Film Review: War Horse

Blu-Ray: War Horse   1/10

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Lee Hall, Richard Curtis, Michael Morpurgo

Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Benedict Cumberbatch

Plot: a young boy named Albert enlists to serve in World War I to reunite with his horse; whilst attempting to survive in the trenches.

No doubt, following the success of the book and stage show, a film of War Horse was around the corner. Despite Spielberg taking the wheel to steer this film towards its eventual award ceremony success, War Horse is painfully over-hyped and a showcase of what the Academy Awards (Oscars) want, hence its unbelievable six nominations.

Following the story of a boy who loves his horse isn’t enough to fill146 minutes. The story, whilst being completely unbelievable in a historical setting, attempts to overcomplicate itself with the buying and selling of the horse, war issues and relationships, as well as the maintaining of the family farm which  suits a BBC Four 9pm drama series rather than a Hollywood war epic. The term ‘epic’ is used loosely here, apart from its running time, its action sequences are terribly slow; the use of corny music also makes it all the more unreal, unimportant and careless.

Unfortunately, there are no ‘stand out’ performances either and this may be because I didn’t find the film enjoyable or care at all about the characters.  No one did particularly bad and it’s nice to see acting talents such as David Thewlis and Benedict Cumberbatch starring, which was perhaps the main saviour of the film.

In Conclusion: War Horse seems to have been made purely for its target audience, fans of the book and stage play. Oscar judges also seem to adore it due to its nostalgia which is very old-fashioned and doesn’t date well at all, something Spielberg needs to update in future films. Dull characters, short and slow action sequences do not fill the film and could easily be whittled down to 80 minutes and shown on a Sunday afternoon on TV.

Film Review: The Amazing Spider-Man

Cinema: The Amazing Spider-Man  6/10

Director: Marc Webb

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans

Plot: a boy named Peter Parker attempts to understand how and why his parents disappeared and a strange occurrence leads him to face a man named Dr. Curt Connors who knew Peter’s father.

Following the successful reboot of Batman, it was only a matter of time before another famous superhero film was to be remade. Spider-Man seems to have beaten everyone else to it (Superman/Man of Steel shall be released next year). Marc Webb, director of 500 Days of Summer (a fantastic romantic comedy that twists the genre into something quite interesting), takes on the new Spider Man series here with success. The film should   be praised for its additional scenes, especially those showing Peter’s parents leaving him and his father at work on top secret projects. Whilst these scenes aren’t crucial they allow the audience to have a deeper understanding of how Peter’s life has played out; it allows more sympathy to be applied too. Scenes such as these were perhaps the only reason for there to be a reboot and perhaps to have a brand new storyline for its sequel.

On the down side the film cannot help but redo events that have already happened back in the 2002 version and whilst this had to happen it does feel a little clumsy in parts; however, many of the events are done to a better standard, thanks to a huge improvement in special effects.

Andrew Garfield steps into the role of Peter Parker quite well, whilst there wasn’t anything wrong with the original Tobey Maguire; Garfield adds a more modern feel to the role. Emma Stone who plays Gwen Stacy is perhaps the biggest improvement on the original; Stone adds such a fresh vibe to the film with her witty lines and powerful, independent figure that Kirsten Dunst never achieved in the original. Rhys Ifans (Dr. Curt Connors) isn’t given nearly enough character development to become the ultimate villain; however he plays his scenes well and is just one of a whole array of talented actors in the production.

In Conclusion: The Amazing Spider-Man is not the best film of the year, nor is it the best superhero film of the year but it is an extremely entertaining blockbuster that will make you ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ as you see the webbed hero swing from building to building. You’ll definitely laugh and perhaps even cry, with top-notch effects and an array of A-list actors and actresses, it is bound to be enjoyed by the masses but die-hard fans may be missing the deeper details that they were hoping for.

Film Review: Prometheus

Cinema: Prometheus  6/10

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron

Plot: a journey to a dark corner of the universe occurs to discover the origins of mankind and soon after, to save it. A prequel to the well loved Alien films.

Having missed the hype of all the Alien films, Prometheus didn’t seem to be something that would interest me, but I was wrong. Despite the mixed reviews from critics; some loving the film and some catastrophically hating it, Prometheus is one heck of a summer blockbuster that should be praised.

Visually, the film is top-notch. The wide shots of the new, uncovered planets will leave you in awe, and do perfectly well in the 2D format (3D, though I saw it in 2D, doesn’t seem necessary here). You can see why Ridley Scott is described as a ‘visual director’, especially during scenes of action. The action in the film, though rare, is applied to the story only when necessary. It plays its biggest part in the final third of the film where numerous scenes of escapes and chases will leave you on the edge-of-your-seat, wanting to see the events unfold as quickly as possible.

The acting in the film is also superb; Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron are the two female leads that shine, whilst Michael Fassbender plays the immortal robot-like character to perfection.

The side that lets the film down is the storyline; fans of Alien have been anticipating this instalment for years and it doesn’t seem as if much time was spent on writing a quality story. It seems like a typical science fiction/horror situation which tries to overcomplicate itself with historical facts, that only make you think that there is more to the story than there actually is.

In Conclusion: Prometheus is visually dazzling and full of very memorable scenes (Rapace has probably the most memorable scene which involves stomach churning surgery). The film should also be praised for pushing the boundaries with which a summer blockbuster wouldn’t usually do; the film doesn’t consist of quick cuts, meaning that you see the gore and you see the destruction without thinking you haven’t seen enough. If only the story were a little better and less predictable.

Film Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love

DVD: Crazy, Stupid, Love   5/10

Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone

Plot: a middle-aged husband named Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) decides to dedicate his life into becoming a ‘real man’ again after his wife leaves him. His new found friend, Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) assists him.

After recently viewing The Kids Are All Right, and finding it a refreshing take on the rom-com genre; Crazy, Stupid, Love returns back towards the typical genre end, whilst adding a few new, unique elements to spice things up. Firstly, Steve Carell has never been a favourite of mine. I haven’t found any of his films particularly humorous or interesting, and he usually plays dull characters. Here, whilst he hasn’t converted me as such, his role is a little more credible and humorous, although the other stars in the film do prop him up. Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) pairs up with Cal Weaver (Carell).Gosling being the new hit star in Hollywood at the moment, adds a down-to-earth and fresh vibe to the film, bringing Carell down from his dusty shelf  as he reinvents his character; perhaps the most humorous and entertaining part of the film.

The films story, whilst feeling stale in the first half, comes together towards the end as an unusual twist occurs which, for the genre, wasn’t expected and a neat idea to resurrect the film from its slightly dull premise. For that, the writers must be credited for at least being inventive.

Other stars of the film include Julianne Moore, fantastic as usual and Emma Stone, who recently shone in The Help and has again here. Whilst Stone isn’t playing a role that is risky or adventurous, it must be said that her comical charisma is an uplifting part of the film.

In Conclusion: an easily forgettable film with some jokes you’ll remember and others forget. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone stick out as the top talents whilst Steve Carell, as usual, mumbles his way through the film with few interesting elements. The writing is slow for the most part but picks up towards the end with a twist that couldn’t have been strung together more perfectly.