Review : The Pirates ! Band of Misfits

The Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists : The Pirate Captain sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz and seize the prize of the Pirate of the year Award. The quest takes the good Captain and his crew of jolly men from the shores of Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London.

Hey Everybody

Welcome to my new Dr Film blog

The Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists is the latest film produced by Aardman animations and what a treat it is for anyone who watches it. It is so clever, so funny, so brilliantly written and story wise it's excellent as well.

What looks like a very disappointing and not worth while plot actually turns out to be a rather brilliant presentation. Every joke in this film was a winner for me. I sort of went into film eager to watch it but not really expecting to enjoy it. I loved it. It was a much more refreshed and well executed project than previous productions such as Chicken Run.

It was clever how they managed to create the character and evolve them into the story as much as possible. Especially The Pirate Captain, who is the main character who doesn't have a name in the film. The joke of the name is he is only referred to as the Pirate Captain.

There's lots of mini clever gags happening throughout the film, for example though this film is set in the Victorian times, some of the jokes in the film like the blue peter badge on the pirate hat are all relics of present day. So although there is a period setting, the humour is clearly present. That's possibly presented as being a good or bad thing. I suspect it was Aardman just trying to be clever and putting what they could into the story to make it dynamically interesting.

Here's a clip

As far as the story telling was concerned for The Pirates. I do think that it could of been something very different to what was actually presented. Something completely mad and off the wall, and have no context to it what so ever. However I was surprised to discover that the story telling was quite decent.

It did become overtly obeisant with the possession of Polly the dodo, and The Pirate Captain being let's face it a crap pirate. But It was a very funny film with lots of good historical stuff in there, atmospheric setting and music, lighting was superb.

I'm very happy with this film overall. I'll give it 7/10.

NEXT: Stay tuned when I review 'The Sweeney'.  

Review : The Lego Movie

Lego. It was voted number 1 in a survey of best children's toys of all time. And for those all wondering, will there ever be a Lego movie, well ask no more because it's here. And my god, was I impressed. To witness an entire world made out of Lego and experience the CGI animated characters springing to life. It was amazing.

The Lego Movie : An ordinary Lego mini figure, gets mistakenly thought to be the foretold extraordinary Master Builder, and is recruited to join a quest to stop the evil Lego tyrant 'President Business' from gluing the entire of Lego world together.

Hey everyone

Welcome to my review of 'The Lego Movie' which came out in cinemas last Friday. Now when I was a kid, one of the toys I grew up with and played with was Lego. I used to collect all the Harry Potter sets and build them together, and it was great fun because with Lego there is so much diversity. You can build whatever you want or create whatever character you want.

So what persuaded the film makers at Warner Brothers to produce an actual film and come up with a story. I have to admit I was very apprehensive and very nervous about what was going to be able to pull off an achieve.

So all in all, what did I think of the Lego Movie. Well lets find out. The Lego Movie is a 3D animated film which follows the lead character, Emmet a completely ordinary Lego mini-figure who thinks life is great, and is always happy and he goes about life in order, until his life changes and he is mistakenly identified as the most "extraordinary person" and the key to saving the Lego universe.

An ordinary guy, Emmet is mistaken as being a "Master Builder" or one who can save the universe. Emmet and his new friends then go about embarking on an epic journey to stop the evil tyrant, Lord Business, who is bent on destroying their Lego universe by gluing it all together.

Here's a clip

What's so great about the Lego movie is how fabulously and effortlessly the actual generated animation is achieved. I think its great its generated into a sort of digital age, where people can relate to it not just by connecting building blocks and physically playing with Lego, but you got so many Lego computer games out now. Lego Harry Potter, Lego Batman, Lego Lord of the Rings to name a few. All of which connect with a target audience (Children).

For a family film, the story is great, it very appropriate to both young and adult audiences, though it's rated U so what could be expected. What I mean essentially is the humor in it is very balanced, you got your bits in there for the kids, and your bits for the adults as well. So in that sense of it being a family film, it's great.

The characters in it are great, To have people like Emmet, Wild Style, Batman, Lord Business, Good Cop / Bad Cop. All of which are very imaginative and well thought out characters that fit into the film brilliantly. Especially Lord Business. It represents to me, the corporate giants being the bad guys, and how they must be domineering and show they are in control 100% of time. That's why he wants to glue everything together by using the Kragal. He's not a bad guy, he may go about his plan in an evil way but deep down he just wants things to go his way. So Lord Business is a control freak basically.

If I have to congratulate the Lego Movie for anything, it would be the fact that it was really funny. visually stunning. The Lego world itself is immersive. You get these underlating landscapes of Lego presented for instance the Sea and the underwater setting, would be quite complex to pull off if done in stop motion, but CGI can just tackle that no problem.

I liked all the different worlds presented, You got a Coperate world, Western World, Wonderworld, all these different world co-egisiting in Lego Universe. And whats so great is when you get taken away from that to relaize actually it's all one big set up. And it's a young boy that's been playing all this time, and his dad is against him touching or playing with his set up. So there is an excellent twist in the film, which gives itself away in the advertising when it said '80% CG' and I just thought about it logically and put two and two together. Still a good twist though.



I'll be honest, if you don't think this film is for you then I wouldn't waste your time. But if your indesive about weither ot not to go and see it. I would say do go and see it.

I loved it. It was fantastic.

Awesome movie.

I will give it an 8/10 - It has its faults in parts.

Thanks for reading this guys.

Review : The Incredibles

The Incredibles 

Hey Everyone

Welcome to my latest Dr Film review on the blog, so today I have a special treat for you guys, I'm going to talk about one of my favourite PIXAR Movies ever made. The Incredibles, a film where a family of superheros team up to foil the plans of a criminal mastermind and super villain.

The story premise of this film goes, that the main hero Mr Incredible meets the super villain as a young boy, hurts his feelings which pushes him over the edge which turns him into a psychotic super villain.

Now I love the start of this movie, You go from previews of interviews, which are very comedic and stereotypical before cutting to the opening titles, the action starts straight away which is always a bonus when getting into a film. Especially as Mr Incredible senses and emergency, he's on his way and suddenly he's interrupted by assisting an old person. Its very funny when he's trying to get the cat out of the tree and it won't come down. Luckily he manages to catch the criminals. 

All the stuff before hand and the set up of the glory days is brilliant, and thrilling to watch. Then there is a lawsuit which happens and a public scandal, and all superhero's have to stop being heros and just live their lives as normal people.

It is then you cut to five years later and really see how things have changed, as Bob Parr (Mr Incredible) is stuck working a job he hates to support his family. His wife Helen is a housewife, takes care of their baby Jack Jack, their son Dash has got his storyline as well as the daughter Violet.

All the family have their own thing going on, which is great and it doesn't over complicated things in the way its written, there just little things. But we all know their not allowed to use their powers. Then what makes things very interesting is that Bob sneaks out at night with his friend Luicas voiced by (Samual L Jackson - who is brilliant in the film) who is also Frozone - another superhero who can freeze things in blasts of Ice, hence the name. Anyway, they sneak out to listen to radio reports to see if there's any trouble going on, to grab one last taster of what it was like.

Suddenly everything kicks off, you have Bob working a job he hates and just wants things to go back to the way they used to be and Helen who just wants to settle down, its a contrast of itself how the two are so hand in hand with each other.

All of which is thrown back in Bob's face when he's presented with a danger, and is confronted with Syndrome, who is the villain of the film. Who plans to destroy The Incredible family, and present the world with a crisis so he can solve it and take all the glory. Which by the way is excellent storytelling.

Here's a clip.

It may suffice me to say that, this film is near perfect. It is without doubt one of PIXAR's best films and all because the wonderfully clever people at PIXAR did what they did best, create a great story with excellent iconic characters with awesome superpowers and throw all into one dynamic story.

It's non stop action, once it gets going it sets off and it is just brilliant what is created very realistic and constructed visual effects which makes whats happening on the screen all the more better for the film. It holds an interest on the audience, or is supposed to.

The cast is great, Jason Lee for example as Syndrome is just brilliant. Samuel L Jackson is hilarious and just runs with it as that's what he does.

Its beautifully pased, nothing happens to quickly or too late. It all happens in it accorded time slot. It's almost predictable as to whats going to happen. This scene happens, then the next and then the next and then the big fight scene, then the end. So it's a very quick, evenly pased story.

I just love 'The Incredibles'. Its one of my top 5 PIXAR films, and if you haven't seen it yet? what have you been doing with your life. Go and watch it NOW!

I will give this film a 9/10.

Thanks very much for tuning in guys.

NEXT: Another awesome animated film 'The Lego Movie'.

Review : White House Down

WHITE HOUSE DOWN! :  Whilst on a tour of the White House with his young daughter, a Capitol police officer engages himself into action. In order to save his child and protect the president of the United States from a heavily armed group of paramilitary evil invaders.

Hey Everyone

In today's review, I will be reviewing White House Down, an action thriller adventure released in cinema's last year. Now 2013 was a sort of similar movies year if you come to think about it. For example you had 'This is the end' and 'The Worlds End'. Which are both connected by an Armageddon storyline.

You also had 'Olympus has Fallen' and 'White House Down'. If you asked to compare the two films together. I would say that the story premise is very similar if not completely. Think about it, 'White House gets attacked by terrorists, The president gets kidnapped, hero comes to save the day'.

It's very similar if not completely the same story premise just told in a different way. It does sort of make me feel that there's not many new ideas coming in, and so in order to make a film nowadays its either a reboot of something old like 'Robocop' or another idea from a different film told in a different way which is what 'White House Down' is essentially.

It's your stereotypical Die Hard, hard hitting action thriller with lots of physical motion and grit to it. To make it all the more appealing to the audience, backed up by mind blowing special effects and dramatic soundtrack for an overall thrilling emphasis.

That's not to say that 'White House Down' is a bad film. the fact of it being unoriginal is true. But I actually liked the script a lot and I liked the way it was acted out. It was a great drama to watch on the big screen, and it was really funny. I mean there is one bit in the film where Jamie Fox gets out a bazooka and blasts a gate. You just think, what your watching is outrageous and unexpected, you think 'whoa, a president with a rocket launcher. I want to see that'.

It doesn't surprise me how Channing Tatum's character suddenly feels when things are going wrong in the white house, to take all the pressure on his shoulders and go out his way, to rescue the president. Full well knowing he could get killed. I just sat there thinking this and following the film thinking that 'what the hell is going on?'

Whats so unrecognisable  about White House Down is the simplicity of it, people don't get that it's actually funny. It's contemplated by all the serious action. I for on, thought that this film should of been a comedy, and stretch the boundaries to be like all the other comedies out there. It's still a lot of fun though.

Here's a clip.

As far as this film was received, I was one of few coming out of the cinema actually enjoyed it. It wasn't very well received amongst general public at all, not to mention it flopped in America and it just didn't work and people didn't like it. I personally think most people just got the wrong end of the stick. If you take it too seriously then that will spoil ones enjoyment of the film.

I think because I didn't take it too seriously, I could just go with the flow and laugh with it. The Story is that of Capitol Police Officer John Cale 'Channing Tatum' who has just been denied his dream job with the Secret Service of protecting President James Sawyer 'Jamie Fox'. Not wanting to let his daughter down with the news, he takes her on a tour of the White House.

However when the complex is overtaken by a heavily armed paramilitary group. Now, with the nation's government falling into chaos and time running out, it's miraculously up to Cale to save the president, his daughter, and the country. By looks of things the responsibility could not be higher.

My only big gripe with it was the pace of it, and the timing. Not great at all, It was all a bit too long in the end, 131 minutes is a tall order of time for someone to intake. Especially with all the random stuff you got going on in 'White House Down'. Gun Fights, Rocket Launchers, Big Explosions, Helicopters, Graphic Violence and all the jokes. I just think you could cut all this down into 90 minutes and it would be just as good, if not better, at least that way you feel it isn't taking up too much of your time.

 
 As overall basis to rap things up, I'd be cautious about this film. It isn't all that you'd expect. It is very random on so many levels, both good and bad. 6/10.

Thank You for reading and keeping up to date with the blog. Subscribe for more Reviews and Recommendations.

NEXT : I will review 'The Incredibles'

Review : Robocop

ROBOCOP

Half man, Half Machine. In 2028 Detroit, when Alex Murphy  - a loving husband, father and good cop - is critically injured in the line of duty, the multinational conglomerate Omni Cooperation sees their chance to try out a new experiment. For a part-man, part-robot police officer.

Hi everyone 

Welcome to my new blog, I went to go and see 'Robocop' in the cinemas this weekened. Before I begin this review, I should point out, I haven't seen the 1987 film of 'Robocop'. My knowledge of the story, only comes from this film.

Wither ideas presented in this are deliberately similar to the previous film, I wouldn't know because I haven't seen the previous film. But the idea of having a man machine or machine man isn't an old idea. It's actually something that's quite present in everyday society.

We are moving into a world where the human body, is becoming not very useful anymore. So the idea of replacing parts of our bodies with machinery and technologically advancing ourselves. Is a powerful, present idea. This idea of course is communicated through the media.

This 'Robocop' is a reboot to the 1987 film, which opens up new boundaries to people coming on board thinking 'what is this?'. For those who haven't seen the 1987 film, I can imagine this being a new thing, being presented to them. All the more reason for them to enjoy it.

In terms of what I think about 'Robocop' I like the scientific concept and intuition presented in it. However, It does seem to concentrate too much on being all about those concepts and ideas. There are moments where I lost track of where the story was going. It starts off very strongly, but then afterwards goes off into it's own dimensions and I lost sight of following the plot.

Here's a clip.

So is this film worth going to see? I would say Yes. Because it is a fresh new start and a great reboot. However I would advice those watching it to be aware of the actual story premise that the plot offers, that is my main concern.

There was a lot I liked about this film. The pros do out score the cons. 

• I liked the design of the new Robocop, the metallic black and the mechanic body armour, but still with a recognizable human element to it.
•  The Acting was good.
•  It was very well directed.
• The Visual Effects were very impressive.

These are just to name a few of the pros about new 'Robocop'. The setting of it, establishes a futuristic background to it. How mankind has moved on to an upper level.
It was a very through tout, nicely developed set. It just assists whoever is watching it to believe what they see. They are actually in the future, maybe not the future as we know it. But one of many possible futures.

The pacing of it, well it's 118 minutes. So you do have to be on the ball, and really pay attention to whats going on. Not that that's a problem for me, I just need to prepare myself for long films. The film is just under 2 hours.

 

 So now, that I've mentioned all I needed to mention. I'll leave it up to you. To see wither or not you agree with me.

I will give this 'Robocop' (2014) a 6/10. I wonder what I have in store when I watch the original.

Thanks very much for reading this review.

I'll see you again soon.

Review : Inside Llewyn Davis

Insude Llewyn Davis : An overveiw film into the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.



Hi Everybody

Welcome to a new blog. this time I will be reviewing 'Inside Llewyn Davis' a story which looks into the life of a real person. It's a docudrama which follows a week into the life of a young folk singer as he is out and about.  A game goer, he just goes with the flow. He off course becomes the man who navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. Guitar in tow, huddled against the unforgiving New York winter, he is struggling to make it as a musician against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, some of them of his own making.

I wasn't very interested in this film at first however, of course having said that If you've never seen a film then you can't make a judge of it. Inside Llewyn Davis is a film where you have to be in the right sort of mood to watch it. In order to get everything out of it. And it is one of those films that is a slow starter you kind of need to pick up the pace in order to create a rhythm.

And when the rhythm does pick up, its not very quickly passed. It's a film in which the pacing of it isn't it's main priority. As far as the story telling is concerned the story  as a story, doesn't have much to it. The way it's told is better because the presentation of it, It always leaves the audience wanting to watch, and wanting to invest.

As far as the acting is concerned, Its quite secondary. Not that that is a bad thing, far from it. It's quite interesting to watch the characters interact with each other in the way they talk and act. The dialogue is very precise. It shows depth and intellect in the writing. I thought the story was written and directed really well.



The best thing for me was the ending, not because it meant that was the end. But how it wrapped things up on a whole. It was very simplistically concluded. But not in a sort of way that was cheesy or mellow. Just simplistic and to detail.

Joel and Ethan Coen as writers. I thought they did a very good job. It's very hard to write a dynamic, successful docudrama. But I think they did a great job of giving an unknown audience and insight into the life of Llewyn Davis.

The pacing of it could of been done better, that brings me to the point of them as Directors. As directors their talents as writers are parallel. An alternate job, where everything is the same but a little bit different. It was directed quite well, maybe not so well as one would expect. It just seemed to me that the lighting added a depressing feeling to it. Soundtrack added emphasis yes, but what was it all for in the end? I do question a lot of this film, which of course add to a course of concern.

Here's a clip.

So overall, It's quite slow film. One of which your attention must be on in order to get all out of it.

I will give it a 5/10

Thanks for reading this.

See you again soon.

Review : Man on a Ledge

MAN ON A LEDGE

 As a police psychologist tries to talk down an ex-con who is threatening to jump from a Manhattan hotel rooftop, the biggest diamond heist ever committed is in operation.

Hello Everyone

And welcome to my next Dr Film review, in today's review I will reviewing 'Man on a Ledge' a thrilling crime drama which was released two years ago. It's a film of such aroused the expectations of the audience at the time it was released. It was heavily dismissed at first. However, you only need to see this film to realize how good it actually is.

So 'Man on a Ledge' it's a crime drama with a very clever and unique plot. An ex-con 'Nick Cassidy' who was a cop, turned ex-con, decides to step out onto the balcony of a Manhatten Hotel and attract the attention of the police and the general public by making them believe that he is going to commit suicide by jumping off the building.

When in actual fact that is all an act of distraction as what's really going on is a diamond heist half way across the same street. But no one notices that's going on because all the attention is set on Nick Cassidy.

The Story itself very quickly afterwards becomes something the audience have to invest in to the full. Because there's loads of flash backs and back and forth stuff which is all an annoying necessity because it's all relatable stuff to do with the story. But don't get me wrong there are some nice character development bits in the film, lots of running around and quick action. 

Which is all good in some casis but 'Man on a Ledge' does refer or is relatable to some action films, not all, some. Which depend on being all about the action rather than telling a decent script. The film depends far too much on being something which is supported by the action. Which when you look at it in terms of investing an audience yes it helps. But it is all distracting.

Here's a clip.

See what I mean?

It good in some ways, in others I do feel my main concern with 'Man on a Ledge' is, its too in your face. It influences too much of other successful action films. But then off course having said that it is a proper thriller. The last bits of that film are great, there were well shot. Cleverly directed and wonderfully performed sequences.

And in the end is left off with the possibilities of 'will there be a sequel?'. I suppose they're could be. Just depends on the idea.

 

Overall. It's not a bad film, but not a good one either. 5/10

Thanks very much for reading this. And I'll be blogging again soon.