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My 2015 film highlights
As usual at this time of year, I've picked 20 highlights from all the films I saw during 2015, this time from a pool of 227 candidates. The only rule I follow is that I saw the film during 2015, though this year there's only a bit of an overlap with 2014 so that probably isn't all that important. →
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Review of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
I quite liked the first Hobbit, though it was worryingly over-stuffed with Christopher Lee cameos and whatnot. The second film on the other hand was all stuffing and no meat, a relentless parade of middling events and characters apparently only there to pay off in the third film. In retrospect, so few of those moments and characters actually do pay off that it makes me dislike the middle film all the more. →
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Review of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
There's a moment in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug where Gandalf has wandered off from the company of dwarves and is creeping his way through an ancient crypt. Discovering an open tomb, he's startled by Radagast the Brown. "Why are we here, Gandalf?" asks Radagast. Good question, I thought; "To set up the next film" appeared to be the answer. →
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Review of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Managing expectations is important; this is not strictly an adaptation of The Hobbit. Instead, it's a prequel to Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. This is crucial, because if you go in hoping for a lightweight children's fable, which is more or less what The Hobbit is, you'll find something bloated and overly dark in tone. As a prequel it's a success, though a qualified one. Note: To try and avoid confusion, I'll be referring to the film as An Unexpected Journey, and the book as The Hobbit. →
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I don’t know how to go to the theatre
Going to the theatre isn't something I've ever done in any major way. I think the last time I went to the theatre was to see Blues Brothers: The Musical six or seven years ago and I ended up walking out during the interval as my spider-sense had picked up on the audience participation that was due in the second half. →
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X-Men: The Last Stand
When it was announced that Bryan Singer had abandoned X-Men: The Last Stand in favour of Superman Returns, I was a bit uneasy. When it was then announced that Brett Ratner, who Singer had replaced, was to direct the X-Men film, I was uneasier still. When it was announced that Halle Berry was only returning if she received a bigger part, I worried some more. Finally, when it was announced that Vinnie Jones was going to star, I lost all hope. →