a lord of the rings movie should be a 4 - 5 out of 5 this one is a 3 better than the last one but deserves to be better
better movie than the last one but still not good enough for lord of the rings but getting there
as can be told the series is good but the movie no good
great idea wrongly executed
could have been better but not bad for a sequel so soon after the first movie will make a success out of the franchise unless the next movie doesnt deliver
good sequel but could have been better
a great new series about the criminal underworld and the people trying to stop them post world war one
great new series set post world war one
godzilla goes from destroying the world to saving it good twist but they try too much to stick with old formulas
good twist on an old story but apart from special effects only for godzilla fans and special effects fans
this has to be the worst out of the franchise and when you look at the last 2 movies thats saying something
this movie should have been extinct and i like the transformers franchise
it is still a good animated movie but looks in danger of the franchise slowing up a bit in the way shrek didnt
not bad for a sequel obvious ending however not as good as the first but seems no movie franchise is now but still worth watching if you liked first one
i realise they have to call it inbetweeners even though there not anymore but this movie although having some good bits in wasnt as good as the series or the first movie and shocking thing is it could have been
after the first movie and series i couldnt wait for it to come out some laughs but mainly stupid parts
good film should have been second or third film however you have in the future charles xavier who is supposed to be dead sending back wolverine also magneto in the future helping him even though in the third movie he lost his powers its like they just wanted to forget the other movies happened which would have been a good idea before making them
lots of errors in an effort to cash in
this could have been so good the premise was there the budget was there and the history was there however years of comedy gold ruined by 1 movie
nowhere near there best
Frank Capra's 1946 Masterpiece 'It's A Wonderful Life' has rightly gone down in film history as one of the greatest feel good movies of all time. From its humble beginnings as a short story,'The Greatest Gift', which its author Philip Van Doren Stern included on Christmas cards he sent to family and friends, it has become the most cherished of all movies, regularly topping best picture polls either side of the Atlantic. In America particularly, Christmas isn't Christmas without the family gathering around the TV to watch this incredibly affecting festive tale.
The main reason that 'It's A Wonderful Life' continues to stand the test of time, can be explained in two words - Frank Capra. Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War (during which he made the exemplary 'Why We Fight Series'), Capra had established himself as one of Hollywood's premiere directors, with a string of box office smashes to his name. The most notable of which, 1934's romantic comedy 'It Happened One Night', became the first film to win all five major Academy Awards picking up Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay and, of course, Best Director. Capra had become a master craftsman and a master storyteller, specialising in crowd pleasing 'moral fables' about the honest Joe, the American everyman, who stands up for 'liberal' ideals and values against corrupt businessmen and politicians
Screen giants like James Stewart and Gary Cooper had huge successes in Capra's 'Mr Smith Goes To Washington and 'Meet John Doe' respectively, and it was to Stewart, his most trusted actor, that Capra turned to when casting the part of quintessential nice-guy George Bailey. Stewart, one of the few major stars to enlist in the war against fascism, had been away from Hollywood for the best part of five years, and was extremely anguished about resuming acting again when Capra called to offer him the role, that ultimately, film critics would regard as the best of his distinguished career. Thankfully, the director was able to talk Stewart around, and the rest, as they say, is history!
Stewart's nuanced portrayal of the decent, unselfish, yet ultimately tormented Bailey, offers us a master-class in screen-acting, playing a succession of comic, romantic and dramatic scenes with absolute confidence and utter conviction. Though there is no doubting George's good heart, Stewart is also able to capture the frustration eating away at George's soul, as he sees life passing him by. Thankfully, the supporting cast are equally as good, with Lionel Barrymore turning in a career best performance as the grasping scrooge- like villain Potter, who tries to drive the Bailey family business into ruin. And, as the years have gone by, it's become impossible to imagine anyone, other than Henry Travers, playing the very special emissary, Clarence Oddbody, whose celestial mission it is to save George Bailey from the tragic fate that awaits him on Christmas Eve.
The story begins with George Bailey, a young boy determined to travel the world. He subscribes to National Geographic magazine and spends his days dreaming of "going out exploring some day, you watch". Family tragedy and financial difficulties combine though, to ensure George's ambitions are thwarted at every turn, and he feels trapped into running the family Building And Loan Company, set up by his father, and the only institution in town not owned by slum landlord, Potter. George is loved by the whole of Bedford Falls for standing up to Potter and, in a crucial scene which delineates Capra's humanitarian worldview, he confronts him about the way he treats his tenants:
"Do you know how long it takes a working man to save five thousand dollars? Just remember this, Mr Potter, this rabble you keep talking about....they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him."
Stewart is acting out of his skin here, visibly trembling with anger, for me it's one of the most genuinely moving scenes in film history.
Though the town loves him for his resolute and principled opposition to the greedy Potter, George can only feel resentment and, after a cruel plot twist, despair at his wasted life in Bedford Falls. Alone and drunk on Christmas Eve, he wishes he'd never been born.
When I went to see It's A Wonderful life at my local cinema, last Christmas, the usherette, on taking my ticket said "I hope you've brought a supply of hankies". Indeed I had. I never get past the early scene with Mr Gower in the drugstore, without breaking down, and of course the famous finale has me in floods of tears every time I have the privilege of watching it.
For some, Capra is too sentimental, the derogatory term Capra-corn applied by some cynics to his films has stuck over the years. This is superficial, knee-jerk criticism. Look beyond the joyous, feel-good message of the film and there is real darkness there, rooted at the very heart of small town America. Capra, having witnessed at first hand, the atrocities of a World War, knew all about the evil ordinary people were capable of, but he was an optimist first and foremost and a true believer in the brotherhood of man. Ultimately, though, the fact that a film, a work of art can bring us to tears is what truly makes us human. If you haven't done it yet, put this film right at the top of Santa's list, and ask him for a box of Kleenex too.
George Bailey(James Stewart) is a stand up guy, a devoted husband and father and,thanks to his unselfish nature, the most popular man in the small American town of Bedford Falls. One Christmas Eve, though, George is driven to the edge of despair and begins to question whether his life has been worth living. George needs help, and it may be about to arrive from the most unlikely quarter.
The best comedy I have seen this year. Quite often you see a film in the comedy genre and realise after 15 minutes you haven't even raised a smile. This film is thankfully not in that mould. If is a genuinely funny family film throughout. Billy Connolly plays the granddad we all wish we had, and uses his mischievous twinkle throughout, to lead an excellent cast of young people, as well as a fabulous David Tennant through the story of their summer holiday in the remote Scottish highlands. The holiday is planned to celebrate Grandads birthday. Mummy and daddy are busy fighting, while grandad and grandma focuses attention on the three grand-kids who fail miserably to keep the secrets have told them too, including their separation. The story includes warmth, humour, pathos and a bit of raft building, as well as well needed feel good factor. If you missed it on TV (and even if you didn't) - buy it for Christmas family viewing as it will provoke some interesting conversations.
Verdict
A feel good film for all the family to enjoy from beginning to end - outstanding!
When 24 finished its eighth and final season in early 2010, it was a bit of an anticlimax. After a great few years at the start of its run, it had gradually got worse and worse and was far from being the great show it once was. There was talk of a movie to round things off, but for various reasons it never happened. A couple of years passed, and fans became resigned to the fact that we'd probably seen the last of Jack Bauer.
Then, in mid-2013, there was an announcement: 24 was coming back. Kiefer Sutherland was on board for a special "limited series" of 12 episodes rather than the usual 24, and the terrorist-fighting action was going to be transposed to London (rather than the usual American settings). I was wary: it felt like a bit of a half-hearted attempt to "get the band back together", and after the mediocre eighth season, I was worried that the series would still be limping along when it returned to our screens in 2014.
Still, as a fan, I dutifully tuned in for the first episode of 24: Live Another Day (sounds more like a James Bond film, no?). And... it actually wasn't bad. In fact, it was pretty good. And as I continued to follow the series, I realised: this was better than 24 had been in years. Jack was back. And it truly felt like the return to the show's glory days that fans had been hoping for.
Part of this is probably due to the fact that it was a shorter series: by reducing the action to just twelve hours rather than a full day, the writers were able to cut away all the flab that you usually get in a series of 24 (the soap-opera plots, the red herrings, all the extraneous stuff basically) and concentrate on telling a cracking story with several decent twists and turns.
The story deals with an attack on London by a female terrorist as revenge for the death of her husband (another terrorist) years ago. Hijacking a fleet of American drones, she threatens death and destruction on the capital (and occasionally makes good on her threats), at the same time as the city is being visited by US President Heller (who returns from the previous series of 24 along with his daughter, Audrey, Jack's one-time love interest). This draws Jack back out of hiding, and he teams up with computer whizz Chloe (who also just happens to be in London... just go with it) to beat the baddies.
It's a nice reunion for these characters - as well as a villain from the earlier series whose return is quite a surprise - and they slip back into their roles as though they've never been away. Sutherland in particular has never been better, conveying Bauer's tortured (literally) history and world-weariness through the subtlest expressions and vocal inflections. And by the time the show has built up to its big finale, you'll be so invested in these characters and their world again that you won't want it to end.
OK, so the plot developments are occasionally a little far-fetched, but that's 24 for you. And sometimes the real-time aspect is stretched (for example, to allow people to move between different locations quickly), but again, that's 24 for you! Even the more character-oriented subplots that have been a bit grating and distracting in earlier series work well here, particularly the one about the President's dementia and his difficulties in dealing with his UK counterpart, the Prime Minister played here by Stephen Fry (one of the show's only weak links in acting terms).
This is a fantastic revival of a once-great series that should please longtime fans no end - my only caveat is that I wouldn't recommend it to newcomers, as a lot of the drama relies on knowledge of past events from the series that are regularly referred to, and you'll get a lot more out of it if you go back and watch those earlier seasons first.
And if you're a real fan of 24 then I'd definitely recommend picking up this bluray, as it contains an exclusive extra bonus short film that explains what's happening with another fan-favourite character who didn't show up in this series: Tony Almeida! Yes, Tony is back too - but you'll need to pick up this boxset to find out how and why.
After four years, Jack is back...
In my opinion modern family is a really interesting funny programme to watch.modern family is a family programme if you are over 12.modern family captures the modern daily life for some people.modern family is a really good programme to watch and to have a laugh to modern family is focussed on the 3 families Phil,Claire,Luke,Alex,Haley and jay,gloria,manny,joe and cam,mitchell,lily thes are the 3 families that are focussed on.
how i met your mother is an amazing tv program, it the next best thing to friend a more modern version. The ending to the series is nail biting! would recommend this to every one its so funny!
Absolutely fantastic series, plenty of eye candy, heart wrenching emotional and funny moments, true to life in how the producers handled some sensitive issues,well written and very stunning soundtrack too, how this has not been recognised in the NTA, I have no idea, hopefully a 3rd series will follow, Lacey turner is brilliant as Private Dawes, the female medic with more issues than a copy of the big issue, Smurf is the loveable no hoper and then there's Captain James, filmed predominately in Afghanistan following the trials and tribulations of regular soldiers, this has got to be the best written military series since soldier soldier or sharp xxx
Maleficent - Mistress of all evil? You think you know Beauty? Think again!
Robert Stromberg's 97 minutes of pure fantasy escapism will change all we know about the infamous character of Maleficent. With his previous award winning production design work on movies such as 'Avatar', 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Oz the Great and Powerful', we are instantly transported to two realms firmly at war with one another: the 'human' world - a bleak, oppressive realm, which proves to be a stark contrast to the bright, visually stunning 'faerie' realm. The movie centres around Maleficent, protector of the faerie realm and her relationship with the human Stefan, future King of the human realm and father of Aurora, the 'Sleeping Beauty' whose cursed life is a result of his opportunistic rise to power.
Angelina Jolie is flawless as the beautiful, but deadly protagonist at the centre of this epic fairy tale. From the beginning to the end we see her supernatural character demonstrate human qualities as she experiences the cruelty of man in the 'human' world. Perceived as a threat by the human realm for being different, Maleficent is left ostracized by a society who doesn't understand the very personal nature of her exile by the now King of the human realm and as a result embarks on her quest for vengeance against the man that betrayed her. A woman betrayed and her journey for revenge, be it a supernatural one, is a universal theme that makes her character less 'evil' and demonstrates a more human quality that makes the character easier to relate to.
Stromberg's recreation of Disney's 1959 'Sleeping Beauty' christening scene, which for many has been set in stone in the minds of countless generations of Disney movie enthusiasts, does not disappoint. Uninvited by the King (Sharlto Copley), Maleficent presents herself to an anxious King Stefan and his Queen, who is wearing an item stolen many years ago from the faerie realm when Maleficent and Stefan met as children. Further enraging the newly crowned 'Queen of the Moors', Maleficent unleashes her formidable retribution in the from of a curse, a sleep like death upon the new born Princess by pricking her finger upon a spinning wheel on her 16th Birthday, 'True Loves Kiss', providing the only power of restoration.
You think you know the rest right? Wrong! Banning all spinning wheels from the kingdom, King Stefan places his daughter into the protective arms of three pixies: 'Flittle', 'Knotgrass' and 'Thistletwit', brilliantly played by Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton and Juno Temple, produce an ameliorating effect to the darker tone of the movie. It is during the second half of the movie that we see a more playful nature to Maleficent's character. As Maleficent encounters the Princess Aurora several times as she grows older, played by Jolie's own daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt and Eleanor Worthington-Cox and later by the incomparable Ellie Fanning as the 16 year old Aurora, there is a renaissance in her maternal feelings that have remained buried, wrapped up in hate and vengeance for Aurora's father. This maternal instinct will ultimately be the key to unlocking the deadly curse and providing a uniformed future for both the human and faerie realms alike as her dark heart begins to lighten.
With a score by James Newton Howard, drawing you into the action we can hardly help but be taken along for a rollercoaster ride - soaring high through the clouds before returning to the depths of despair and back again, Newton Howard's score will leave no emotional stone unturned.
Maleficent proves to be a timeless tale, with its strength lying in the foundation of underlying adult themes and subtext to be enjoyed for generations to come.
Still the Mistress of all evil? Think again.
When you hear the name Hannibal Lecter, chances are that you immediately think of Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of the character in 'The Silence Of The Lambs' - eating someone's liver with "fava beans and a nice chianti", "having an old friend for dinner", or simply going "fufufufufufufufufuff".
That's the major obstacle that the TV series 'Hannibal' has to overcome. And in casting Mads Mikkelsen in the title role, it succeeds admirably, bringing a genuine sense of danger and intrigue back to a character that was increasingly at risk of being seen as simply an over-the-top pantomime villain. Because Mikkelsen's version is the polar opposite of Hopkins': quiet, calm, unemotional and reserved, this minimalist Hannibal is far more subtly sinister than the film version - and he's all the more menacing for it.
'Hannibal' is an interesting addition to the Hannibal Lecter mythos, covering a period of time that takes before 'The Silence Of The Lambs' - and even before that story's predecessor, 'Red Dragon' - when Hannibal's secret (that he's a psychopathic cannibalistic murderer) hasn't become public knowledge yet. In fact, not only is he still innocent in the eyes of the public, but he's actively involved in the life of FBI behavioural expert Will Graham (who fans will know as the hero of 'Red Dragon'), counselling Will as a friend and pseudo-psychiatrist in his personal life, at the same time as (apparently) aiding him in his professional investigations.
This makes Hannibal a far more multi-dimensional character than we've ever seen before in previous adaptations, putting a lot more meat on his bones (so to speak) and making him a lot more interesting as a result. And as the series goes on - and Will Graham (played by Hugh Dancy) gets drawn into an increasingly complex and psychologically-disturbing web of serial-killers and personal demons - we see Hannibal go to greater and greater lengths to both preserve his secret life as a criminal, and to bolster his friendship with the unwitting Will Graham.
Episodes of the series function as both standalone investigations of unusual serial killers, and as chapters of a larger story. This allows the show to be immediately accessible as a case-of-the-week type series from the start (early episodes are largely built around Will Graham's uncanny ability to empathise with killers when he looks at their crime scenes, thus helping the FBI to track them down), while at the same time building up an ensemble of characters that you get to know better and better as the cases go on. This means that when the series starts to shift its focus more and more onto its longer-running plot strands in the second half, you're already well-invested in the cast and interested in seeing how their roles in the story play out.
The most unique thing about the show is its striking, sometimes surreal imagery, that is used for all sorts of different aspects of the series. When Will Graham looks at a crime scene, his empathetic ability is depicted with a distinctive yellow "sweeping" effect - not unlike a glowing windscreen wiper - that peels back layers of information and reverses time, so that we can better understand how events played out. When Hannibal cooks up his sophisticated culinary offerings - most of which are made with human meat that is fed to the character's blissfully ignorant friends - it's all photographed so richly and lusciously that it feels like watching a brilliant cookery show (or an M&S Food advert). And when the psychological breakdowns of certain characters occur towards the end of this first season, it's accompanied by nightmarish images that - combined with Brian Reitzell's discordant, abstract music - create a truly disturbing atmosphere that's unparalleled by any other TV show that I've seen.
And that's not to mention the inventive murders that occur in each episode, many of which see their victims served up as complex tableaux that feature dead human bodies contorted into bizarre positions, or dissected in grotesque - but somehow artful - ways. This is certainly not a show for the squeamish - but at the same time, it never feels gratuitous either, always maintaing a strong sense of classiness and style, even when dealing with horrific subject matter (and the sophisticated visuals make it well worth checking out on blu-ray, which isn't something I'd say for many TV shows).
'Hannibal' is not all darkness and violence, though, as the show also mines a rich vein of black humour to help balance up the more serious aspects. Sometimes this comes from Hannibal's dry wit, and his double entendres that only the audience will understand (usually sly allusions to his crimes and cannibalism). And sometimes it comes from larger-than-life supporting characters. These include Freddie Lounds (played by Lara Jean Chorostecki), a gutter-level online tabloid journalist whose muck-raking antics and frizzy ginger hair seem designed to evoke Rebekah Brooks; Abel Gideon, another serial-killer in the Hannibal mould who is played by Eddie Izzard; and Raúl Esparza as Dr Frederick Chilton, the oddball director of a mental institution who specialises in serial killers. While these broad performances might seem slightly at odds with the more straight-laced and serious offerings of Dancy and Mikkelsen, they actually act as welcome relief: a kind of sorbet that helps you to better appreciate the main course, to lift one of the show's culinary metaphors.
I came to 'Hannibal' as a casual fan of the character, but I was sceptical that he could really support an entire TV series - especially one in which his well-known psychopathic tendencies and cannibalistic antics would be so suppressed by the nature of the story. However, after watching these 13 episodes in quick succession, I became utterly hooked by the characters, the plot, and the kinds of sophisticated visual flourishes that are still fairly rare in the world of television. It's testament to the power of the show that I had to immediately get hold of season two so that I could see how things progressed, and I'm already well on the way to completing that.
So be warned: this version of Hannibal doesn't just eat people - if you start watching his TV show, he'll quickly start eating into all your spare time too.
verygood
I first watched these on Sky Movies and I have to say I got a little confused as to what order to watch them in, Though I did watch in the correct order I ended up watching Twilight three times before watching New Moon. I love these films. I am completely drawn into them and addicted straight away. My husband said he was going to bed so i put them on, and he stayed to watch the lot! This is a series that will draw you in, and now I have this set I must say I really need to get my hands on the last two (having seen breaking dawn part 1, I feel slightly at a loss, like my life - yes life - has been left incomplete).
I would recommend to anyone to watch these films - over and over even more so than just the once - you always see so much more the second third or even fourth time......
Leaving you hanging....
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