What's the Latest Thing You Saw at the Cinema?

Posted by: Mr Underhill on 29 April 2011

Thor

 

Got a good write up by Harry Knowles on AICN, which is no guarantee, but in this case was true.

 

Both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Full of humour, without detracting from the central character.

 

Fairly standard device: Take a super-hero (god); strip him of his power; throw him into the hurly-burly of mortal life; etc....

 

Well executed script.

 

I actually think this is Brannagh's best outing as a director.

 

Not a great piece of cinema, but great fun.

 

M

Posted on: 01 June 2014 by Mr Underhill

Edge of Tomorrow

 

I do wonder what Tom Cruise's career would have looked like had he majored on more proper drama, after all the man can really act and he does here, for about twenty minutes of the film.

 

This is standard big screen summer block-buster material with high production values and a great soundtrack, ideally seen at the cinema; I won't watch it again but enjoyed it while it was in front of me.

 

The Plot: Earth has been invaded by creatures via an asteroid and the they are investing Europe. Cruise arrives on the day of the human response, which will be across the channel creating a beach-head in France. Cruise ends up on the front line where he is killed; to awake 24 hours before to relive the same day time and again.

 

Does it work? Yes, as long as you accept the medicine that is served up with an unquestioning mind. Just don't think about it too much ......NO, stop it, DON'T engage that brain!

 

Paper-thin, good moments, pounding sound-track. Watch on the big screen and forget.

 

 

....Does make me sympathise even more with Jason. Seems we are doomed to ever-more saccharine screen-time, and at a time when we are faced with potentially species ending issues; maybe that is the point.

 

M

Posted on: 01 June 2014 by Richard Dane

 

I went to see Tracks a couple of weeks back.  I remember reading the original NG article as a boy and was reminded of it when it as reprised in the Sunday Telegraph as a precursor the release of the film. It prompted me to read the book and finally I went to see the film.  Some of the detail is skipped over and one or two scenes changed slightly but overall it's a success and the story does manage to come alive on the big screen - the cinema is a nice place to experience the desert too!  Highly recommended, particularly of you enjoy film and cinema but are a bit jaded over the usual blockbuster hollywood material.