After buying the box set to revisit the first two films, I was quite looking forward to Meet The Fockers. The film starring Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller seems to be a bit of a un-sung classic comedy of the noughties. Several years since the second film, can it bite back and deliver the same humorous relationship between the Byrnes and Focker family?

It has taken 10 years, two little Fockers with wife Pam (Polo) and countless hurdles for Greg to finally get “in” with his tightly wound father-in-law, Jack. After the cash-strapped dad takes a job moonlighting for a drug company, however, Jack’s suspicions about his favorite male nurse come roaring back. When Greg and Pam’s entire clan-including Pam’s lovelorn ex, Kevin (Owen Wilson)-descends for the twins’ birthday party, Greg must prove to the skeptical Jack that he’s fully capable as the man of the house. But with all the misunderstandings, spying and covert missions, will Greg pass Jack’s final test and become the family’s next patriarch…or will the circle of trust be broken for good? Written by Universal Pictures  

Verdict: Little Fockers is still centralised around the untrusting nature between Robert Deniro and Ben Stiller’s characters. The films title is a continuation from the second film ending in that Pam was pregnant. Back again is Dustin Hoffman and the ball achingly ugly Barbara Streisand. Everything starts magically for the Fockers, but things begin to go downhill as soon as Greg gets the opportunity to make some extra money doing a presentation for a Viagara tablet. The film does have quite a few laughs, it somehow doesn’t manage to eclipse the first two films. Perhaps this is because the children in the film really do not feature as major characters and that all the character relationships are already built. The ending of the film is predictable and whilst entertaining there really has been no effort by the writer to re-invent the wheel. There are some nice carry overs from the previous films, the Byrnes family now have an active sex life and De Niro still is adament about the circle of trust.

It’s not quite the romp I was hoping for. Whilst some of the scenes were very funny, a large portion of the film glazed over me. Is it worth the price of a cinema ticket? No. Is it worth buying on DVD to complete your collection? Yes. What it simply doesn’t do is surpass anything it has already done before.

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1 Review

After taking part in what can only be described as a Harry Potter marathon recently, digesting all six films in 24hrs – I would say I am in good stead to give a decent assessment of the seventh film. Deathly Hallows takes the action away from Hogwarts and scatters it around the whole of the UK as Harry, Ron and Hermoine search for Horcruxes. Without the Horcruxes, Voldermort cannot retain his immortality and subsequently can be defeated. To change up the various locations Harry is now gifted with teleportation which sees a variety of locations range from London, rural countryside communities and deep woodland. It’s a nice visual change from the series though the familiarity and magic of Hogwarts is lost at the same time.

Deathly Hallows starts at a frenetic pace with an out and out airborne battle between the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters. This sequence is shot with aplomb and was one of the best parts of the movie. Whilst the film does have one or two other impressive moments, it does run at a sedentary pace. The last hour of the film grinds slowly. Even with the odd attack here and there the feeling of constant pressure just doesn’t deliver, Ron throwing his toys out the pram doesn’t help either. The acting was once again solid with Daniel Radcliffe, Helena Bonham Carter, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson pulling in fantastic displays and the films CGI has once again pushed a new level of realism, especially for sequences taking place in the air. Perhaps one of the nicest parts of the movie was seeing Dobby return. He plays a big part in this movie; so if you haven’t read the books I shall leave it at that. Dobby is a loveable servant elf who is one of the more understated characters within the Potter universe but at the same time exudes just how good J.K Rowling’s imagination turned out on celluloid.

In essence then Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a good film, whilst it doesn’t have the magic and charm of the earlier potter films, there is still new skills and magic you see in the universe for the first time. The teleportation is responsible for losing some of the intensity and the film being split into two year-part films doesn’t help either. As an overall package though, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is another solid entry.

It’s only August 2010 but we can tell you now that Inception will be the best movie ever to grace your screens this year. Furthermore myself, and other staff members can vouch that Inception is one of the best movies to grace our eyes in recent memory. Christopher Nolan’s masterful directing skills has dowsed us into a world of possibilities and endless scope and left us tingling for more.

So what is Inception about? Well essentially imagine a heist movie, but set inside a dream state. The cast stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe and Cillian Murphy. The best way to describe this film is to imagine that incepting someone’s dream to put subliminal thoughts and ideas into their head was actually possible, throw in a plot thickener such as DiCaprio wanting to clear his name (for which reason we shall not divulge) and you have a movie blockbuster that is helped together with some of the most intense and dynamic film score in modern memory. Not only is the cinematography provided by Wally Pfister an act of wizardry, it’s Hans Zimmers trademark musical work that makes everything about Inception come together with drama, suspense and mystery.

Inception delves into dream incubation and lucid dreaming and whilst some argue that the plot is overly complex, it really isn’t. Nolan guides you through the films narrative without compromising on the films pace. Due to the subject itself not being most straight forward he’s done a remarkable job of cutting between simultaneous situations and shifting between dream states in the movie. As for DiCaprio himself, he plays a fantastic lead and this is his best performance, topping his Body of Lies contribution!

You need to catch this movie in the cinema it’s one of those magical experiences that’ll leave you walking home pondering ‘what if’ and I love when that happens, it’s a rare cinematic experience that will take your breath away.

If you ever wanted to go and watch a warm hearted family movie, then we think we’ve found 2010′s answer to Up. How to Train Your Dragon by Dreamworks Animation is a fantastic journey into the animated world of the Vikings. The story is surrounded by Vikings and Dragons battling a war of attrition with the Vikings battling to save their food from being taken. You meet the films main protagonist in the well named Hiccup whom isn’t really cut out for beast slaying in any shape or form. His father, who is the leader of the Viking camp is jaded that his son hasn’t turned out like him, until Hiccup manages to capture a Night Fury (a legendary dragon feared by the Vikings) where his whole life changes as he learns that the Dragons are not malicious at all. The film’s plot construction is well balanced and naturally we don’t want to give away the storyline, so as usual here we tend to give you a little information and then back off from spoilers.

The awesome Night Fury

Hiccup is played by Jay Baruchel (Milion Dollar Baby) and credit is where it is due to the casting director for the role. Not only is Baruchel perfect for this movie and puts in a stunning performance, the fact that his voice sounds unique and isn’t over used for film narration means that he cannot be addressed or compared to another actor, a problem which Dreamworks were known for in the past. How to Train Your Dragon actually started out as a 2003 book by Cressida Cowell. The mixture of love between Hicucp and the Night Fury and the on-going battle for admiration by his father played by Gerard Butler rebounds and compliments itself so well that the film will bring upon a mix of emotions ending on a real high for the audience.

Animation is once again superb, with Viking characters having realistic hair that could be passed off as real and the Dragons featured in the film also had a realness about them, whether it be the Teflon like skin of the Night Fury for instance. Some of the film runs at a frenetic pace and whilst we never saw it in 3D we could see how certain moments would of benefitted from paying the extra price, however an additional £7.00 simply isn’t worth any additional immersion. Another area we really loved about the film is the creation of the Dragons themselves, they are quirky, colourful and all have their strengths and weaknesses that Hiccup manages to utilise inside the Dragon Arena. You could see how this movie will transcend into a video game and hopefully we’ll get to review the game to round off our coverage. To celebrate the release of the game we were actually invited to a press event regarding the game released by Activision where we got to see Kimodo Dragons up close and personal. Whether you see the twin headed Zippleback or the sight of a Gronckle you are never left believing that the additional characters are a simple after thought.

The friendship shows

How to Train Your Dragon is a real surprise movie and isn’t done justice by it’s trailer. You are actually going to get not only an engaging plotline, but an entertaining experience from start to finish that warms your heart to its very core. Dreamworks and especially director Dean Deblois (Lilo & Stitch) has done a magnificent job and in many ways have surpassed last years animated blockbuster UP. Do yourself a favour and make sure you check this movie out before it finishes it’s run at the cinema, it is truely worth it!

Part 1

Part 2 & Closure

Growing up, every child has their favourite toy which they religiously play with, lovingly keeping by their side and cherish for many years. Little do the children know though that the toys have personalities of their own and spring to life Everytime humans leave the room; at least this is the case in Pixar’s legendary film Toy Story, released way back in 1995.

Young Andy’s favourite toy is a confident and slightly arrogant cowboy called Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks). Woody has the utmost respect of all the other toys living in the bedroom, being their friend and leader at the same time. This all changes though when Andy’s birthday comes around and he receives an ultra-cool new toy called Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen). Buzz is a space ranger who has tons of nifty features such as wings, a laser attached to his arm and voice-activating buttons. Andy and the other toys begin favouring Buzz over Woody, bringing out the cowboys jealous side and forcing him to hatch a plan to eliminate the toy from the bedroom so he can once again rule the roost. However, the suspicious Mr. Potato Head, Rex the dinosaur and Slinky the dog, along with the other toys witness the incident and accuse Woody of murdering Buzz. To clear his name and gain the respect of the toys back, Woody must go on an adventure to find Buzz and bring him safely back to the house.

Toy Story was one of the first animated films to be released and captured the imagination of children all over the world. Full of likeable characters and fun filled jokes, the story is also a character in the film and provides the important morals of friendship to the children watching. Don’t be mistaken though, Toy Story isn’t just to be enjoyed by children as it has captivated millions of adults around the world, including myself. Millions of pounds and dollars have been made through Buzz Lightyear and Woody merchandise such as the toys featured in the film themselves, lunch boxes, pencil cases etc… Toy Story has without a doubt been inspiration to many animated films that have followed over the years as it proved there was a huge market audience for animated films.

The Pixar crew did a great job in animating the characters and bringing the world alive in the film. Everything looks so natural and each toy moves in their own, significant way.  You will struggle to find a recent animated film that surpasses the quality of Toy Story, and this is an incredible feat when you consider the film was released 15 years ago! The film also contains a great soundtrack which was nominated for an Oscar, along with the films main song “You’ve got a friend” which fits perfectly with the theme and mood of the film. The whole cast provide solid voice acting performances and you can tell how passionate they all were for the project; particularly Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. The cohesion between these 2 characters is remarkable and works extremely well on film.

Like all other Pixar Blu-rays, Toy Story looks jaw-dropping on Blu-ray and easily ranks amongst the best animated picture quality discs out there; especially when you consider the film was released in 1995. Disney and Pixar spared no detail when animating and putting the final touches to the film, and this can be seen via the stunning amount of detail present. Whether it be the Rex the dinosaurs skin, Woody’s shiny hat, the lounges detailed chair or the solid and predominant colours, you are sure to be amazed and highly satisfied and I can confidently say this is by far the best Toy Story has ever looked.

I personally don’t tend to watch special features but was intrigued as to what Pixar had to offer after falling in love with the film. Firstly, there is a bunch of special features exclusive to this special edition Blu-ray release. These include a sneak peak view of Toy Story 3 which will be released at cinemas on June 18^th, Audio Commentary you can listen to while watching the film, and some entertaining “Studio Stories” where Pixar employs hand-draw some humorous real life stories that occurred during the making off the film. All of these features are presented in High Definition. To compliment these Blu-ray exclusive features, all of the special features from original DVD are also available, but unfortunately only in Standard Definition. These features include the making of Toy Story, Deleted Scenes, The Legacy of Toy Story etc and all of these features combine to provide a solid offering and one that Toy Story fans can be pleased with.

To conclude, you must have Toy Story in your Blu-ray collection if you have the slightest interest in animation films, or even just stunning picture quality Blu-rays. The movie itself is a masterpiece. Chuck in some entertaining Special Features and you have a must-own Blu-ray! Highly Recommended.

Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton) 2010 Film Review (Audio) Can’t see the audio player? Use IE8 for optimal viewing.

Galactic theatre of war, but without emotion

For me Valentines Day is nothing more than a hallmark holiday created by card and chocolate conglomerates to make the single more depressed, raise the one night stand and STD infection rates and generally try and make existing couples come together for the day and throw money at the cinema, as a means of a romantic afternoon with a film and some food. Does it work? Absolutely, however there is a small problem. The cinemas on the day of cupid are always desperately packed to the rafters with people watching shit chic-flicks for a bite of romance. Fortunately Battle for Terra saved our skins. I went and saw this flick in 3D with my partner. Is it romantic? No! Thank goodness for that. I must mention before we continue the review that the prices to see 3D movies have gone up in Vue cinemas, I’m not happy. It costed £20.00 in total to see this movie and no movie ever made is worth £20.00 to watch it once, not even District 9.

When the peaceful inhabitants of the beautiful planet Terra come under attack from the last surviving members of humanity adrift in an aging spaceship, the stage is set for an all-out war between the two races for control of the planet. But will an unlikely friendship between a rebellious young Terrian (voiced by Evan Rachel Wood) and an injured human pilot (Luke Wilson) somehow convince their leaders that war is not the answer?

A CG-animated science fiction action adventure, Battle for Terra is directed by Aristomenis Tsirbas (The Freak, Terra) from a screenplay by Evan Spiliotopoulos (The Jungle Book 2) and Tsirbas. The film is voiced by an all-star cast including Evan Rachel Wood (The Wrestler, Down in the Valley), Luke Wilson (3:10 to Yuma, Blades of Glory), Brian Cox (Zodiac, The Bourne Supremacy), David Cross (Kung Fu Panda, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Justin Long (He’s Just Not That Into You, Zack and Miri Make a Porno), Amanda Peet (Syriana, A Lot Like Love), Dennis Quaid (Vantage Point, Far From Heaven), Chris Evans (Push, Sunshine), James Garner (The Notebook, Space Cowboys), Danny Glover (Shooter, The Royal Tenenbaums), Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Alien: Resurrection) and Danny Trejo (Halloween, Grindhouse). The film is produced by Keith Calder (The Wackness, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane), Ryan Colucci, Dane Allan Smith (TankUp.US, Terra) and Jessica Wu, with original music by Abel Korzeniowski (Metropolis). The film’s editors are J. Kathleen Gibson and Jim May.

Living in perfect harmony in gravity-defying cities above the clouds, the inhabitants of the planet Terra are complete strangers to war. So when Terra is invaded by human beings fleeing a civil war and environmental catastrophe, many of the Terrians at first welcome the invaders as gods. Only the feisty young Mala (Evan Rachel Wood) fights back, luring one of the invading spacecrafts to destruction after her father is abducted, then rescuing its pilot—a human named Jim (Luke Wilson).

In return for saving his life, Jim promises to help Mala find her father, taking her on a perilous journey to the Ark—the humans’ aging mother ship. Along the way, Mala and Jim learn that their people really aren’t so different from one another. But with the Earthforce army poised to invade Terra and render it uninhabitable for Terrians, Mala and Jim must find a way to help the two races coexist—before it’s too late.

I don’t do film synopsis’s too well, I hate to talk about the plotline and rather the press release do it as at last I talked about the finer details of a film’s story I completely ruined it for those that read the review. Battle for Terra is, generally an enjoyable film. It won’t win any Oscars for narrative nor will it win any prizes for cutting edge animation however in places it looks gorgeous in 3D and the organic based world is most certainly interesting to say the least. The Terrians world is certainly interesting with flying whales, bowl shaped community spaces and high rise earthy living spaces. As for the characters themselves this is where the lack of animated punch is evident, the Terrians lack any real detail to their species and the humans are very generic orientated with edged faces, big chins and general stereotyped military attire and physique.

However, despite its lack of visual polish compared to some of Dreamworks releases in 2009. The voice acting is just as good and doesn’t have a cast with distinguished voices that take your attention away from the movie. I also found that the film doesn’t try to appeal to adults either and because there isn’t any popular culture references it genuinely feels like this space epic is taking place so Tsirbas should be applauded for that. That is one of my gripes over the last 3 years, too many films try and make the film appeal to adverts by dropping in some textual references only adults will find funny. Why? I just don’t see the point! It detracts from the world you are setting these characters in.

All in all then Battle for Terra is an enjoyable film, but don’t expect it to set the world alight, the cinema we watched it had around 4 other people in, which we quite liked because it was quiet and you could pick your seat at leisure without the waft of cheese laden nachos towards your nose. The ending to this movie is perhaps a little disappointing, there isn’t any dialogue after the battle and whilst the outcome is positive, I would have liked to have seen the some delegation between the Terrians and the Humans themselves. Worth a rent when it comes out on DVD.

Part 2