Total Recall (2012 Remake)

Total Recall

Directed By: Len Wiseman

Written By: Mark Bomback, James Vanderbilt and Kurt Wimmer

Produced By: Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe

Cast: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Bill Nighy and John Cho

Plot: Douglas Quaid visits 'Rekall' to undergo a recreational memory transplant, but instead finds out he is not who he thinks he is, but actually worked as a double agent who has his memory wiped. He has to race against time to figure out who he was, and to stop something sinister from happening.

Total Recall? The producers need a Total Rethink. This remake of the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger action flick does not live up to the standards the original whatsoever. Whilst the effects are fantastic, and the action sequences are rather impressive, the story is so disappointing. The scenery/costumes are very Blade Runner-esque. And the story its' self is similar to the highly successful; The Bourne Identity. Making this film a mash-up of sorts.

Whilst the lovable Colin Farrell does a positive job of portraying the supposedly normal character of 'Douglas Quaid' his accent seems to flicker between American and Irish in some places, making us wonder if his voice is having some memory problems of it's own. Some of his actions seem a little bit questionable also, for example; why would you punch a robot made of steel with your bare hands, and then act as if this is a normal act? Clearly some things have not been thought about properly during production.

The story falters from the original, so if you're expecting a trip to mars you're going to be disappointed. Bryan Cranstons' Chancellor Coehaagen is also a poorly designed character. No character development whatsoever, and is a poor villain for this film. The finale sequence was slightly anti-climactic, with the fight not nearly as brutal or interesting as it could have been. However the rest of the action sequences were pulse-pounding, and the film is fast paced, with no real slow moments. 

Whilst the film does not live up to expectations, it is a visually impressive, stereotypical action flick. This one isn't going to make a lasting impression, and the original is far superior. Total Recall is a Total Waste Of Time.

4/10

Lemon Rating: Sour.

Written By Eammon Jacobs

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises

Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Written By: Christopher Nolan, David .S Goyer, Jonathan Nolan

Produced By:Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas

Cast: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway.

Plot: Batman returns to Gotham City 8 years after the events at the end of The Dark Knight, only to be pitted against a new villain. One that is determined to completely break both Gotham, and Batman into pieces.

I feel that no single word is enough to describe how much I enjoyed this film. Christopher Nolan has created a fantastic trilogy of a new Batman for the modern age, and this is his masterpiece. Whilst The Dark Knight had a terrifying villain with a devillish sense of humour and a well crafted plot, The Dark Knight Rises is something else entirely. This film tests Bruce Wayne and pushes him to his limits, through the ferocious character of Bane (Tom Hardy). And whilst his performance may not be as sinister as Heath ledgers' critically acclaimed character, Tom Hardy is a force to be reckoned with. He is both incredibly brutal and a master at terrorizing the citizens of Gotham.

I was impressed at the way we see how human the character of Bruce Wayne really is, and to realise that he isn't a superhero like others, he is just a man in a suit, but it is his beliefs that make him a hero rather than a spider-bite, or a genetic serum. In a strange way, I thought it was clever how Christian Bales' performance showed how broken a man like Bruce Wayne really is under his image. A short scene stands out at his doctors appointment where we see the full extent of the consequences of all his crime fighting.

 I enjoyed the chemistry created between Bruce Wayne/Batman and Selina Kyle/Cat Woman (although the name catwoman is never actually used in the film) as it came across as flirtatious rivallry. I was also impressed by the modern interpretation of the legendary character. Especially as her 'cat ears' are her goggles, flipped up. 

The films have been game changers for the superhero genre in cinema. With it's gritty realistic feel, and the final installment is no different. The even harsher environment that Gotham evolves into, lets the characters fit perfectly into place, and we quickly realise that this changes everything for Batman/Bruce Wayne. And whilst the film has had heavy publicity stating that it is the end of the series, a fourth installment could be possible, but not in the way you might expect. 

The directing of this film is absolutely flawless, the way it has been put together is fantastic. The plot is solid, with some brilliant twists that I didn't see coming. Some of the scenes are astounding, and rival those from 'epics' such as Gladiator and Saving Private Ryan. Every actor/actress in this film has a pitch perfect performance. Including one cameo from a recognisable figure from the previous films. There is not one person who lets this down, it's absolutely superb how well they all fit together. 

The film is quite easily one of the best released this year.

10/10.

Written by Eammon Jacobs.

The Amazing Spider-Man

The Amazing Spider-Man

Directed By: Marc Webb

Written By: James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, Steve Kloves

Produced By: Avi Arad, Laura Ziskin, Matt Tolmach

Cast: Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Emma Stone (Zombieland), Rhys Ifans (The Boat That Rocked), Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Denis Leary

Plot: Peter Parker, a young student who lives in New York, is bitten by a genetically engineered Spider, and develops spider-like powers. He quickly becomes the masked vigilante, Spider-Man. He soon realises that he must protect those who cannot protect themselves, whilst also attempting to uncover the mystery behind his parents' disappearance. 

'The Amazing Spider-Man' is a reboot of the original Sam Rami trilogy, which ended in 2007. When it was announced that Sony were planning to remake the series, I immediately thought that it was too soon. It's only been five years since the average 'Spider-Man 3', and this is a risky move on Sonys' part. This new outing could potentially confuse some audiences, and might cause a negative buzz around the film. But in my opinion, the film is extremely innovative and impressive.

Andrew Garfield is the perfect choice for Peter Parker, he is both geeky and kindhearted, whilst also being quite humble and innocent. He doesn't whine too much like Tobey Macguire did in the original series, and doesn't play the part as too self obsessed as he was before. Garfields' performance in the film is pitch perfect, with one scene in particular being both astounding and heartbreaking. The way he portrays the underlying feeling of guilt also comes across clearly, with the death of one character towards the end, we see how conflicted he becomes. I was also severely impressed with the way that you an tell the suit was 'home-made', as we see Parker using his trainers as the soles of his feet, and ordering unitards off the internet to create the iconic image.

The plot its' self is fairly solid, with Parker trying to find out where his parents disappeared to, and why. When we also see *Minor Spoiler* that Peter had a hand in the creating of 'The Lizard', we see that this adds to his ever growing feeling of guilt. I also liked the fact that Peter Parker became much more easy to relate to in this film, he can't get to his locker because a couple is in the way, he finds it difficult to talk to the girl he likes, he doesn't make the right choices. This makes him much more accessible as a character.

The action sequences within the film are brilliant, and  there is some thrilling camerawork that comes from Spider-Mans' point of view. The fights' with The Lizard are choreographed excellently, with one fight combining Stan Lees' inevitable cameo as a Librarian, which is quite funny. Rhys Ifans portrayal of Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard is quite a desperate one, and he slips from calm and mild mannered, to psychopathic and menacing with ease. 

There a few minor negatives about the film. Around three quarters of the way through, we seem to forget about the mystery of Peters' parents, and whilst this certainly leaves a whole for the already confirmed sequel, it leaves the audience slightly disappointed. Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, who played the part brilliantly, is not given enough screen time, but the chemistry between her and Garfield is cute and slightly comical in places. The final act seems a little rushed, but is not without suspense. The film is crafted well, and is great entertainment for audiences familiar with the character as well as those who are not. 

7/10

Written By Eammon Jacobs

Prometheus

Prometheus

Directed By: Ridley Scott

Produced By: Ridley Scott, David Giler, Walter Hill

Written By: Jon Spaights, Damon Lindelof

Cast: Noomi Rappace, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pierce

Plot: Set in 2093 Two archeologists (Rappace+Marshall-Green) discover various ancient inscriptions around the Earth pointing to a constellation in Space, and are funded by Peter Weyland (Pierce) to investigate and uncover the truth behind humanity. However the truth is more horrifying than any of them could have expected.

The film serves as an indirect prequel to the cult classic 'Alien' series, with the focus of the film around the origins of the 'Space Jockey' (seen above) which is glimpsed in the first 'Alien' film. The interpretation that Ridley Scott comes up with is brilliant, and isn't what audiences familiar with the series expected whatsoever. However, Prometheus can easily be classified as a 'stand-alone' film due to the fact that the Aliens from the series don't make an appearance. The film is technically a Directors' Cut, as Ridley Scott presented it without anything taken out to achieve a lower rating, so the gritty, harsh events are as he intended. 

During the scenes onboard the ship 'Prometheus', there is a cramped claustrophobic feel, without much comfort for it's passengers. However when the crew reach their destination, this feeling changes with the scenery, to a vast empty space, and you get the idea that they are completely helpless. When events take a turn for the worst and things go downhill, horrifying things occur and whilst it doesn't have the initial shock that 'Alien' first did, it is fairly unsettling. 

The majority of the actors/actresses performances are brilliant in my opinion, Noomi Rappace's portrayal of Elizabeth Shaw is fantastic. She is an honest, desperate woman, and that comes across very clearly. The character of Peter Weyland was not particularly needed, and he was rather wooden (In fairness, he has come out of cryo-sleep but my point still stands) I was also impressed with the character of Fifield, played by Sean harris, who came across as both rational and unhinged. Another performance that stood out was Michael Fassbenders' android, David (Below). He is obviously slightly wooden, but his actions are fluid and articulate. The dialogue he has is also the same, slow and calculated, but quirky and slightly sarcastic in places.

*Slight spoiler ahead* 

There is one scene in particular which almost rivals the first chestburster scene from the first film, when the leading lady, Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rappace) performs surgery on herself to take 'something' out. This scene is quite unnerving as she is so alone and isolated. Much like the entire crew themselves. This scene is almost a comparison for the entire feature. Shaw is trapped and very alone, and has terrible things done to her for someone elses benefit, the crew are trapped and also isolated and have horrifying things done to them for the 'Engineers' benefit.

There are a few minor plotholes, concerning some of the crews untimely deaths/transformations but apart from that, I feel that Ridley Scott has created a visceral, intelligent and well thought out prequel. 

7.5/10

Written By Eammon Jacobs

Avengers Assemble

The Avengers (Avengers Assemble)

Directed By: Joss Whedon

Written By: Zak Penn, Joss Whedon

Produced By: Kevin Feige

Cast: Robert Downey. Jr, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleston

Plot: When power hungry God, Loki (Hiddleston), attempts to take control of the world, S.H.I.E.L.D Director Nick Fury (Jackson) must bring together a team like no other.

I was a little concerned when rumors of the film surfaced on the internet. All the members of the team have very large personalities, enough to fill their own franchises. It would seem like one member of the team would be focused on the most. A potential daunting task that would be messy and wouldn't translate well onto the screen. However, the way in which Whedon and Penn have brilliantly written the script, each character has an equal share of screen time. The characters have already been established due to the other films, and when their personalities clash, the outcome is very explosive. 

It is essentially a mash-up of all the contributing films in the series (Iron Man 1+2, The Incredible Hulk, Thor,  Captain America) with a terrific story line that spans from all 5 previous films. The characters are well fleshed out due to the other films, and when their personalities clash, the outcome is very explosive.  There is a brilliant mix of humor and tension, there are some hilarious moments concerning The Hulk, which definitely pleased the audience. The film is fast-paced and there isn't a dull moment. 

The entire cast give a pitch-perfect performance. Robert Downey. Jr again plays the cheeky billionaire Tony Stark, but this time we see a little deeper into his personality, and we get an insight into how the situation affects him emotionally. One of the most interesting performances for me was Chris Evans as the time displaced Captain America. It was intriguing to see how he reacts when being moved out of his own time. Chris Hemsworth doesn't really change his character of Thor, but we do see him get marginally angrier with his mischievous brother Loki. The villain himself, played by Tom Hiddleston is a marvellous performance. His devillish charm goes hand in hand with his rage.

There is some brilliant character development revolving around two characters we have but glimpsed upon in the other films, Black Widow and Hawkeye. We come to realise that they feel an immense amount of guilt for the actions and murders they have both committed in the past. Whedon has created the perfect superhero movie, with a fresh blend of comedy, thrilling action sequences, and enough heroes to make any fanboy happy.

7/10

Written by Eammon Jacobs

The Cabin In The Woods

The Cabin In The Woods

Directed By: Drew Goddard

Written By: Joss Whedon, Drew Goddard

Produced By: Joss Whedon

Cast: Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers), Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kanz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford

Plot: Five unsuspecting teenagers go to 'The Cabin In The Woods' to get away from college for the weekend. What they do not realise, is that they are being manipulated by a group of sadistic 'puppeteers'.

 The films' premise comes across as rather generic; five teens on holiday in a remote location get slaughtered one by one by a horrifying force. The film does follow this, but in a completely unconventional way. We see how they are being controlled by an organization who are watching them, using whatever means available to have them killed in specific ways. It is almost as if the organization are trying to parody various 80's slasher flicks. However, there are moments which are genuinely scary, and some of the jumps are brilliant, but they do seem to lack true terror.  

 I was impressed with Chris Hemsworth's performance as the Jock. We find that he is actually quite intellectual, and that he is majoring in Sociology at College. There is a short but brilliant scene where he suggests some books for another character to read, which I feel is a great piece of character development, and helps the audience connect with his character. We end up identifying with all of the characters in one way or another, and as one of the men controlling the deaths says himself "I'm kinda routing for her" 

I feel that the film its' self is one giant twist, as every generic cliche is turned on it's head, but with a few similar components, for example, creepy cabin and Zombies, two of the characters go out in the woods to have sex, but every part of it is engineered by the 'Organization'. Fans of blood and guts won't be disappointed, as the final fifteen-twenty minutes is a violent blood bath between a mix of horror genres. I think that Whedon and Goddard have reinvented the horror genre, creating a fresh blend of horror and science fiction that hasn't been done before. The film is one of the most intriguing to have been released this year so far.

6/10

Written By Eammon Jacobs

Chronicle

Chronicle

Directed By: Josh Trank
Written By: Max Landis

Produced By: John Davis, Adam Shroeder

Cast: Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly, Alex Russell

Plot: Lonely teen Andrew decides to document his life on film, but when he and his friends find a mysterious object underground that give them telekinetic powers, things take a turn for the worst.

After the recent string of 'found footage' films (Paranormal Activity, Cloverfield etc) Chronicle is a breath of fresh air. We view it from the perspective of Andrew, a disturbed teenager who uses his camera as a means of an escape from his abusive father who beats him regurlarly. But throughout the course of the film we switch between a few different perspectives. In the finale, the Director cleverly uses various onlookers who are videoing from their mobile phones as the audiences viewpoint. A television crew and a police helicopter are also used as viewpoints. 

When Andrew (DeHaan), Matt (Russell) and Steve (Jordan) find a strange crystal like structure underground whilst attending a party, the film suddenly becomes very dark. Symbolism is used with the weather. Each day seems to get more miserable, grey skies, rain and eventually a storm depicts the darkening mood of the film. I feel that whilst not showing the audience what really happens underground is a clever technique to keep us guessing, I think that it is also a negative point for the film. I would've liked an expansion on what happened, and what the structure is and where it comes from. And whilst there is some speculation from the characters we never really find out.

Dane DeHaan, who plays both the antagonist and protagonist, Andrew Detmer, is excellent at changing his characters emotions. For example, in the scene where he stands up to his father, the way in which he switches between cowardice and rage is astounding. From that point on, we see how the character has bottled up all these feelings for years, and because of his new powers, he is able to unleash this. Whilst this is a hybrid of genres, one of the most important themes of the film is coming of age. We see the lead characters grow up, and learn to take responsibility for their actions.

I was also quite surprised at how gritty this film was considering that it is a 12A here in Britain. There are a few moments that are quite dark. And whilst there are some elements of comedy, towards the end we see things spiral out of control. I admire the way that the Director has made this a superhero movie, without it being a stereotypical film about a hero fighting a terrifying evil. It is about a group of friends who are fighting themselves and their own emotions. 

7/10

Written by Eammon Jacobs