The Dark Knight Rises

I actually saw this movie on the 20th of July, release day! As a dedicated Batman fan I couldn't wait any longer. I mean we have waited since 2008 for this film. I had greatly anticipated this movie for four years. Yep, since 2008, I have been speculating about the final chapter of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.

I was thirteen years old when Batman Begins was released and I remember vividly watching it at the cinema with my Dad. I think it was probably the first proper super hero film I'd seen. Yes, I'd seen cartoon superheroes, and I'd seen some rubbish, low budget Batman film, with horrific costumes and even more dire acting.
But this was the first well constructed, well acted, big budget superhero film. At the time, I didn't appreciate the film. However having viewed it several times over the years I can see just how good this film is.

This film blew me away.

I didn't really have much to say post film. I feel that Nolan delivered. Those years of waiting were worth it for such a closing film.

Casting, soundtrack, storyline, themes, script, everything came together, something that rarely happens in films.

First off, Christian Bale reprised his role as Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman himself.
For me, Bale will always be Batman. Forget George Clooney and any future representations of Batman, Bale nailed it, no one will ever be as good a Bale. He expresses all the emotions you would expect Bruce Wayne to have.

Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle.
I have to be honest, I don't really like Hathaway. I find her irritating and I had my doubts about her. However I feel that she laid all those doubts to rest, she did a stunning job. She plays a character possibly as complex as Bruce Wayne. Someone who feels the need to dress up and hide their identity. However unlike Wayne she is a masked villain as opposed to a masked vigilante. There are similarities and contrasts between Kyle and Wayne.

Tom Hardy plays the true baddie in this film, a terrorist named Bane, who draws Batman out of his Batcave by threatening Gotham City. I love Tom Hardy! I think he's fantastic! I loved him in Inception, another Nolan film also starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard and Michael Cane. I loved the idea behind Bane as  a villain. At first glance he appears to be a black and white baddie, no complexity whatsoever. However he is a character with a story and Nolan weaves a masterpiece here, but I shall say no more as I don't want to spoil anything for anyone.

Good old Gary Oldman returns as Comissioner Gordon. Again, a seemingly straight forward character at first glance, but of course this is not fact. I love the steady and sane element that Gordon brings to the film. He is desperate to do that right thing. He is torn between duty and what he believes to be right.

I don't think I've seen Levitt in a film I didn't like. He is so versatile. And I loved his role in this film. There are contrasts and similarities portrayed between Officer Blake and Wayne throughout the film. Like Wayne Blake is an orphan. But unlike Wayne, Blake is not a millionaire and was raised in a boys home. Blake is driven and determined. He has similar characteristics to Wayne's. The way that Blake and Wayne focus their anger and emotion is contrasted continuously. But that is all I shall say for now, you must see the film to learn more.

And last, but by no means least,
                                           Michael Cane returns as the lovely Alfred Pennyworth.

I adore Michael Cane. Maybe because I'm British, and are there any Brits who don't love this guy??? Alfred Pennyworth is employed as a butler, but he's so much more than that. He's a Father, Uncle, friend, nurse, supporter and worrier all rolled into one. His primary concern is to see that Wayne is happy, safe and in control of his anger and guilt.

I'll start by saying that this film is intense. And long. At 165 minutes long it is a definite bum-number! But don't let that put you off, if you've survived the previous films you will be absolutely fine with this. To be truly honest I didn't even notice the time, I was completely engrossed; it does not drag. But you may wish to stock up on snacks and drinks and find a nice cushion.
It is a full 165 minutes of action, dialogue, twists and turns. It is non-stop and I felt exhausted afterwards as if I'd been running around Gotham myself.
The storyline is not straight forward, but then, you can't really expect something simple from the director of Inception!
I don't want to give too much away with regards to the story, however I will say that both Bruce Wayne and Batman face their past, their fears, and their future. Wayne is forced to choose and make decisions. There is danger and risk around every corner.

The relationships in this installment are twisty, turny. No-one is what they seem, everyone has secrets, but who can you trust?
The relationship between Wayne and Kyle is curious. Wayne realises how easy he has it compared to Kyle and Blake. All three of them had a rough childhood. However character, and circumstances dictated the paths they chose.
Loyalties, and motives are all put under scrutiny, and relationships are tested to the edge.

The music score is incredible, Hans Zimmer delivered yet again. The Batman soundtracks have been phenomenal. The soundtrack really adds to the tension and emotion of the film. You are completely unaware of it, yet at the same time conscious of it, and appreciative. The cinematography and music go hand in hand.

Costumes, well, they're mostly black or uniforms. The whole film is fairly dark in colour and slightly drab in that sense however this is Gothan not a Victorian ball. The wardrobe fits the film.

Props; the Batmobile, need I say more! And Batman of course gets some new toys in this film, including a plane.

So really in essence, this film is amazing, go see it now!!

What did you guys think of it?

The amazing Spiderman - he really is actually!

Oddly for me, I have been to the cinema two days running! What a lucky girl I am! Normally I cannot afford it. On Tuesday I saw the new Spiderman reboot with a very good friend of mine. She wanted to see Men in Black, but, when I head she had never seen a Spiderman film, I insisted upon the Amazing Spiderman. 

I have been very curious about this new Spiderman film as I saw the earlier Spiderman series back in the 00s with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. I can remember all the hype surrounding the film, I remember the Spiderman toys at fast food restaurants, and the controversy of the first 12a film certification. But I wanted to see how it would differ and whether it would be as good. Obviously I expected a lot in the CGI and special effects department as that has advanced so much over the past ten years. 

I think, however that I can safely say that this new film is pretty awesome! 

Let me say, I loved the casting! 

The relatively little known Andrew Garfield plays Peter Parker, otherwise known as Spiderman. 

I was vaguely aware of Andrew thanks to Doctor Who! He played a character called Frank in two episodes of Season 3 (5 and 6, for the really interested!), alongside David Tennant and Freema Agyeman. He also played a role in the imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, a film which bored me out of my mind!

I thought Garfield played this brilliantly! In reality he is 28 years old, however he pulled of the nerdy, awkward, 17 year old high school kid superbly. Something that in retrospect, Maguire was not half as good at. So that's 1-0 to Andrew?! 

On the opposite side is, Rhys Ifans. you may know him better as Luna Lovegood's hippy Father, Xenophilius Lovegood, or more recently as James Hook from the Tv mini series Neverland, in which he was very good. 

Ifans plays Dr. Curt Connors, or the Lizard. 

I thought Ifans pulled it off. Creepy, scary, dark, sinister, confused and insane. But I don't want to give too much away now!

In the love department, we have the beautiful and talented Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. 

I personally first met Stone in The Help, which as some of you may know from earlier blog posts, is one of the only films that can actually makes me cry. So I was very excited to see her star in this. She was everything that you would want, sweet, kind, funny, etc. But she's not some dumb blonde, she is top of her class, something she points out to Peter Parker during the film. 

There is a host of other actors in this film such as, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz, to name but a few. 

Now moving on. 

Storyline, felt fairly fast paced. Didn't drag too much, unlike the third Spiderman film. Also this story line, I have been told, is more in line with the original comic books. I have briefly looked into this; and it would seem that some things are very similar while some things are different. Such as the fact that Gwen Stacy never went to Peter's school, but they really met at university. Neither was she Peter's first love. 

I had hoped to find out a little more about Peter's parents in this film too. However I learnt nothing new in that respect, which was a little disappointing, although in this version both of Peter's parents were in the employ of Oscorp, the same corporation that Dr. Connors works for and Richard Parker and Connors were very close and working on the same gene-splicing project.

I also notice the absence of Peter's best friend, Harry Osborne, son of Norman Osborn, founder and owner of Oscorp, who was mentioned in this film but never made an appearance. 

Anyway..... 

I found this film very entertaining. I was slightly embarrassed as no one else seemed to be laughing as much as I was. (Upon exiting the screen I found out there were only a few other people in there with us!)

One scene in particular, where Peter discovers his new powers on a train full of other people is highly amusing, and very well played out. 

The struggles that Peter has as a teenager are highlighted by his relationship with his Aunt and Uncle who practically raised him, and his past. He feels abandoned by his parents and although he is grateful to the people who have cared for him, he sometimes takes them for granted and lashes out at them. The relationship between Aunt May, Uncle Ben and Peter is often times rocky and harsh words are exchanged. It is probably just like any other parent/teenager relationship. Peter feels they don't understand him, and once he has his powers this is true, they will never understand that.

But more importantly in this film is the idea that your actions have consequences. And you have to choose to do the right thing or the wrong thing. And you cannot blame anyone else for the bad choices you've made. When you make a mess you need to clean it up and not leave it for someone else. Peter shows how we need to take responsibility for our actions, and set things right. 

With regards to the 3D effects, let me state that I am not a huge fan. I don;t really see the point of it. I think it's a novelty that will eventually wear, and I feel very stupid sitting in the theatre wearing two pairs of glasses; my prescription glasses so I can see the screen plus the 3D glasses. I also get seriously frustrated when there are ten showings in 3D and three showings in 2D, but that's another story. So anyway, I had planned o seeing it in 2D, however I missed that showing and had to see it in 3D. Now, this is perhaps one movie where the 3D has a point to it. It was pretty cool when Spiderman was swinging from building to building, I did genuinely flinch at one point due to the swinging and falling. However later on in the film I removed my 3D glasses for a while, to relive the pressure on my skull, and found that the screen was far brighter without them, and fairly clear. And the majority of the film does not involve swinging, so the screen is dark for a large portion of screen time. I feel that the 2D showing would have been just as enjoyable as the 3D. So yes, the 3D was applicable and enjoyable at points, however overall I feel it was unnecessary. 

But all in all I really enjoyed this film. And I think that it is different enough compared to the Maguire trilogy to allow for such a short time period between the two. I really hope that they produce a sequel. And there is talk of Spiderman possibly joining the Avengers' team, which would be awesome! 

Oh, and in other news, Batman is out in 8 days! I'm so excited!!

The year in film releases......

Don't you just love the excitement the anticipation of film releases gives?! Yes, there is that feeling of 'aaargh, I can't take the wait any longer!!' But in general the build up is such fun. I have compiled a list of the films that I am definitely more than a wee bit excited about this year, or what's left of this year.........

At number 1, and this is going in order of release date, as opposed to anything else, is;

The Avengers - released on the 26th of April (UK)

I have to admit I am a massive fan of Marvel Comic heroes (well superheroes in general really)!! So I have been rather looking forward tot this one for a while now! I must admit, I haven't yet seen Thor, or the first Hulk film, they need to be seen first I think. Also I have reservations about Scarlett Johansson; I find her irritating, and that's about it really. But I managed to tolerate her in the second Ironman film so I'm sure I'll be fine for this one too. Also, it's out in 2 days!! Aaaaaaahh!

At number 2

Men in Black III - released 25th of May (UK)

I'll be honest here, I hadn't properly seen the two preceding Men in Black films until this month. Which is pretty bad for someone my age. Now that I have seen one and two I can officially join everyone else who is excited for this film. I'm hoping that the special effects are a wee bit better than the last two though.

Number 3

The Amazing Spider-Man - released 4 July (UK)

Although I have been looking forward to this film since Christmas, when I saw one of the early posters at the cinema, I do have some major reservations about this film. Having seen the Toby MaguireKirsten Dunst versions I'm not entirely sure that these actors are going to be as good, however I would love to be proven wrong. And I am sure that Emma Stone will be brilliant, as she was in 'the help'. My other reservations regard the names and the storyline. I'll be honest (again) I haven't read the comics, I'm not really a comic girl, however I'm pretty sure that Peter Parker's crush was called Mary-Jane, not Gwen. And I don't recognise most of the character names listed in this film, and I don't recall any mysterious disappearance of Peter's parents. But on the other hand the storyline is intriguing and makes you curious as to how it will unfold. That being said, all the good bits and funny lines may have already been seen in the trailer. I am rooting for them to pull it off though.

Number 4

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift - Released 13th of July (UK)

 Come on, who doesn't love these guys?! I mean really! I know the story-lines aren't the best, but really these films make me laugh so much! I don't know how many times I've seen the third one, but it's still so funny everytime I see it. I'm sure this ones storyline will be just as awful as the second and third, but who cares, it's fun!!

Number 5

Okay people, I've been waiting for this one since 2008. I am a huge Batman fan!!

The Dark Knight Rises - released 20th of July (UK)

 So, more excited about this than I can say!! Batman is my all time favourite superhero, period!! Also kind of sad as it's the last one; but still looking forward to this so much. My Dad and I will be queueing up to see this no doubt.
I only have one small issue and that is on the casting of Catwoman. I find Anne Hathaway annoying and I can't take her seriously, sorry. However that being said, I have never been disappointed by a Chris Nolan film, and I'm pretty sure that this one won't either, so again, I am pretty sure Nolan will prove me wrong here. I really hope so anyway.

Number 6

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days - Released 3rd of August (UK)

Another film that is a guilty pleasure really, like Ice age. Very funny, and entertaining. Best enjoyed when watching with younger siblings. The last two were very funny and I'm sure that this one will be too.

Number 7

The Bourne Legacy - released 17th of August (UK)

 Okay, okay, I feel asleep for half an hour half way through the the third Bourne film; one minute Jason was in one country and the next thing I knew he was in Russia?!!? But I was really tired, really tired, I never fall asleep in films! Anyway, it's still an brilliant series and I am really looking forward to this new instalment. And having seen Jeremy Renner in Mission Impossible 3: Ghost protocol I am pretty sure he will play the part very well.

Number 8

Looper - released 28th of September (UK)

I just love the idea behind this movie. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt is always funny and believable, and Bruce Willis, well, you know, he's pretty good at action filled films. The trailer was pretty impressive, go check it out!!


Number 9

The Hobbit - released 14th of December (UK)

I am so excited about this film!!! I have to say that I didn't like the Lord of the Rings books, I found them boring. I managed to read the Fellowship of the ring and half of the Two Towers before I gave up. However I read the Hobbit first and I really enjoyed it. The Hobbit was a far more interesting story for me personally, so I am really looking forward to it being brought to life.
Also the cast is very impressive, Martin Freeman is perfect for Bilbo; grumpy, funny and of course short. And the majority of the original Lord of the Rings cast is back too. Eeeeeeeeek!!
And yes, I will go back and re-watch the Lord of the Rings films, see if they are as boring as I remember.

So that's my top nine films to look forward to this year, what are yours?