REVIEW: The Revenant (15)

The Revenant stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy and the lad out of The Maze Runner (Will Poulter) in this epic piece of cinematography. As I said in my Twitter tweet, this movie can best be described in three words - gripping, gritty and ... gory.

 Leonardo DiCaprio plays Hugh Glass, a legendary explorer who is brutally attacked by a bear and left for dead by his team. Leaving only his son, fellow officer Fitzgerald (Hardy) and young scout Bridger (Will Poulter) behind to look after him during his final days, Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) promises riches if they look after the supposedly dying Glass. After killing Glass' mixed heritage son in front of him and tricking Bridger, he leaves Glass partially buried in a shallow grave to die in the wilderness and to claim his riches. However, what he didn't bank on was the indomitable human spirit that burns within and gives Glass the strength to carry on and try to avenge his son's death.

The movie is an epic one, and you need to be strapped in for the long haul at a run time of 156 minutes you definitely need to stock up on the popcorn. Two parts Lord of the Rings, one part Castaway and a sprinkling of The Grey, the movie features some delicious scenery and some amazing cinematography. The brutalness of the movie is both proving a point and hard hitting. The animals are wither needlessly slaughtered or are killing each other in earnest, or the humans are doing the same thing too. Everything is dangerous in the movie and the director, Alejandro González Iñárritu, puts the camera right in the middle of the action which sometimes feels a little too real. In this movie alone I see two horses killed - one by a man shooting it and another when it plunges off a cliff, and the bear attack on Glass which I've mentioned above. the bear attack is very graphic and sustained and is one of those things that will be etched on my memory as a memorable scene in a movie.

The cast is strong here - Tom Hardy is a fantastic character in this. Hardy's Fitzgerald is suitably ruthless and has no morals whatsoever, and even his final line in the movie is just as heartless as his actions have been. DiCaprio's Glass spends much of the film injured and trying to survive - mostly this brings tensions and a "how will he escape this?" but the movie is on for so long that sometimes the crawling and limping get a bit too much and you wish they skip a few days until he gets better so he can walk properly again. There is actually one sequence where DiCaprio has fallen into a freezing river and is holding onto a piece of wood, and I briefly worried for him after what happened in Titanic, but luckily Rose wasn't there and he got safely to the shore.

Overall the film is well made, has a fantastic cast and the scenery is fantastic. The music is effective but the story is not clear. I only knew that Glass was an explorer by reading the blurb for the movie, the movie just gets right into it form the get go without going too much into back story. The only other grumble is that it's on for a long time and feels a little drawn out in places. Other than that it's a solid movie that is deserving the plaudits it's getting.

The Revenant comes out on 15th January 2016 and is on at all good cinemas.

POPSCORE: 7.5/10 

What am I talking about? The Revenant film

Where can I find out more? http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/the-revenant

If I you liked this try: The Grey, The Patriot, Whiteout, Lord of the Rings (if you like nice scenery and lots of roaming about) 

Anything else?

This movie has already won Golden Globe awards and is gunning for some Oscar goodness too - but will it glean Leonardo DiCaprio his first Oscar?
This movie is apparently based on a true story - well some of it anyway.
Tom Hardy and Leonardo DiCaprio have been in a movie together before - in Christopher Nolan's awesome movie Inception.

REVIEW: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (iMAX) 3D Version (12A)

In 1983, young people the world over saw the conclusion to one of the most quintessential sci-fi series of films ever known. They were introduced to the Ewoks, story arcs were completed and people went home satisfied. Names like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo became household names in reality and legend in the fictional universe. Since then, they have never really left our imaginations or pop culture. Darth Vader died in Return of the Jedi, but redeemed himself, and all was good in the world.

 A few decades later, George Lucas decided to try and replicate the mania that was prevalent back after the first trilogy was released. In 1999, it came amid fanfare and you couldn’t go wrong with great actors like Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson could you? Er, yes, yes you could.

The “new” trilogy, Episodes I-III (Lucas loves his numerals) or “the rubbish ones” – whatever you would like to call it, seemed like a shameless cash in and a major step back for Star Wars as a franchise. There had already been an amassed back story both forward of the “original trilogy” and back. In keeping with the canon, Lucas had to go back – and retell the story before the characters we knew. Some of it hit home –Yoda was good but the CGI version lacked the appeal of the “muppet” version of the originals though. Darth Maul was intense but vastly underused and with the exception of the endgame of the first movie, was pretty much a redundant character. Anakin in the first movie was just basically a young Wesley Crusher, and the relationship between Anakin and Padme in the later ones, was just weird. And the biggest issue of all was a Gungan called Jar Jar Binks. Lucas had tried to recreate the Star Wars we loved but it just didn’t work very well, even though, I personally thought Episode III wasn’t really that bad.

Lucas sold the rights to Star Wars to Disney a few years ago for about $4billion and basically will never have to work again in about 150 lifetimes. Meanwhile, Disney thought about how they could do what they did with Marvel and turn a troubled franchise into something remarkable. First, they scrapped everything as canon, other than the new cartoon series and the movies. Which caused a bit of a stir – but the good thing was Chewie was still alive! They have kept this previous canon though and now refer to it as “legend” but is not part of the new storylines created henceforth. Which makes sense really since the future as written in the previous canon was getting cluttered and making a new movie to fit in with it all (except for making a book into a screenplay (which I think was bandied about after the conclusion for Episodes I-III)) would have been difficult to say the least.

Then, they drafted in JJ Abrams who had been rebooting the Star Trek franchise. I’m sure many fans, like myself, were concerned about this as the Trek reboot wasn’t bad, but could have been better and… what the hell is going on with all the lens flare? It was unnecessary and made the film seem shiny and distracting.  Social media was wondering about the movie – would it be more JJ Abrams or will it be more Jar Jar Binks? After something like a two year tease, on 17^th December (or 18^th depending) The Force Awakens opened…

…And broke every box office record in the galaxy.

The Force Awakens stars unknown actors John Boyega and young starlet Daisy Ridley as Finn and Rey respectively.  As you may not have seen the movie yet and may wish to I will try to avoid major spoilers but I will be telling you some things so you have an idea at what the film is about. If you do not wish to know, go down my review and read the final paragraph which is a conclusion about the film and will not tell you any spoilers.

 

Firstly I waited to see the iMax 3D version and it was a very good version indeed. The 3d was good (some cool parts where things fly out at you) and this is the sort of epic movie you would want to see in iMax.

If you are still with me – let’s go…

Possible light spoilers ahead - (skip to last paragraph)

The film begins with a Resistance pilot named Poe who has a funky droid called BB-8, and is seeking to find Luke Skywalker who has disappeared. As an attack force led by the mysterious Kylo Ren, Poe tries to escape. Meanwhile we see a stormtrooper tussling with his conscience – something we’ve never really seen before in a Star Wars movie - and this makes them more individual. The new Stormtrooper outfit is smarter and snazzier, and, like most of the equipment, vehicles and outfits in the movie, have been upgraded to a more modern look. X-Wings are now black, and TIE fighters look more swish – but are still as fast. Poe is caught, but BB-8 escapes to pass the message on.

There’s a slew of new characters in the mix too – Finn (the Stormtrooper mentioned above), Rey (a young lady who is great flying spaceships, using a blaster, a lightsabre, etc), Poe (who, sadly, has the same name as a Teletubby) and lovable droid BB-8 (who, let’s be honest, is R2-D2 for the social media generation). Backing up this glamourous new bunch include the old favourites Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, Leia and the droids, Threepio and Artoo.

For the bad guys there’s the wannabe Darth Vader - Kylo Ren (who’s got a history), General Hux (a fanatical with a crisp RP English accent that would make the BBC proud), a multitude of Stormtroopers (including one played by Daniel Craig) and a creepy hologram called Snoke (who is apparently a Supreme Leader).

JJ Abrams had a very difficult path ahead of him, but, like a Jedi (do there is no try) he has excelled himself in this movie. Minimising lens flare and sticking to Star Wars lore as much as he can, Abrams gives the yearning public the best Star Wars movie since Empire Strikes Back in 1980. The movie has elements of a paint by number Star Wars with an X-Wing sequence right out of Star Wars and other set pieces similar. What could become a generic rehash instead becomes familiar and makes it feel more true to the Star Wars feel of this picture.

Locations are built with the cast actually there, so there is a lot less CGI than you would expect – though it is necessary in a world full of lightsabers and laser guns.  The technology has been given a makeover – a bit like the difference between a Ford Escort and a Ford Focus – both are similar cars but one looks a bit more modern and swisher than the previous one.

Harrison Ford returns as ladies’ favourite, Han Solo, and it’s like he has been in character since Return of the Jedi as so comfortable has he slipped back into the role. The dynamic is still there with Peter Mayhew’s Chewbacca and they are a great sight to see on the big screen again. Chewbacca is fantastic – especially with some of the asides he does which are just fab. But the moment they both walk back onto the Millennium Falcon and Solo utters, "Chewie, We're home!" complete with that half smile of his, just pretty much sets the nostalgia chimes ringing.

The new cast do a sterling job of carrying such a weight on their shoulders and Princess (who is now General) Leia is woefully underused. BB-8, the new circular droid, fills in for the loveable duo of C-3PO and R2-D2, and, when all are on screen together they go from Laurel & Hardy to the Three Stooges. BB-8 seems more sonorous than the legendary Artoo, but both can share the screen without taking one from another.

Poe, the Resistance’s best fighter pilot, is introduced right at the start and has some cool moments, but, like Leia, is only in it sporadically and he seems a funky enough character who could give Han Solo a run for his money. Finn, the turncoat Stormtrooper, seems capable of great things but spends most of the movie hyperventilating and running away from things. This is a direct contrast to Rey, the heroine of the piece who can basically do everything and is good at everything which takes things away from her character a bit as she seems to be able to do everything the other characters can’t and then some.

Then we have the bad guys – leading the chase is Darth Vader wannabe Kylo Ren, resplendent in black with a funky lightsaber and a mask and voice that would rival Vader’s own. However, the mystery is not as shrouded as Vader was as we only have to wait half way through the movie to see him without his mask.

Finally, no Star Wars movie would be complete without a Death Star or something of that ilk and The Force Awakens doesn’t disappoint in this part either.

Spoiler over - (you can continue reading now)

In conclusion, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is clearly made by a director who both grew up with the franchise and adores it in equal measure. There’s enough similarity with the other Star Wars movies (by this I mean the original 70’s trilogy) to feel familiar yet enough difference to move it on and appeal to the next generation. There is a feel that this version of Star Wars reflects in the younger generation how their parents felt in the 70’s and 80’s growing up. The hype machine is in hyper speed and the merchandising is bordering on silly. But, the movie itself is a sturdy piece of filmmaking that is a worth addition to the franchise. This will go down as a classic in itself and make stars of the new actors representing the characters. The movie has shocks, twists, action and adventure, and that’s all you need in a good sci fi movie – especially Star Wars. I cannot wait for the next one, but the 30-odd year wait was worth it for this one. Well done JJ Abrams, you are now officially up there with Lucas, Spielberg and the other director greats. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is out now at all good cinemas.

POPSCORE: 9.5/10

What am I talking about? Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie
Where can I find out more? www.starwars.com/the-force-awakens
If you liked this try: Any of the other Star Wars movies, any Star Trek Movie, Spaceballs,   

 

Anything else?

This film follows on 30 years (ish) from Return of The Jedi - both in the story and in real life.
Abrams cast unknown actors for some of the lead roles - and much was made of the auditions in London earlier this year.

BYTE: Jolly January

I'm Paul ... and this is Paul & The Popcorn...

Welcome to a jolly January - and I hope it is so for all of you!

It was an epic 2015 for movies wasn't it? It started off exciting, got amazing, what with the Avengers and Ant-man and everything. Via a few comic cons and even TV show viewings, I finished off the year with no less than 4 screenings of the hotly awaited, Star Wars: the Force Awakens.

This year is just as exciting as we have some more Marvel movies - Captain America: Civil War is looking ace, and of course, another Star Wars movie to contend with before 2017 blows us away with it's offerings. Dropping by also will be Deadpool and DC's juggernaut Batman Vs Superman, and rounded off by a nice slice of Star Trek too.

Celebrations this year include 60 years of Batman (the camp 60's TV series) and the anniversary of Star Trek: the Original Series. So it's going to be an exciting year regardless. Added to that all the comic cons, action and unboxings - it's shaping up to be an exciting year ahead.

I've been blogging on and off for a year now, and I'd like to thank everyone who has been reading me. I got a cheap camcorder for Christmas so I'm going to try and do some vLogs too this year - which is something I'm not really accustomed to. But I'll have a go and you can tell me what you think.  it will complement this blog and my Twitter feed so hopefully it will give you enough new content to be getting on with.

Let's get to the computers then -
 

If you are interested in Steam games but want to expand your horizons from just the triple A rated blockbusters and have a peek at other offerings - including indie developers, you could do no worse than checking out a SteamCrate. It says that each game is worth at least £3 and you get 10 random games each month - which could be anything from the latest releases to goodness-knows-what. I have subscribed to this and I'm going to do a review soon - so keep an eye out for it to see if it is worth it or not. They give you a 10% discount if you subscribe to their mailing list too, so it's worth doing that if you want to take advantage.

Looking at the latest stuff as well:

>   Xbox Live:  Games with Gold this month includes:

XBOX ONE gives you:

Thief

Killer Instinct: Ultra Edition Add-on
Zheroes (from 16th Jan)
 

XBOX 360 gifts to you:

DiRT Showdown

Deus Ex: Human Revolution (from 16th Jan)

All the Xbox games have limited availability and are yours to keep once you have purchased them. However, some are only available at the beginning of the month, some at the end and some longer than that. Generally though, there are some games for the first two weeks and then a different set two weeks after, so you need to move quickly.

Every Xbox 360 game that is featured on Games With Gold from now, is now backwards compatibly with Xbox One which means the Xbox 360 games above WILL work on your Xbox one. They are adding new games all the time, so keep checking to see if you can use any of those old 360 games again on your shiny new Xbox One.

>  PSN: PS Plus this month is as follows:

 

PS4 has:

Grim Fandango: Remastered
Hardware Rivals

PS3 gets:

Dragon Age: Origins (yes, really!)
Medal of Honor: Warfighter

Vita receives:

Grim Fandango: Remastered
Nihilumbra
History: Legends of War

 

Of course usual rules apply in that if you stop your subscription those games'll stop workin'. I know this to be true because it has happened to me.

 

Origin has another game on the house and it's Jade Empire: Special Edition - this was an awesome game in it's time so get it now before it's gone forever. As always you need to have an Origin account to get this - but it's really worth the time to get this game as it's fab. If you like Knights of the Old Republic and the more recent Old Republic MMORPG you'll love this.

Origin have a new thing out called Origin Access which is £3.99 a month to play their games and you can cancel at any time. I need to look into this further but it looks pretty cool if you have the time to do it. If you check it out - let me know.

 

As always we have Loot Crate and Nerd Block unboxings to look forward to...

...AND Marvel Collector Corps in February which, I'm told, is Deadpool!

It's time to go now but -  I'll see you soon.

Keep being awesome!

Until next time

Paul