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eoinmcandrew
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Interstellar (2014)
Better than Gravity.....
Did I like this film? Yeah..... Is it great? No not really...... The first half of this film is excellent. We are given a compelling scenario of a dying Earth which forces Matthew McConaughey to undertake a real kinda pot luck mission for what's left of NASA. Character development is quite good, with McConaughey and whatever his daughter's name was. Michael Caine is also true to form and adds a real touch of class. Now I could talk all day about the special effects, they really are great..... Unfortunately, that doesn't really make that much difference to me. Although, the scene with the black hole is pretty cool. Anyway, the film goes along at a good pace and is exciting while developing a story. Unfortunately, the film takes a bit of a negative turn once they dig out Matt Damon, Seriously it wouldn't be the worst call in the world to turn it off at this point. The film tries to become more clever then it actually is. If you're one of these people that is going to think I'm just picking holes in the film unnecessarily then just look at the title of the film person! It's called Interstellar! They travel between galaxies so it should be Intergalactic! I like that the film tried something different so I won't slate it or anything, just the idea of love seems very cheesy in my opinion. I feel the film would have worked much better if the underlying question was do you believe in God etc. As in we're faced with the choice of do you believe God put us here and that we should stay, or that it's purely scientific why we're here. If you've seen the film Signs then you get what I mean when Mel Gibson talks about do you believe in coincidences or something more. Anyway, a very enjoyable film, has a story, has some good actors and performances, has a really cool robot called TARS and provides us with some cool excitement. The whole time change aspect when they're on the planet with the waves is also very interesting. However, this film isn't perfect and the end isn't as clever as some people think. I'd like to give 6.5 out of 10 but IMDb doesn't allow that!
Man of Steel (2013)
Yawnnnnnn!
So here we have just another example of how the public have forgotten that special effects are very much a secondary component to a film! Obviously the special effects are good, it's 2013 now! The film opens with the demise of Krypton and the birth of Superman. I found this scene quite interesting to compare with J.J. Abram's Star Trek. Obviously these are not the two only films to open with the birth of th main characters, however in this film it goes on to long and besides Russell Crowe everything is CGI! In comparison to Star trek in which you are simply compelled to see what happens, I couldn't have cared less what happened to this planet and child! Particularly relevant as they are both the opening scenes to remakes of some beloved franchises. Story wise this film is very dull. Obviously we know its going to follow the path of Superman becoming the hero etc. but that was also the case in Batman Begins and in X Men First Class, two vastly superior films in the same genre. Firstly we have no real reason to care about Clarke Kent/Superman he's possibly the most one dimensional character I have seen in some time, yet Louis Lane falls for him (major spoiler:p). Besides the fact that it is driven into us repeatedly that he will try to save humanity he doesn't offer anything. In the scene with Kevin Costner and the dog he dosen't even seem upset! But hey at least hes good looking! That means he'l do, how did they even pitch this film?? Ya we're going to have loads of explosions and CGI and 3D!!! Thats good enough for us! I checked my watch several times during this film(hardly a good sign). The writing is simply atrocious, the cinema erupted with laughter when Louis said " It's supposed to go all the way in" (pivotal scene). I mean who wrote this?? George Lucas??? Dear God! Now I could talk about the negatives all day long, in fact I did! But I'll give some positives. The scenes with Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner are quite good (Flashback scenes), Amy Adams is also a fine actress. Now I'v heard people comment that the score is better in this film then in the originals.........How dare they!!! The John Williams score is a classic, this tripe??? I can't even remember what it was only a few hours after seeing it! There's a scene with Superman learning to fly which was the perfect opportunity to have some really uplifting music, however, Hans Zimmer produced a score worthy of this film! I'm giving this film 4/10 as Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner and Amy Adams deserve it for their efforts.
Star Wars (1977)
Star Wars will be with you always......
Ah here we are, the big cheese, the top dog, simply one of the greatest films ever made. Looking back its a miracle this film turned out the way it did (especially when you watch those prequels). Every aspect of this film stands on its own. Firstly, theme, who doesn't love the main Star wars theme? Or the Imperial March? Really one of John William's finest pieces and thats saying a lot! Special effects are once again dazzling. The assault on the Death Star remains the greatest sequence I have ever seen and guess what? It's not in 3D! And thers no CGI! Wha!!!???? 99% of people must think thats an impossibility! A simple story, Good vs Evil blah blah blah we know, but the ideas of the Force and Obi won Kenobi really add something more. That famous scene with Luke gazing out at the sky longing for something more really adds an emotional dimension. Some truly legendary moments in this film, I just hope George Lucas doesn't go back and CGI some stupid character(cough Jar Jar Binks) to be running around the background. Actor wise this film is often criticized, but eh Alec Guinness??? Peter Cushing?? A great backing cast. Mark Hammill is critically acclaimed for his voice-over of the Joker and deserves high praise for his performance in this film. Carrie Fisher is feisty, cheeky and strong (although she may not be necessarily acting!) and Harrison Ford, ah what more needs be said about Han? Simply too many positives with this film, a true classic and example of movie-making magic! A must see!
Prometheus (2012)
What the hell was that?
Eh........... I saw this film the day it was released eager with anticipation. I then watched it last night again (a year later), I still don't really know what to make of this film. First off, visually its stunning! People who say Avatar was don't know what they're talking about! Blue people ain't visually stunning! Story wise it certainly raises a question or a dozen, I mean what was the story with that black goo? And why were they're loads of squids? and how could that machine perfectly remove the alien from her???? Overall it is rather compelling tho, and has that horror factor that's associated with the original(not to the same extent obviously). Worth watching,Michael Fassbender is the definite man of the match with this film. Nobody else really stands out, the girl Noomi Rapace isn't bad, tho she is no Sigourney Weaver. If your a fan of the franchise watch it (I mean after Alien vs Predator Requiem this is like the greatest film ever!) 6 out of ten I think, an interesting and compelling film that is lacking in the most basic sense!
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few"
The words of Spock (in whichever era you prefer) stand more of a testament to J.J. Abrams approach to this sequel. Visually stunning and exciting the film never lets up. From the beginning we are thrown into the middle of a massive scene, besides a space of about ten minutes on Earth, we are thrown on to alien planets, space battles and chases. Most notably we are treated to some fantastic character moments and are able to witness the blossoming relationship between Kirk and Spock. Old references and nods to the original series should keep die hard fans happy , Bones and Scotty in particular. However, Benedict Cumberbatch really steals the show as "John Harrison". On hearing initial reviews of him I was very skeptical of him, but believe me he is as good as they say! The one real complaint is the story not necessarily burns out like the Enterprises engines( ho hooo!) but that it could do with a chance to catch your breath. Essentially this film is a great continuation of the first film, although I'l admit overall I do prefer the first one. 8 out of 10 and more of the same please!