Captain America - Pretty Poop

 

It was a standard Wednesday evening... "what shall we do tonight?" says I. "I fancy going to the cinema" says my sister. "But there is nothing good out" I did retort "the only thing I might want to see is Captain America, and as its Orange Wednesdays so we won't waste full price on it" I add. "Agreed" say she. 


At the cinema we did arrive, to find a healthy  looking queue. A little later "Two for captain America please" - and so we proceeded up the stairs. If the queue downstairs was "healthy" the queue upstairs was obese! "This can't be for our film" I did exclaim, and walk straight on past it to the cinema door and the ticket collector. I was encouraged by the digital sign saying "Captain America - Take your seats". As the queue wasn't  moving I did assume it was for something else. "I am sorry sir, you will have to join the back of the queue"... apparently they were still cleaning the theatre. As we turned to join the back of the queue that was now trying to back down an escalator going up a girl from the queue piped up "Captain America is popular you know!", alas I obviously didn't know that! 


"So all these people are actually here because they have been waiting for this film?! - they're not just filling an evening like us?!". I was almost heartened by this, maybe the film was good after all... 


It wasn't. Apart from Tommy Lee Jones and Hugo Weaving, it wasn't. There were many things that got my goat about it. Firstly, the inevitably pathetic girl who falls for the American hero was British. Well done Hollywood, America is a bit bigger now!! Next, imagine every cheesy cliché from every other superhero film and put them all into the same film, yes yes, then you have Captain America. After a promising start where the small weedy guy is getting turned away from the army, all affinity with the character was lost when he became incredibly muscular and I was backing the bad guy for the rest of it.


Despite the 2 for 1 offer I still feel a touch robbed of my money, would have preferred to play scrabble at home...on my own. I give it a 48/100.     

Hollywood these days...

This post is to express my annoyance at Hollywood, or at the fact that they have realized they can make large profits by remaking films that have only recently come out. This behavior is seen in the remaking of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" and "The Amazing Spider-man". 

In 2009 The first of the Millennium trilogy was released. An adaptation of the novels of Stieg Larsson, "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" was a low budget Swedish production that to date has grossed upward of $10,000,000 and was generally considered an excellent film. Now in 2011, a mere two years later, the remake is being made. As far as I am aware, the film follows the same plot, has no extra special effects and is in English (maybe its biggest selling point). With Daniel Craig in the lead role, the film will make money. What annoys me is not them realizing an English versions potential at making money, my annoyance is at the fact that  that it will make money from being in English. Its a shame that subtitles are a deterrent for people to the point where they miss out on watching a great film. In my opinion the original Swedish brings a great element and authenticity to the film. Shame people won't get that with the remake.

On to "The Amazing Spider-man"...

In 2002, Spider-man was one of the most anticipated films in years. It made over $800,000,000 at box office. Now 9 years on from one of the most successful films of all time, "The Amazing Spider-man" is being released/made. Whether it will be as successful as the first is hard to know. Its the beginning of Peter Parker's adventures...again. Remakes are good, if the original was a long time ago and film technology has allowed film makers to radically improve its portrayal. 3D might be responsible for the remake, but I don't think it warrants another high budget film with the same plot as one of the more successful films of the last decade. 

Wild Target

Just to reiterate my policy on films…if you finish watching the film and to are happy to have watched it then it’s a good film, forget what others say about it, don’t shun it because your mates did. If you enjoyed it then it must have been compatible with an element of you.

Here is my opinion on “Wild Target” starring Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt and Rupert Grint.

On the whole I enjoyed myself a lot, the plot wasn’t particularly thick, but the focus of the film was how the trio, played by the above tree stars, get on with each other. I found it very humorous; Bill Nighy playing a well-seasoned British assassin was class. Rupert Grint’s character, you know nothing about, a clumsy juvenile that keeps randomly showing sublime skills of a future assassin, which I think he pulls off well. Emily Blunts character was not particularly fun.

I found the film a laugh, especially the bit when Bill Nighy’s assassin Mum (80s at least) opens a can of whoop-ass!  I would recommend it for a rent and give it 65/100

Lets get some clarity!

I was born in England, however I moved to Wales when I was 2 years old, and live there still. Being the youngest of 4 my siblings had a bit longer in England and were able to develop an attachment to it before we moved.

England and Wales have always had a heated relationship especially when in comes to rugby, my favourite sport. Whenever the sides would meet, six nations, world cup, whenever, I watched it knowing I was born in England, therefore I was English! This brought me some grief in school, especially when Wales occasionally beat England (blast you Gavin Henson and Neil Jenkins). This only resulted in me supporting England more fervently than ever.

When I came to University in Newcastle, I suddenly found people making snide comments about sheep, leeks and valleys! when meeting someone new and responding to the question "Where are you from?" I answered, "born in England but live in Wales" just to make sure people knew.

I am English, but if someone asked for my nationality I would say British. Wales just happens to be a nice place with nice people and many sheep that the family home resides in.

Clear?

A little bit of me...

First Post - well where to start? 

Think I will start very plainly. Film is a passion of mine and I don't pretend to know a lot about it or be a connoisseur, but I greatly enjoy watching them. My theory is, if you watch a film and enjoy it its a good film. The great films are those that stick with you, resonate with a part of you , and make you think, cause you to get excited long after you have watched them. Different films, different people, different results. 

I watched "I am number four" last night, and wasn't expecting much. The plot is fairly unoriginal, last members of an alien race hunted down on earth - standard. The acting struck me as nothing particularly special. What made me enjoy the film on the whole though was the love interest. Her hobby photography, she uses a collection of different cameras, some battered with light leaks creating amazing patterns on the prints. Whilst the film is on the whole not great, her character brings the film at least some depth. I would rate the film 57/100.