I went to see Clash of the Titans tonight with James and D and we all had differing opinions. I actually thoroughly enjoyed the cheesiness and campiness of the movie as it brought back memories of the TV series Xena Warrior Princess and Hercules. James thought it was a bit of rubbish but I guess I went in with low expectation so wasn’t expecting anything special so couldn’t be disappointed. D didn’t really express an opinion. I think for me it also helped that I’m quite in to the whole greek/roman mythology thing so am quite happy to indulge in that fantasy side of things even if the story is a bit lame!

Where I was disappointed, however, was with the 3D aspect of the movie – Julian told me that they’d only done it as a last minute add-on and it really shows – it wasn’t at all effective and half the time I don’t think I even noticed it was in 3D!

It’s a bit frivolous, entirely predictable and with some really apathetic acting but otherwise the overall package will appeal most to those who loved the original or who don’t mind just settling back to enjoy the ride without the need for quality.

This movie promised so many things from the trailer but I think Pat’s comment as we left the cinema said it best: “There wasn’t anything else on”! Actually, I would change this comment into “Even if it was the only thing showing at the cinema I wouldn’t watch it”. Yes this movie was bad – even if it was free courtesy of Pat’s vouchers.

The movie tells of an apocalypse where God has forsaken the world and decided that mankind has had enough changes and needs to be gotten rid of. Michael is given the order to kill a baby which, if it survives, is mankind’s only hope for a future. However, unlike God, Michael still has faith in mankind and descends to earth to save the baby. In essence “Noah’s Ark” meets Terminator for the 2000s, only with scary angels and possessed people rather than scary robots and flooding.

The first half of the movie progresses okay with some thrilling moments and action and then it all falls apart. The “bad people” in the movie end up being pretty ineffectual, though somehow the “good people” keep on dying. The movie tries to be too many things – thriller/horror, action, deep (what’s with the “character moments”) and blockbuster. Sadly it falls short. Well short.

The plot has more holes and inconsistencies in it than a really really really old pair of underwear. Don’t even get me started on the ending. I couldn’t even say the movie was so bad it was good.

Where’s a good flood when you need it …

I’d been looking forward to seeing the new Tim Burton directed Alice in Wonderland for ages constantly checking the Imax website for the release of tickets to the opening day. I shouldn’t have bothered. The movie was a great disappointment and even being shot in 3D didn’t save it any from an entertainment value.

Ironically I’ve read that Tim Burton said he felt that the original Wonderland story was like a series of events that all happened to centre around a girl wandering around from one weird character. He said he never felt a connection emotionally and therefore in his version he wanted it to flow more like a story. Unfortunately I didn’t feel that he’d succeeded in his goal.

From the beginning I didn’t feel that the story flowed. It felt terribly disjointed and I didn’t feel any kind of emotional connection with any of the characters, except perhaps for Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen – and she’s supposed to be the evil one! Alice returns to Wonderland as a 19 year old, 13 years after she first visited, and it is told that she’s the only one that can save the white kingdom from the red queen’s clutches by killing her Jabberwocky. Alice doesn’t remember any of her previous visit and stumbles from one character to another trying to do what I don’t know. She just seems to be led around by whoever she meets and therefore I cannot understand how suddenly toward the back end of the movie she has formed strong relationships with those on the white side such as the Hatter, Absolem the Caterpillar, and Chessur.

Even taking the characters individually I didn’t find any of them appealing, except perhaps the Bandersnatch, who is supposed to be this scary horrible creature but actually turns out to be rather sweet: Alice was impolite and imperious, the White Queen was affected, Dormouse was irritating, and the Hatter, though admittedly supposedly mad, was way odd.

From a stellar cast and director I was definitely expecting more. Ho hum.

I tried to get a group of people to come see this movie with me but being this close to Christmas and also no one else but me being that truly geeky to even know what Avatar was about I didn’t have many takers. My brother, Lana and Mike were up for it though and that was enough for me. I booked tickets at bfi imax as soon as the tickets were released. I don’t think my friends who didn’t want to come are going to realise just how big this movie is going to be.

The film is James Cameron’s first directorial film since his blockbuster Titanic and he has waited a number of years for it to be created, something about waiting for 3D technology to catch up with his vision. As a visual experience the movie is truly spectacular both in the 3D effects, the animation, the colours etc. It was truly amazing. To see it on the three storey screen at the imax was an additional bonus. The only thing was that when I walked out at the end of the film I felt like throwing up! Our seats in row K were just in front of the premium seating but even there I felt we were mega close. Poor Lana and Mike were a few more rows in front of us!

The story is, appropriately, set up around a green theme telling of the story of man, in particular a big nasty corporation, trying to exhaust the raw materials from another planet. Valuable to the earthlings for one reason (as a source of energy etc.) and valuable to the locals from a spiritual perspective. There is loss, there is action and, ultimately, there is a love story. Its not a particularly innovative story line but served its purpose.

I personally enjoyed the film. It was at all times absorbing and fascinating to watch. But then – is that cause I’m such a geek?

That was a pretty long movie considering that most of what Bella did in the book version was cry, whinge and just be an all around sook (can you tell I hated the second book!)

I was very surprised that James wanted to go see this second installment of movies from the Twilight series. I don’t think he was quite picked up that the movies and the books are very female-targeted. He reckons that the audience was about 50/50 boy/girl but I’m thinking it was more 20/80 if that. At any rate, though I hated the book, I was keen to check out just how much buffer Taylor Lautner had gotten for the movie. It was £8 well spent ladies (and gay men!) – very well spent indeed. The scene where he takes of his shirt – lets just say that if the collection of sighs of appreciation in the audience were anything to go by he has picked up a few more fans. Taylor was hoooooooooooooooot! Very hot. Mmmmm … let me just have a moment.

This moment needs a picture. Thanks to Summit Entertainment:

How and why does Bella keep picking the vampire over the werewolf. What’s wrong with you girl! Give me the werewolf!

The movie was surprisingly more engaging that the book was, even shirtless Taylor aside. And though Bella’s character does spend a lot of the movie in a funk about vampire boyfriend Edward leaving her at least it is mostly fast-forwarded and we are left for the most part with a lot more action. The third book is much more action and drama packed so I’m looking forward to seeing how that is translated on-screen.

Friday the 13th. What could be more appropriate than going to see a horror flick. The lucky winner: Jennifer’s Body.

I could tell from the first five minutes of the movie that this was going to be one of those movies that critics love to hate. Don’t be fooled that this movie has been promoted as coming from the writer of Juno because no further a departure could be made.

The premise of Jennifer’s Body is that Jennifer, played by Megan Fox, is the stereotypical hottie at school who does not appear to have any thoughts beyond what is on the surface in her mind. One horrible night a demon possesses her body and after this becomes hungry for human flesh to keep her body trim, young, and beautiful. She turns to eating the boys at school as they are easy prey. Amanda Seyfried plays Needy Lesnicky, her “best” friend, until Megan goes for Needy’s boyfriend. Then, bets are all off.

As a side note much has been said of the on-screen chemistry between these two and in particular the scene of The Kiss. I have to admit it was hot. Very very hot. A scene that the boys will like. Very much. I loved this quote:

Needy Lesnicky: I thought you only murdered boys.
Jennifer Check: I go both ways.

Heh heh.

The movie treads a confusing line between horror (there are some magnificently gory scenes) and parody/comedy so perhaps that is why it won’t sit well with many in the audience who prefer one or the other but not both. I for one absolutely loved it. Perhaps it was the memorable lines, mostly between Jennifer and Needy, and though this is not exactly a women’s lib movie we have at least in Jennifer’s Body two very strong female leads.

Some other memorable lines:

Needy Lesnicky: Jennifer’s evil.
Chip Dove: I know.
Needy Lesnicky: No. I mean, she’s actually evil. Not high school evil.

Needy Lesnicky: You’re a terrible best friend. You stole my toys when we were little. You poured lemonade on my bed.
Jennifer Check: And now I’m eating your boyfriend. At least I’m consistent.

Needy Lesnicky: Are you PMS’ing or something?
Jennifer Check: PMS isn’t real Needy, it was invented by the boy-run media to make us seem like we’re crazy.

Chas: It’s true. It’s on the Wikipedia.

There are so many more lines but they are so very not PG!

Sometimes on a Friday night you have to chill out and catch a flick at the cinema. With all of us being girls it was inevitable that something slightly chick-oriented was going to get chosen. Irrespective, Fame actually seemed to be the only decent choice on offer tonight anyway.

There’s something about dance movies that I just absolutely love: Save the Last Dance, Save the Last Dance 2, Step Up, Step Up 2 the Streets, Shall We Dance, Honey, How She Move, Rize, Bring It On, Stomp the Yard … you name it I’ve probably seen it! I think its these kids being able to do something that I will never be able to do no matter how much I practise (not that I do!) The music is generally pretty sh!t hot too.

In fairness Fame is not a movie you necessarily need to see on the big screen. Nevertheless I found myself smiling almost all the way through. This remake is not going to win any awards for originality or for any ground-breaking. In fact I don’t know why they felt a remake was required at all. Perhaps to be able to use the talent that is coming out of shows like So You Think You Can Dance or other such talent shows.

I don’t think the movie really spent enough time developing and finishing off the characters. We jump around following the students at the New York performing arts academy without really getting an understanding of who they are, why we should like them and even how they all tie in together. Maybe the simple fact is they don’t. I mean I love the dancer/actress Kherington Payne as I know her from one of the seasons of So You Think You can Dance but I absolutely hated her character in Fame. You never really got to know anyone and other than the usual teenage angst there was no real hard hitting storyline to form the base of the movie.

Not a great movie this one.

Still, for all its flaws and rubbish storyline and editing I did spend most of the movie with a smile on my face if only to appreciate the talent of the cast, and also enjoying my popping candy lollipop that I picked up before coming into the movie …

I didn’t grow up with GI Joe as neither of my brothers had one (probably because its more an American toy or something. We were more about Lego and Transformers etc.) but my point is that I’m not familiar at all with the story. However I still thought it would be a fun movie to go watch. The trailers made the movie look suspiciously like the Transformer movies that have recently passed through our screens but I didn’t really care – I just wanted to watch something that allowed me to park my brain at the door, watch some eye candy, enjoy the action and laugh at the pun-ny jokes.

GI Joe delivered on all counts. That’s not to say that GI Joe doesn’t try to be a bit mysterious and build up layers of intrigue and surprise but I’d figured them all out by about a third of the way into the movie! And I’m sure I’m not the only one who could see where it was leading … to a sequel! Ha ha!

This is one of those movies that I suspect is going to be panned for the fairly average story, ridiculous action sequences (not necessarily in a positive way), average acting and all around corniness which I guess is one of the reasons I actually liked it! Its not often that I agree with critics.

Hard to explain why I liked the movie. Yes at times it took itself a little too seriously but otherwise it was just so much fun to watch. From the truly over the top costumes and weapons to the non-stop action and even to the average acting it was just a joy for me to watch.

Good fun if taken for the movie it was intended to be – a summer blockbuster, not an Oscar contender.

Rita and I were out at the O2 for the Ne-Yo concert so we thought we’d kill two birds with one stone and see Harry Potter in the afternoon. There was a new director for this second last movie in the franchise and his style really told. I’ve said previously that the movies have been nowhere near as dark as the book and the Half-Blood Prince goes even further as to not even really have one moment which was truly scary. Instead the movie seemed to turn and focus on the relationships amongst the characters and in fact spent a substantial amount of the movie focused on the romance between the now nearly adult kids. The movie was extremely long and I have to admit falling asleep during one part of it though perhaps that was more to do with my being extremely tired but still. Critics appear to have universally loved the film claiming it has been the best one yet out of the franchise but I’m not convinced. I mean I didn’t even cry when Dumbledore died!

Its probably not a good sign when you can’t remember the title of a movie when getting your ticket at the ticket desk. I’m sure the fellow at the desk was thinking what kind of idiot I was! In fact, I’d “won” the tickets to see Anvil! The Story of Anvil! entering some online competition (which I honestly can’t even remember doing) but you know a freebie is a freebie and its always good to expand your boundaries. I dragged Sandra along with me though I think after about five minutes into the movie I’m not sure she was thinking why on earth she agreed!

The movie opens with a concert – the music is loud (as you would expect for a metal band) and there’s headbanging and crazy goings on and then “Anvil.” Not have really appreciated heavy metal before I was at a lost as to whether this was a movie about an actual heavy metal band or some sort of Spinal Tap (a movie that I haven’t actually seen!) The characters and the story was so over the top and strange that it felt quite surreal but slowly it hit home that this was the true, and sad, story of an actual real Canadian heavy metal band.

The band is lead by a guy called “Lips” who is the sweetest guy you can imagine. Together with good buddy Robb Reinder, drummer, they paint a picture of a band desperate to make their dream come true. For 30 years the band has been striving to reach their goal. This passion and one-mindedness is admirable but in the end heart-breaking when it just doesn’t work out. The documentary (set in the year 2006) follows them as they embark first on a disastrous European tour which is set up by one of their biggest fans and second on a quest to get signed to a label at long last. I think the whole movie is summed up by one of the scenes where the band turn up for a gig in a stadium that could have fit tens of thousands but only forty people turn up. Truly heartbreaking. However, that is not to say that the movie doesn’t have moments of humour (let’s face it – without such moments I think the movie would have been truly dire!) Its lucky that all the members have extremely supportive and understanding friends and family.

If I had to sum up this movie I guess I would call it the unexpected feel good movie of the year. But don’t think that means the movie has any sort of Hollywood ending. It doesn’t. It is, however, moving, touching and heart-felt. I cried.