Putting the rock into Ragnarok!

 Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Director: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Karl Urban, Anthony Hopkins.

 

From the moment director Taika Waitit was announced to helm the third installment in the God of Thunder franchise, we all knew we were in for a different take on our golden tressed hero. Taika, native of our neighbours to the east, is best known for his use of satire and humour in movies like What We Do in the Shadows, Eagle Vs Shark and most recently, the surprise hit Hunt for the Wilderpeople. This was not going to be like any other Thor movie that had come before.

Anyone that knows me knows what a big fan I am of Thors more mischievous adopted brother Loki. I ate up all the interviews on morning television and evening news, soaking up the love and adoration that they received while filming some of the movie in the city of Brisbane.

It was exciting to think that we had such a huge blockbuster being filmed on home soil! Fans lined the streets and watched on while scenes were filmed, Thor in casual clothes and Loki in a black suit, sporting his slightly longer unkempt black locks. How did any of this fit into the new story? What was going on? 

On October 11 this year, the cast and director assembled for the world premiere in Hollywood. Thanks to Mark Ruffalo, the first ten minutes audio was live streamed on his Instagram. Saving myself from spoilers, I was having too much fun listening to Mark giggling at the film to notice any of the dialogue that was happening.

Well, finally, on Friday night, the LONG wait was over and my family and I finally got to see the kiwi take on Thor. We weren't disappointed. SPOILERS AHEAD

The opening scene sees Thor talking to a skeleton in a cage, while chained up. He is suddenly released from the cage, and is left dangling in a hell like cave with an enemy of Asgard, long thought defeated, prattling on about how he is going to bring about the end of days to Asgard to get his revenge.

Eventually, after escaping, Thor makes his way back to Asgard, where, unbeknownst to Thor, his brother has been running things in the guise of Odin. Odin reclines lazily on a lounge, while watching a play about the trials of Loki. Keep an eye out for the performers, especially those that play Thor, Loki and Odin. My husband had trouble recognising them, but I knew who they were straight away and I ended up with tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard. But Thor sees through Lokis tricks and eventually outs his brother, leaving Asgardians very unhappy as to who has been in charge of them all this time and where their actual King is.

Thor and Loki then travel to Earth in search of Odin, but finds only a pile of rubble where Loki believed him to be. (This is the scene they filmed in Brisbane and takes approximately 3 minutes of screen time!). Not long after they find themselves in Norway where they find Odin reflecting on his legacy and all that will befall Asgard and his sons when he is gone. He warns them of the greatest threat to Asgard, a secret that he has kept  hidden for many years, in the form of Hela, Goddess of Death (played by Cate Blanchett) and warns them not to take her threat lightly.

Thor and Loki manage to escape Helas wrath, only to find themselves on the planet of Sakaar, a gladiator planet of trash and slavery, ruled over by The Grand Master (played by Jeff Goldblum, as only Goldblum can). Loki ends up on the right side of The Grand Master, but poor Thor is captured by a bounty hunter, (Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie), and forced to fight in the ring with the Grand Master Champion.

Here we are introduced to the rock monster Korg and his friend Meek, who have fought in the arena for a long time. Korg is voiced by none other than Taika himself, and he brings his own brand of kiwi humour into the character. Taika himself has said he wanted to have a character in the movie based on a bouncer from Auckland. The results are hilarious and Korg fast became my favourite character in the film (besides Loki!).

Thor is given a hair cut (by a rather famous barber!) before he is thrown into the arena where he soon learns his opponent, is "a friend from work!" Enter The Hulk, whose CGI face resembles Mark Ruffalo more than ever before! I absolutely loved the scenes in Hulks bedroom. We were lucky enough to see the bed at the Marvel exhibition in Brisbane. 

The two soon find themselves hatching a plan to get off the planet, escaping with the help of Valkyrie, Loki, Korg and a few of his friends.

They arrive on Asgard just as Hela discovers that Heimdall (Idris Elba reprising his role as the guardian of the gate), has hidden the majority of Asgardians in the ancient caves in the mountains and the battle begins.

This was, overall, a really fun movie, and a very different movie from what we've seen previously. It is very reminiscent of Guardians of the Galaxy with it's humour and use of bright colours. My only issue was the flippancy with which certain deaths were handled and not seeing Thors reaction to them. A little more character background would have been good. While I read somewhere that The Grand Master is actually the brother of The Collector (Benicio Del Toro in Thor:The Dark World and Guardians of the Galaxy), it is not mentioned in the film at all. I'm not sure it would have changed anything, but it would have given a bit more background into who the sort of person the Grand Master was.

Of course, being a Marvel film, you have to stay for the end credits, with two scenes. One is after the main character credits, and the other is at the end of the credits. All I will leave you with is what I said to my husband at the end of the first end credits scene with Loki and Thor. "Is that a teseract in Lokis pocket or is he just happy to see his brother?" *wink wink*

 

Rebooting The Universal Monster universe, take one.......SNAP!

The Mummy (2017)
Director: Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Sofia Boutella

Most Friday nights, our family head off to the cinema to see the latest offering. Usually it's something the whole family can see, even though our 17 year old son is rarely with us as he's at that age where we're too embarrassing to be seen with. A few weeks ago, I was excited to see Tom Cruises latest offering, in a reboot of the Universal Monsters franchise, with The Mummy.

The trailer for this had me interested, curious and a bit skeptical all at the same time. I loved the Brendan Fraser versions of The Mummy, and I think a lot of people were annoyed that they were remaking something that was so recent. But when you read the numerous articles and the interviews that are out there, the furthest thing from their minds was remaking the Brendan Fraser version. This was a reboot of the 1932 Boris Karloff version, or more a reboot of the Universal Monster movies as it were. It was meant to start with Dracula Untold, the 2014 movie starring Luke Evans as our Carpathian Count, but sadly, it was a flop. So they called in the big guns and brought Tom Cruise on board. I like Cruise, not a fan of his personal life, but more his work ethic and generally most of what he puts out there. Let's face it, the guy can do action better than most and he's not a spring chicken anymore. So a Mummy movie, with Tom Cruise as the main character..........sure, I'll give it a go.

Three Fridays ago, there wasn't much else on, so we decided to bite the bullet and take our 12 year old to see this as well. She was a bit worried it would be scary, but she ended up really enjoying it.

Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) and fellow mercenary Chris Vail (Jake Johnson) find themselves in war torn country looking for treasure. What they uncover is a mystery that brings more than either of them bargained for.

When Nick accidentally awakens the imprisoned and cursed Egyptian Princess Ahmanet, (brilliantly played by Sofia Boutella) he and Vail are taken on an action packed adventure with archaeologist Jenny Walsey (Annabelle Wallis) which sees them smack bang in the middle of London. Walsey works for a secret organisation called Prodigyum, headed by Dr Henry Jekyll (Russell Crowe) and so the Mummy is captured and taken to their headquarters to be studied. But Ahmanets desire for revenge and chaos has festered during her years of imprisonment and she sets her sights on Nick as her future King and partner.

The special effects were basic, but well done. The acting is not exactly Oscar worthy, and I do think at times the actors are playing themselves rather than their characters. But the action sequences are awesome and the stand out for me is definitely Sofia Boutella as Princess Ahmanet. Her make up is gorgeous and the intensity she gives the role is exactly what is needed.

Russell Crowes character falls slightly short for me, and I questioned why they would bring a character as famous as Dr Jekyll into a movie that centers on another famous monster. I'm not saying I disliked his character, but I disliked the fact that they put him in this movie. It took away from the Ahmanets story, which should be been more developed than it was. It felt to me like they had tried to cram too much into the first movie of what they hope will be a series of reboots. 

There were was one little nod, or Easter Egg if you like,  to the Brendan Fraser version, with the inclusion of The Book of Amun Ra. It is prominently displayed on the shelf in the library at Prodigyum. During a fight sequence, the book is picked up and one of the guards is hit over the head with it. I noticed it straight away, but only because it has a distinct star shape on the front.

The ending felt very rushed, and although we know there are plans for further movies, I think it will depend on how this is received in the long run. If the reviews on IMDB are anything to go by, the reboot is doomed. But my suggestion is to take out your brain before you press play, and just enjoy it for what it is, a fun, action movie that you don't have to think too much about.

You're a wonder, Wonder Woman!

Wonder Woman (2017)
Director: Patty Jenkins
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis

It seems to have taken forever for this to hit the big screen from when we first heard that they were working on a film. I remember seeing different actresses in manipulated photos wearing the infamous red blue and gold costume that made Lynda Carter so famous, and wondering who would fill those marvelous Amazonian boots to perfection.

Well, they found the perfect Glamazon in Israeli born Gal Gadot. What a stunning looking woman. From the moment she graces the screen, she grabs your attention. This is a woman to be revered, worshipped and admired. 

I saw this with my daughter, two of her friends and some incredible women that I volunteer for a charity with. Just looking at the face of my 12 year old daughter watching intently at every move Gal Gadot made, was fantastic. She will become the idol of millions of young girls. 

The movie starts in modern day Paris, with Diana Prince on her way to the Louvre where she receives a delivery of a photo from Bruce Wayne. The sepia photo depicts Wonder Woman flanked by four men.

Before long we are led to a seemingly perfect island known as Themyscira, which was created by the Gods of Olympus. This island is inhabited by a race of Warrior Women, ruled by Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen). Diana, daughter of the Queen, looks on longingly as her Aunt Antiope (brilliantly portrayed by Robyn Wright) trains the women in the ways of war. The island is shielded from the outside world, to protect it's borders and the inhabitants of the island from the threat of man. As Diana grows, she trains in secret with her Aunt, and eventually becomes the fiercest among the warriors. But when Captain Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), crashes a German plane on the island, Diana dives into the ocean to save him. He finds himself on a beach surrounded by women, and tries to convince them to let him return to the War. Upon hearing of the atrocities that are being committed, Diana is convinced that Ares, the God of War, is behind the whole thing and she is determined to stop him.

Against her mothers wishes, Diana accompanies Steve to London, in the last weeks of World War 1, where she discovers he is a spy on a mission to find where the enemy is making a rumored new weapon that could have potentially devastating consequences. There are moments of humour as Steve and his secretary struggle to cover the obviously alien Diana, taking her to a department store to get her some more appropriate clothes. But the humour is blended in well with the darkness and bleakness of war torn London. 

The action sequences are stunningly choreographed, especially the Amazonian training sessions. Their sweeping leg kicks are graceful and deadly. The most intense and powerful scene comes when Diana steps onto the Front in France, where she is faced with the true horror of it all. The moment she climbs up that ladder is just breathtaking.

The most emotional moment in the movie comes towards the end when men, who moments before had been trying to kill one another, stand on an airfield comforting each other. It made me wonder exactly what these brave men would have felt as the War came to an end, how would they look upon fellow man who had been the enemy for so many years.

DC have definitely outdone themselves with the introduction of this popular heroine, and I have nothing but intense excitement now, as we wait for the release of the Justice League movie.

See this one with the strong, female influences in your life, it is truly empowering....................

Pirates of the Caribbean 5: Dead Men Tell no Tales (aka: Jacks back baby!)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell no Tales (2017)
Director: Joachim Ronning, Espen Sandberg
Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem, David Wenham

Wow! Who would have thought, all those years ago, that a two minute ride in Disneyland could spawn five feature length movies!
I've read varied comments surrounding the fifth installment of the franchise, some saying it's awful, some boycotting because of Johnny Depps personal problems, some just over the whole franchise. For me personally, I always ignore what I read, regardless of whether it's good or bad, and I go out and see it for myself. This was well worth the wait.

Fourteen years later, and Johnny is still delivering the goods. The story for this one revolves around young Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), who just happens to be the son of Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and the cursed Captain of the Flying Dutchman, Wil Turner (Orlando Bloom). Henry wants his Dad back and tries desperately to find something that will break the curse, allowing his Dad to break free and come back to land permanently.

While searching for an end to the curse, Henry meets young Carina Smyth, a budding astronomer, also searching for something by following the diary of her unknown father.

Before long the two cross paths with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, and the adventure begins.
Henry faces off with Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), a Spaniard who leads a crew of the damned. Salazar blames Sparrow for their demise and is out to seek revenge. Javiers makeup is absolutely amazing, even though there is a huge amount of CG incorporated as well, it just works. He is downright creepy.

A fantastic cameo by Sir Paul McCartney, in full pirate regalia, and great to see most of the original Black Pearl crew back on board with Gibbs, Scrum and Marty.

We really enjoyed the whole movie. We laughed, we cried and we wanted to know where all the rum had gone! If you're curious, go out and see it, don't listen to anyone that tells you it's not worth it. Everyone has a different opinion and completely different taste when it comes to what is entertaining. 

A long time between posts.........let's start with some rollicking good old King Arthur Fun

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law, Djimon Hounsou, Eric Bana

Where do I start? How about by apologising for the huge, okay enormous, gap inbetween proper reviews. I have been battling some health issues for a couple of years now and the thought of sitting down and concentrating on a huge review kind of didn't appeal. However, after having a major operation in January of this year, I'm back baby!!!

And what a movie to start my full length reviews again. King Arthur:Legend of the Sword. For as long as I can remember, the myth and legend surrounding King Arthur has always fascinated me. I think it started with watching the musical Camelot with my Mum. Let's face it, it's the stuff of legend, the kind of swoony love story that has it all. Dashing knights, beautiful castles, damsels in distress and an evil sorceress thrown in for good measure. Now when one hears the words King Arthur, several characters spring to mind, Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, Guinevere, Uther and a few others. 

When you go to see this version of the Arthurian legend..............forget everything you know. Leave it at the cinema doors, this is not the stuff of text book myth. This is Guy Ritchie at his finest, putting a twist on things in a way only he can. 

When we first meet Arthur, he is but a boy, whose father, King Uther (Eric Bana), and mother Igraine share the infamous Camelot with the Kings brother Vortigen (Jude Law) and his family. All is well until the evil sorcerer Mordred rises in power and brings the kingdom to it's knees.

Fast forward many years later, and Vortigan has become King and seeks out the nephew, known as the Born King. 

Charlie Hunnam is absolutely brilliant as the adult Arthur. I can't fault his performance and for me, he was the stand out in the whole film. Seeing him struggle with the knowledge that only he can wield the legendary sword is heartbreaking, but so well done. 

The supporting cast are also brilliant. Many familiar faces for those of us who watch Game of Thrones and other medieval movies/tv series. Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) pops up, as does Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton) and Katie McGrath (Morgana from Merlin). There is one other cameo that I won't mention, because it's just too funny when he appears on screen to spoil.

This is classic Guy Ritchie genius. The soundtrack is gritty and fits perfectly with the period. The locations were perfect, mainly Wales and Scotland, transporting us back to the darker days of the 12th Century. There are definite Richieisms, (I made that word up, but I think it fits well!) in his use of humor and camera work.

This is edge of your seat, not too gory, but definitely gripping storytelling. Our 12 year old daughter came with us, and absolutely loved it. I can't wait to hear if there will be a sequel, I'd pay to see one that's for sure!!

Thank you for letting us glimpse the Arthurian Legend as seen by your brain Mr Ritchie.

The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies

The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies (2014)
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Richard Armitage, Ian McKellan, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Aidan Turner, Evangeline Lily, Orlando Bloom, Lee Pace, Manu Bennet.

The final installment has finally landed. This has been touted as the final journey to Middle Earth, but can Peter Jackson resist the temptation to show us even MORE of New Zealand? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

In the meantime, this is what I thought of the final installment of The Hobbit. SPOILERS AHEAD. 

Having watched the Extended edition of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug the night before, we were well prepared for this. It wasted no time picking up where the last movie left off, with the rather annoyed Golden Dragon flying towards the aptly named Lake Town, hell bent on....well, desolation really. 

Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans) really rises up and takes charge in the first moments of the movie, fulfilling his destiny of finally taking down the one thing that his ancestor failed to do with the Black Arrow, but this leaves the people of Lake Town without a home and they eventually make their way to the shores of the Long Lake and look to Bard to lead them. With the help of others, they make their way to the ruins of Dale, the city that was destroyed by Smaug the terrible when the Kingdom under the Mountain was taken by the gold loving dragon years before. 

 In the meantime, Gandalf continues his ordeal with the Necromancer of Dol Guldur, until he is aided by the Lady Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), Lord Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Saruman (Christopher Lee) and Radagast (Sylvester McCoy). I really enjoyed this scene, the tenderness that Galadriel shows Gandalf was really well done, and awesome to see Christopher Lee one last time.

All the while, we have Thorin Oakenshield, poor conflicted, angry, not as stumpy as a dwarf should be Thorin. How I love him. I really loved Richard Armitage's portrayal of Thorin, despite die hard Tolkien fans saying he was too young and too tall, I thought he was great. To me, Thorin was meant to be a younger dwarf, broody and mysterious, and that's how Richard played him.

Anyway, I digress. So the Arkenstone and the gold has cast it's spell on poor Thorin, and the rest of the dwarves and Bilbo are a wee bit put out by his behaviour, walling himself into the mountain and not letting anyone in to see him because he thinks they're all there to steal the gold. Hence when Bard approaches with Thranduill (Lee Pace), to make a deal with him, he goes a bit whacko and yells taunts from atop the wall at the entrance to the mountain halls.

Not too far away, a rather sizable army of Orcs is on it's way to kill the dwarves, end humankind and basically wreak havoc. (they REALLY don't like men, except on toast).

And then we come to the title of the movie, The Battle of Five Armies. I really didn't like the title, but I guess it's kind of obvious what the movie is about and I can't really think of another title to be honest.

In a brillant piece of casting, Billy Connolly leads the Dwarf army as Dain, Thorins cousin,  on a nasty looking hog. (no, not the motorbike, an actual hog)

Thranduill leads the elves on his magnificent stag, never breaking a sweat, hair always perfect, joining the dwarf army to help defeat the orcs. 

After Thorin comes to his senses, he leads some of the dwarves up to the battlements where Azog and his Orcs are waiting. This wasn't in the books from memory, but was really well done. Again, I have read reviews stating that these were characters that we never got the chance to care about so it didn't matter what happened to them, but I disagree. The added story of Kili (Aidan Turner) and Tauriel (Evangeline Lily), gave us a bit of romance that you knew was always going to be doomed. 

The final battle between Azog and Thorin is really well done, but be prepared for CG overload. 

Did I cry? Yes, yes I did. Was it because it was the last movie? No, not really. Was it the song by Billy Boyd sung over the end credits? No, it didn't affect me the way I thought it would. Was it because two of my favourites died? A little....but strangely enough, the scene that really made me cry was when Gandalf sits down with Bilbo and cleans out his pipe, packs it, and lights it up. This was exactly what my Dad used to do with his pipe and it brought back a flood of memories for me. 

See it to say goodbye, if for no other reason.

Maleficent

Maleficent (2014)
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning
Director: Robert Stromberg

Angelina Jolie, actress, humanitarian, mother, wife to Brad Pitt and now the person that puts Disney villains up on a pedestal and sets their stories straight. Well that's how I see it anyway.

This movie sets about digging into the emotion behind the villain in Sleeping Beauty and giving the magnificent Maleficent a fairy tale of her own.

When we first meet Maleficent, she is a young girl, full of curiosity and fieriness, living a peaceful life in the enchanted forest kingdom of The Moors. The young actress that plays her is fantastic and never misses a beat. When an intruder comes into her forest in the form of a young farm boy trying to steal something, a friendship begins that lays the mortar for Maleficents story.

Some years down the track, we see Angelina in all her glory as the adult Maleficent, fighting to save her kingdom from King Henry's greed and ignorance. Upon proving herself to be the fierce protector of The Moors, she retreats back into the forest, hoping that King Henry will leave her world alone. But when she meets up with her childhood friend, now a squire to the King, she believes that their relationship can continue, but his heart has other ideas.

 I saw this just after watching Disneys Sleeping Beauty and was so impressed with how well she had researched a two dimensional cartoon villain, bringing her to life in full colour and malevolence.
The combination of make up and computer graphics is well done, even though the computer graphics far outweigh everything else, it is still no-less a magical 97 minute ride.
Elle Fanning was a bit of a let down, and probably not my first choice for Aurora, but she was ok. The movie is about Maleficent after all, not Aurora.

Also impressing, was Sam Riley, as Diaval, the ordinary raven called into service by Maleficent after she is betrayed.

I won't give anything away, as I think this is just one of those movies that should be enjoyed, not spoilt. It is light hearted, and should be taken as such. Removal of brain so as to cease over thinking is probably a must.

Dallas Buyers Club

 Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner
Director: Jean Marc Valee

Ron Woodroff, (an emaciated McConaughey) is a Dallas Rodeo cowboy who lives a life of excess. If he can drink it, snort it, smoke it, inject it or screw it, he will. Set in 1985 at the height of the AIDS epidemic, Woodroff learns that he has contracted the disease through unprotected sex with prostitutes. 

A typical cowboy attitude leads him to believe that only homosexuals can get AIDS and after he collapses and is brought to hospital, the gravity of his situation starts to sink in when he is told he only has 30 days to live.
Hours of research and conversations with a doctor at the hospital (played by Jennifer Garner), lead him to Mexico where he is able to get his hands on AZT,  a non FDA approved drug that helps those with the disease. He soon ends up in a partnership with a transgender woman by the name of Rayon (Jared Leto), and begin to bring the drug into the US illegally, selling memberships to the Dallas Buyers Club. As they are not allowed to sell the drug, they give it away with a hefty membership fee.
But their activity is being monitored and the FDA soon swoop in and do what they can to interrupt Ron and Rayons business dealings.

This movie was always going to cause controversy and divided opinion due to the subject matter and the fact that it's lead, Matthew McConaughey went to dramatic lengths to play the main character. McConaughey lost over 20 kilograms to play the role of real life AIDS victim Woodroff. Matthew ended up winning the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role and after watching this movie, it was well deserved.

I'm a huge Jared Leto fan, have been for quite some time. He is an amazing songwriter,  musician and an underrated actor, until now.  Jared plays a transgender woman called Rayon who is HIV positive and enters into a business deal with Ron to supply as many people as possible with the drugs they need to treat their disease. While Rayon was not a real person, Jared went to incredible lengths to transform himself into Rayon and the results are spectacular. His performance is moving, sassy and incredibly powerful. Jared also won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

This is not a movie for everyone and Ron Woodroff himself was certainly not a nice person by any means, but this is one of those stories that hits you hard and makes you feel for anyone who contracted the disease at a time when it was, (and still is to a certain extent) so misunderstood. 

There's a hole in the world that can't be filled.........

Robin Williams

When I was younger, around 1980, my mother took me to watch Popeye at the State Theatre. It was the first movie I saw with Robin Williams in it. I loved it. I didn't realise at the time that this amazing man was the same person I had laughed at and loved as Mork in one of my favourite television shows Mork and Mindy.

Going through our movie cabinet, I can count 19 of his movies among our collection, my favourites being Patch Adams and Dead Poets Society.

Dead Poets Society affected me more than I thought a movie could and my English teacher, Mr Pattinson, even wrote in my autograph book at the end of Year 12 "Remember the night at Dead Poets Society, and stick to the principles of being true to yourself." I came out of that movie bawling my eyes out and have watched it so many times since.

In Patch Adams, Robin played Hunter S. Adams, a doctor who used laughter as medicine and pushed the idea of a free clinic and treating the patient, not the disease. Another amazing movie that had me not only in tears, but in stitches as well.

Everything I saw him on left me with either tears of joy or tears of sorrow streaming down my face. One of my favourite interviews was with Rove, just hilarious.

What he hid from many was the struggle with himself on a daily basis. Sometimes the people that give us the most joy, are the ones that fight the hardest demons without ever letting on. 

I can't believe he's gone, and I don't want to believe he's gone. I think this week will be filled with Robin Williams DVD's because I need to remember what he left behind. 

Rest in Peace Mork

47 Ronin

47 Ronin (2013)
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano
Director: Carl Rinsch

Keanu Reeves is looking mighty fine for a man who is 50 years of age! But sadly, his acting skills have not improved, but that doesn't stop this from being a decent movie.

I found this to be a cross between Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and The Last Samurai. It had all the fantasy elements of Crouching Tiger and a similar storyline to The Last Samurai but without the intensity.

Keanu plays Kai, a half breed living in ancient Japan when mythical creatures roamed the islands, the Shoguns ruled and Witchcraft was rife. The story centers on the village of Ako and it's leader Lord Asano whose beautiful daughter is in love with the outcast Kai who lives on the outskirts of the village but is loyal to Lord Asano and his Samurai. When the Shogun descends on the village with Lord Kira and his witch Concubine, life takes a turn for the worse for Lord Asano and his Samurai.

Based on the story of 18th century Samurai who avenge their Lord, this film is beautifully shot and the costumes are stunning. While not a particularly powerful film, I did enjoy it for it's scenery and cultural detail.

This rates a 7 out of 10 for me, definitely worth a look.

Vampire Academy

Vampire Academy (2014)
Starring: Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry, Danila Kozlovsky, Gabriel Byrne
Director: Mark Waters

Anyone that knows me, knows how much I love to read and the type of books I love to read as well. Since I was about 12, I have been fascinated by the mythos of the vampire and devoured every book and movie I could get my hands on and continue to do so now.

However, gone are the days of the classic Christopher Lee style Dracula, replaced by sulky teenage vampires who act like spoilt brats and seem to be able to hide among us mere mortals with ease. Oh how I miss Christopher Lee! To say that the cinema popularity of the vampire has exploded is probably an understatement. It has exploded, and then been devoured and vomited back up again.......graphic description I know, but that's how I feel about it.

I read the Twilight books before the movie came out and I did enjoy them and while I did like the movie, it wasn't amazing. I have also read a little series called Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead and thoroughly enjoyed them as well and was very excited to hear that it would be turned into a movie. That was until I saw the casting and began to see the posters. This was marketed terribly and the main character is the worst piece of miscasting since Kevin Costner was cast as Robin Hood.

Rose and Lissa are best friends, but more than that, they are linked through a special bond, formed when Lissa used her powers to save Roses life after a car accident. On the run from their school for a year, the girls are found and dragged back to continue their lives at St Vladimirs, also known as Vampire Academy. Lissa is a Moroi, royal blooded vampires who often wield the power of Fire, Air or Water. Rose is a Dhampir, a blend of human and Moroi who are not vampires but are raised to be the guardians of the Moroi and Dimitri is a Dhampir who trains young guardians to protect Moroi from the Strigoi. What are Strigoi you may ask? Well Strigoi are the bad vampires who kill to eat and have no feelings or cares. With me so far? Ok, so Lissa ends up falling for a Moroi whose parents became Strigoi and were killed, but weird stuff starts to happen to Lissa leaving Rose and their friend Natalie trying to get to the bottom of it all. That's the basic premise of the first book.

After the shocking trailers for this, I was really skeptical about seeing it and skipped seeing it at the movies all together. This could have been a good movie if it weren't for the B-grade acting and the John Hughes wannabe feel to it. I did like the guy they cast as Dimitri so is meant to be tall, handsome, Russian and totally hot, but Rose they just didn't get right for me. She is way too petite in this movie and I always pictured her as a Lara Croft type character who could totally kick your arse with one look.

The locations were pretty good and while they have hinted at a second movie, I'm not sure it will get financial backing after being a massive flop at the box office.

So after all that, what would I rate it? Probably a 5 out of 10. It was better than I had expected, but by no means was it good, it was mediocre and severely lacking in a lot of areas. Give this one a miss entirely and maybe read the books instead.

Frozen

Frozen (2013)
Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Alan Tudyk.
Director: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee

So if you haven't already seen the latest offering from Disney either at the cinemas or on DVD/BluRay, why not??!!

Once again I admit to being skeptical about this Disney release but we were all pleasantly surprised. Our 9 year old daughter was really excited about this and at first we went along begrudgingly. We walked out singing, smiling and laughing.

Supposedly based on Hans Christian Andersons "The Snow Queen", this very family friendly, icy story centers around Anna and her sister Elsa who happen to be the daughters of the King and Queen of Arendelle, a Scandinavian kingdom nestled at the base of rolling green hills.

Since Elsa was young she has been able to manipulate water, freezing it at will, but as she gets older, her powers become unpredictable and when she hurts Anna and their parents die in a ship wreck, Elsa becomes withdrawn and shuts herself away from the world.

When Elsa ascends is due to ascend to the throne, the doors of the castle are thrown open and a ball is to be held for Elsas coronation, but things go wrong and Elsa flees Arendelle in the hopes of never hurting anyone again. But her powers leave the kingdom trapped in an icy winter that only she can reverse.

The songs are very catchy, the sidekicks are funny and cute and the handsome heroes are, well....handsome.

This has all the hallmarks of a classic Disney movie that has every little girl wanting to dress up like Elsa or Anna and many a household across the world echoing with the strains of "Let it Go" and "Do You Want to build a Snowman".

Very likable and thoroughly entertaining.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder..............

After a long absence from updating this page regularly, I thought it was time I get back into it and hopefully hone my writing skills somewhat rather than letting them dwindle away to nothingness.

A few movies have missed out on being reviewed in the last few months, but I will endevour to catch up on a few that made an impression on me.

So what am I looking forward to? Here's a few that I know of.

Guardians of the Galaxy - I must admit to not knowing anything about this Marvel Group at all but the trailers certainly make it appealing.

The Boxtrolls - This just looks way too cute for words, very original and lots of fun. 

Hunger Games: Mockingjay - I am tiring slightly of the franchises like this, but I did enjoy the last one. It will be interesting to see how they deal with Phillip Seymour Hoffmans passing before filming concluded. 

Dracula Untold - Another Dracula remake? Will see this because I LOVE vampire movies and am incredibly curious, but I don't hold much hope for it sadly.












Paddington - Something I loved as a kid. With Colin Firth dropping out as the voice of Paddington, whoever they get to replace him will make or break this.