewing, there is no way you can take everything the movie has to offer in, on the first viewing, it is simply impossible. For a start the plot charges towards you with no rest period from beginning to end and the story goes into some truly dark territories (the murdering of innocent children in cold blood, is a complicated sequence to justify), and the direction is in a league of it's own.
Looper's writer and director is a relative unknown in Rian Johnson, I say unknown I'm sure his pervious body of work is strong. However, Looper is made with such precision, such poise, such grace and sophistication; it's hard to imagine a Nolan or a Speilberg or a Scott didn't have a hand in the creation somewhere. The style in which the film is made is second to none, every shot is framed perfectly and the camera work is fluid, the special effects are well paced and somehow Johnson has set Looper in the future, but not in one we couldn't imagine.
One of Looper's best assets is the two main leads, in Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis both playing Joe in different time periods. Both of these men can carry a film all on their own, so when both join together, it is an unstoppable force (in Levitt's climb to the top) with an immovable object (in Willis' charisma) , needless to say they both bring out the best in each other. A nice element to the movie is that you are always switching sides; there are points where young Joe is the hero, then old Joe, then young again. Ultimately, Looper is a movie without a hero, there is no clear cut good or bad, and it doesn't pretend to give you all the answers.
I suppose one of the most impressive parts of Looper is that the film is out and out just nasty, there are whole sequences that look like they could have walked out of any graphic horror movie you care to name, but of course they are only used to build the tension and build the films' momentum.
Looper is Back To The Future for adults, it's a film that doesn't give you all the answers and asks a lot of questions, it's a thinking man's movie, and I love it!
THE DVD BOX SET WAS GREAT VALUE IN HMV SALE PRICED AT £55.00 DOWN TO £12.00 DVDS ARE AS YOU HAVE LISTED AND AS EVERY FAN OF HIS FILMS KNOWS AT ANY PRICE THEY ARE FILMS YOU WILL REWATCH TIME AND TIME AGAIN
The Quentin Tarantino Collection DVD
6 DVD BOXSET
The mods and the rockers - never the twain shall meet. This is based in the 60s round the music of THE WHO and centred on the main character JIMMY. Jimmy is a working class lad with ideas of being bigger than what he is - he's a good time lad who is part of the 'in-gang' and he's rebelling against work and home life eating into his love of the MOD scene. The film follows jimmy through his day to day life and then the adventures of his social life and his experiments along the way. Will his fast pace life destroy him? Will he get the girl of his dreams? Will he become a 'face' in the gang? Or will he destroy himself and his relationship with his family and friends along the way? A classic dvd and most definitely a must see, based loosely on a famous mod and rocker clash in the 60s - you will love it.
brilliant tale of the love of music in the 60s and the highs and lows of being one of the 'gang'
One of Dickens usual books showing the hardships of the times
The BBC with their usual care have selected actors who can play their charactars who make the series life like and totally beliefable
I love SpongeBob and this boxset is a must for any fan. However, I have noticed a major drop in the quality of writing (predicitable jokes..etc) that's inferior to the first three seasons. This is one of the most well-known flaws in the SpongeBob universe and is to be put back someday. Seasons 5, 6 and 7, which are also avalible, however, are not that bad. I have also taken another star off because unlike the first two season boxsets, this has no special features. The boxset quality itself is great and the menus are based around SpongeBob's boating test in 'Mrs. Puff, You're Fired'. This set includes English subtitles only. Audio opitions include English, French and German. I would recommend this product to anyone who likes SpongeBob.
My review of SpongeBob Complete Season 4 Boxset! Teriffic Boxset!
It was always going to be hard to justify making a Bourne movie sans Jason Bourne without it looking like a brazen attempt to milk a profitable franchise for all it was worth, and yet writer /director Tony Gilroy (who adapted the first three 'Bourne' films from the novels by Robert Ludlum) manages to pull it off: For 'The Bourne Legacy' is a strong and engaging addition to the series and more than a match for its predecessors. In terms of its place in the narrative timeline, 'Legacy' takes place during 'The Bourne Ultimatum' and sees super-spy-in-training Aaron Cross (a subtle and charismatic Jeremy Renner) on the run, after CIA bureaucrats led by Col. Eric Byer (an excellent Ed Norton) decide to pull the plug on black-ops 'Operation Treadstone' (the secret programme used to train agent-turned-adversary; Jason Bourne) and kill off all their foot-soldiers around the world. Narrowly escaping a CIA drone terror attack in the Canadian wilderness, Cross seeks out Dr. Marta Shearing (a good performance by Rachel Weisz) in a bid to get his meds and some answers. Cue lots of running around, some characteristically brutal fight sequences and all manner of cloak & dagger shenanigans as our heroes tackle CIA assassins, above top secret 'Treadstone' killers (which gets a tad silly as Ed "consider yourself informed" Norton commandeers the manhunt) and elude every law enforcement agency from North America to the Philippines.
'The Bourne Legacy' could've trimmed about 15-20 minutes off its running time, isn't quite on a par with 'The Bourne Identity' but is as good as 'The Bourne Ultimatum' and more entertaining than 'The Bourne Supremacy'. Matt Damon's Jason Bourne will always be the defining character of this saga but Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross brings an everyman quality to the Bourne universe, for whereas Damon was cynical, driven and aloof, Renner is understated and amiable; he asks questions and, depending on how you look at it, is more a victim than a volunteer.
'The Bourne Legacy' is an enjoyable spin-off that works as a standalone movie and you don't have to have seen the others to follow (though I'd recommend seeing them anyway because they're all good films). All in all, a cracking conspiracy thriller that Bourne author Robert Ludlum probably would've liked and one that won't disappoint fans of the series so far. Worth a look.
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy