Previews: Spark Trailer, Snatched, More!

This week’s preview of coming attractions features the new Spark trailer, plus Snatched, Alien: Covenant, and more…

Spark Trailer

Here is thew new Spark trailer. The film is about a teenage monkey who must journey across the universe in order to save the galaxy. The film features the voices of Susan Sarandon, Patrick Stewart, Jessica Biel, and Hilary Swank. Spark launches on to UK screens on 26th May 2017.

Alien: Covenant Prologue

This Alien: Covenant prologue (The Crossing) bridges the gap between Prometheus and the upcoming Alien: Covenant. The clip explains what happened to the survivors of the previous film, and features Michael Fassbender’s character as narrator. The latest film in the Alien franchise also stars Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, and Danny McBride. Alien: Covenant hits UK screens on 12th May 2017.

Snatched Clip

Amy Schumer shows off her comedy prowess in this clip from the upcoming Snatched. The film is about a mis-matched mother and daughter who take an exotic vacation together. Schumer is joined by Goldie Hawn, as well as Wanda Sykes and Joan Cusack. Snatched is out in UK cinemas on 19th May 2017.

Wilson Trailer

Here is the trailer for new comedy Wilson. The film is about a middle-aged misanthrope who reunites with his estranged wife. The film stars Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern, and Judy Greer. Wilson receives its debut at Sundance London on 2nd June 2017, and will be released  in selected cinemas on 9th June 2017.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle Trailer

Following the teaser last week, here is the full trailer for Kingsman: The Golden Circle. In this sequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service, the Kingsman headquarters is destroyed, leading Eggsy and co to discover an allied spy organisation. Director Matthew Vaughn and writer Jane Goldman return, as do Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, and Colin Firth. They are joined by Juliane Moore, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, and Channing Tatum. Kingsman: The Golden Circle is scheduled for release in September 2017.

Gifted Clip

Director Marc Webb’s latest film is Gifted. The film stars Chris Evans as a man single-handedly raising his niece (played by Mckenna Grace). The film also stars Jenny Slate and Octavia Spencer, and a one-eyed cat (according to the above clip). Gifted will be released on UK screens on 16th June 2017.

Film Review: Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman: The Secret Service is an entertaining spy comedy, very much in the style of director Matthew Vaughn and screenwriter Jane Goldman’s previous work.

A veteran agent at a super secret spy agency is tasked with bringing in a new recruit for trials. Eggsy does not fit the profile of a regular Kingsman, but the agency has a new threat to worry about…

Kingsman: The Secret Service entertains throughout, with its brand of comedy, action and ultra violence. Based on the comic book, Kingsman has a similar feel to Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman’s Kick-Ass. Those who enjoyed the superhero film will surely admire this latest effort.

Kingsman: The Secret Service is a little predictable in its plotting. Nevertheless, the film offers enough charm to maintain its appeal. Kingsman plays with spy movie conventions. at times overtly as a source of humour as well as tension. The villain eschews archetypal traits in a humorous fashion. Protagonist Eggsy is a fish out of water, and this aspect works well in the relationship he has with his mentor.

Violence in the film is so gratuitous that it loses its effect to shock; instead it becomes cartoonish. This is particularly the case with the obvious special effects employed. Comedy is intentionally derived from this over the top violence; especially in a few standout sequences. Action in Kingsman: The Secret Service is good. Matthew Vaughn directs these sequences with the right amount of frenetic energy. The soundtrack is used to good effect.

Colin Firth plays the type of character he is often associated with, however he subverts this image with action. Taron Egerton is well cast as Egsy, bringing a likeability to the character. Samuel L. Jackson is also amusing.

Kingsman: The Secret Service works very well as a diverting action comedy. Although the film does not stretch beyond this, there is little to fault overall.

Stuff To Look At

A plethora of movie trailers and clips on Oscar nomination day, including Avengers: Age of Ultron, Blackhat and Cake…

Avengers: Age of Ultron

It all looks very, very bad in sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron. Where are jokes of Loki? From the above trailer, it looks like this Marvel instalment will have a more serious tone. Not that this is a bad thing, as last year’s superlative Captain America: The Winter Soldier can attest to. Avengers: Age of Ultron hits UK cinemas on 24th April 2015.

Selma

So Selma may have been snubbed for several awards, but at least it has received a Best Picture nod from the Academy. Starring David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr., Selma tells the story of his struggle to secure voting rights for African Americans. The film is released in the UK on 6th February 2015.

Cake

Jennifer Aniston may have been snubbed for a Best Actress nomination at this year’s Oscars, but Cake still seems worth a look. A dark comedy, the film focuses on Aniston’s character and dubious relationship with a widower. Cake will be released in UK cinemas on 20th February 2015.

Blackhat

Director Michael Mann delves into the world of global cybercrime with his latest thriller Blackhat. Starring Chis Hemsworth and Viola Davis, the film concentrates on convicted hacker who is helping the government tackle a network of criminals. Blackhat hits UK screens on 20th February 2015.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Following yesterday’s world premiere of Kingsman: The Secret Service, here is a clip from the film. Following the success of Kick-Ass, screenwriter Jane Goldman and writer-director Matthew Vaughan team up again for another adaptation of a comic book. Kingsman: The Secret Service is released on 29th January 2015.

Run All Night

Here is the trailer for action thriller Run All Night. The film is about a prolific hit man played by Liam Neeson. Also starring Ed Harris and Joel Kinnamen, Run All Night is set for release in the UK on 1st May 2015.

Inherent Vice

This clip from Inherent Vice sees Joaquin Phoenix reunited with his Walk The Line co-star Reese Witherspoon. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and with a stellar cast, Inherent Vice hits UK screens on 30th January 2015.

Stuff To Look At

The brand new teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakens! Plus Pan, Jurassic World, Cinderella and more this week…

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

How exciting! The first proper look at the new Star Wars film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This teaser does not reveal too much about the film, although it is a mighty relief that there is no sign of Jar Jar Binks. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set for release in cinemas on 18th December 2015.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Oh my, there is a pug in this film! But if you need any more swaying, Kingsman: The Secret Service is an action comedy starring Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Caine. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, Kingsman: The Secret Service is out in UK cinemas on 29th January 2015.

Jurassic World

Dinosaurs in the sea! Genetically modified dinosaurs! Even after the events of the first three films, they still decided to open Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg returns as executive producer for Jurassic World, which is due for release on 12th June 2015.

Pan

Fascinating fact: some of Pan was filmed mere meters from where I am sitting right now. A new live-action take on the classic story, Pan stars Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried and Garrett Hedlund. The film is scheduled for release in July 2015.

Cinderella

Here is the first trailer for Disney’s new live-action fairy tale Cinderella. Starring Lily James, Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter, it will be interesting to see if the film can replicate the success of this year’s Maleficent. Cinderella hits the big screen on 27th March 2015 in the UK.

Into The Woods

Here is a featurette on upcoming musical Into The Woods. Meryl Streep certainly looks like a force to be reckoned with as the witch. Directed by Robert Marshall, Into The Woods is out in UK cinemas on 9th January 2014.

Exodus: Gods and Kings

Here is a clip from Ridley Scott’s upcoming biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings. Starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton and Indira Varma, the film is a retelling of the Moses story. Exodus: Gods and Kings will hit the big screen on Boxing Day, 26th December 2014, in the UK.

Film Review: The Debt

The Debt is an accomplished thriller that audiences should find absorbing. The various aspects combine together effectively to produce an atmospheric film that retains a sense of plausibility.

In 1997, the daughter of two former Mossad agents publishes a book detailing their accomplishments. Rachel and Stefan, along with fellow agent David, undertook a mission to track down a Nazi war criminal in 1966. The team accomplished their mission with a few obstacles, but not everything is quite as it seems on the pages of their daughter’s book…

The one dominant factor that makes The Debt work so well is its excellent screenplay. The Debt, a remake of a 1997 Israeli film, was written by Matthew Vaughan, Jane Goodman and Peter Straughan. The characters are highly believable, as is the dialogue. The film plunges viewers into a world that will be foreign to the vast majority. Yet, the events that occur seem authentic given the context.

The format of the film allows tension to build in a naturalistic manner. This begins quite slowly, but exceeds to a very tense finale. It is the tension and mystery that grips viewers the most. For the most part, The Debt remains plausible. It is this facet that distinguishes the film from so many other recent thrillers that are let down by incredulous plot twists.

The Debt has a particular visual style that imbues the entire film. The colours are muted, and the film seems to be saturated by a blue tone. This is particularly pertinent in the scenes set in the apartment. The visual style of the film helps to enhance the sense of claustrophobia. Director John Madden, along with cinematographer Ben Davis and art directors Peter Francis and Dominic Masters, have done an excellent job in making these scenes appear cramped, closed and tense.

Performances in The Debt are good all round. Helen Mirren brings gravitas to the role of Rachel. Playing the younger Rachel, Jessica Chastain shows why she has been much in demand this year. Sam Worthington is controlled as the younger David, while Marton Csokas brings more personality as the young Stephan.

The Debt may cause restlessness in audiences more acclimatised to breakneck pacing and constant action. Nonetheless, it is a solid thriller that should satisfy fans of the genre.

Film Review: Super

As an ordinary-guy-turns-superhero film, Super offers more depth than last year’s Kick-Ass. James Gunn’s film deserves more attention than it so far has received.

Frank is a regular guy working at a diner and living with his wife Sarah. When Sarah leaves him for drug-dealer Jacques, Frank is distraught. After a vision, Frank decides to become superhero Crimson Bolt. Although he lacks prowess, Frank is determined to fight crime and win back Sarah…

Super combines action with drama and comedy. Written and directed by James Gunn, the film has an unusual tone. It can quickly leap from humorous to sad. In this way, is has more heart than Kick-Ass; it lacks the whimsical nature of Matthew Vaughn’s film. Instead, the film offers a narrative which is more relatable, and a character who is in turmoil.

That is not to say that the film is entirely serious. There are a number of amusing incidents in Super. However, these tend to be quite darkly humorous. Some of the violence, for example, is comedic in its grotesqueness. Elsewhere, it becomes clear that Frank doesn’t know what he is doing in terms of behaving like a superhero. The cinema scene illustrates this well, and is one of the film’s most memorable sequences.

The mix of live action and animation is effective. Although the film is set in the real world, these animated sections allow it to indulge in fantasy. Moreover, the visceral effects in Super work well. The level of gratuity seems to be more for comic effect than for shock value.

Characters in the film are not typical of the comic book genre. Frank is not a typical superhero in terms of either looks or personality. There is a real sadness to the protagonist, which gives the film an emotional core. Sarah is not a archetype damsel in distress either. Rather than the helpless victim captured by the ogre, Sarah is a drug user who first comes into contact with Jacques through her habit.

Rainn Wilson is excellent casting as Frank. Wilson really embodies the character, and is thoroughly believable in his anguish. Liv Tyler is decent as Sarah, while Ellen Page is suitably energetic and annoying as Libby. Kevin Bacon is decent as Jacques, providing both charm and danger.

Super balances the emotion with humour effectively. For those prepared for something a little dark, it is well worth the watch.

Super is out on DVD and Blu-Ray on 1st August 2011.

Film Review: X-Men: First Class

After X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, there did not seem to be much life left in the X-Men franchise. X-Men: First Class has changed that; it is an unexpectedly good prequel that should do great business at the box office.

In 1944, two young boys with very different backgrounds discover that they have special powers. Years later (in the 1960s), the two meet as adults after the CIA discovers the presence of mutants among the human population. Charles Xavier wants to find other mutants in order to train and help them, but Erik Lehnsherr has his mind set on revenge…

Continuing with the superhero theme after last year’s Kick-Ass, director Matthew Vaughn steers X-Men: First Class with some aplomb. It is tricky to keep a prequel engaging, as the audience is all too aware of what is to come. Vaughn does an excellent job of keeping the audience entertained throughout.

The writing team adds sufficient humour to the film, balancing more dramatic scenes with lighter moments in others. The brief cameos are inspired; a nod to those familiar with the X-Men franchise. The inclusion and omission of characters strikes the right balance. Familiar characters anchor the film; it is after all the back story of Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr. However, the screenwriters are wise not to saturate the film with too many well-known characters, choosing instead to introduce a young group that would mostly be familiar to fans of the comics.

Set in the 1960s, X-Men: First Class links the fantasy aspects present with real-life events. This is a masterstroke, as it secures the film firmly in the real world, despite the fantastical forces that appear. The film creates an imagined history from real events, twisting the Cuban missile crisis so that it included the mutants. Throughout the film, references are made to this period and these events; the group are shown watching Kennedy on a black and white television set, for example.

Performances are solid all round, but it is Michael Fassbender who steals the show as Erik. Playing a character so identified with another actor seems like a difficult task, but Fassbender inhabits the role, bringing great presence to the film. James McAvoy is good as Charles, while Rose Byrne is very believable as Moira.

The art direction of X-Men: First Class is great, as is the sound. The only gripes with the film are very minor. The film slackens in momentum once or twice, but recovers quickly. Similarly there are one or two artificial-looking CGI effects, but overall the film is visually pleasing.

X-Men: First Class is the best blockbuster of the year so far. It has set a bar that the upcoming summer blockbusters will have to match.

Film Review: Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass is a very enjoyable movie, combining entertaining action sequences, a good dose of humour and a fitting soundtrack. Nonetheless, that does not mean to say there aren’t flaws in Matthew Vaughn’s film.

Kick-Ass tells the story of Dave, a geeky teenage boy who decides to become a superhero after becoming disenchanted with the passive reactions of people to crime. He dons a ridiculous scuba suit and takes to the streets of New York to fight crime. Things get a little more complicated, however, when he encounters some real life superheroes…

The beginning indicates a reflexive film, with Dave asking his friends why no one in the real world has tried to become a superhero. Along with the knowing references and jokes, Dave makes it clear in his narration that he has no typical superhero back story. The superheroes he meets, however, do.

This is part of the problem of Kick-Ass; what starts as a humorous take on the genre proceeds to follow many of the stock conventions of a superhero film. Additionally, with Nicolas Cage’s well-publicised interest in superhero comics, Kick-Ass at times feels like a vehicle for him to act out his superhero fantasies.

Fighting crime and the fame that come with it only seem to be of interest to Dave/Kick-Ass until he gets with the girl of his dreams. The moral here seems to be that nerdy fanboys are only interested in comics as they do not have much else going on in their social lives. The film does nonetheless stress the importance of new media for a would-be superhero; the YouTube segments show a startling verisimilitude. Bearing this in mind, the heavy presence of Myspace seems odd, given the overriding popularity of other social networking sites nowadays. But that’s product placement for you.

As other reviews have highlighted, there are other superhero texts that feature ordinary people as heroes. Whilst Big Daddy and Hit Girl would describe themselves as vigilantes, they are also in fact mass-murderers. This sits at odds with Kick-Ass‘s rather lighthearted premise of real life superheroes fighting crime.

As the film points out, there is a very famous superhero who has no special powers, bar his wealth. The real superheroes in Kick-Ass also acquire their advantages through financial means. The big difference, though, is that Batman doesn’t kill dozens of people in revenge missions.