Cowboys & Aliens

http://www.cowboysandaliensmovie.com

I knew next to nothing about Cowboys & Aliens until my cinema buddy told me about the film. I then started to see articles in various film magazines and trailers, but it never really grabbed me. Despite this, I agreed to accompany my cinema buddy to see the film last week.

The film opens on a man (Daniel Craig), asleep in the desert. He soon wakes up to find a strange device attached to his wrist. He has no memory of who he is, how he got there or what this device is. He walks to the nearest town where he soon discovers he is a wanted criminal by the name of Jake Lonergan. When night falls the town is attacked by aliens who capture several of the town's inhabitants, including the son of Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). Dolarhyde is the most feared resident of this small town as his cattle farm is the only source of income the town has. Dolarhyde, Lonergan and a small band of townspeople go in search of the aliens and those they have captured, in the hope to get back the ones they love, and rid the town of the alien menace once and for all.

Considering this was a film I didn't particularly want to see in the first place, I can't begin to describe how disappointed I was with it. But I will try. Firstly, the mixing of the genres, western and sci-fi, does not work. Not on any level. It might have worked in the comic book from which it is based, but as a film, no. Just no.

Second, it is boring. We're talking a tumbleweed rolling across the screen would be more exciting than this film is, kind of boring. You keep expecting it to get better and for something really cool to happen. But it never does.

Third, Daniel Craig. I will never understand the attraction that people have to Daniel Craig. I should explain that the reason I picked the poster I did is because you can't see his weird, craggy looking face but you can see his rather shapely bottom, which is about the only thing he's got going for him.

I don't know if I can go on - or if you'd want me to. This really is one of the dullest films of the summer. You don't get a particularly good view of the aliens, and when you do they look just like a million other aliens you've already seen. And to top it all off, it has a really naff 'let's tie all these strings into a nice little bow' kind of ending.

The film should just be avoided until it finally leaves the saloon. 3 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 24th August 2011

UK Release Date - 17th August 2011

Cast Overview:
Daniel Craig ~ Jake Lonergan

Harrison Ford ~ Woodrow Dolarhyde

Abigail Spencer ~ Alice

Buck Taylor ~ Wes Claiborne

Olivia Wilde ~ Ella Swenson

Sam Rockwell ~ Doc

Matthew Taylor ~ Luke Claiborne

Cooper Taylor ~ Mose Claiborne

Clancy Brown ~ Meacham

Paul Dano ~ Percy Dolarhyde

Director ~ Jon Favreau

Writer(s) ~ Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby - Screenplay. 

Plus Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby and Steve Oedekerk - Screen Story. 

And finally Scott Mitchell Rosenberg - Platinum Studios Comic Book. 

(Have you ever heard the saying, too many writers spoil the film?)

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

http://www.apeswillrise.com/

I was quite intrigued about this movie from the moment I saw the trailer. I haven't seen any of the original Planet of the Apes films - but sadly I have seen the Mark Wahlberg remake - and wasn't sure I'd be able to follow a prequel. But then I guess the point of prequels is to clarify or redefine the original movies from which they've been spawned. After all, you don't have to have seen the original Star Wars trilogy to follow the prequels, but if you have seen them you know where they're going and get the references etc. 

I would undoubtedly have gone to see the film on my return from spending a week up north, but then I received a surprise phone call from my best friend saying she wanted to see this as her Birthday movie. She told me she'd never had a Birthday movie before and really liked the look of this one! So of course I said yes and agreed to accompany her on her first ever Birthday cinema trip!

The film is set in present day San Francisco and follows the story of Will (James Franco), who is working on a drug that will cure alzheimer's. The lab he works in is testing the drug on apes and they're seeing astonishing results. This is until one ape goes bezerk during a presentation to the board. Understandably the board shuts down the testing and as Will goes in search of answers, he discovers that the ape was trying to protect a baby it had just given birth to. One of Will's colleagues persuades him to take the baby ape home temporarily, but soon Will's alzheimer's suffering father names the ape Caesar and he becomes one of the family. When Caesar is eventually discovered, he is re-homed to an ape sanctuary. Caesar doesn't take too well to this new environment, having lived with humans his whole life, and soon starts rebelling. He feels abandoned by the humans who raised him and angry at the people imprisoning him, which soon leads to a breakdown of trust between Caesar and the entire human race.

Having not seen any of the original Planet of the Apes films, I can only assume that this not only sets everything up for the original films, but also for more prequels to further bridge the gap between this film, and the first Planet of the Apes. My main reason for thinking this is that this film is set in San Francisco and I know the original Planet of the Apes is set in New York. There is a nice bridging reference to that at the end - which I won't spoil - but it still leaves room for another film in between.

Now on to what I thought of the film. The main talking point here is undoubtedly the effects. Which are spectacular. *If you don't want to know how it's done, best skip this part!* My best friend even commented at the end that she thought the actors were in ape suits. I happily explained the process of how they turned the actors performances into those of the apes using CGI suits, with dots to map the movements and camera's fixed to their heads to capture the facial expressions (which I know because I saw Andy Serkis on BBC Breakfast!). 

Anyway, I digress, yes the effects are amazing. But credit also needs to go to Andy Serkis who puts in another dazzling performance (not easy when you've been completely CG'd in post production), just as he managed to do with Kong and Gollum. I found the film to be more emotional than I expected, and I am sure this is down to Serkis's performance, which is truly outstanding when you consider that he had to convey all thoughts and feelings without speaking. His eyes had to do all the work and boy what a fantastic job they do. 

The film also allows Tom Felton to show that he is more than just a nemesis for Harry Potter. Sadly for Felton though, all he manages to do is show us that he can play meaner and nastier than Draco was ever capable of being. And I'm not sure that's a good thing. Good performances from the rest of the human cast, with John Lithgow portraying a believable alzheimer's sufferer to good effect. 

But the film really does belong to the apes, and therefore the effects team (who also brought you Avatar) who do a sensational job. The cinematography is also worth a mention for the stunning tree top views of San Francisco and an ending on the Golden Gate Bridge which is a visual treat.

This is by no means the best film of the summer, but it's definitely worth a watch. It has certainly made me want to watch the original Planet of the Apes films, which at the end of the day is the whole point of making a prequel. 7.5 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 19th August 2011

UK Release Date - 11th August 2011

Cast Overview:

James Franco ~ Will Rodman

Freida Pinto ~ Caroline Aranha

John Lithgow ~ Charles Rodman 

Brian Cox ~ John Landon

Tom Felton ~ Dodge Landon
Andy Serkis ~ Caesar
Karin Konoval ~ Maurice
Terry Notary ~ Rocket / Bright Eyes

Director ~ Rupert Wyatt

Writer(s) ~ Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver and Pierre Boulle (suggested by novel "La Planete Des Singes")

Super 8

http://www.super8-movie.com/

The first time I learned about Super 8 was when my cinema buddy told me about it. That was only a few months ago, but since then I have seen trailers, posters and articles on the film which have all whet my appetite. 

The main attraction for me is that this is J.J. Abrams new movie. I was a huge fan of his TV show Alias and his reboot of Star Trek was, in my opinion, one of the best movies of 2009. So to say I was looking forward to Super 8 is a bit of an understatement. Trepidation soon overtook my excitement however, when I saw the posters proclaiming Super 8 to be 'The film of the summer, hands down'. Let's be honest, how often can you rely on the advise of a film critic?

Mmm, on that note, let's get on with the synopsis! At the start of the movie we meet Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), a young boy who has just lost his mother. His father, understandably struggling with his wife's sudden death, has decided to send Joe off to camp for the summer under the proviso that he doesn't approve of Joe's friends, or the monster movie they are attempting to make. Joe, being a typical teenage boy, decides to go against his father's wishes and continues to help his friend Charles (Riley Griffiths) to make the movie. Charles manages to enlist the help of their school crush Alice (Elle Fanning), to be their lift to the nearby train station for a night shoot, in exchange for giving her a part in the film. During the shoot, the kids witness a train being intentionally derailed by one of their school teachers and capture footage of something escaping one of the carriages.

For once in my life I am going to agree with a piece of marketing about a film and say that the poster is right. This is, hands down, move over Optimus and Harry Potter, the movie of the summer. I can't heap enough praise on Super 8. The characters are all brilliant, the story keeps you hooked from the opening scene of Joe's mother's funeral to the spectacular end, it harks back to so many 80's movies where friendship is the key factor, it's just, well, super.

The kid characters in the movie could all be such clichés, the fat kid, the geek, the crush etc but the kids playing them are all so good that you never feel like they're just a bunch of clichés. And at some point they all go against type, I imagine specifically so they can't be pigeonholed into those stereotypes. 

*SPOILER ALERT*

The only very minor criticism I have is that for the most part, you don't have any idea what the alien looks like, or how big it is. Thankfully, this is rectified before the end of the film so Super 8 narrowly misses having the same fate as Battle: Los Angeles.

*END SPOILER ALERT*

Overall this is a fantastic creation by J.J. and one which you can tell was a labour of love for him to make. It owes a lot to Spielberg, which makes it all the more bittersweet that he produced the film. Just go and see the film of the summer and make sure you stay after the fade out as you get to see the kids finished film as the credits roll. Which is amazing in itself.

I wish I could say that Super 8 gets a Super 8 as that would be Super Gr8, but it deserves it's 9 and that's just fine. 9 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 5th August 2011

UK Release Date - 5th August 2011

Cast Overview:

Joel Courtney ~ Joe Lamb

Kyle Chandler ~ Jackson Lamb

Elle Fanning ~ Alice Dainard

Riley Griffiths ~ Charles

Ryan Lee ~ Cary

Gabriel Basso ~ Martin

Zach Mills ~ Preston

Ron Eldard ~ Louis Dainard

Director/Writer ~ J.J. Abrams

Captain America: The First Avenger

http://captainamerica.marvel.com/

I was lucky enough to go and see Thor earlier this year with my brother and his family. It seemed only fair then, that I should also see Captain America with my brother when he came down to visit me this weekend.

My brother has been a comic book fan for as long as I can remember and is also a very talented cartoonist in his own right. Thus making comic book adaptations a joy to watch with him as he undoubtedly knows all about the genre, the artists and writers behind each comic, the characters motivations etc etc. Fun facts galore. 

Lets see what I managed to pick up about this one. Captain America was not always the typical US marine. He was once Steve Rogers, dweeb. A young, under-developed, man who was desperate to join the army and fight for his country in 1940's war torn America. He has guts, just not the physique to match, something which catches the eye of Dr Erskine, the head of a secret project which will transform Steve's life. It will make him taller, stronger, bigger, faster. The perfect soldier. When the project is complete, and a success, it is decided that Steve will become a mascot for good v's evil, rather than being sent to the front line to fight. So Steve becomes Captain America, the star spangled man,  with his tights and shield. But soon he finds himself fighting the good fight for real when his best friend is captured by the evil Red Skull, who's goal is one of ultimate power.

I will begin by saying that if you are a fan of the comic book, or are someone who is looking forward to seeing The Avengers next year, you should definitely go and see Captain America. For two reasons:

1) This is the last 'setting up' story before The Avengers. We've had everyone else's story, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, but this is the first time we've met Captain America and therefore he deserves his chance to tell his story. 

2) There is a mini trailer for The Avengers which is attached to the scene after the credits. And boy is does The Avengers look gooood! 

Unfortunately, the downside of how good the trailer for The Avengers looks, is that it somewhat makes Captain America less good. If that makes sense? The lasting impression you have is for The Avengers and how much you are now looking forward to it. And it kinda makes Captain America a little bit forgettable. 

Which is a shame as Captain America is a good stand alone movie. Not great. It's not as good as Thor. But it is enjoyable, it has it's heart in the right place and the effects for the first half of the movie are incredible, making the rather buff Chris Evans into a short, skinny guy must have had it's difficulties but the effects to make him so are flawless. And the hero of the hour, Steve Rogers is a genuinely good guy, which just makes what happens to him truly, for want of a better word, shit.

So if you like your comic book movies, are looking forward to The Avengers or even if you're just an action fan, I would recommend Captain America. 7 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 30th July 2011

UK Release Date - 29th July 2011

Cast Overview:

Chris Evans ~ Steve Rogers / Captain America

Hayley Atwell ~ Peggy Carter

Sebastian Stan ~ James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes

Tommy Lee Jones ~ Colonel Chester Phillips

Hugo Weaving ~ Johann Schmidt / Red Skull

Dominic Cooper ~ Howard Stark

Richard Armitage ~ Heinz Kruger

Stanley Tucci ~ Dr Abraham Erskine

Toby Jones ~ Dr Arnim Zola

Director ~ Joe Johnstone

Writer(s) ~ Christopher Markus (Screenplay), Stephen McFeely (Screenplay), Joe Simon (Comic Book) and Jack Kirby (Comic Book)