The film highlight though - Interstellar. Good lord: what an astonishingly brilliant film, so brilliant in fact that I've already seen it twice and plan on seeing it at least another two times next week. Christopher Nolan is a genius.
THE AVENGERS
* * * *
Netflix // 2012 // DVD
"Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity."
(ALL IMAGES SOURCED FROM www.imdb.com)
Following on from last week's Marvel meltdown and an epic binge of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I decided to search through Netflix and rewatch all the Marvel films on offer (except for Iron Man 2: I can't think of anything worse than suffering through that again). Given the fact that The Avengers was the first film I saw in the franchise and the one that initially fanned the flames of my newfound appreciation for superhero films, it seemed like the obvious place to start. It also helps that I really, really like it.
The Avengers is an epic Hollywood blockbuster in every sense of the phrase. Crammed into an (arguably overlong) 143 minutes are six huge superheroes and a machiavellian villain, all of which either preside over their own separate franchises or are fully deserving of one. On paper it doesn't look like the type of concept that would work properly without someone taking one for the team and being significantly sidelined. However, although they definitely don't all have equal screen time, director and screenwriter Joss Whedon somehow manages against all odds to give each of them a moment to shine mostly due to his utterly brilliant and witty script.
With the superhero side successfully taken care of, the rest of the film ticks all of the blockbuster boxes. It has pathos, humour and tension, with small character driven emotional scenes complementing the enormous CGI set pieces. The final New York climax, in particular, really is spectacular.
It's the film that turned Tom Hiddleston (Loki) into a rockstar; made everyone start to demand a Black Widow solo movie; and showed that it is actually possible to have so many huge characters in one film and for the audience to not feel shortchanged. The Avengers is long and certainly not for the non-Marvel fans out there, but for those of us that can't get enough of superheroes then it's fantastic!
CAPTAIN AMERICA
* * *
Netflix // 2011 // DVD
"Steve Rogers, a rejected military soldier transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a "Super-Soldier serum". But being Captain America comes at a price if he attempts to take down a war monger and a terrorist organisation."
I originally hated this. Despite the warning from the title it just seemed too American to handle, and the first time I saw it I couldn't tolerate in the slightest the narrative of the Americans swooping in and winning the war yet again. The fight might be focussed on a made-up Nazi science division - Hydra - but once more Hollywood had produced a film where America was single-handedly taking out Hitler, this time lead by an idealistic genetically enhanced super solider donned in red, white and blue and practically overflowing with patriotic enthusiasm. Eughh.
However, upon reflection I'll admit it's not that bad. Chris Evans is a brilliant Captain America, both before and after the transformation, and at times it feels - ridiculously - like this role was specifically written with him in mind. It's a decent 'foundation' film that establishes the characters well within the backstory, and sets them up for any future continuations in the franchise: I definitely wouldn't have loved The Winter Soldier as much as I did if I hadn't seen this one before it, if only for the exploration of the Bucky-Steve relationship. There are good special effects, a couple of witty one-liners and it boasts a truly fantastic cast. Captain America is a textbook superhero film, and once you look past the explosion of Americana it's actually quite good.
THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT
* * * *
Netflix // 2005 // DVD
"Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest."
Who isn't crackers about Wallace & Gromit?
This is my go-to Halloween film (because I'm a pansy and can't actually deal with anything remotely scary and in the horror genre), and as I missed out on watching it last week I made sure to squeeze it in while baking mid-week. I can't accurately express how much I love this film. I've seen it so many times I know what's coming but I still laugh like a loon for 90 minutes as if it's the first time I've seen it. There are more puns then I thought possible to fit in a film; more genius mechanical contraptions, this time used to capture rabbits; and a script that's just brilliant on so many levels. It's more than obvious how much time, effort and attention has gone into the making of it, and as far as animation goes Aardman have outdone themselves once again.
It's no The Wrong Trousers, but it's still wonderful.
STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS
* * * *
Sky Movies // 2013 // DVD
"After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction."
I didn't mean to watch this, but as my dad had just updated the Sky package to include movies and STID had started only minutes before, it would have been rude not to watch the whole thing all the way through. That's my excuse anyway, not that I need one to watch Star Trek!
I did an enormous post about Star Trek Into Darkness earlier the year, so there's a more detailed post here with a bigger review of both the film and the score. Safe to say, even though I know it has its faults - so many lens flares and a predictable plot twist to name a few - it still has outstanding special effects, a good ensemble cast, and a simply stunning score. Benedict Cumberbatch is chilling in his somewhat controversial role as 'John Harrison', and although critics at the time were divided about the film his performance was seemingly universally praised, and deservedly so. I like the direction J. J. Abrams is taking the franchise even though I know many fans don't agree, so for me this is a brilliant film, and one I'll watch time and time again without ever getting bored.
IRON MAN 3
* * *
Sky Movies // 2013 // DVD
"When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution."
Iron Man is my least favourite superhero.
Despite Robert Downey Jr.'s terrific performance I still find Tony Stark insufferable, and over the last three films featuring the character I find it near impossible to route for him in dire circumstances. Instead, I just wish each villain would finish him off. Sadly, for the moment that's not the case, and despite Loki's efforts in The Avengers Iron Man is still around when new terrorist, the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) starts wrecking havoc and demanding his attention. However, in a positive turn of events Iron Man 3 isn't as much of a disaster as I thought it'd be.
In the wake of the Battle of New York at the end of The Avengers (apologies for the minor spoiler…) Tony Stark is a mess, suffering from high levels of anxiety, insomnia and a deep rooted fear for the safety of his beloved Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). For once the armour he surrounds himself in - his obnoxious, spoilt persona - is cracked and screenwriters Shane Black and Drew Pearce have finally revealed a different side to Tony Stark, that of a normal human being capable of a range of emotions, not just sarcastic comments. I love this revelation: I finally have a reason not to dislike Iron Man! There's no denying that Downey Jr. plays this aspect of the character fantastically.
Kingsley's Mandarin is nothing like you'd expect him to be; Pepper Potts is an unsung hero in so many ways; and the special effects in the final scene are undoubtedly spectacular. It's not a brilliant film - it still adheres to a formula despite tentatively breaking the mould - but it's a decent contribution to the franchise.
Iron Man still feels like the rockstar Jon Favreau moulded with the first two instalments, but now he's off the stage and walking through the crowd. Ironically, this is the best version of him to date.
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
* * * *
Sky Movies // 2006 // DVD
"A newly recruited night security guard at the Museum of Natural History discovers that an ancient curse causes the animals and exhibits on display to come to life and wreak havoc."
The Museum of Natural History COMES TO LIFE AT NIGHT. Robin Williams is Teddy Roosevelt; the T-Rex wants to play fetch; and Steve Coogan and Owen Wilson have best best onscreen bromance of all time as a miniature Octavius and Jedediah. Seriously: what's not to like?!
INTERSTELLAR
* * * * *
Odeon Manchester (IMAX) & Vue Cheshire Oaks // 2014 // In UK cinemas now
I'm saving a full review for later this week, but given how I've already seen it twice and it only came out 3 days ago it should be pretty obvious how much I loved it. I've been steadily getting more and more excited for Interstellar since the project was originally announced and I've had the November 7th release date marked in my diary for months. Dan Jolin's brilliant feature in last month's Empire heightened my excitement more than ever, and despite my incredibly high expectations Interstellar was everything I could ever have hoped for and more.
The last time I sat in a cinema this giddy for three hours, wide-eyed in wonder, heart pounding and completely swept up in the plot was two years ago with The Dark Knight Rises, so it's no wonder that I found Christopher Nolan's latest offering so incredible. He expertly weaves an intimate family drama in amongst some of the most breathtaking and visually stunning scenes I've ever seen. His vision of black holes, space travel and other galaxies is ridiculously amazing and when combined with a truly unique and stunning score from Hans Zimmer Interstellar is astonishingly good. The amount of times I had to pinch myself at what was unfolding onscreen (a surprise cameo from a HUGE Hollywood actor made me do that both times I saw it) or grip the armrests beside me as the tension had me so tightly wound was ridiculous.
Interstellar has sadly divided critics but I am firmly in the "5* jaw-dropingly brilliant film" camp. It deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible so if you can see it in IMAX this week then do. If not, then any cinema screen will do: it's utterly unmissable, so make sure a trip to the cinema is on your to-do list this week...
I'm still so swept up in Interstellar I don't think I'm going to be able to concentrate on tonight's Downton Abbey… Have you seen any new releases this week? Or have you gone through Netflix with a fine-tooth comb like me this week? Let me know any film recommendations in the comments below!
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