Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Kenneth Branagh directs and co-stars in this Tom Clancy reboot, bringing a little sophistication and class to what would otherwise be a rather lightweight attempt at starting a franchise.  Chris Pine plays a gifted marine turned analyst turned world saver, Keira Knightly sleeps her way through as his fiancé come accomplice.  The cast is filled out by the constantly filling out Kevin Costner.  

Wether this proves to be a one off jaunt through fairly standard plot, or begins a new franchise of movies remains to be seen, but Branagh has not disgraced himself here – his performance as director has some good moments, if a little safe throughout.  His portrayal of dying Russian crusader reminiscent of Robert Carlyle’s Renard in The World Is Not Enough, but with considerably more gravitas.  

This movie is a slick and enjoyable piece of film making – I wouldn’t watch it again, nor would I buy the DVD but if there is a sequel I would go and see it.

Delivery Man

Vince Vaugn is a limited actor, he struggles to play anything other than a likeable stooge. Luckily, this role is him as a likeable stooge. After making over 900 deposits at a sperm bank, he finds out he has fathered 533 children and keen to find purpose in his life decides to prove his maturity by having what he refers to as a ‘guardian angel’ relationship with each of them. This may sound like a funny story, but be warned, Delivery Man is not a comedy. At least, I hope it isn’t, it has very few laughs. My problem is this: if you want to make a funny, silly runaround, then go ahead, make it – Vaugn has proven his record in the genre with a fantastic back catalogue: The Internship, Dodgeball, Wedding Crashers, Anchorman and Old School to name but a few. This film isn’t that. This is a warm blanket on a cold day, a cup of soup in winter, a handwritten note. So why cast Vince Vaugn?

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Ben Stiller plays a below average joe who is bored of his own reality, only having fun within the confines of his own mind, but unable to pluck up the courage to make his daydreams a reality. This movie shows the inside workings and the outside reality of Walter’s lives in a way that aligns itself with Jim Carrey’s brilliant Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and marks something of a change from Stiller’s earlier Rom-Com normality. I have to be honest right from the outset here, I prefer matinees, I like it when the cinema is nearly empty, in fact I like it when it’s completely empty. Just me. When I seen this movie there were 6 distracting little toddlers who were shouting and squealing throughout, running up and down the aisle and edging ever closer to an encounter with my more violent side. In between my bouts of bubbling frustration I was able to enjoy the storyline unfold: this is a very good film. It is a little bit long, and it isn’t particularly funny, but it has a charm which lifted my diminishing mood. Depending on your genre of preference, there could be an argument made as to wether or not you prefer Stiller in this type of roll, but there is ones thing which is not in question – this is the best movie he has directed by far.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Finding four consecutive hours in my schedule is not simple, so the planning of an afternoon devoted to Tolkien’s latest adaptation took some time. It was only this afternoon, almost a month after release that I finally managed to see it – but I’m glad I made the effort. If, by now, you are not a Lord of the Rings fan, you may have fallen too far behind the pack to catch up, so writing a review of this as a stand alone film, five parts into a double trilogy feels a little redundant, but here’s my view anyway: This is the best film so far. Visually we take a leap forward into the truly impressive. The river escape scene is one of the most absorbing sequences of filming I’ve ever seen, and the expansive use of panning scenic shots, and continuous moving camera angles is something truly beautiful. There are times when the CGI animation and the real scenery don’t appear quite as they should, but this is rare, and not obvious. I chose the 2D version and I felt that many of the shots were enhanced by the 3D motivated decisions – the depth of field was truly interlaced into the fabric of the movie, not just in a few sequences.
The cast list which reads like a who’s who of Holywood (the only distraction is when you can’t quite figure out who that is behind that makeup and CGI) and notable mentions for an increasingly strong UK contingent now including Stephen Fry and Benedict Cumberbatch. This is a wonderful show, and if you can see it on the big screen, do so before time runs out.

47 Ronin

Based on the ancient fable of the Japanese samurai comes this respectful retelling of folk lore and legend. While this movie has its flaws it is no where near the travesty that critics have made out. Keanu Reeves is wooden, luckily, so is the part he plays: a half breed of Japanese and forest witchcraft (reared by what looks like the lovechild of Voldemort and a fish) he clunks around this movie with the sort of charisma and emotional control that Schwarzenegger shows in Jingle All The Way. The rest of the cast play their parts with dignity and compassion towards the subject matter, perhaps to the point of being a bit too respectful, a bit too serious, almost boring. Fans of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or House Of Flying Daggers can expect a diet version of these benchmarks, and although admittedly it falls some way short, there is just enough spit and polish to keep you watching. The effects are neat, the visuals are beautiful and the soundtrack is sympathetic. Fans of the genre won’t remember 47 Ronin as a classic, but they won’t regret watching it either.

American Hustle

This much lauded, big budget, all star cast picture is one which only comes around once a season and I awaited its arrival for a number of weeks before release. Scoring an incredible 93% on its critical feedback made it the most accredited movie since Gravity. Was I disappointed? Honestly? A little bit. Perhaps my expectations had been heightened making me unreasonable. This is a great movie. Stand out performances from the suave Bradley Cooper who looks great even with a perm, the fat-thin-fat-buff-thin Christian Bale who’s body morphing from role to role must be worth his fee alone, the darling of Holywood Jennifer Lawrence who, in my opinion, could find herself nominated for best supporting actress for her portrayal of the unhinged smart stupid unwanted wife. Amy Adams’ cleavage also makes a claim for an award, although a new category for best unsupported pair might need to be introduced.
The plot throughout this movie plods along at a steady pace, the characters are brilliantly written and superbly brought to life, the heist keeps you waiting until the very end, but something isn’t quite right about this movie, I still wasn’t completely convinced. The shaky camera style is irritating, there is none of the fast moving slickness which I’m used to in the heist/hustle movie genre and the conclusion is a little unsatisfying, but I serve that verdict up with the caveat that I may have expected too much, I may just have been too excited. I need to watch it again, and make up my mind. That said, I do love Jennifer Lawrence.bv