Jurassic World

          If there was one moral to be taken from the original Jurassic Park trilogy it was that you probably shouldn’t make a theme park containing feral dinosaurs – but should Jurassic World’s director, Colin Trevorrow, have heeded the same advice? The answer, thankfully, is no. This is because although Jurassic World cannot match the sense of wonderment that pervaded the first film, it is still two hours of glorious, popcorn cinema. 

Set 22 years after the first park failed, Isla Nublar is now the world’s premier tourist attraction, with over 20,000 visitors streaming through the gates every day. However, to keep attendance high and board members happy, the team behind the park, headed up by the brisk Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), decide to create a new dinosaur. Yet this is no normal beast. Imbued with a smorgasbord of killer characteristics, I bet you can’t guess what happens.      

As Claire appositely mentions early on, “people aren’t interested in dinosaurs anymore”, and herein lies the struggle for Jurassic World; 22 years ago, seeing a dinosaur brought to life was ground-breaking cinema, but now we see worlds colliding and warmongering aliens on a constant basis. What World manages to do is to showcase its visual splendour with the same dramatic tension that made the original Park so iconic. Indeed, far from being a shadow over all of the film, the original is thankfully only mentioned in passing (watch out for Jeff Goldblum Easter eggs). In this sense, Trevorrow manages to manoeuvre the tight-rope of respect and emulation quite admirably.

The opening to the film does feel ever-so-slightly rushed. It seems that everyone involved was keen to create some loose character dynamics before throwing them into the crucible of a dino-rampage. We have the angsty teen (Zach) and his nerdy brother (Gray) coming from a fragmenting family. There’s straight-laced Claire, shifty doctor Henry Wu and a pretty one-tone villain in the form of Vic Hoskins. Indeed, having seen Vincent D’Onofrio steal the show as Daredevil’s very own big-bad Wilson Fisk (Netflix it ASAP), it’s a shame that he wasn’t given as much creative licence with this role. That’s not to say that he’s a bad character, it’s just the circumstances seemingly necessitated a categorically evil antagonist. I have of course not mentioned Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady, whose character arc seemingly goes from cool to “badass” in one fell swoop. However as is to be expected, the joy in this film comes not from setting up the dominos, but in watching them fall. 
  

And they fall spectacularly. The monster that the lab creates, the Indominous Rex, is one scary lizard, and the chaos it creates is punchy and visceral. Moreover the climatic end to the film features a gloriously air-punch-worthy moment. This was clearly a picture that the SFX and artistic team would have revelled in making. Throughout, the film boasts a gorgeous aesthetic which indulges in the childish reality of seeing the park fully operational whilst also making the dinosaurs tactile. Although Spielberg’s opener contained impressive animatronics, World is able to push this technical bracket further.
      

Yet beyond this, one of the most pleasing elements was the tone of the film. Without a doubt there are some clichéd action-movie tropes knocking around here, however a lot of the biggest smiles in the film come from the subversion of these. Chris Pratt oozes charisma, in a similar way to his role in Guardians of the Galaxy, however major points have to go to the character of Claire and her portrayal by Bryce Dallas Howard. Claire’s thawing from ice queen to action heroine manages to avoid the sloppy, lazy and outdated caricature of a damsel-in-distress. Another action movie cliché is dealt with hysterically between Lowery (Jake Johnson – Yes, that is Nick from New Girl) and Vivian (Lauren Lapkus), but I will forgo the punch line.  Therefore, although this isn’t necessarily a character-driven picture, there’s enough clever scripting to make you at least care about the protagonists’ fates.     
  

Fundamentally, Jurassic World is impressive in the sense that it knows what it is. If you’re expecting scientific accuracy and rich character development then you may be disappointed. However if you want to re-kindle the love you felt for a once dilapidated franchise whilst enjoying a funny, visceral and punchy popcorn film, then this is the perfect way to start the Summer Blockbuster season.

(PS. Can someone please just give Chris Pratt the lead in an Indiana Jones reboot please?) 

Fast and Furious 7 and the Art of Going Big

Fast and Furious 7 certainly sets out its stall early. Within minutes you see ludicrous violence, stunning women and gorgeous cars going fast, and of course, furiously. The next two hours rarely divert from this holy trinity.

The main premise of the film is that after the events of Furious 6, Dominic Torretto (Vin Diesel) and his team of racing reprobates are now firmly in the crosshairs of Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), who wants revenge after the crew hospitalised his baby brother. Shaw goes after them one by one, leaving an outrageously high body count in his wake. To stop Shaw we see Torretto form an alliance with the excellently named Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), who promises his help if Dom et al can help him with a small task. From here we are whisked away to the Caucuses, Abu Dhabi and back to LA, where a Battle Royale erupts.

Although there are times when you feel a pang of déjà vu, it would be unfair to call this franchise formulaic. Sure, in the past it was all about the racing, but here there is only one legitimate street race, and that comes within the opening ten minutes. Instead you get a movie which is a mash up of genres; a crime caper of a heist movie with extended action sequences, romantic undertones and sporadic shots of comedy.

We are also treated to the franchise’s best villain, the hard-as-nails Shaw. Luke Evan’s Owen Shaw in Furious 6 was a definite step up, but the Stath unleashes unparalleled levels of badassery on the crew. More so I thoroughly enjoyed Kurt Russell as Mr. Nobody, the head of an ultra-shady governmental organisation.

However I felt like the lack of Dwayne Johnson as Agent Hobbs was criminal (I can only assume he was busy filming San Andreas for large swathes of the shoot, which, incidentally, promises to make Furious 7 look like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.) When we do get to see the Rock however, he gets the best lines (“Daddy’s gotta go to work” *puts gun in holster and smiles at daughter*) and his fair share of ridiculous stunts.

It’s with the stunts that the film will attract the most praise and derision. You will either believe that cars can fly, or snort at the physical impossibility of seeing a car jump between skyscrapers (just shut up and enjoy it if this is the case). It’s an imperfect film in many ways, but if you take it in the spirit in which it is intended you are rewarded with the epitome of a popcorn movie.

But here we also come to the paradox which is the Fast and Furious franchise. Seven films in and the critical reviews and box office receipts are getting more and more impressive. It’s hard to fathom any action movie getting to a seventh instalment and this being the case. For example, I don’t think ‘Die Hard 7; Crims in the Care Home’ or ‘Transformers 7; Hasn’t Optimus Died 5 Times Already’ would have the same affect.  

  

Of course, I’m being facetious and glib here – Wow that sounded like my essay feedback from Uni– but I think that Fast and Furious has become the master of going big. There are a lot of plaudits to be given to a film that is acutely aware of how silly it is; one which will do ridiculous stunts but always has its tongue firmly planted in its cheek.

Recently we saw that in F&F alumni Dwayne Johnson’s take on Hercules, which, besides having another set of cracking bits of dialogue (“F*cking centaurs” being a favourite), knew that it was far-fetched, but reveled in that tag. Marvel movies are fantastic at doing this as well, knowing how to toe the line between escapism and bombast.

By being so endearingly out there and by pushing itself to be bigger and more spectacular, the Furious franchise has indeed made itself better. The core cast which has been around for most of the films has had room to grow and bounce really well off each other. The dynamic between Tej (the brilliant Ludacris) and Roman (the hilarious Tyrese Gibson) was a particular favourite of mine.

Following the tragedy of Paul Walker’s death, Furious 7 also has an emotional root to its superficial merits. However it also leaves the franchise is in something of a quandary. On paper it is a no-brainer to shoot another movie, as this is set to make $1bn at the box office, there is the nucleus of a great cast and lots of different stories to go into.

However this also feels like a natural end to the movies. Talks have already begun on ideas for a new film, which will undoubtedly make the studio a heap of money. But it will be hard for the franchise to progress to bigger and better things as Furious 7 definitely feels like the end of a chapter, maybe even of a book.

Throughout I had the nagging feeling that the poignancy that is eked out of the Letty-Torretto relationship at times feels a little forced, yet this was the one really emotional angle that the script itself had. This is naturally because it is always overshadowed by an event that happened outside of the studio. Indeed the genuine sadness and poignancy comes from a character that ends the film in seemingly the happiest situation; Brian O’Conner, played by the late Paul Walker.

The inherent sadness that you feel when Walker enters the screen casts a shadow over the whole film. Yet I can only applaud the filmmakers in their treatment of such an evocative issue. For all that the family-fuelled guff that Vin Diesel has been peddling throughout the franchise can fall on deaf ears; here it resonates more than ever.

Without wanting to give the ending away, it is dealt with a soft touch and a shot through a candid, emotive hue. It is genuinely heartfelt and, to my mind, beautifully executed. Torretto’s’ last lines evoke feelings which strike a chord with anyone who has lost loved ones. Indeed Diesel looks truly drained and mournful in that final scene. Coupling his words with O’Conner’s original Toyota, the beautiful scenery and a top draw closing credits song is a genuinely emotional sucker-punch which drags the viewer from the escapism of the last two hours back into the real world. 

There was always the feeling that the Furious franchise was created by a genuine family. By keeping a similar cast and production crew together for 7 films the franchise has created an endemic sense of loyalty and affection. This is perhaps the key theme in this film in particular. Yes there is spectacle a-plenty, there are ridiculous stunts and glib, comical remarks. However there is also a deeply candid heart pulsating through the film’s chest.

Paul Walker will be missed. He was a brother to his cast mates, a husband and a father. Yet he was also a friend to millions who have watched any of the seven films. 

So finally I would like to say thank you Paul - here's hoping your next journey is as wonderfully varied, adrenaline fuelled and loved as the last. 

Why Films?

If I had a penny for every time someone asked me “Why films?” I could at least afford a Freddo by now. 

It’s a fair thing to ask, so I thought I should very quickly tell you some of the reasons why I watch them and why I bring myself to write this blog – albeit sporadically. To best do this, it makes sense to look at, say 5, of the main problems that people have with films and I’ll try and de-bunk them.

1 – “They’re too long” – Well, they’re shorter than a book or indeed a TV series.

2 – “They’ll never be as good as the book” – Granted,I’m a huge fan of the written word. However a good film makes your imaginations tangible. The Lord of the Rings was made infinitely more visceral on screen for example. Of course, some adaptations don’t hit the mark (Golden Compass anyone?), but others, like Fight Club, arguably improve upon the source material. Some people argue that the Harry Potter series left too many details out of the films, which I can empathise with. However the films turned people to the books and vice versa, which cannot be a bad thing for either industry.

3 – “I don’t like that character” – Then the person acting is probably very good at their job.

4 – “I don’t like that actor” – Slightly tougher one to argue with here, for example I find Sandra Bullock incredibly irritating as well as Toby Maguire(#sorrynotsorry). However if you really, really can’t stand an actor then there are a million and one other titles you can watch.

5 – “This film’s too complicated” – Ok, there have been times when I have wondered what the bloody hell is going on in a film – in Looper, Inception and The Prestige for example – yet when you get to the end of these films and join all the dots, the power of the drama is all the more compelling. Indeed the three films I just mentioned are actually some of my absolute favourites. 

Ok, now it’s time for my own impassioned speech (or something like that). Have you ever listened to a song and its tone and lyrics have fitted perfectly with what is going on with your life at that exact moment? Ever felt like an author, probably long dead, has extended the cipher of a hand through the pages of your book and pinpointed the exact emotion you’re feeling? Films can do this both simultaneously. 

Good films make you think. Dead Poets’ Society and Good Will Hunting are two stunning films that offer you compelling stories and trigger you to think deeper. They can allow you to create a link with characters and you begin to feel a part of their lives (which, incidentally, are much more interesting than your own); c’mon, you’re lying to yourself if you didn’t feel a bit hollow when Harry Potter ended or The Lord of the Rings came to an end (after multiple endings admittedly; what was that all about?!). 

However let’s get something straight, people tend to watch films for one reason; no not for “that really fit actress/actor”, although that obviously helps, but for the escapism. For ninety minutes or more you can be whisked away to incredible new worlds (think about the time you first saw Avatar in 3D, or when you first saw Star Wars), you can be gripped from beginning to end (Se7en & Gone Girl), you can aspire to be more (anything superhero based, I’m not going to lie…), you can laugh over and over again (Hugh Grant + attractive woman = foppish hilarity), you can see the most inspiring people and events in history play out in front of you (The Kings Speech, The Imitation Game, Troy…), they can inspire you for that big game (Any Given Sunday, Remember the Titans), you can even bebrought close to tears (Marley and Me, The Lion Kinger, um, well you know). My point is that whatever mood you’re feeling, whatever genre you want; there will always be a film for you.

People forget how powerful films are, culturally in particular. You’ve all ripped into your friend for trying to make fetch happen, started an impromptu rendition of ‘Afternoon delight’, attempted to growl like Batman, pretended to be a hotdog á la Robin Williams, said your name like 007, recited the ‘5 Ds of Dodgeball’ or evenMaximus Decimus Meridus’ whole speech when stood in the Coliseum (just me for this last one? Ok…). 

So stop scrolling through your newsfeed, stop painstakingly picking the best filter on instagram, stop taking quizzes on Buzzfeed (But what type of 1950s shoe ARE YOU REALLY?), and I implore you, put your feet up and enjoy a good film. 

Sales pitch over, I hope no-one vomited in their mouths.    

The Golden Popcorns 2014

Hello one and all to the first, and let’s be honest most probably last, Golden Popcorns Awards; an alternative take on last year at the movies. Shall I start with a Stephen Fry-esque monologue full of dry humour and witty anecdotes about the foibles of the world’s most famous actors and actresses?  Or perhaps a Neil Patrick Harris inspired song and dance number? (YouTube his hosting of the Tony’s.)  No. Because I am incapable of doing either. Instead, I will take a leaf out of Alan Carr’s book when I say “What a year it’s been” (I know he says ‘week’ but that’s beside the point). Ok, perhaps it wasn’t a stellar year critically and financially, but that doesn’t mean that there weren’t a few gems knocking about, and that’s what today’s blog, sorry, glitzy awards doo, is all about. So let’s get things under way.

(Disclaimers: No, I haven’t seen every film. Yes, I should have seen more. No, this isn’t going to just mimic the awards given at the Oscars. Yes I haven’t givenThe Hobbit a prize… No, I don’t feel guilty)

The Award for Line of the Year…

Chris Pratt as Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy

Whilst giving the renegade team of superheroes a tour around his spaceship, Peter Quill responds to Gamora’s discerning comment of “Your ship is filthy” with the perfectly judged aside “She has no idea. If I had a blacklight, this place would look like a Jackson Pollock painting”. Work it out. 

The Award for Funniest Scene…

Simon Bird et al in The Inbetweeners 2

In a film littered with utter verbal filth, it is perhaps fitting that this award goes to a scene where actual filth is the issue. The whole sequence with Will McKenzie trying to evade a, er, well, poo whilst going down the water slideis so ridiculously slapstick, which in itself is hilarious. However credit has to go to directors Damon Beesley and Iain Morris for then cutting the aftermath to resemble a war movie; slo-mos, anguished faces, epic music, you name it, they took a well-worn cliché and moulded it perfectly into a comedic setting. It all creates a very silly, very British scene.  

The Award for… Where-Did-That-Come-From Performance of the Year (Female)… 

Rosamund Pike as Amy Dunne in Gone Girl

Anyone who has heard me talk about this film will know that I thought it was utterly brilliant. Few films leave you completely speechless/screaming ‘Noooo’ at the screen quite as much as David Fincher’s film and at the centre we have Rosamund Pike. You know Rosamund Pike, the lovely British actress you’ve seen in such comedies as Johnny English 2 or The World’s End? Oh, did I say lovely, I meant the psychotic, vindictive, mentally unstable, (for-want-of-a-better-word) bitch hiding beneath a ‘Butter wouldn’t Melt’ exterior. Pike is Amy, and the film wouldn’t work half as well if she wasn’t as committed – career defining stuff.      

The Award for… Where-Did-That-Come-From Performance of the Year (Male)…

Ralph Fiennes as M. Gustave in TheGrand Budapest Hotel

Whether he’s trying murder Harry Potteras Voldemort, shackle Bond as M or kill Jews in Schindler’s List, you always got the impression that Ralph Fiennes was at his most comfortable when his laces are straight. However what Wes Anderson’s kooky comedy does is showwhat a comedic force the man can be, combining both physical and wordy humour to great effect. 

The Award for… Best Action

Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier

For some reason, the Cap’t has always had his detractors. Some say he’s too self-righteous, some say he’s simply too boring. However, the Russo’s Winter Soldier is the best single-hero Marvel film in the MCU canon. It’s clever, sharp and much grittier and at the heart of that you’ve got much more visceral fight scenes. Sure, the end of the film requires a fair amount of suspended disbelief, but the bulk of it is much more worldly, and anchored superbly by Chris Evans.  

The Award for…. Best Opening Scene

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

A thoroughly impressive sequel starts as it means to go on. The layering of music, introduction of the sound of the weather and slow fade to Caesar’s face all creates an incredibly intense scene that has you transfixed from the get go. The use of mo-cap in this film also runs The Winter Soldier very close in the action stakes, but it’s that opening minute of film that has stuck with me the most.     

The Award for… Best Soundtrack

Guardians of the Galaxy

60’s Motown, 70s funk and 80s pop? No contest. 

The Award for… the Film That You Thought-Would-Be-Disappointing-But-Was-Actually-Brilliant

22 Jump Street

I wasn’t so much that I was expecting this sequel to be poor, more so that I didn’t see how it would match its predecessor. How did it manage to do that? Well, it wasn’t afraid to ridicule and parody itself, and was acutely aware about the fate of most comedy sequels – i.e that they’re usually rubbish. More so both Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill were excellent. So when you combine their bromance, the hysterical Ice Cube, sharp scripting and constant gags it’s a wonder why I was ever worried in the first place. 

The Award for… Missed Opportunity

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Ok, so it’s not the best award to receive. However when you look at this film on paper it looks very good. Good leading man? Check. Confident, strong willed female co-lead? Check. Tried and tested Director? Check. The problem however, was that it just felt a bit run-of-the-mill. It wasn’t a bad film per se; it just felt at times like it was just going through the motions, using espionage clichés that have been used time and time again. I’d like to see that same cast with a better script, but it doesn’t look like a sequel has been green-lit as of yet.

The Award for… Star of the Year

Chris Pratt

It’s ironic that it’s Star-Lord who takes Star Man this year. Although Guardians was his only major release this year, it was a marked turning point for an actor who hitherto had only been a sitcom star and friend of the lead in RomComs. Things will only go up as well, as this year will definitely bring at least some attention with Jurassic World’s opening and the whispers (which I god damn hope are true) that he may become the lead in an Indiana Jones reboot.  

And finally, the Award for…. British Film of the Year

Pride

If you watch this film and don’t reach the credits smiling then you’re a heartless buffoon. It’s quintessentially British from head to toe, in terms of the geography of the story, the cast, the directing and the feel of the film. The cast is like a who’s who of British acting talent; Bill Nighy, Paddy Considine, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West and Andrew Scott to name just a few. Most impressively the balance of the film’s ensemble is nye-on perfect, ranging from the outlandish Faye Marsay as Steph to the incredibly nuanced performance of Nighy. It’s full of tribulations and triumphs yet never short on laughs which makes this film a real achievement in itself.

There we have it. As the celebs leave their seats for a few pints down at ‘Spoons before the after party as Moo Moos we can reflect on some really funny, captivating, thought provoking and nerve shredding films. Hopefully 2015 will achieve that same diversity, if not more.   

                              

The Year Ahead

As we wave goodbye to 2014, we can reflect on a year that didn’t quite provide the shot in the arm that Cinema needed. Financially, the US box office, representative of the worldwide box office to a degree, saw its takings decrease by 5%. Now, that doesn’t sound too much, but the reality is that that is a $600bn drop in gross figures. Major blockbusters, such as the final instalment of the Hobbit and Mockingjay; Part One didn’t herald the critical success that was needed to end the year on a high. Indeed, the biggest film worldwide was Transformers: Age of Extinction, which raised a smidge over $1bn. Now, it isn’t panic stations yet. However, if this year fails to live up to expectations then Hollywood may need to take notice. This is because 2015 is the year of the reboot, the year of the franchise. If tried and tested formulas can’t bring cinemagoers through the doors then the nay-sayers may be right to lament the downfall of cinema going.   

  

(On a very trivial note, my favourite film of last year was Gone Girl… gripped me from beginning to end, despite a soggy third quarter. Rosamund Pike gives a career defining performance as well, one which should be Oscar worthy.)

To reel off the returning franchises would take some time, but I think it may be necessary to highlight how big a year this should be. The Avengers returns with Age of Ultron, Jurassic World reboots a once great franchise in the same way Terminator; Genisys is breathing new life into a cult series. Ted bounces back onto the big screen, the Minions return, Magic Mike offers us another brief encounter, the Fantastic Four get a reboot, Mission Impossible gets its fifth outing, the Mockingjay returns, as do the Divergent and Maze Runner collections. Tom Hardy goes all Mel Gibson and brings back Mad Max, oh, and if that wasn’t enough Bond is back in Spectre and The Force Awakens as the Star Wars saga roars back onto the big screen. Even if every single one of these films is terrible, and I mean Sharknado 2 levels of terrible, then they will still bring with them fans young and old. So, besides a financial boost, what can we expect from these films?

When looking at the above films, a few seem to stand out. Age of Ultron has all the makings of a fantastic super hero film, with a deeper storyline and a darker tone which will open up Marvel’s third phase of film making. Spectre has a formidable cast, including double Oscar winning Christoph Waltz, Moriarty from Sherlock (Andrew Scott), Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and some bloke called Daniel Craig… Not Idris Elba yet, don’t worry Daily Mail readers.  After the commercial success of Skyfall, and the critical acclaim that Craig got with Casino Royale I’m sure the omens point towards a classic. Fresh from his brilliant turn in Guardians of the Galaxy, Chris Pratt will hopefully anchor what is a really interesting concept in Jurassic World and the likes of Emilia Clarke and a returning Arnold Schwarzenegger will be hoping that Genisys has more of an impact than Terminator; Salvation did a few years ago. However, it would be remiss not to mention the return of Star Wars. JJ Abrams has already masterminded one reboot (Star Trek – not even nerdy, just brilliant… ok a bit nerdy) and having seen the trailer it suggests that although there will be subtle nods to what came before, it appears that the galaxy far, far away has developed massively. So, that’s the mainstream looked at, what’s off the beaten track?

Well this seems to be the year of espionage in more ways than one. Yes, Bond is back, but there are two other titles that look well worth a watch. Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E, is, quelle surprise, a reboot of the 60’s Cold War themed show, but looks interesting. However, maybe my pick for the first half of this year at least is Kingsman; The Secret Service. Anchored by Colin Firth this looks like an Alex Ryder/James Bond hybrid with a dash of well judged humour and I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out. A slightly more grim watch may be Child 44, due for release in Spring. Based on the book by Tom Rob Smith, this is a dark thriller set in Stalin’s Russia where Tom Hardy’s lead delves into shady waters when investigating a spate of child murders. If you prefer something a bit more upbeat then watch Hugh Jackman release his inner Blackbeard in Pan. And if you would prefer a disaster movie which is likely to be ridiculous but entertaining then you won’t be going far wrong with San Andreas in May.

They may be some of the films, but what about the stars to look out for? Well, as mentioned, Emilia Clarke gets her fist big film role as the titular Sarah Connor which may prove daunting but could be incredibly rewarding. Tom Hardy has two big roles and John Boyega, star of Attack the Block, gets his first major role (reportedly) in The Force Awakens. Anna Kendrick looks set to have a good year as well, with the success of Into the Woods and her return to Pitch Perfect 2, as does Jamie Dornan, who, in spite of how awful the film may be, is bound to receive a lot of attention as the eponymous Christian Grey in a film which I believe is about Dulux colour samples.

The Autumn schedule for next year is packed with diamonds in the rough as well, but I imagine I may resurrect this blog closer to the time. Suffice to say, 2015 is going to be a huge year… a block-buster year in more ways than one.

The Battle of the Five Armies and Beyond

Over the course of 24 hours, you can now watch the entirety of the Middle Earth canon. Now, that’s no small order, indeed the resulting lack of sunlight from being cooped up in doors may give you the same complexion as Gollum. However, in six films, Peter Jackson et al have left a huge imprint on the world of cinema; influencing TV and film immeasurably. So how does the final instalment measure up? Well, The Battle of the Five Armies, all in all, is a resounding piece of fan service that captures all that you love about the Middle Earth saga. It’s far from perfect, at times feeling rushed and stylistic to a fault, yet overall it is a satisfying end to the trilogy.    

To set the scene, Smaug has been awoken and has Lake Town firmly in his sights. Whilst he char grills the town, the dwarves watch on anxiously, with Bilbo’s final, desperate monologue of “What have we done?” from The Desolation of Smaug becoming a visible nightmare. The Dragon is dealt with (I refuse to call that a spoiler) and all eyes turn to the mountain. The Dwarves, led by Thorin, seek to hold onto their newly claimed home, yet every man and his proverbial dog, horse, warg, ludicrous Elk (King Thranduil), or even more ridiculous Pig (King Dain) want a share of the gold. Thus tensions bubble up to explosion on the battlefield as Men, Dwarves and Elves take on the Orc and Warg ridden armies of Sauron.  

As we can expect, the action scenes are sprawling and magnificent to behold, but it is much more than a bombastic war movie, and here’s where I think the strengths lie. The power of Jackson is that amidst the whole scale destruction there is always a humanity present, a sense of helplessness and the feeling that the stories are more to do with character arcs and development than just meaningless blood-shed.

We all love the action scenes, and they’re the ones we wax lyrical about when we come out of the cinema, yet in this film in particular, the anchor to the plot is the story of Thorin. Richard Armitage simply plays a blinder in this film, stealing the lime light from the once again excellent Bilbo and the thoroughly impressive Bard. This is an arc within a arc; the descent into madness then the redemption of a dwarf who will not fall to the same dragon sickness as his grandfather. But this isn’t some hammy Shakespearean actor reeling off their best Richard III impression, this is much more persuasive and powerful stuff.

Further positives include the desolation of Smaug in full force. Cumberbatch’s serpentine tones leave you transfixed and wanting more. Indeed, it’s a shame that he’s dispatched so quickly, yet the reality is that there wasn’t any way that they could have conceivably stretched it out anymore, so it becomes a hollow criticism. As I mentioned, Bard is brilliant as the reluctant King of Lake Town and the arrival of King Dain – a ridiculously CGI-ed Billy Connolly – offers genuine comedic rest bite from what can be a pretty grim two and a half hours.

      

On the point of CGI, here’s where my gripes start. The tone of the film is meant to be different to LOTR, this I appreciate; the source material is lighter so it makes sense to make the baddies more mythic. But I think that this tonal shift at times undercuts the peril of the action. For example, Bard gets a pretty epic, legolas-worthy spate of badassery where he kills a troll, yet the Troll looks more like Wayne Rooney than a terrifying creature meant to strike fear into your hearts. Moreover I think that the decision to make Azog and Bolg mo-capped as opposed to genuine physical presences undermines their on screen presence. The most visceral battle scenes, in my opinion, are in Dale when Bard leads the beleaguered men of the Lake against blokes dressed up as Orcs, not coming from an admittedly very impressive computer.

A point of both praise and criticism is that the film seems acutely aware that it needs to give nods to, and in some ways emulate, LOTR. In some ways it’s really good to see, such as the size of the battles and the cinematic deaths of some characters instantly creating a stylistic flashback to Boromir in the Fellowship. Finally Bard is a pseudo Aragorn in the sense that he is the reluctant leader of men. These are subtle cinematic nods. But I think the plot strands can be slightly shoe-horned in. For example, the forbidden love of Tauriel and Kili smacks of the relationship between Aragorn and Arwen. Also, the final dialogue between Thranduil and Legolas tries to create a tangible link between the trilogies, but just feels a bit forced.  

All of this aside, and I think that it is triumphant. Both characters old and new come together to create a rousing couple of hours of entertainment. The old band is given their curtain call – Saruman, Galadriel, Elrond etc. Whilst the new characters deservedly become an appreciated part of the canon. Thranduil is chilling, Tauriel is moving (and I fell in love with her again), Bard is bold, the dwarves are given more to say and Bilbo and Thorin steer the ship. It is imperfect, but every film is. When you put it amongst the other 5 films it doesn’t stand out in a negative way, indeed the battle scenes rival the Return of the King in terms of scope. This is as shining an endorsement as any. 

I remember my first experience with the works of Tolkien clearly. I’ve had a comic book of the Hobbit for years now and I remembering pouring over every detail, loving every expressive picture. Later, I read the book proper, and was once again whisked away. To my nerdy shame, I’ve never read the Lord of the Rings Books, yet watching those films recaptured the pleasure I took from reading that comic book when I was a young, podgy child. The Lord of the Rings was a trend-setter, a definer of the fantasy genre. Without Jackson et al, there would be no Game of Thrones as we know it. Indeed, all fantasy films and TV in the last decade have their roots firmly in Jackson’s epics.  Though the Hobbit would never conceivably break free from its predecessor’s shadow, it at times emulates it. It has spawned renewed interest in the fantasy genre, in the works of Tolkien and has pushed film-making into new territories, thanks to the use of High frame rate and pushing the limits of CGI.

So, all that remains to be said is thank you to Jackson and everyone else who made these 6 films. Coming out of that cinema was reminiscent of seeing the Hogwarts Express rolling out of the station for the last time, yet with the Battle of the Five Armies Jackson makes sure that we leave Middle Earth with memories of the epic battles and epic characters, not cynically lamenting the way that the Hobbit was stretched into three films. In a few years time, many rainy weekends will be able to be filled binging on these six films. Drinking games will be created and the spin-off computer games and memorabilia will be sold in their droves. I for one will miss the anticipation of waiting for another instalment to come out, as well as the homeliness you feel when you hear Howard Shore’s Fellowship theme. In short, this is the end of a cinematic era. But Jackson made Tolkien’s Middle Earth tangible, visceral, epic yet human and for this we can only doff our nerdy caps in appreciation.

Autumn & Winter Preview

After what has been a sluggish summertime period at the box office, the Hollywood juggernaut finds its way lumbering towards the typically congested Autumn and Winter period. So what’s coming up in the next few months…

Fans of blockbusters will have a busy time of things this Winter as one saga comes to a close, with the epic conclusion to the Hobbit Trilogy in the form of the ‘Battle of Five Armies’ and Katniss and Co return in ‘Mockingjay: Part 1’. Peter Jackson’s final soiree into the world of Middle Earth is sure to be crammed full of action and despair as Smaug char-grills Laketown and the mother of all battles erupts under the doors of Erebor. As for The Hunger Games, this is likely to be a much more large scale saga than the previous two instalments as the Districts descend into revolution. What else? Well keep an eye out for another duplicitous turn from the late, great Phillip Seymour-Hoffman as Plutarch, and Jennifer Lawrence to ramp up the levels of badassery as the lead.

If crime and thrillers are more your bag, then the next few weeks could be for you, as three big titles come to the big screen. Liam Neeson’s returns in a new role that looks like it may combine the action of Taken with a bit more character depth with the release of ‘A Walk Amongst the Tombstones’. ‘Gone Girl’ follows the story of English actress Rosamund Pike, who is finally getting some well deserved attention from Hollywood, and newly-caped Batman Ben Affleck as Pike’s character goes missing in suspicious circumstances. The film received a warm reception at the Toronto Film Festival recently, so may be an Awards season dark horse. Finally, Denzel Washington returns as a former Black Ops Commando gone rogue in ‘The Equalizer’, a film that reunites the lead with Antoine Fuqua, director of the excellent ‘Training Day’ back in 2002.

Keep an eye open for two British stars that may just be getting Award nominations come the New Year. Benedict Cumberbatch plays tortured genius Alan Turing in ‘The Imitation Game’ (Which, being based on a fascinating true story, is a must see) and Eddie Redmayne emerges from his Marius shaped shadow to play Professor Stephen Hawking in ‘The Theory of Everything’. Talking of male leads, this autumn sees the opportunity to see how Luke Evans fares as a leading light in ‘Dracula Untold’. The story follows the demise of Vlad Tepes from loving father to Vampire and promises a smorgasbord of special affects and could be the anti-hero version of ‘Batman Begins’. Alternatively it could be a rather expensive flop, which would be a shame. However if there is bound to be at least one Turkey this Christmas, it has to be the re-vamped ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ – I’ve got the feeling the gang should’ve stayed in their shells. Nevertheless on the flip side of the coin, the surprise Christmas cracker may just be ‘Foxcatcher’, the real-life story of the Schultzes, the pair of wrestling brothers played by Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum, and their relationship with Du Pont, a super-rich benefactor played by Steve Carrell. Expect surprisingly powerful performances as well as an unusually straight-laced Carrell receiving plaudits from across the board.

Ok, so there’s some of the big titles, but here’s my 3 to watch (Er, literally and metaphorically). ‘Fury’ is a WW2 epic fronted by Brad Pitt that could reach the heights of ‘Saving Private Ryan’. ‘The Drop’ is a slightly more indie gangster piece that sees Tom Hardy dabble in the shady world of money laundering which should give him ample opportunity to showcase his gritty talent. However, the stand-out film to watch this Winter has to be the return of Christopher Nolan with ‘Interstellar’. A film that combines the brilliance of Nolan behind the camera with the excellence of Hollywood’s Man-of-the-hour Mathew Mcounaughey and the always brilliant Anne Hathaway could just create a classic piece of sci-fi.  

So there we have it, a brief, superficial look at what will be gracing the screens in the months to come. 2014 may not have been a vintage year so far, but with title after title coming off the production line it could just turn stellar; in more ways than one.