Stuff To Look At

A veritable feast for the eyes this week, with the new teaser trailer for The Lone Ranger, excellent posters from the upcoming Frankenweenie, and more besides…

The Lone Ranger

The teaser trailer for 2013’s The Lone Ranger was released this week. Starring Johnny Depp, directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, it is unsurprising that the teaser is reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean. Also starring Armie Hammer as the title character and Helena Bonham Carter, The Lone Ranger is due for release next year.

Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie will be released in the UK on 17th October 2012, and will open the London Film Festival on 12 October 2012. To promote the release of Tim Burton’s new film, these fantastic retro-style posters have been released. The others can be viewed here. They are entirely in keeping with the style of the stop-motion animated black and white film. To coincide with the release, the exhibition The Art of Frankenweenie will open at the BFI Southbank during the festival.

The Master

One of this year’s most anticipated films will be released in the UK on 16th November 2012, with a special run at the Odeon West End from 2nd November 2012. Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master has been receiving critical acclaim and recently broke the takings per screen record when it opened in the US. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams.

The Hobbit

Several images and features from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey have been released in the last few weeks. These include new posters featuring the dwarves and new Hobbit-related apps. But what I want to know is where are the Gollum posters and apps? Until this time comes, here is an image from the film to sate Gollum fans. The first film instalment of The Hobbit will be released on 14th December 2012.

Gambit

Written by Joel and Ethan Coen and directed by Michael Hoffman, Gambit looks like a lot of fun. Starring Colin Firth, Alan Rickman and Cameron Diaz, Gambit is a remake of the 1966 film of the same name. The film will be released in UK cinemas on 21st November 2012.

Film Review: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

For a family-orientated blockbuster in the vein of Pirates of the Caribbean, Prince of Persia is an entertaining enough affair. As expected, the special effects and action sequences excel, whilst the plot and dialogue are less impressive.

Adopted as an orphan boy by the Persian King, Dastan grows up in the royal family. After the king is murdered, Dastan must prove his innocence with the help of a mysterious dagger…

The plot is predictable, but that is hardly surprising considering the film is based on a video game. Likewise, the dialogue shifts between cheesy one-liners and overly grandiose sentiment. Nonetheless, these issues do not distract too much from the enjoyment of the film.

Jake Gyllenhaal does a good job as hero Dustan, whilst Gemma Arterton is perfunctory as the beautiful love interest, Princess Tamina. Ben Kingsley is adequate in his now customary role of knowledgeable older character/secret villain. With the film’s Middle Eastern setting, however, it is a shame that more of the actors aren’t from this region. It seems being “browned-up” is still deemed appropriate in 2010 Hollywood.

The special effects and wonderful landscapes make Prince of Persia a film that really should be seen on the big screen. Although the film is directed by Mike Newall, the influence of producer Jerry Bruckheimer are all too evident; the slow motion shots in the battle sequences, for example.

Prince of Persia is enjoyable enough for the type of film it is; it was never going to break new ground. Perhaps the real shame is what it signifies in modern Hollywood: before the numbers even come in a sequel is already guaranteed. Gone are the days, it seems, when a film actually had to do well before a sequel was even considered and green lit.