An early look at… Shrek Forever After

by Andy Gibbons

Thought I would catch the fourth film in the Shrek series while I’m over here in the US and I want to share a few initial thoughts with you as I’m sure a full review will appear nearer the UK release date of July 2^nd.

I have to say that after the over-cooked mess that was Shrek The Third, Shrek Forever After is a huge improvement. The plot, which involves Shrek making an ill-advised deal with the shifty Rumpelstiltskin, has a real ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ feel to it as family pressures and a change of lifestyle take their toll. But despite playing the rather predictable ‘mid-life crisis’ card, the script has been pared down dramatically compared to Shrek’s last adventure and puts the focus firmly back on the lead character and his relationship with Fiona. Puss In Boots as usual gets all the best lines but Donkey isn’t far behind (his trick with a pair of eyeballs is brilliant) while the addition of an Ogre Army (which for all the world looks like a Rooney family gathering!) gives us the chance to learn much more about Shrek’s kind in general.

I’d be lying if I said Shrek Forever After is up there with the first two films in the franchise and I have to admit I was surprised that we even got a fourth instalment after the kicking Shrek The Third received from the critics. But the good news is that this does at least give the saga decent closure and allows the grumpy green giant to head off into the sunset with his oddly-shaped head held high.

[REC] 2 review

by Andy Gibbons

What is it?

The follow-up to Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza’s terrifying 2007 Spanish horror about a group of people quarantined in a building where a mysterious virus is infecting the residents, turning them into undead killing machines.

Kicking off just seconds after the original [REC] finished, we head back into the apartment block with a SWAT team and Doctor from the Ministry of Health as they try to find a cure to the infection. Meanwhile a concerned father convinces a fireman to get him inside so he can tend to his sick daughter but they’re followed in by a group of teenagers looking for an adventure. Needless to say both groups are soon faced with all kinds of nastiness.

What’s good?

Directors / writers Balagueró and Plaza struck gold with [REC] so it’s good to see that they’ve hung around to see things through. They know what works and they’ve stuck to a familiar formula but with [REC] 2 they explore more of the story revealed towards the end of the first film which progresses things nicely. And for the horror hounds, the scares are ‘jump out of your seat’ good and things do get pleasingly graphic at times.

What’s bad?

It does feel like a film of two halves, both of which have very different feels. The opening section, as we follow the SWAT team, is very much like a first person video game (the [REC] series would make an AWESOME game!) while the second half is a bit of a Cloverfield / Blair Witch Project rip-off which can be a touch jarring.

So basically…..

If you liked the original then you’ll be pleased to hear that [REC] 2 doesn’t disappoint. It’s full of shocks and scares and progresses the [REC] lore more than enough to keep things interesting. It could have been very easy for Balagueró and Plaza to make a carbon copy of the first film but they have taken things forward more than enough to justify the sequel. A third part in the series has already been confirmed so expect more from [REC] scares sometime soon only next time we may see things on a grander scale.

[REC] 2 is in cinemas from May 28^th

Jake and Gemma talk Prince of Persia

by Andy Gibbons

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time pours into cinemas this weekend and despite all the unfounded hype that usually surrounds a big budget summer blockbuster, it’s actually pretty good.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the courageous Prince Dastan who finds himself in possession of a mysterious dagger which gives the holder time-travelling abilities. Naturally the plot is a load of old waffle but Jake makes a decent hero (and his English accent is MUCH better than Russell Crowe’s), Gemma Arterton is very easy on the eye as Princess Tamina and Sir Ben Kingsley gives the dastardly Nazim the full-on panto villain treatment, complete with evil goatee and oodles of guy-liner.

Of the big summer movies released so far, I’d rate Prince of Persia as the best of the lot. And we at MSN have some cracking interviews with the leading man and lady filmed while they were over to promote the film earlier in the month – just click on their faces below to watch. Enjoy!

Snub to Transform Megan’s career?

by Andy Gibbons

Oh dear – it looks like Transformers 3 has just lost one of its major attractions in the shape of Megan Fox. After various rumours doing the rounds, Variety have now confirmed that the brunette bombshell won’t be back as Shia LaBeouf’s love interest in the third instalment of ‘giant aliens beating the crap out of each other’ saga. Variety is careful to say that Fox being dropped has nothing to do with “a September interview with a British magazine in which Fox compared (Transformers director Michael) Bay with Adolf Hitler."

So where does this leave Megan? Well it certainly isn’t the end of the world for the 24 year-old. Last year she made waves as a possessed cheerleader in Jennifer’s Body and this summer she’ll get the Wild West all hot under the collar in comic book outing Jonah Hex. She’s also finished filming freak show drama Passion Play while IMDB is linking her with a role in a remake of warrior actioner Red Sonja so I doubt she’ll lose too much sleep about not having to lock horns with Megatron again.

And where does this leave poor old Sam Witwicky’s love life? Well names like Gemma Arterton, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Jessica Lownes are all being bandied about as possible replacements but chances are Bay will nab some pouty little starlet from obscurity, give her a low cut top and make her wash his Ferrari.

Bad Lieutenant review

by Andy Gibbons

What is it?

Werner Herzog’s variation on Abel Ferrara’s controversial 1992 movie about a corrupt cop whose various addictions are de-railing his life.

Nicolas Cage stars as New Orleans cop Terence McDonagh who, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, is left battling a debilitating back injury. He gets through the pain thanks to some less-than-legal substances pinched from police evidence, which he shares with his high-class hooker girlfriend (Eva Mendes) but when that source runs out, he starts shaking down small time dealers just to score a hit. However when he’s called on to investigate the murders of a family of five, his drug use starts to spiral and Terence becomes more and more unpredictable.

What’s good?

Cage is at his psychotic and unhinged best after some disappointing recent performances and perfectly pitches McDonagh’s descent into his own personal hell as Mendes lends what could be an all-too-bleak movie a bit of heart. Herzog also makes great use of New Orleans as a backdrop, capitalising on the city’s desolate post-Katrina landscape while signposting Terence’s deteriorating mental state with some well-placed Iguanas and break-dancing souls. Finally Mark Isham’s atmospheric score proves the perfect accompaniment to such an off kilter film. 

What’s bad?

Not a lot really. I think it’s fair to say that Bad Lieutenant isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste given it deals extensively with drugs, gambling, prostitution, violence and police corruption. But it seem to me that this version is significantly less shocking that the 1992 original but perhaps that’s because Herzog has avoided the religious overtones that Ferrara wholeheartedly embraced.

So basically…..

It goes without saying that Bad Lieutenant is one of the stranger films you’ll see this year. Herzog isn’t known for his conventionality and he doesn’t exactly play by the rules here, mixing standard narrative footage with McDonagh’s drug-addled visions to great effect and he’s certainly managed to get the best out of Cage, which is no mean feat given Nic’s recent track record (Knowing anyone?). Combine this with a sizzlingly vicious (at times) script and plenty of black humour and you’re on to a winner. If you like movies that are somewhat off the beaten track yet highly entertaining then you should find Bad Lieutenant pretty arresting.

Bad Lieutenant is in cinemas from May 21st.

Robin misses box office bulls-eye

by Andy Gibbons

Oh dear, Russell Crowe isn’t going to be happy. The news from the US is that Iron Man 2 has held on at the top of the box office chart over there despite Robin Hood blasting into cinemas over the weekend.

The comic book sequel took $53 million between Friday (May 14th) – Sunday (May 16th) while Russell’s medieval adventure could only muster $37.1 million in comparison. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not exactly small change but this was Robin’s debut weekend while Iron Man 2 opened across the pond the previous week so the Hood should really have been aiming for a box office bull’s-eye.

It’ll be interesting to see how the rival movies have fared over here when the UK box office chart is revealed tomorrow.

UPDATE – 17/05/2010:

Ok, maybe it was just an American thing ‘cos Robin Hood has SMASHED Iron Man 2 at the UK box office, taking £5.75 million over the weekend compared to IM2’s £1.59 million. But there are some mitigating circumstances to be taken into consideration – this was Robin Hood’s first weekend in cinemas while it was the Marvel hero’s third (Iron Man 2 is now on a UK total £17.9 million so it’ll be interesting to see if Robin Hood is anywhere near the same after three weeks on release) and £1.38 million of Hood’s swag came via ‘previews’ on May 12 & May 13th so it’s actual weekend figure is nearer £4.37 million. But that shouldn’t take away from what is a very impressive debut for Robin and his merry band of accents men.

Crowe gets his tights in a twist

by Andy Gibbons

I’ve just heard Mark Lawson’s interview with Russell Crowe in which the BBC man suggests that Crowe’s accent in Robin Hood has a certain Irish tilt. Crowe – who’s not known for taking criticism well – takes great offence at Lawson’s claim, insisting that presenter has ‘dead ears’, then he swears a bit before eventually walking out.

I have to say that as much as I liked Robin Hood, I think Lawson is being generous as anyone who’s seen the film will know that Russell doesn’t just sound a bit Irish, he goes on a full on regional tour. I’m sure I picked up a West County twang, Irish brogue and Geordie timbre before Crowe settles somewhere north of Coventry. 

I think the reason Crowe got a bit moody is that the penny has dropped that the accent hasn’t quite worked as he intended and instead of laughing it off, super serious Russ has got his tights in a twist.

Worthington – a hero for all occasions

by Andy Gibbons

Despite things kicking off in Cannes this week (is it just me or has that started with more of a whimper than a bang?), one news story this morning caught my eye as it looks like Aussie Dial-A-Hero Sam Worthington has gone and landed himself yet another plum role. Not content with saving the future in Terminator: Salvation, re-defining a genre with Avatar and playing the son of a God in Clash Of The Titans, it looks like Sam is about to take on the part of literary adventurer Allan Quartermain in a new movie from DreamWorks.

The character of Quartermain was created by author H. Rider Haggard and debuted in the novel King’s Solomon’s Mines before returning in the follow-up Allan Quatermain. He was very much the Victorian outdoorsman of the British Empire, hunting big game and exploring the African continent. But in a twist, this update will be set in a time where humans no longer live on Earth however Quatermain returns for one more epic adventure. The hero has previously been played on the big screen by the likes of Stewart Granger, Richard Chamberlain and Sean Connery.

According to Heat Vision, Quartermain will also see Sam dip his toe into the producing pool for the first time, teaming up with Alfred Gough and Miles Millar in the process. Gough and Millar are best known as the screenwriters behind such cinematic gems as The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Herbie: Fully Loaded and Spider-Man 2. Now I’m a big Quartermain fan and think that Sam could do a bang-on job here but I am a bit worried about the whole ‘sci-fi’ thing they’ve got going on – why is it necessary? Hopefully the script will provide answers but until then I shall reserve judgement. And the fact that the last movie Gough and Miller produced together was Hannah Montana: The Movie doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence.

Worthington certainly isn’t afraid to make hay while the sun shines – he’s also in talks to head up director Alex Proyas’ period vampire chiller Dracula Year Zero and is currently filming crime thriller The Fields. He’s even (somewhat spuriously) been touted a successor for Daniel Craig as James Bond so you’ve got to feel a bit of sympathy for his peers as it looks like Sam is very much the first port of call these days for any role that requires equal elements of action, brooding and sex appeal.

American – The Bill Hicks Story review

by Andy Gibbons

What is it?

A documentary charting the short but eventful life of the man dubbed the comedian’s comedian and whose acerbic observations and impassioned rants helped change the face of stand-up.

Filmmakers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas follow Bill’s life from his early days growing up in Houston to his final weeks as he took to the stage for the last time as cancer took hold. Using a mix of old photos, Hicks family videos and footage of Bill’s performances, we are offered an insight into the mind of a man whose impact on the world of comedy is hard to exaggerate.

What’s good?

Harlock and Thomas have created an unusual documentary style by relying less on ‘to camera’ interviews and instead getting creative with photos and old video footage to illustrate their points while Bill’s closest friends and family discuss his life. It’s obvious that Hicks’ life was a fascinating journey and most aspects are covered here including his unpredictable relationships with drugs and alcohol.

What’s bad?

It’s a little hard to convey the power and imagination of Hicks’ routines just by showing selected sound bites and a few notable incidents, including his notorious falling out with fellow comedian Denis Leary, have been completely omitted.

So basically…..

Fans of Hicks will need little excuse to go see American – The Bill Hicks Story. However they shouldn’t expect to see too much new live footage, instead the movie offers an intimate look at the man who was just starting to find his place in the world and hit his stride when he died. You’re certainly left wondering what Bill could have achieved had he not been struck down at such a young age? Those less familiar with Hicks will certainly learn a lot about the tough life comedians lead but they might be better off watching some of his live shows such as Totally or One Night Stand to understand the man better.

Musketeers and Dredd go 3D

by Andy Gibbons

The 3D revolution is continuing at pace with news that two more projects have joined the very long list of movies coming our way in three dimensions.

We found out recently that Paul W. S. Anderson is going to be swashing his buckle with an update of Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers however now we’ve have some casting to think about. Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief star Logan Lerman is to play the ambitious D’Artagnan (which I guess rules him out as Peter Parker in the Spider-Man reboot) while the British trio of Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans and Matthew Macfadyen will play his brothers-in-arms Porthos, Athos and Aramis. But what has me really excited is the casting of Inglorious Basterds head Nazi hunter Christoph Waltz (below) as the evil Cardinal Richelieu. If you thought Tim Curry was too hammy as the cunning clergyman in Disney’s 1993 take on the story, I expect Waltz to be chilling and thrilling in equal measure. Casino Royale’s Mads Mikkelsen has been named as the Cardinal’s right hand man Rochefort and Anderson has cast his wife Milla Jovovich as Milady de Winter.

Now I’ve never been a massive fan of Paul W. S. Anderson’s movies – I’ve often thought that he simply panders to the lowest common denominator without giving any significant thought to creativity or characterisation despite a promising start to his career with Shopping and Event Horizon – but the cast he’s pulled together for The Three Musketeers has me genuinely excited. My concern though is that Paul will employ the 3D at his disposal as just another gimmick with lots of sabres pointing out of the screen rather than using it as an aid to the story–telling.

And it’s also been revealed that the big screen return of 2000 A.D. favourite Judge Dredd is also going to be a 3D adventure. The character didn’t have the most auspicious of starts back in 1995 when Sly Stallone bought justice to the streets of Mega City One but with Brit director Pete Travis behind the camera and Andrew Macdonald and Alex Garland producing and writing, this stands a better than average chance of being watchable. Let’s just hope they get the all important casting right – who would you want playing Joe Dredd?