Showing posts with label Steven Speilberg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steven Speilberg. Show all posts

Thursday, 10 November 2011

The Adventures of Tintin:The Secret of the Unicorn (2011)


An animated film from Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson with the voice talents of Daniel Craig, Andy Serkis, Jaimie Bell, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Cary Elwes and Toby Jones and the writing skills of Edgar Wright, Steven Moffatt and Joe Cornish. This has to be the greatest film ever submitted with these people involved and it is based upon a much loved book series from Herge. Why does it not work? Well part of the problem is that there are 3 screen writers involved all brilliant in their own way their previous works are their as proof and it is based on a book. What were they all there for? Really I am unsure it sticks to the book quite closely but there is something lacking from it. The voice talents are lost in the visuals it is in 3D for no reason other than the added value at the box office.

I do not know why this film fails but I think most of it is to do with too many people involved. All this really is and should be is a big screen visual representation of the characters we all know and love. It should perhaps have changed things slightly to make it work better on the big screen. I have to say there were some little nods to fans of the series, the crabs, the cigars and a good gag at the start about how the characters look but that is it.

Overall perhaps my expectations were to high from a film that should have promised so much but to be honest I did not know as many people were involved until afterwards and really I came out feeling it just missed the mark. I am going to be harsh and say 2 stars wait for it on DVD if at all. I will say that perhaps on a re-watch I may enjoy it some more but looking at IMDb I am surprised the next 2 are already in pre-production as they have just presumed this will work.

Monday, 1 August 2011

Saving Private Ryan (1998)


The Steven Speilberg directed epic starring Tom Hanks and Matt Damon and a raft of other major actors is a modern classic in my eyes. From the opening scene at Omaha Beach to the story behind why they are going after Private Ryan I think this film works on so many levels and how the film ends works so well for me I think that it is definetley my favorite war movie of all time and I can watch this again and again.

The set up with Tom Hanks going behind enemy lines with a group of men to simply find one man who's family have suffered a tragic and terrible loss. It poses some interesting questions that the film addresses and while it is not a perfect film by any means, the actors however portray the different characters found in any army excellent with the platoon being made up of Tom Sizemore, Ed Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Vin Deisel, Giovanni Ribisi and Jeremy Davies. Tom Hanks is in charge and he plays one of my favorite characters as you believe in him and I would follow him into battle and their job is to find Matt Damon and take him home to his mother.

Overall this is a film that I love and will happily watch again and again, if you have not seen this please fgo and see it and let me know what you think a 5 star film for me.