The follow up to The Chronicles of Narnia : the Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe ( 2005 ) has it's work cut out. Disney have decided to release it just a week before arguably the fantasy blockbuster of the summer , the new Indiana Jones movie. Is their confidence well founded or misplaced ? Read on ...
I liked the Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe. It covered a lot of narrative ground quickly and had a real charm to it. The good news is that much of that charm is present and correct here. A large part of that was down to the four young actors who play the Pevensie children and they aquit themselves well again , Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian on the other hand gives a bland performance. Imagine a second rate Orlando Bloom in Pirates , you get the idea ?
There's much to like here , the action sequences , cinematography and score are excellent , plus any movie featuring a one and half foot tall sword fighting mouse ( not to mention a well spoken Badger ) can't be all bad. Prince Caspian does have some flaws however , there is virtually no character development , you know nothing more about the main protaganists than you did at the beginning. Dialogue and narrative meanwhile are sacrificed at the altar of the action sequence. The film is simply too top heavy with action and fails to make you truly care about what happens to the individuals involved as their personalities are never really explored.
The Chronicles of Narnia : Prince Caspian is a missed opportunity. We end up with a good movie when there was so much potential for it to be a great one. Here's hoping they make a more balanced picture when the next chapter of C.S Lewis' classic childrens series hits the big screen next time around. For now Indiana Jones can sleep easy ...
Director
Andrew Adamson 6/10 Great action sequences but no Peter Jackson ( Lord of the Rings ).
Actors
Ben Barnes ( Prince Caspian ) 5/10 Seemed to have had a charisma bypass.
Georgie Henley ( Lucy ) 8/10 Promising young actress.
Skandar Keynes ( Edmund ) 7/10 Suited the part.
William Moseley ( Peter ) 7/10 Well cast again.
Anna Popplewell ( Susan ) 8/10 Has a big future.
Overall
Lack of dialogue , character development and narrative mar an otherwise excellent fantasy movie.
Seven out of Ten
Monday, 26 May 2008
Sunday, 25 May 2008
Street Kings ( 2008 ) - Keanu Reeves , Forest Whitaker
[ Sarcasm mode engaged ] It's heartening to see originality is alive and well in Hollywood. [ Sarcasm mode disengaged ] Street Kings sees Keanu Reeves playing maverick LAPD detective Tom Ludlow. Tom's not afraid to break the rules to catch his crook and if the pen pushers back at Police headquarters don't like it , that's just too bad ! Whilst performing his daily duty as a gun toting one man answer to Los Angeles crime he uncovers a web of corruption within his own department that leads right to the top.
Stylishly directed by David Ayer ( 'Harsh Times' ) , Street Kings is a polished but predictable cop thriller. Reeves is competent if unspectacular while Whitaker fares better and excells in his role as Reeves' Captain . He gives a real gravitas to the part and the performance belonged in a better movie than this one. Hugh Laurie ( 'House' ) also pops up sporting a slightly unconvincing American accent...
It's an entertaining movie , but while watching , it's hard not to feel that you've seen it all before too many times and feel a little short changed. The script itself is not half as clever as it thinks it is and this is compounded further by the lack of an interesting twist or plot turn , there are no 'wow' moments , nothing to stop the picture from departing from your memory within minutes of seeing it ... if you're a fan of the genre however , it is worth a look.
Director
David Ayer 7/10 Stylish , pacy .
Actors
Keanu Reeves ( Tom Ludlow ) 6/10 Competent.
Forest Whitaker ( Jack Wander ) 8/10 On top of his game.
Hugh Laurie ( James Biggs ) 5/10 More lessons with the voice coach required !
Overall
Entertaining but predictable cop movie lacking a plot device or twist to make it truly stand out.
Six out of Ten
Stylishly directed by David Ayer ( 'Harsh Times' ) , Street Kings is a polished but predictable cop thriller. Reeves is competent if unspectacular while Whitaker fares better and excells in his role as Reeves' Captain . He gives a real gravitas to the part and the performance belonged in a better movie than this one. Hugh Laurie ( 'House' ) also pops up sporting a slightly unconvincing American accent...
It's an entertaining movie , but while watching , it's hard not to feel that you've seen it all before too many times and feel a little short changed. The script itself is not half as clever as it thinks it is and this is compounded further by the lack of an interesting twist or plot turn , there are no 'wow' moments , nothing to stop the picture from departing from your memory within minutes of seeing it ... if you're a fan of the genre however , it is worth a look.
Director
David Ayer 7/10 Stylish , pacy .
Actors
Keanu Reeves ( Tom Ludlow ) 6/10 Competent.
Forest Whitaker ( Jack Wander ) 8/10 On top of his game.
Hugh Laurie ( James Biggs ) 5/10 More lessons with the voice coach required !
Overall
Entertaining but predictable cop movie lacking a plot device or twist to make it truly stand out.
Six out of Ten
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