Friday 13th August 2004

The superhero theme continues. When something has a lot to live up to, it rarely provides the goods. This is a case in point, but we must be considerate in our criticism. The DareDevil is not a familiar hero to us in Europe, unless we are big comic book fans, which we are not. As a movie on it’s own, I think it does stand up very well. It is just shame, that they cast Ben Affleck in the lead role. An accomplished actor in his own right, but not superhero quality. To play such a character, you need that special edge, that larger than life presence on the screen. Taking this aside, the film is enjoyable, even though portraying the good versus evil battle in a completely different light. You have to judge such a hero, on his own merits and not in comparisons to the heavy weights, such as Superman, Batman and Spiderman. DareDevil may be less well known, and even less popular but he still is a great superhero. If the hero is only as good as his villain, then this falls over. The ending is also confusion, surely the inner conflict that our central character feels, should be resolved and for him to be able to move on and do his duty. As this question remains, how can we this be a superhero with a purpose? Revenge, can only take you so far, just ask Batman. My favourite movie in this genre? There can be no contest (and I strongly believe there never will be). Superman II has everything. Like I said before, there is nothing greater than the birth of the hero, than when the hero returns. Everything is in this one movie. Adversaries that take on the Man of Steel and you think, can he cope, will he win? The hero unmasked, and of course some great comical moments. Thanks to Superman Cinema I have been able to view the 1979 script for the movie. Scroll down to page 141 and read the scene in the bar. (You will know what I mean, when you read it!) The final words of Clark Kent should go down in movie history, “I’ve been working out…” As he lifts up his arms, in the motion of lifting weights. 😉 The following weekend, the Saturday night movie, was The Tuxedo. Released two years ago, this was slated by the movie reviews and seen bad move by both lead actors. When it comes to Jackie Chan movies, you have to take a big step back. They are not to be taken too seriously. This is more entertainment, with the almost slapstick blend of comedy and fight scenes. He is getting hold, but he can still put up quite a show. Watching his movies now, you can see, that he is much slower, for time waits for no man. The movie was funny, if at times completely unbelievable, but this is what comes with the territory Jackie’s English is getting better but he still hasn’t made that movie in Hollywood to be taken seriously as an action star. Perhaps, Rush Hour 3, will prove his critics wrong. I am not a fan of horror movies, not even the sheepish teen horror movies. Give me comedy and action, any day. I had heard many things about The Ring but never got around to watching it. Until last weekend, when it premièred on Sky Movies. Shot in an eerie style, with constant grey glow around the images, it did play around with your mind and have you on the edge of your seat, filled with utter suspense. There was however, no true explanation of events at the end, and the story ends, in the very much the same vain that it began. Will you watch the video and live? The male lead in the movie, the over familiar looking Martin Henderson stars in the forthcoming Bollywood Brit flick, Bride & Prejudice.

How do you unwind on a Sunday evening? Knowing all too well, that another week lies like a ghostly reflection in the mirror, just a few hours away. Usually, I just relax by listening to some music and laying in bed. On Sunday, I was idly flipping around the channels on Sky. Completely by accident, I stumbled upon a movie and started watching. For a while, I thought it was the movie pilot for the television series, but the presence of Jack Black made me realise, I was watching something completely different. This was definitely more my cup of tea. Short for a movie, and starring some kids with well known parents, but let us not take anything away from anyone associated with this movie. Americans can stretch most situations to the point of excess but this is pure fantasy, yet we feel a strong bond with the characters for the predicament they find themselves in. Particularly with so many cameos, including one by our dear ghost buster. What added to the experience, was the fantastic soundtrack which goes hand in hand with the events which play out during the course of this emotional roller coaster right for the potential college student. I cannot recommend this movie enough, you will enjoy it, I can guarantee that! 🙂 So, we come to the latest movie, which I saw on Wednesday evening. i,Robot is one of those films, you enjoy while you watch. But later on, you think to yourself, did it truly meet my expectations? Managing expectations for movies is hard, much is the case for sequels (or prequels) but for a blockbuster, they are unendurably. Will Smith saves the world (yet again) but in this movie, there is an edge about him, a gritty realism, that was missing from his previous movies. I saw him in Ali three years ago, and he had made leaps and bounds as an actor, particularly when you consider he started off in the family comedy series, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air back in 1990. The movie, with it’s tainted vision of the future, is fantastic. The direction is stunning, with clever moments through the picture, posing some interesting ethical questions.

Can we ever let technology become such an integral part of our lives that it could one day, take over? I am not so sure, there are times when the good old fashioned way just gets the job done! 🙂 Watch out for the major product placement from a European company!

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