London Riots
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Holy crap. Yes, riots took over London and a lot of England...I say riots, what I mean is opportunistic arseholes messing up the towns they live in and screwing over local businesses for a new TV or some new trainers. Scary, scary times.
Steve Jobs
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Steve Jobs has stepped down as CEO of Apple, which is a shame but everyone knows he had some personal issues to deal with. He'll still be around, but he's done amazing things with Apple, particularly in the last decade or so.
And Now the Films
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
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Synopsis: Well, a guy takes home a baby ape who turns out to be really smart, but because apparently everyone else in the world is a dick the baby ape prefers to live with its own kind and kick-starts an ape revolution.
Who? James Franco (127 Hours, Pineapple Express), Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, King Kong), John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun, Shrek), and of course, the lovely Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire)
See it with: A partner or a good guy mate - the girls will like James Franco and the bond he has with the main ape, and guys will like the action and seeing a massive gorilla take out a helicopter.
All in all, the film was entertaining, without being mind-blowing. The relationship that James Franco has with his little ape friend is touching but not so much that it's heart-warming, and the action is good but not on the epic scales that it could have been. Andy Serkis did an amazing job as usual, making each chimpanzee move as realistically as possible. The acting was pretty solid, minus perhaps a few odd characters. It looks like film that could be a good start to a trilogy, as a sequel is almost certainly in the pipeline. If you were excited by the trailer, you will like the film.
Overall: 7/10
The Good: Good cast, apes looked very realistic, and there weren't any moments where you weren't interested in what was going on
The Bad: Not jaw-dropping, could have been more action, and you weren't THAT emotionally connected to some of the characters.
The Ugly:
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Freida Pinto - good God, will you please marry me?
Cowboys and Aliens
Synopsis: Well....there are Cowboys...and Aliens. And Olivia Wilde. Basic story is one cowboy has a magic thingy on his wrist, and he helps other cowboys fight aliens.
Who: Daniel Craig (Layer Cake, Casino Royale), Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Original Trilogy), Olivia Wilde (House M.D., Tron: Legacy), Sam Rockwell (The Green Mile, Iron Man 2) and other actors and actresses that will make you say 'oh, I know them'.
See it with: Anyone who wanted to see it as much as you do. If you take someone who hasn't heard about the film, they probably won't enjoy it as much as you will, and if you're anything like me you'll be irritated by the constant "What, this doesn't make sense!"
I liked this film, but I could be biased due to my love of Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig. Cowboys and Aliens is a literal film - it is a film just about Cowboys and Aliens. You aren't going to get some Inception style plot, or a Million Dollar Baby emotional response, but you will be entertained. The action is pretty sweet, the cast give their usual shining performances, and you'll probably be satisfied in the end, but only if you don't go into this movie expecting an Oscar worthy film. It's good fun, and I liked it, despite some genuine 'woah, wtf?' moments.
Overall: 6/10
The Good: The cast give performances worthy of their calibre, and I mean, come on, it's Indiana Jones and James Bond beating up Aliens.
The Bad: It was a fun movie, but pretty forgettable. Something you can rent to pass the time, but wouldn't really sit down to watch again and again. It did make me want Westerns to make a major comeback, however.
The Ugly:
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Yes please. I would abduct her any day of the week...wait...scratch that.
Captain America
Synopsis: A rush to get Captain America done so they can quickly get started on the Avengers movie. But really, The First Avenger is about a young wannabe soldier who is plagued with a body that is too small for his head (literally) until he gets pumped with some stuff to make him a super soldier. Woo! America!
Who: Chris Evans (The Fantastic Four, Sunshine), Tommy Lee Jones (Men In Black, No Country for Old Men), Hugo Weaving (Lord of the Rings, V for Vendetta) and seriously loads of other actors that I really like from various shows, films and such.
See it with: The duuudddeeesss; it has the action and explosions that one would expect from a superhero movie, but maybe make sure you see it with someone who has a vague knowledge of the Marvel universe or else a lot of it may go over their heads.
So really, we all know that this movie should have been done ages ago, and we're all waiting for the Avengers movie to come out. That's why, like the Thor film, I left feeling like it was sort of rushed. It wasn't because the movie itself was poor quality or suffered from speedy pacing, it just felt like they're trying very hard to quickly tie in everything to the Avengers movie that will hopefully grace our screens next year. And that's okay, I've seen the Iron Man and Thor films, so I was up to speed, but there was a lot of stuff in there that would have passed casual movie-goers by. I also still don't understand why Chris Evans was given the role - he's a good actor and all that, but he's the Human Torch!? He can't be both! It's a slight nit-pick, but it aggravated me nonetheless. But onto the film itself. The action was good, and I, not being a general fan of Captain America, was impressed with the characters and definitely feel I have been missing out. When I got home I had to search Neal McDonough's (Band of Brothers) character and it looks like they've gone to a great effort to add in some of the minor but much loved characters into this film, which can only raise hopes that the Avengers film will have one of the best casts of all time. We can only wait.
Overall: 7/10
The Good: Good cast, good action, funny at times, got me hyped for 2012 blockbusters.
The Bad: If you didn't already know some of the material from both comics and previous films, a lot of the plot devices might go over your head, and you'll probably find you have to go back and watch every tie-in movie to get the full picture. Also, at some points the pacing slowed the movie right down, and we were introduced to a bunch of characters that we didn't have time to develop a bond with.
The Ugly:
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New hottie to look out for!
And finally, a movie that I saw most recently and really impressed me;
The Guard
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Synopsis: An Irish police officer, or Garda, with a taste for alcohol and prostitutes, is pulled into an investigation into drug smuggling around his home town with the appearance of an FBI agent.
Who: Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges, Gangs of New York), Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda, Oceans 11,12 and 13), Mark Strong (Kick-Ass, Robin Hood)
See it with: I'm not sure, someone mature - the film is witty and funny, but not in the same way that the Inbetweeners movie is witty and funny.
I loved this film. The only reason I saw it is because I randomly saw a poster advert which showed Don Chealde and Brendan Gleeson, and I was sold. I love the actors, and the pairing interested me. The film plays out like a Western in a cold and dreary Ireland mixed with a buddy-cop style of film, with some great dialogue and a lovable main character. Brendan Gleeson plays a slightly belligerent and crass garda, while Don Cheadle plays the straight and narrow FBI agent, and they bounce off together superbly. Don Cheadle has the role of a slightly perplexed foreigner in a very simple and easy-going part of Ireland, and he plays it well, highlights including his bemused responses to some of the inane questions he is asked by the Irish populace. It was slow to start, but once you were into it you were hooked, and every piece of the story was well woven together for the finale. To steal a quote from the movie, this film is "Motherfuckin' Smart". See it and you won't be disappointed.
Overall: 9.5/10
The Good: Great cast, very funny, interesting story and great dialogue. If you liked In Bruges or films of that ilk, then you will like this film.
The Bad: The ending just makes you want more, but that isn't really a negative point
The Ugly: There isn't much to see, except for....
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Until next time peeps
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