Film Review: Prometheus 2012

Theatrical release poster Image (C) Wikipedia 

Finally just got round to watching Prometheus with Charlize Theron et al and I find myself asking myself IS IT ME?

Is it me, and are my expectations of a good movie these days too high? Is It Me, as someone once said, who is the lone voice in the wilderness, and I am so different to everyone else that it is me that is the lone non conformist among the millions and millions of cinema goers around the world - ok I didn't actually go to the cinema to watch it- so at least I saved a few bob there ....

I had seen the trailers months ago and couldn't wait for it's release, but then missed it. I read the rave reviews by the masses telling me that this was a great cinematic experience and a wonderful piece of entertainment.

It was made by Ridley Scott who terrified the life out of us with Alien (the sequels not so much)

I even saw Michael Fassbender who plays David being interviewed by Graham Norton OK, you got me there, interviewed and Graham Norton in the same sentence is a bit of a leap , but he is funny and so is the red chair. Apologies to US and other readers if you have no idea to whom or what I refer, but he raved on about what a great movie it was too, I like Graham Norton, but he lied to me on this....

It had Charlize Theron in it who appeared to be a clone, a beautiful one albeit but they forgot to give her personality, charm or wit and I suspect she must have forgotten her script as she was as laconic as a moody gunfighter hitching his spurs over the bar rail in a smoky saloon.

It had Idris Elba, dark brooding erudite John Luther from a TV show here in the UK who was a caricature of a heroic ships captain but who at least did the right thing in the end.

And talking of doing the right thing..... Lazy, lazy lazy writing in the extreme to come up with two characters right out of the stereotype handbook who are cowards through and through without one ounce of redeeming character between them, and who you just know are going to die horribly, and so too should the scriptwriters for that sheer piece of unadulterated dribble along with the director, producers and the studio for allowing them to remain in the script. We have seen it time and time again but one need look no further than David Hewlets portrayal of Dr. Rodney Mackay in Stargate to see the same traits as these two, BUT Rodney, while a coward, learned to step up to the plate, he didn't want to, but he did or he died and when he did it was great, AND he survived and we all thought better of him for it.

Guy Pierce was the only one who came out of it unscathed, only because he was made up to be an 100 year old dying nut job and therefore unrecognisable.

If you have yet to see this movie, well done; watch the trailer all the best and most interesting bits are in it and it only lasts for about 2 mins 40 seconds you won't wast another 119 minutes watching the rest of a forgettable movie which came from thoroughbred stock but bred with a nag producing an ass....

Foot note: Fassbender is the only one for me who came out of this with any credibility and that's only because he played an AI being but maybe his acting is that wooden as I can't recall seeing him in anything else.

Tom's rating: Prometheus was a Greek God from Mythology, a bit of a trickster and we believed and were tricked so,  A miss .

Film Review: Les Miserables 2012

Well finally got round to watching this movie with Ishbel.  We both thoroughly enjoyed it, however I really can't see what all the hoopla was surrounding it.  It was nothing great and having seen the stage production in London I much preferred the latter to the former.

It may have been the book / movie syndrome kicking in, in that the movie of a book very very rarely lives up to the drama and excitement of a good book.  Yeah, Crowe, Jackman, Hathaway, et al,  all put in fine performances and yes they proved that they can hold a tune, just, apart from Hathaway who had a surprisingly good singing voice and sang I Dreamed a Dream with conviction and passion.

I'm not a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen but he and Helena Bonham Carter, for me stole the show as Thenardier and Madame Thenardier, but then they almost do that (the characters that is) in the stage production too.  In the theatre I was laughing out loud at these two particularly when performing Master of the House and again with Beggars at The Feast; in the movie version, they got me smiling.

I must make mention of Samantha Barks and Eddie Redmayne.  Barks as Eponine, I paused the movie, always guaranteed to irritate Ishbel,  and asked when was the last time you saw a woman with a waist that small?  It was tiny,and fair do's as Eponine she gave a fine performance as the unrequited love interest to Redmayne's Marius.  I don't know what it is about that guy but I just don't like watching him and I didn't like him in this either.....

All in all, enjoyable and the soundtrack to the stage version is a regular on my playlist so it was good to hear them all, yet again.

If you haven't seen the movie and you can't get to see the stage production, then I recommend the movie.  If you want to listen to the full soundtrack from the movie it is on You Tube and I will put it on here, and hope that it works.

My Rating: Good 

Ishbel's rating: Excellent 

Film Review: Star Trek Into of Darkness

photo from IMDB 

Went and saw this on Wednesady with Ishbel who I should add has a fancy smart phone and an Orange account.  Needless to say all you with Orange accounts know about 'Orange Wednesday two for one cinema tickets', but it can only be used if you have your phone with you ......  Ishbel, you know what I'm saying .......

So the second outing for Messrs Pine, Quinto, Urban, Saldan and Pegg in the genuis of JJ Abrahams Star Trek franchise.

Was it as good as the first, where he cleverly re-wrote history and changed the time line? Yes

Are the cast and crew putting everything into these movies to give us the viewer a great cinema experience?  Yes


Some Spoilers here 



As usual it was action from the beginning with Kirk and McCoy on a planet that was still in the stone age and the inhabitants worshipping a volcano that is just about to explode and destroy the planet.  The Enterprise has been sent to study the planet only but Kirk decides to break the Prime Directive and save it instead.  His first and not his last disobedience of orders and if anything he is even better at that than the original James T Kirk..... A sub text in the opening sequence is Spock being lowered into the just about to explode volcano with a device to stop that from happening and as usual in these circumstances, everything goes to cock and he is about to die - can he be saved or not.....

Moving along to Starfleet headquarters Kirk is demoted to first officer and Admiral Pike is given back command of the Enterprise.

Then we meet Mr Cumberbatch -latterly of the BBC's Modern Sherlock and a fine job he makes of that - in London, as the villain of the piece.  Abrahams uses a character from the original series reprised in the original movies and it works well.  Cumberbatch, for the most part is very laconic, but then, his on screen presence in this part really calls for brooding malevolence and he does it particularly well.  We then get a few moments and mention of an other original series beastie that probably falls into the category of 'everyone loves them and the episode' which if memory served also had an episode of Deep space nine 'dedicated' to them too, but not sure if they ever popped up in TNG, it was a nice touch and acknowledges the greatness of the original series and writers..

Ishbel particularly likes Mr Quinto and thinks he is so like Mr Nimoy, high praise indeed..... and I agree with her, Simon Pegg is hilarious as Scotty.

Overall a great 2nd outing for Mr Abrahams and the cast of this reboot and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.  In fact I am getting worried about my Ishbel there was a time not so long ago where most 'action movies' would leave her as cold as a flash frozen fish newly placed in the hold of a trawler, but she is getting right into them and I sometimes wonder if she is garnering new ways to beat the s**t out of me as I keep annoying her or is it the 'hunks' that are attracting her? I'm still trying to find out who Christian and Sean are that she keeps saying she would like to be the ....... well best not go there.....

My rating: 5 out of 5
Ishbel:      5 out of 5