28.1.06
The Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four - 2005
The Marvel Universe is so epic and with material like 'Earth X' is fundamentally brilliant. Everything underlying the Marvel Universe is impressive and so I am always dissapointed with the movie versions because they have to shy away from the more fantastic aspects of Marvel. However, for what it is this film was good. It entertained me. What I want to see next is some bringing together of Marvel characters. Let the viewers realise that the Fantastic Four know of Spider Man and the X-men; they are all part of the same universe... maybe have some crossover, cameo appearances. As always with these Marvel films the casting is excellent; the faces match up well enough with the original comic art. Looks like the sequel is go already. It's good to see Ioan Grufudd become a face in the US too, as like Sean Bean's 'Sharpe' before him, he was the main character of another excellent British historical drama tv show called 'Hornblower'. 5.5/10
The Marvel Universe is so epic and with material like 'Earth X' is fundamentally brilliant. Everything underlying the Marvel Universe is impressive and so I am always dissapointed with the movie versions because they have to shy away from the more fantastic aspects of Marvel. However, for what it is this film was good. It entertained me. What I want to see next is some bringing together of Marvel characters. Let the viewers realise that the Fantastic Four know of Spider Man and the X-men; they are all part of the same universe... maybe have some crossover, cameo appearances. As always with these Marvel films the casting is excellent; the faces match up well enough with the original comic art. Looks like the sequel is go already. It's good to see Ioan Grufudd become a face in the US too, as like Sean Bean's 'Sharpe' before him, he was the main character of another excellent British historical drama tv show called 'Hornblower'. 5.5/10
27.1.06
Empire of the Sun and Finding Neverland
Empire of the Sun – 1987
I love films that tell history through the eyes of a child, this time a English aristocratic boy called James (Christian Bale). I must have watched this 10 times as I grew up. The original story was written by J.G Ballard who wrote it based on his own childhood in Japanese occupied Shanghai. In the film you see the chaos everywhere around Jim, but he sees it differently to the adults around him. It is sometimes a very moving film, as Jim warms to English folk taken from their wealthy lifestyles to internment camp conditions and starvation, captured American pilots and even the Japanese through his passion for planes. The whole region was complete chaos and this film captures it well. 8.5/10
Jim: If the Americans land, the Japanese will fight.
Dr. Rawlins: You admire the Japanese?
Jim: Well, they're brave, aren't they?
Dr. Rawlins: That's important, is it, Jim?
Jim: It's a good thing if you want to win a war.
Dr. Rawlins: But we don't want them to win, do we. Remember, we're British.
Jim: Yes.... I've never been there.
Finding Neverland – 2004
Depp was so very the right man for this role. He always manages to grab these kinds of scripts. It is very touching to watch a character so obviously still a child at heart; he almost gives the impression of a child not understanding grown up things like love, breaking up and death. Depp is brilliant and one of my favorite actors. Not many can dislike this guy with good reason. The brief recreation of Neverland, in the film, really warms you to J.M. Barrie's creation. Paul Whitehouse was in the film who some may recognise from British television (In fact, I noted Depp guest starred in one episode of Whitehouse's 'The Fast Show'; he is a fan of the show). Mackenzie Crook, who starred with Depp in pirates also makes an appearance. I also noted, Depp has played a number of British accent roles. Peter in this film is played by Freddie Highmore who Depp requested to play Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which I must see. Finally may I say Kelly Macdonald makes a very attractive Peter Pan. 8.5/10
If you read into the history of Barrie's life after he adopted the 5 sons (Peter, Jack, George, Michael and Nicholas) it is quite a unhappy tale.
If you read into the history of Barrie's life after he adopted the 5 sons (Peter, Jack, George, Michael and Nicholas) it is quite a unhappy tale.
23.1.06
War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds - 2005
It's Cruise time again. I like the guy even though he has a scary (but kinda dashing too) smile. He plays a working class dude this time round and does it very well forsooth. He proves entertaining to watch throughout, mainly due to the difficult, amusing and touching relations with his children. The film keeps you on tender hooks all the way to the rather sudden end, explained off by bacteria I presume. The survival of the son is a bit happy happy for me. Robbie should have perished like a dog damn it, possibly impaled on the tripod's legs. I really appreciate a heavy dose of imagination in films and much can be extracted from the brilliant book (which I have not read, but am presuming is brilliant). The spreading out of the guts is quite wonderful and the mass extinction of the wretched humans quite understandable really. I think Earth needs an alien attack to bring back some apprecation of the tenderness and beauty of life you moaning bastards. hah! Joking... or am I... find out in next week's episode of... The film has been judged good. 8/10
It's Cruise time again. I like the guy even though he has a scary (but kinda dashing too) smile. He plays a working class dude this time round and does it very well forsooth. He proves entertaining to watch throughout, mainly due to the difficult, amusing and touching relations with his children. The film keeps you on tender hooks all the way to the rather sudden end, explained off by bacteria I presume. The survival of the son is a bit happy happy for me. Robbie should have perished like a dog damn it, possibly impaled on the tripod's legs. I really appreciate a heavy dose of imagination in films and much can be extracted from the brilliant book (which I have not read, but am presuming is brilliant). The spreading out of the guts is quite wonderful and the mass extinction of the wretched humans quite understandable really. I think Earth needs an alien attack to bring back some apprecation of the tenderness and beauty of life you moaning bastards. hah! Joking... or am I... find out in next week's episode of... The film has been judged good. 8/10
Grave of the Fireflies 火垂るの墓
Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no haka) - 1988
If you hate truly depressing films then don't watch this. However, if you like to clarify in your mind how utterly pointless, hateful and horrible war is then do watch it and prepare to be moved, and believe me the better for it. To see the Japanese perspective is very interesting, but there is no anti-American feelings embedded beneath. It's just the story of survival seen through the eyes of Seita and his little sister Setsuko, after their mother is killed in the fire bombings and their father is away serving in the doomed Japanese Navy. A powerful film. 9.5/10
"Why must fireflies die so young?"
"Why must fireflies die so young?"
9 Songs
9 Songs - 2004
I found parts boring. The drugs annoyed me. I also found some parts very tender. The ejaculation was most impressive...he must have built that up for a few days. And then you see blood pumping by furiously in his neck. The music is good old Brit rock. Above all, I got one thing from this film...I want to go to the Antarctica. Not as a scientist like it seems to be the only way, but for a brief holiday. Must feel amazing to be away from all the human scum and pollution and dog turd and crap trains and litter. Wow. 6/10 methinks.
I found parts boring. The drugs annoyed me. I also found some parts very tender. The ejaculation was most impressive...he must have built that up for a few days. And then you see blood pumping by furiously in his neck. The music is good old Brit rock. Above all, I got one thing from this film...I want to go to the Antarctica. Not as a scientist like it seems to be the only way, but for a brief holiday. Must feel amazing to be away from all the human scum and pollution and dog turd and crap trains and litter. Wow. 6/10 methinks.
Signs
Signs - 2002
Yes...it is good. But so much does not add up. Why don't the aliens have phaser guns? Unless this is just their way of doing things. Or maybe they simply do not have the concept of guns and blades. They prefer to face humans in hand to hand combat. Or mayhaps just the aliens near the Hess's home decide to not use weapons and a huge war has taken place and most the wretched humons are dead. And why no protection against water, like armour, when the planet is full of water? And they can be locked in with a wooden door? Now they must be intelligent to invent spaceships that can turn invisible so why are they so fucking dumb...arghhhh! Arrrghhh! I can explain it.. it's some sort of game; a challenge to defeat the stupid humans naked with harmful water everywhere! Humiliate the humans by beating them nude! That would make sense. They lost the challenge in the end and so left shamed. They let the pathetic humoooons live for their victory. Hah! Otherwise, the film is excellent. Mel Gibby is goodo as the father and Whacky Phoneixioooo is good too, as to be expected. It's very fascinating watching the story develop from the initial crop circles. The emotions run high too and Mel be good at that stuff (see Patriot). 6.5/10
Yes...it is good. But so much does not add up. Why don't the aliens have phaser guns? Unless this is just their way of doing things. Or maybe they simply do not have the concept of guns and blades. They prefer to face humans in hand to hand combat. Or mayhaps just the aliens near the Hess's home decide to not use weapons and a huge war has taken place and most the wretched humons are dead. And why no protection against water, like armour, when the planet is full of water? And they can be locked in with a wooden door? Now they must be intelligent to invent spaceships that can turn invisible so why are they so fucking dumb...arghhhh! Arrrghhh! I can explain it.. it's some sort of game; a challenge to defeat the stupid humans naked with harmful water everywhere! Humiliate the humans by beating them nude! That would make sense. They lost the challenge in the end and so left shamed. They let the pathetic humoooons live for their victory. Hah! Otherwise, the film is excellent. Mel Gibby is goodo as the father and Whacky Phoneixioooo is good too, as to be expected. It's very fascinating watching the story develop from the initial crop circles. The emotions run high too and Mel be good at that stuff (see Patriot). 6.5/10
Go here for a very amusing perspective on this film: http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=signs
