programmer, avid gamer, reader of fine fantasy / sci-fi, husband, frequent ass
// July 18th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Reviews, Reviews - Flicks
I’ll begin by letting you know that this review contains scads of hardcore, unapologetic spoilers concerning Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince [HBP]. If you’ve read the books, then nothing in here should shock you. Otherwise, continue at your own peril.
harry potter & the temple of doom
// May 25th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Reviews, Reviews - Flicks
just use your reimagination
It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion by now that summer blockbusters are as much an American tradition as apple pie, Coca-Cola, and Chuck Norris (circa Delta Force, of course). When the weather warms up, we are more than willing to shell out a couple of ten-dollar bills to see movies starring actors who get paid more per second of screen time than the average blue-collar Joe will likely ever earn in their entire lives. But this isn’t a review of class inequality in post-modern America. No, my friends, this review involves robots.
Terminator: Salvation is yet another stark reimagining of a beloved franchise in a long line of others being released this summer season (Star Trek, I’m looking at you). But, wait – how can the rather morbid Terminator franchise grow starker and… more reimagined than it already is? How can a series built around the premise of homicidal, time-travelling, humanoid robots possibly be brought back to the big screen for a fourth time without jumping the shark a la Terminator 3? Well, Hollywood pondered this for a hot minute, stroked their forked goatees, and *BAM* they cast Christian Bale. Worked for Batman. Done.
So, as always, the question remains… Does director McG, the creative mastermind behind such gems as Charlie’s Angels and The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll manage to deliver on the massive reams of hype? Or should his contract be TERMINATED? Click to find out.
// May 13th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Reviews, Reviews - Flicks
A reporter once interviewed Gene Roddenberry (the creater of Star Trek) when Star Trek: The Next Generation first premiered and remarked on his choice of the patently-hairless Patrick Stewart for the role of Picard: “Look, it doesn’t make any sense. You’ve got a bald actor playing this part. ” In reply, Roddenberry supposedly quipped: “In the 24th century, no one will care.”
I like this quote particularly because I believe it epitomizes the very essence of the Star Trek series; from its inception in the mid-60s, to the numerous syndicated spin-offs, and the Hollywood productions which now number in the double digits. The Star Trek universe is all about the pursuit of (mostly) pacifistic diplomacy and the promulgation of brotherhood amongst the many, often war-faring, species scattered throughout the galaxy. At least, that’s what Roddenberry originally shaped it to be; and continued moulding until his untimely death in the early 90’s. Flash-forward to 2009 and we’re suddenly faced with a reboot of this beloved series that possesses one of the most rabid fan-bases on the planet. Tasked with crafting a ‘darker reimagining’, the question remains: does director J.J Abrams (Lost, Fringe, Cloverfield) fail to capture the lightning-in-a-bottle panache that its predecessors possessed? Or does Abrams, despite the odds, manage to set phasers to FUN?
// May 6th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Reviews, Reviews - Flicks
dear christ, why did i agree to a prequel?
I walked into X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber) with the best of intentions and the very highest of aspirations. Relishing the dawn of what promises to be a blockbuster summer movie season, I bought into the Wolverine hype and was thoroughly convinced that it would usher in the season with a bang. The blizzard of trailers and teasers which preceded its release spoke of finally unveiling the mysterious origins of everyone’s favourite X-Man, whose initial appearance in the first X-Men movie kick-started Hugh Jackman’s American film career. They displayed scenes of utter adrenaline-inducing awesomeness including Wolverine using his adamantium claws as a hand-brake to make a u-turn on a vintage chopper just before he rides the bike off a ramp and into the flashing blades of a military attack helicopter. Therefore, with all the hype and fan-faire surrounding this release, the question remains: does Wolverine earn its place in the well-regarded ranks of its X-Men predecessors or is it just another hollow superhero movie riding off their acclaim?
Copyright © 2010 diagonalizable. All rights reserved.
