Tomorrowland

#StokerScore 4/10

Brad Bird. The man behind my favourite animated movie, "The Incredibles", and the director of the best movie in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. A man with a vision. A man who when he says he has a great idea for a movie, people listen. A man who evidently kept all previews and trailers under wraps until just prior to release and even then to a level best termed mysterious. 

I saw Tomorrowland a couple of days ago following a chance viewing of the trailer in front of Mad Max: Fury Road. I was aware of the movie and the magazines and articles I'd read talking about how mysterious the project was and how little was known about it and now, even having seen it, I have to admit I'm not sure where to start with this review. I suppose with that being the case I should just describe the general story without giving too much away but then that would clash with Mr Bird's original intention. He seemed to want everyone to arrive at the cinema in a state of curiosity, even though the trailer I saw explained it all very generally, with the possible exception of Hugh Laurie's role.

So look, it's a Disney movie. It's got lots of great visuals. It's got a solid cast. But for me it doesn't know what it wants to be. Most kids' movies work on an adult level to keep the guardians amused whilst at the same time entertaining the little ones. That was something I loved about "The Incredibles". This movie is way too complicated to maintain the interest of the audience members at which it is aimed (what is that, by the way?) and although I agree that it has a sense of charm and Clooney's Clooneyisms, it is overshadowed by its MESSAGE.

I don't think any movie deserves comparing to "Battlefield: Earth" but this comes perilously close, purely for gag reflex which keeps being induced everytime the director thinks the audience is unclear on the MESSAGE. I understand that audiences are being accused of being dumbed down but this doesn't hint at a problem and a solution, it picks you up and slaps you repeatedly with a week-old haddock.

As I said, visually stunning, but ultimately confusing and even a tad boring?

The Lazarus Effect

#StokerScore 2/10

Looking down the listings at the two local cinemas, hoping to see an early glimpse of Mad Max: Fury Road, I came across showing times for The Lazarus Effect. I hadn't really heard a lot about this movie, other than it's a horror movie, starring Olivia Wilde (the feisty and cute doctor from the Fox tv show House, not to be confused with the vulnerable and cute doctor from the Fox tv show House) and that it was a spin on the 80's movie Flatliners.

Firstly there are a few comparisons that can be made with Flatliners; medical ethics, past sins, and life after death to name some but that would be like comparing Superhero movies and complaining that the basic plot is the same. When you make a movie with similar subject matter to another, it's bound to draw comparisons and hey, isn't that why they made this movie in the first place?

The story, without giving anything away in terms of spoilers, is ok. It has many holes, as you'd expect from a horror movie churned out to relieve those of us who like the genre from a few shekels, but it also lacks charm. Where Flatliners had Oliver Platt and Kevin Bacon, The Lazarus Effect tries to make do by wasting its bests talent, Olivia, and then trying to get Evan Peters to cover for her.

Don't get me wrong, there were some jumpy moments, not all of which were signposted using neon lights, but ultimately the movie seemed to lack direction and could have fleshed out some more of the "what-the-hell-is-going-on-here" stuff.

I left dissatisfied and my wife left bemused as she was also trying to keep up with this nonsense with Indonesian subtitles and I really only recommend this if you have money that you're happy to throw away on a movie that is only 83 minutes long. Saying that, I can only imagine the Indonesian censor cut a few scenes as I'm sure it didn't seem as long as that. Maybe they also cut out the point.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

                                                                                                            #StokerScore 10/10

It's been a couple of months since I was last at the movies and I have to admit that I'd been really looking forward to this one.

Last time out we saw the Avengers see off a threat from Loki, in league with Thanos, and this time we're thrown straight back into the action. The movie opens with an all out assault on a HYDRA base with the team still trying to recapture Loki's power staff. That every character was given an opportunity to show off their skills in the opening minutes is a credit to the writers and director and for me, a guy certainly old enough to know better but who grew up on Marvel comics, it was satisfying on every level.

I am annoyed that the powers that be can't seem to get their act together and have just one Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sure, this is the name being given to what Marvel and The House of Mouse are doing, but it's the second version of Quicksilver in a year. Don't get me wrong, both Aaron Taylor Johnson's and Evan Peters' versions are satisfyingly different, but ultimately what's the point? Small gripe out of the way and back to the movie at hand.

Guardians of the Galaxy and the first Avengers movies really set the bar for fun, comic-based movies, but AOU moves away from that into more serious territory. Sure, there's still the well-thought-out set piece scenes, a feeling that you're watching Superheroes and with enough colour in both costumes and writing to rival the moody direction that DC are taking, but there is also what's to come. The increased roster of characters doesn't feel that each get's significantly less screen time, a problem leveled at other movies trying to pack too much in.

This movie effectively ends what's known as Phase 2 and next up with Thor: Ragnarok, Captain America: Civil War and Doctor Strange (who doesn't seem to deserve a colon) there are going to be some tough times ahead and I thought the explanation of these characters stances was justified in taking time away from the explosions and destruction.

Special mention to James Spader, the voice of Ultron, for having to take over from Tom Hiddlestone as the movies bad guy. I wasn't sure that was possible but I was wrong!

If you enjoyed The Winter Soldier and are looking for a comic book movie with some pithy one-liners married to some great story-telling, whilst at the same time feeling truly awed, this is the movie for you.........and finally, where is Hulk? Planet Hulk, anyone?

Dragon Blade

This is currently playing in 3D IMAX in the town where I live and I still can't bring myself to watch it. Maybe on DVD, Maybe.

Jupiter Ascending

Jupiter Ascending                                                           #StokerScore 3/10

I didn't have high hopes going into this. I'd read some pretty damning comments but had stayed away from any reviews with a view to making up myown mind as much as possible. As ever, I'm going to try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible but my apologies in advance if I let anything slip.

The Wachowskis have directed some good movies. Bound is a great little noir thriller, and of course The Matrix was a cinematic milestone, but then there were the Matrix sequels, Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas all of which were just huge in terms of scale and effects but let down by story and perhaps expectation.

The trailer for this movie has been playing, seemingly, forever and just looks so lush and amazing that I've been really looking forward to seeing it. It's a space opera and from the trailer we get to see a random cleaner, played by Mila Kunis, find herself in some sticky situations that need a pointy-eared Channing Tatum to rescue her from on her way to becoming some kind of intergalactic monarch.

The trailer also shows us a manic Eddie Redmayne as well as the rarely-makes-it-to-the-end-alive Sean Bean along with some truly jaw-dropping special effects.

The reality for me though was just that. The special effects were incredible, but the script was just plain shocking. Characters uttering nonsense is to be expected to a certain axtent in Sci-Fi movies, but these characters were just plain dumb. On top of thaat the movie seemed to have been edited meaning that characters seemed to all too easily accept things that happened without question. I can only assume the disbelief scenes ended on the cutting room floor.

Would I recommend it? No, not really. I was eventually bored as even though the special effects seemed to just keep getting better, the story got more and more pathetic. The really only important thing for me was whether Sean Bean would make it to the end and for the answer to that you'll just have to sit through it yourself :-)

Not sure what's next. Part of me wants to see just how bad the Jackie Chan/John Cusack "Dragon Blade" is......

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman: The Secret Service                                                         #StokerScore 10/10

Directed by Matthew Vaughan, who has been responsible for some awesome movies as a producer or director including; X-Men First Class, Kick-Ass, Stardust and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Hell, he’s even got a producer credit on the new Fantastic Four movie which is the only thing keeping my faith in that movie having seen the first lackluster trailer. Anyway, suffice to say he has an eye for action and a heart for story.

The movie owes a lot in so many ways to the 60’s and 70’s spy movies, with particular attention to Moore’s Bond. There was also a feel of ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E’ tv show, which is also about to see a cinematic return, and I’m even more convinced that I saw tv’s ‘The Persuaders’ where Tony Curtis’ brash American has to go toe to toe with Roger Moore’s Lord Brett Sinclair.

Basically the plot goes that, by virtue of an experiment equivalent to the comically referenced Trading Places and equally comically referenced My Fair Lady, A chav gets the opportunity to be inducted into the ranks of an ultra-secret - and ultra-snobbish - spy organization and fish-out-of-water games ensue, culminating with the realization that he’s not so fish-out-of-water at all and much to the satisfaction of a very happy pug. The lisping bad guy is suitably OTT with a great henchperson to support them and a lair to stand alongside all evil-doer’s lairs.

The cast is excellent, including cameos for some great character actors, with the old stages such as Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong and Michael Caine effortlessly guiding the relative newcomers, and the plot moves us along at a rip roaring pace. The language is, for anyone who hasn’t seen Kick-Ass, rather choice so don’t take your granny if she’s going to be put out by consecutive F-Bombs, but in the context of the movie it’s nice to see something that isn’t overly sanitized.

I’m sure that this movie has its faults, but I’m not reviewing it for that. Uchiel and I enjoyed this equally and that’s what these reviews are about. Plus, it’s set the standard for a very promising year of film.

#StokerScore 10/10

Next up is the would-appear-to-be insanity that is “Jupiter Ascending”