I was watching The Devil Wears Prada the other day on ITV2 and was reminded just how brilliant it is. Back in 2006, it exceeded expectations – and even now, years later, it still holds up remarkably well. Here’s the review I wrote all those years ago. Enjoy.
Continue readingCategory: Archive reviews (Page 1 of 4)
Looking back, it’s easy to forget just how much pressure rested on Avatar. James Cameron was attempting to follow up Titanic, a film that had dominated cinema history since 1997. When Avatar finally arrived 12 years later, it wasn’t just another blockbuster – it was positioned as an event, one that aimed to redefine what cinema could look and feel like.
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Her review “For the Love”
Today it is almost impossible to go about without technology readily by our side. From smart phones to laptops and watches that now do more than just tell time, we are tied to technology one way or another. We have established relationships of entertainment, work and even a relationship of dependency with these technologies. In Spike Jonze’s Her (2013) this relationship with technology is explored in terms of actual affection and love.
Director Spike Jonze previously directed the children’s book adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are in 2009. Her stars Joaquin Phoenix as the lonely Theodore and the voice of Scarlett Johansson as Samantha, the operating system Theodore falls in love with. Additional actors that lend their voices include Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig and Spike Jonze himself as the foul mouthed alien boy. Continue reading
Over ten years ago, in 1999, the BBC decided to create a television series that would go on to captivate audiences across the planet. That six-part documentary was Walking with Dinosaurs, and to this day, it remains one of the most successful and profitable tv-made productions ever made in the United Kingdom.
After numerous set-backs and budget changes, 20th Century Fox, in partnership with BBC Earth decided to resurrect the franchise, bringing it back to life as Walking with Dinosaurs: the 3D Movie, but can it capture the magic and sparkle of what preceded it? Continue reading
The Hunger Games franchise has come at a time that is almost certain to gather box-office success. After Harry Potter finished two years ago and The Twilight Saga bowed out just 12 months ago, teenagers and young adults have been craving for a new series of blockbusters to ‘sink their teeth into’.
The first film of this new dawn, based on Suzanne Collins’ successful book, was released in March last year and greeted with warm reviews and a staggering box-office performance, a gross just shy of $700m to be a little more precise.
However, rumoured tensions between director Gary Ross and studio Color Force meant that despite its impressive takings, he was not to helm its sequel, Catching Fire. Taking over from him is Francis Lawrence, director of I am Legend, Constantine and Water for Elephants, but can he better what preceded him? Continue reading
Finding a good horror film has been a little like a prompt train over the last few years, they are few and far between. However, 2013 has produced more than its fair share of movies within the genre, with the excellent The Purge, released earlier this year; Insidious 2, which is in cinemas this autumn and of course, the subject of this review; You’re Next. But can this modern horror film deliver the thrills and spills of those of yesteryear? Continue reading
“Today, we are cancelling the apocalypse” barks Idris Elba’s Stacker Pentecost in the trailer for Pacific Rim, but it’s over 90 minutes in when you finally hear him utter that attention grabbing phrase in a movie so big, it will make your head spin. But is it worth the migraine? Continue reading
Brad Pitt has become one of Hollywood’s best loved actors over the years and it isn’t difficult to see why. His chiselled good looks, slick blonde hair and quiet confidence have all ensured he is never short of work. Here, he teams up with director Marc Forster who helmed the disappointing James Bond sequel, Quantum of Solace, in the latest zombie film to hit the screens; World War Z, but is it any good? Continue reading
M Night Shyamalan is a director of two-halves. On one hand we have the man who gave us the amazing blockbusters Signs, Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense, which were met with commercial and critical success; and on the other hand we have the man who tortured the cinema-going public with abominations like The Lady in the Water, The Village and perhaps one of the worst films of all time, The Happening.
However, despite his recent offerings, the studios are allowing him to have another go, teaming up with Will Smith and his son Jaden in the sci-fi thriller After Earth. But can it mark a return to form for the struggling director? Continue reading
Ethan Hawke is no stranger to the horror genre, in 2009 he starred in the Australian vampire flick Daybreakers, a film which promised so much, and delivered relatively little. Now he teams up with director James DeMonaco in a horror film that promises to be anything but ordinary; The Purge, but can it live up to its exciting trailer?
The Purge plays out like a poor-man’s Hunger Games. In the year 2020, America is prospering, crime is at an all-time low and unemployment is at 1%. The reason? Once a year, for twelve hours, all crime is legal and people across US can commit any atrocities they wish.
Ethan Hawke plays James Sandin, a security salesman who has capitalised on the public’s fear of being ‘purged’ by selling hi-tech safety equipment to the rich to ensure they stay safe. Lena Headey plays his wife Mary and his two children, Charlie and Zoe are played by Max Burkholder and Adelaide Kane respectively. In a moment of madness after the commencement of the annual purge, a ‘target’ (Edwin Hodge) is let into their home causing all hell to break loose.
Borrowing heavily from other ‘home invasion’ horror films such as When a Stranger Calls and The Strangers, The Purge really ‘gets going’ about two-thirds in when an army of killers swoop on Ethan Hawke’s impressive property looking for their ‘target.’ The family have one hour to reply before they all become ‘targets.’
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0LLaybEuzA?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
Unfortunately, an exciting and unique premise is completely lost in a film that is riddled with many horror clichés, some of them blatantly obvious, (woman opening fridge door, door closes and harmless child shocks woman), some not so obvious. This is a terrible shame as the idea of all crime being legal is ridiculously exciting, but after about 40 minutes, we are locked in the Sandin’s home as they play cat and mouse with an array of forgettable serial killers and the original story is lost.
Another problem is the acting. Competent is the only word to describe it; Ethan Hawke is good in his role and his stern demeanour which has earned him so many acting jobs in the past is in full force here, but you can’t help feeling he was a budgetary decision rather than being who the producers actually wanted. Lena Headey seems to phone in a rather wooden performance, whilst the two kids do marginally better. By far the stand-out here is Rhys Wakefield, credited only as ‘Polite Stranger’ who is excellent and terrifying as equal measure; his facial expressions are enough to make you wince.
Overall, The Purge is an exciting film that delivers some unique thrills and spills mixed in with the usual horror clichés. Unfortunately, it doesn’t deliver on its unique and exciting starting point and delves into a generic slasher film around 45 minutes in. A stand-out performance from one of the cast isn’t enough to lift the acting above mediocre and the Sandin family are as characters, frightfully dull. It’s definitely worth a watch, but don’t let the trailer fool you; it’s not as unique as you might expect.
The new review system breaks down the film into categories allowing you, as the readers to see just where I have awarded points to the film. It is still in a testing stage, so if there are any categories you think could improve it, please let me know.
Scoring:
Story/Plot: 7/10
Acting: 5/10
Special Effects/Cinematography: 5/10
Soundtrack: 5/10
Costume Design: 6/10
Script/Dialogue: 7/10
OVERALL: 35/60 – Good, but could be better.
