The Raid is an explosive, all out Indonesian war as a SWAT team storm the building of a wanted drug lord and is army of tenants!.
Located in the slums of Jakarta, the apartment block, considered a no-go area by police in the past, is run by a ruthless nemesis by the name of Tama (Ray Sahetapy). With previous unsuccessful attempts to bring him in, a SWAT team is ready to infiltrate the building in the cleanest way possible.
Rama (Iko Uais) is just another SWAT agent hoping to come out of the "Raid" alive, although something tells us his participation is not accidental. A mixed martial artist, ready to ruin his fists with the blood of the ruthless mercenaries.
The tactical enforcements have little knowledge of the 30 floor apartment block other than it been occupied as a safe-house for the worst kind of wanted criminals.
The Raid is mind-blowing with constant non-stop action from start to finish. Its concept is typical good versus bad, but with high octane tensity, fantastic fight scenes and numerous twists to this Indonesian master piece. The Raid gives Ong-Bak a run for its money. A six minute fight scene featuring two guys on one, is just a tease of what The Raid offers fight fans.
In comparison to what we have seen this summer, The Raid offers so much more in terms of gunfights so terrifying, I was only short of ducking in the cinema!
Lookout for Tama's right hand man, "Mad Dog". A guy the SWAT are informed about on rout to the apartment block "He will tear down walls for Rama". He is exactly what he is made out to be. A tiny, ruthless Little character, showing his finest skills in martial arts. The consequence for the SWAT team? Bloodshed!
Overall; The Raid is a terrific movie that must be seen, over and over again! I will be surprised if another action movie beats this one any time soon.
The first official documentary featuring members of the Marley family, who reflect on the life of Bob Marley. A prophet to some and a lyrical icon who left the earth leaving a significant mark in musical history.
Marley is a beautifully crafted piece of work based on the late Jamaican star. The film is aimed at his biggest fans as well as those with little knowledge of his life. (ME) Raised in the slum's of Kingston, Jamaica, Bob Marley lived life an only child with his mother fending for food and water. Bob's life shows an affect for disaster with little knowledge of his father and any appeareance being nothing short of a myth. Just like Bob, friends and numerous characters from the Kingston area are introduced in the film, expressing their upbringing in poverty stricken Jamaica.
We learn of the belief in "Rhasta Fari". A god worshipped by certain Jamaicans. Bob Marley describes him as the equivalent to Jesus. "White people have Jesus, we have Rhasta Fari". A belief which entitles them to smoke a ridiculous amount of weed each day. The concept of the documentary tells a tale of comedy, happiness and depression as ones life is told through those who grew up with, and loved him most.
His struggle for success is told through friends and numerous members of The Wailers. How reggae was founded through a single chord? how Bob Marley eventually left Jamaica for America to expand his ideas in music. A story of ambition and tragedy, relating to the shooting of Bob Marley and certain members of The Wailers. How Bob Marley was begged to revive Jamaica's government torn gang war, bringing a country together through his music.
Vital members of the Marley family are heard for the first time in this cinematic masterpiece. Son of Bob, Ziggy Marley tells of his remembrance, as were are shown a shocking resemblance to the late singer. Rita Marley, his first and last love tells the story of how she stayed with Bob, despite his sexual antics.
A revealing documentary of the Jamaican superstar, seen through the eyes of members of the music industry as well as a brilliant cast of Kingston locals who simply never left the scene of Bob Marley's growing up. Marley reveals a variety of live performances, showing Bob Marley at his best and a typically beautiful soundtrack, which mingles with every scene. Fans and people today know of the ending that awaited Bob Marley. This documentary is a terrific celebration towards a musical genius, who just like many icons, changed parts of the world, politically and musically.
Overall, Marley is terrifically original, telling a story of a man with a history guaranteed to make you laugh and cry. A film for fans of all ages to enjoy.
The Avengers finally assemble on the orders of Nick Fury!
There was no secret of the highly populated cast in the lead up to the Avengers, taking into account the hype since the release of Iron Man in 2008. The success of Iron man was followed by a sequel in 2010. Fans of the Super Hero franchise where greeted with the release of two more comic book movies, Thor and Captain America. The question was, could the Avengers succeed as a whole?
Nick Fury (Jackson) recruits Iron Man (Downey Jr), Thor (Hemsworth), and Captain America (Evans) as well as newcomer Mark Ruffalo as the HULK! The super group also consists of two newbies to the big screen, Black Widow is played Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye (The next Bourne?)
The world is under threat following the arrival of Loki, a citizen of Asgard, another Universe. (Thor 2011). Loki is the brother of Thor, although both would agree the distance between them is not exaggerated. It is Loki's attack on S.H.I.E.L.D that leads to a crucial decision by Nick Fury, leader of the affiliation. The desperate attempt involves regrouping something stronger than Loki and his army of Cohorts, The Avengers!
The movie has a nice feel to it with a brilliant intro of what's to come. Those who have not seen previous movies won't suffer too much but it does consist of some flashbacks regarding Captain America.
The storyline is put together smartly and manages to keep the balance in relation to the numerous egos on board. As Loki is the one at large it feels the story is based off of Thor but does well in blending all characters. As always, Robert Downey shows class as the arrogant, yet hilarious Tony Stark and the ever so cheesy Captain America (Evans). Fans will enjoy the rivalry between both Captain America and Iron man, as personalities quickly collide before they realise the moral of the story is team-work.
The return of Loki was a great choice as he made for a terrific bad-guy in Thor and the collision between family is still fun to watch. Although Loki seemed a handful in the release of Thor in 2010, Nick Fury and the Avengers get caught completely off guard with Loki and his mind boggling army!
The introduction of a third Bruce Banner is, unfortunately frustrating for some. But when the Hulk is transformed, nobody notices. Yes, a third. Mark Ruffalo plays the man with the temper. Following Eric Bana and Edward Norton (My favourite by the way), Mark Ruffalo as Dr Banner had a challenge on his hands. Is there information on why Edward Norton was not included instead? I believe if he was, performance on the bases of acting would have been better than Mark Ruffalo. But just like I said, in relation to the Avengers, fans just want to see the Hulk tear people, buildings and valuable things apart! and that is just what he does! My favourite was Bruce Banner...when he was green.
My knowledge in Marvel limits, but I wonder what fans made of Hawk-eye and Black Widow? Both characters, like the rest were highly entertaining. Jeremy Renner is leading an exciting future and Scarlett Johansson...well, just do what you do best!... Not forgetting Samuel Jackson, even though he has been forgettable in the past. He gives fans an enjoyable performance, curse free. Mr Jackson just needs to choose his movies carefully in my opinion. He has been in some woeful movies lately.
The action and CGI makes the Avengers what it is. In comparison to Captain America (Which I despised) and even the previous CGI Hulk, this blows them out of the water. You noticed I excluded Both the Iron Man and Thor movies, the Avengers is still early release and is yet to be decided, in my opinion.
The Avengers is up there with the greatest super hero movies ever made. Audience from generations will enjoy the Avengers. Whether you are unfortunate to see this movie in 3D or stay classy with 2D, one must see immediately!
The Exciting question for the future is, What is next to come? Well we know Iron Man 3 and a Thor sequel is in writing. Unfortunately Captain America also, and possibly a new Bruce Banner? who knows. In relation to an Avengers Sequel? now that's getting carried away!
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!!!!
