Film Review: Snow White and the Huntsman

Cinema: Snow White and the Huntsman   5/10
Director: Rupert Sanders
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron
Plot: a darker take on the classic fairytale sees a Huntsman end up protecting Snow White after being ordered to kill her, leading to a quest to destroy the evil Queen Ravenna.

Over the years there have been numerous takes on the Snow White tale, many of which have failed to surpass the quality and magic Disney first created with the 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. 2012 seems to have been the year for Snow White; several TV films have been created along with April’s Mirror Mirror, which was a rather forgettable and meaningless take on the classic tale. Snow White and the Huntsman, a film I have anticipated for months, never quite succeeds in reaching its aims either.

Firstly, Kristen Stewart as Snow White is a controversial and risky choice to have made, which sadly, doesn’t pull off in the end. Stewart’s British accent is too over-the-top and many of her facial expressions remind myself of her Twilight character Bella Swan. The poor take on Snow White produces no originality in the character, leaving the original Disney animation to succeed in this area. Chris Hemsworth is also slightly tedious; his role as the Huntsman and the character doesn’t seem to be any different to that of his superhero role as Thor, once again sparking little if no interest in the character at all. Charlize Theron, as the Evil Queen is the star of the entire show; her acting abilities shine through and she ends up becoming a chilling ‘woman’ with no human attributes at all, becoming perhaps the best villain to have appeared in any Snow White adaptation.

The films script seems to have the wrong focus, spending large amounts of time with Snow White and the Huntsman arguing whilst the key aspects of the original tale such as the poisoned apple are skimmed through without little meaning. The eight dwarfs, funnily enough, could easily have been cut from the film entirely, proving to be completely useless and try too hard to become loveable, funny characters which in the end, comes across as desperate.

Where the film succeeds however is in its visual effects. The large set pieces of the Queen’s castle seem completely real and come across as colossal even in the 2D format. The creatures too are animated perfectly; the little pixies, butterflies and fantasy animals are enchanting, something which Sanders as a director succeeds in doing, creating a world audience wish to explore.

In Conclusion : despite anticipating the film for a long time, its script comes across as  bland as well as its two titled characters. Charlize Theron presents a stunning performance as the Evil Queen and should receive notable awards for doing so. The films visual splendour and battle scenes are all executed beautifully yet in the end, the films ending screams sequel alert, yet I’m struggling to see where this tale could go.

Film Review: The Bourne Legacy

Cinema: The Bourne Legacy   6/10

Director: Tony Gilroy

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton

Plot: Aaron Cross is faced with a challenge following the previous three Bourne plots following Jason Bourne.

After the world saw Matt Damon play Jason Bourne for three Bourne films; it seems it wasn’t the end of the ‘Bourne Legacy’. Hence the newly introduced title and feature length film. The story, this time around, is just as (if not more) complex than the previous three Bourne films. All three previous films were full of subplots which often felt quite cluttered, until a usually all-rounded resolution by the end. The Bourne Legacy however doesn’t have the same feel nor does it flow nearly as well as the previous three instalments.

To begin with, the storyline is once again made out to be far more complex than it needs to be, as well as having numerous scenes which were completely pointless (such as Renner fighting wolves and trekking through the wilderness). The pointless scenes prove how its 135-minute running time is far too heavy; all previous Bourne films have run less than 120-minutes with a simpler beginning, middle and end, which this Bourne film doesn’t seem to have, instead, it is cluttered with destination after destination without any real goal to achieve, which will no doubt leave many audiences completely lost.

It must be said however that the performances led by Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz are both fantastic; Renner, whilst not quite having the edge of Matt Damon, fills his boots surprisingly well in his first real leading man debut – proving he could carry the film with both emotional and action-packed qualities. Weisz is also another great ‘Bourne girl’; proving to be feisty as the film progresses, pushing aside any pathetic personality traits that can often haunt females in action flicks (ahem, Transformers, ahem) which is great to see.

Like all the previous films, the action is fast, edgy and completely realistic. Tony Gilroy, whilst creating slightly hollow real plot scenes, flexes his muscles during scenes of intense mayhem. A particular motorbike chase is staged perfectly, with the use of hand-held cameras weaving in and out amongst the traffic which couldn’t feel anymore real - without the need for 3D.

In Conclusion: the Bourne Legacy proves that perhaps the original trilogy should be laid to rest; although it isn’t a complete disaster, lengthy action sequences full of ‘ooh’, ‘ouch’ and ‘aargh!’ moments are cinematic brilliance. However the film’s story feels all too cluttered with numerous characters and subplots that cannot be followed from just one simple viewing. The film’s ending also isn’t at all conclusive and shows how this story hasn’t ended yet.

Film Review: The Lorax

Cinema: The Lorax   4/10

Director: Chris Renaud, Kyle Balda

Starring: Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Danny DeVito

Plot: a young boy attempts to find the origins of ‘the Lorax’ and the history of the trees to gain affection from a girl.

Dr Seuss’ books are incredibly enchanting with some extremely successful film adaptations such as 2008s Horton Hears A Who with some incredibly unsuccessful- such as 2003s Cat In The Hat. The Lorax is the next book to be adapted from its small 45-page book length. At first glance, it seems a struggle to stretch such a short story into a 86-minute film which unfortunately shows in the final product.

Firstly, the film has a few A-list voice actors who really add something to the film. Highlights include Danny DeVito as the Lorax himself; DeVito’s comedic skills shine through even without having his face on show as he makes the Lorax the most loveable and likeable character on-screen. Betty White as Grammy Norma is also a hilarious fixture throughout, grabbing some of the funniest scenes which couldn’t have been as successful without White taking the microphone. Both Zac Efron and Taylor Swift however seem slightly dull choices for the main two leads; they fill their roles accordingly yet with little edge or uniqueness.

Whilst animations are meant to ‘wow’ with their special features, the Lorax seems to fall flat a little. The animation seems to look uninspiring in places with the young lead, Ted, looking like a straight-to-DVD type of character, not to mention very forgettable. The film tries to dazzle too often with a marshmallow-type river shoved onto the screen with little meaning towards the story (something which distinguishes a fantastic script to one which isn’t). I viewed the film in 2D and seemed perfectly adequate too, 3D didn’t seem something that would add much.

The film also has little for adults; the greats such as Shrek, Finding Nemo and the Incredibles have comedy and action to enjoy for those of all ages whilst the Lorax feels very constricted and full of silly slapstick humour which doesn’t carry over well with older audiences.

In Conclusion: the musical numbers are cute, the moral message sweet and the Lorax adorable but overall, the film is strictly for under eights to enjoy. The film is cluttered with too many uninteresting main characters whilst the best are pushed to the sidelines.

Film Review: The Wedding Video

Cinema: The Wedding Video 

Director: Nigel Cole

Writer: Tim Firth

Starring: Lucy Punch, Robert Webb, Rufus Hound

Plot: A wedding video capturing a couple’s wedding is presented as a gift from the best man.

At last a clever and successful handheld, scripted film without possessed children, demons or dodgy woods. The Wedding Video follows the trials and tribulations of a couples wedding, its build-up and aftermath. Its stars, Lucy Punch especially, are comedic geniuses and utilise an already fantastic script. Rufus Hound handles his role well as he slips into his first acting debut and whilst the role doesn’t handle any heavy material (excluding the final third), he uses his comedic background perfectly and allows this British comedy to shine with his witty commentary.

Not only are the main three stars fantastic, an array of smaller roles are guaranteed to leave you in stitches. The wedding planner and vicar are both, surprisingly, the funniest characters of all; the planner’s drug addiction gives way for some brilliant one-liners during the final ceremony and the vicar’s array of church plays on video are very British and most of all, very funny.

For a comedy, surprisingly, the film takes twists and turns leading to some rather more emotionally intense themes. Whilst this is a big risk for a comedy it works surprisingly well and gives the story a little more ‘oomph’ without feeling like a cheesy soap opera.

Director Nigel Cole and screenwriter Tim Firth do not limit themselves to cut and trimmed home video tapes either; various montages spruce up the film during scenes of complete and utter chaos.

In Conclusion: the Wedding Video is great fun for both the audience and cast; throughout the film the stars seem as if they are genuinely laughing (a scene in a wine tasting venue sticks out). Whilst the film isn't out to grab an Oscar, its aims and objectives are met and exceeded (what I love in a film). With minor family members returning throughout for refreshing one-liners and the hand-held effect executed surprisingly well, the film is overall another hit British comedy which will no doubt become a regular at times such as Christmas.

Film Review: Catfish

DVD: Catfish   7/10

Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Starring: Yaniv Shulman, Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost

Plot: two filmmakers begin to document a friend’s online relationship with a young woman and her family which he has never met. The relationship leads to some unexpected discoveries.

Documentary films are perhaps the most unexpectedly fantastic genre of film; perhaps because it’s not a form of escapism or full of explosions and car chases. However, Catfish is here to prove everyone wrong, as it follows a real-life, long distance relationship between two Facebook users. It follows Yaniv Shulman as he attempts to meet the partner he’s exchanged phone calls with, seen pictures of and messaged for a number of months. As well as his female friend, he also becomes a member of the family, having regular conversations with her mother, father and siblings.

Catfish is surprisingly chilling in its nature. The unexpected nature of the documentary leads to unforeseen circumstances that will leave you grinding your teeth without any typical high pitched music or gimmicks. Instead, the real life situation unfolds before the audiences’ eyes with ease, at a steady running time of 87 minutes which zooms by in an instant.

Whilst the documentary is interesting, particularly how it shows the way a picture can determine if you like someone or not; leading to phone calls and sending packages to one another, it does, at points, feel a little staged. Whilst it may be completely factual, parts seem a little far-fetched but overall, it is extremely exciting to see a feature length documentary entertain you for so long.

In Conclusion: Catfish is a breath of fresh air for the documentary genre; it almost throws found footage films out the window, showing how real life is far more interesting than set-up situations. Surprisingly though, the film is climatic by its ending, leading to an unexpected twist causing a confrontation which can only be described as cinematic gold.