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CINEMATRIX - by LuckyWill

 
Cinematrix is movie goer central bringing everything from the Big Screen to your screen.
Johnny Depp has taken on so many varying roles over the years and Mr Versatile seems to nail them all but none so much as the bearded oddball, Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. It was during the third instalment of this saga, At World’s End, that Captain Jack finds himself in Davy Jones’ locker; a supernatural labyrinth where absolutely anything is possible. Never has Depp looked so at home as his fanciful hallucinations finally offer up an environment where he can truly let loose. But alas this is only for a few minutes of the film.


Well much to the delight of audiences, Depp has returned to that place of madness and chaos and this time he has extended the visit to a feature length fantasy. Swapping treasure hunts for tea parties; his latest outing as the Mad Hatter in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland is delightfully insane and, as usual, another perfect fit for the actor. The film is about a world where the unimaginable is everywhere and reality is somewhere else. Where out of place is right at home and weird is wonderful. As Alice so aptly puts it in the 1951 version “Everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn’t and contrary wise, what it is it wouldn’t be and what it wouldn’t be it would.”

The 1951 animated version of Alice in Wonderland, and any others that may have popped up before or since, actually serve as the prequel to this latest 2010 sequel. While, once again, the story focuses on the journey of Alice there have been many changes to the plot. This film is set just over a decade after Alice first visits Wonderland, or rather Underland (apparently she mispronounced the name on her first arrival, this is what it should be called). She is now 19 and runs away when faced with a prearranged marriage to an awkwardly repulsive young lord. Again she sees the white rabbit, falls down the hole and starts eating and dinking whatever she finds lying around. This time, rather than scamper about in search of a way home and randomly encountering the strange inhabitants of Wonderland, Alice finds herself on a quest to defeat a Jaberwocky and save Underland from the wrath of the evil Red Queen. There are a few new characters including the White Queen, several talking animals and, as I mentioned, the Jaberwocky. While the Red Queen commands an army of card like soldiers, her sister, the White Queen, controls her own army of sleek looking chess pieces which I felt was a nice touch.


The story is interesting and is visually stunning but you just cant help but feel like it's missing something. The animated film had a sense of unpredictability to it. Scenes flowed randomly from one to another with very little connection between them; you never knew what was waiting around the corner. This version, though it tries so hard to be as equally strange, has an unshakable sense of realism to it. You know where it is going and it tries to explain itself too much. In a world where horses talk and size is an alterable quality, there isn’t really much need for a whole lot of explanations. Things happen as they do because it’s Wonderland.

Tim Burton’s dark quirky style is evident throughout and the actors certainly fill their roles perfectly. Mia Wasikowska does well as the perpetually confused Alice while Depp leaves us wanting more of the Hatter. As I said however, the film itself, as crazy as it is, has had the weirdometer unfortunately dialled down. The Cheshire cat is a perfect example of this. In 1951, the cat could appear and disappear as it does in the 2010 version. It could also return piece by piece and float around as it does now. So what’s changed? In this version the cat is one constant shape even if it only decides to reveal parts of itself at a time. In 1951, the Cheshire cat could swap its eyes over, stand (literally) on its decapitated head and send two of its legs walking around opposite sides of a tree. It was truly bizarre. The 2010 film is far too tame.

To be fair the setting of the film is different to that of the original. In the 10 years that Alice has been gone the Red Queen has seized control and destroyed her people’s land and spirits. She even killed off the cute little king if you can remember him. As a result, the film seems to foster a sedate atmosphere where the characters are strange but they lack the real kick that they once possessed. The closest any character comes to recapturing that spark is the March Hare because he is so completely unpredictable and bouncy and quite funny. The Mad Hatter, while being very strange and fascinating is still somewhat restrained by his environment and you would just love to just see him bust out and really go crazy. Even so, the tea party is still by far one of the best scenes in the film because of those two characters and it would have been great to see more of it and of Depp.

The verdict; see it at the cinemas, you can’t go wrong in 3D but just don’t set your expectations too high. Its not really anything like its predecessors and I’m not entirely sure that’s a good thing. I haven't read the book so maybe this is more true to that. It would have been great if there was a bit more life and energy in it so as it stands it’s a little too dark and depressing though still fun to watch. Missing something but you've gotta love a film about a place where anything can happen.

Rating: 3 top hats/5
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AVATAR TOPS THE LOT

January 7th 2010 16:37

James Cameron’s multimillion dollar blockbuster 3D epic adventure, AVATAR, is a visual feast the eyes will be dying to gorge themselves on.

The alien environment of Pandora, for starters, is a strange and beautiful place with some fascinating creatures and features comprising it. The native inhabitants, the Na'vi, are a primitive race of blue giants that possess the ability to, quite literally, tap into the environment for energy and guidance. They are an incredibly elegant and unique society that is fascinating to behold. In contrast to this is the massive destructive power of the human army that has invaded the planet for it rich resources and with them comes some hard arse army commanders and a whole lot of pain. Between the amazing beauty of the natural environment and the raw, bone-rattling explosions your senses will go into overload and never recover.

Cameron’s use of 3D is something completely different to other 3D films I’ve experienced before. Rather than focusing on making things jump out at you, as others do, AVATAR’s 3D actually gives the scenes greater depth by bringing everything forward. This allows the viewer to feel like they are actually inside the leafy green environment and living the rush. It just makes the scenes look and feel so much bigger.

While I cant speak highly enough of the visual side of the film, the plot and acting also serves it well and newcomer Worthington puts in a strong performance while Sigourney Weaver lends some credibility to the set due to her vast alien adventure experience. Their interactions within the fabricated environment is so realistic and believable that you could honestly believe such a place may exist.

With production costs somewhere between $280 - $500 million (depending what source you read) it was going to take a huge effort by fans to get them back into the black but the film has been a roaring success and certainly covered costs as it fast approaches the mark of the highest grossing film EVER! The tally stands at $1.4 billion so far and needs to reach at least $1.8 billion if it is to take top honours.

The film took 10 years for Cameron to complete and you can certainly tell this was not a rushed job. Everything is so polished and well done, I could not pick fault. You HAVE to see this on the big screen and you will not be disappointed.

Excellent: 5 blue naked aliens/5
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The Box - Think Outside and Think Fast

November 11th 2009 12:02
The Box
As you may have noticed from the trailer, the Box is about, strangely enough, a box, which is delivered to a young couple in America in 1976. The owner is a strange, disfigured old man named Arlington Stewart (Frank Langella) who delivers the device. It is plain black, with a single red button on top and comes with a creepy proposition. Push the button and 1 million dollars will be yours on the condition that 1 person you don’t know will die. Either way, when you are done the box will be reset and the offer presented to someone else.

What would you choose


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DISTRICT 9


There are many secrets in District 9 and I don’t want to begin by giving any of them away. The film is a semi-documentary style sci-fi thriller that skilfully combines nail biting suspense with short but impressive action sequences and, most importantly a plot that really makes you feel for and take interest in the characters in a way I have not seen since Slumdog Millionaire


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KNOWING: Its Not WHAT You Know...

August 20th 2009 13:25
It's who you know.

Knowing is a mildly suspenseful film much like Armageddon, The Day After Tomorrow, The Core and other such films predicting Earth’s destruction through some impending disaster; however, while the action, at times, is as good as the aforementioned films, the tempo is never quite as swift


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TRANSFORMERS 2: REVENGE IS SWEET

June 26th 2009 15:28
Revenge
The first instalment of this epic Transformers saga was hailed as a fantastic new addition to cinematic history. It had action, humour, emotion and huge destructive, robotic aliens. Its only real criticisms were a few plot holes that emerged through budget and time constraints (i.e. Barricade disappears en-route to the final battle) and that people wanted to see more of the colossal invaders. So Michael Bay took this on board when making the sequel. All the original characters return, minus the signal analysts who make room for a hell of a lot more Autobots and Decepticons. We wanted to see more of the robots in action and Michael Bay delivers with more fights, and more destruction, while still retaining Transformers unique style and humour. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is bigger, funnier, more explosive and non-stop action packed. It is a great film.

Some reviewers have criticised this film for lacking a plot but you be the judge. Revenge of the Fallen takes place 2 years after Megatron’s death. Starscream has gladly assumed control of the dark robot army which has now gone into hiding across the Earth as they search for a way to revive their leader. Meanwhile the Autobots and humans have begun covertly hunting down the fleeing Decipticons until a dying villain reveals a message from their past. We gradually learn that a powerful ancient race of Primes (ancestors to Optimus) once travelled the universe destroying the suns of uninhabited and unnecessary solar systems requiring their power to keep them alive. One day, one of these Primes decided to attack the sun of an already occupied solar system and, with this being a great Primal no no, the debauched would-be dictator was stopped by his brothers. The fallen Prime (you see where I’m going with this?) was exiled and awaits his inevitable return to Earth to finish the job


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For anyone still unsure of what to make of this film just think of Shrek, if you’re a fan of that big ugly monster, then your going to love these ones in Dreamwork’s latest family fun run ‘Monsters vs Aliens’.

As is becoming increasingly more common with these animated “kids films” the creators have included (along with the slapstick comedy for the little ones) a lot of clever film references and jokes to keep the adults entertained just as much


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The Unborn – A Rebirth for Horror

February 26th 2009 16:05
Take the Good With the Bad


There was once a time when classic horror and thriller movies didn’t rely on super enhanced digital graphics, big budget explosions or excessively gory violence. Instead they needed only the aid of some basic props, a poorly tuned string quartet (or other haunting orchestral tones) and, of course the wild imaginations of its impressionable audience. Such Directors of this golden age include Hitchcock with “Psycho” in 1968; William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” in 1973; and, of course, Spielberg’s “Jaws” in 1975. These men possessed a suspenseful awareness that could asphyxiate the viewer with fearful anticipation for hours on end; rarely producing the shocking climax until the exact moment his captive dared to draw breath. Only then would they pounce on the partially relaxed muscles of their victims for maximum effect and airtime. Good times, good times


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So what would happen if, one day, the Earth really did stand still? Well probably nothing if this film is anything to go by.

In a time when Hollywood remakes are all the craze, it seemed inevitable that a digitally revamped contemporary edition of this 1951 classic sci-fi thriller would make its way to our screens. ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’ is not a bad film; the effects are ok; Keanu Reeve’s performance as Klaatu is solid; and the story is interesting enough but there are just too many errors weighing it down to give it a chance of outshining its predecessor


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‘How to Lose Friends and Alienate People’ is a comedic backstage tour of the entertainment industry that picks at the faults of both our shallow celebrity icons and the sycophantic reporters that struggle to keep them in the spotlight. Based on the real life adventures of author Toby Young and his 2001 best selling novel, ‘How to Lose Friends…’ is the story of a struggling entertainment writer in the US trying to work his way up the social ladder and make a name for himself without succumbing to the monotony of mainstream journalism.

The inspiration for the novel came when the British journo, Young, was excommunicated by the American magazine, Vanity Fair, despite not long being rescued from anonymity in London. He subsequently witnessed the steady demise of his once promising career until all employment opportunities had completely evaporated. During this time he witnessed the true face of evil in the entertainment industry and grew to despise it, using this hatred to fuel his creativity


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