A remake of the 1973 film of the same name, which was directed by George A. Romero. The new version directed by Breck Eisner and starring Timothy Olyphant (Die Hard 4), Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill), Joe Anderson (Becoming Jane) and Danielle Panabaker (Mr Brooks) was really good.
Strange for a remake, I know, but I did enjoy it, maybe because I've never seen the original. But I like to take my remakes on their own merits and try not to compare them to the original too much.
The cast is really good, the story is straight forward and you can see the ending from the start, but it's not a bad trip. Anderson, Olyphant and Mitchell are great, and the they do share most of the screen time. The script is ok, the story has one direction and sticks with it. I think the music was ok but not too sure.
Overall I liked this quite a bit, enough horror and tension to keep it all going (8/10)
Friday, 12 March 2010
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Solomon Kane
The last film I saw before I went on decorating duty was Solomon Kane.
Directed by Michael J Bassett (Wilderness), starring James Purefoy as Solomon Kane and Rachel Hurd-Wood, with the rest of the cast made up of small parts.
First off I really liked the music! 2nd I also learned that they used real swords and injuries did occur to Purefoy and some of the stunt guys while making the film. Bravo for going the whole hog to make it look real!
Anyway the film, I did like this, quite a bit actually. The script wasn't great, in fact it was terrible at times, but the action did make up for it. The swordplay was really good and I liked the dirty look to the film. Purefoy was great as Kane, Hurd-Wood was ok.
Overall this was a good dark fantasy film (8/10)
Directed by Michael J Bassett (Wilderness), starring James Purefoy as Solomon Kane and Rachel Hurd-Wood, with the rest of the cast made up of small parts.
First off I really liked the music! 2nd I also learned that they used real swords and injuries did occur to Purefoy and some of the stunt guys while making the film. Bravo for going the whole hog to make it look real!
Anyway the film, I did like this, quite a bit actually. The script wasn't great, in fact it was terrible at times, but the action did make up for it. The swordplay was really good and I liked the dirty look to the film. Purefoy was great as Kane, Hurd-Wood was ok.
Overall this was a good dark fantasy film (8/10)
The Wolfman
I do have the original Universal Wolfman films, but as yet like a lot of my collection it's waiting to be watched!
So was the 2010 version, starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving and Emily Blunt and directed by Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park 3) any good?
Yes it was, as long as you are expecting a WOLF MAN and not a werewolf like an American werewolf in London. Now I have seen clips of the original and Universal kept the look the WOLFMAN for this version and I liked that concept.
This was a gory film, decapitations, intestines ripped out, just what a WOLFMAN might do to a human, and I liked this a lot, it added a bit of "reality" to the film. In the end the actually Wolfman make up was very good and the transformation was also pretty good.
The worst part was the CGI wolf running around London's rooftops!
The acting was good, Weaving was an English Mr Smith (will I ever see him as anyone new?), Del Toro was good, Emily Blunt didn't really have much to do, and Hopkins mumbled his way through the film! Johnston direction was ok, the soundtrack good and the script ok.
In the end, a good addition to Universals monster films, but nothing brilliant! (7/10)
So was the 2010 version, starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving and Emily Blunt and directed by Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park 3) any good?
Yes it was, as long as you are expecting a WOLF MAN and not a werewolf like an American werewolf in London. Now I have seen clips of the original and Universal kept the look the WOLFMAN for this version and I liked that concept.
This was a gory film, decapitations, intestines ripped out, just what a WOLFMAN might do to a human, and I liked this a lot, it added a bit of "reality" to the film. In the end the actually Wolfman make up was very good and the transformation was also pretty good.
The worst part was the CGI wolf running around London's rooftops!
The acting was good, Weaving was an English Mr Smith (will I ever see him as anyone new?), Del Toro was good, Emily Blunt didn't really have much to do, and Hopkins mumbled his way through the film! Johnston direction was ok, the soundtrack good and the script ok.
In the end, a good addition to Universals monster films, but nothing brilliant! (7/10)
Edge of Darkness
Edge of darkness, starring Mel Gibson, in his first role for over 10 years. Directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale). A remake of the BBC thriller of the same name which starred the late Bob Peck.
I never really watched the TV version so I can't compare it. I did like the film to a degree, it did remind me of Casino Royale in it's sparse use of action and it's heavy dialogue scenes. Gibson was superb as the Cop out for revenge/justice for his daughters murder. The supporting cast was ok, the action when it happened was good. The script did get a little bogged down at times, but Gibson's performance kept it all going.
Overall it was a good thriller, with a strong performance from the leading man and directed well.
(7/10)
I never really watched the TV version so I can't compare it. I did like the film to a degree, it did remind me of Casino Royale in it's sparse use of action and it's heavy dialogue scenes. Gibson was superb as the Cop out for revenge/justice for his daughters murder. The supporting cast was ok, the action when it happened was good. The script did get a little bogged down at times, but Gibson's performance kept it all going.
Overall it was a good thriller, with a strong performance from the leading man and directed well.
(7/10)
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Un Prophete
Hi,
Went to see Un prophète the other night, a French film set in prison about the rise of a small time criminal to a major crime kingpin. Directed by Jacques Audiard and starring Tahar Rahim as the main character and Niels Arestrup as the prison’s original mafia crime lord.
The acting was very good and the film was directed well.
The only things I had trouble with was matching up who was who and where they fitted into it all. It seemed a complex film, but was possibly quite straight forward, maybe following the subs made it more difficult to understand.
Overall I did like it, extremely good (8/10)
Went to see Un prophète the other night, a French film set in prison about the rise of a small time criminal to a major crime kingpin. Directed by Jacques Audiard and starring Tahar Rahim as the main character and Niels Arestrup as the prison’s original mafia crime lord.
The acting was very good and the film was directed well.
The only things I had trouble with was matching up who was who and where they fitted into it all. It seemed a complex film, but was possibly quite straight forward, maybe following the subs made it more difficult to understand.
Overall I did like it, extremely good (8/10)
The Road
Hi,
The 2nd end of the world flick in as many weeks was The Road, starring Viggo Mortensen (LOTR), Charlize Theron (Hancock) and Kodi Smit-McPhee – soon to be seen in the Let Me In, let the right one in remake.
Directed by John Hillcoat (The Proposition), and adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel.
Let me start by saying the film is depressing, and the outcome is obvious, but it also had its uplifting moments. Not many but some!
Mortensen is superb as the father protecting his son and Smit-McPhee as the son also turns in a strong performance. Theron isn’t really in it but she’s good when she is.
Hillcoat does a good job of directing proceedings and the feel of the film, is as dirty as the cast looked.
It is slow, but is tense and you can feel the constant fear the father is living in while he protects his boy. It all added up to an extremely good film, nothing I could watch again in a hurry, and I can’t really say enjoyable but it was worth watching.
Overall I liked the look of the film and the acting was really good (8/10)
The 2nd end of the world flick in as many weeks was The Road, starring Viggo Mortensen (LOTR), Charlize Theron (Hancock) and Kodi Smit-McPhee – soon to be seen in the Let Me In, let the right one in remake.
Directed by John Hillcoat (The Proposition), and adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel.
Let me start by saying the film is depressing, and the outcome is obvious, but it also had its uplifting moments. Not many but some!
Mortensen is superb as the father protecting his son and Smit-McPhee as the son also turns in a strong performance. Theron isn’t really in it but she’s good when she is.
Hillcoat does a good job of directing proceedings and the feel of the film, is as dirty as the cast looked.
It is slow, but is tense and you can feel the constant fear the father is living in while he protects his boy. It all added up to an extremely good film, nothing I could watch again in a hurry, and I can’t really say enjoyable but it was worth watching.
Overall I liked the look of the film and the acting was really good (8/10)
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Ninja Assassin
My latest film at the cinema was the ultra violent Ninja Assassin, I say ultra violent it was very stylized and with the amount of fake and CGI blood became a little more comic book. Very much like the Bride vs the Crazy 88. That said it was a better than average piece of mindless fun. I suppose playing with extremely sharp swords and throwing stars is going to cause the loss of fingers, maybe limbs and the odd head!
James McTeigue doesn't do a bad job in Directing this film, the story isn't great, but it's ok. Rain is good as the Ninja Assassin, the rest of the cast including Naomie Harris (Miami Vice) were ok, the script wasn't great but did enough.
The fight sequences were good for the most part, but not in the league of Donnie Yen, Jet Li or Tony Jaa. The sheer amount of blood did spoil some of them as well.
I liked it, and a cheap DVD purchase will be on the cards.
6/10
James McTeigue doesn't do a bad job in Directing this film, the story isn't great, but it's ok. Rain is good as the Ninja Assassin, the rest of the cast including Naomie Harris (Miami Vice) were ok, the script wasn't great but did enough.
The fight sequences were good for the most part, but not in the league of Donnie Yen, Jet Li or Tony Jaa. The sheer amount of blood did spoil some of them as well.
I liked it, and a cheap DVD purchase will be on the cards.
6/10
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