currently on at the 'pictures':

[philcom55]

I went to see the new Godzilla film yesterday and couldn't help being reminded of all those American 'monster comics' that were so popular at Marvel, DC and Charlton during the late 1950s and early 1960s.



...Highly recommended for any fan of the genre!

- Phil Rushton

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Yes, it's very good in the mayhem stakes.

[alanultron5]

great title for a `spoof` 1950s styled monster movie = "It Crawled Out Of A Cheese Sandwich!"

[BeanoMaster]

Postman Pat the movie is better than I thought.

[colcool007]

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has been the latest movie to be viewed by my good self. I loved the 2011 reboot and thought it boded well for the franchise. And did this latest offering deliver? Well yes and no.

Cinematically, it was beautiful and almost worth the admission price for that alone. The CGI was well above what we have come to expect. And the acting was perfectly commensurate with such an all-star cast. The opening scene was brilliantly executed and promised much. And yet, it was just a good movie narrowly missing that element to take it into the great movie category.

Some scenes could have been removed and done nothing to detract from the movie. They may even have helped to lift it. I so wanted this to be a 4 or 5 out of 5 movie, but I can just give it 3.5 out of 5

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

I quite liked the new APES film, Col, and I've just got in from my third screening .

The scenario is bad and bleak, however the History of this franchise has always been pretty downbeat, it's a really chilling theme.

I agree the CGI is more advanced than ever, and is nigh perfect in the main.

Loved the way Jerry Goldsmiths' style of disorientating music [1968 original. onwards] is incorporated into the soundtrack.

5/5 from me, readers!

[starscape]

Yep, a near perfect 5/5 (if I round up) for me too. I have all the original movies but can't recall any towers of importance. Is there something of a connection in there?

[stevezodiac]

I noticed in today's Sunday Mirror a review of Supermarionation Is Go a two hour documentary about the work of Gerry Anderson - its the first I have heard of it.

[daveycandlish]

I noticed in today's Sunday Mirror a review of Supermarionation Is Go a two hour documentary about the work of Gerry Anderson - its the first I have heard of it.

Is that the same as this?

http://networkonair.com/features/2014/0 ... n-box-set/

[colcool007]

Well, I can't believe we have been forgetting to keep this thread updated. Thanks to the wonders of modern science and a nudge from Facebook, we are going to see Kingsman tomorrow at the Glasgow Cineworld in Renfrew Street. Bit of a trek, but hopefully, I might meet Mark and get his squiggle on the book and my current sketch pad to add to the rest of the autographs and sketches in there.

However, we did go to see Theory of Everything and I can highly recommend it to all. I hope that we are going to make 4 years in a row that we have picked the Oscar winner for Best Picture. 5/5 for me.And if Eddie Redmayne does not get Best Actor, then there is something wrong there. To me, his portrayal of Stephen Hawking was as good if not better than John Hurt's portrayals of Qunetin Crisp or John Merrick.

[colcool007]

Just back and I can confirm that while Kingsman drifts from the comic like a boy racer in his hot hatch, it screams in and delivers the goods.

After seeing the trailers, I have been quite ambivalent about seeing this movie. I thought that they had cut the best bits for the trailer and the rest would be quite pedestrian. But I was so wrong. The performance were immaculate with Mark Strong stealing a few scenes as Merlin (Q if this was a Bond movie). Taron Egerton is one to watch as a coming star. And I swear you will never look at Colin Firth in the same way ever again.

The fight scenes were brilliantly executed and Sofia Boutella as Gazelle was insanely good. There was a real chemistry between her as the henchwoman to Samuel L Jackson's evil genius with her almost giving it a maternal vibe to looking after her boss.

I am lary of saying too much about the movie as I don't want to give any spoilers. But I have got to say that it's damn near the perfect action comedy movie. And it would pass the Bechdel test with ease.

I so want to give it 5 out of 5, but giving Roxy a fear of parachuting was the thing in the movie that I disliked, so a 4.9 out of 5 for me.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON ***


official trailer here, which has garnered a staggering 72 million hits:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmeOjFno6Do



This franchize has managed to command my full attention since it's welcome inception, with the Captain America offshoots proving to be highly entertaining, and WINTER SOLDIER especially was a definite cinematic highlight for me during 2014--must have watched it onscreen about 5 times [the sodding blu-ray is still too pricey for me, though.]



I was actually anticipating this film with considerable relish, as there is always so much to savour within this series: imaginitive comic-strip-style mayhem, the enchanting Scarlett Johannsen, the retro Captain America character, and also the Iron Man character works better in a team role compared to the standalone Iron Man films [for me anyway].



However! An extremely conveluted plot about a robot-master attaining quasi-God like powers and embarking to wipe out humanity is just too confusing and sprawling to ever gel properly and draw the viewer in, however we are still left, of course, with much outrageous onscreen Anarchy which breaks up the monotonous one-dimensional macho-posturing.

Sadly, much of the CGI imagery resembles 1972 Letraset rather than 21st-Century ILM wizardry, with pasted-on, weightless fantasy characters occupying an obviously seperate space from the on-set actors to much detrimental effect------the computer imagery is undeniably well-done but in their desperation to up the fantasy action, the CGI elements often take on a very cartoonish ambience: cartoonish as in Bugs Bunny, not Marvel Comics, that is.


One saving grace was a very good scene where mayhem erupts in a Metropolitan area, [NYC, apparantly] involving Scarlett on a souped-up motorcycle, but overall, the overall elements are simply too over-familiar to the point of being jaded.

I am sure this will still do well at the box-office, for all that.....





3/5

[colcool007]

I saw this last night and it was the pace that let it down for me. The opening scene where the Avengers were taking down Hydra boded well, but then it slowed to a pedestrian pace while it developed some of the characters.

Now, I know that characters need to be developed or you cannot have a movie, but you can pace development to engage the audience rather than make them anticipate the next big set piece.

The chemistry between Ruffalo and Johanssen was obvious and it looks like it will be a developing plot thread in the movies.

Cinematography was wonderful, effects were up to scratch and the actors did their best within the confines of the script. And having a few fanboy moments like having... a certain person appear ticked all the boxes, but it missed that spark of originality that makes the viewer go wow.

For me, it's 4 out of 5. A great romp, but no definitive movie moment.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

yes Col, there is a helluva lot in this film, it was obviously expensive to produce, but the narrative is lacking in the 'edge-of-your-seat' department.

Found myself yawning, to be honest---then again, it's the FIFTH big-screen outing for me this week---maybe a more alert second viewing might bode better.

The upcoming MAD MAX 4 looks promising, by the way.

[philcom55]

I agree that the plot is a bit too mixed up for its own good but I think I'd give the new Avengers movie more than 3 out of 5. Oddly enough - in spite of all the expensive sfx - my favourite part was the dialogue, which seemed surprisingly well written at times. And I loved the characterisation of Ultron himself.

The ending does make me wonder if this is the last time we'll see Thor, Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America together in the same film however.