The D11 (plus whatever Screen 2 seat that was) Report: Real Steel/Tintin
Okay, it's double-header time, as we come to some of the last of what could be called "blockbusters" for this year - and wow haven't we been treated to some prime cuts at this end of the year...!
Review: Real Steel...
It seems like a very familiar story. Dead-beat dad meets son he never knew, and they "find" each other through adversity - and robots boxing. What? All of a sudden, this becomes "Robo-Rocky"?
Hey, don't be too quick to write this one off, Dear Reader, In fact, go see the movie, and you may just find yourself cheering at the end. Something about this story manages to tweak your "suspension of disbelief" gland, and draws you in, even though some of it might seem predictable. There's triumph, there's that adversity I mentioned earlier, there are set-backs and bad choices, and you're sure to have seen a good deal of that before, but star Hugh Jackman steers himself well clear of Wolverine, and does a good turn as the down-on-his-luck waster who manages to redeeem himself, in his own eyes and those of the son he spends the summer with...
...building and training a fighting robot that takes the robot boxing world completely by surprise. Could it be the near-future setting with its cool hardware that polish off some of the corners off the familiar story, and make this a whole bunch more enjoyable than it could have been?
A lot of the effects are animatronic, which is good to see, but it's at no time clear where that ends and the CG takes over. Hero-bot Atom, like all the others, is not much more than a puppet, relying on human control to make "his" mark in the ring, but the son sees something more - maybe it's childlike wonder, or maybe some glint of independent motivation that is never really explored in any great depth. Together, the two are a fun team, the heart and soul to Jackman's brawn and guts, and you do find yourself rooting for "the little guys", right through to the storming finale.
"The little story that could" is what I find myself saying in conclusion. I can definitely smell sequel potential, as there are some elements that just have to get their proper ending. Nothing that hurts this movie, though.
The Final Verdict... Not exactly requiring any intellectual exertion, but certainly a good dose of popcorn movie goodness with impressive effects. Good family fare, without being dumbed-down or "just for the kidz". Score: 8 / 10
The "Main Event" was still to come, however, and that came in the form of the Spielberg/Jackson(/Moffat) collaboration Tintin...etc I'll admit to being not entirely enthralled by the idea when the project was announced, but then came the trailers, and I became a believer...
Review: The Adventures Of Tintin - The Secret Of The Unicorn...
Yes, this is 3D, but for the first time this year, 3D used well, and not pasted on in post-production. The film is CG through and through, and maybe that's how the 3D elements manage to not only stand out, but flow with the film to provide that Avatar sense of immersion. The style is very much like The Polar Express, which seemed to be trying too hard to make its characters lifelike, but Tintin doesn't, taking its characters straight off the drawn page, curious hairstyles and bizarre noses included.
There's a lot of story to get through, and whilst it isn't the most earth-shattering or portentious of stories, being pretty much a treasure-hunt tale, it rarely drags on - the movie actually feels a lot longer than it actually is, as a result. As the fate of the Earth doesn't depend on our heroes, you're not on the edge of your seat, but you will duck to avoid swinging cranes, low-flying aircraft and suchlike, and not go "Huh, was that suppsoed to be 3D or something...?"
Spielberg hasn't been hitting too many of the marks lately, but having someone else's (Herge's) material to work from, and trying hard not to p!$$ off the existing fan-base, he and Peter Jackson have managed to create a film that doesn't treat its audience like idiots, and rewards all for their investment of a 3D ticket price and 107 minutes of their time (felt more like 200, to be honest!). Once again Andy Serkis is the unseen star, bringing adventuring companion-to-be Captain Haddock gleefully to life - even though the alcoholism-as-comedy/plot-fuel might feel a bit uncomfortable at times - but the original books are very much a product of their times, drawing accusations of racist depictions of non-Europeans.
See this, and you may just believe in 3D again. See this, and you WILL believe that a bunch of old comics featuring a boy-reporter with a haircut like "that hair-product' incident in that movie with... her and... him in it" can be made into a movie that is sure to satisfy even those only passingly familiar with the story. An unqualified success, and a clear leader for the Best Animated Feature Oscar!
The Final Verdict... Seems longer than it actually is, but that's no bad thing. Even better family fodder than Real Steel, and a definite contender for the "If You see Only One Movie This Year" accolade... Score: 8.5 / 10
So, what else is there to look forward to? The Thing (Prequel)? Errr, one of those teen-vampire things? If this is "all she wrote", we certainly go out on a high.
Review: Real Steel...
It seems like a very familiar story. Dead-beat dad meets son he never knew, and they "find" each other through adversity - and robots boxing. What? All of a sudden, this becomes "Robo-Rocky"?
Hey, don't be too quick to write this one off, Dear Reader, In fact, go see the movie, and you may just find yourself cheering at the end. Something about this story manages to tweak your "suspension of disbelief" gland, and draws you in, even though some of it might seem predictable. There's triumph, there's that adversity I mentioned earlier, there are set-backs and bad choices, and you're sure to have seen a good deal of that before, but star Hugh Jackman steers himself well clear of Wolverine, and does a good turn as the down-on-his-luck waster who manages to redeeem himself, in his own eyes and those of the son he spends the summer with...
...building and training a fighting robot that takes the robot boxing world completely by surprise. Could it be the near-future setting with its cool hardware that polish off some of the corners off the familiar story, and make this a whole bunch more enjoyable than it could have been?
A lot of the effects are animatronic, which is good to see, but it's at no time clear where that ends and the CG takes over. Hero-bot Atom, like all the others, is not much more than a puppet, relying on human control to make "his" mark in the ring, but the son sees something more - maybe it's childlike wonder, or maybe some glint of independent motivation that is never really explored in any great depth. Together, the two are a fun team, the heart and soul to Jackman's brawn and guts, and you do find yourself rooting for "the little guys", right through to the storming finale.
"The little story that could" is what I find myself saying in conclusion. I can definitely smell sequel potential, as there are some elements that just have to get their proper ending. Nothing that hurts this movie, though.
The Final Verdict... Not exactly requiring any intellectual exertion, but certainly a good dose of popcorn movie goodness with impressive effects. Good family fare, without being dumbed-down or "just for the kidz". Score: 8 / 10
The "Main Event" was still to come, however, and that came in the form of the Spielberg/Jackson(/Moffat) collaboration Tintin...etc I'll admit to being not entirely enthralled by the idea when the project was announced, but then came the trailers, and I became a believer...
Review: The Adventures Of Tintin - The Secret Of The Unicorn...
Yes, this is 3D, but for the first time this year, 3D used well, and not pasted on in post-production. The film is CG through and through, and maybe that's how the 3D elements manage to not only stand out, but flow with the film to provide that Avatar sense of immersion. The style is very much like The Polar Express, which seemed to be trying too hard to make its characters lifelike, but Tintin doesn't, taking its characters straight off the drawn page, curious hairstyles and bizarre noses included.
There's a lot of story to get through, and whilst it isn't the most earth-shattering or portentious of stories, being pretty much a treasure-hunt tale, it rarely drags on - the movie actually feels a lot longer than it actually is, as a result. As the fate of the Earth doesn't depend on our heroes, you're not on the edge of your seat, but you will duck to avoid swinging cranes, low-flying aircraft and suchlike, and not go "Huh, was that suppsoed to be 3D or something...?"
Spielberg hasn't been hitting too many of the marks lately, but having someone else's (Herge's) material to work from, and trying hard not to p!$$ off the existing fan-base, he and Peter Jackson have managed to create a film that doesn't treat its audience like idiots, and rewards all for their investment of a 3D ticket price and 107 minutes of their time (felt more like 200, to be honest!). Once again Andy Serkis is the unseen star, bringing adventuring companion-to-be Captain Haddock gleefully to life - even though the alcoholism-as-comedy/plot-fuel might feel a bit uncomfortable at times - but the original books are very much a product of their times, drawing accusations of racist depictions of non-Europeans.
See this, and you may just believe in 3D again. See this, and you WILL believe that a bunch of old comics featuring a boy-reporter with a haircut like "that hair-product' incident in that movie with... her and... him in it" can be made into a movie that is sure to satisfy even those only passingly familiar with the story. An unqualified success, and a clear leader for the Best Animated Feature Oscar!
The Final Verdict... Seems longer than it actually is, but that's no bad thing. Even better family fodder than Real Steel, and a definite contender for the "If You see Only One Movie This Year" accolade... Score: 8.5 / 10
So, what else is there to look forward to? The Thing (Prequel)? Errr, one of those teen-vampire things? If this is "all she wrote", we certainly go out on a high.