Wednesday 28 May 2008

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

Cast
Harrison Ford
Karen Allen
Cate Blanchett
John Hurt
Jim Broadbent
Shia LaBeouf
Ray Winstone
Screenwriter
David Koepp
Director
Steven Spielberg
Running Time
122 mins

The newest Indiana Jones adventure begins in the desert Southwest in 1957 – the height of the Cold War. Indy and his sidekick Mac have barely escaped a close scrape with nefarious Soviet agents on a remote airfield. Now, Professor Jones has returned home to Marshall College – only to find things have gone from bad to worse. His close friend and dean of the college explains that Indy's recent activities have made him the object of suspicion, and that the government has put pressure on the university to fire him. On his way out of town, Indiana meets rebellious young Mutt, who carries both a grudge and a proposition for the adventurous archaeologist: If he'll help Mutt on a mission with deeply personal stakes, Indy could very well make one of the most spectacular archaeological finds in history – the Crystal Skull of Akator, a legendary object of fascination, superstition and fear. But as Indy and Mutt set out for the most remote corners of Peru, they quickly realize the Soviet agents are also hot on the trail of the Crystal Skull. Indy and Mutt must find a way to evade the ruthless Soviets, follow an impenetrable trail of mystery, grapple with enemies and friends of questionable motives, and, above all, stop the powerful Crystal Skull from falling into the deadliest of hands. (Paramount Pictures)

It's OK but not great.

Wednesday 14 May 2008

Nim's Island

Cast
Jodi Foster
Gerard Butler
Abigail Breslin
Sean Keenan
Peter Callan
Maddison Joyce
Screenwriters
Joseph Kwong
Jennifer Flackett
Mark Levin
Paula Mazur
Directors
Jennifer Flackett
Mark Levin
Running Time
96 minutes

Anything can happen on Nim's Island, a magical place ruled by a young girl's imagination. It is an existence that mirrors that of Nim's favorite literary character, Alex Rover, the world's greatest adventurer. But Alexandra, the author of the Rover books, leads a reclusive life in the big city. When Nim's father goes missing from their island, a twist of fate brings her together with Alexandra. Now, they must draw courage from their fictional hero, Alex Rover, and find strength in each other to conquer Nim's Island. (Fox Walden)

It was alright, so maybe my score is a little harsh. The cast is very good and it looks great but the story which consists of the three characters on their own for long periods of time doesn't really work very well. There's lots of reading out of E-Mail which is always clunky and a few dodgy but short CGI shots.

Wednesday 7 May 2008

Iron Man

Cast
Robert Downey Jr.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Terrence Howard
Jeff Bridges
Shaun Toub
Leslie Bibb
Screenwriters
Arthur Marcum
Matt Holloway
Director
Jon Favreau
Running Time
125m 47s

Tony Stark is a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armor and vows to protect the world as Iron Man. (Paramount Pictures, Marvel Studios)

Everything about it was good but something was off in some way. Maybe it's that I'm not an Iron Man fan or really know that much about the character, I came out having enjoyed the whole thing but the experience faded from my mind pretty quickly.

Thursday 1 May 2008

Friday Night Lights Season 2 DVD Box Set

Cast
Kyle Chandler
Connie Britton
Scott Porter
Minka Kelly
Adrianne Palicki
Taylor Kitsch
Zach Gilford
Aimee Teegarden
Gaius Charles
Jesse Plemons
Creator
Peter Berg
Running Time
11 Hours 25 Minutes NTSC
Aspect Ratio
1.78:1 Anamorphic

Friday Night Lights shines brighter than ever as the critically acclaimed series arrives in a 4-disc collection in 5.1 surround sound! From producers Brian Grazer (The Da Vinci Code), Peter Berg (The Kingdom) and Jason Katims and inspired by the best-selling book and hit film, Friday Night Lights provides a heartfelt look at the families, friendships, and faiths of residents in a closely knit Texan town. Featuring an incredible ensemble cast, this intense and compelling show has critics saying "there is no finer or truer drama on network TV" (Matt Roush, TV Guide).

I enjoyed it as much as the first season. It is basically a soap but it's brilliantly done. The USA Today quote on the cover "Simply one of the best-acted, best-written, best-produced shows on television." is absolutely correct.
[spoiler]The murder in the first episode has seemed to get some flack on forums but I didn't mind it, although I knew about it before watching the Box Set. Maybe if I had watched it broadcast and it came as a surprise I would have reacted differently but I don't think so. Street's paralysis in the first season was as melodramatic a storyline.
The writers strike reduced the season to 15 episodes and it ends with the football season unfinished. Jason Street (Scott Porter), Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) and Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly) don't really get a lot of storyline, basically treading water this season compared to the other characters.
There are 3 commentaries which are all good, lots of deleted scenes and a 30 odd minute cast interview from the 2007 Paley festival before the second season was commissioned.