PACIFIC RIM

What, if anything, do you think would come out of your mind if you were to think back upon your childhood and make a film from what you found there? Trying to buy alcohol and cigarettes whilst underage perhaps?

Well, luckily for us, and Warner Bros., the mind and memory of writer / director Guillermo del Torro has conjured up alot more than an ill-fated attempt at a grab-n-go from Threshers. Mixing his childhood viewing habits of Mexican and Japanese TV, he has created what can only be described as a 10 year old's wet dream before they know what wet dreams are supposed to be about.

Giant robots trying to whack the seven levels of hell out of giant monsters. Yes, it's a fully loaded, Summer blockbuster, CGI version of Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robots - even more so than the Hugh Jackman starring Real Steel attempt back in 2011. And, as John Hammond would say,this time round there's "no expense spared!"

Firstly, let's deal with what for some will be the elephant in the room - the man who wrote and directed the crafty and cult likes of The Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth, Cronos and the two Hellboy movies has gone full "Hollywood" and done a complete Summer blockbuster. Yes, he co-wrote it and directed it. There's no getting away from it and no doubt there may be cries of "sell out" from true fans upon seeing his latest effort. This is not what you'd expect from del Torro to deliver after him moving on to other projects from the back then much-troubled and often delayed The Hobbit.

For those accustomed to his style and unusual imagery and charm, Pacific Rim will not feel like a del Torro film at all. There is nothing within its 132 minute running time to distinguish it from say, the latest Jerry Bruckheimer or Michael Bay movie - apart from the ever-constant presence of Ron Perlman of course. At times, it feels like an alternate universe version of Transformers with never-ending, OTT punch ups that destroy everything around the battlers within a 10 block radius. The camera swirls around the fighters as they face off against each other; dramatic slides and back flips are orchestrated; shouting is done alot (more on that later) - yep, we are definitely in Bay territory here and not in del Torro's. However, maybe that's not a bad thing? Spielberg showed the world a change of style with his Jurassic Park and Schindler's List releases in the same year, so can't del Torro have a go at not being del Torro?

The reply is: No. And yes.

Those who have never seen any of his previous output will have a ball at the "quote it before you know it" dialogue and the "see it coming sandwich with a side order of cliche" served up. Now, don't get me wrong, that does not mean that Pacific Rim is an awful film. Not by a long shot. It's a fun, full-on cheese-fest from beginning to end - one that takes nothing serious at all, not even its own science in the end! So, regarding Pacific Rim, ask yourself this question: do I like Independence Day? If the answer is "yes" and you don't mind rewatching it - telepathic links let both sides of the war know what's going on; a big, explosive payload has to be delivered whilst in disguise in order to save the day; male ego's clash at inappropriate times - then you will sit and grin throughout this. True, you don't get The White House being blown to bits, frozen up or drowned out and washed away. What you do get however though is a new and just-as-much-fun image of a super tanker being hefted like a baseball bat in readiness to beat the living crap out of a monster just like a caveman would do to a dinosaur in a Ray Harryhausen B-movie.

And that is exactly what Pacific Rim is - a very big budgeted B-movie with thrills, spills and wooden dialogue to match from a bunch of cloned beefcakes (he's the dead brother? No, he's the mouthy rival. But they look exactly the same!) and of course, Idris Elba. He is about the only character to stand out - not just because of his colour in a sea of a caucasian cast, but for his extra loud shoutiness, his coolness and his "This is OUR Independence Day!" speech - here it's "we are cancelling the Apocalypse!" Unlike Bill Pullman's Independence Day President, he doesn't need a megaphone to address the troops with a rallying cry to arms - Elba can just shout it to them. With that form of presence, you can feel his absence from the storyline when it switches to either the troubled robot pilots/fighters or the two geek techs trying to find another solution to the threat that Earth and its populace is facing. Only Perlman fills in the Elba gap but then his appearances are few and far between too.

So, fun with a capital "f" and better at delivering on the promise of its trailer than Godzilla was, it's a great film for those who haven't seen a del Torro film, or for those with a 10 year old child still dominent inside of them or for those who have enough alcohol in them that the rediscover their childhood and ignore the illogic of throwing a monster around in the ocean where the water will only cushion its fall and not hurt it...

UK release date: 12.07.13
Certificate: 12A

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

Since his vision was released upon the slightly sceptical world back in 2009, writer/director (saviour) J.J. Abrams has come a long way. His Star Trek gathered both old and new fans alike into the camp of "exhilarated" and made its sequel one of, if not the, most anticipated films of this year. So before he makes the "Force be with us" all over again with his Star Wars Ep VII, let us "boldly go" with him once again Into Darkness...

As is the way, this entry into the Star Trek cannon, will be compared to not only its predecessor but to the original outings of Kirk, Spock and the rest of the Enterprise's crew - and with a certain adventure specifically. More on that later.

Abrams first foray into Roddenberry's world saw him introduce the characters whilst using the new time line plot to show off their slightly altered personalities. Here, with the core characters already in place, the task is to further build upon the bond between them and accentuate their now different life stories. This focus is primarily aimed at the burgeoning friendship of Pine's Kirk and Quinto's Spock. As the film progresses, so to does their banter, bickering and bromance. Kirk has the journey of becoming a Captain worthy of the legacy left by his father and Spock meanwhile has the journey of acknowledging and embracing his human heritage given by his mother.... so it's more like Into Deepness than Darkness in a way.

Now, don't be fooled or alarmed by that last sentence. This is not really as the title suggests a "dark" affair. This is far from it. Like Joss Whedon, J.J. Abrams brings fun and excitement onto the menu along with the side dishes of tension and death. If someone needs to die to further the plot, then die they will. Like his idol Spielberg, Abrams knows how to put you through the emotional wringer and have you roller coastering from laughs to shocks to gladness and then back again through sadness. Here, laughs are shared more throughout the cast than the previous journey of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The bickering of Kirk and Spock remains one of the films comedic building blocks, but upon that the rest of the crew get to bring their gag reels with them - Pegg's Scotty sees the homage to the original performance of the Engineering Officer take it up a notch (but sadly still no "she can'ne take it C'apn. I doen't have the powwer!") Cho's Sulu gets a taste of the chair and likes it and Yelchin's Chekov (the character with the least to do this time round) gets to fake confidence to his superior in the face of danger. That leaves only two other central crew members. It is their spotlight moments that show the cleverness of the script which does something surprising and very, very well. Saldana's Uhura isn't confined to the comms desk with the blobby bit sticking out of her ear - she gets to go on away missions, fight baddies but best of all, gets to have relationship arguments with her boyfriend - Spock. The three-way argument in the shuttle between them and Kirk (the awkward 3rd wheel who's dragged into the discussion) is comedy gold and makes you unprepared for the action sequence that directly follows it - that roller coaster ride feeling again! So that keeps the newbies to Roddenberry's universe happy and glad that they've come back for seconds. It's Urban's McCoy that underlines the cleverness of the script.

He is the one that sticks out as the direct link to the original series - the Trekkie's lifeline and pacifier. His many variations of "I'm a physician, not a ...." callback to the 60's TV show but help with a shocking revelation - normal  cinema audiences are quietly being turned into Trekkie's. They might not realise it, but this journey of the Enterprise has so many references to the world of Star Trek gone by that it's hard to count them. Normal people are sitting there watching the events unfold whilst sitting around them Trekkie's are feeling them slowly being seduced and moving over to the darkside (mixing metaphors and Star Wars/Trek deliberately there!) There is one MASSIVE callback to the origins of Trek's world but to reveal that here, without warning, would be sacrilege. If you wish to know it, the spoiler review will be below the trailer.

Now, there are other callbacks and not all of them are to previous connected works. Not unlike James Bond, Into Darkness has an opening sequence that is a totally separate adventure from the main story. I say James Bond, but to be honest, it's Raiders Of The Lost Ark - Abrams' nod to Spielberg again. This sequence has the forest, the chase, the spears but instead of an idol we have a submerged Starship and an overactive volcano. And a fantastic opening sequence that raises the bar so high that you wonder how the rest of the film will live up to it.

But, it does. Spectacularly. And part of that success goes to Cumberbatch and the introduction of a classic baddie that isn't a baddie. But then is. And then isn't. And then...oh, you get the picture. His portrayal of agent-gone-rogue John Harrison is cold, calculating and at one point when he's behind a glass prison cell, quite Hannibal Lecter-ish. You even hang on every quietly-spoken word of his whilst he and Kirk do brains-battle to see if he's going to have his "liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." Of course, such an impression would not be part of Abrams style and it never goes beyond a quick moment of recognition, but Cumberbatch gets to create his own standout villain - a man who can take out a mass of foes (human and non-human) single handedly all whilst looking immaculate apart from his moppish hair. His presence and memory impact on the viewer is ten-fold of what Eric Bana was able to do with his Star Trek baddie Captain Nero which was the only slight niggle of the entire film so it would seem that Into Darkness has risen above its predecessor. And rightly so.

Now that he has Star Wars to do, there could be a chance that this is Abrams final foray into the final frontier. If so, which I mostly sincerely hope is NOT the case, then he leaves Star Trek in a place that many thought not possible - new and old fans alike, together in appreciation of a vision that has been reborn and yet still holds a torch and a mirror to its origins.

The Best Fun You Can Have In A Cinema With Your Clothes On This Year! Brilliant!


UK release date: 09.05.13
Certificate: 12A

SPOILER ALERT REVIEW!

You have been warned - do not read unless you've seen it or don't want your world rocked whist watching it!

What Abrams and writers Lindelof, Orci and Kurtzman have done is something wonderful, and to this reviewer, thought once impossible. They have taken one of the most respected and loved Trek films and literally rewritten it. The realisation of who the new characters are what their roles mean to the Trek legacy is gasp-inducing as the makers drip feed you clues then in Oz style, pull back the curtain for the "Ta Da!" moment. The second "new" Star Trek film is a rewrite of the second "old" Star Trek film. This is a new generations The Wrath Of Khan and it is bloody brilliant!

But of course you can't just replay the events of the mighty Khan - old Trekkie's won't stand for it. So, all the events that you know do happen, but, not in the order you remember OR to those you expect. Back To The Future II was one of the cleverest sequels penned with its revisiting the first films timeline and observing it but Into Darkness joins it on that podium, however for very different reasons. It's a sequel but also a kind of reimagining of its natural parent film and in that sense it does too revisit the timeline but alters it just like Marty McFly once did... Things will not be as you remember them but it seems that destiny does have a sense of irony. Like with Final Destination, you can try and cheat the outcome but it seems that some events are written in stone. The Enterprise will be crippled. Someone will die to save the many. And someone will realise the meaning of friendship all too late. And you will be hooked. End of.

CLOUD ATLAS

And so it seems that the time of "unfilmable books" turning into films continues. After the huge success of Life Of Pi we now have another piece of monumental movie making mountaineering to climb. This time however it was not the technology holding things back like Lee faced with bringing a Bengal tiger to life in the confined space of a drifting lifeboat, but of the multi-layered and many plot lines of the source novel itself.

The team that brought the now immortal line of "I know kung fu," were not the people that would easily spring to mind to be able to handle such a time-spanning and worldly-hopping experience such as those that unfold during the many centuries of Cloud Atlas but attempt it they did.

And succeed they have.

Along with Tom Tykwer - the man responsible behind the almost equally multi-layered plotting of Run, Lola Run, The Wachowski's and he have both adapted David Mitchell's novel for the screen and then, just to add to their plate, directed it too. This is by no means an easy task. There are 6 different stories that take place all in different time zones, different locations, different dialects and, spoiler alert, different planets entirely.

To do this, the trio have taken the source novel and its framing and, although nodding to whilst keeping true to it, have opted for a more novel but satisfying cinematic approach to the stories and their inter-connectedness. This doesn't mean that they have made it an easier experience for those who do not wish to or who are not used to having their films demand things from them such as attention, retention and suspension. Some may not like the idea of "souls" moving through time and continuing their journey towards their respective goals - continuously "meeting again and again in different lives and different ages,"- but to help the viewer make this connection, the trio have devised a plan.

And a rather cunning one it is at that! The central actors all play different parts in all of the six stories that weave across the silver screen, however, they are not the same characters. Some are not even the same gender. This gives way to a nice little side line during the films just-shy-of three hours running time - spot the Tom Hanks/Halle Berry/Jim Broadbent/Hugo Weaving/Jim Sturgess/Doona Bae/Ben Whishaw in all of the six stories. They are all there, even in the background, so if you feel the time-jumping, soul-swapping stances of the film itself are slipping away from you, you could always play the Where's The Actor until the end credits reveal them to you.

The actors themselves seem to have a great time, revelling in the different types of challenges that their characters face in the seemingly different styles of genre film-making presented - a futuristic The Handmaidens' Tale-esque world which is the closest to The Wachowski's The Matrix where all is not what it seems and revelations of The One who is to open every ones eyes to the truth; a 1970's conspiracy thriller of Watergate proportions; a 1930's tale of forbidden love and doomed souls due to society and its constraints - all these and the others are presented together yet very much apart.

The key to this is the editing of the film itself and of the six plots. A significant reveal or image on one story quickly cuts to another with that point carried over thus helping you to not only make the connection but to keep it and then keep track of it when the next jump takes place, whether it be on a ship in the 1800's or on a hover-bike in the far-flung future. This type of confidence in their work and in the capacity of the viewer to not only to connect but to enjoy is both brave and rewarding for all involved. The only big leap of faith that the trio have taken is with the dialogue - in particular the dialect that bookends the film. The story of a world where the earth is inhabited by the peaceful tribes of Tom Hanks and the cannibalistic tribes of Hugh Grant has its own futuristic language which is at times hard to follow and can create a distance between the viewer and events, but overall the message does break through that barrier and balance is easily restored.

A film that shows that when given the chance, The Wachowski's along with Tykwer can deliver a complex story and not let it get crushed under its own message - part two and three of The Matrix trilogy to be exact. All whilst utilising effects to help rather than hinder the overall experience, Cloud Atlas is a brave piece of movie-making and one that is well worth the time and effort that it asks of you.

UK release date: 22.02.13
Certificate: 15

WRECK-IT RALPH

Computer games and its entertainment rival, the cinema, have never really got along. The more money-making games market has never had  the same success when one of its own has transferred across to the silver screen. Many still shudder at the thought of Super Mario Bros. and Street Fighter which led to the decline in the cross-over genre.

However, Disney have appeared to look into their back catalogue for inspiration and a way to avoid replicating the likes of Tomb Raider and have gone the Tron route - not a existing game but a make-believe one and going inside it!

And, for the most part, it works.

Here with Disney's latest animated offering, just like you would expect to find in a Pixar or an Aardman production, the attention to detail is off-the-charts. Any game-junkie will have a field day in spotting the many cleverly hidden in-jokes and references littered throughout Wreck-It Ralph. And, if you're an adult that grew up with arcade and console games then your nostalgia will well and truly be stoked as pretty much all the old classics get to make an appearance one way or another - Space Invaders, Frogger, Q*bert, Paperboy and Pac-Man all get their moment in the sun along with more recent fare such as Metal Gear Solid, World Of Warcraft and Portal. It even boils down to small-but-significant details such as: everything in Fit-It-Felix and Wreck-It Ralph's environment is all square and rectangular as his game is an old-and-dated 8 bit  model (check out the lamps etc) and everyone in it moves stiffly just like they did in the games of old. Even a "soldier" from the Halo-esque Hero's Duty reenacts the move that all people have done whilst playing a first person shooter - walking into a wall and unable to move away from it straight away.

Yes, attention to detail is paramount here but there does feel like a slight lack of this concentrated effort where the rest of the film is concerned. Pixar has always been able to blend humour for both the adults and their children in the audience, creating fun moments for all to enjoy and remember. Here, this balance is not necessarily evident, especially where the older folk are concerned. Yes there are moments for the adults - a clever rift of The Wizard Of Oz's castle guards ("oh we oh, Oreo") a Darth Vader breathing sound joke and Jane Lynch's wonderful "programmed with the most tragic back story ever"commando comment, but these are few and far between. Kids are, rightly or wrongly,are the ones mostly catered for with slapstick, toilet humour ("Why did the Hero flush the toilet? Because it was his Doodie!") and loud noises and bright colours.

Wreck-It Ralph is a great kids film but its not a classic family one. The people that will remember the multitude of in-jokes and 8 bit references that are littered throughout the first half of the film (mostly based around Game Central) may find their attention waning after Ralph game jumps into the likes of Hero's Duty and Sugar Rush which is where the children are then catered for with the figurative sugar rush of noise, colour and poop jokes. So, not a GAME OVER but you may think twice if the screen were to ask you to insert another coin TO CONTINUE....


UK release date: 08.02.13
Certificate: PG

TOP 20.1/2 FILMS YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS YEAR - 5 through to 1

And so here are my top five films on the year that saw both good and bad in equal measures...

5. Looper

Maybe a tad too clever for the popcorn pundits, Looper delivered to the screen a head-scratching, mind-bending experience not unlike the first The Terminator did upon its initial release.

It also proved that Joseph Gordon Levitt could pass as a younger Bruce Willis as the concept of a man trying to both save himself AND kill himself at the same time gave one of the years most brain teasing times in the cinema.

4. Skyfall

Originally the idea of Sam Mendes helming Bond's anniversary outing was met with much sneers and confusion. Now, looking back, it is easy to see that Mendes was a perfect choice as many consider Skyfall as one of 007's finest missions.

With enough respect and nods to the past whilst carving out a new future, it has become the highest grossing Bond of all time and set new records in the UK and across the world.

3. Life Of Pi

Ang Lee showed that there is no such thing as an unfilmable book. Having already shown that he could easily tackle the greats such as Sense And Sensibility, Lee turned to the tale of a tiger and a boy sharing a lifeboat for 200+ days adrift in the Pacific Ocean. 

Stunning graphics, and effects that are indistinguishable from live action, Life of Pi became, along with Hugo, the standard of what 3D could and should look like.

2. The Dark Knight Rises

The expectation of Chris Nolan's final instalment in the Dark Knight trilogy was off the charts! With the previous outing considered to be the finest superhero film committed to celluloid and one of the best sequels ever made, the task that lay ahead of the cast crew was staggering. Lucky for them, and of course us, that they blew those barriers clean away.

A perfect trilogy, The Dark Knight rises with the inclusion of Catwoman and Bane did not overload the film as so many others before have experienced with adding to many characters into the mix.

True spectacle for the more intelligent viewer.

1. Avengers Assemble

Quite simply, the most fun you cold have in the cinema - that's legal and decent of course. Joss Whedon showed that when it comes to the tricky task of ensemble pictures, there is no one better than he.

Avoiding what could have been the Ironman and friends flick, Whedon gave each of the characters time and room to shine and more importantly interact with each other - no one who saw it will forget the Tony Stark and Bruce Banner bantering.

A box office killer, Avengers Assemble did not disappoint and lived up and exceeded its potential. All hail Whedon!

So, that completes the Top Films  for 2012. The list this time was hard to do with at least a few more nearly making it in until the last moments.  Those films were standout for different reasons but in the end there are only ten places so you just have to do a Sophie's Choice and await the backlash!

So, over to you!

TOP 20.1/2 FILMS YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS YEAR - 15 through to 11

And so here continues the countdown of my top films of the year...

15. Headhunters

If you didn't get to see the little film that had big ideas and a nail-biting plot, then see the original before the inevitable Hollywood remake. Clever and damn funny, it proved that good actors and not A-list stars can keep an audience enthralled hook, line and sinker.

Slickly cool, if only short (watch it and you'll understand!)

14. The Descendants

Is there nothing that the Clooney cannot do? Yet again, him off of E.R. proves that he is not only bankable but dependable in this quiet tale of a husband having to reconnect with his family after his wife slips into a coma. Heart strings are deliberately pulled but in such a way that you don't care - you only care about the people up on the screen.... and that's quality film making.

13. Beasts Of The Southern Wild

Despite looking like a documentary, Beasts Of The Southern Wild wasn't. This little film that stood head and shoulders against all the action and adventure faire at the cinemas - a feat not unlike its central character. If you failed to fall in love with the little girl who lives with her daddy in The Bathtub during a massive flood, then go see your local mortician!

12. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The expectation for Peter Jackson's return to The Shire was hard to quantify - it had been so long coming that there could be a fear that the film wouldn't stand a chance of living up to the hype. Nonsense dear boy! The wizard wasn't late - he arrived in our cinemas att exactly the time he wished to and blew all out doubts away! So, fly you doubters!

11. The Hunger Games

Who would have thought that a book aimed at young girls could be turned into a successful film? Yes, Twilight did that. However, The Hunger Games proved to pull off an even more impressive trick... boys liked it too!

With something for everyone, the box office receipts led the way to the second and third books being green lit into films as well. Katniss and Peter's story will continue, and the world will be watching!

So, onto the next batch....

TOP 20.1/2 FILMS YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS YEAR - 20 1/2 through to 16

Now with the clarity that can only come from people having to get ready to go back to work and having detoxed from alcohol after New Year's celebrations, it's the perfect time to look back upon the year that was 2012 and the films that graced our screens...

BEST 20.1/2 FILMS OF 2012 - 20 1/2 thru to 16

20 1/2. This Means War

Just before they hit BIG TIME, the new Captain Kirk and Batman's new enemy Bane, teamed up in this light, frothy but none-the-less hilarious spy spoof that pitted both against each other when they fall for Witherspoon's indecisive blond.

Great chemistry between the three helped for the audience to continuously change who they were rooting for throughout the misuse of America's Government Agencies as each guy tried to outdo the other.









20. Warhorse

Spielberg once again proved that there wasn't anything he couldn't turn his hand to - even a stage play that once seen, invokes an air of certainty that the same feelings felt whilst watching it could not be transferred onto the silver screen. They were wrong.

Emotionally strong, visually stunning, his depiction of a boys and a horses struggle to survive a World War is a breath taking experience.











19.Moonrise Kingdom

From the usually strange mind of Wes Anderson, this tale of young love and the unusual situations it has to endure is pure gold right from the get go. More accessible than his previous films, Moonrise Kingdom is part sweet, part absurd and part kooky.

The big stars all play second fiddle to the children actors who steal the show despite Edward Norton's best role in ages as the Scout Leader caught up in a young lovers pact to be together.

18. Ted

For those who either loved or hated TV's Family Guy, its creators first foray into film - Seth MacFarlane - had a strong gut reaction to its announcement and its premise - a teddy bear that comes to life but still exists when its owner grows up.

Surprisingly touching and able to bring a few tears to the eyes, Ted was laugh out loud funny throughout with its humour and language both close to the bone. You wouldn't expect nor want anything less though.

17. The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists

The team that brought us Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run and Flushed Away are simply put - geniuses. This does not alter that fact in any shape or form! Brilliantly balanced for both old and young alike, its depiction of luxurious beards roaming and plundering the high seas is a delight from absurd beginning to fantastic finale.

Arrrggg!

16. The Muppets

A film about AND starring The Muppets hadn't been around for a long time. This fact is cleverly played upon with them trying to regain their waning popularity in order to raise money to save their old theatre. The human cast are fantastic - Segal and Adams are wonderful as the couple who seem stuck permanently in the 1940's - but lets be honest, as good as they are, its The Muppets you've paid to see and with such gags as Fozzie's Fart Shoes, they did not disappoint!

The countdown will continue with 15 through to 11.... What have you seen and what do you think should be included?

THE HOBBIT - AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

It's taken so long - even longer than Frodo's journey to Mount Doom it seems. But finally after what seemed like insurmountable odds, the first instalment of The Hobbit has arrived. Peter Jackson, the director, co-writer and all-round orchestrator of things that are cinematic Tolkien, once again took up the directoral reins after chosen director Del Torro was forced to bail after all the complications involving legal rights and the fall of MGM kept pushing back the shoots starting date. The Hobbit was facing a fate not unlike the one that befell Bond's Skyfall. That however, benefited from the delay with more time to prep the adventure.

Fate though, it seems, has given Jackson the chance to finish what he started back in 2001 with The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring. So, the question here is: has he pulled another success out of the bag or has his obvious love for Tolkien blinded him to the level of over-indulgence? Well my precious...

Sequels. Prequels. Audiences want more of the same but something different as well - all at the same time. Jackson's first of the now scheduled three forays into the story of Bilbo Baggins' adventure away from The Shire amazingly manages to pull off both of these polar opposites.

The "more of the same" aspect sees a remarkably similar structuring to Fellowship Of The Ring. We are given all the required back story via a prologue monologue - this time it's Ian Holms' older Bilbo rather than eternally beautiful Cate Blanchett's Galadriel imparting the relevant history. Nearly three hours later we then have the hero shot as the gallant band observe their destination from quite afar - both times a mountain in the distance with the distinct message to both them and the audience that there is still yet a long way to go... two films worth to be precise. Then, finally, a quick shot of an eye that will definitely cause the band of heroes much trouble when it sees them, despite their belief that "the worst is behind them."

Inbetween these two momentous bookends, there is much to see, and marvel at, along with breath-holding and laughter. Infact, there is quite alot of laughter to be had. The story of The Hobbit was one aimed more at the younger reader whilst the lengthy gap between that and it's sequel-of-sorts - The Lord Of The Rings - helped to create an overall more maturer and darker tone within its pages. These have been accurately reflected here with Jackson's body of work concerning Tolkien's works.. His Hobbit is an altogether more upbeat and jolly affair. Most of this comes from the larger-in-numbers  main cast and all their interactions with one another - after all, as Gandalf says, "they're quite a merry gathering." It's this lightness that gives those seasoned viewers the something "different" to make the time, effort and money that they have spent to view The Hobbit all the more worthwhile.

With this lighter, more smile-inducing tone, there are still sequences that feel like a distinct parallel to its "60 years" later continuation. Fellowship.. had the chase and escape through the mines of Moria whilst here there is a just as frantic run through the hordes of goblins deep underground in Goblin Town. The younger, more agile Gandalf has a more "hands on" approach here than he did in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, with some nifty moves involving his wizards staff which could easily place him in a Star Wars prequel if they gave him a lightsaber to wield instead.

This, however is not Gandalf's tale - it belongs squarely with Bilbo and thusly with Freeman who was always first choice for the role. Some, and only a few, may find it hard to reconcile with Tim from The Office as the main man/hobbit in a full-on fantasy epic that cost and will make back millions of dollars, but the simple truth of the matter is that just as Gandalf did, Jackson and Del Torro chose wisely. Freeman's "down to (Middle) earthiness"- pun intended - and his slight self-depreciating manner make him to easy to connect with and then of course, root and care for. When he finally gets the chance to step up to the plate and prove to the doubting leader of the Dwarves that he does belong amongst them of their dangerous quest, you'd be forgiven for wanting to punch the air with delight and whoop for joy.

If Freeman carries the weight of the film upon his shoulders, it is Jackson's regular cohort Serkis, that helps deliver the films best sequence - the most satisfying, funny and creepy one possibly of all of the Middle Earth's stories so far. The battle of riddles between Serkis' Gollum and Freeman's Bilbo deep in the mountain is in turns laugh-out-loud funny then disturbingly chilling as Gollum decides that he's had enough of games and wants feeding as "we'ves never tried hobbits'."

There has been talk and backlash that the film suffers from excessive filling ever since the announcement that the two films would become three and that there is unnecessary information put in just to help them make us see a trilogy rather than a duo. Nonsense. All information here helps to bridge the gap that would make the linking of these films with the existing ones that much more fluid and understandable. Even if you disagree, here the time and the journey simply flies by leaving you once again on that in equal parts great but annoying cliffhanger.

Mr Baggins, we look forward to the rest of your journey, there and back again.

UK release date: 14.12.12
Certificate: 12A

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Every film studio's marketing agency tries to bill their latest effort as "the most anticipated movie of the year!" Well, this time, one company have the right to use that slogan, but haven't. Now there's confidence for you!

2005 saw Christopher Nolan turn the superhero genre on its head with his realistic, reality-based Batman Begins. It wasn't until his 2008's The Dark Knight that the world woke up to the fact that Nolan had not only turned the genre around but would have redefined it for all of those that were to come. Now, the finale in Nolan's Batman trilogy is upon us and the pressure to not only perform to the standards of The Dark Knight but to also manoeuvre into the rare slot of "perfect trilogy" along with the likes of Toy Story and The Bourne franchises is all too real.

He's done it!

From the beginning reel, this is all about spectacle, story and surprise! For those of you that have recently watched the first two outings you will be rewarded with  a story arc that goes full circle and will have you smiling and nodding in appreciation at the cleverness of the script and its execution. It's that good. It's that engaging. It's that close to celluloid perfection. Each cinematic visit to Gotham has shown Nolan's increasingly deft hand at the action sequences as they, along with the scripts and performances, have built up to more and more breath-holding, armrest-clutching and mind-bending proportions. It now comes to the point where, especially when viewed in the IMAX format, that you seriously wonder how Warner Bros could reboot the Batman franchise and who would be brave and stupid enough to try.

The opening sequence here involving a Federal plane being hijacked whilst in flight is enough to equal, if not top Dark Knight's Joker-fuelled bank robbery for sheer visual opulence. The "jump-straight-into-the-story" scenario of a mid-flight kidnapping is something that any of the Bond films would sell Moneypenny to have on their CV and is made all the more enveloping to the viewer by being one of the many extended scenes filmed in the IMAX format. Here, Nolan along with his regular cinematographer Pfister, uses that format to fill the entire frame with a controlled cacophony of colour, conundrums, chaos and carnage. The stakes are the highest that they've ever been for the Batman and this is reflected in the set pieces that fill the screen and the imagination.

After such a striking intro, some audience members could feel that the following 45 minutes feel like abit of a "go slow" but this is where Nolan and co-writers Goyer and brother Jonathan Nolan take the time to introduce the new key players in memorable style and lay the groundwork for the finale by going over key points from Batman Begins and Dark Knight. One such player is Hathaway's Selina Kyle/Catwoman. By still keeping everything grounded in a heightened sense of reality, here the Pfeiffer interpretation of Catwoman in Burton's Batman Returns that sent hormonally overcharged males over the edge is a gone-but-not-forgotten memory. The overtly sexual chemistry that she delivered opposite Keaton's Batman is replaced here by Hathaway's coolness and banter with Bale's broken Bruce. Hathaway treads the thin line between help and hindrance to Bale's out-of-practise hero with the single goal of solitary survival - it's this characteristic that makes her so watchable without any camerawork that lovingly follows her form in the skintight catsuit.

Then of course there is Bane, the Bat's baddie this time round. Original fears that circled around the characters hard-to-understand voice are mainly unfounded - all is clear, and those lines of dialogue that aren't are easy to establish with Hardy's body language and his motivation - destroy Gotham and its protector, the Batman. Here, the threat to Bale's broken Bruce/Batman is all the more credible than before - Ra's Al Ghul wanted to mentor him; Joker wanted to play with him; Bane wants to destroy him. There is, especially tied in with the fact that this is Nolan and Bale's final Batman outing, a real sense that the Bat could bow out at any time whilst on the receiving end of Bane's fury.

The returning cast members, in true Nolan tradition, all have their own story lines and their parts to play in the return and the Rise of Batman. Caine, as loyal Wilfred, is still the anchor of reason and humanity for his master and as well as delivering alot of the humour still, this time he gets to hit the emotional target for the audience as he tries to speak some sense into Bale's heart-broken billionaire. Freeman as the Q of Bruce Wayne's world has the most diminished role of all the regular cast but still has the dry sense of wit that makes him a welcome addition each time he appears on the screen. The best revelation is Oldman's increasingly grizzled Gordon. With the knowledge of Harvey Dent's true demise haven eaten away at him for 8 years, Oldman gets the more accomplished story arc and remains the strongest link through all three films. That, plus he gets to have one of the more emotionally charged reveals in the final act.

What we have here, is the perfect end to a perfect trilogy. Nolan has delivered what many feared that he couldn't do - a film that could be equal to what was considered one of the best sequels committed to celluloid and the best superhero film of all time. Each fan will have their personal favourite out of the three adventures but they will like all of them regardless, and that is what separates these from the rest of the wanna be's. A film that has definitely been worth the wait and worth the hype.

UK release date: 20.07.12

Certificate: 12A

THE AMAZING SPIDER--MAN

A mere 5 years after the release of the luke-warm received third outing of the friendly neighbourhood's Spider-Man, the arrival of the web-slingers reboot has, not surprisingly, met with some resistance from the fans. "Too soon" came the cry across the Internet as the memory of director Sam Raimi and Tobey Maquire's Peter Parker still echoed around the minds and DVD players of people everywhere.

And, the thing is, for once, they're not that wrong. For anyone who has watched and liked any of the three Raimi-led adventures that spanned from 2002 through to 2007, there may be a definite feeling of deja-vu being served up by the new team of director Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield's Peter interpretation. The effects may have moved on in leaps and bounds - and trust me, there are leaps and bounds a-plenty to be seen throughout its 136 minute running time - but the story and its staging have not.

Sometimes its not fair to make comparisons, but some films just seem to call upon you to do so. When Nolan's Batman Begins arrived, no one sat and compared it to or thought about Burton's earlier franchise reboot simply titled Batman - 16 years separated them and also a totally different approach to not only the telling of the story, but the actual storyline itself. Those two major factors stopped all comparisons until The Dark Knight allowed people to compare Nicholson's original Joker with Ledger's depiction. Here though, the luxury and the sanity of those two fundamental factors, have been somewhat over-looked.

Webb, who delivered the wonderful (500) Days Of Summer showed that love in all its forms - doomed, destined, demented, demanding - was something that he was adept at portraying. This has not left him as the love story aspect of The Amazing Spider-Man comes through strong and thusly very engaging. Garfield's Parker isn't as nerdy as Maquire and Stone's Gwen is more alongside Dunst's love-interest Mary-Jane rather than Bryce-Howard's throw-away Gwen, but when the two share the screen together, they almost make you forget that upside-down kiss in the rain....almost! Garfield nails the awkward teenage boy asking the hot girl out at the beginning, but all-too-soon his shy side seems to disappear only to be replaced with a fairly confident man who has no persecution from the press or the Police for that long - no J.J. and The Daily Bugle to help keep him grounded and on his toes here, and Leary's Captain Stacy hardly works up a sweat for the vigilante.  That level of confidence took Maquire 3 outings to reach, and even then it was enhanced through a dangerous black-slimed Spidey suit.

Comedy is on-hand to help speed the proceedings along with most of it aimed at Garfield's reaction to his new powers - the crushing of an alarm-clock, the impossible task of applying tooth paste to a brush whilst half asleep, the knocking people out that want to cause him harm and apologising to them whilst doing so - which is then replaced with borderline cockiness - the "you've found my weakness - it's small knives!" line as he gets to grips (mostly on walls) with his abilities.

All this however is just smoke and mirrors to those who want to see a Summer Blockbuster and not some version of (500) Days Of Spidey - it's an adventure film with a superhero battling a big bad villain. Which is where Webb and co run out of steam alittle. Ifans' Lizard makes its appearance quite late in the day and never seems that hell-bent on destroying our hero - their eventual fights seems more perfunctory rather than prolific. The action sequences are good but that's not what most people will want after handing over their cash to the box-office... the likes of Avengers Assemble, Iron Man, Thor and The Dark Knight have all raised their own respective bars in the action-stakes and the ones here seem adequate as opposed to Amazing. And who wants to see The Adequate Spider-Man?

So, it's good but it needed to be better than that to comfortably sit apart from its slightly older sibling rather than squat in its shadow. The rally of the New York populace to Spider-Man and his plight to save them that featured in Spider-Man 2 gets a pale imitation here which has less of an impact since no one is really against him apart from The Lizard so why should we find it that stirring then? Oh, and the main reason why this has been advertised as a new beginning to the Spider-Man story where we find out that Peter Parker's parents had a secret that led him to becoming essentially orphaned and ending up with Uncle Ben and Aunt May - forgotten about and then ignored until a snippet that occurs during the end credits (so don't leave straight away if you see the set-up for the inevitable sequel.)

For those who have never seen the recent original trilogy, you will be pleased and in some places, awed at what Webb has done. For those of you who have seen AND liked them, you will find yourself mentally ticking off the comparisons whilst doing the occasional good laugh (Stan Lee's obligatory cameo is fantastic this time round) and semi-smile through-out.  With new franchise comes great responsibility.... MUST. TRY. HARDER.

UK release date: 03.07.12

Certificate: 12A

PROMETHEUS

Event movies seem ten-a-penny nowadays - every other week there's an "epic conclusion to the saga" or the "further adventures of..." demanding your attention and your cash. However, there's one filmatic event that has quietly been building up by word-of-mouth and loyal fan-base hysteria as bit-by-bit, clues about it have leaked out into our world.

Not labelled as a prequel to Scott's original game-changer Alien back in 1979, instead, his return to the sci-fi universe has been referred to as having the same DNA as his franchise-spawning horror where "In space no one can hear you scream." It turns out that this isn't just pompous marketing propaganda, but quite accurate - DNA is key to Prometheus. Alongside with the question of faith and how far would you go and what you would experience before you lose yours. Yep, Scott is back walking around on deep territory.

For those of you who have invested in the franchise that Scott unwittingly started some 33 years ago, you may find yourself in Marmite land - you'll either love it or hate it. This ultimately will give hints and suggestions to the questions you never knew you had in you regarding the Alien mythology rather than answer them directly. Prometheus straddles the divide between "stand alone film," "existing franchise builder" and by the end credits, a possible "new franchise starter." For people willing to open up to the possibilities that there can be more questions to Alien related films other than "where did they come from?" and "who's the new Ripley?" they will be rewarded with a plethora of, admittedly more left-of-field conundrums such as "what the hell?" and "where's the Space Jockey with the burst-through ribcage?" This is definitely not a direct prequel. Nor is it a horror set in space.

Dark, abandoned and unloved corridors are not present to have you gripping your armrest - here the varying degrees of terror comes from not being chased by the unknown but by one of the greatest fears around - man's own stupidity, ignorance and desires. Like Burke "fucking people over for a goddamn percentage" in Aliens, it's what the crews intentions and reactions are that drive the moments of nail-biting. Now, with an extended crew count here - listed as 17 on the ships log - Prometheus does suffer somewhat from in-depth characterisation that the smaller body counts of Alien and Aliens had. There's not enough time for all of the crew to step into the spotlight to have you care enough about them when the shit hits the fan. So when two characters make the ultimate sacrifice, their act does not have the impact it should have had due to them being left on the side-lines once the landing on the planet and the discoveries start to unfold. The emphasis is on the few rather than the many.

The few central characters however are given more than ample time to win you over or to be despised for either their lack of humanity or intelligence. Rapace, the nearest thing to Weaver's female-empowering Ripley, is the films more-theological anchor to the "why are we here?" plot as opposed to Weaver's more survival-instincted "how do I get away from here?" female heroine. The more self-preservation aspect is secured to Theron's seemingly ice-cold corporate executive who represents Weyland Corporation aboard the ship. Her stand-offishness allows for uncertainty about her intentions and origins and one of the films many surprisingly funny moments - her one being with Elba's no-nonsense Captain and the most unusual way of asking for sex committed to recent celluloid memory. The biggest surprise is Fassbender's artificial David - a perfect mix of Holm and Henriksen's "artificial person" that wiles away the years of hyper sleep by basketball-cycling and developing his A.I. to levels that could prove disastrous to everyone onboard. An enquiring mind, regardless of whether its composed by wires or synapses and not bound by a fear of consequences  is a dangerous mix, especially on an unknown planet with a collection of vases that hold either death or re-birth, depending on your point of view.

The characterisation maybe uneven where all the cast is concerned but where there is no inconsistency is the visuals and the tech throughout the film. The rundown, low paygrade levels of Alien and Aliens have been replaced by Weyland Corporations trillions of dollars investment to explore new worlds and new possibilities at the behest of its creator - Pearce's ages-old Peter Weyland. Everything is sumptuous and eye-dazzling to the point where the less-tense, more talky sequences can still hold the viewers attention with the ingenious tech in the background or scenery throughout. Although the glorious tech actually helps rather than distracts in one of the more nerve-shredding sequences where an emergency operation is required that is frankly, outstanding in the field of horror/thriller.

So, just like The Phantom Menace seemed to have nothing to do with the events of A New Hope, Prometheus seemingly is light years from its DNA sibling Alien. However, with its open-ending and some small but significant  irregularities - the planet is LV223 and not LV426; the Space Jockey is absent from his chair - there is still a bridge to build from this foundation that should span from here to there. As David says before he wittingly unleashes hell -"big things have small beginnings." And those words not only ring true but have an even greater emphasis once we hopefully see what happens after the events of LV223 are brought back to the big screen.

UK release date: 01.06.12

Certificate: 15

MOONRISE KINGDOM

An acquired taste. Many directors fit into this category - Woody Allen, David Cronenberg - and Wes Anderson firmly sits alongside those individuals.

So far his cinematic efforts - The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Rushmore - have garnered critical praise but not a huge fanbase. A strong, but small cult collective following could be an apt description. But it looks like that could all be about to change.

The best way to describe Anderson's latest is as if The Cohen Brothers took a stab at doing their version of the recent British flick Submarine. Their quirky humour, the oddball characters, the delirious dialogue - the benchmarks of all of The Cohen Brothers outputs are present and correct here in Anderson's tale of young love that can't be contained by an island, Scout leaders, vengeful Scout troops or an impending storm. Yes, it's that kind of a movie!

From the get-go, Anderson has the camera move through, conveyor-belt style, a house that ends up looking and feeling like a full scale doll's house. The automated dolly shots introduces the viewer to one half of the young "lovers" family as they gather round and listen to a vinyl deconstruction of classical music on a portable record player whilst Mum (a restrained McDormand) and Dad (a spaced out Murray) sit in separate rooms. The introduction to the wayward other love interest, sees his escape, Shawshank Redemption style from his Scout tent, much to the shock and incredulous look of disbelief of Norton's brilliant Scout Master. That one of his charges would willingly resign from the Scouts is unthinkable to him.

Now, the first few Harry Potter's had the issue of a fantastic mature cast to dazzle the audience but they were still only the sideline characters - the story had to rest on the shoulders of the then under-performing youths (Radcliffe, Grint and Watson) which pulled back some of the suspension of disbelief and enjoyment of the films. Here, the mature cast is exceptional - already mentioned are Murray, McDormand, Norton. However there is Keitel in fine strong, superior cameo mode and once again Willis in the understated and quietly scene-stealing performance that woke everyone up to what he could do in The Sixth Sense. That said though, they are still secondary to the two young kids that experience the first blossoming of true love that find themselves drawn to each other partly due to their not-too-happy childhood lives - he an orphan that isn't liked by his peers and she the "mis-understood" child of the family. Gilman is easily believable as the boy who just doesn't fit in and Hayward is 'sit-up-and-take-notice" fantastic as the girl who would start off the islands biggest search and rescue mission involving Police, Scouts, worried parents and the epitome of evil - Social Services, played coldly by Swinton.

As all the threads start to come together to form a deliriously OTT finale, you still find yourself either laughing at a look or a line from any member of the cast or the mounting absurdity of the situation as each character gets to play their pivotal role in the proceedings. The effects are low-budget, but that only adds to the charm, and you can even forgive Anderson for doing a Benny Hill-esque sequence where Gilman is chased by a horde of angry Scouts in a field, all speeded up!

A charming delight from start to finish,and  just like Submarine, it's a representation of a childhood that part of you wishes you had experienced.

UK release date: 25.05.12

Certificate: 12A

MOVIES AND THE "WOAH.. DEJA VU!" MOMENT

With the medium of movies in existence for over 100 years now, it doesn't take a degree in rocket science to realise that an aspect of repetitiveness may occasionally creep in from time to time.

Your favourite actor or actress may have a certain catch-phrase, or a certain look that they pull off that traverses some of their films; a director may continuously have his camera move in the same way to add a certain sense of gravitas to the situation, but the actual act of "seen it before" goes way deeper than that!

As with some of the greatest - and dumbest - discoveries of the recent age, the combination of access to the internet AND what would appear to be an infinite amount of spare time on their hands, people have found the "glitches in the matrix" - or to non Matrix fans, all those moments where a tiny voice screams in your head that you've heard/seen it all before.

So, here for your perusal, are some of the situations that, dependant on your frame of mind, could be classed as either: homage, lazy writing/acting, classic-making cinema, or proof that film makers need to up-their-game if they truly want their pieces of art to be classed just as that - classic, cult art - and not on a shop shelf gathering dust...


BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL

My personal favourite, be it TV or cinema, is when the character looks directly at you - just you. This act cements the link between them, the do'er, and you, the viewer. It draws you in, letting you in on their joke, their pain, their love, their life. Known as "Breaking The Fourth Wall," here is a collection of your heroes, your villains, your stars, talking to you personally. How many do you recognise?





SON OF A BITCH

Growing up, things that were considered wrong, or naughty, have, over the years, become either more tolerable or acceptable. Some have even become non-existent! What was once a swear/curse word back in the 70's and 80's, are now commonplace - some have even changed into greetings or a way to express a moment of clarity or disguised adoration. "Son of a bitch" is just such a phrase! Look for yourself....

YOU JUST DON'T GET IT, DO YOU?

So, here's the one that should divide the people - is this a great way to propel the story along OR is it just damn lazy writing? At over 8 minutes long, I'm guessing that most people will come down on the side of "lazy writing" rather than fantastic screenplay motivation, after watching this montage. But then again, I could be wrong - maybe I just don't get it....





IT'S GONNA BLOW!

So, you're about to spend a huge amount of your budget on blowing up something infront of the camera and you just know (fingers crossed!) that it's gonna look cool. What do you do to let the audience know this so that they can be prepared for it and revel in its awesomeness?.... So that they don't miss a single second of what probably took months in planning and execution to pull off?.... Easy! Get one of the dumb characters to tell everyone!





Recognise any of the above? Did it put one of your fave films in a new light? Have you dug out that script you were writing - you know, the one that you've been working on for a few years now, the one where the protagonist learns a few valuable lessons along the way etc - and a full bottle of tippex and changed a few lines of dialogue perhaps?.... If so, then "happy trails Hans!"

DARK SHADOWS

If you still weren't convinced that Tim Burton was The King Of Kooky with all his previous efforts, then be prepared for the latest slice of "weird" as he, along with long term partners Depp and Bonham Carter, show you how to do American 60's soap opera... replete with vampires and witches. Naturally!

From the get-go, unlike his recent Alice In Wonderland, you know you are in the hands (and God help you, mind) of Tim. Everything the camera glides past - which happens ALOT here - is distinctly Burton-esque. The towns - Liverpool, all "smelling of urine" and of course the home for the bulk of the film, Collinsport - scream out a mixture of his Sleepy Hollow and Edward Scissorhands. And of course, the stately home of the characters - Collingswood itself - has flashes of Beetlejuice and Corpse Bride splattered amongst its lamp-lit rooms and ornate decor.

However, a Burton film wouldn't be a Burton film on visual impact alone (take note Mr. Bruckheimer!) Quirky characters, idiotic individuals, delirious dialogue and Depp doing "devilishly delicious dude" are what audiences demand and expect from their time in the company of the two filmatic friends. Here, Depp, channels Oldman's Bram Stoker's Dracula with elongated hand gestures mixed with his own Captain Jack Sparrow with raised eyebrows and quizzical/bemused looks at such things as concrete roads and the knowledge that horses are not the preferred mode of transport anymore, but something called a "chevy." Alot of the humour is derived from the Back To The Future "fish out of water" scenario - Depp's Barnabus Collins mistaking the McDonald's logo as a sign of the devil; lava lamps as a vessel for pulsating blood; young girls sitting on a sofa late in the evening as a prostitute and of course The Carpenter's singing on the TV as a "tiny songstress." Some of these moments have made it to the trailer, but note, the actual film is not a full-on, laugh-out-loud fest that it looks to be be. This is more along the lines of bizarre and bemusing like his earlier works than what the trailer hints at with a change in style and direction for him - his studio-interfered Planet Of The Apes showed that Burton should stick to what he does best. And here with his Dark Shadows, he mostly does.

It is a surprise that the OTT scenarios that occur frequently in the land of soap operas hasn't drawn Burton in until now. He seems perfectly matched for the issues of unrequited love, pent-up desire and absurd left-of-field twists that they throw out on a weekly basis. Obviously, these are dressed up to match the big screen and heightened state of drama queen that is called for to keep the attention for 2 hours straight - the pent-up desire results in a much more aerobatic display of sex than the infamously hilarious The Tall Guy sequence and the battle of businesses between Green's witch and Depp's vampire is depicted in a movie montage backed by all the great songs from the 70's which then results in a stand-off finale which moves into Death Becomes Her territory rather than Dynasty cat-fight.

Beautiful touches are strewn throughout the film - the oldest cleaning lady in the history of cinema who will clean anything in her slow but methodical way, even Depp's face when it's covered in Green's bile; a 1700's vampire trying to find a comfortable place to sleep in a 1970's world (cardboard boxes, closets, the roof of a four-poster bed-frame); Barnabus referring to Alice Cooper as a "hideous female" time-and-time-again - these moments interspersed with Pfeiffer in fine Stardust meets The Witches Of Eastwick mode, Bonham Carter in true Bonham Carter mode and Green beating her sexy tour-de-force appearance role in Casino Royale, all add up to a fun mix of kooky and quirky that you would expect but not the giggle-fest that the trailer suggested. Upon leaving the cinema, you'll find yourself liking it alot more than when you were watching it - just like Depp himself, Dark Shadows grows on you the more you think about it/experience it. Groovy.

UK release date: 11.05.12

Certificate: 12A