The Sweet Smell of Success exposes the diseased and poisonous underbelly of New York's seemingly glamourous world of tabloid publicity, revealing a corrupt American ambition, an indictment on the American Way with all of its incestuous, power hungry, self-defacing desires. Among the diseases on show are witch-hunts, insider trading, blackmail, deceit, double-dealing and pimping. The Sweet Smell of Success replaces the old Wild West and its shootouts with verbal ricochets of the here and now, making a mockery out of the expression 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.' People are killed with words instead of guns. When the words are as dagger-sharp onscreen, the pen truly is mightier than the sword.
This masterpiece shone a hard spotlight on the trickery of media culture prevalent at the time the film was made which we are only now facing up to in the UK with our recent Leveson Inquiry. You have a courageous film not afraid to defy media moguls of the time and scoffing in the face of capitalist powers when anti-establishment thinking brought suspicion such as the McCarthy witch-hunts.
The title itself is one of the best ever created. Nowadays when you think of such a title it is standard to think of success as an admirable quality relating to having ambitions to rise up the career ladder, have a fancy house and car and countless other material symbols. We've been conditioned into admiring this capitalist notion of success but at the time the film was made, you could think of sweet as in ripe and smell as something having a bad odour that hints at something measured in terms of it's horrendous nature.
To sum up, Sweet Smell of Success is a study in bad human behaviour in an already cruel world. Here you have a film that is truly dialogue-driven with a merciless tone.
Hollywood legend Tony Curtis in arguably his finest role, is a sycophantic and unethical press agent, hungry for success. He tries to manufacture this by manipulating his clients, even his friends and lovers. You clearly get the sense he'd sell his own mother if he had to even if he didn't feel good about it. He finds himself outcast by the powerful, reptilian like, morally bankrupt and highly influential gossip columnist J.J. Hunsecker, played by the indomitable Burt Lancaster whose opinions can make or break everyone from entertainers to politicians because he hasn't been able to break up his kid sister Susan's romance with the up and coming jazz guitarist Steve Dallas. Hunsecker refuses to print any of Falco's promotional items for media exposure on behalf of his showbiz clients in his popular syndicated column. Like all tyrants, he believes he rules by divine right, especially since so many millions of readers place their faith in him everyday, making him feel justified hurting anyone that may prevent him from doing his job dutifully. In working the Hunsecker obstacle to the top and his desire to be a gossip columnist just like his idol, Falco is willing to play the masochist in order to get what he wants, enduring public humiliations with a thick skin and like it's second nature. Ultimately Falco is Hunsecker's lackey, his trained poodle. In essence you have two extremely unscrupulously horrid characters but what's fascinating is that somehow Falco remains somewhat sympathetic simply because Hunsecker proves so much more appalling and contemptible. There just isn't enough room on the New York planet for the both of them. Hunsecker is just so frighteningly menacing and domineering. In addition Tony Curtis has this ability to covey sympathetic vulnerability. It's easy to argue that the main characters are quite one-dimensional by being so despicable. But the film is uniquely brilliant in using other people's eyes to convey Falco's pitiable state of existence such as through his Hunsecker's secretary Mary who senses that he yearns for something better than his current world and his besotted secretary sees something good in him. There are also hints at regret shown by Falco but ultimately he is blinded by a civilisation that has been overrun by notions of celebrity, money, and power - success.
With Hunsecker it's hard to find any good in him. You want to believe that he has his sister's best intentions but his treatment of his sister's love life comes across as hard-edge and malicious, over-protective concern. He is covetous of his sister's beauty and possessively jealous of her romantic attentions to any other man, keeping her cooped up with himself, to protectively avoid the tainting of her innocence and purity. We see him sitting aloof in his office, living a forbidding, secretive life as a repressed asexual bachelor, perhaps gay and there is a hint at incestuous feelings towards Susan.
The contrast between the antiheroes couldn't be greater when we see Falco's walk-up office as a dingy office and home all in one with a cheap cardboard sign crudely taped to the front door with his name on it whereas Hunsecker has his own personal telephone at a restaurant table where he dines and meets with politicians, their favourite call girls and an agent who functions as a social buffer between the two classes, all of whom he treats with disrespect on a whim.
It's worth quoting the dialogue for the film because that's undoubtedly one of its greatest assets; You have Hunsecker turning toward Sidney with an unlit cigarette saying "Match me, Sidney" to which Falco replies "Not right this minute J.J." since he isn't up to compete against J.J.'s insults so he declines to play the game and become subservient again. The phrase has a great double meaning of both being an order and a challenge. On another occasion he says "my right hand hasn't seen my left hand in thirty years" in a twisted reference to the bible as if he is an omnipotent God-like figure for Falco giving him approval to carry out his secretive, uncharitable deed or scam and deliver the results for later rewards that will be given in secret if he can break up the romance between Susan and Steve.
You really get the sense that Hunsecker isn't just using Falco to help break up the relationship his sister is having with the young musician but is relishing the challenge of taking on Falco to see how easily he can destroy him. As I mentioned earlier, he isn't deeply concerned about losing his sister but gaining the upper hand over and toying with Falco.
There are all sorts of scenes in the film that show you the level of power commanded by Hunsecker. He has corrupt police in his pocket who are indebted to him and worship him for his nepotism - providing additional sources for the city's happenings as repayment. There's another great scene where Falco tries to blackmail a rival columnist into printing a smear about Steve Dallas's character by threatening to reveal to his wife that he had an affair with a cigarette girl named Rita but the columnist decided to come clean as if he's redeeming himself when in actual fact, he's still responsible for the infidelity and his hatred of the small fish trying to play in his shark pond is what truly drives him to come clean to his wife about the affair. Characters who think they are being nice are completely clouded and living a different reality. Another columnist is willing to print the smear simply because he wants to bed the very same cigarette girl. Theirs is a world so detached and small but because the media tycoons have such a huge readership, they think they have a grand obligation to please their public. Sidney knows the cigarette girl and pimps her to do himself favour.
What this film doesn't offer is the good side in very much strength. Yes you have the true love of Steve and Susan in stark contrast to everyone's horrid notion of human relationships and Steve, the average Joe ultimately stands up to Hunsecker calling him a national disgrace on account of how he treats people - you get the impression Hunsecker would sell his own country if need be. He is only selflessly interested in saving Susan from Hunsecker's manipulative clutches than finding revenge, so she can stand up for herself, realising that he's no match for the shrewd and clever columnist. But ultimately the film says that the world is dominated by big players and everyone else has no say in their world. It also asks questions like who is really free. Can Susan be free if she chooses to be with Dallas, leaving Hunsecker to view the world all alone and captured from his high-rise parapet, to always survey the prone city below that he also loves, possesses, and dominates like an imperious gargoyle, but always from that vantage? The high-rise of Hunsecker is a metaphor of how lonely it is at the top. In this universe there's no room for starry-eyed idealistic secretaries or youthful musicians. These are men who relentlessly pursue success like a game, hurting everyone in their path. There appears to be no redemption for Hunsecker. He plays the duplicitous role of concerned brother only when it suits him. You get the feeling that the only way Falco will ever see the light is if he stands to lose it all in a brutal film noir punishment. He's also not free and a slave to his own greed and ambition. The powerful get away with it all but have to make some sacrifices and their henchmen are easily sacrificed and despised the most. It's not enough for Hunsecker to simply break up a relationship, he wants to annihilate the people who dared to stand up against him. The irony in the two deeply flawed characters is that they despise each other but are of the same ilk.
The low key lighting by the director of photography James Wong Howe emphasises the harsh shadows and dark, unglamourous recesses of the corrupt and seamy environment of free wheeling and dealing. There's a great scene when we're first introduced control freak Hunsecker, that Howe uses an overhead table lamp that gleams down to cast a shadow of his spectacles on his face, making Lancaster's character look truly scaly and inhuman. You could imagine Reggie Kray being given the reins of the newspaper column and this would be the result. Sweet Smell of Success is given a great sense of immediacy by shooting on location in the city that never sleeps. An urban jazzy score by Elmer Bernstein enhances the swanky yet pungent underworld maelstrom of nightclubs, apartments, restaurants and offices.
Above all though it truly has to take incredible timing and talent to deliver such priceless quips and stylised language with the correct rhythm and inflection so the credit has to go to the actors above all else. There are many references to animals and you really sense that the human beings have debased themselves and how low they've fallen. Sweet Smell of Success is unlike any other Hollywood film made at that time and is so relevant now as it was then. You feel compelled to view this over and over again to reinforce the significance of the film and how it turns up the heat on the pressure cooker that is Sidney Falco and tests him to greater and greater challenges, and how he ebbs and flows from small victories to small failures and yet he remains unperturbed by those losses. You become intrigued to find out how if at all the two leads in this film can change for the better or the worse. A captivating and riveting film.
The complete actor Paul Newman plays Frank Galvin, a washed up, alcoholic lawyer who's wife has abandoned him and his once glittering career is marred, unfairly of course, in disgrace, is offered a medical malpractice case by his friend and associate, Mickey (Jack warden), on the assumption that the defence will offer a quick out of court settlement for a large sum of money. The patient at the centre of the case is a a woman who's left in a coma after being given a knock-out anesthetic during childbirth. During a visit to the hospital run by the Catholic church in order to take some polaroid photographs of the helpless comatose woman in order to build strong supporting materials for a large payout, Frank finds himself moved as he watches the photographs come to life. This acts as a metaphor of the woman, that we don't really see become real to him. He begins to believe that there's something more at stake for him in this case than just a fat pay cheque. He feels that he has a chance at redemption.
In his quest for salvation, Frank takes on the Catholic Church and political establishment, coming up against the formidable defence attorney Ed Concannon (played by the magnificent James Mason) and his large legal team who rehearse every possible scenario to near perfection. The case offers Frank a reason to live and something to fight for. he feels a responsibility to stand up for the weak, in this case, someone who cannot have a voice of her own.
At first glance, a courtroom drama can seem like a dull affair but The Verdict is up there as not only one of the best films ever made in this genre but as one of the best films ever made, period. You have a towering and extremely watchable Paul Newman who gives a masterclass in acting. The film subtly opens up with Newman's character seemingly acting all sincere as he tries to drum up some business at funeral parlours to the families of automobile or industrial accidents. The beauty of this scene is that not only is Newman acting as Frank Galvin but he's now trying to hide his unpleasant nature from the mourners and even we're led to believe in his character until we see him in the next scene as he gets thrown out of another funeral home for repeatedly trying to con the grieving into making them believe he can win compensation for them. Paul Newman also adds characterization to his part by using a breath refresher to mask his smelly alcoholic breath as well as using eye drops to conceal the reds in his eyes which give us an in depth knowledge of the alcoholic that he is. Newman truly immerses every inch of his body into this part and we literally feel the weight on his shoulders as he struggles up a flight of stairs. He doesn't spare himself or the character he's playing. The cast who play the comatose woman's immediate family are so brilliantly honest that it shines an even brighter light on the falseness of Newman's protagonist.
You clearly have a writer in David Mamet and a director, Sidney Lumet who are on top of their game. Lumet is an actor's director and he brings out the best in the performances. Seemingly lesser details like the autumnal colours seen throughout the movie only add to the doom and gloom that surrounds Frank Galvin's despairing life. The enormous locations such as the hospital, the courthouse and the catholic headquarters only add to the magnitude of the institutions that Frank must face.
The Verdict is clearly a film about redemption. Nevertheless what makes this film even more special is that it isn't limited to this rubic. Far more is captured within the web of the story such as the desperate attempt by the church to cover up the terrible negligence committed by its doctors upon the woman and the corrupt nature of the lawmen. This of course worried the actual Catholic authorities who saw the film as an attack on the church itself. The great directors are able to do this so long as the profound message is something more human. On a superficial level the film does say that large institutions often get away with murder but ultimately what the film is truly about is salvation. These subliminal attacks on the ills of societies are beautifully concealed inside the seductive emotions of the main character as he tries to do the right thing.
The Verdict builds and builds the pressures that Frank must face. Just when he appears to be winning, he finds himself struggling to overcome the obstacles but each time, he rises, driven by his new lease of life and a purpose to correct the error of his ways. We see his true character emerge from underneath the rubble that is his rough exterior.
The only criticism of the film is that the opposing forces against Frank's success are shown as pretty unsavoury people. This makes me feel that the writer's a little on the didactic side. The film could have weighed each living issue and experience all its possibilities, to see the positive and negative from both sides.
Your enjoyment of 'The Trip To Italy' will probably depend to a large extent on your tolerance for the comic stylings of Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Well personally, I'm a huge fan, and after enjoying the original series of 'The Trip' - their highly-original travelogue / restaurant-review / impressions / improvisation / drama mashup that first aired in 2010 - I was delighted to see them return to the small screen with a follow-up earlier this year.
While this second series can't hope to have quite the same impact as the first (when no-one really knew what to expect from the show, and pretty much everyone was pleasantly surprised) it manages to function both as a refinement of the original formula and - to some extent - an inversion of it. What I mean by this is that the format of 'The Trip To Italy' is virtually identical to the original, but the freshness of the Italian setting, along with the new characterisation and plot elements that are inserted into this second series, help to provide a few twists that stop it from feeling like a mere retread of the original.
The basic structure and conceit of the show remains the same: Coogan and Brydon (playing fictionalised versions of themselves) are undertaking a restaurant-review tour for the Observer magazine, and each episode revolves around a meal that they enjoy at one of these establishments. The bulk of each episode is taken up with the pair's conversation during this meal - which can range across all manner of subjects, but which usually ends up culminating in a competition to see who can do the best impression of a particular actor or TV personality, often leading to extended, surreal riffs involving these impressions. Then, the bill arrives and the pair head off to their hotel rooms for the night to contemplate their personal lives.
But within that format, it turns out that there's quite a lot of room for reinvention. Because in 'The Trip To Italy', numerous subtle changes have been made in order to make this second series feel like a very different beast to the initial batch of six episodes. Most noticeably, Coogan and Brydon's roles have been reversed: while in the first series Steve was the callous womaniser and Rob the committed family man, this second 'Trip' sees Coogan resolve to tone down his playboy antics and make more of a commitment to his (fictional) son, while Brydon is seduced both physically - by a local tour guide - and psychologically, as his ego becomes swollen when a career in Hollywood looms.
Brydon feels like he's very much in the driving seat for this series (often literally, as many amusing scenes involve the two chatting as they drive a Mini to their next gastronomical appointment, taking in a few tourist sites on the way), with Coogan playing off him: again, quite an inversion of the template of the first series.
Despite the care that has obviously been taken over the subtler elements of characterisation, however, it's the pair's rambling interactions that remain the true heart of the show. It's very difficult to capture in words exactly what is funny about, say, their take on the recent Batman movies (as both of them take turns to impersonate Michael Caine, Christian Bale and Tom Hardy in an improvised sketch that grows progressively more absurd), or their amusingly austere impressions of Roger Moore (on one occasion hilariously singing along to Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill - the only album they brought with them - in Moore's monotonous voice), or the look of bemusement that sweeps across non-British people's faces whenever Rob attempts his Ronnie Corbett.
But there's something so authentic and natural-feeling about these silly vignettes that you just can't help but get swept up in them, and end up laughing along with their nonsense as though you were sitting in the restaurant with them (and this DVD gives you even more of it to enjoy, with extended and deleted scenes for those who simply can't get enough of the pair's antics). It's like taking a lovely, relaxing foreign holiday with a couple of old friends who you know will be perfect company.
The absolute best moments come when Rob and Steve appear to be genuinely amusing each other, far beyond the scripted requirements of the story. There's one scene in particular - in which Brydon does an improvised impression of Michael Parkinson interviewing Coogan - where Coogan is obviously struggling to remain composed, as Rob's impressions elicit the kind of surprised and delighted laughter that's impossible to fake. As much as this is a fictionalised programme, the rapport and relationship between Brydon and Coogan is clearly very genuine, and it adds an extra layer of warmth and enjoyment to the show to realise that these two clowns are finding each other just as amusing as we are.
Along the way, director Michael Winterbottom captures some quite beautiful Italian scenery, with lovely, lingering shots of hazy sunsets and impressive coastal vistas that are probably responsible for half of the UK's holiday bookings to the country in the last couple of months. In fact, my only real complaint about this DVD being that it's only currently available in standard-definition: these shots are truly good enough to warrant release on Blu-Ray. For now, though, this is a decent enough package that's available either on its own or as part of a double-pack with the first series.
'The Trip To Italy' is a rare thing, in that it's a follow-up to a strong first series of a comedy show that actually manages to match its predecessor: it's just as funny, the food looks just as good (although there's slightly less focus on the eateries this time around), and there's just as much small-scale human drama to get your teeth into. Kick off your slippers, grab a glass of wine and enjoy one of the funniest and most original BBC series of recent years.
Peter Jackson's second "Hobbit" film falls victim to many of the same problems that beset the first: uneven pacing, an unnecessarily padded-out story, and a general feeling of directorial indulgence that leaves the movie feel bloated and unwieldy. However, it also benefits from the same strengths: some strong central performances (in particular Martin Freeman as the titular Hobbit himself - Bilbo Baggins - and Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf the wizard), some unexpectedly satisfying connections to the original "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and some wonderful special effects.
The result is a movie that is good if never quite great, and which features enough in the way of inventive action and fantastical creatures to keep you reasonably entertained for its more than two-and-a-half-hour duration.
Chief among these fantastical creatures is Smaug, the dragon who guards the cave of treasures into which Bilbo is sent to steal an ancient Dwarvish stone. Smaug - voiced by Freeman's "Sherlock" co-star, Benedict Cumberbatch - is translated to film so perfectly that it feels as though somebody pulled the imagery straight from the mind of my twelve-year-old self. Just like Bilbo's interaction with Gollum in the first Hobbit film, the character's scenes with Smaug are largely confined to tense one-on-one confrontations, with no other actors present. This gives director Jackson the chance to really pare things down and focus on his characters as they weigh each other up, making the actors' performances the very centre of the production and giving us easily the movie's most compelling scene in the process. And crucially, it means that when the action does start to heat up a little later, we're already emotionally invested in these characters, so that the conflict feels like it really means something.
Sadly, this kind of restraint is absent elsewhere, as we get the same kind of excesses from Jackson that ruined his "King Kong" movie - and which also compromised the first film in the "Hobbit" trilogy to an extent. A fairly long prologue involving the shape-shifting, half-man-half-bear character Beorn adds very little to the story, making it feel out-of-place and unnecessary. A subplot in which Bilbo and his Dwarf friends are imprisoned by elves is initially interesting, but is drawn out for so long with so little in the way of forward movement that it becomes an exercise in treading water (and that's not to mention a pretty pointless extended cameo from Orlando Bloom as the elf Legolas, which has been completely invented for the movie). And in the second half of the film, the crew ends up spending what feels like an age doing very little in Laketown - a dull, waterlogged village presided over by a pantomime-ish Stephen Fry (seemingly channelling his Lord Melchett character from "Blackadder") - just as it feels like things ought to be getting moving.
The frustrating thing is that in between all of these disappointing sequences, you get flashes of greatness: what could have been a cliché journey through a spooky forest becomes a wonderfully trippy and disturbing scene, as Bilbo and his Dwarf friends succumb to disorientation and paranoia shortly before being attacked by a group of spiders that are even scarier than Shelob from "Lord of the Rings". Equally, there's a compelling action sequence in which Bilbo and the Dwarves escape from their elvish captors in barrels floating down a river, while at the same time battling Orcs as the camera seamlessly whips around to show the action from all angles, giving you a feeling of exhilaration that's comparable to being on a theme-park ride. And the extra bits of plot that Jackson has inserted into the story of the book occasionally fare pretty well, particularly the showdown between Gandalf and the Necromancer - a precursor to the major villain Sauron from Lord of the Rings - which gives us a fantastic demonstration of the two magicians' powers and which ends on a killer cliffhanger.
But chopping between the dreary and dull scenes and the genuinely interesting and fast-moving ones gives the film such an up-and-down feeling that it's impossible to ever get completely drawn in by it. These pacing problems are perhaps best exemplified by the movie's supremely underwhelming ending: an inconclusive battle between the Dwarves and Smaug that would have made a fine mini-climax in the middle of the franchise's final chapter (the Hobbit films were originally planned as just two movies), but which falls a little flat as the conclusion to a film in its own right. I'm growing increasingly convinced that two movies (or even just one very long movie) would have been the perfect format for the story of the Hobbit, because on the evidence provided here, three movies just feels too padded and excessive.
"The Desolation of Smaug", then, is the very definition of a three-star movie: a curate's egg of a film that can be brilliant one moment and mediocre the next, but which just about hangs together well enough as a whole to make it reasonably entertaining. It's very far from the perfect feat of adaptation that was Jackson's original Lord of the Rings trilogy, but as a companion piece to those wonderful movies, it's worth a look.
It took a long time for Hollywood to finally tackle the subject of divorce and what it does to those that it directly affects, considering that the industry were at it ever since it was born. However, the film doesn't look at it from the point of view of the woman but from the male perspective and the impact it has on him in particular and his seven year old son.
The film begins at the point when Joanna Kramer leaves her husband Ted and their son Billy just as her husband has been offered a huge promotion in an advertising company. You then get the feeling that he's a workaholic who's been paying more attention to his job than his wife's needs. This is where the film falls flat at times because you don't really get a sense of really well developed backstory as to a genuine reason why Joanna leaves Ted and abandons her young son. You are therefore bias from the very start towards Ted and the film becomes too simplified.
What the film does offer is something that is quite fast paced for the subject matter and containing many dramatic turns as the struggling father copes with the responsibility of taking care of Billy all by himself whilst maintaining the high standards of work ethic he has achieved in his employment, dealing with the trauma Billy suffers from his mother leaving them and the sudden reappearance of Joanna as she attempts to win back custody of her son having gained her mental stability and taken control of her life.
As a parent and husband myself, going through the joys and challenges family life offers I was most impressed with the many observational accuracies, albeit slightly heightened, that the film shone a light on, particularly when a father has to cope with taking care of his child all by himself and his weaknesses are exposed. It also beamed a light on the ruthless and uncaring world of corporate America which couldn't care less about child rearing or family crisis, except equating it to performance at work and how much money a company could potentially lose. It gives you a sense of what you can admire about American culture such as the amazing determination and confidence displayed by those wanting the best for their loved ones whilst also exposing some unsavoury domestic habits that give an impression of people who are quite lazy with things like cooking a proper meal, or washing their hands after using the toilet and wearing their shoes on the bed. But this only adds to the film because it gives you a sense of the character's strengths and their weaknesses.
Most of the issues are resolved too easily in the film with positive outcomes and all difficulties are generally overcome and pretty soon you know exactly where the film is going and in that sense it becomes very predictable. You know that there are no winners and losers from the start because the child loses the daily comfort of on parent no matter what choices are made as it appears pretty clear from the start that the couple won't get back together but the naturalistic performances set to the backdrop of the bustling streets, offices, homes and parks of New York City make it intriguing to see the film play out to its climax. This is a very easy film to watch from start to finish and reinforces the importance of working hard at a marriage. The main characters are ultimately compassionate and do what's best for their son. certainly from a parent's point of view, this is a gem of a film.
If ever there was an archetypal classical western from the golden age of the genre looking at good versus evil and set in the "Old West", Shane is the film that epitomises all the hallmarks better than all others. On the surface, you have an enigmatic and yet charismatic drifter in the title role who stumbles straight into a conflict between a homesteader, Joe Starrett and a ruthless cattle baron, Ryker and his clan sometime at the end of the nineteenth century in a remote part of Wyoming. He obviously takes sides with the homesteader and his family who are shown to hold the moral high ground by taking up residence on the land without resorting to violence and living a peaceful existence. Shane becomes their hired hand and is selfless in putting the family's needs before his own. Clearly though, he has a troubled past and was most certainly a gunslinger.
What ensues is an ever greater pressure exerted by Ryker to take over their land as well as all the other homesteaders who reside in the surrounding area and how the homesteaders led by Pacifist Starrett initially refuse to give in to the mounting intimidation while others are slowly forced out. Shane, initially refuses to fight back but slowly his patience wains and his true nature comes out and he starts to hit back, gaining victories for the homesteaders that starts to give them the upper hand. Finally Ryker hires the menacing Wilson, a frighteningly psychopathic gunslinger who slowly starts to make his presence felt. Shane is finally forced to replace fists for gunsmoke and hence you have what you'd expect from a Western from the golden age of the genre.
But if you look at the subtleties of the film, it offers a great deal more. You get the sense that Shane knew Starrett's wife in the past, and her young son starts to idolise Shane as someone that he loves almost as much as his father. When Shane teaches Starrett's young son how to use a gun and her mother disapproves of his lesson, stating that she doesn't want guns to be a part of her life and Shane responds by stating that a gun is like any other tool and that the gun is only as good or as bad as the man who holds it, you get the sense of an American hero advocating for the National Rifle Association when in actual fact he's the villain. But there is something deeper in Shane's message that comes to the fore by the end of the film; namely that to get rid of guns you sometimes have to use one. In addition, the character of Ryker, though terribly villainous, is also three dimensional because he believes with a passion that the old gunfighters sacrificed a great deal to liberate the land from all other invaders and the natives but wrongly felt that this gave them the greater right to the land to do as they pleased.
Finally the setting of the film with the Teton mountain range imposing themselves on the lives of all concerned adds to the unique beauty of the film and is a precursor to some of the Clint Eastwood westerns that he directed in the 70s. Shane will get you reflecting on how some answers are not as black and white as they first appear.
Harry Hill Tv Burp stormed Itv for a number of years, however Harry Hill the movie isnt a big hit for fans.
This Childish film captures Harry hill trying to rescue his hamster, for nearly 90 minutes this is the plot, the movie is missing something, perhaps another sub story could have pushed this feature into a better picture.
an all star cast including Julie Walters, Matt Lucas (Little Britain) Simon Bird ( The Inbetweeners) makes the film watchable.
The beginning of the movie is probably the best as it has some nice visual gags. The movie can be described as a musical/childlike feature.
4/10
Two of cinema's coolest tough guys come head to head for the first time in their careers under Michael Mann's stylish and explosive thriller and they don't disappoint. Al Pacino plays Vincent Hanna, an LAPD detective whose number one priority in life is to out to try and foil criminals attempting heists and murders. Robert De Niro is the equally determined Neil McCauley, who commits high-end scores with his regular and trusted crew including a Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore and an early appearance by the now legendary and cult figure of Danny Trejo.
Ultimately the two giants of acting come head to head when Neil takes a score where the rewards are bearer bonds. Things don't quite go to plan when the crew recruit the psychopathic Waingro played by Kevin Gage who doesn't act according to plan.
What makes this film well worth the watch are the acting talents on view which also include Academy Award Winners Jon Voight, and a young Natalie Portman, Diane Venora, Dennis Haysbert, Wes Studi and Ashley Judd. On top of that you have the stylish hues of the film that we've grown accustomed to when watching a Michael Mann film. Above all though, you have a rare cops and robbers film where the filmmakers have taken the time to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the main players in the film and their desires and motivations so that you end up with a story that's character driven rather than plot driven. Somewhere in the middle of the film is an explosive gun battle between the criminal crew and the LAPD that's as seemingly real a scene as you're ever likely to lay your eyes and ears on.
One can argue that the film is a little drawn out and at times the character studies are overly unnecessary and the characters don't always abide by their code, especially when it comes to some of the decision making skills of Robert De Niro's character. He makes one particular choice that's particulrly dubious which prolongs the film and its outcome considerably which disappointed me somewhat. There's also some characters whose dialogue is poorly written and make you think the situation is unbelievable and I speak of Tom Noonan who plays Kelso, the guy who searches out the banks that can be robbed, in particular. Lastly the overall feeling you get once you've viewed the film is how dysfunctional everyone is in the film and generally how vile some of the characters are and at times the film is too stylised for some of the horrors we see but you find yourself totally immersed and engrossed whilst watching the film because the characters are so well acted and believable and that's the mark of a well made film.
This DVD has plenty of additional featurettes around the making of the film, that famous scene where De Niro and Pacino meet for a coffee and material around which the film was inspired. They don't make films like this anymore!
Absolutely brilliant!
Since so many reviews on find-dvd.co.uk seem to concentrate on current releases of recent films, I thought I'd change things up a bit this month to throw a spotlight on what I think is one of the best home-video presentations of an older movie that I've ever seen: the Blu-Ray release of Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey'.
Constantly cited as an influence by top-tier filmmakers, Kubrick's 1968 film is an epic, thought-provoking science-fiction film that stretches from the dawn of man into the far future, and also features one of cinema's all-time greatest villains in the mysterious, murderous yet deadpan computer, HAL 9000. However, it's certainly not the kind of straightforward action-adventure romp that passes for a sci-fi blockbuster today.
In fact, '2001' is downright challenging at times, with a lengthy wordless prologue involving prehistoric apes that suddenly gives way to an enigmatic section involving the discovery of an alien relic on the moon - which itself only begins to make sense once you make your way into the third section, involving a manned mission to Jupiter. And even then, the film remains enigmatic and oblique, seemingly more concerned with generating a disconcerting and unsettling atmosphere (through long, repetitive and clinical sequences depicting life on board a long-distance spacecraft) than with pushing its story forwards.
Only much later in its two-and-a-half-hour running time does the film offer something resembling a more traditional plot, as two astronauts' lives are put at risk by an onboard computer with ulterior motives, and amazing discoveries are made about the alien intelligence responsible for the iconic black monolith glimpsed earlier in the film.
But along the way, you're treated to some of the most magnificent, confident and assured direction and production that has ever been committed to film.
Kubrick's perfectionist tendencies mean that even a film made close to fifty (fifty!) years ago manages to look more believable and authentic than most of its CGI-infested modern cousins. Intricately-detailed models used for the shots of spaceships and satellites are utterly convincing, and the set designs used for interior scenes offer a wonderful (if now dated) vision of the future, as seen through the eyes of the past.
It sounds exaggerated to say it, but these elements of design are incredibly compelling in their own right, especially when seen through the lens of Kubrick's directorial choices. A long, unbroken sequence involving a slow zoom onto a spaceship docking with a rotating space station is like watching an expert ballet troupe dancing among the stars, while later scenes that show the Jupiter-bound spacecraft in all its elongated glory verge on the hypnotic. And subtler details like the elaborate spacesuit costume designs or the dazzling array of controls and monitors in the spacecraft give you a feeling of being gradually drawn into a futuristic, exotic but fully-realised alternate world.
And Kubrick's gradual reveal of the larger story of '2001' is just as compelling, rewarding patient viewers with a story that's sometimes abstract and sometimes ambiguous, but which also contains some moments of real peril and drama that more than hold their own against similar modern fare such as 'Gravity'.
To say any more would rob the film of some of its power for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. But if you're reading this and you haven't checked out '2001' before, I heartily recommend that you do so on Blu-Ray, as it not only contains one of the best high-definition transfers of an older film that I've ever seen, it also contains a wealth of extras that help to place the movie in a larger historical context, and offer some fascinating insights about its production.
On Blu-Ray, '2001' really does look like it could have been shot yesterday, with an incredible clarity and crispness that I wouldn't have thought possible for a film made in 1968. Very few classic older movies have been restored and transferred with this much finesse: 'Jaws' and 'Star Wars' spring to mind, but such high-quality releases are few and far between - and '2001' is arguably even better than both of those examples, given its age and the complicated nature of certain effects shots.
Scenes such as the psychedelic stargate sequence towards the end of the movie, or the moments in which the astronauts go outside the spaceship are given new life by this Blu-Ray transfer, with the film's occasional vivid colours and frequent stark backgrounds being equally crystal-clear. On a visual level, you couldn't see a more perfect presentation of this film if you had walked into a cinema on the day of its original release, and that's quite an achievement.
Sound fares equally well. Although '2001' is quite a sparse movie in terms of dialogue and music, this means that the moments in which the sound does kick in are even more important - and the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track makes sure that the film sounds as perfect as it looks. The bursts of classical music (such as the thankfully-now-restored initial low-key orchestral piece that opens the film in darkness, before that classic 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' overture bursts out at you - or the Blue Danube waltz that plays during the spacecraft-docking sequence) could be taken from a live orchestral performance, and the artificial sound effects (such as the piercing buzz emitted by the monolith on the moon) are as crisp and clear as the dialogue. Given how much of the film takes place in silence - smartly reflecting the real-life lack of sound in space - it's nice to see that they haven't neglected the audio on this release.
As for the disc's extras, they range from a commentary track by actors Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood (who play the two main astronauts, Dave Bowman and Frank Poole), which contains plenty of interesting anecdotes and observations; a 45-minute 'making of' feature that goes into quite a lot of depth about the film (including the involvement of novelist Arthur C Clarke in its conception, and some wonderful tidbits like the real-life synthesised speech of 1960s computers that provided the inspiration for Douglas Rain's voiceover for HAL 9000); an audio interview with Kubrick himself; a separate documentary about the film's legacy and its lasting influence on the next generation of filmmakers; a trio of mini-features focusing on the film's predictions about technology and its ideas about alien life; and a gallery of still photographs related to the film's production. It really is a treasure-trove of content for fans of the film like me, and I'm pleased to see such an important and influential film being given such a thorough treatment.
In case it isn't clear from the previous paragraphs, I consider '2001: A Space Odyssey' to be one of the most original, well-crafted, influential, unique and mesmerising films I've ever seen, and this Blu-Ray version is possibly the first home video release to truly do the film justice. If you're a Kubrick aficionado who already loves '2001', then you'll find plenty to enjoy here; and if this is your first experience of this magnificent movie, you couldn't ask for a better version to watch.
There's no doubt in my mind that Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is very much a 'Marmite film'. And, for the most part, it hinges solely on your opinion of Will Ferrell.
As a huge fan of everything Ferrell's done to date, from the various comedies he's starred in through to the more serious dramas, I think his return to the beloved role of Ron Burgundy is absolutely hilarious. The sequel had me in stitches from the moment it started.
Many years have passed since the events of the first film, and when legendary anchorman Mack Tannen (Harrison Ford) decides he wants Veronica (Christina Applegate) to be his replacement, Ron grows insanely jealous, to the point of almost entirely throwing his career away.
Fast forward six months, though, and things are about to change. For one thing, it's the '80s! Cue nostalgic costumes, hair cuts, and music, and everything that goes with one of the greatest decades of all time. And with it comes the birth of the 24-hour news cycle, and Ron is going to be its champion.
Offered a job to anchor the world's first 24-hour news network, he assembles the legendary Channel 4 News Team once more, bringing Brian (Paul Rudd), Champ (David Koechner), and of course Brick (Steve Carell) back to the table once more.
The jokes are even better than the original, and with some inspired casting additions in the form of Kristen Wiig, Greg Kinnear, and many more, the comedy just keeps getting better and better throughout.
Expect controversial jokes from all sides, some hilarious gags that you can't help but laugh at, and some exceptional cameos from the likes of Harrison Ford, Jim Carrey, and Kanye West, to name but a few.
Not only that, but the Blu-ray version of the film has the added bonus of including an entirely different take on the film, the re-released Alternate Version, featuring 763 new jokes! Absolutely amazing.
Director Adam McKay has a long-standing proven track record in the comedy genre, but releasing two completely different cuts of the same movie both in theatres and on Blu-ray is a real testament to his comedic sensibilities. The jokes will never get old if you're watching them half as much, and when you've got more than seven hundred new ones at your disposal, the fun just keeps on coming.
Watching season eight of Dexter is like looking up your childhood sweetheart on Facebook, and seeing how old and ugly they've grown.
What was once a fun, smart, gripping, and occasionally disturbing show has in its later years become a mere shadow of its former self. As the plotlines have become more and more convoluted and forced, the central protagonist of Dexter - the crime-scene forensics expert who'e also a secret-serial-killer (albeit one who only kills people who deserve it) - has been diluted and compromised to the point that he's barely recognisable as being the same character any more.
Gone is the genuinely unpredictable and edgy vibe that the show used to have, replaced by endless variations on the same ideas (Dexter has a romance with another psychopath! Miami Metro are getting close to discovering that he's a killer again! And now he's discovered yet another new secret about his dead foster-father, Harry!) and padded-out with interminable soap-opera style plotlines (with acting to match) among the supporting cast.
To give this review some context, I've been watching the show since its first episode, and I hugely enjoyed the early seasons of the show. I kept watching even when the quality started to decline around season five, as it was still a fairly entertaining and compelling series. And I even stuck with the show during those moments where the writers clearly had no idea what they were doing (Batista marrying LaGuerta? Deb falling in love with her brother?), in the hope that they'd come out the other side, and rediscover the magic that made the series such a hit in the first place.
But with season eight, I feel as though I've finally got to the end of my relationship with Dexter - and this is best signified by the fact that I've got through nine episodes of the twelve-episode season so far, and I simply cannot bring myself to muster up the enthusiasm to watch the final three episodes of the series. Just think about that: I've invested in watching seven years of Dexter, have slogged through three-quarters of the way through its final season, and I just can't go on.
So why is season eight so bad?
For me, it comes down to the complete lack of direction for what should be a climactic, dramatic final season of Dexter. There's no strong, central narrative to the season: I challenge anyone to sum up in a single sentence what the story of Dexter's eighth year is, at its core. Instead, we get a cluster of storylines that would ordinarily be treated as subplots to a larger arc, all bundled together in the hope that it'll be enough to sustain twelve hours of TV.
Among these are: Dexter meeting and befriending the female psychologist who helped Harry to develop the moral 'code' by which Dexter lives his secret life, and who has some secrets of her own to uncover; Deb, now an ex-cop private-investigator, struggling with her feelings for Dexter after she was forced to kill LaGuerta to protect him at the end of last season; the return of a former love interest from a past season to torment Dexter and Deb further; and the introduction of a young boy who is struggling with similar killing urges to Dexter, and who Dexter decides to raise in the same mould as himself.
If any one of these plotlines was fully-developed, it could potentially make for a half-decent skeleton on which to hang a season of Dexter. But all of them are utterly half-baked, and tossed off without any real thought behind them - and the show jumps around between all of them in a seemingly random fashion, with no sense of a larger, well-structured narrative in place. It's a testament to the weakness of this final season that its only real high points are the silly throwaway comedy subplots (like Masuka's hitherto unknown daughter turning up). Ordinarily, these would be an enjoyable garnish to a meatier story - but now, they feel like the only part of the show that really has any heart and soul left in it any more.
It's a shame, because there are undoubtedly still some talented people involved in this series: actor Michael C Hall is still great at capturing the sardonic but sinister nature of Dexter - even if he's made to act like such an unpleasant and unreasonable character here that we can't feel any sympathy for him any more - and Jennifer Carpenter's portrayal of Deb is as charming and loveable as ever, particularly during her swearword-filled tirades. They're just saddled with scripts that have clearly run out of ideas, with the people behind the series seemingly hoping that fans' warm memories of the earlier seasons will generate enough goodwill to carry the show through to the end.
I write this review in the hope that I might warn those who might still be interested in Dexter not to let their curiosity get the better of them. Even if you've followed the show up to this point, just stop at season seven, which - despite being fairly inconclusive - still manages to provide a better ending for the series as a whole than this follow-up does. Or better yet, stop at the end of season four, when the show was at its peak; because if I'm honest, Dexter has been on a downwards slide ever since then, leading inevitably to this underwhelming, poorly-constructed and ultimately unsatisfying final season.
Buffy has always been a show that had the misfortune of being tarred with the 'sci-fi and fantasy' brush, which for many shows is not an unjust classification. But not for Buffy, a show that is so much deeper and layered than anyone could possible know at first glance.
I have to admit to being a latecomer to the Buffyverse, having watched the entire series in full only recently. I can only say that I am sad I did not take the time to watch it sooner, because it truly is a revolutionary piece of television. This is a series that began over 17 years ago now, yet in many ways feels fresher than shows that have only just started. Yes, some of the outfits look dated, but the dialogue is sharp and witty (as any fan of Joss Whedon will know) and relevance can be found in many of the storylines, regardless of age or gender.
Whedon managed to create a show that, despite the fantasy premise, was always about the characters and the struggles they faced. The supernatural elements serve as metaphors for problems that we all face, and on that level it is absolutely flawless.
Even in such an acclaimed show, there are numerous standout episodes. In particular, there is 'Hush', which features an extended sequence with no dialogue, 'The Body', an episode that deals with the very real implications of death, and 'Once More, With Feeling', the unprecedented musical episode with original music and lyrics, to name but a few. The spin-off, Angel, is also a good watch, although it never quite reaches the heights of the mothership.
In summary, a truly ageless piece of television that will always be fondly remembered and a must-watch for any fan of high-quality television!
Teenager Buffy Summers must fight against the forces of evil, including demons and vampires, while also trying to maintain a life as an ordinary high schooler.
Picking up where we left off in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Peter Jackson's second movie in the upcoming trilogy is a masterful effort that deserves praise on all sides, from Martin Freeman's performance as Bilbo right on through to the visual effects team bringing the titular Smaug to life and the makeup artists that create such a realistic look to the dwarves.
Worth praising above all, perhaps, is the direction which Jackson has continued to take here, not giving us a straight, page-by-page adaptation of Tolkien's original novel. The Hobbit, in book form, is undeniably aimed at younger readers. It's a fairly lighthearted affair, with Bilbo's adventure being largely exactly that - a little mischief and a lot of fun. Whilst Jackson retains a lot of the humour from his source material, he also includes a wealth of Tokien's various lengthy appendices, bringing a much darker tone to The Desolation of Smaug than we ever get from the novel, and it pays off tenfold.
In The Desolation of Smaug, we get a real sense of the stakes, and they are high. For Bilbo and the Company of Dwarves, their journey is less an adventure and much more of a quest, where the action is life or death. And in bringing us our first real glimpse at Smaug, so brilliantly voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, we get a sense of the fear coursing through the veins of Bilbo as he goes up against the dragon.
Enough praise simply cannot be given to the visual effects team, here, who have done a remarkable job in creating Smaug, providing him with the kind of villainous look that he so deserves. Computer graphics have come an incredibly long way in recent years, even since Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and a film like The Desolation of Smaug shows off just how far they've come. The effects are truly amazing; never has a dragon looked so real and lifelike as Smaug does.
Of course, reminiscent of Jackson's earlier trilogy and very much worth mentioning here is the continued use of New Zealand's remarkable scenery, making for some of the most beautiful settings, opting for real-life settings rather than building them on a production lot. As film technology has progressed, so too has our method of viewing them in our homes, and it's so much better when you can tell the filmmakers have used a real location, as they have here, rather than being able to spot the sets created specifically for the film, as so many big-budget movies tend to do.
Jackson is easily one of the most technology-advanced filmmakers working in the industry at the moment. Going against the grain, he chose to shoot the entirety of The Hobbit trilogy in a higher frame rate, because he knew that it would allow much for greater detail, and a more lifelike viewing experience. Despite the fantasy settings of his movies, he loves the feel of realism, and as an audience, we owe so much to that love. Were it not for that, you can't help but feel that the movie wouldn't look even half as impressive as it does now. Though the technology for experiencing higher frame rate doesn't currently exist on the mainstream home entertainment market, the film nevertheless looks absolutely spectacular on Blu-ray, and the added bonus of 3D is a real treat on the eyes. Unlike many directors, too frequently pushed into 3D territory to increase box office sales, Jackson is one who embraces the technology because he knows exactly what it has to offer, and how it can benefit his film. As a result, the 3D is used to great success throughout, adding that extra dimension to our viewing experience in ways you won't believe until you've seen it; the saying 'You have to see it to believe it' is very apt in describing a film like The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Alongside all of that - the visual effects, the beautiful locations, the advanced technology, and the improved storyline - we come to the team that brings these characters to life: The cast. Having been introduced to the majority of the characters in An Unexpected Journey, it comes as no surprise to see them still in top form in the sequel. The real delight is in the form of the new characters, in particular Bard the Bowman, played so well by Luke Evans; the elf Tauriel, with a stunning performance from Evangeline Lilly, playing a character that Jackson himself created for the movie; and of course a welcome return from the beloved Legolas, with Orlando Bloom reprising his role from The Lord of the Rings. Seeing them all fighting alongside each other, and how their dynamics change over the course of the film as they fight to reclaim the Lonely Mountain, is a lot of fun to watch unfold.
With a meticulous attention to detail, Peter Jackson returns us once more to Middle-earth, and the result is no less incredible. It's a quest spread across three films, and the whole trilogy is quite unlike anything we've seen since Jackson brought us The Lord of the Rings in the early 2000s. We have one more instalment still to go - The Hobbit: There and Back Again - at the end of the year, and if The Desolation of Smaug is anything to go by, we're in for a thrilling cinematic ride come Christmas, fuelled with action-packed set pieces, some very funny dialogue, and a slew of breathtaking vistas along the way.
Disney's Frozen is a genuine return-to-form for the animation studio, and a release that ranks alongside some of their best ever movies. And having now taken over a billion dollars at the global box office, it's also one of their biggest financial successes of recent years. So what makes it such a great family movie?
Well, after seeing it at the cinema with my children last year - and then buying it on blu-ray as soon as it came out (and enjoying it all over again) - I think I might have some ideas.
IT'S A CLASSIC FAIRYTALE STORY, WITH LIKEABLE CHARACTERS: Frozen is based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairly tale "The Snow Queen", although it's been cleverly reworked to suit all the needs of a modern family adventure. While it still retains the same sense of magic and wonder as the original, it reshapes the story to turn it into a tale of familial love and understanding between two sisters. Crucially, the older sister - Elsa, who has the ability to create snow and ice at will, but can't always control her power - isn't portrayed as a traditional Disney 'villain'. Instead, she's presented as an emotionally-distant and introverted character, who inspires real sympathy from the audience as she struggles to cope with her gift after the death of her parents. This gives us a real investment in seeing how her relationship with her younger sister, Anna, plays out, and as the initially-estranged pair eventually grow closer to each other, the delicate and empathetic treatment of both characters ensures that we're rooting for them to get a happy ending by the time the final credits roll around.
IT HAS SMART PLOTTING: Unusually for Disney, this is a story where you don't see all the twists and turns coming from the outset, and it's very refreshing to find yourself genuinely surprised and wrong-footed by a children's movie. The clever way in which the film's narrative is constructed - starting with the childhood separation of the sisters, before growing to encompass the larger context of their fairytale kingdom, and then introducing the supporting characters that will end up being crucial to the climax of the story - carries you along so smoothly that it isn't until later that you realise how craftily the groundwork was being laid for the twists and turns that come towards the end. Without saying too much, this is a film that relies on the audience having certain expectations of a Disney movie, so that it can set up our assumptions about how the story will play out - only to confound them at the end of the film with some genuinely original and unexpected developments. Sure, you've seen a princess saved by "an act of true love" in plenty of Disney movies before, but you've never seen it done like this.
IT HAS BEAUTIFUL VISUALS: You could be forgiven for thinking that a film that largely revolves around snow and ice would be visually bland - but the designers and animators behind Frozen instead use the icy setting as inspiration for all manner of beautiful, intricate scenery and wonderful designs. The sisters' home city is an incredibly detailed and authentic feeling Scandinavian township; the woods and mountains seen in the later parts of the film feel fully-realised and true-to-life; and the effects of Elsa's ice-powers are shown in a dynamic, dazzling way, especially once she really cuts loose with them in the second half of the story. Blu-ray really is the best way to see Frozen, because in high-definition these visual aspects look better than ever - even, arguably, better than they did in the cinema.
IT HAS INSANELY CATCHY SONGS: It's a little difficult to convey in text the appeal of a well-crafted song, but suffice it to say Frozen has them in spades. The witty wordplay and majestic melodies that we used to hear in the Alan Menken/Howard Ashman-composed classic Disney songs is all present and correct here ("A kingdom of ice-solation - and it looks like I'm the queen" might be my favourite lyric in a Disney film ever), and the tunes feel perfectly integrated with the story, rather than simply thrown on top of the narrative. If you're not whistling or humming "Let It Go" and "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" after watching this movie, then I'll eat my snowshoes.
IT'S FUNNY: Despite the fairly serious storyline and a couple of slightly scary scenes (one involving being chased by wolves, and another with a giant snow-monster), there's plenty of humour to be found in Frozen. Whether it's the comic relief that's provided by Olaf (a snowman magically brought to life, who dreams of a summer holiday despite having no experience of what the sun does to snow) the slapstick moments of physical comedy, or the slightly subtler character humour (like Kristoff's narration of his pet reindeer's thoughts), you'll find that every scene gives you at least something to smile about. Personally, I can't get enough of the weird shopkeeper that Kristoff and Anna encounter when they first meet - but maybe that's just me.
IT HAS A GREAT MESSAGE: Ultimately, even once you strip away all the beautiful visuals, catchy songs and winning humour, there's an incredibly strong message at the heart of Frozen that makes it one of the most satisfying kids' movies I've seen in a long time. It goes beyond a simplistic meditation on the value of love to cover issues of acceptance, mutual understanding, and the importance of relying on friends and family to help shoulder your burdens - which isn't bad going for such a seemingly straightforward children's film. Finally, it also redresses the historical gender imbalance that we've seen in animated kids' films: here, the princesses are very much the driving force behind the story, true protagonists who push things forward just as much as the men, rather than acting as mere set-dressing for a male-oriented adventure. For that reason, it's a film that I'm very happy to encourage my daughter to watch, and I can only hope that future Disney movies follow suit.
In short, then, Frozen is that rare thing: an animated childrens' film that transcends the genre to stand as a genuinely great movie in its own right, and certainly head-and-shoulders above a sea of other mediocre pretenders to the Disney throne. As sharp as an icicle, as refreshing as snowball in the face, and as original as a newly-minted snowflake - if you have kids, get Frozen. It's as simple as that.
The blu-ray version is mastered perfectly. The film is in a great HD status and really shows it well. The story line is great and so is the movie. The film has some good bits and some poor bits to do with how it's fitted together but we have to remember it was made in the 1980s/1990s. If you liked this then i recommend watching the 2nd, 3rd and the new "rebooted" version which was released in cinema in 2014. The 3rd film contains a different person playing the robocop along with the new film.
Thanks for reading
The first film in the series of Robocop is about a police officer from detroit who suffers from a shooting in the alleyway while trying to apprehend a terrorist. A company called Omnicorp patches Murphy(the cop) up as a fully functional robo cop who has had his memory wiped and a system installed. The story continues with a few crimes which he solves but it's main theme is revenge, Murphy tries to capture the terrorist who shot him, who he then kills.
Disney's recent releases have been featuring more and more strong, relatable female characters and Frozen really pushes this to a new level. Finally we are graced with a protagonist who learns to value family above all else through her mistakes. Instead of presenting us with the traditionally beautiful damsel in distress, Disney's portrayal of Anna's character as clumsy and awkward yet brave and determined makes for a much better role model. Funny and enchanting, with just the right amount of lesson learning, Frozen is a refreshing watch for all.
Sky 1 are known for turning out outstanding drama, Mad dogs has to be in the top ten. A holiday that no one dreams of, what seems like four middle aged men going to visit a family it some becomes a fast pass thrill of a journey.
What seems to be a trip filled full of sun and beer, this holiday becomes a road to hell. Marc Warren (Hustle) Max Beesely (Hotel Babylon) Phillip Glenister (Life on Mars) John Simm (Dr Who)
Series one is the key series and is probably the most gritty series as it gives you a description of who these men are.
what can seem boring is that each episode starts with a minute explaining what has happened before, however it does have its advantage by not letting its viewers confused.
The ending may seem weak after all what the lads go through however reviews and stories explain how they were lead to the finale.
Four best friends travel to Majorca to stay with a long lost friend in his mansion, what seems to be a trip filled full of sun and beer, this holiday becomes a road to hell. Marc Warren (Hustle) Max Beesely (Hotel Babylon) Phillip Glenister (Life on Mars) John Simm (Dr Who)
Season 2 of 'The Walking Dead' is just as terrifying as the first. And then some. Watching it was almost like finding one of those rare film sequels that is better than its predecessor. Naively thinking that I had become numb to the carefree splattering of zombie brains, I dived into the series expecting more of the traditional, run-of-the-mill undead plot that series 1 presents us with, only to be taken aback by the originality of it all. What made me continue watching was the fact that I still had the ability to actually be shocked, not only by the gore and the horror but also by the extremes of human nature that are laid bare to us in the close proximity of the camp. Where the action of season 1 left me geared up for the apocalypse and ready to kill some walkers at the flick of a switch, the prospect of Shane on a bad day in season 2 makes me realise how lucky I am to be snuggled up on my couch watching this instead of in the thick of the action.
Rick and his band of merry walker whackers are on the move but the dead are never far behind. In this season the group encounter an extensive range of people, both dead and alive, who simultaneously manage to help and push them to breaking point all in one blood-drenched, gut-spilling nightmare of a season. Follow them closely through thirteen episodes in their fight (and there will always be a fight) for survival, but keep your weapons close and your eyes in the backs of your heads - no one can be trusted.
Depp brings a different character to the big screen, having created characters like Jack Sparrow and Edward scissorshand, Depp really gives his serious side of his acting range.
Christian Bale (Batman/Out of Furnace) plays Fbi agent Melvin Puris who wants nothing more than to stop Dillinger at work, he is sick of people getting hurt and money being stolen.
Even though this a long film i didnt find myself bored at any time as this is based on true events it really delivers some unanswered things how on the mafia worked.
some people i know didnt appericate this film, i will say the ending is weak it could have had a bigger impact however director Michael Mann (Miami Vice/Collateral) brings all different kind of movies from comedy to action. The Movie is worth a watch even if your a Depp fan or gangster movie lover.
Johnny Depp portrays the life of famous mafia leader John Dillinger, robbing banks in record time, Dillinger knows he is always been watched and the police are on his case.
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