Review: Watchmen blu-ray
Depending on who you talk to, Watchmen is either the best or worst movie of 2009.
As an adaptation of a famous graphic novel, Watchmen is set in 1985 but in an alternate universe.
In this dark place, Richard Nixon is still president of the United States, the Cold War is still running and superheroes exist.
However, superheroes have fallen from grace and are outlawed. And more recently someone has started killing retired superheroes, one by one. A chap by the name of Rorschach, himself a former superhero, decides to get on the case and try to get to the bottom of it.
As he narrates the story we are introduced to a number of other retired superheroes, all fearing for their safety and all concerned about the state of the world.
There is no doubting the brilliance of the cinematography of Watchmen, and a number of computer generated sequences are simply breathtaking.
The antics of the wholly computer generated character Dr Manhattan – a blue being – are particularly awesome to behold.
A film noir approach informs the movie, and a touch of 1940s gangster spirit is clear in the production.
It was a very difficult task for the makers of Watchmen to adapt it from such a complex and cult-popular graphic novel, but they have done so admirably.
The Watchmen bluray will be available in the second half of 2009.
Review: The Day The Earth Stood Still blu-ray
The original 1951 version of The Day The Earth Stood Still was a warning to humanity about the dangers of nuclear warfare.
In the 2008 revised version, the threat has been updated to mankind’s environmental abuse of Earth.
The story stars Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, an alien being who arrives on Earth with a robot bodyguard named GORT.
Klaatu is actually a representative from a group of alien races and has been given the task of judging whether humans deserve to continue living, and whether the damage done to Earth can be reversed.
As Klaatu descends his spaceship he is shot (but not fatally), and GORT responds by disrupting all electrical systems in the city of New York.
While Klaatu is recovering from his wound he escapes and, after a chance encounter, runs around New Jersey trying to evade authorities with a woman called Helen and her stepson, Jacob.
The end result is that Klaatu decides humans do deserve another chance, but because GORT has programmed the planet for destruction, the second chance will come at a big cost and change to the way humans live…
The original The Day The Earth Stood Still was a landmark film, and in many ways the remake fails to live up to its predecessor.
Although the new version has superior special effects, one might argue that the substantive feeling of the original is missing.
The Day The Earth Stood Still bluray movies are available for purchase and hire.
Review: Slumdog Millionaire blu-ray
The makers of Slumdog Millionaire must have known their film was terrific, but surely could not have anticipated the level of success the movie has had.
Lauded by critics and the public alike, Slumdog Millionaire is based on an Indian novel called “Q and A” and follows the story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), an orphan who is on the verge of winning Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
The audience is taken on a wild ride through Jamal’s childhood and early teen years, both of which he shares with his brother and love interest.
A number of unsavoury characters come his way, and one of the most impressive elements of the storyline is how Jamal manages to maintain his innocence and integrity in the face of the evil that often surrounds him.
The cinematography of Slumdog Millionaire is surely one of its main drawcards, and a fantastic range of scenes – centred on Mumbai and later the Taj Mahal – grace the screen.
Even though the actor’s are not internationally recognised, they all will be after Slumdog Millionaire. A strong cast of child actors really lead the way.
There is a touch of Charles Dickens to Slumdog Millionaire and it is surely a film that will be remembered for years to come.
The Slumdog Millionaire bluray will be available in 2009.
Review: Quantum of Solace blu-ray
Casino Royale was one of the most popular and successful Bond movies ever, so Quantum of Solace had big shoes to fill.
And despite a second quality performance from lead man Daniel Craig, the chemistry is all wrong in Quantum of Solace.
Unfortunately, those in charge of Quantum of Solace left out far too many of the good elements that made Casino Royale such a runaway success.
The action is still there, as well as the pretty girl and the complex storyline, but the movie feels like a shell without any insides.
The main reason for this is that Quantum of Solace is carried out at a frenetic pace, and no time is allowed for meaningful relations between characters to develop.
It also feels a little bit like the makers of Quantum of Solace felt pressure to emulate the excellent Bourne trilogy; this is probably why Bond spends too much time performing Jason Bourne-esque somersaults on rooftops.
Quantum of Solace is worth seeing, but only for those who feel the need to see what happens to the craggy 007 agent and his cohorts after Casino Royale.
Let’s hope the next instalment of this classic series rediscovers the chemistry that underpinned Casino Royale.
The Quantum of Solace bluray is widely available.
Review: Marley and Me blu-ray
Marley and Me is essentially a story about the trials and tribulations of marriage – and the unforseen events that shape our lives – based around the antics of a dog, Marley.
John Grogan (Owen Wilson) marries Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) and the two purchase a dog in the light-hearted hope that the pet will prepare them for having children, which they later plan to do.Marley is so named after the great reggae artist Bob Marley, of whom John is a big fan.
The new couple move to sunny Florida and both secure work as full time journalists; Jenny as a feature writer and John as a daily news reporter.
But unexpected events take place (we won’t spoil it) and Jenny is required to leave her job to look after the couple’s young children.
When John is called upon to write a column piece, his editor is surprised to find out how funny John’s writing is.
In fact, all of John’s columns are centred on the misdemeanours of the poorly behaved Marley, who causes significant grief to the Florida dog community.
No less than 22 labradors were used in the making of the film, tracking Marley’s entire life.
On the whole, the film is an interesting look at the dynamics of family life and how unexpected events can shape you as a person.
The Marley and Me bluray is currently available.