Shark Night (2011)

Film of 2012 #43

The Shark Night film is another film from the stable of the OTT extreme 3D horror films and is designed around the shock value of being seen in the cinemas with the glasses on. I did not see it in the cinema with the galsses on so missed out on this experience but I have to say that I still quite enjoyed this film. If you like the Final Destination films of which I have previously reviewed 1, 2 & 5 and the Piranha 3D film which I reviewed yesterday then you will enjoy this film even without the gimmick of the 3D.

Essentially this film is a slasher/monster film with Sharks as usual with this style of film there a certain holes in reality and requirement but overall if you go with the film you can watch it, enjoy the kills and where the story goes. There is some interesting character development at the start they sort of try to make you care for the characters in a strange way by giving them something to live for but really you have a rich girl, her family owns a house on an island. A Basketball player who is commented on as a top 10 draft pick and someone applying to be a Dr. I wonder if they are trying to get you to appreciate what they have to lose but also you cannot necessarily relate to them and you look forward to watching them die, as some of them are bound to do based even on the trailer which i reviewed here. 

Overall this is a solid 3 star recommend for me, especially if you like the other films I mentioned earlier then this film is right for you, I do think that there will be some level of dislike and even hate from people that are not into this sort of film. Let me know if you liked it or if you want to see it now, I am keen to hear other opinions. 

Final Destination 5 (2011)

So I went to see the latest in the long line of Final Destination sequels, it fell in to the trap last year when the stated that they were releasing THE Final Destination it sucked and to be honest after that film I was not that interested in seeing number 5, however when I saw the trailer which I reviewed here I thought a different take now that could be interesting. Now I have to say that they do not play this angle up quite as much as I thought they would but it made a nice conclusion to part of the story. Now I have to be honest and say that I love these films for the campyness and the tension when it is done right.

The story is your basic Final Destination plot with a cast of characters that you meet and then you see the disaster and the survival. Now the disaster is a bridge collapse and it is pretty cool actually they have some good impact scenes at this point the 3D was worth it for some good kill scenes but the CGI was god awful, why can they not get it right. Anyway I was not that bothered by the crap CGI as the deaths were pretty cool and I had a great time in the nearly empty theatre laughing my ass off.

Overall this is probably tied for my second favourite Final destination film with number 2 and behind number 1. The twist that they do at the end is awesome and when I saw it coming I was jumping up and down getting far to excited for a 33 year old man in the cinema alone. This is 4 stars for me I only bump it up as I came out with a really good feeling about the film and would actually go and see it again.

Conan The Barbarian (2011) Trailer

I get confused between the Arnold versions of the Barbarian and the Destroyer and cannot remember which film is which but I know that I enjoyed them both and when they decided to remake Conan the barbarian I was unsure how I felt about it as it is not one of my all time favourite films but I do enjoy them and I do think that they are taking remakes to far.

So the trailer shows us that there will be lots of sword and sorcery and this appeals to me however and this is good from the trailer you do not get to much of the story so when you get there it will be a pleasant surprise that is presuming that there is a story, hopefully they will just make their own story and we will not keep getting references to the original but it will be more based upon the comic book which I have never read rather than the films from the 80's.

I am actually going to see this film this afternoon at the cinema going to see it in 2D as to me 3D is totally dead and there are very few films I want to see in 3D any more.

UK Release Date - 24th August 2011

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

I went to watch this film with anticipation and some trepidation it falls in to the double whammy category of remake, of a sorts from the Apes films and a prequel to the Mark Whalberg remake of the Charlton Heston classic Planet of the Apes. So I was not really sure what to expect from the film in general I knew that with James Franco and John Lithgow acting in the film and Andy Serkis doing the motion capture there were going to be some good acting and great special effects. The trailers which I have seen a few of and reviewed one here did not give as much away as I thought after seeing the film. The editing of them was quite deceptive and watching the trailer after seeing the film I have to say that they look like they are advertising a different type of film.
I have to say that overall I was fairly satisfied by the film as a whole, there was some good acting by John Lithgow as the Father with Alzheimers and a good performance from Tom Felton as a keeper in the Primate sanctuary with an interesting performance from Brian Cox as his father. The biggest disappointment to me was James Franco I thought he was totally miscast as the scientist I could not believe in him as a super intelligent character, which is a shame as I have really enjoyed a lot of his films recently. With Andy Serkis doing the motion capture for Ceaser I have to say that it was totally believable and the CGI which the film has to rely on heavily was awesome. The Apes which had to convey so much emotion without any words or communications you could see the intelligence and what they wanted from their movements and reactions.

Overall with worried expectations I have to say that I really enjoyed this film it is a strong 3 stars and I am interested what they are going to do with the series if this film is successful enough to spawn the probable sequel, I have to say that the nods to the original with Charlton Heston and the fact that it lossely linked back to the Mark Whalberg film were fantastic and I really enjoyed catching them. The one thing that bothereed me while watching was the sheer number of Apes in just the one city.

The Thing (1982)

The 1982 classic from the master of suspense John Carpenter, a film that I have seen several times and will watch many times again, I have listened to fan commentary's and dissections of this film and there is nothing that will make me dislike the film. It is a remake of the 1951 film  The Thing From Another World, so it goes to show that remade films can be better than the original, that however is not an excuse to go around remaking them all though. With the soon to be released prequel, the trailer which I reviewed here I decided to re-watch the film for the first time in a while on Bluray.

One of the things that this film is famous for is the effects back in 1982 they were all practical and I was worried that watching it on Bluray might destroy the memory of effects that are truly believable and fantastic. But from the Dog to the spider head they all hold up as well on Bluray as they ever did on VHS or DVD.

This is a classic of the horror genre and a must see for all fans of the genre and all movie fans in general I give this a solid 5 stars and say that everybody should give this a go at least once if you have a love of film.

The Change-Up (2011) Trailer

So they have made another version of Freaky Friday and this time they have decided to do a best friend switch, I have never been that big a fan of these films from the version with Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris to the Jamie Lee Curtis and Linsay Lohan version and the Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage film Vice Versa this idea has been done many times before. Now I have to say that the idea that they change it the way they does makes it different but still it is the same basic idea, they will get a better understanding of each others lives and be happier in their own.

Now my preconceptions might be wrong and there maybe some really funny high-jinks while they find this out but to be honest it is not a film that appeals to me. Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds are both excellent actors and I like them both but I thin that this is definitely a wait for DVD if I see it at all.

UK Release Date - 16th September 2011

Troll Hunter (2010) Trailer

This film was first brought to my attention by the guys at www.bloodygoodhorror.com and their podcast and since then I have been keen to see this film. It is a hand held film from Norway where they go hunting for Trolls, now really do you have to know anything else?

I have watched a few trailers for this film and there are a couple out there that seem to show an awful lot of the trolls so i am even more intrigued to see where this film goes, in all honesty it is the sort of film I am starting to really appreciate and look forward to. The best ideas and best delivery seem to be coming from countries outside the UK and US. Some great examples have been Timecrimes and REC from Spain, Let the Right One In from Sweden and Ip man.

I am really looking forward to seeing this film and I just hope it gets a wide enough release that I get to see it locally.

UK Release Date - 9th September 2011

Johnny English Reborn (2011) Trailer

I cannot believe that a character from a Credit Card advert got to make a film, so the fact that he is getting a sequel really surprises me. I have to say that I do not really remember the original film though I do know that I have seen it but I have to say that it did not stick in my memory.

So you have Rowan Atkinson reprising his role as Johnny English, I have to say that whatever he does I do enjoy his performances, he is probably going to be the best thing in it but i see that Gillian Anderson is in it I wonder if her comedic timing will be any good.

I do not fancy this at the cinema but will probably give it a watch when it comes to the TV.

UK Release Date - 7th October 2011

Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010) Trailer

A fun trailer for me to review as I have seen the film but i have to review it to show everybody else how much fun it is and that you should see it, i saw it at Horror Hound Weekend in March and here is my original review here.

The trailer is a good and honest appraisal of the film, you can see the trailer and the website here.

I have to say that I hope this film gets a wide release and i hope that everyone that enjoys horror films and comedies should go and see this film if it is in a cinema near you or find a cinema it is in.

UK Release Date - TBC

Captain America:The First Avenger (2011)

So I got to see Captain America after looking at what I thought of the trailer which is here. I have to say that my expectations of another origin film were met, I am not a big fan of the origin films but have to say as I have no knowledge of Captain America it was interesting to see something I had never seen being done previously. There were some points where it was a bit predictable and the fact that he is going to appear in the Avengers film which is set in present day you knew where it was going to end.

This film was enjoyable with some excellent effects very impressive with Chris Evans looking both very weedy and pumped up. Interesting that they went with a  love interest when they knew he would be around 70 years after the end of the film. I have to say that after the trailer for Captain America I had high hopes for the Avengers but now I am really worried. How can they manage to give each character a reasonable development within the Avenger circle and still have it as a feasible film. While that in itself will be a sequel to Iron Man, Thor, The Incredible Hulk and now Captain America it is in essence another origin film. I actually think that they might have been better going for the high budget high value TV series to set these all up, they could have spent 2 to 3 hours on each character and their interactions with each other and the finalise with an ensemble show that features them all.

But back to Captain America this was an enjoyable film and I would recommend that you go and see it if you have any enjoyment out of comic book films, it is one of the better films 4 stars for me.

Shark Night (2011) Trailer

So watched this trailer wondering what it was going to be about and the trailer sets up your standard group of teenagers going to the lake for the weekend and then the shark attacks, really what can go wrong with this type of film.

It looks a little bit more than some form of Jaws knock off so hopefully it will be good I will definitely be looking forward to this at the cinema when it comes out.

UK Release Date - 30th September 2011

The Devil's Double (2011) Trailer

I have seen the trailer a couple of times for this film and the first thing that puts me off is the fact that it states based on a true story, now as far as true story's go I am happy to watch them but why I am only hearing about this story via the big screen? If it is a true story then why has it not been all over the news and were we all made aware of it but hey they make a big feature film about it. Really it just bothers me.

Anyway it is the supposed story of the body double of Saddam Hussein's son Udey and his recruitment story and what he has to do and what it offers him. I am sure it will explore the offer of unlimited power and experience against the good of the body double.

I do not know how I feel about this film at all, apparently my father in law to be will be interested in seeing it so looks like I will be going to see it.

UK Release Date - 10th August 2011

Final Destination 5 (2011) Trailer

You have to love this series but after the 4th film I was like no way can they make another and no way can they make it any good, however from the trailer I have to say that I am won over. The rules have changed in this film and no longer it is about saving each other to make the pattern skip but the trailer makes you think that they kill each other to survive which makes the whole thing a lot more exciting.

I am actually really looking froward to seeing this film after seeing the trailer and i just hope that it gets a chance to live up to the expectations that i ma now placing on it. It is in 3D but I think I will just give that a miss as there is just no need for paying the extra and even though I have my Shrek 3D glasses which I love I am not that bothered about 3D any more.

So I will see this in the cinema and let you know if it is worth seeing at all.

UK Release Date - 26th August 2011

Mr Poppers Penguins (2011) Trailer

Watched this trailer with no real knowledge of what the film is about, it would be Jim Carey inheriting 6 penguins and as he comes to accept them his life slides into chaos. I am not really sure where this film comes from but it is nice to see some form of original idea, even if it is a standard something arrives in your life disrupting it and ultimately will probably make you happier.

Looking at the IMDb page along with Jim Carey you have Carla Gugino and Angela Lansbury starring beside the penguins that all seem to have personalities, this will probably have a few laughs, most of which you probably see in the extensive number of trailers that are available and I am sure the kids will enjoy it.

It is not Oscar bait and I will probably wait to see this on the TV if I see it at all, it might appeal if i see it cheap on DVD or run out of other things to watch but I will not be running out to see it.

UK Release date - 5th August 2011

Friends With Benefits (2011) Trailer

I saw this trailer in front of Horrible Bosses and I have to say that while it falls into the category of romantic Comedy while not the sort of film that I would normally like it did look funny. You have Mila Kunis from Black Swan and Justin Timberlake from the Social Network and pop star status who are friends and decide to try and introduce a sex without emotion relationship into there friendship and shenanigans ensue.

I have to say that I think I have where the story goes figured out but you never know I might be wrong and it certainly looks like it will be interesting to see how they do get where they are going.

Sure my better half will want to see this so will possibly end up at the Cinema to see it and I am sure that I will enjoy the film on the big screen, Mila Kunis is certainly not a hardship to watch.

UK Release Date - 9th September 2011

Captain America:The First Avenger (2011) Trailer

The latest film from Marvel is the story of Captain America, from the trailer it looks interesting i know nothing about Captain America other than the fact that he comes from the Second World War and is part of the Avengers and this film is released with the Avenger movie scheduled for next year.

From the trailer it looks interesting it would appear that he is created so it will be interesting to see what he can do. I am a fan of comic book movies so based upon the trailer I will go and see this, however I am not a fan of origin stories so my expectations going in a re quite low and I do hope it is good as I am developing high expectations for the Avengers when it comes out next year.

UK Release Date - 29th July 2011

Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) Trailer

I love the Paranormal Activity films, the first is a classic to me and the second fulfilled all it promised to me, the worst part of both these films was that seeing them in a packed cinema was distracting so while I will probably go and see this in the cinema I actually think that I might wait for a quieter showing before going to see it.

Now the trailer looks like a prequel and I am not a fan of prequels but then the second film did both so I am interested to see what it can do. I think that the franchise will probably go to far like many of the previous franchises and I hope that if they are making more they have started to think of an end game and or a way for the story to be interlinked.

This is definetley a film I want to see at the cinema, I think it probably says more about me than I care to admit.

UK Release Date - 21st October 2011

Zookeeper (2011) Trailer

I have seen this trailer a couple of times it is the film of the year where the big comedy star gets to act ll silly and stupid with some funny partners. In this case it is Kevin James with a cast of zoo animals who get to to show him how to get the woman of his dreams, Leslie Bibb with Rosario Dawson in the wings, my cynical heart asks wonder how this will play out?

I laughed at the trailer the Gorilla, going to TGI Friday's screams product placement but it is pretty funny, just glad it is not McDonalds.

I will probably skip this film at the cinema to childish even for em that enjoys the children's films and I will wait for it coming out on DVD.

UK Release Date - 29th July 2011

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) Trailer

Decided that along with reviews I am going to look at some upcoming films that I might go and see and see what I think of them from the trailer and have a comparison when I have seen the film.

First up is the remake of The Rise of The Planet of the Apes, now I am not sure if this is a remake of the original film by this name or if it a sequel/prequel to the Mark Whalberg remake of the original classic.

So from the trailer I am highly anticipating this film, with James Franco and Andy Serkis and the effects that the trailer show it looks really good, it is the set up of how the apes take over? do they take over, well if it is a sequel/prequel to the remake then we know how it is going to end up but ultimately it still looks great and I cannot wait to se this at the cinema.

UK Release Date - 11th August 2011