Source Code - Movie Review

BySharjeel Ahmad

Source Code is a fast paced sci-fi thrilling affair. It appears to test brains but it serves better if they are allowed to rest. It brings a big idea and the idea is interesting enough to keep all glued to screens for an hour and a half. It tries in vain at length to explain the idea through calculus and electromagnetics- is it really important? Avatar, Inception....... no one cared to think.

The Idea: Consciousness remains in body even after death and by using it we can access and even live last eight minutes of someone's life.

Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in train sitting next to a beautiful woman named Christina (Michelle Monaghan). He has no idea what he is doing on the train. Christina knows him as Sean but he does not know her. His last memories are of a soldier fighting in Afghanistan. The big thing: When he looks into a mirror he sees a different face. Eight minutes after he wakes up the trains blows up with a deadly bomb and everyone gets killed. Except, Colter, who finds himself in a strange capsule and a woman is talking to him.

She is an air force officer named Coleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga). She orders him to go back again in that train and locate the bomb and the person who planted that bomb. That train had already been blown but they fear that more such attacks are ahead. He had to accomplish this through a time program, Source Code, which enables to virtually take over some dead person's body and live last eight minute of that person's life. Colter takes over Sean's body (a school teacher that travelled in the train that had blown up). He goes back to that train through Source Code and comes back unsuccessful. Coleen and her boss (Jeffry Wright) keep sending him back and tell to find the planter of the bomb so that future incidents may be avoided. He also learns that in fact he is also dead: died two months prior to this train incident.

He eventually does the job and saves future bombings. Source Code is a success. So what is next with him? Can he also save the passengers that had already died? Can he survive?

Crazy? A little too much? But still it works and because the proceedings are fast and the direction (Dunken Jones) is smart and crafty. Gyllenhaal plays a role which every decent actor should play well. Christina does what she had to: She looks sweet and innocently charming. Jeffry Wright looks the bossy scientist he needs to look. Vera Farmiga does wonderfully well first as a soldier than as a person with a heart.

Source Code is a smart sci-fi thriller with two spoilers: the odd logics given and the end. Just before the end, there was a frozen shot where everyone was happy and the shot was really moving. It could have been a much better ending. But the makers decided to take a step forward and which isn't truly appealing.

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Review: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2

ByBarry F

Like most adults, I came across Harry Potter when book 3 was released, about two years before the first movie. Kids had been aware of the books since day one. They were an immediate hit, selling millions of copies. However, most adults hadn't heard about them. It was only when a TV station in the US was doing a little research for a small article on kid's reading habits that they realised that these books were outselling videogames and movies without any huge publicity or advertising campaigns. It all boiled down to word of mouth. That, of course, changed almost overnight. Suddenly there was a two month waiting period for the books in the US. An American friend of mine was so stunned that he was able to buy all books (four at the time) in a bookshop in Dublin without any problems that he bought four copies of each and sent them home. He was the best uncle in the world that Christmas.
 
Anyway, as I said, I came across the books at book 3 and have read them all as they came out. The books, cleverly, grew up at the same rate as the characters and readers; Starting off as a book for kids with magic sweets and happy, fluffy magic. But there was still real danger and excitement in the book and the author never talked down or patronised the readers. As the books went on the books got larger, the characters grew up, the danger and excitement more extreme, favourite characters changed and even died. And the books grew more and more popular. The hysteria surrounding the release of a book would only be matched by the hysteria surrounding the next book.
 
And then the films came out. Everyone was concerned: How close to the book will they stay? Who will play the teachers? With a big American studio behind them and an American director and market will Harry suddenly become Troy? And who will play the kids? We need not have worried. The movies stuck VERY closely to the books (At times cutting out unnecessary plotlines that actually improves the story). The adult cast was fantastic. The late, great Richard Harris played headmaster Dumbledore (replaced with the equally great Michael Gambon after the death of Harris), Maggie Smith, John Cleese and Ian Hart all played their parts brilliantly. However Robbie Coltrane and Alan Rickman were BORN to play Hagrid and Snape. The kid actors were all pretty good also. Daniel Radcliffe a bit nervous and stilted as Harry (He's to be honest, not the best actor in the world) Rupert Grint as his best friend, Ron was funny and appealing and Emma Watson was perfect as their know-it-all friend Hermione. As the books went on and new characters were introduced the casting was uniformly excellent: Kenneth Brenagh, Ralph Feinnes, Brendan Gleeson, Gary Oldman etc.
 
So, at last, we get to the last movie. Was it worth the wait? Oh yes! As readers will know, Deathly Hallows Part One covered about more than three quarters of the last book. So Part two was going to be mainly the action packed finale. And it lives up to the challenge. Think the battle of Helms Deep in The Two Towers but with more wands. The action is thick and fast when it needs to be but knows when to calm down when it needs to also. After a five minute build up we are thrown into a daring bank heist with a dramatic and destructive escape. Another few minutes of tense calm and we start the battle of hogwarts. Once bumbling characters are suddenly turn into action heroes and we see other characters in a whole new light. Cool characters get even cooler. Well loved characters rise to the challenge or die without any OTT melodrama, they just die. Most of the actors return even if they don't have a single line of dialogue which is a testament to their respect for the films, books and fans.

The end may leave you wanting more but, sorry, that's it... Until Harry Potter And The Midlife Crises I suppose. It yet to be seen if these actors will be able top break out of their roles in Harry Potter and make a career for themselves in the Film and TV industry. Only times will tell on this really but one thing's for sure, they won't have to queue at the dole office for a while anyway!

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Reviewed: Captain America: The First Avenger [2011]

12A - 125mins - Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi - 29th July 2011

With the summer season now in full blast we get our latest and final all action comic book hero for the year in the guise of Captain America- yet another character that I am unfamiliar with. Have I missed out on a childhood filled with comic books? It would seem so.

Set during World War II, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) a poorly yet determined man has only one goal- to join the army so that he can serve and protect his country. Due to his illnesses and diminished stature though he is rejected and turned away by every recruitment station he visits. A chance encounter with Dr. Erksine (Stanley Tucci) changes his fortunes and leads him to be accepted onto a secret project codename Project Rebirth where his honour and integrity gain him the chance to become a super soldier. He undergoes the transformation and becomes capable of near superhuman acts.

Meanwhile in Germany, Johann Schmidt aka the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), head of the Nazi exploratory research department HYDRA is building and army and technology that threatens to not only usurp Hitler but destroy the world. Captain America is tasked with stopping Schmitt and bringing the war to a premature end.

I was looking forward to seeing Evans in his role as Captain America as I'd wanted to see if he had what it takes to be the leading star in a film rather than the supporting roles he's more used to. He passed with flying colours making the character his own from a skinny nobody to the patriotic propaganda spinning Captain America. The rest of the cast also performed well with Weaving a convincing bad guy (despite me wanting him to say Mr. Anderson) and Tommy Lee Jones adding his unique charisma to the hard as nails Colonel. I was less convinced with Hayley Atwell playing the love interest Peggy Carter as the chemistry wasn't there and she never really extracted any emotions from me good or bad.

The action taken as a whole was good but I'm not sure that there was enough from Captain America. Sure he swung his shield and sent the opposition flying but I never felt that he was getting down and dirty for his cause. Some of the fighting scenes felt rushed and tended to be over before they had even begun. Also I understand Captain America's improved metabolism/regeneration properties cover up the fact he always looks like he's just walked out from make-up room #1 but I would still have liked to see him a bit beaten up and then recover for the next scene rather than looking as if he's just going for a stroll through the park. He never felt in peril which instantly removes any suspense that I should have been feeling for him.

The story of his origins seemed to take president over the action and to a certain degree that's understandable- there is no movie without a plot, but I would have liked a smidge more action and a tad less talking. Luckily the film didn't give off that all American vibe that I thought it might with the patriotism healthily present rather than all engulfing. Likewise, the comedy flowed at a decent level with many short (as in height) jokes and other such one liners hitting their mark. Although for me, I found Red Skull to be the funniest merely for his appearance- he was not scary and just looked like he'd forgotten to lather himself in suntan lotion before a trip to the beach one day.

The ending certainly adds its clout to The Avengers film due out next year. (You may want to hang around at the end for another post credit scene and a teaser trailer for said film). So where does this go in my list of Summer comic book heroes? I think it slots in nicely behind X-Men, just pipping Thor into second and is comfortably ahead of the Green Lantern.

Rating: B

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Captain America: The First Avenger Movie Review

(Warning: this is a comprehensive review therefore may contain spoilers.)

A lot of pressure was riding on Captain America: The First Avenger. If done well, Marvel could have their best movie yet, whilst generating huge hype for The Avengers. If done wrong, plans for The Avengers would have taken a huge hit. Has director Joe Johnston truly managed to bring the magic to one of Marvel's most iconic characters?

Based on the iconic character from WW2, The First Avenger follows a brave young Steve Rogers from Brooklyn, New York (Chris Evans), as he deemed unfit to serve for the military. With nowhere else to go, Rogers volunteers for an operation that will turn him into a super soldier, led by Dr. Abraham Erskine. The operation is a success but Dr Erskine is quickly killed, along with the secrets of the super soldier formula. Realising their only living super soldier is too much of a risk for combat, the US military decide to parade Rogers out on USO shows to boost morale and gain funding. However when an evil plot reveals itself lead by the evil Johann Schimdt/Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), Rogers must step up to the task and become Captain America.

The movie handles the hardest part well. It is successfully able to avoid turning a flag wearer into a flag weaver. Instead Evans comes across a well likeable character, who hates bullies and isn't afraid to stand up for himself. Steve's character is given proper treatment, before he becomes the Nazi bashing super soldier, as Evans proves he can handle more than just comedy putting any confusion over him being The Human Torch to rest.

Hayley Atwell gives us a convincing performance as the strong, but sensitive Peggy Carter, and Tommy Lee Jones is on scene stealing form as the cocky Colonel Philips who is prone to one-liners. The rest of the cast either struggle to impress or are not given enough time to do so. It's been a tough summer for Bucky Barnes. He suffered a cheap death in the comic books recently, and his treatment in The First Avenger fairs little better. Sebastian Stan tries to make the most of what he is given, as it's evident that Steve and Bucky are long-term friends. Once Barnes is quickly dealt with however, he's soon forgotten. Captain America's support group The Howling Commandos (although they are never actually called that in the film), cry out for their own spin-off as they provide some of the films more fun scenes.

Several disappointments I had with this film were Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) and The Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). The Howard Stark portrayed in this film had little charisma, and it often felt forced how many times the name Stark was mentioned, as if to keep re-enforcing the fact that he's Iron Man's dad to the audience. Weaving's Skull is so fanatically unhinged, he even disgusts other Nazis, but it's sometimes difficult to see where his intentions lie. Is he simply just obsessed with being a god? The Red Skull certainly isn't the diabolical villain I read in the comics. I also hope we see more explanation behind the Cosmic Cube in The Avengers. Ordinary cinema viewers would have perhaps found it difficult in this film to understand just what is the cube's power.

That's where the film loses a star. The main threat HYDRA, the Nazi deep science division, only really has two main figureheads, therefore never really feels like a world threat. Perhaps if we had seen more classic cap villains such as Baron Zemo and Baron Von Strucker, HYDRA might have looked more of a threat.

Did the film work as a period movie? Easily yes. Whilst maintaining enough historical ground to make it work, but not bogging it down too much until it becomes boring, Johnston mixes the perfect amount of history and fantasy to create a truly unique superhero movie. The special effects were actually a welcome surprise. Despite my initial fears Chris Evans's head would look awkward on a skinny man's body, Marvel pulled it off fantastically well. The battle scenes all look convincing, and they easily rival the effects seen in Thor.

To conclude Marvel can look back at Captain America: The First Avenger as job done. A great performance from it's lead character, good action, good special effects and a great story all round. Captain America isn't a classic by any means, but full credit should be given to Johnston and Marvel for making this happen.

Rating: 8/10

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Cowboys and Aliens Movie Review

ByM Tek

"Cowboys and Aliens": The film based off of the graphic novel of the same name combines classic western with modern Sci-fi. But does this interesting hybrid hold up to the epic merging of two genres into one? Starring Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde as your lead characters; Directed by Jon Favreau and produced by Brain Grazer, Ron Howard, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Roberto Orci, and Scott Mitchell Rosenberg.

The film takes place in 1873 when wanted outlaw Jake Longergan (Craig) awakes in an Arizona desert with an old wound, a mysterious bracelet attached to his arm, a small picture of a beautiful woman, and no memory to any events leading to him being stranded in the desert. After reaching to the town of Absolution, he learns from the run in with the local sheriff John Taggart (Keith Carradine) that he is wanted for arm robbery and is thrown in jail with the plans to be extradited to Santa Fe to face a judge.

Just before extradition, Colonel Dolarhyde, the town's ruler (Ford) comes to retrieve his son Percy (Paul Dano) who is also being sent to a judge in an unrelated shooting and to issue his own revenge on Jake for stealing from him in the past. This is when the aliens strike on the unsuspecting town and kidnaps numerous residents including Percy. Realizing that his memory is somehow connected to the aliens attack, Jake teams up with Dolarhyde and Ella (Wilde) as well as with a small band of towns people in finding the aliens and rescuing their people before it's too late.

What made this film strong was Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig performances. Ford character was played well as the war veteran colonel who rules Absolution with an iron fist, but at the same time was a calculated man with a sense of honor, making a great anti hero in a way. Daniel Craig performance as the desperado gunman who only watches for himself was also well done. However as his full memory slowly returns in the film, the audience may see the full portrayal of his character in the sense of his actions he does in his film and his true reasoning on why he is performing his actions.

The cinematography was excellent, however some will notice that this film had a solid HD look and may nitpick the fact that if it was a true Western, it should be in a more classic film like style, but for the most part, people will probably overlook this. The lighting and filming style was well done and portrayed it as a western ranging from being in a dark saloon to the bright arid deserts galloping on horses.

One thing I did notice as a con to the film was the motivation of the villains in the story. Perhaps the graphic novel explains it better, but the purpose was the aliens actions of the film was to exploit the gold on the planet and perhaps plan for a later invasion (reason for the abundant kidnapping of people).

"Cowboys and Aliens" does pack plenty of action and memorable moments on screen and is good for a starting film to wrap up the 2011 summer run.

Final Verdict 4 out of 5 stars!

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Transformers Dark of the Moon Review

ByM Tek

The Master of Disaster and control chaos has done it again in his final installment of Transformers. Directed by Michael Bay and Produced by Steven Spielberg, the trilogy ends in a big bang that the two can only deliver. Set a few years after the end of the second film, we find the heroes, the Autobots on Earth who have heard little of their enemies, the Decepticons since Megatron and his forces were defeated in Egypt and went into hiding. For the time being, the Autobots continue to assist US forces in covert missions while they wait for their enemy to make their next move.

Meanwhile we learn that the space race of the 1960's was in secret a mission to investigate a crash Autobot ship and the nature of what was left of the vessel. After finding out about this mission through a raid that show the world leaders were withholding information, it's a race to see what secrets lie in wait for both sides as well as if there is more than what meets the eye. As with the previous two films, there is more than enough action to go around for a summer block buster and out of the three, Bay may have went all out for a finale.

As for the script, it is certainly better than the second one and has fewer fillers in the sense of comic relief which was good since this one nearly tops a run time of three hours. The special effects of course is without a doubt well done and may again outdo the second one, but some may wonder if the focus on the special effects may weaken the film in the sense of story presentation. Once again, we have a returning cast including Shia LeBeouf (Sam Witwicky) Josh Duhamel (Lennox) John Turturro (Simmons) Kevin Dunn and Julie White (Ron and Judy Witwicky). Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (Carly Spencer) plays Sam new girlfriend and compare to Megan Fox, there wasn't really anything different between the two characters in the area of supporting the main character to provide drama for the story.

One thing to look forward in this final installment is the search for true honor for the Autobots and the human allies as the war for Earth may lead to its darkest hour as well as treason within their own ranks. Final verdict for this film, Michael Bay may have redeem himself from some of the negative comments about the second film and has put a fitting end for the trilogy.

Final Verdict 3 out of 5 stars.

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Movie Review: The Change-Up (2011)

The Change-Up jumps right into bizarre, foul humor to lure audiences in with pure shock. CG babies are employed for uncomfortable laughs, especially as one unloads his bowels into the mouth of an unsuspecting father or rapidly beats his head against the bars of a crib like something out of The Exorcist. Bathroom jokes are taken to the extreme, hoping that raunchiness will smoothly replace cleverness. So too is comedy involving children, which practically borders on child abuse (such as teaching jailyard justice to a little girl and allowing babies to toss around butcher knives or climb into blenders). The trick is all too apparent. But with a plot resembling Freaky Friday for adults, the R-rated laughs are necessary for uniqueness - clearly, the story barely possesses any.

In Atlanta, Mitch Planko (Ryan Reynolds) is something of a failure, having never grown up, living as a high-school dropout in a teen-oriented bachelor pad, fighting bums for furniture, wielding samurai swords for fun, smoking weed, and spouting vulgarities. He's a man-child, disrespects his father (Alan Arkin), works as an actor in "lornos" (light pornography), and has a penchant for deviant sex. His best friend Dave Lockwood (Jason Bateman) lives on the opposite end of the spectrum. He prioritizes his work at a law firm, hoping to make partner, and never has time for himself. Between his twin babies, young daughter Cara (Sydney Rouviere), and loving wife Jamie (Leslie Mann), he can't find time to just talk with his family.

When Mitch and Dave catch a baseball game, the two chat over their envy of each other's lives, which leads to a drunken urination into a magical fountain. The next morning, the impossible happens - Mitch is in Dave's body and Dave is in Mitch's body. Thinking the solution is to recreate the previous night's inebriated mishaps (like Big), they journey back to the fountain, only to discover that it has been moved and that it may take a week or more to learn of its new whereabouts. At first they panic, but then Mitch convinces Dave that they can assume their new roles while waiting - after all, Mitch is somewhat of an actor. What could possibly go wrong?

The setup is uninspired, but still a decent method for creating hilarious situations with disastrous consequences. Fortunately, it never gets so serious that it can't return to its comedic roots, although the switched identities shtick is carried a bit beyond the logical turning point, making the resolution unrealistic (and tidy) even within the boundaries of pure fantasy. Role reversals aren't new, but Jason Bateman pretending to be sexually uninhibited, preposterously wild and unspeakably crude is a delight to watch, similar to his costar Jennifer Aniston's part in Horrible Bosses. He's cast in his usual role, but then assigned to take it in the opposite direction. This ungentle contrast works well for Bateman, whereas Reynolds simply returns to his Van Wilder days. Coming from Green Lantern, it's obvious he's more cut out for coarse comedy than superhero tights.

Responsibility, family and a career must battle freedom and recklessness in a classic switcheroo scenario with a twist of nudity and crudity. Mitch learns to be a go-getter and to stop quitting (accomplishment issues are at a high), while Dave gets to take a break and date smoking hot associate Sabrina McArdle (Olivia Wilde), which is somehow classified as innocent flirtation. He essentially gets a vacation. Disquieting secrets are revealed and kinky sexuality explored - it's divertingly vulgar but doesn't have enough substance to entertain beyond a single viewing.

- The Massie Twins

The Massie Twins are identical twin film critics who have been professionally reviewing movies full time for over 5 years, appearing on TV, radio, online and in print. They are members of the Phoenix Film Critics Society and the Internet Film Critic Society and their work can be seen at GoneWithTheTwins.com

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