Snow White and the Huntsman

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlise Theron, Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost.
Director: Rupert Sanders

I must admit, I'm really over the whole Twilight, Kristen Stewart, Rob Pattinson mania. There's nothing special about any of it. Yes, I do like the Twilight movies, and I will see the final one, but unlike the Harry Potter franchise, I am not sad to see it end. Unfortunately, it will be replaced with something else for the hormone fueled masses to go stupidly insane over. Let's hope it's not this.

When this first reared it's head, it came at the same time as another "Snow White" movie called "Mirror Mirror". I haven't seen this supposedly light hearted, comedic take on the classic fairy tale, but I can only imagine that these two movies are worlds apart.

Snow White and the Huntsman is a very dark, medieval telling of the sweet girl who loses everything and becomes the target of her evil step mother due to her being prettier than anyone else in the kingdom. Cue dwarves, cute singing animals helping with the housework, hi ho, hi ho, you know the rest.

This was so well done that I can't even begin to describe it. Charlise Theron is exceptionally well cast as the vain and incredibly nasty Ravenna, who finds her way into the castle of King Magnus and his beautiful daughter, Snow White, who are still grieving for the loss of a wife and mother.

When King Magnus is murdered by his rather vain new wife, Snow White is locked in a tower and almost forgotten until the day that she comes of age and the new Queen can no longer ignore the power of her beauty, inside and out.

Enter 'The Huntsman', played by our very own Chris Hemsworth. Not sure about the vague Scottish accent that he's using, but he was still pretty good. He is employed by the Queens rather freakish albino brother, Finn,  to find Snow White after she escapes the tower and heads for the Black Forest.

The CG here was amazing and on the big screen, a little frightening for younger viewers. This is definately one for the older teens and adults, not younger kids.

Thus Snow Whites adventure with the Huntsman begins when he discovers just who she is and why the Queen wants her. He vows to protect her and lead her to safety.

Along the way we meet the dwarves. Yes, the dwarves are in here, and to me, this was the most impressive make up, CG, casting throughout the whole movie. Name like Ray Winstone, Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost, Ian McShane and Toby Jones are transformed into 8 very gruff and rather dangerous looking dwarves and not a Dopey among them!

The gorgeous forest that the dwarves inhabit was amazing. The CG here was very similar to that of the garden that Alice finds herself in at the beginning of Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland, with blinking mushrooms and cute forest animals everywhere. It was truly magical. The scene where Snow White meets the White Stag is beautifully done.

The music set the scene throughout the movie and the costumes were just spectacular. Oscar winner Colleen Atwood has done a gorgeous job once again. It's no wonder this woman is in high demand, especially for fantasy films like this.

As I type, I have just discovered that they have announced a sequel. Not sure how I feel about it, but they certainly ended it in a way that they could continue the story. Where they would take it I don't know, but I'm willing to go along for the ride if it's as good as this was.

Thoroughly enjoyable, highly recommend for those who love to escape into fantasy for a couple of hours and not take it too seriously.

Brave

Brave

Starring: Kelly McDonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Kevin McKidd, and every other Scottish actor in the business except Gerard Butler. :P
Director: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell

I've been busting to see this ever since I first saw the trailer some months back. If it's Scottish or remotely celtic in anyway, I'm generally a sucker for it and this didn't dissapoint.


Merida is a wild child and is bursting at the seems to be free from the constraints of her mother, Queen Elinor, who has groomed her from an early age to be a Princess. But Merida is more like her father in so many way, strong, fierce and independant and hungry for adventure

But her sense of adventure leads her to the cottage of a witch in the woods who leads Merida into thinking a spell will change her fate, but things obviously go horribly wrong and that's where the real adventure begins.

Set in the Highlands of Scotland, the music alone transports you to one of the most magical places I can imagine, and it has made me hungier for our trip!

The colour from the very beginning is rich and mystical and our heroine, Princess Merida, takes centre stage with her flaming red and unkempt hair.

The celtic knots and kilts were fantastic and hearing such legendary voices as Billy Connolly as King Fergus was the icing on the cake for me.

My husband and son didn't like it because they believe that Pixar has gone downhill and just can't get that magic back..............I disagree.

This movie was truly magical for me, be it Pixar or not. The scene where she stands amongst the stone circle for the first time was amazing and I'm glad I saw it on the big screen.

But, as with all my movie reviews, they are MY opinion and everyone has different taste. I recommend this movie for all ages though as it was truly wonderful.

J.Edgar v's The Iron Lady

J. Edgar
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer and Naomi Watts
Director: Clint Eastwood

The Iron Lady
Starring: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant, Tony Head and Harry Lloyd
Director: Phyllida Lloyd

Watching two biopics in one week was a huge stretch for me, especially ones with such hugely political figures. I really don't like politicians or the politics behind running a country. It's nasty, plain and simple. But both of these people have such a huge history attached to them and there has been such buzz about both movies that I decided I should watch them.

First up, The Iron Lady.

From the moment I saw Meryl Streep in make up for this role, I was intrigued. She looked absolutely amazing and what a transformation. Meryl Streep is an amazing actress and should be very proud of the body of work she has produced over the years, including this movie. Did I like the movie? No, not really.

I know very little of Margaret Thatcher or her role in British Politics, but was told that this movie was worth watching for Meryls' performance alone. This movie is more about her rise to the seat of the first female Prime Minister in Britain and her relationship with her husband, Dennis Thatcher than her life in general. It paints a very sad picture of a lonely old lady who is almost forgotten by the country she served, locked away in a house with a personal assistant, entertaining hallucinations of her deceased husband.


Quite frankly, the story itself was rather boring. It never quite engages the watcher enough to keep you interested. It chops and changes from a young Margaret Roberts to a frail and elderly Margaret Thatcher struggling with the onset of dementia.

The best thing about this movie was, without a doubt, the performance put in by Meryl Streep. The accent is perfect, the make up in incredible and it was most definatley an Oscar worth performance, but this doesn't make it an Oscar worthy movie.

Unless you know a lot about British Politics and the subject matter interests you, I would skip this one.



J. Edgar


Like Margaret Thatcher, I knew very little about the iconic FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover. I knew that he was supposedly a cross dresser and that he was responsible for the setting up of the Federal Bureau of Investigation as we know it today, and that's about it.

Straight up we see Leonardo DiCaprio in age make up as the very seasoned J. Edgar Hoover. Once again, the make up department have done a fantastic job, but unlike Meryl Streep, DiCaprio has trouble aging his voice. As soon as he opens his mouth, the voice of a much younger man is heard rather than the older person you see on screen.


Directed by Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood, this is a very gentle look at John Edgar Hoover. It also chops and changes from young Edgar to old Edgar and we never really see his childhood or what led him to be interested in what he would become famous for in later years.

The movie centres around the  case of "The Lindberg Baby" and the infamous kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh Jnr in 1932, 20 month old son of the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh.

It also tells us of the relationship that Hoover built with 8 different Presidents and the secrets that he kept on each one, and of the friendship between him and Clyde Tolson, the man who was his constant companion and rumoured lover right up until the day he died.

Plenty is implied about J. Edgar Hoovers sexuality and Eastwood handles it in a tasteful and respectful way. Being a homosexual in that era was very much frowned upon and Edgar doesn't want to displease his mother, played by Dame Judi Dench, who refuses to have a 'daffodil' for a son.

DiCaprio does a wonderful job, very similar to his role as Howard Hughes in "The Aviator". There is no way you can call this man an 'up and coming' actor anymore. He has more than established himself as a fantastic actor who can adapt to many roles.

This was much less boring than The Iron Lady, but I certainly didn't love it by any means. However, I would recommend this one above Meryl Streeps efforts just because it is Clint Eastwood and very well done.



Dryspell

So it's been a while since I posted, but mainly because I haven't watched anything worth talking about.

I saw "The Avengers" again yesterday and it's still my current favourite movie. A movie should take you to a place where you forget anything that may be stressing you out and this movie has the ability to remove me from all the frustration that currently surrounds me and just allow me to enjoy life for 2 hours. It is what we call a 'popcorn' film. Of course, getting my Loki fix was the main reason for seeing it again, and boy did I get my Loki fix. Weeeeeeeeeee!! I'll survive for another week or so now. :)

We did also watch "Young Adult" with Charlize Theron and Patrick Wilson and I really was so unimpressed by it all. The trailers looked great and very promising, but the reality of the situation was that Diablo Cody is a one hit wonder and will probably never get the same success she got from "Juno". It was almost embarrasing to watch and Charlize Theron was not at all convincing as someone who has depression. She was just a deluded bitch really. Don't recommend this one at all.

Also in the last few days, a teaser trailer has emerged for "Les Miserables" with Anne Hathaway singing 'I dreamed a dream' and while the images themselves are powerful, I'm not convinced she is the perfect Fontine. Check it out below.

I am still very much looking forward to seeing this movie though and am sure, like the stage show, I will be a complete mess as I watch.

The MTV Movie Awards have just been shown for 2012 and every year they cement to me what a joke some awards shows are. I used to love watching the MTV Movie Awards because they were more light hearted than the Oscars, but they have become a complete slave to teenage hormones and nothing that actually deserves to win does. It was all about "The Hunger Games" this year, and I'm  more convinced than ever that this is the new "Twilight". I guess it's a sign I'm getting older, (40 today infact. LOL), and less tolerant of people pandering to the fickle teenage market.
There are still so many movies I really want to see, but actually seeing them at the cinema is expensive so I have to wait for DVD release. Look out for the following reviews from me.
Dark Shadows
My Week with Marilyn
J. Edgar
50/50
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Snow White and the Huntsman
The Woman in Black
Brave

I'm sure there will be lots more, but these are the ones that come to mind.
Thanks for reading guys and sorry for the lapse in posts. :)