Iron Man 3 - Movie Review

"When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution."

Iron Man 3, in my eyes, is the film that officially kick starts this year's film and prepares us for a summer of entertainment. This is a valiant opening and if this film is to judge for things to come, we are in for a treat. 

The potential threat for failure that this film had was if it didn't learn from the mistakes made in the past, of course I am referring to the previous installment in the series, Iron Man 2. I completely despised this film as soon as I had finished watching it and have never actually gone back to view it again. I felt it lacked everything that made the first film not only a great super-hero film, but a great film period. But what amazes me is that this film actually shares similar elements to the second film but what is the difference here is that Shane Black completely nails them. 

First off I will start with the plot. It was one of many factors that drove this film so far forward and helped it to explore depths that were touched upon in Iron Man. One of the stronger aspects within the narrative of this film was the rise and fall of both Tony Stark and Iron Man as one which could have easily been a failure if not handled in the correct manner. Luckily, Shane Black knows exactly what he is doing behind the camera and with the succession of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, only strengthens his directing credentials. 

I enjoyed the balance of comedy, action and drama within the storyline and never did it feel forced or dragged out. Shane Black has proven that he has an eye for making sure that his film can cross genres without any implications and I got the sense that this was the follow up to Iron Man that I had truly been waiting for. 

One of Iron Man 2's main flaws was that the comedic element in that particular film wasn't handled well at all which came as a surprise considering that Jon Favreau returned to direct. As well as this, he found that perfect balance in the first film and that was one of the aspects that I have loved about Iron Man. 

Shane Black truly captured the demise of Tony Stark, from start to finish I was utterly gripped and not only was this an entertaining movie, but throughout I had a strong sense of foreboding. Handling character arcs, relationships and dialogue between characters is something that Shane Black truly mesmerizes me with as his style and attention to detail really come into play here. Just like in his previous directorial outing, this was something I took away from in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and thought that he does such a subtle but smooth job of making every scene interesting and meaningful. You truly get that sense that reconnecting with Downey Jr once again was fine choice on both parts and they have a strong connection that certainly shows on screen.

New additions in Stark's technology and advancements in the research etc were done to a tee and again, was something I highly regarded. They served a strong purpose to the direction that the film was taking and wasn't just something that was saying like "Hey! Look at the new gadgets Tony Stark invented!". Of course, Stark's demise sees him go from everything to absolutely nothing in what seems like a heartbeat and the way this is portrayed is executed perfectly. The tone that the film sets is again perfect for the movie that I was looking for and the pacing ties in with this, making for a fast, action packed roller coaster that also has heart and emotion to it.

The action sequences for this film were unbelievable, like nothing I have seen from the Iron Man films. Shane Black again totally nailed this aspect by fixing a minor problem I had with previous films in the sense that the action scenes never really felt on a grand scale. What I mean is that they always seemed to be tight battles between Iron Man and a villain as opposed to expanding this onto a larger scale. This is something that Shane Black must have taken into consideration and he implicates this ever so well. The crafting of these scenes are beautifully shot and the director of photography is also to thank here as everything from the lighting, to the framing, to the cinematography was exquisite. 

As well as the action being stepped up a notch, the whole premise seemed to highlight that there was much more at stake this time round. That was indeed another problem I had with Iron Man 2 as I didn't necessarily feel that the bar was raised from the original and that Tony Stark was truly tested more physically and mentally. This was a key element of the narrative this time round and was one of the stronger reasons why I enjoyed the film as much as I did. Finally, I felt that Tony Stark was in real danger and that he was going to be put to the test if he was going to survive this horrible ordeal. 

Which brings me to the performances in the film, starting with Ben Kingsley. He completely blew me away yet again. Not that I am surprised by any means as he is an outrageously diverse actor that has featured in many films that I love and admire. He played the part ever so elegantly and his method of acting comes across so natural. It was if the character he was given to play was specifically designed and written for him, which I can't possibly seeing anybody play it better than him after watching the film. As for Guy Pearce, I enjoyed his performance as I always do and I particularly appreciated the drastic change that his character underwent as the plot went on. Robert Downey Jr is incredible which again is no surprise as the role of Tony Stark seems as if it was meant for him. Now this is a debate in its own right but I honestly can't see anybody else playing Tony Stark better than Robert Downey Jr. Now that's not to say that nobody can play it well, but I personally feel that no actor can hit every aspect and have the same effect on me as Robert Downey Jr does. As for the rest of the cast, no honorable mentions but I felt that everybody did a good job and I was overly pleased with the acting displayed in the movie. 

Arguably my favourite aspect of this film was actually the twists and turns that the movie took. On paper, the plot seems fairly simple and free flowing but as the film goes deeper and deeper, secrets are uncovered, characters are put in deep situations and the whole stories direction completely shocked me. Going in, I didn't expect to be constantly guessing what would happen and at least half of the time be wrong, Shane Black executed this ever so well and not for one second could I take my eyes off the screen in the danger of missing something vital. Also, respect has to go to the writing as I felt it more than made up for the errors made by Justin Theroux in Iron Man 2. Much more depth were given to these characters and I actually connected with them in the sense that I cared what happened to them which was something I certainly did not in the previous film.

Overall, I was blown away by Iron Man 3 and only had good things to say about it. There isn't an aspect that I can think of that disappointed me in anyway as it came to a solid conclusion and everything touched upon at the beginning of the movie, was wrapped up by the end. If this is indeed Robert Downey Jr's final portrayal of Tony Stark in an Iron Man film, what a formidable end we have been given.

Evil Dead - Movie Review

"Five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them until only one is left to fight for survival."

So as I'm sure you all know, this is a remake/re imagining/reboot or whatever you think is most suitable of the original Sam Raimi 1981 cult-classic 'The Evil Dead'. Now of course, comparisons are inevitably going to be made between the two films by viewers but I don't believe this is the treatment that this film should get. It does take elements from the original film but it is a separate piece of film making so in my eyes I believe it needs to be given a fair opportunity to impress.

What I felt was a nice addition to this film was the inclusion of some development to why these characters ended up in the situation they did. As you know, the original film kept this very simple and vague but that was all fine for what it was worth. In the 2013 version, Fede Alvarez tries to include some developments in the story that give viewers information as to why they have resorted to staying in this cabin. I thought they were solid reasons, definitely enough to provide some explanations for future events occurring  I also liked how when this development came about, it tied in with stages that Levy's character would undergo. As explained, they expected her to stoop to drastic measures in order to make sure she didn't have to stay there for the weekend. This then came into play when was being possessed by this entity and exaggerating that she believed she was going insane. Linking to this, I much preferred the reason why they could not escape or in this case, take Levy's character to the hospital once she was badly injured over the original as it certainly made more sense with what was taking place.

The visuals were undoubtedly the eye-catching aspect of the trailer when I watched it for the first time. Now having seen the film, I can safely say that they didn't disappoint. There is so much to talk about with what I have just witnessed on the screen and there genuinely does not seem enough time to talk about it. I felt the camera work definitely caught every scene and every moment perfectly, replicating a somewhat similar style to that presented by Raimi back in 1981. Considering that this is Fede Alvarez's first feature-length film, I was pleased with the job he did. He both directed and wrote the film so the majority of the film's content is solely his. He certainly had huge expectations to live up to and for me, delivered on so many levels. There are many scenes which I can pick out that I was in complete awe while witnessing and still now when I think back to them just completely unnerves me. He implemented a very dark, eerie tone to the film which fit the type of film it was trying to be immaculately. He had me hooked right from the opening sequence and I think his ability to grab an audience and keep them on the edge of their seat for almost an hour and a half will push him far in the industry.

One problem that I had with the film although, was the final 10 mins fell a bit short in my opinion. It may have been that it all seemed a little over the top which in relation to the Evil Dead is probably an understatement for the original films. It turned into an out and out brawl between two characters in the final sequence and I didn't necessarily felt that this was a fitting end to everything else that we had witnessed. Despite not really liking the conclusion to the film, this however didn't take much away from the film for me and I never let it tarnish the experience I had watching Evil Dead.

The atmosphere of the film was probably the aspect that I felt the director nailed the most out of anything. As mentioned before, it was unnerving and the suspense was an absolute killer at times. Of course, you get those moments in films when you know (or think you know) when the film is going to potentially try to scare you. It is generic for a horror film, certainly nowadays but what I feel is more appropriate to handle well is the build up to said scare. This can work an absolute treat for a movie if the audience are completely frightened when nothing has even occurred. In relation to this, the film was not scary. Not one bit. I don't believe I even jumped let alone would consider myself scared which would all be fine and dandy had this film not marketed itself as "The most terrifying film you will ever experience". On this level, I was certainly disappointed and let down because my expectations for this element were considerably high and I 
honestly thought that watching the trailer it was going to nail this factor.

It is packed full of nods and winks to the original films which is a treat for fans of Raimi's classics. This was undoubtedly a decision that was made in unison between Alvarez, Raimi, Campbell and Tapert as you get that sense that the producers had a strong sense of control over the final product put out there. This is like a baby for Sam Raimi as it is where his film career began and to tarnish the status is currently holds would be blasphemy for him. I immediately got that sense that they had a helping hand to correct or watch over what Fede Alvarez was doing to give it that tighter more complete feel.

What I will say though, is that nobody can deny that it deserved its 18/R rating. I can honestly say that this film possesses the most amount of blood I have ever seen and it is probably shorter than most horror films coming out at the moment. After watching a scene that was brutal and absolutely revolting in what was taking place, I felt there was no way they could top it. And then 5 minutes later, there it was. A scene that could top the one I had just seen by being some of the most vulgar executions conjured up by Fede Alvarez himself. This is to be expected when the Evil Dead name is brandished onto this film so I had a good idea of what to expect and was not let down on this degree. I hate when a critic will see this film and then label it into the same categories as something like 'Saw' or 'Hostel'. There is a clear divide between both sets of films 
and I can only hope that people will establish this.

I'm now going to get straight into it and talk about Jane Levy's performance in the movie. This is down to the fact that horror films are certainly not credited for the standard of acting that's for sure. I think she was a breath of fresh-air in an otherwise stale genre. She brought some life to her character and I certainly felt myself conveying all sorts of emotions by watching her performance. I somewhat sympathized with her character despite the fact that she was portrayed from the beginning to be someone that had a clear set of problems within her life. I think this was a considerable surprise to many too with the roles that she has carried out as of yet. Making a change from the TV show Suburgatory and the movie Fun Size to Evil Dead is what I would call a drastic change or a complete role reversal. I can only hope that she is now deemed a good enough talent to be given a chance to prove herself in other roles and establish a fine career as I know that she has the potential.

As for other members of the cast, no real standouts in the rest of this department. I will say, Lou Taylor Pucci is worth an honorable mention. He was above the standard of acting that you would expect for a film like this and I actually think he could have been really good if he wasn't underused. I felt that he could have had a bigger part to play and of course Levy's brother had to be the character with one of the higher amounts of screen time, I would have much preferred to have seen more development of Taylor Pucci's character given. Though this was an aspect that was pretty much unscathed, as you would expect from a horror film certainly of this decade. I think Fede provided enough information and backgrounds to all but one character that enabled the story to flow continuously. The character I was referring to, I actually forgot was even part of the film on many occasions because she literally was not present. It is of course Elizabeth Blackmore who until was possessed by the entity, probably had a screen time totaling around 30 seconds. I wouldn't have put it past Alvarez to have purposely done this as she didn't seem to display much acting 'talent' when on screen, that's for sure.

All in all, I was pleased with this remake/re imagining/reboot of Evil Dead and I think the pros more than outweighed the cons. I am looking forward to future work in general from Alvarez because I feel that he has a lot more to offer in the film industry as a whole but certainly for the horror genre. This goes for Evil Dead II which has already having its screenplay written as we speak and will more than likely happen with the success of this film. Plenty of places it could go and I for one am sticking by for the ride.

Thor: The Dark World - Trailer Review

Thor was certainly close to one of my favourite Marvel films to date, fighting for the top spot with Iron Man and The Avengers. You could certainly say that I was at least intrigued to get a glimpse of what Thor: The Dark World may bring to the screen.

This is the first trailer that we have been given for the film which is set for release in November of this year. Just last week we got a poster for the film and to me I didn't hate it, but I definitely didn't love it. There didn't seem to be much to it, came across as an average movie poster that certainly felt like something you would expect from a comic book film. I have to say that this trailer we have been presented with has definitely sparked my excitement for the film.

As soon as the trailer began, it clearly depicted that a vast majority of the film was going to take place in London or we were going to get a number of sequences based here. This instantly pleased me being from England myself, it is something that for me we don't get to see in many films so for a huge movie like Thor: The Dark World to be including this in it; made me fully appreciate the direction that this was going in. Now as I stated earlier, I was a big fan of the first film like many others. I was always skeptical about how they could make a Thor film work and certainly with how Marvel likes to add a realistic spin onto concepts of their super-hero films. So this is yet another gamble that the studio seems to be making and I definitely admire that they are constantly willing to take risks for big pay offs. Just like The Avengers last year, hiring Joss Whedon to guide the film at the helm was a monumental risk that they were willing to take and certainly blew me away with the final product. Will it pay off? Only time will tell but I am fully behind any decision that Marvel makes as they have evidently shown that they can make big pay offs for going against the norm.

In a general sense, I also like trailers that don't give much away and can stand alone, being appreciated for visuals and other elements rather than completely giving away key points of the plot. Although, they gave a little hint to what the narrative might be within the trailer, we have a synopsis for the film anyway we gives us an idea of what to expect. There are certainly elements that make me more and more excited for the film including what we first see in the trailer which has already been mentioned. As well as this, I was completely sold when Tom Hiddleston was introduced. Only a brief glimpse was shown, but for me he was absolutely phenomenal in both 'The Avengers' last year and 'Thor' the year before. I was wondering how they could include him into this sequel in a fashion that wouldn't have a sense of being forced or including him for the sake of just having him there due to his popularity. I however did not get that feeling from the trailer and was overly pleased to see that he will more than likely play another pivotal role in this film.

What I have to mention relating back to the first 10-15 seconds of the trailer that we don't actually see Thor in and shows many scenes that are within London; I didn't even realise that I was watching the new Thor trailer or even a comic book film for that matter. It ties in with the ground, realistic approach that Marvel is trying to implement in each of the films it produces and as more and more come out, I get a stronger sense of this being at centre stage. Now for some people, this can be a problem, but I would not include myself in that category. It is definitely interesting and seems to differentiate this film from the first that we got back in 2011. That was probably one of the minor gripes that I had been thinking about when considering how they would present a sequel to us. I felt that there was a limited amount of directions and developments that they could make as it seemed like a bit of a restricted universe. This could be due to the amount of coverage that was made within Thor and even The Avengers.

I would like this film to focus more on the ever growing relationship between Thor and Jane (Natalie Portman) which was obviously a strong frame of the plot from the first film. I enjoyed this particular aspect of the first film and I like the way that they seem to be going about it in the second. It does seem to still be a side arc that is ongoing while the main narrative covers the movie which was similar to how it was done for Thor.

What I didn't enjoy so much from the first was scenes that were set on earth as we were getting to grips with Thor as were the humans inhabiting earth within the film. Kat Dennings character comes to mind when talking about this and I think she is only seen once in the trailer which probably contributes to why I am looking forward to this so much. I have a strong feeling that she won't feature anywhere near as much in this one which excites me. I felt scenes including her in the first were somewhat cheesy and was quite the opposite to the approach that Marvel is taking for these films. I think from the success of Iron Man and how that film went about itself in the fact that Tony Stark was a complete comic relief within everything that was going on. They were most likely trying to replicate this formula but I wasn't a fan of what they were trying to do.

However, the scenes on Asgard look amazing yet again, and was one of the main reasons why I appreciated Thor's style so much. The visual effects for that film were unbelievable, the way that they presented this universe to us was breathtaking. Whenever a scene on Asgard would come up, I would get the sense that I was there with the characters as cheesy as that sounds. The immersive factor was a strong one including any action scene taking place in that realm had me in complete awe from start to finish. I am expecting them to improve on everything that the first film did so well and not fall at the same hurdles that Iron Man 2 did for me. Of course, it has to be a step up from the first film, but it has to make sure that it keeps the elements that worked so well, while adding new aspects that can deliver on so many more levels to blow us away even more.

On the whole, Thor: The Dark World's first trailer was satisfying for myself. I like the approach that Marvel is going for with this sequel and it seems like they have a devised plan on how to up the antics with the continuing story. No doubt that when another trailer is given to us in the next couple of months, it will give us more of a sense of what to expect from the storyline and the tone that the film will implicate; as well as some mind-blowing Marvel magic.

Here's the trailer for Thor: The Dark World:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=jHFhZLJajlc

Spring Breakers - Movie Review

"Four college girls who land in jail after robbing a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation find themselves bailed out by a drug and arms dealer who wants them to do some dirty work." 

Seems like your average film right? No. Definitely not. Far from it in fact. Going in to Spring Breakers I didn't really know what to expect. The only piece of work of Harmony Korine's work that I am familiar with is 'Kids' which even then, I have not seen. I think it is safe to say that I had a neutral outlook on the film before seeing it.

One aspect that I certainly admire Harmony Korine for is his directorial approach. He has a particularly obtuse style of story telling to put it in simpler terms. Considering that this was the first film of his that I have come across, I felt that for the first third of the film, I was taken out of the experience in sheer amazement and observation of this non generic method of storytelling. I wouldn't necessarily explain it as intricate or convoluted, but certainly 'different' would be a good word to use. He never really provided enough information to put together on what was happening on screen and for these opening 10-15 mins, I just sat back and took everything in. I'm not sure whether it was just my interpretation of the style that he implemented into this film but it certainly felt like one big montage. This is probably down to the fact that the film consisted of many of them, featured numerous occasions where voice overs were used over shots and dialogue between characters never seemed to last more than 30 seconds.

Appreciation of this unique style is definitely needed though, it was almost Korine's way of sticking two fingers up at Hollywood. It didn't follow the same, natural way of presenting a narrative to the audience. I can definitely hold my hands up to the director for this as such an audacious move certainly paid off in my opinion. Events that were taking place throughout the film definitely shocked me at times and certainly entertained me while still remaining ambiguous and unpredictable. This was definitely a huge factor for which I had such a good experience with the film; the plot may seem like it was a groundbreaking idea but the way it was presented to the audience give it an original feel. Juxtaposing quite clearly plays a key part in explaining and presenting certain things for Harmony Korine and Spring Breakers was packed with it.

Another thing that I can certainly admire from a director's standpoint were the visuals. This was an extremely exquisite film to look at and I am still sticking to the fact that I could probably have a great time watching the film with the sound off. Many bright colours contrasted with dark ones filled the shots and I definitely think that Harmony Korine had an intention for each and every frame that he inserted into the film. I would have to say the sequence I loved was the robbery of the restaurant. The camera crabs across the environment as the girls leave the car and enter the restaurant, following the car which is making its way to the exit for a quick getaway. It was crafted beautifully and I can personally say that I've never seen shots like it. The way that we were seeing this experience from the outside looking in was incredible. A very stylistic shot that I appreciated it thoroughly. 

Something that I highly respect is when a filmmaker will include a shot of something that at first viewing will seem out of place and unnatural but later on in the story, is revisited and will bring relevance, tying a connection between the two. One of the occasions which this was used that stood out for me was James Franco's character playing the piano in which a close up shot of his hands covered in blood is shown. It then cuts to the three girls getting ready for what seems to be a heist of some sort. That very shot is proven to have misguided the audience earlier on and then after the events in which one of them is shot, proves to have foreshadowed a future event.

Now to the performances in the film, James Franco's portrayal of 'Alien' blew me away. He was easily the star of the show and knocked it out of the park as fully expected with the glimpse of him we got from the trailers. He added a campy, comedic side to an otherwise serious and dark film which was a sigh of relief because I personally thought it didn't look out of place and never at any point did it come across as forced. In sections of the movie where it may have been lacking development or any real need for pushing the story on, Franco's character carried those parts and was able to make the whole experience a lot more enjoyable.

As for the acting from the four girls, on the whole I thought it wasn't too bad. Probably the standard I expected them to deliver, certainly from Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez. Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine were both average as well as the two just mentioned, not too outrageous that it took you out of the film but enough to keep you invested and happy with the standard.

What was a nice addition to the film was that clearly throughout this experience these girls were going on, some of them were having second thoughts on what they were doing. I predicted Selena Gomez's character being the 'sensible' one right from the beginning but not for one minute did I expected them to cut her out of the film half way through. This was also the case for Rachel Korine about two thirds of the way through, her character had a change of heart, decided to opt out of carrying on what she was doing and ultimately was never mentioned or seen again. I appreciated that once these characters left, they weren't revisited later on or scenes would cut to see what they were doing as all of the other mayhem ensued. But there arcs were put to bed not to be mentioned of again and this added to the effect that we were going on this journey with these characters.

My main problem that I had with the film overall would probably be that it didn't exceed the boundaries as much as I was expecting it to. Honestly, watching the trailer maybe I got the vibe that this was going to be outrageously crazy and was expecting too much, but I didn't feel that it went as far as it could of in terms of the narrative and the limits it was willing to push to shock and entertain the audience.

Overall, probably one of the weirdest films I think I will see this year, but I had a great experience watching it and I think it is safe to say that I won't forget it for a long time to come.

Man of Steel - Trailer Review

From the moment we got a first look at Man of Steel in the teaser trailer some months ago, I felt that the  trailer released just months before the film premiers would be the make or break for me. I think it is safe to say that like many others, I am still washing the horrible taste that Superman Returns left in my mouth all those years ago. This is why I was somewhat skeptical with the 2013 reboot of the classic superhero.

After watching the new official trailer, I can safely say that it has convinced me this new film is heading in the right direction. From start to finish I instantly got that the collaboration between director Zack Snyder and producer Christopher Nolan has sparked a fuse that will ultimately revitialise the franchise and succeed in areas that the Bryan Singer movie personally failed.

The tone of the trailer doesn't feel as dark and depressing as the earlier teaser trailers that we were shown mid last year and if I believe correctly, another earlier this year. Although, Snyder's directorial approach is present, it doesn't feel as forced as I felt it was in his more recent films (Sucker Punch, that's aimed at you). I instantly got that sense of being a child once again while watching this trailer, it felt that this has captured elements of the story and character that has made it so popular in modern times.

One of the aspects that definitely interests me about this film is the scenes that will take place on Krypton. These will most likely be featured throughout the film, broken up into segments as opposed to opening with the entire sequence at the beginning of the film. There is some fine imagery used in these particular shots, everything from the framing to the lighting looks immaculate and certainly fits the tone that this sequence should and will have within the film.

For me, I believe Christopher Nolan's huge input into this film was always imminent and I think it is clear that this is the case from this trailer. I have enjoyed many of Zack Snyder's films in the past, but where he seems to fall short in some of his projects is focusing too much on the visual side of the film and letting aspects of the story fall short. Don't get me wrong, it is undeniable that Zack Snyder's films are stunning to look at, but this can sometimes take away key elements of what make a film work. This is where Christopher Nolan will have had his major input, making sure that David S. Goyer's screenplay is perfectly executed and can more than match the look and feel that Zack Snyder will implement.

Something that is still yet to convince me fully are the shots of Superman flying through the air that we have seen in the numerous trailers released. Something about these haven't set right with me, it maybe Snyder's immense passion for green screen but of course there is no practical way of making Superman fly. It could just be something that I am yet to be amazed by, this may just be something that the trailers haven't necessarily nailed perfectly yet and the actual effects that we get in the film will far outmatch the ones we've seen.

One last thing to mention, the segment of the trailer that completely sold the film for me was the very last scene we see. It is Lois Lane, played by Amy Adams and Clark Kent sitting in a police interrogation room. The dialogue that is thrown between both characters, referring to the 'S' on Superman's chest marked a strong resemblance to the comedic, lighter tone that The Avengers took on a comic book movie last year. Of course, this isn't the only comic book film to do so, but it certainly presented in the most striking and well achieved fashion. My anticipation for the film was mediocre, and although I was slightly pondering the potential failure this film could have, I believe any doubts or concerns I previously had have been smoothed out. A damn good trailer.

Here is the new trailer for Man of Steel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAVuKPFKrNo

Elysium - Trailer Review

Although the trailer was released a few days ago, I thought that it was worth doing a review on because of the scale and sheer anticipation I have for this film. Plus, I have only just started blogging so I feel the need to discuss this trailer.
Where do I start. Honestly. This very trailer is one of many reasons why I am so passionate and involved with the film industry. Although, I can't let my anticipation get ahead of me for this film as it could lead to future disappointment, the trailer has undeniably increased my excitement for Neill Blomkamp's next outing.

In 2009, Neill Blomkamp was introduced onto the scene with his gritty and original Sci-Fi, Action film 'District 9'. Right off the bat, I can safely say that from the best of my knowledge, this was my favorite film of that year. It completely blew me away from start to finish and for a director's first piece of film making it was a sight to behold. It provided me with one of the most enjoyable and greatest cinema experiences to date, being blown away with the breathtaking special effects and unique directorial approach to such an original concept.

Present day. We have the trailer for the 2013 Sci-Fi, Action film 'Elysium'. Once again, written and directed by Neill Blomkamp but this time featuring such A-Listers as Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. Now, the first impressions that I received from the trailer was certainly being mesmorised by the precise cinematography used. Everything looked like it was nailed to a tee from top to bottom, as shot after shot just drew my attention closer and closer to the screen. The world that the special effects team have created looks beyond belief and not only matches, but surpasses the effects used in his previous film (Expected due to the higher budget).

What we can clearly grasp from the story at this point, is that overpopulation has struck either several decades or centuries ago and has left the planet in complete and utter turmoil. Anyone who is anyone has deserted the wasteland and parted to a new 'upgraded' version of living on a specifically built space station. The premise of the film will focus on Matt Damon taking on a mission to bring equality between the different civilizations once and for all.

From what I can gather, everything that worked so well in District 9 for Blomkamp has been stepped up a notch to try and provided the most grittiest and realistic approach to a post-apocalyptic future film. The director of photography to me personally seems like they will play an influential role in the tone and general feel of the film. Just from the trailer, you gain a sense of what life could be like living on these outrageously discrete ways of living.

There are some certainly interesting aspects that I picked up on including technological advances that have been implemented. The most obvious one for me is the machine in which a woman climbs into, located in her home, detecting cancer cells and most likely kills them if there are any traces. This is something I've certainly not come across before and I love when a film maker is willing to go that extra mile to be original and introduce their own interpretation of  what a future hundreds of years from now, could well and truly look like.

Another aspect that I feel I've depicted from the trailer is that it will most likely be suited towards a more Action-Packed fan base. The synopsis of the film initially indicated this before getting any forms of images or videos released but now from the trailer I think it is safe to say this is the case. I hope that Neill Blomkamp can find that perfect balance between Action and Sci-Fi which made District 9 such a memorable piece of film making.

I for one, simply can't wait for this summer block buster and I have a very strong feeling that I am not the only person with this particular excitement.

Here is the official trailer for Elysium:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNhdDDTY6Lk

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Trailer Review

Now for me, The Hunger Games wasn't all that special in the sense that I found it to be a toned down, Hollywood, teen version of the Japanese classic 'Battle Royale'. Both were equally similar in plot and shared tendencies like how the government or superior force in the film chose the participants of the games. I'm sure just like everybody else, I knew that the first film was going to be a success and that this would no doubt form a franchise in which we would at least see a trilogy of these films within the next 10 years. But for me, I didn't necessarily have a problem with this, as it didn't particularly affect me.

I would say that the real thoughts going through my head when a sequel was inevitably announced was the direction that this second film would take. As I have never have or plan to read the books, I was left puzzled in how a sequel would play out. Surely there couldn't be a second Hunger Games in which either the existing characters were thrown back into the mix for whatever reason - or a new set of characters were introduced, maybe from the predecessor, and ultimately picked out for the challenge.

Now the trailer is up, and I think I can safely say my questions have been answered. Now although I may have some slight bias within this discussion, there were some things that sparked an interest for me. On the whole, the trailer didn't blow me away. Did it do enough for me to invest in watching the sequel? Possibly. And I will tell you why.



The concept of the aftermath of the Hunger Games is undoubtedly a factor that sparks up all sorts of images and thoughts in my mind and certainly could make a great film, if of course handled correctly. The Hunger Games clearly has a significant effect on this society that is shown in the film and it seems that an uproar will be one of the main focuses in this film. The ending of the first film showed that Katniss and Peeta combined together to ultimately overcome the Hunger Games and a decision to allow both contestants to be set free as opposed to the usual one, was a controversial decision from the decider. This has therefore left discontent with many whereas others have taken an approach and been inspired by the actions of the two. 

Another thing that caught my eye from the trailer was the addition of Phillip Seymour Hoffman to the cast. Definitely what I feel will be a fitting choice from the casting department as I personally believe he is one of the best actors around nowadays. He has a very wide array of talent that has seen him play a number of diverse roles from Owen Davian in Mission Impossible III to Brandt from The Big Lebowski. This is certainly a factor that has appealed to me from just watching this trailer and his character seems some what interesting, discussing the actions of Katniss from the previous film and mentioning that he "agrees she should die, but in the right way." Definitely an interesting take on this film, I do hope that this isn't the main focus of the film and that there are plenty more layers to it; offering much more depth to what could be a complete failure otherwise.

Finally, the general tone that is received from the trailer alone sends signals to my brain telling me that I will enjoy this film much more than the previous one. Just like most films these days, a darker 'grittier' approach can clearly be depicted. Although, the first Hunger Games had slight undertones that presented the audience with something fresh and original, it all felt a little too 'been there, seen that'. I well and truly hope that this one can prove me wrong and takes the route that I am expecting from this trailer. It needs to definitely up the boundaries that it is willing to break and give the audience something that will leave them breathless.

Here is the official trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IctcdgbksZ4

Tell me what you guys think, my first blog entry and I'm hoping there will be some demand and interest for me to do more. Just leave me a comment and if enough people seem to like this one, I will do more! Thanks!