Safe House stars an unlikely match-up as veteran actor Denzel Washington is paired up to hate Ryan Reynolds, which should be easy.
Matt (Reynolds) is a CIA rookie waiting for his time to shine. He spends his days "House keeping", the term used to control the inside of a "Safe House". Located in Cape Town, the base is used to monitor and navigate CIA intelligence and to hold the odd fugitive/criminal.
And then you have your criminal. Tobin Frost (Washington) is a former CIA specialist turned mass fugitive. Tobin is captured and arrested by his former drinking buddies as Matt gets his lucky break when he is given the objective of keeping Tobin on lock down once he arrives on a location unknown...
(the safe house)
A tense feel to the movie approaches when Tobin is delivered, heavily guarded and masked. (I might add he was delivered by none other than Robert Patrick? who is the T1000 in Terminator 2!) Things spiral out of control when the Safe house is attacked by a force of mercenaries who want the head of Tobin Frost. Matt is quickly put to the test, ride or die?
Matt stays true to his word in making Tobin his top priority which is to keep him alive. former agent, Tobin, is out to torment Matt, looking to test his skills and decisions. The fact that Matt is out to do his job and protect his client, Tobin can't help but think the out-come will be bad for them both, not matter the situation.
The cast also consists of Brendan Gleeson who works for the CIA also, and plays his part in guiding Matt through the right decisions. Our very own Brendan needs no introduction when it comes to acting, but Safe house did him no favours. Yes it was an obvious decision to have him put an American accent on, but it sounded silly to be frank. Maybe just my own perspective, but I found it really hard to get used to.
Vera Farminga, who you may know from The Departed and Source Code also features as a top dog in the CIA.
Safe House was mediocre. What you see in the trailer is what you get, no more, no less. It started well, basic CIA stuff, but had a plot that could have been so good but it seemed ruined by coming off messy half way through with an unconvincing story line you seem to forget. Safe House consists of Ryan Reynolds getting beat up all the time, unnecessary gun fire and the odd car chase through the streets of Jamacia. On a positive note, you have typical Denzel acting, Training Day bad guy act,"I run shit here! King Kong ain't got shit on me!", the usual. (which is all good on his behalf) The rest, well? failed.
Ryan Reynolds did try, and in fairness he had some cool scenes (Joke free which was surprising). Just the story line, and over all action was border line depressing. The only reason one should see is if you are a Denzel Washington fan, which in my case, was the right excuse. Is it up there with his best? unfortunately not. But no matter the movie, his presence on the big screen can never be ignored.
So Lets think back, that day in the cinema, was it the trailer for Safe House that was appealing? or the song "No Church in the Wild"...
Chronicle is the latest movie to be released in relation to the newly born genre that is Found footage.
We have had a monopoly of found footage movie releases over the years. The Blaire witch project might be the only one that deserves a positive mention. Its vintage concept came about back in 1999 when it gave us something fresh and paved the way for a not so great future..."Apollo 18", "Cloverfield", "Quarantine" and not forgetting the not so eager release of "The Devil Inside Me".
Chronicle follows the lives of Andrew, Steve and Matt who find themselves trapped in a life changing experience when they encounter a strange hole containing a strong alien like energy. Their everyday ability becomes abnormal when they find their encounter the night before has left them with telekinesis strength.
It is from there on that Andrews desire to video tape life's events might actuality make sense as he begins to film the development of their newly found superpowers. Things spiral out of control quickly as both Steve and Matt start to doubt Andrews consistency as he begins to take certain matters into his own hands, leading to serious consequences and uneasy attention.
The scenes consist of clever camera tricks, involving moving cars, floating objects and bullying the public, all out of boredom leading to sheer enjoyment. Chronicle is quite amusing with some jaw dropping moments and does well in keeping the viewers attention.
In comparison to previous found-footage movies, Chronicle beats them all, as it was both exciting and enjoyable with some scenes bound to leave you wide eyed. As for the acting, from a cast I wasn't aware of, they all put in quality performances making something so far fetched seem very realistic.
"There is blood in the air, and death. They can smell it... they know we are wounded...just hope they don't f**k with us"!
Those are the chilling words from Ottway, Liam Neeson's relentless character, who stars in The Grey. A group of Oil riggers are flying over the Alaskan outskirts when horrific turbulence causes the plane to crash, leaving numerous casualties.
The crew of twenty something, cut down to seven survivors, are left to survive in the blistering cold, heavy snow, with a slim chance of finding home. One of the survivors Ottway (Neeson), is trying to come to terms of what had just happened. Considering himself lucky, he is determined to get home safely. As the group of men begin planning a way out, it isn't long before they realise they are not alone. The abandoned scenery is hunted by Alaskan wolves.
We soon learn a bit of Ottways past, as we get brief flashbacks, almost haunting images of life back home. His skills are surprising as we learn just how beneficial he could be to surviving the wrath of killer wolves.
The Grey is a fantastic survival movie. The horror concept and the teasing plot puts it up their with The Thing (Not the remake!). Liam Neeson dominates his role of leadership. One genius starts to question Ottways suggestions, in believing if they stay at the plane wreck, they will be found. Ottway tells him "No one is coming for us! If we don't move, we will freeze to death...that's one thing that will come for you". Cold, yet honest words from Neeson's character.
The movie offers brilliant performances from all the cast, with the vicious wolves looking ever so real. The scenery is quality, both in the haunting night, and day. The viewer is left wide-eyed when you hear the wolves calling for their prey!
I was shocked to find the gruesomeness in some scenes, but it suited well to the movies chilling concept. I mean let's face it...the aftermath of death from a murderous Wolf isn't exactly like a poop left unflushed? This is full on. And it rocks!
This will be, surprising to most, one of the best movies of the year. (I know, I am way to early, ah well).
As for the ending? Of course I won't go into that, but to say this. A lot of viewers will despise it, after such a thrilling beginning. I for one had no problems with it. In fact, I got so much enjoyment from the first 110 minutes, that it just breezed over my head.
2011 was a pretty average year for movies. The big screen supplied us with more stinkers than greats! In my last post I listed the top 5 movies of 2011...in my opinion of course...although I was confident most would agree. :)
2012 looks promising. The following is a brief list of 10 exciting movies...and one to AVOID!
Enjoy.
Safe House
Starring: Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds.
Plot: Rookie CIA officer Reynolds is giving the ultimate task when former CIA officer gone fugitive Washington, is captured and taken into a "Safe house". The objective seems more than a simple protection assignment for Reynolds as it seems the law isn't the only group after Washington.
Reason you should see: Denzel Washington has been hiding lately. We all know his talents, particularly as the bad guy. Safe house looks along the lines of Training Day, which isn't such a bad thing. Also it should be good to see Ryan Reynolds play a more serious role...something he couldn't even do in Blade 3. (although it would be unfair to blame the crisis in that movie on one actor alone!)
I do agree in some trailers being awfully deceiving...in this case, I fail to agree.
Released Date: February
Rampart
Starring: Woody Harrelson
Plot: Harrelson plays Dave, a Vietnam vet and current police officer. Dave is as corrupt as they come. Patrolling the streets and dedicating himself to what he believes, is self justice. Dave continues to bend the rules until an incident is caught on camera of him assaulting a bystander.
Why you should see: Woody Harrelson, unfortunately isn't known for appearing in great movies. Sure, the Money train, Kingpin and White men can't jump were fun at the time? But they ain't no classics! Rampart is sure to give Woody the acting credits he deserves. We had "Bad lieutenant" with Nicolas Cage not too long ago but Woody Harrelson as corrupt Dave is going to blow Nicolas cage out of the water, not only for acting, but the overall movie it self.
Release Date: February 10th
The Dark Knight Rises
Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Michael Cain and Gary Oldman
Plot: 8 years have gone by, and Bruce Wayne and Gotham city face bigger problems upon the arrival of one of Batman's most feared enemies... Bane!
Reason you should see: If the trailer isn't a good enough reason for you too see, try sitting down and watching Christopher Nolan's previous work in this fantastic Batman trilogy!
Release Date: July 2012
Project X
Starring: Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown and Thomas Mann
Plot: 3 high school friends organise an off the hook birthday party to make a name for themselves leading to extraordinary events!
Reason you should see: Well, for the first time, the viewer might actually enjoy a documentary style movie and it is another hilarious comedy from the genius's behind the hangover. A very original looking movie, and once again, to brush off the documentary concept? it's safe to say it's monster free...and ghost if you like.
Release Date:March 2nd 2012
Prometheus
Starring: Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace and Patrick Wilson
Plot: A group of explores find themselves fighting to save the human race...(and themselves of course) after finding an exciting lead into the origins of mankind, leaving them into a terrifying battle across the universe!
Reason you should see: What started out as an "Alien" prequel was quickly squashed. But never the less, Ridley Scott makes this trailer look big....bigger than big! In fact, remember the first "Alien" trailer? of course you do. Prometheus has nostalgic written all over it. Epic.
Release date:June 2012
The Amazing Spiderman
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans
Plot: Peter Parker finds a clue to which he believes can lead him to the disappearance of his parents. His curious path See's him collide with, what could be Spidermans' next arch enemy, Dr. Connors.
Reason you should see: Being a Spiderman fan would a be a pretty darn obvious reason to see this remake, but also, I for one, and I am sure many will cancel plans to see if the spiderman franchise needed to be remade? hmm...one things for sure, the trailer is deliciously convincing.
Release Date: Summer 2012
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie
Starring: Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim
Plot: Tim and Eric are two odd balls who receive a hefty loan of a billion dollars to make what they believe is going to be an epic movie. Their plan quickly goes down the drain, leaving both of them promoting a dying shopping mall to pay back the money.
Reason you should see: Because the trailer looks hilarious and very original. The last time I seen something look this ridiculous was Clerks, and Jay and Silent Bob strikes Back. I don't know if I should be aware of the two actors? anyway who cares. It's getting a good build up so far, so fingers crossed, it could be the comedy to see this summer.
Release Date: Summer 2012
Chimpanzee
Starring:.....
Plot: For the first time, cameras capture the life of a Chimpanzee family, focusing on a young chimp in particular, who eventually gets left behind to fend for himself in the Ugandan Rain forest.
Reason you should see: No doubt the documentary to see this summer.
Release Date: Summer 2012
Titanic 3D
Starring: Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet
Plot: A true story covering the tragic events of the Titanic disaster and a love story surrounding it.
Reason you should see: Well one, if you have not seen already, and two to get a chance to see what could be, one of the best attempts at a 3D movie.
Release Date: Summer 2012
The Avengers
Starring: Robert Downy Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johannson etc...
Plot: Finally after the tremendous build up, Nick Fury recruits a group of super humans known as the Avengers, and together they will save the earth. (Very Cartoon dialogue wasn't it?)
Reason you should see: Any fan of Marvel, or if you are just into genuine entertainment? this is for you. This would not be my particular choice of movie, given the fact I sat through "Thor" and "Captain America" last year....but the Hulk and Iron man also star, so hopefully it won't be as cheesey as previous marvel movies. Although I often forget the fact Marvel is now owned by Disney....:(
Release date: USA 4th of May, as for UK and Eire?
And my personal choice on what not to see this year!!!!
Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible 4. The Fourth instalment, Ghost Protocol, sees the fall of the IMF organisation as Ethan seeks to recruit a team of experts to help prevent the launch of nuclear weapons from a Russian Terrorist.
The movie's plot begins with the bombing of the Kremlin in Russia were a Russian source pin-points America's IMF organisation as prime suspects. In a desperate bid to start a war between the two countries, Ethan (Cruise) as well as his boss feel it is best the IMF is abolished but sheds light on an opportunity for Ethan and a hand -picked crew to investigate and prevent further assaults from the Russian terrorist.
The cast in MI4 is a delight. As always, Ethan is accompanied by Benji (Simon Pegg) who is back to his old tricks as there is nothing standing in the way when he is involved. New to the series is Jeremy Renner who we know from Ben Affleck's The Town. Jeremy plays Brandt, a so called observer in the IMF. There is more than meets the eye with Brandt as he is a smart character but brings a lot of negativity to the crew. What would a Mission Impossible movie be without the hot female? Introducing Jane, played by Paula Patton. This is a woman that cannot be messed with! Delicate looks can be deceiving as she does more ass kicking in this movie than any other in the franchise.
Ghost Protocol is no hit and miss. This was a quality movie. In fact I believe the best in the series so far. (I say so far because Ethan will be back...I think). The action sequences were the best I have seen in a long time. MI4 avoids your typical blockbuster make no sense type a flick, this was a genuine entertaining film. We all dowelled on the Original Mission Impossible for so long, but now people will be surprised they might actually find Ghost Protocol the best of the bunch.
Certain Scenes like When Ethan is scales the Tallest Building in Dubai. Okay we all seen clips in the trailer previous, but that part in the movie was extraordinary! The whole time through that scene my mind was racing with the fact Tom Cruise performed that particular stunt? and the rest! Absolutely brilliant. There is a scene not long after when a massive sandstorm covers the area as Ethan is caught up in a game a cat and mouse.
Overall a fantastic movie. We might all agree on one thing, the fact that Mission Impossible 2 wasn't too bad and MI3 took the biscuit a bit. Mission Impossible:Ghost Protocol is a quality return to what we will always remember Tom Cruise as...Ethan Hunt! (and roll the spy tune....)
Well it is nearly that time a year again. The time when an over weighted, old pensioner with a white beard shows his strange love for kids by delivering them everything they ever wanted! People celebrate Christmas by getting drunk and fat as we make our way into the year that will be 2012. I have decided to celebrate this years movie releases by reflecting back on what I felt were most enjoyable.
It is fair to say most will not agree with me, although most I know have called 2011 a horrific year for movies. I fail to agree. It has been tough choosing on what I believe was a great year for our cinemas.
(In no particular order)
X -Men: first class: An extraordinary return to the X - Men series. A return that led us back in time if you like. 1962 was the birth of the first hybrid of mutants. Besides from the plot, which was brilliantly based around the brink of world war 3, the addition of James Mc Avoy as the young Charles and Eric Fassbender as Magneto turned out to be the back bone of the movie. We got an amazing insight into the friendship that once was, and how a clash of personalities led to Charles Xavier and Magneto creating the X-Men saga, as archenemies. The movie also gave us an exquisite insight into the characters of teenage mutants, such as storm, mystique, and Beast. My favourite addition to X-Men origins was Kevin Bacon, who plays a Sebastian Shaw. Sebastian was your typical bad guy. Who better could you have chosen to round of what turned out to be a fantastic movie!
Rise of the planet of the Apes: Judging from the breathtaking release of the first official trailer, this was a movie that could have went horribly wrong...or surprisingly good. My verdict? was certainly better than good, Rise of the apes was an amazing creation of a saga that critics were waiting so eagerly to slate. Honestly I never did have much knowledge of the original trilogy. An to be honest again, they look terrible. My first introduction to planet of the apes was when Mark Wahlberg found himself unwanted by a bunch a angry apes back in 2001. I discovered even that version failed to get the best of reviews. I enjoyed it. I mean Tim Burton made the huge step up from what was clearly monkey clothes to full on costumes and make up. In fact, my opinion? he made the apes look ten times as real! So without going off subject, like I kind of did already, Rise of the Apes starred James Franco and John Lithgow and Andy Sekis (Caesar the Ape). A fantastic movie which gave us mind blowing CGI. It was brilliant and original to have the star of a movie be an Ape. We got a class insight into the mind of Caesar and the intelligence that comes with it after he learns of the experimental drug supplied by owner Will. The drug, intended to cure alzheimers', finds the hands of some mistreated apes, that leads to serious, yet entertaining consequences.
Crazy Stupid Love: Without being hugely convinced of Steve Carell's talent on screen? a movie that involved himself and Ryan Gosling was a genius creation. Cal, played by Carell is suddenly heartbroken after his wife (Julian Moore) confesses to cheating. Cal eventually gives himself no option but to leave the home, with the possibility of divorce. Obviously heart broken, he is discovered down in the dumps by Jacob (Gosling). Jacob is a hotshot. A ladies man who knows nothing other than playboy language and offers to teach Cal how to talk the talk, and the walk. The movies genius comedy arouses when it is clear Cal knows absolutely nothing about women after being married for a whopping 20 years. Crazy stupid love avoided full on slapstick comedy which made the movie ever more brilliant. It's touch of drama and every day incidents gave it that feel good factor, with some heartbreaking scenes. The comedy was never full on and succeeded in bringing out the true talents in Steve Carell. A cast of Kevin Bacon and Emma stone gave the movie a fantastic touch.
Warrior: A movie, based on the fasted growing sport we have today, MMA. Tom Hardy plays Tommy, the younger brother of Brendan played by Joel Edgerton.The two brothers, both struggling in different ways, see the light when an MMA tournament is advertised, offering the biggest purse in the history of the sport. The father, played by Nick Nolte arrives on the scene to discover both brothers have manged to avoid each other since Tommy's return from the army. Warrior just might be my favourite movie this year. This was a fantastic movie that blew previous fighting movies out of the water. The acting from Tom Hardy and Joel was amazing, not forgetting a brilliant performance from Nick Nolte. A movie based on broken family's, dream chances, and extraordinary events, makes Warrior a peach of a movie. The plot, besides from the obvious, feeds us with real in dept stories to the lives of the fortunate, and the not so. Director Gavin O' Connor made a wise decision in developing a fighting movie away from boxing. I believe with the UFC growing every year, it has finally taken over what once was the home of the great Muhammed Ali, that was boxing.
Drive: Every once in a while an actor comes along with great ambition and imagination, one who clearly has that wise choice of movie. He knows the trick to successful acting and wouldn't hesitate to spit in the face of someones idea of a poor movie. Ryan Gosling, possibly the greatest actor of our generation stars in Drive. To be honest, Drive had as much a plot as Bambi did. That was the genius concept we were greeted with. Gosling plays a hired driver, taking on any kind of job ( illegal of course) an he is sure to get you outta there before the cops arrive. If not, " He is all yours". Driver (Gosling) is a quiet, tense character. His driving at night is a secondary job to his stuntman work during the day. Things do get nasty after the introduction to Nino (Ron Pearlman) and Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks), as well as the accidental involvement of Irene (Carey Mulligan). A strange movie that can't be described in words. The trailer on it's release was quality. It gave away a different movie that viewers initially intended to see. The violence came as a suprise but the viewer will leave afterwards relising it blended well with the tension in the storyline. Drive is accompanied by a nice 80's retro soundtrack that made it all the more enjoyable as we watched Driver do his work. Ryan Gosling is by far my favourite actor today, who starred in two of my favourite movies this year. Brilliant.
(I wanted to add a plus 1. The simple reason being the lack of great horror movies over the years made this one an instant classic I just couldn't avoid adding to my favourites of 2011)
Insidious: Insidious is a a gripping horror based around the family of a young boy who suddenly falls into a mysterious coma. Patrick Wilson plays the father Josh, and wife Renai is played by Rose Byrne. The young boy Dalton is led into the coma after exploring the attic of their new home only to find himself struck by what seems to be a paranormal demon. The terrifying story begins from there as a demon seems to stalk the boy seeking to capture him from the coma he lies in. Without saying too much on the events, this was, by far my favourite horror of the past few years. The last great horror that made me jump from my skin was "Drag me to hell", a remake by Sam Raimi. Those who love the old school style of the horror genre would adore that movie, released in 2009. Insidious was successful in touching off that old school, spine-tingling experience. Honestly? I was shook for a good two nights. The fact that I failed to stop thinking about Insidious clearly told me that this was a quality horror movie. The future of horror movies does not seem to hold anything like Insidious. My advice to you is see this, embrace it with enjoyment and chills as it will be a long time before anything will scare you like Insidious!
The Thing. Not John Carpenters cult classic, but an apparent prequel to the original. Let's face it, last year when myself, as well as most heard of a new release of the Thing? automatically I thought, okay, another horror remake. Horror remakes, or any remake if you like have an awful habit of staying a float in the sink for a good hour or so before quickly releasing the plug as we watch, happily, as it flows down the drain! It surprised me a couple of days ago before seeing the movie that they had set it out to be a prequel to the first. That was the reason I decided to push myself into seeing it without having to judge it based on John Carpenter's version.
So here we go. Kate Llode (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is a graduate student who some how finds herself tagging along side a Dr Sander Halvorson, who's played by Ulrich Thomsen. The two, also accompanied by a group of scientists and pilots are held together at an Antarctica Research facility (a couple a miles from the 1982 base might I add).
It becomes clear that Dr Sanders is after something not yet known to the rest of the crew. The movie eventually lifts off after they discover the alien life form frozen in one giant ice cube! The find quickly lights up the eyes of Sanders as he sees this as a great discovery that could possible get his name down in history. Himself and the scientist pitch an idea of moving the alien from outside into a Lab inside were they can run some tests and try discover what exactly they are dealing with.
Kate, who seems paranoid over the idea of running tests on the alien creature quickly makes it known to Sanders about her feelings and safety. We get introduced to Carter (Joel Edgerton) who is a pilot for the facility. Kate turns to Carter after failing to talk to Sanders out of his plans. According to Dr Sanders, they have made the discovery of a life time as he fails to understand why Kate is blind to that.
A good half hour into the movie was all it took for the Thing to be left alone. The crew had left it out back, still in the ice cube. I am guessing to let the ice melt? Then Boom! the Thing is released and goes on a rampage. The idea of it's agility to kill and transform by embracing human cells is quality. It was nice to see it keep the same isolated scene...kind of like in Alien? Were in space it said no one can here you scream? yeah, kind of along the lines of that. But not as amazing...obviously. The idea of any group of people being picked off one by one by anything always makes for an entertaining movie.
The CGI in the Thing, was in fact horrific. There was one part, without saying, that was pretty decent, but the rest was hideous. In modern day effects in movies, especially one that's supposed to involve a gruesome looking alien? they should have done miles better with the look of the Thing. I did not want to rub off the original too much, although I might have had already, but the director labelled it a prequel? A lot of what you see in this is exactly what you will find in the 1982 version.
As for characters, there is no one in this movie that you grow to like, or even dislike. They are all quite anonymous. Joel Edgerton, who is clearly supposed to be the equivalent to Kurt Russel's character just never takes off. It is fair to say Joel is the best actor in the movie, but in fairness most of the characters never got a look in. My point is there was never a character in the movie you find yourself rooting for. Maybe the Thing? but that's it.
Overall the movie stuck to some important spectacles of the original. The chilling base isolated in the middle of the Antarctica definitely succeeded in adding horror to the movie. I was delighted to still hear the creepy tune that plays through-out the movie. There were scenes I did find myself jumping to, to be honest. The cinema can do that to you sometimes!
So fans of the 1982 classic might find this movie hard to avoid. I would advise them to see it to judge themselves. The Thing is also for any horror fans just looking for a good scare mixed with the entertainment of watching humans get splattered! This was in no way a bad movie, but unfortunately fails to be anything other than mediocre.
I believe, if this was meant as a prequel? it should have been giving a title, with a title. So instead it is just the Thing? just like, the Thing in 1982. But hey, don't be fooled...apparently it isn't a remake.
A horror movie that is worth a watch, but don't expect to remember it after your next movie of choice.
And then you have your criminal. Tobin Frost (Washington) is a former CIA specialist turned mass fugitive. Tobin is captured and arrested by his former drinking buddies as Matt gets his lucky break when he is given the objective of keeping Tobin on lock down once he arrives on a location unknown... 
