Director: Peter Berg

Cinematography: Tobias A. Schliessler

Screenplay: Vince Gilligan, Vincent Ngo

Runtime: 92 mins

Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Eddie Marsan

Synopsis: Hancock (Will Smith) is just another loser, bum with an alcohol problem on the streets of LA, well with one major difference he has superpowers.  His drunken acts of so-called heroism have caused the whole city to hate him as he leaves a wake of destruction in his path whilst fighting crime, until that is he saves the life of Publicist Jason Bateman. The PR man decides to help Hancock by reinventing him as a typical superhero; a difficult task that his wife (Charlize Theron) believes will only lead to trouble.

Let me start by stating that I really enjoyed this film, it seems to have had some bad press, particularly in the USA, and whilst the film is flawed on several levels it is one of the better blockbusters I’ve seen this year.  Now maybe I have this positive opinion as a direct result of all this bad pre-release publicity, the premiere was pushed back to accommodate some hasty re-shoots, the outcome of poor test screenings, I was expecting a poor film but Hancock is far from this.

The movie seemingly began as entirely different beast, an exploration of a superhero set in a real world with the genuine hardships that such a person would face, loneliness, exclusion, the burden of responsibility.  Hancock clearly has elements from the original concept, but the story has been reshaped for a mass audience and to better suit its leading man.  Now we can all moan about this fact but realistically films like that don’t get made, studios are not willing to hand over the level of budget required unless they will get the return, in others words without these changes this film would never have seen the light of day.

So we are left with a film of many parts, some that work together some that don’t, we first see our ‘hero’ on an inebriated attempt to stop a highway chase, the sequence is both well executed and funny, a description that pretty much sums up the first half of the film.  Hancock is persuaded to change his image by Ray a publicist, who’s trying to save the world in his own way, he convinces the protagonist to start serving the jail sentence that has been imposed for all the damage left by his attempts at heroism.  The movie shines in these scenes, as we witness Hancock attempting to sober up and behave, a particular moment with a young bully is a stand out.  As our hero adjusts to his life of incarceration the crime rate in the city escalates, leading to Ray’s ultimate plan of having Hancock released to save the day.   Along the way we meet Ray’s wife Mary, she like many others seems to have a thorough dislike of Hancock and his methods and desperately tries to convince her husband to stay away from him.  After his triumphant return the film takes an unexpected turn, we find our hero being drawn to Mary, the consequences of which play out in the second half.  This is were the film hits a problem, we expect a story of a rehabilitated superhero saving the city/world from a foe of extreme threat with the comedic threads of the previous 45 minutes, instead the tone dips towards a more serious note as the principal characters are forced to face up to the realities of their lives. 

I have never been a fan of Peter Berg’s directorial efforts; his acting skill is quite adequate but I have not enjoyed one of his films when he has bee behind the camera.  He has though crafted a very funny film with a unique representation of a superhero, the shifts in tone look to have been forced by rewrites and re-shoots, but when the film hits the right marks it really works.  The ending to the film is like no other in the superhero family, the moment of extreme heroism does not involve battling a villain in some scenic location, it is a simple and beautiful scene, aided by the talents of the movies score (composed by John Powell).  The effects in the movie also work very well, they are not as accomplished as some other films out this year, but they flying in particular has a genuine feel to it. 

The movie has one major element working for it, which is in its star Will Smith.  The film has be written to suit his comedic style and is the better for it, whether he’s drunkenly throwing a car full of criminals around the sky or trying deal with the aggressive prisoners in jail, his talent is evident throughout.  The film does require some serious acting too of the ‘A’ lister, he also performs these scenes with superb skill.  The ever-excellent Jason Bateman backs up the star, who injects his character with extreme liability and shows off his comedic abilities too.  Charlize Theron lets the side down slightly, the first half of the film gives her very little to do, leading to a dialogue heavy role in the latter parts. 

This is a film that does not know which genre it wants to be labelled with, comedy, superhero blockbuster, or action drama. It is evident that many people have tried to pull it in one direction, the studios influence especially in the final scenes setting up for a new franchise, these inconsistencies stop the film from achieving the sum of it’s parts. There are stand out scenes especially those with humour at the forefront but sometimes feel out of place with other moments.  Its attempt to be a conventional superhero film are let down by lack of appropriate villain and shifts in tone, but what we are left with is an original film with exceptional scenes, a highly accomplished central performance and wonderful ending. 

Don’t listen to all the bad reviews and press, this won’t be the best film you see this summer but it will be far removed from the worst, and if you’re a fan of Will Smith you will love this film.

Reel Rating

I was a littler bit disappointed with the first Hellboy movie; it just felt like something was missing, there were plot holes and the action never seemed to quite reach the heights it aspired to.  I too think that Pan’s Labyrinth is overrated but do believe that in Guillermo Del Toro with have a potentially great director, so on the 22^nd of August we get the sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army.  A third trailer is now on line, the previous two looked good, but this one has finally got me interested in the film, the effects seem to have been fine tuned and the humour level is clearly evident. 

I am sure there will be lots of clips and pictures online over the next week as it is released in the USA on the 11^th of July. (Why we have to wait over a month is anyone’s guess)

Click here to link to the trailer, also there is a wonderful animated prologue, a bedtime story well worth a view.

1. Back To The Future (1985)

It’s no surprise then that an 80′s movie, Drew Struzan poster made number one, to be honest I could have crowded the top 10 with his work.  This is my favourite of his portfolio, which include all the Indiana Jones films, the Star Wars Films, and nearly every 80′s film that I loved.  This one in particular stands out for its simplicity, I am not all that fond of every character being painted in the poster (Star Wars), Michael J Fox is perfectly rendered, the flame and light effects adding a dynamic representation of elements of the film.  It also has one of the best ever movie logos.

2. Zodiac (2007)

My anticipation for this David Fincher directed film was at a high, the film seemed to be in production for years and then finally this poster let us know it was due.  This has to be one of the best images of a cityscape I’ve ever seen, the Golden Gate Bridge steeped in fog with the bright title emerging from it. This perfectly depicts the unknown qualities of the film as the murders of the titular killer engulf San Francisco.

3. Straw Dogs (1971)

Here is one of those posters that we see all too often on students walls.  A simple photographic image, but one that truly conveys the tone of its movie.  Sam Peckinpah’s dark, violent tale is wonderfully represented with Dustin Hoffman’s cold stare through his shattered spectacles, one of the best films of The 70′s and one of the best posters.

4. Office Space (1999)

I work 40 hours a week in an office so this poster’s humour genuinely hits home.  Films with no big stars often have provide the best posters, the originality required to sell a film without stars afford poster designers with the power to let loose.  The post-it note gag ties in with the movies humour perfectly here, and the tag line “Work Sucks” could never be truer.

5. Brick (2006)

Here is another recent poster; I was not interested in seeing Rian Johnson’s debut until I saw this poster.  As the film is a modern update on the classic film noir genre it is only proper that the poster should follow with homage to the classic Chinatown poster (click here to seethe similarities).  The enigmatic style of the poster is in keeping with the film, the leads all rendered through the cigarette smoke.

6. The Thing (1982)

Drew Struzan strikes again.  The perfect horror movie gets a perfect horror poster.  A truly inspired image of an unknown threat, a theme that is perpetrated throughout the film.  Struzman shows great originality with this poster, you can look at a body of his work by clicking here; this stands out as different to his usual style but is one of his best.

7. Innerspace (1987)

Growing up in the 80′s was great, the dawn of video tape led to afternoons spent roaming the rental store, which is were my love of movie posters was nurtured.  This film stood out through all the others time and time again, I think this poster was the main reason.  Again a hand painted image, the artist was John Alvin, this was like nothing else though I had seen, again the stars of the film are not used instead the basic components of the plot beautifully communicated in artwork.

8. Jaws (1975)

This is one of the most iconic images of all time, often seen in on American restaurant walls and of course those bloody students.  Sticking closely to the controversial cover of the book from which it was adapted (in which the shark was clearly shaped like a penis) the scale of the beast and blood red title epitomizes all the main aspects of the film

9. Secretary (2002)

I know many find this poster crass, but the simple image suits the film amiably.  It is both sexy and humorous, giving us a sense of the protagonist’s character.  The tag line too adds a level of humour, but lets be honest I love this poster because it makes me think of Maggie Gyllenhaal who has to be one of the sexiest actresses working today.

10. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

I love a good disaster movie; this poster showed us the ultimate disaster as New York is caked in ice.  Again the stars of the film are sidelined for the poster, as the concept takes centre stage (Dennis Quaid’s face must just not sell!)  Another cityscape here, an image taken directly from the film, as the protagonists approach the frozen skyscrapers, maybe the film did not live up to the poster in this case but the does not undermine the quality of the image.

One of the biggest problems I had when compiling this list was that this years posters were foremost in my mind, the excitement of future films is added to by a good poster and this forced a good deal of them onto my short list, so I thought I would add my Top 10 posters of this year in, I’m sure I will have forgotten most by 2009 but some may be long lasting classics.

1. HellBoy II: The Golden Army

This is a fantastic poster, the titular hero perfectly captured in an action pose; hope this sequel betters the first!

2. The Dark Knight

I just love the marketing for this film, The Joker looks awesome in the full image, the poster says “coming soon” – not soon enough for me.

3. Step Brothers

This reminds me of all the horrible photo portraits I have had to sit through, it also happens to be the funniest poster of the year, simple yet hilarious.

4. Funny Games

This poster along with the trailer terrifies me, the close up image of Naomi Watts and her tears tells the tale, one I’ve yet had the stomach to sit and watch.

5. Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

Drew Struzan continues to impress even with his most recent work, here he pays homage to the poster for Temple of Doom, and I much prefer this to the later charter ridden addition.

6. King Of California

This was released last year in the states but has just come out straight to DVD over here so I can class it as 2008; Michael Douglas has never looked so wonderful!

7. Taxi To The Dark Side

This excellent documentary is backed up with this first class poster, the shadows of America indeed.

8.  Hancock

This is one of those perfect teaser posters, it says little about the genre of the film, the star centre stage, a simple shot is still very humorous and the reflection in the shades intentionally referencing the Spiderman Posters.

9. Blindness

I cannot wait to see this new work by Fernando Meirelles, the clever poster mimicking an optometrist’s chart.

10. Jumper

Another city shot, this time London, the poster reflecting the concept of the movie perfectly.

Yesterday I posted my thoughts on the new Batman film The Dark Knight, as I said my expectations were high, but I was trying to put things in perspective so not to build it up beyond reason.

Today has seen a plethora of news on the film, most notably the first official review by Rolling Stone magazine, click here to read (There is a very minor spoiler). I am always dubious with American reviews, it seems every news outlet is owned by the same company as a studio, the review is a positive one and would seem to dispel the fears of poor action scenes that were evident in Batman Begins.  The last line of the review “It’s full of surprises you don’t see coming. And just try to get it out of your dreams” has got me all excited again!!

The release here in the UK has also moved closer by a day ,Imax tickets are selling out fast, I guess I will have to ask the boss for another day off.

There are a few new videos on Comcast, click here for more footage, (We are our own worst enemies!)

To top it all off Coming Soon has posted so great pictures that I’ve not seen before, click this image of Harvey Dent to see them all.

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Cinematography: Mitchell Amundsen

Screenplay: Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Chris Morgan

Runtime: 110 mins

Starring: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp, Common

Synopsis: Wesley Gibson (McAvoy) lives a mundane, repetitive existence.  He hates his job, his girlfriend is screwing his best friend, and he sees himself as a gutless loser without a purpose.  That is until his life is invaded by Fox (Jolie), she introduces him to a world of “The Fraternity” an elite group of assassins who want to induct him into their society.  Wesley soon learns that he has unique abilities beyond the laws of physics, and a rogue member of the group has just killed that the father he never knew.

In Wanted we have yet another comic book adaptation to add to the magnitude released or awaiting release in 2008.  This one is different for several reasons, firstly I knew nothing of the source material on entering the cinema, and believe that I will be in the majority of ticket buyers for the film, the iconic constraints of Spiderman and Batman therefore do not influence the film in any way.  The other major difference is that most, if not all, comic book films aim to play to both young and old audiences, (12A seemed to be the only certificate given for films this year!) Wanted is a full blown adult action thriller, heads explode, faces are brutally beaten, bones break, so finally a summer blockbuster with an 18 certificate. The violence is actually low key, but if bullets impacting on skulls are not your idea of cinematic fun then steer clear.

Another surprise is the casting; James McAvoy has appeared in a number of big films over the past few years but most will not recognize the name.  I have been a fan of his since his excellent work on the UK television programme Shameless, here he takes the lead in a completely accomplished manor, and will not doubt be seen as a star-making vehicle for him.  As his character is immersed in it’s new world he is of course joined by some major stars, Jolie plays Fox an assassin in “The Fraternity” who gets the job of being Wesley’s drill sergeant for his training.  Morgan Freeman adds his colossal talent as the head of the secret society, Sloan; he shows our protagonist that he has superhuman skills that they want him to use against their renegade member Cross (Thomas Kretschmann), the man who has killed Wesley’s father.

The film quickly moves into high gear as our hero is trained in a sequence of montages that are briefly interrupted for numerous set pieces.  It is in these set pieces that we find some expertly realized action.  Timur Bekmambetov directs his first Hollywood film, an obvious choice after working on the Night/Day Watch movies, which have similar action components, draped in mythology.  Bekmambetov here lets loose with all the tools afforded by a big American production, rapid car chases, kinetic knife fights, CGI bullets, we are treated to some true action inspirations.  He also adds playfulness to the action; you will never look at your keyboard in the same way again.  The pace builds to a mountainous train crash, a scene that is one of the best of the year for style and effects.  However after this set piece the film stalls as it approaches its climax, the revelations of the second half fail to impress and we are left with a finale that seems all to familiar.  This being Wanted’s biggest problem, whilst there are original touches made by the director everything feels as if you’ve seen it before, The Matrix and in particular Equilibrium linger in the mind.  Don’t get me wrong this will be one of the better films of the summer it just does not dazzle in the ways it attempts to.

The direction also displays some pacing issues too; the long training sequences are repetitive, whereas to few scenes move the main plot developments along, this leads to crucial characters being under used, most notably Kretschmann.  The mythology of “The Fraternity” is also overly dwelled upon, the victims of the societies hits are seemingly chosen by deficiencies in woven threads, the assassins have to take their jobs on the faith that they are killing for the greater good.  This is a hard notion to swallow and does not sit well with the tone of the film

There are a number of redeeming features, the conclusion to a number of the character’s narratives is truly inspired, and the final scene will see you leave the cinema with a big smile.  The acting is the most proficient aspect of the film, Jolie has never been as joyous to watch, I have always been a critic of hers but she exudes charm and sex appeal throughout making the character of Fox both interesting and irresistible. Morgan Freeman plays yet another mentor role with ease, can this man put a foot wrong?  It is McAvoy that is the real revelation here though, in both Starter for 10 and The Last King Of Scotland he perfected his ability to show credible character arcs, here he amazes as Wesley transforms from every-man loser to action “superhero”.  As the finale approaches he convinces on every level making the bullet-curving action man seem plausible and exciting.  His American accent is also perfect; some of his fellow countrymen should seek out the films dialect couch.  A star has risen.

Wanted is a film the tries very hard to be an original, action packed, addition to this year’s blockbusters, and whilst it has its violent, unique qualities and excellent cast, the sense of having seen it all before was foremost on my mind after viewing.  There is no doubt you will enjoy this film, I did it, is just another film this year that achieves an adequate level of cinema thrills.

Reel Rating

Empire magazine have also posted this quote from Josh Duhamel -

“I guess who he’s working with is probably the biggest change,” said Duhamel, before adding once more, presumably for emphasis. “Who he’s working with.”

This has added fuel to the rumour that the words “The Fallen” in the title may be in reference to one of the thirteen original Transformers, we may see the Autobots and Decepticons form an alliance to battle him. Could be good, here is a picture of The Fallen from the comics.

The Main Character Poster

Every summer season there is one movie that I hold the highest of expectations for, this year The Dark Knight holds that mantle.  This of course is a bad omen, previous years the films that I have placed my highest cinematic faith in have fallen short of my anticipations.  In 2007 Transformers whet my appetite with its fantastic trailers, my boyhood hours spent playing with Optimus Prime brought to life by ILM’s photo real triumph. The reality was a film that failed to achieve in fully realising the action scenes required, instead we had glimpses of kinetic genius, woven together with bad comedy sketches as filler material.  In 2006 it was Superman Returns, a film that let me down in ways no other has, the studios need to take heed, good directors don’t necessarily make good summer blockbuster directors.

So to 2008, there are a number of reasons that TDK being my most anticipated film is an oddity, firstly I did not love Batman Begins (we will come to that in a moment), also there are/were some big hitters out this summer, Indy should have been up there but the trailers failed to excite.  As I was saying I thought Batman Begins lacked certain elements that I love about the earlier incarnations of Batman, firstly the absence of the gothic/OTT production design that played a major role in the Burton years left out an important character; Gotham was just a Generic city?  The other big issue was with the small number of action scenes, at the end of the day this was supposed to be a Batman film, and strayed so far from my expectations I was left wanting.  I did enjoy the some of the new elements, and on subsequent viewings began to accept this new direction was probably for the best.  I also thought the cast were outstanding, an ensemble for which any production would kill for.

TDK has reached this level in my belief for one main reason, the introduction of “The Joker” into Christopher Nolan’s Gotham City.  Everything from the make up to costume seems pitch perfect, not least to the acting ability of the Heath Ledger.  The late actor looks to have delivered a performance that will not only eclipse Jack Nicholson’s interpretation of the jovial villain, but also be a stand out of the year.

The Joker In all His Glory

The viral marketing campaign on this movie has also been unique, at least in it’s abundance, and even though we have been shown a great deal of footage, key elements seem to have been saved for the full viewing (we have not officially seen a full picture of “Two-Face” yet).  What we have been allowed to see has looked amazing, the darker nature of Nolan’s world seems to have an added, shall we say, scary component that seems to have shown a full abandonment of the younger audience (which is a good thing?)

A Typical Image From The Viral Marketing Campaign

I’m sure that I will have a few more posts on the subject before the films release date; I am trying to curb my expectations, but with daily marketing gems that Warner’s PR crew seem to be throwing at us it will be tough.

Here is the trailer, for those who have not seen it – let’s be honest if you haven’t already you would not be reading this post.

Let’s start by saying that I love movies, whether they are classic dramas with powerhouse performances or the big summer blockbusters with their assault on our senses.  If a production is well made there is no genre that I do not enjoy.  This relationship with films led me to seek out information on the form from an early age; as soon as I had a paper route I used my earnings to buy publications like Empire magazine and picked up every free film supplement I could lay my hands on.  Inevitably I read reviews when exposed to these materials, at first I found them vague, my exposure to films was still limited at the time.  My parents were quite strict on  certificate ratings; I remember being the only fourteen year old I knew who hadn’t seen Robocop.  So by the time I was old enough (to get my own way!) I had a backlog of films that I wanted to see, all the teenage boy action staples were viewed, Total Recall, Aliens and of course Robocop.  It was at this point that I was rejecting such films as Taxi Driver and The Last of the Mohicans as “boring”; my infantile opinions were thankfully short lived.

As I grew older my love of films developed, I suddenly found myself feeding on facts and trivia, every birthday or Christmas I looked forward to my next movie guide, and I continued to buy Empire on a monthly basis.  It was at this point that reviews became an important part of my film selection, I slowly started recognizing reviewer’s names, those I agreed with and those I didn’t.  This is when I started to re-visit a number of films I had cast aside; reviews helped me to choose which ones were worth a re-assessment.  Taxi Driver is close to the best films ever made, my earlier rejection of the film was corrected by reading reviews, I realised that maybe I was wrong the first time and took another look.

Now don’t get me wrong I have not agreed with every review I’ve ever read, but on the whole I would have to agree with most.  In 1994 for example The Shawshank Redemption was released, every review I came across gave it their highest rating, unfortunately the film was not shown anywhere near me so I had to wait for the rental.  The day it came out a friend at my local shop saved it for me, I remember getting it at 11.30 at night and watching it there and then.  The film for me is perfect in every way, it’s popularity grew vastly (it became the highest selling rental of the year), luckily for me a few cinemas started to have viewings and I got to see it a few times on the big screen as intended.  There has never been a finer example of word of mouth increasing the popularity of a film, I truly believe that the start of this chain was with people like myself who had seen the review and sought the film as soon as possible.

However still people in this country hate to be told which movies they should watch, I am often accused of being a “film snob” because I refuse to watch productions such as Meet The Spartans or Epic Movie.  I know however from reading reviews of these films that I would hate them.  People often tell me that they are entitled to their opinion, and of course I agree with that, my concern is that people seem to have this negative opinion of film reviewing but not for other forms.  An example of such is seen with food critics, if I were to show you a review of a restaurant that you wanted to try out, that gave highly negative reviews of the quality of food I am sure you would not eat there.  It’s the same with holiday destinations and hotels, people always check a review and decide based on the author’s assessment.  If I were to stand in the queue at my local multiplex and tell everyone waiting for to see Meet The Spartans that they are making a mistake, I would be laughed out of the building.

So why do we have this opinion as a nation?  This weekend in America has seen the film The Love Guru under perform well below estimates, the film which has A-list stars such as Mike Myers and Justin Timberlake has been heavily promoted, so why has it failed to draw in the crowds?  It may have something to do with the fact that it has received terrible reviews with the majority of the press, no doubt it will receive the same critical reception here but I will be surprised if it doesn’t go to No.1 on release over here.

Now I have my criticisms of film reviews, all to often reviews can be swayed by public opinion, (Come on Empire The Full Monty was never a 4 star film) and all too often they can get swept up in the build up to a film, causing them to be overly generous or critical with reviews.  This summer too we have found numerous reviewers “sitting on the fence” with vague opinions, (Indiana Jones anyone?), this is offset the damage if they fall on the wrong side of the overall critical response.  I suppose film reviewers are only human too. 

For all the negatives with film reviews I still find them an essential tool when choosing which film I will view on my next trip to the multiplex.  I wish other people could accept the fact that in the main the people who write reviews are experts, just as they do with experts in other fields, their opinions should be noted if you want a fulfilling cinema experience.

Director: Louis Leterrier

Cinematography: Peter Menzies Jnr.

Screenplay: Zak Penn

Runtime: 112 mins

Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson

Synopsis: In an attempt to avoid the authorities, Bruce Banner (Norton) has made home in Rio, here he desperately tries to control and cure the monster within him.  However it is not long before General Ross (Hurt) has caught his scent and the chase begins.  Banner soon has to confront his past, firstly his one true love that he nearly killed, Betty (Tyler), and Emil Blonsky an aging soldier with a desire to be as powerful as Banners alter ego.

Here we have both Marvel’s second self funded film, the first being Iron Man, and their second attempt to bring the iconic green superhero to the big screen.  As comic book adaptations go the Hulk is probably one of the most difficult to pull off.  Firstly we have a protagonist who isn’t very heroic and strives to cure himself of his powers, also visually interpreting the Hulk is a great challenge.  The CGI has to be spot on to portray a big, green, organic monster, something that other comic book movies are not burdened with.  Just ask Ang Lee, his 2003 adaptation failed on most levels, including the effects, he crafted a grand Greek tragedy with good performances and characterisations at its core.  The big problem was it was not a comic book movie, it was interesting to see Lee’s take on a summer blockbuster, but it was not the Hulk film we all wanted and deserved.

Five years on and we have round two, Marvel have opted  for a full re-start of the franchise, disregarding the 2003 film completely.  The origin of Banner’s alter ego is swiftly displayed in a credit sequence, everyone around him is either left hurt or worse, leading to our protagonist fleeing to Brazil where we find him struggling to live with his curse.  One thing I immediately noted was what a wonderful location Rio is; the camera majestically sweeps up hillsides of houses, and sets the scene for great running chase set piece when our hero is eventually tracked down.  The story then takes us back to the States where Banner is on a quest to treat his condition.  Along the way he is re-united with Betty, a romance that is played well between the two leads but is not given a great deal of screen time to be dwelled upon.  General Ross’ main weapon against the Hulk is Emil Blonsky, a soldier whose career in the field is coming to an end and will do anything to stay in the fight.  Tim Roth, as always, can play aggressive villains in his sleep, but here adds an extra dimension in portraying Blonsky as a man obsessed with the power he witnesses in green monster.  It does not spoil anything to tell you that the General and his soldier themselves experiment with some DNA manipulating cocktails, leading to eventual mutations of the character.

Louis Leterrier has been bought in as director for one reason; he displayed a flair for action scenes in the Transporter films and here almost accomplishes the job he was hired for.  Unfortunately the scenes with the Hulk are to few and far between, when he is introduced we see very little of him as he is kept mainly in the shadows.  The centrepiece of the film, and easily its best action scene is a confrontation between Blonsky and the Hulk, Tim Roth again excels in these scenes as the supercharged soldier.  We are then left with the final battle between the two mutants and whilst it does have moments of spine tingling antics (“HULK SMASH!”), ultimately by the conclusion you feel a little short changed.  The CGI too is not perfect, whilst still better than the 2003 version, there are very few scenes where it impresses, again I feel that this will probably be the best we ever get, it just seems that big green men are too much for the effects wizards to manage. That’s not to say they are all bad, the non-creature elements are excellent, a slow motion helicopter explosion is one of the best effects of recent years.  Leaving the cinema I got the feeling that Leterrier had not been fully capitalised on, maybe the constraints of budget and limits of effects had kept him on a leash.  On the positive he does inject a few moments of fun into the film, there is an ongoing joke about the size of pants Banner requires, also a “Days Without Incident” counter that appears now and again is inspired.

The biggest flaw of the film are the drama elements; firstly it is clear that the character arcs have been trimmed to a minimum (scenes that were evident in the trailers have disappeared) and even though the running time isn’t exactly sparse the are too few scenes of meaningful dialogue.  There are moments when the plot gets interesting, an exchange between Banner and Betty with regards to him having control over the Hulk, but these are never explored to the required degree.  Norton does a good enough job, but you get the feeling an actor of this calibre is wasted in the role.  Both Liv Tyler and William Hurt perform their roles to an acceptable level with what they are given, it is only really Roth who makes any impact.

For all the flaws though you can see that an effort has been made, when they find the right ingredients the film works well, it’s just that these seem too few over the running time.  I did get the sensation of wanting more at the end though, which may be due to the numerous set ups for a sequel, a future villain is hinted at and the much discussed Avengers film is indicated with a last minute cameo.

The film has its moments, like Banner’s pulse these are up and down throughout.  This is not quite the Hulk film we all wanted but is an acceptable addition to this summers blockbusters.

If only it could have been a little more incredible.

Reel Rating

This has to be the ultimate score for me; it evokes all the aspects of the film, the emotion, the drama, and the action.  Howard has created the perfect score to accompany a film, his mixture of slow jazz pieces and up- tempo orchestrations fit Andrew Davies’ movie like no other score has. This was one of the first CD soundtracks I owned and has contributed to my love of scores and classical music is a huge way.  I bought the score shortly after watching the film, which was an amazing experience in the cinema. I quickly came to realize how much the score contributed to the suspense of the film; the pieces that play against the action of the film have become particular favourites, especially to drive to!  James Newton Howard has since gone on to compose some of the best film music to be scored, in particular his work on Signs narrowly missed a place in this list.  To any score fanatic I strongly recommend.

Essential Listening

Track 3. “Kimble Dyes His Hair”

Track 4. “Helicopter Chase”

For a taste click this link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKwD90aUMRA

2. Batman (1989) Composed By Danny Elfman

Tim Burton’s Batman was seen very much as the reinvention of the comic book adaptation, I believe one of the biggest contributors to this was Danny Elfman’s score. Prior to composing the score for Batman Elfman had worked on some major films, most notable being Scrooged and Beetlejuice, both these scores were dark and brooding in tone but often interlaced with very playful elements.  He has scored all but two of Burton’s films but has never bettered his work than on this score.  The compositions were perfect for a superhero comic book adaptation with grand orchestrations full of gothic themes, the addition of choral elements only increasing the scores stature.  Elfman has become the man to call for comic book movies, he has scored Spider-Man, Hulk and this summer has two films out Wanted and Hellboy II both comic book adaptations.  His style was never more tailored for the story of Batman, the darker elements for the protagonist and the playful manic themes for The Joker.

Essential Listening

Track 1. “The Batman Theme”

Track 10. “Descent Into Mystery”

For a taste click this link -

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hm87mh3hEVo&feature=related

3. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial Composed By John Williams

John Williams is the greatest film composer of all time – fact.  Nearly everyone you meet will be aware of one of his themes and probably be able to hum it for you.  In particular when working with Spielberg he is able to create some of the most unique pieces of music ever made for film.  So why choose E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, I think it was the time when both director and composer hit their top game, Spielberg has never made a better film and Williams’ score is the best element of the film.  Spielberg was in fact criticised for re-editing the last ten minutes of the film to fit the best take by the orchestra, this is insane if you have the greatest composer working on your film everything else follows.  The music easily captures the magic of the film, but I especially like the suspense attached pieces like “Far From Home/ET Alone” this music accompanies most scenes of E.T. being hunted and adds such a level of tension to viewing the film.  The 15-minute opus of “Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye” has more themes and moments of genius than any other single piece written for a film, you will be straight to your BMX for a ride round the streets.

Essential Listening

Track 2. “Far From Home/ET Alone”

Track 20. “Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye”

For a taste click this link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le7zzdOKUdg

4. Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) Composed By Howard Shore

So I have cheated a bit by classing this as on listing, but I would have had to list all three films and would have monopolized the Top ten.  The one thing that amazes me about film scores is how consistently composers are at the top of their game when working with a director who is at the top of theirs.  Shore has created an outstanding body of work for Peter Jackson’s trilogy and whereas his work has always been good, he has never made such an achievement as he did with LOTR.  I could write pages on all the different themes he created, the wonderful choral pieces and rich wealth of instruments used.  I will just list the two most note worthy tracks, “The Breaking of The Fellowship” has such extremes of emotion in its composition, the exceptional way in which it gives you the feeling of conclusion, something that was needed as the story was far from over at this point.  Secondly from “Return Of The King” we have “The Black Gate Opens”, this piece has such a huge range from a grand foreboding theme to the quiet beauty of the music that accompanies the Hobbits desperately trying to get up the mountain.  This is now one of the most popular soundtracks of all time, with film score fans and general music lovers; its crossover is obvious in its brilliance.

Essential Listening

Disc 1, Track 18. “The Breaking of The Fellowship”

Disc 2, Track 16. “Forth Eorlingas”

Disc 3, Track 15.  “The Black Gate Opens”

For a taste click this link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sGJPyGFgIU

5. Field Of Dreams (1989) Composed By James Horner

This score comes from my favourite film of all time.  I’m not sure if the makes me prejudice to the score but I do know it is one of the main elements that made me fall in love with the movie.  James Horner is often referred to as a self-plagiarist, his themes often appear in more than one film, re-cycled to fit the film (see Aliens and Star Trek II).  Elements of this score have also been used elsewhere, however when the music is this good who cares?  The compositions build slowly with the film to the wonderful climax, first employing just keyboards and panpipes, then the piano pieces come in and finally we have the grand orchestral themes of the conclusion.  Horner has since worked on some major pictures, especially after the huge popularity of the Titanic score, but in my view was never more competent than with Field Of Dreams.

Essential Listening

Track 10. “Night Mists”

Track 12. “The Place Where Dreams Come True”

For a taste click this link – http://youtube.com/watch?v=UDise3S1TAc

6. Dances With Wolves (1990) Composed By John Barry

John Barry has nearly fifty years of experience in writing music for films, from Zulu to Out of Africa, with numerous Bond films along the way.  However I believe his crowning achievement to be “Dances With Wolves”.  The themes he created for this film have become an important part in my love affair with scores; I even had it on cassette before I owned a CD player.  Barry’s exceptional composition lends so much to Costner’s film; it transforms it into the Oscar winner with themes that so stirring it is impossible to forget them.  Through all the music behind the drama and action the love themes are excellent and convey the romance of the two leads.  This is essential for any score collection, just make sure you get the extended release which has 20-minutes of extra music on it.

Essential Listening

Track 4. “The John Dunbar Theme”

Track 15. “The Love Theme” 

For a taste click this link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJLPckUEcao

7. Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace (1999) Composed By John Williams

The second John Williams score in my list made it here for one reason “Duel Of The Fates”.  This is truly one of the greatest themes ever composed for a film, the biggest surprise being that by this point in his career you could hardly believe that Williams had yet another theme of this magnitude in him.  I am a big Star Wars fan and enjoy all the music related to the films, but this theme out does all the others, I know it is reprised in the subsequent films but it is at the heart of The Phantom Menace.  The strong choral elements of the piece take it to such a dramatic level leaving you enthralled after listening to it, all you want to do is pick up a lightsabre and swing away!  The rest of the score is also excellent, the obligatory open/end title pieces, Williams also weaves pieces from the original trilogy into new themes, most notably “Anakin’s Theme” which uses elements of “The Imperial March”.  There are so many fine John Williams scores, he is easily the most consistent of all film composers and is sought by the best directors, I could list all the great themes he has made but I’m sure you all know them!

Essential Listening

Track 1. “Star Wars Main Title”

Track 2. “Duel Of The Fates”

For a taste click this link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaiEHNv2g6w

8. Doc Hollywood (1991) Composed By Carter Burwell

Now this is a score you will not often see on top lists.  The film just happens to be my favourite romantic comedy and I believe that all great composers are those who have pulled off a good, original romantic score.  Carter Burwell is most famous for scoring the Coen Brother’s movies; here he added his great talent to a small comedy scoring the film with quirky original themes, which also packs an emotional punch.  The film tells the tale of Ben Stone, played by Michael J Fox, a doctor who is forced to do community service in a small southern town whilst on route to L.A. where he hopes to become a plastic surgeon.   Of course Ben slowly falls in love with the town and one of the residents.   The love theme in the movie (“Slow Squash Love”) rates as one of the best romantic themes I’ve heard, also Burwell creates a real sense of character in the town with the themes he uses to represent it.  Burwell has also composed other great scores, The Hudsucker Proxy and Miller’s Crossing being the most notable.

Essential Listening

Track 9 “Slow Squash Love”

Track 21 “Back To The Interstate, Ben Stone”

For a taste click this link – http://youtube.com/watch?v=woVBnQDpHLI

9. The Thin Red Line (1998)  Composed By Hans Zimmer

Hans Zimmer is mostly known for scoring big summer films, The Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy, Gladiator, M:I 2 to name a few, but I believe when he works a smaller films that he composes his best work.  Not that The Thin Red Line is a small film; it is however far removed from your average summer blockbuster.  On scoring this film Zimmer met the full potential that he had shown with films such as True Romance and Rain Man.  He evokes such a level of emotion with the music as to compliment the awesome cinematography and direction that are evident in the film.  Where as in other films he has composed stand out noticeable themes here everything is far more subtle, tracks slowly build into an emotional crescendo, leaving the listener quietly moved.  This is without a doubt Zimmer’s best work, I know many people love the themes from Gladiator, but here you will witness a far greater body of work.

Essential Latinising

Track 3. “Journey To The Line”

Track 10. “God U Tekem Laef Blong Mi”

For a taste click this link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G58ItEz2Sc

10. Amelie (2001) Composed By Yann Tiersen

When I first saw Amelie I did not even note that the score was so impressive, this is probably due to the fantastic visuals that bombard you throughout.  On subsequent viewings I realized that the score was probably the greatest element of the film, helping to bring out the emotion of the story whilst adding to the off the wall attitude of the titular character.  I must admit like many I had not heard of Yann Tiersen before seeing the film, much of the work in the film are versions of tracks off his solo albums.  The minimalist style immediately reminded me of Philip Glass of whom I am a fan.  Tiersen plays many of the instruments himself on the score, which include piano, harpsichord and accordion.  The score portrays the melancholy of the story fantastically with a slow piano piece (“Comptine d’un autre été: l’après-midi”); also we build to the romance and elation of the conclusion of the film that is perfectly scored with a full orchestra (“La valse d’Amélie”).  All of Tiersen’s skill helped make this one of the most perfect scores I’ve heard, after listening to it I defy you not to go and skim stones!

Essential Listening

Track 4 “Comptine d’un autre été: l’après-midi”

Track 11. “La valse d’Amélie (Orchestra Version)”

For a taste click this link – http://youtube.com/watch?v=aip3836VtZ0&feature=related

Director: Ben Affleck

Cinematography: John Toll

Screenplay: Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard

Runtime: 114 mins

Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris, Amy Ryan, Morgan Freeman

Synopsis: A four-year-old girl, Amanda Mcready, has gone missing.  Grieving family members enlist the help of private detectives Kenzie and Gennaro (Affleck and Monaghan) to aid the police in finding her. The two detectives soon realize that not everyone involved welcomes them, and are soon embroiled in world of mistrust and crime.

This is the first adaptation of the popular Kenzie and Gennaro novels written by the author Dennis Lehane.  Recently his work has been seen in another adaptation, Mystic River, directed by Clint Eastwood.  Gone Baby Gone is the superior of the two films in most aspects, but most in conveying the sense of location.  Lehane’s work is at it’s best when describing locations and community, Boston being the focus in both books.  Ben Affleck has crafted a film where the main character is the location Boston; we get a deep sense of community, which is conveyed from the opening moments and throughout.  You can tell that Affleck has a great deal of affection and knowledge of the City as he makes it look beautiful but peels away the layers so we see the dark underbelly where a good deal of the story unfolds.

As the two detectives begin their search they meet the hostility of the police, led by Morgan Freeman’s respected Captain with a past personal tragedy which influences his agenda.  The family of Amanda are made up of her mother (Amy Ryan), a drug using, unhelpful women who clearly has some serious failings in brining up her daughter.  Ryan’s turn as Helene Mcready rightfully won her an Oscar nomination, her portrayal as an obnoxious layabout whose main concern seems to be attaining all the media sympathy she can, will no doubt make her a star.  There is also Amanda’s Aunt and Uncle (Amy Madigan and Titus Welliver), the people who employ Kenzie and Gennaro, and the only people to be genuinely concerned about the girl’s whereabouts.  Early on we meet the two cops investigating the affair, Remy and his partner Poole, played by Ed Harris and John Ashton, they already have their ideas of Amanda’s fate.  The bleak story hints at the fact that Amanda’s life was not a good one at home with her mother, we as a audience are asked if maybe her fate is better than being at home.  With only an hour in though there seems to be some resolution to the story, this leads to a second half full of surprises and plot turns.  As the plot develops, the story reveals harsh decisions having to be made by all involved.

So which brother do we start with? Casey Affleck, here for the first time in a lead role, shows us how good an actor he is.  With his supporting turn in The Assassination Of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford and now this we are assured of his status as one of best young American actors working today.  He brings a quiet presence to his character in the main but often has moments that intensify under confrontation.  Even with the mass of talent that makes up the rest of the cast he makes the character of Patrick the most interesting, he is in nearly every scene of the film.  As the film approaches it’s climax he portrays the decisions that Patrick has to make with such depth that it forces the audience to asses what they would do in his situation.

The rest of the cast are also excellent, Ed Harris’ grizzled Remy being a standout, reminding us of how great an actor he can be.  Here his character is immediately likable in his bluntness but slowly we come to realize that his agenda is not clear. Morgan Freeman as always is highly watch-able; here he plays a man with deep convictions, desperately trying to do a good job.  Madigan and Welliver also excel, especially Welliver, who I was not familiar with until seeing this film.  The only negative with the cast is Monaghan, not that she is to blame, it is just her character is given very little to do but accompany Patrick and offer the odd opinion.

Now the second brother, Ben Affleck’s first directorial outing has shown how multi-talented he is.  I know he has made some bad career choices in the past, lets not forget some very good ones too (Good Will Hunting, Chasing Amy), With his stand out performance last year in Hollywoodland he can now lay those bad films to rest.  Here he paints a bleak world where nothing is as it seems, some of the visuals are outstanding from huge landscape shots to a simple shot of people watching television.  He is truly a gifted director and I hope we will see more films from him.  The script, co-written with Aaron Stockard, is also accomplished, the dialogue is always interesting and to the point and plot developments are deftly handled.   The middle of the film does go slightly adrift with pacing, as the plot gathers momentum for the second act, but this is a minor concern.  The trump of the duo’s script is in it’s ability to ask the viewer to make the decisions that the protagonists are faced with, moral dilemmas that will stay with you long after you have left the cinema 

We have had to wait some time for this film due to it’s resemblance to the Madeleine McCann news events of last year, I don’t often think that news events should effect a release date but it is obvious from viewing the film why it was necessary.  It has been better to view the film without the true-life event detracting from its drama and plotting.

The film is both a thought provoking drama and dark thriller.  The strong performances adding to it’s stature, where as it is not comfortable viewing it is one of the better films to be released this year and I strongly recommend.

 Reel Rating