The long awaited biopic of Abraham Lincoln, this is an in depth look at one of history's most fascinating men and the forces that drove him throughout his life. From his humble origins to his rise to the Presidency and his extraordinary leadership during the civil war and what became a mission to end the institution of slavery -this film tells a story whose repercussions resonate unto the present day.
Oh, yeah, and he went around killing vampires, too.
Okay, so no he didn't. If you want that story, watch the Spielberg film instead. This is the one where Southerners liked slavery because it gave the Vampires a stock of humans to feed on, and Lincoln was a bad-ass warrior against their evil ways! It's absurd throughout, but there is some fun to be had here from the sheer brazen balls of making a film like this.
The Expendables 2
What can we say here? Does the plot even matter? Suffice to say that it's the Expendables... only more so.
Okay, if you insist. This time Stallone's band of happy warriors are off to some former Soviet place to rescue a hard drive from a crashed aircraft for the CIA. Alas, the drive is stolen by band of heavily armed mercenaries. This is problematic, since it contains the location of enough Plutonium to make hundreds of nuclear bombs.
They actually manage to pull this one off. It's a little less gritty and a little more unrealistic than the last, but it does retain the sense of slightly tongue in cheek fun. Bruce and Arnie have a great time with their expanded roles. Chuck Norris is also along, which is a bit nonsensical since his cameos really just consist of him popping up at random to shoot some bad guys before leaving again. And Jean Claude Van Damme puts in a good turn as the bad guy. All in all, it's a pretty solid is schlocky bit of entertainment.
The Campaign
In order to gain influence over their North Carolina district, two CEOs seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive Marty Huggins, director of the local Tourism Center. But just how far will the two men go in their quest for power?
As a satire of US politics, this works reasonably well. It's all kind of bizarre and silly, but it does provide a few smiles and an occasional laugh.
Seeking a Friend For the End of the World
The world is going to be destroyed in a couple of weeks and there's simply nothing to be done about it - but for Dodge, the real problem is that he is facing his last days alone and lonely. A chance encounter with his neighbour Penny reveals a letter she received by accident - a letter from his ex wife, asking for a second chance. The pair set off to find his wife, but along the way they grow slowly closer to one another.
I really liked this one. It's an odd film - a romantic comedy whose humour mainly derives from the way people are responding to impending doom and death for themselves and everyone they love. You can see why the studios didn't quite know what to do with it... and yet, somehow it works.
Sinister
Investigative crime writer Ellison Oswalt moves himself and his family to a smaller house in a new town, hoping to write a book about a mass killing that took place there. Unknown to his family, they haven't just moved to the town where the killings took place, but into the very house itself - after a string of disappointing books Ellison is desperate to get another big hit, and hopes his ruse will be a way to connect with the crime. But when he finds a box of old 8mm film in the attic, he realises that he has nothing less than the murders themselves - but as sinister goings on begin to mount, Ellison realises he may be up against something not of this world.
A decent little movie. It manages to spring one decent surprise on the audience, and does create a pretty creepy atmosphere throughout.
Monster Roll
We normally only review full movies here, but Monster Roll is just so awesomely fantastic that we couldn't pass it by.
The premise of the film can be summed up as "Japanese Sushi chefs fight giant sea monsters"! It sounds absurd because it is... but deliberately so, in a slightly zany and comedic way. The result is just so much fun to watch that I'm literally trembling with anticipation for a full movie by these guys. You can see the full movie here, but you should also show support by checking out their website at monsterroll.com
The Tourist
Angelina Jolie is Elise Clifton-Ward, the lover of one of the most exceptional thieves in the world. She is constantly watched by the police, hoping she will lead them to him. When Elise receives a note asking her to make a rendezvous she chooses to sit beside Frank Tupelo on the train, a random tourist whom she hopes will make a good distraction for the police. But Frank finds himself caught up in Elise's life, chased by both police and criminals alike.
Panned by critics, and notoriously insulted by Ricky Gervaise, truthfully this isn't a bad film as such. Angelina is a good actress, and does her thing very well here. Depp is likewise good in his role, as is everyone really. The locations are gorgeous, and there's a twist or two in the story along the way that keeps the interest. In the end it's just rather bland and a bit dull. There's also a big twist at the end that you can see coming a mile off.
The Illusionist
Edward Norton is Eisenheim, an illusionist known for his seemingly impossible feats in late 19th century Vienna. In the course of his work he meets Duchess von Teschen, a beautiful woman who Eisenheim knew as a child. The two were parted because of the huge gap in their social status, but have longed to be together ever since. But when Eisenheim claims to be able to contact the dead, his act suddenly begins to have political consequences - and may alter his future, that of his love, and the whole course of the country.
Good film, overall. Ed Norton is excellent, as always. Jessica Biel is poor but pretty to look at, as always. The plot twists in ways that you don't really expect, and it's entertaining if a little improbable.
The Prestige
Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, two aspiring magicians in nineteenth century London. Although initially working together, the pair become bitter rivals and enemies when Borden appears to make an error that leads to the death of Angier's wife in a trick. Over the years the men go to increasingly dangerous lengths to both spoil one another's acts and to produce ever better illusions for the stage. But their obsessions begin to spin out of control when Angier produces an illusion so amazing that it may be genuine magic.
An amazing film, full of great characters, great acting, and more than one excellent twist. Highly recommended!
Severance
A multi national weapons manufacturer sends one of their sales teams off to a team-building weekend in the mountains of Eastern Europe. However, the team get lost along the way and wind up in a dilapidated old house in the middle of the woods. But what is waiting for them out in the trees...?
Decent film, Severance has a nice combination of action, horror and comedy. The characters are well drawn, in particular.
The Book of Eli
In a post apocalyptic America, Eli wanders the land finding whatever food he can, fighting off bandits, and gaining a little comfort from his two luxuries - an iPod that he manages to keep running and a copy of the Bible, the only one left in the world. But when Eli comes across a community under the control of Gary Oldman's town boss Carnegie, Eli finds himself the center of attention. For Carnegie remembers the power religion had over people before the war, and thinks that the book might let him deepen his control. Eli, on the other hand, is determined that his bible will be put to a higher purpose.
Interesting little film, this. The whole idea that the bible could be abandoned to such an extent that literally only one copy remained is a little silly, but it's within the bounds of possibility. The idea that it is a vital tool to rebuild society... well, your mileage may vary on that. I'm an atheist myself, so frankly the idea that religion is vital sits ill at odds with me. But honestly it wasn't a problem for me... whether you believe in the truth of the bible or not, it certain is a massively important historical and cultural document that has shaped the lives of billions of people throughout history. That gives it a secular heritage and value in addition to any metaphysical value it may (or may not) possess. I don't believe in the bible, and I don't believe in the message of the bible... but I would save the bible, if I could, just as I would save the Koran if I could, or the works of Shakespeare. And the film even supports this obliquely - notice that the motivation of the "good guys" at the end is to preserve ALL knowledge, and the bible they finish with sits squarely amongst a myriad of other works.
And simply taken as the MacGuffin that drives the plot, the bible works just fine and is a little more imaginative than some chip loaded with information of how to rebuild technology or whatever.
Beyond that point, the film delivers decent action, decent performances, and a killer twist that I never saw coming.
The Crazies
As a toxin begins to turn the residents of Ogden Marsh, Iowa into violent psychopaths, sheriff David Dutton tries to make sense of the situation while he, his wife, and two other unaffected townspeople band together in a fight for survival.
A spin on the "zombie" genre, the Crazies is a decent enough film but nothing really special. It's just... okay. The performances are okay, the action is okay, the scares are okay, the film is okay. Worth a watch, but nothing special.
The Grey
Liam Neeson is Ottway, a hunter whose job is to keep wolves at bay whilst people work on oil pipelines in Alaska. But when a plane crash leaves Ottway and a group of workers stranded deep in the wilderness, they must face a pack of savage wolves with no weapons.
Odd but engaging film, this. Neeson's performance is excellent, and the story moves along satisfactorily. The only real issues I have are one, wolves just aren't like this - wolf attacks on humans are almost unknown, yet this film treats them like some sort of hellhounds out to eat humans for the sheer evilness of it. And two, the ending is a little weird and unsatisfying. But really these two things aren't killer issues. The wolves are a plot device you just have to accept... and the ending really just goes to the kind of film this is. This film is not really about "can the men defeat the wolves" so much as it is about "how do we respond to life". When life throws hardships at us do we respond by giving up or trying our best? When we're afraid, do we respond by lashing out angrily at whatever we can reach, or do we accept the fear and try to work around it?
Do we, as the film puts it, "Live and die on this day" even if the only reward is that we get to die knowing that we did make that choice? Seen with this in mind, the ending actually makes perfect sense and is quite satisfying.
The Wolfman
Renowned actor Lawrence Talbot returns to his family home in the sleepy hamlet of Blackmoor to at the urging of his brother's fiancée. On arrival he finds that his brother has been killed, horribly mauled by some animal. Suspecting murder, Talbot begins to investigate... and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself.
A decent enough film, but it really doesn't have anything new or different to contribute to the werewolf genre. It's all treated with Gothic grimness, and the only one who seems to be enjoying himself is Anthony Hopkins.
Young Frankenstein
A young neurosurgeon inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. On arrival he finds a hunchback called Igor, a beautiful lab assistant named Inga and the imposing housekeeper, Frau Blucher (Neiiiiigh!). Frankenstein has spent his life trying to live down the nutty ideas of his ancestor, but when he finds the notebooks detailing the work he realises that reanimating the dead may just be possible after all...
Classic screwball comedy with some great laughs. It all goes a little downhill in the last act, but overall it's a good time!
