Those of you that read my stuff regularly will know I have a liking for all animated films, and not just those Disney ones. I have, over the years, enjoyed the adventures of Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo as they try to find their way back to their home at the Central Park Zoo in New York City. As usual we have a mix of comedy and morality as this unlikely band have to find their way across Europe this time. Here's a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

At the end of part 2 we left the gang in Africa as the penguin's, led by Skipper (Tom McGrath), take off for Monte Carlo with the monkeys to make a fortune at the casino. Fearing they will never come back, Alex (Ben Stiller) persuades Marty (Chris Rock), Melman (David Schwimmer) and Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) to come with him to Monte Carlo. Also along for the ride are King Julian (Sacha Baron Cohen) and his servants Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer) and Mort (Andy Richter). Things don't go according to plan and they find themselves in the run with Animal Control Officer, Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand), hot on their trail. They hook up with a travelling circus with a leopard, Gia (Jessica Chastain), a grumpy tiger, Vitaly (Bryan Cranston) and a crazy Italian sea lion Stefano (Martin Short), amongst others, and head to Rome. There is a chance the circus could be making a tour of the United States but they have to impress an agent in London. The trouble is, there is not much time, they're quite terrible and DuBois is closing in!

I seldom laugh out loud whilst watching a film, but this one easily passed the '6 laugh test'. There are some delightfully funny sight gags and some really subtle dialogue that, I'm guessing, was deliberately put in for the adults. All of the performances were great, as far as voice-only performances can be. The stand-out for me was Francis McDormand; she really got into the part! It's a film that was never going to win any awards, but, you know, it did exactly what it was meant to do, and that's entertain. Aside from a couple of annoying musical numbers (which are probably featured in the trailer) I found it quite a surprising delight. Definitely recommended for both young and old alike.

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.9/10.

There are extra bits & pieces (photos, links, trailer and BIGGER PRINT) on my blog at:
http://thoughtsofasteelmonster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/film-review-madagascar-3-europes-most.html

Enjoy!... :)

With a surname like mine I really couldn't miss out on a film that is, after all, named after my family (at least the male members of it). It's a film with plenty of pedigree with David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan involved and I have no problem with Zack Snyder directing (so long as he doesn't give us another 'Sucker Punch'). It covers well trodden ground with the origins of Superman having been portrayed many times before whether in comic book, film or in prose. I was interested to see how it would be dealt with this time around. I have to say I wasn't disappointed. Here's a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

We begin on the dying world of Krypton, Superman's home planet, where his father, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) is at odds with General Zod (Michael Shannon) over how to preserve their civilisation. To this end Jor-El steals the codex which holds the genetic codes of the entire race and sends it to earth, along with Cal-El, his baby son. Zod, having failed to topple the ruling council is condemned to be frozen and exiled, along with his followers. Flash forward and Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) has caught the attention of reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams) when she follows him and discovers some of his powers. She digs deeper and finds that he was brought up on a farm in Kansas by his adoptive parents; Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane). Jonathan had always taught the young Clark to do the right thing; he knew he was special due to the circumstances that brought him to them. When General Zod comes to the earth looking for the Codex, and Cal-El, Clark decides it was time he made himself known to the world and Superman makes his entrance.

The opening sequence on Krypton is quite spectacular with some truly stunning CGI and some great dialogue. It sets the scene for the entire story and I think it was just about as perfect a beginning we could possibly have had. We then come down to earth (literally) where we find Clark Kent discovering who he is and coming to terms with his powers and what a responsibility that places on his shoulders. Much of this is told in flashback with some great fatherly advice from Kevin Costner. It's a section of the film that may have lost some (probably due to the lack of explosions) but I really enjoyed it as it gives us a chance to get to know what motivates Clark/Superman, and just what makes him a superhero. The third act, however, is where I had the most trouble. The plot wasn't hard to follow and the acting was great, particularly Michael Shannon, no, all that was great. The problem was with the fight scenes; why is it necessary to topple skyscrapers and destroy entire city blocks. It put me in mind of climactic battle in 'The Avengers' movie; I had the distinct impression I had seen it all before. Yes, it was quite a spectacle but I would have liked something a little more original. But don't let that distract from the fact it is still a very good film and one I would happily watch again. Top performances, well everybody really but Michael Shannon really does stand out; definitely worth a look.

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.3/10

There are extra bits & pieces (photos, links, trailer and BIGGER PRINT) on my blog at:
http://thoughtsofasteelmonster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/film-review-man-of-steel-2013.html

Enjoy!... :)

In most of the listings I've seen for this film on the internet, it comes under the genre 'comedy', usually with a couple of other things thrown in. Now, having just watched it I feel either I must have totally missed something or my idea of what 'comedy' is doesn't match any known thought process. There were maybe two occasions it raised a flicker of a smirk on my face; certainly no laughs whatsoever and certainly nothing remotely humorous. But I digress, it's a film that kept coming up over the years but one I never really found the time to watch. Well we've finally fixed that now and here's a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

Billy Brown (Vincent Gallo) has just been released from prison after five years inside. He has managed to keep the fact secret from his parents, Jimmy (Ben Gazzara) and Jan (Anjelica Huston), by getting a friend, Rocky the Goon (Kevin Corrigan) to post letters to them periodically. He's a bit of a hot head and appears to lose his temper quite easily. His parents believe him married and to this end he manages to kidnap Layla (Christina Ricci) and persuade her to pose as his wife when he goes to visit them. I know it all sounds a bit far fetched, but (I guess) that's the comic element. We learn, through flashback, just how Billy ended up in prison and just who he deems responsible. It all has to do with a bet he made and what he had to do to pay off the bookie (Mickey Rourke). Over the next few hours this odd couple form a kind of bond but Billy has sworn revenge and he's not one to go back on his word... or is he?

Clearly made on a budget, there is no fancy CGI, no big car chases and no big fight scenes. It's a piece that relies very much on performance to keep it together and on that front I can't fault it. Both Vincent Gallo and Christina Ricci did a fine job, as did Ben Gazzara and Anjelica Houston. I guess it's one of those films that's more about the inner workings of the mind; you find yourself asking what is the motivation behind Billy's actions and what exactly does Layla see in him? I have to admit at first I really didn't like the character of Billy, but he grew on me as I came to understand him more. It's a film that took some time to get going but I found it a worthy watch eventually.

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 6.6/10.

There are extra bits & pieces (photos, links, trailer and BIGGER PRINT) on my blog at:
http://thoughtsofasteelmonster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/film-review-buffalo-66-1998.html

Enjoy!... :)

I must admit when the book came out I initially loved the premise of this story. As time passed and it very quickly got snapped up and made into a movie, I began to wonder if my initial hope was misplaced. You see, I'm always wary of Hollywood; they never play the long game when it comes to movies. It's quick bucks right now and hang any artistic integrity... But that's another story; we're here to talk about Abe Lincoln and his vampire hunting hobby. So here's a very brief summary before I tell you just what I thought.

As a child Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) had already come into contact with vampires when his own mother, Nancy (Robin McLeavy) was killed by one of them, Jack Barts (Marton Csokas). Now older, and after his father had passed, he was now free to exact his revenge and to this end he sought some courage in a bar. Here he meets Henry Sturges (Dominic Cooper), who will have a profound effect on his life. Sturges teaches Lincoln all about vampires, and most importantly, how to kill them. Lincoln proves very adept at using his preferred weapon, a modified axe. And so he goes on with his life, killing vampires whenever he comes across them; but still studying law. His friends old and new join him, including Will Johnson (Anthony Mackie) and Joshua Speed (Jimmi Simpson). And of course he meets his future wife, Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). But the vampire leader, Adam (Rufus Sewell) has plans for Lincoln; plans that will throw the whole country into civil war.

Now, Timur Bekmambetov is well known for the effects he uses in his movies and this is no exception. There is blood and gore all over the screen as death is meated out in many and varied ways, all in glorious slow motion. The trouble is we've already seen that kind of stuff before; there's nothing new or particularly innovative here. Yes, it's very well done; the effects guys did an excellent job; but I would have liked to have seen something different. The plot; again disappointing, it just followed well documented events in Lincoln's life and added a narrative that meant he had to do this or that to thwart the vampire hordes. Not exactly groundbreaking either. The performances were all pretty good although nobody really stood out and nobody looked like they were really stretched either. Over all I found it pretty disappointing; not quite as bad as 'Jonah Hex' (2010), but heading that way.

SteelMonster's verdict: NOT RECOMMENDED (Unless you're a die-hard vampire fan...)

My score: 4.8/10


There are extra bits & pieces (photos, links, trailer and BIGGER PRINT) on my blog at:
http://thoughtsofasteelmonster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/film-review-abraham-lincoln-vampire.html

Enjoy!... :)

I first have to say I have never read the book and so I can only judge the film as a on its own merits. I have, however seen the 1974 version of this film starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. Fortunately it was a very long time ago and I really can't remember too much about it other than it didn't exactly enthral me. I will have been in my early teens when I saw it so that's not entirely surprising. But I digress; here's a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

We are told the story is told through the eyes of Gatsby' neighbour, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire). He had gone into selling bonds having decided he didn't really want to be a writer. He was still close to his cousin, Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan), who had married old money in the form of Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). Now Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) was a very enigmatic character and there were wild rumours about him; none of which were true of course. He threw elaborate parties to which everyone who was anyone (and some who weren't) turned up. One day, out of the blue, Carraway is sent an invitation to one of these soirées. Of course he goes, but never having met Gatsby before; found it hard to track him down so he could thank him. Eventually Gatsby makes himself known, but there's an ulterior motive behind the invitation; something from the past and Nick Carraway is the key to unlocking it.

A film with some great set pieces; I found the party scenes particularly spectacular. It's beautifully shot and I'm quite glad I saw it in 2D as I couldn't see how 3D would have enhanced it much. I found the music interesting with the big set pieces being handed over to rapper Jay-Z (also an Executive Producer), but it was the original music by Craig Armstrong that I found most enthralling. There are several well known themes subtly placed in the soundtrack and I found both refreshing and interesting. All the performances were great with DiCaprio and Mulligan getting top billing; but I thought Tobey Maguire was equally good. I guess I'll have to read the book to be able to decide just how good an adaptation this is; but for now I found it quite a satisfying watch with plenty of drama to keep me entertained. If I was to be super critical I would have to say I found the character of Gatsby a little one-dimensional, but having said that it's still well worth a look if you get the chance.

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.5/10


There are extra bits & pieces (photos, links, trailer and BIGGER PRINT) on my blog at:
http://thoughtsofasteelmonster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/film-review-great-gatsby-2013.html

Enjoy!... :)

Most of the time I watch films with a very critical eye; looking for what's good, bad or even ugly. But just very occasionally I just go with it and see where it takes me. Now, having seen all the previous 'Resident Evil' films I knew this one wasn't going to scale any artistic heights and so decided to just look at it purely from an entertainment perspective. I'll give you my thoughts after this very brief summary.

Alice (Milla Jovovich) finds herself back in the hands of the Umbrella Corporation. They are keeping her in a facility in northern Russia; a former cold war submarine base. In charge of her interrogation is Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory), but someone there is helping Alice escape. The security grid is turned off and she gets out of her cell. She is eventually met by Ada Wong (Bingbing Li), an agent working for the mysterious Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts). Alice had come across him before. A team has been sent to meet them and take them out but they have to fight their way across several 'zones' before they reach their goal.

Very heavy on the CGI, which is all very well done by the way, I'm guessing a lot of green paint was used. I think just about every fight sequence was shot in slow motion; I'm not sure why but for me it didn't add any excitement. Nobody will win any prizes for the performances, although I thought Michelle Rodriguez as Rain did a pretty good job. Okay, from an entertainment perspective, yes, it did its job; an easy to follow plot that has plenty of action and some very pretty ladies; this red blooded male was not disappointed on that front. On the down side; it does look like you're watching someone else playing a first person shooter video game. It's left wide open for another sequel (hopefully the last one), so I guess there will be more... And I will be watching.

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED (Purely for entertainment... If this is your sort of thing that is...)

My score: 5.7/10

There are extra bits & pieces (photos, links, trailer and BIGGER PRINT) on my blog at:
http://thoughtsofasteelmonster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/film-review-resident-evil-retribution.html

Enjoy!... :)

This is another of those films I watched only knowing the information given in the paragraph that comes up in the on-screen TV guide. It was enough to intrigue me and so a suitable viewing slot was found (Bank Holiday Monday's are good for this sort of thing). I should warn those that fear the subtitle, it is in Italian with those troublesome words along the bottom. Here's a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

It's southern Italy in the late 1970's and Michele (Giuseppe Cristiano) and his friends are out in the wheat fields playing. They go to an abandoned farmhouse where dares are made and forfeits acted out. They begin to head back home but Michele's little sister, Maria (Giulia Matturo) has left her glasses. He goes back for them and makes an important discovery. In a pit behind the house is boy; he's chained up so he can't escape. Michele doesn't know if he's alive or dead so he doesn't say anything to his mother, Anna (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón), or his father Pino (Dino Abbrescia), when they get home. The following day he goes there alone and discovers the boy, Filoppo (Mattia Di Pierro), is in fact alive. Little does he know, though, he's putting his own life in danger.

I found this a very engaging film with some very interesting characters and an intriguing story line. It's beautifully shot; making the most of the landscape, showing off the wide open spaces of the region. There is also some nice close-up work in which we get to see many of the small creatures that inhabit the fields. All the performances were excellent; particularly Giuseppe Cristiano; he really held the thing together with some great work! Over all, I can safely say I enjoyed this one although I did find it a little predictable towards the end but I think it's still worth a look.

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.9/10

This is one of those film titles I seem to hear a lot about and so I decided 'Dario Argento's Inferno' had better go on "the list". I'm not particularly a horror buff but I have watched and enjoyed my fair share over the years so I was quite looking forward to this one. Dubbed into English, for the American market I assume, it may have lost a little in translation, but I'm glad to have finally seen it anyway. Here's a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

Young poetess Rose Elliot (Irene Miracle) buys a book from a local antique dealer, a diary in Latin of an architect, E. Varelli. She learns of the Three Mothers, and believes her apartment building is one of their houses. She pleads her brother Mark (Leigh McCloskey), who is studying musicology in Rome, to come, because she is afraid. Mark's friend Sara (Eleonora Giorgi) reads her letter, which he left behind in class, and discovers the school is run by the Mater Lacrimarum, and is killed for this knowledge. The house of Mater Suspiriorum has already been destroyed, and by the time Mark arrives in New York City, he is investigating his sister's murder.

I first have to say the film looks beautiful; the use of primary colours throughout really lifts the picture. The same cannot be said of the plot sadly; I found it all far too predictable although there was one moment that did make me jump. You could tell it was made on a budget but the effects were all well done if looking a little dated by today's standards. The performances all seemed to lack any passion, nobody really stood out but nobody was particularly terrible either. Over all I found it was a film with a few good ideas, the underwater scene in particular, but not particularly shocking. Maybe my expectations were set a little too high, but I felt it was lacking a certain something. It does look a little dated and back when it was made it was probably more shocking given what else was around then but it didn't quite hit the mark for me.

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED (just)

My score: 6.2/10

Shot entirely in black and white I found this film very atmospheric and it also had a gritty realism about it. I thought all the performances were excellent with both Sam Riley and Samantha Morton taking top honours. I also have to give a mention to Toby Kebbell who totally stole a couple of scenes with some great over-the-top one-liners. The story is primarily told from Debbie's point of view and as such we get a very interesting look at the life of this enigmatic soul. This film inspired me to go out and buy a Joy Division greatest hits CD and it's music that's always been close to my heart. I should mention that all the live performances portrayed in the film were performed by the actors and so hat's off to them for making it real. Whether you were a fan of the band or not I'm sure you'll get something out of this one. Be warned though, it's quite a tough watch, even when you do know the outcome.

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.4/10

There are extra bits & pieces (photos, links, trailer and BIGGER PRINT) on my blog at:
http://thoughtsofasteelmonster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/film-review-control-2007.html

Enjoy!... :)

This is one of those films I heard about on the BBC Radio 4 Film Programme. It's a bit of an 'arty' film show that tends to focus more on British and art-house films. Even so, I'm always interested in what they have to say and this one came quite highly recommended. As usual, I watched it without looking at any reviews or scores on various web sites and I was surprised when I came to write my review just how poorly it had been received! I found it a lot better than the scores would have you believe; it's far from prefect, but it's certainly better than the 1/10 that Rotten Tomatoes seems to think it deserves! But I digress, here's a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

Joe (Martin Compston) is a shy young man living and working in London. He idolises his big brother John (Neil Maskell) who looks out for him. But his world falls apart when John is killed by a gang of men who he had been having a spot of trouble with in a local pub. Joe is devastated and even Clair (Louise Dylan), a friend, can't console him. Enter Piggy (Paul Anderson), who claims to be an old friend of John's from school. He takes Joe under his wing and teaches him all about life in the big city; how to avoid trouble and how to cope should the need arise. Piggy wants to help Joe in other ways too (no, not like that), he wants to give Joe his revenge for his brother. To this end they begin to track down the five men responsible. One by one Piggy takes his revenge as Joe watches on; but what effect is all this having on Joe? How will this change him?

I found this very dark with extreme levels of violence, For the most part the acts of violence are not actually shown on the screen, they are alluded to enough to make you cringe though. Great performances all round, particularly from Paul Anderson; he played the part superbly! Martin Compston wasn't all that bad either! As revenge thrillers go, this may not be the best, but it's certainly one of the darkest I've seen in a long time. Maybe it's just too dark and that's the trouble with it; I found myself looking at my watch in places which is never a good sign. Certainly worth seeing for Paul Anderson's performance but definitely not one for the squeamish.

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED (Just)

My score: 5.9/10

There are extra bits & pieces (photos, links, trailer and BIGGER PRINT) on my blog at:
http://thoughtsofasteelmonster.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/film-review-piggy-2012.html

Enjoy!... :)