After seeing this film one of my friends made the innocuous comment “That was pretty good but almost all of it was scientifically impossible” to which I replied “What were you expecting? Its called Mission: Impossible. Not Mission: Scientifically Accurate”. In a nutshell that is the main draw of the Mission: Impossible franchise, they’re big, crazy and kind of stupid, but you get the feeling that the people making the film know that and are really just going out of they’re way to make an enjoyable action film. If nothing else Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is most definitely that….
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I do not envy the guys who have made this film. 1982′s The Thing is considered one of the greatest horror/sci-fi films ever made and an absolute testament to the genius of John Carpenter. It’s required viewing for any one with a passing interest in film and has gone on to influence everyone from directors to bloggers. So when it was announced that The Thing would be returning to the screen under a new iteration under the direction of Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. with a script by Eric Heisserer you could practically hear the internet sharpening its claws for the…
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Geeks abound were excited at the announcement that Ghostbusters 3 is going to happen. However, there was some uncertainty on whether or not Bill Murray will be reprising his iconic role as Dr. Peter Venkman. Many would admit that Murray’s performance made Ghostbusters as funny as it ended up being. While we don’t know what direction the script is going to go, early reports about the possible film had Bill Murray stating he would like to come back as a ghost in a third chapter. Along this same line, some would actually like to see a film that more resembles…
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It’s hard to avoid comparison to Conan’s much-publicized previous outings: the original Robert E. Howard short stories, the classic 1982 Arnold Schwarzenegger film (and it’s ludicrous sequel), the cartoon show with the catchy theme song, the myriad comic books, even the slew of recent mediocre PC and console games. But you should forget all about that stuff, because this movie, THIS Conan, is a bit different from the rest. Starring Jason “Khal Drogo” Momoa and directed by Marcus Nispel (who also directed the severely underrated Pathfinder), this new film follows a brief period in Conan’s illustrious career in which he tracks down…
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Author’s Note: Indulge me for a moment as I introduce myself to this fine website and begin what I hope will be a semi-regular review series. As you may have been able to tell from my first article, I am not quite up to the minute. I have heard of “cutting edge”, and I am on nodding terms with “current”, but my best friend is “just a bit past it”. Small villages in the English countryside do not lend themselves to the bleeding edge; they’re more like a heavy bludgeoning instrument. Therefore, I have decided when reviewing to steer clear of…
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In the last couple of days, I’ve watched both Rubber and Paul on DVD. Both films brought to mind the concept of cult films in very different ways. I picked up my copy of The Rough Guide to Cult Movies and asked Google to define “cult” in order to bring my thoughts into coherence. Google gave me 20,400,000 possible definitions of cult, and The Rough Guide has a couple of pages of explanation. To my mind, cult means an obsessive or a powerfully held belief in something. What cult is not, clearly, is something that is simply different, or even…
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Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins is, arithmetically speaking, almost twice as good as the 1954 Akira Kurosawa classic The Seven Samurai. The movie makes no excuses about being inspired by Kurosawa’s 1954 classic, and two movies definitely mirror each other thematically. Though all the assassins in the newer film are also samurai, only a few of them are ronin, a samurai without a master. For the most part the group are in the employ of their leader, Shimada Sanzaemon, who in turn serves the shogun himself. Yet the movie still strongly advocates for the abolition of the corrupt ruling class and highlights…
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Thats right, it’s actually happening! After months of rumors, years of hoping, and weeks of waiting…the first pictures from the set of World War Z are rolling in. The movie features a script by master zombie survival authoritarian and World War Z author Max Brooks, as well as J. Michael Straczynski (Thor, Ninja Assassin). Currently IMDB only lists a couple confirmed actors but the lead is obvious from these pictures, Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt rides in the passenger seat of a car while filming more scenes for his new movie, World War Z, on Saturday (June 25) in Valletta, Malta. The day before, the 47-year-old actor hit the…
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Once in a generation, a movie comes along which breaks down and rebuilds all movie-making conventions, creating a gestalt of ideas and artistic expression unrivaled among its peers. DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp is such a film. The movie follows the exploits of Scrooge McDuck, a comically racist caricature of a greedy Scotsman, and his three nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, in a quest to recover the legendary treasure of Collie Baba. Along they way they get their hands on a magic lamp, complete with a fast-talking, wise-cracking genie who grants them each three wishes. This is…
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The art of making a successful comic book movie is one of fine balance. The movie must be able to appeal to the mainstream audience while adhering to enough canon to keep the comic fans happy; it must have the right amount of effects to make the movie look convincing, yet retain enough budget to cast decent actors and develop a quality script. Add the premise of an origin story and the filmmakers have to moderate the slow start of back-story with a plausible amount of action. Green Lantern is the latest comic book adaptation to take on this challenge,…
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