Review- Tangled

Disney's latest animated film is the second most expensive film of all time which shows you Disney were hoping to go back to making the animated classics of the past and the ambitious Tangled certainly feels like an animated classic and probably the best Disney animation since the Lion King.

Tangled is a retelling of the German fairy tale Rapunzel which it was originally called but was changed not long before it's release. A princess with magically long hair is locked in a tower when she is a young girl after being kidnapped by the evil old women Gothel to keep her powers but just before her eighteenth birthday is accidentally found by a thief called Flynn Rider and she convinces him to take her to see the "floating lights" that are in the sky every year on her birthday.

Tangled is a funny,charming film and disney are on top form with their latest offering which is very funny and the two funniest characters never utter a word!

Pascal the Chameleon and Maximus the Horse are very funny characters that are up there with Timone and Pumba and the Genie in Aladdin with their comedy and the impressive thing is that all their comedy comes from their facial expressions or actions.

The characters who speak in the film are also funny and good characters and Tangled is a funny and charming Disney film that is a joy to watch. Disney will no doubt make millions from the movie and the merchandise and no wonder when the film is this enjoyable for all ages. The cinema was roaring with laughter from the kids to the parents laughing at the antics of the characters and everybody left with a smile on their face.

8/10

Review - N.E.D.S

N.E.D.S or Non- Educated Delinquents is the story of John Mcgill, as he grows up in Glasgow in the 1970's while trying to keep out of trouble and be successful unlike his father or big brother.

The film starts with John Mcgill finishing primary school as one of the most successful students and looking forward to secondary however he is threatened by a n.e.d who threatens to beat him up over and over at secondary. This threat is sorted out early when his big brother Benni is told and he violently warns the aggressor away from John and John's first few years at secondary go well despite initially being looked down upon because of his big brother.

The film starts well and John Mcgill is shown to have hope that he will overcome the odds and actually make something of his life. Peter Mullan who directs the film as well as starring in the film, as John's alcohol father, makes an impression earl on despite not being in many scenes.

The film moves on and as John tries to keep his head down while meeting other intellectual friends, he is looked down upon by a stuck up mother which after this he is "jumped" by a group but they stop when hearing who is big brother is and John begins to become part of the group of "neds"

This is where the film becomes undone as John's transformation from perfect school kid to troublemaker seems rushed and unbelievable and from here on the film moves from scene to scene without fully explaining if John is good or bad as he continues to make no sense with his actions.
A few comedic scenes involving the character Wee T and then an amusing fight between John and Jesus carry the film as it begins to draw to a close however the end of the film is a little silly and leaves the viewer's questions unanswered on what Joohn is really like.

N.E.D.S does not deliver what it was hyped up to from the trailers however Peter Mullan's film is enjoyable and amusing in parts and is an ok film to watch once to see the good performances from actors and actresses who are all unexperienced which is quite impressive. A second viewing may be too much but if you are into films like this then you may find more from this film than I did.

5/10

Review - Black Swan

Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky’s latest film, the Black Swan is a psychological thriller that during this Awards season is going to be very busy with nominations and awards being given to this film all over the place.

Black Swan is a psychological thriller that just like Aronofsky’s last offering the Wrestler which starred Mickey Rourke, is very much a film that is a success and driven by a superb performance from the main character which in this case is Natalie Portman.

There is a great supporting cast on top form with Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder and Barbara Hershey all putting in great performance, however Natalie Portman steals the show as Nina Sayers, a hard working ballerina who is chosen to be the lead in a new version of Swan Lake by her ballet production. She is perfect as the innocent White Swan however she struggles to portray the evil Black Swan and this leads to a conflict with the growing part of her that can be the perfect Black Swan and seems to be the evil within her.

Natalie Portman is superb as Nina and like Colin Firth in Kings Speech, is surely going to win the Oscar for best actress after a great performance as Nina’s good side and bad side. She plays the innocent Nina perfectly while showing the side of Nina that desires to be let out and seems evil and what Nina doesn’t want to be.

Vincent Cassel is creepy and interesting as Thomas the Ballet director who is intrigued by Nina and want her to loosen up while being the Black Swan as he knows she can do it. This leads to an interesting conflict as he supports Nina while also showing support to the dancer Lily played by Mila Kunis.

Lily is a new dancer to the production and while she may not be technically as good as Nina she is the perfect Black Swan and it comes natural to her. Nina is worried by Lily and thinks she is after her role which leads to a difficult relationship with her. Nina also has a complicated relationship with her mother.

 Even though she loves her and they get on,  Nina’s mother played by Barbara Rafferty is a failed dancer and is forcing her child to become what she wanted to be and this leads Nina to feel obliged to succeed which leads to problems when she struggles as the Black Swan.

Nina fears she may end up like Winona Ryder’s character who is Beth, the successful dancer who was replaced for the upcoming season and struggles with the fact her career is over. Beth may not be in many scenes but she leaves an impression of how harsh the world of Ballet can be when you are “finished” and this leads to  an interest and a belief that if Nina is replaced as lead that may be her finished.

As Nina faces the evil inside her as the innocence battles the evil as well as sexual desires she has that has blocked out, however it leads to creepy hallucinations throughout the film and views that Nina is struggling in her role.

Black Swan seems to move effortlessly scene by scene leaving you intrigued and captivated for the whole film and the ending is the perfect ending to a great film.

Black Swan is a must see and is up there for the top awards this awards season and rightfully so.

9/10

Review - King's Speech

The King’s Speech:

A drama about the soon to be King and his efforts to try and overcome a speech impediment with the help of a speech therapist is not usually the type of film that I watch or go to the cinema to specifically go to see. After all the positive reviews it has been getting and the positive media coverage it was becoming too hard to resist the Kings Speech and I eventually decided i would check it out to see if it was worth all the praise.

Going to see the King’s Speech even though I had earlier doubts may be one of the best choices have made in a while when going to see a film at the cinema.

The King’s Speech is a must see stylish drama that does turn out to be an intriguing plot but the even though the plot is strong the film is elevated to a must see by the superb performances by every single actor and actress who graces the scene.

To name a few of the great performances ;Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth, Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill, Michael Gambon as King George V and Guy Pearce as King Edward VIII who has a short reign on the throne. Every performance in the film is worthy of praise and Geoffery Rush is great as Lionel Logue the speech therapist teaching King George VI to overcome his stammer.

Geoffery Rush plays Logue the Australian speech therapist who has a different style to the other therapists and treats everybody as equals, from kid patients to Royals. Rush is on top from and any other film this performance would be the best performance by miles in a film, however Coli Firth’s performance as King George VI is an incredible performance that has surely won Firth an Oscar.

Despite great performances from others such as James Franco in 127 Hours, Colin Firth’s performance is superb and arguably the best of his career. Firth manages to make the audience feel for “Bertie” as he struggles with his stammer which he has had for so long he can’t remember not having it , yet at the same time makes you see his courage and bravery while looking weak and you believe in him that he will overcome his stammer.

The film moves along perfectly well and the stylish movie is a joy to watch. The plot at points may become predictable but that is normal with historical films and even when this happens those performances pull the film up when it slows down.

The Kings Speech is a must see and I am glad I went to see it even though I had a few doubts to begin with superb performances from the cast with Geoffery Rush and the superb Colin Firth, The Kings speech is stylish, classy and a great drama and story of fighting to overcome your fears and problems.

8/10

Review -The Green Hornet

The Green Hornet:

Before seeing Green Hornet I will advise one thing: Switch your brain off for a few hours. If you turn your brain off and sit back and relax then the Green Hornet will be a blast to watch.

Based on a character which was originally a radio series or as most remember, a TV show starring the Late Bruce Lee as Kato, the Green Hornet film is the story of Britt Reid, a socialite who has a rich dad and because of this lives his life as a non stop party . When his dad dies suddenly due to an allergic reaction from a bee sting, Britt Reid is left in charge of his dad’s newspaper.

After some events and with a help from Kato, a martial arts expert who is also very good with technology and worked for his dad before his death, Britt proceeds to fight crime while posing as a villain known as the Green Hornet to the media so he can take crime down from the inside.

Seth Rogen stars as Britt Reid the socialite turned superhero vigilante and Rogen does what he does best and provides the laughs which is no surprise as he also co wrote the script. Rogen lost thirty pounds to play the Green Hornet to make it more believable and the slimmer Rogen portrays Britt Reid as somebody who after a few mishaps has taken his life for granted but when given the opportunity he sees the chance to make up for that and start helping the world albeit under the guise of a masked vigilante

Seth Rogen’s character develops and gets most of his laughs through interaction with Kato played by Jay Chou. Chou puts in a good performance in a role that was always going to be difficult as many link Kato with the great Bruce Lee so Chou was up against it from the start. Kato is the side of the partnership that provides most of the action and his characters is the brains and most of the muscle in the partnership. This is interesting to watch as Reid gets all the glory as the Green Hornet while Kato does all the work.

Cameron Diaz pops up as Lenore, the love interest the pair fall for however, her character although entertaining to an extent is underused and the same can be said for the Oscar winning Christopher Waltz as the films villain Chudnovsky.

Although entertaining Chudnovsky only seems to be there for most of it just to provide a villain for film and the character although entertaining, is under used and is not developed as much as he could have been although he shares two entertaining scenes with Edward Furlong as a meth dealer and James Franco as a rival dealer at the start although Franco is not credited for this role.

The action scenes in the film are crazy. Some of the scenes look as if they have been written as a joke to see if it was possible but they are very entertaining and the “Kato cam” when Kato is attacking is interesting and reminded me of the recent Sherlock Holmes with the way every action is planned and he is looking for every danger instead of just attacking like Rogen’s character.

The Green Hornet may not be everybody’s cup of tea and if you over think the film then you will be left let down however, if you ignore this. Relax and don’t think about it then the Green Hornet is a blast and is the type of movie that is usually released in the Summer. If you are looking for a couple of hours watching a fun movie in the cinema then the Green Hornet is well worth a look.

8/10

Review - 127 Hours

127 Hours:

Danny Boyle’s films are not usually your straightforward films. Boyle’s films do not sound like must see films that critics and audiences seem to love however from a dead body with a case of money in Shallow Grave , Heroin takers in Trainspotting and a contestant on the Indian version of Who wants to be a Millionaire in Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle likes to make films that don’t sound great but turn out great in most cases and 127 Hours is no different.

Based on the horrible situation Aaron Ralston ended up in when exploring 127 Hours is a great film which is a moving film that is up there with Danny Boyle’s best work and rightfully so.

Boyle has managed to make a movie that is basically just one character for the whole film and make it into a great film which is up there with Boyle’s best films and any film that has been released this year or last when in contention for the Oscars and all other awards this current awards season.

The film triumphs due to Boyle’s directing, A.R Rahman’s score and a superb performance from James Franco. Rahman who also created the award winning soundtrack for Boyle’s Slum dog Millionaire and he reunites with Boyle by creating a very powerful and tense soundtrack that is perfectly used in the movie and in certain scenes.

James Franco as Aaron Ralston is also worthy of at least contention for an Oscar. Franco plays Ralston perfects as a normal guy who is enthusiastic, brave and a quick thinker but is not a hero as his bravery and enthusiasm is also his downfall and leads to him being in the situation he ends up in.

With Boyle at the helm, Rahman on the music and Franco giving the performance of his career so far mixed in with a few flashbacks and fun encounter at the beginning between Ralston and explorers, 127 Hours plays out and keeps the audience interested the whole time with a mixture of intrigue, sadness, some humour and tension which builds up to the talked about moment where Ralston’s desperation to survive leads to a grisly high.

The scene is tense and a little uncomfortable to watch however what follows is one of the happiest and moving endings to a film you will see and will make you think if you are living your life as much as you can and what would you change?

Danny Boyle has impressed again with 127 Hours and his next film will again be looked forward to with hope that it delivers like most of his others have and on the evidence of his career so far, it probably will.

9/10