currently on at the 'pictures':

[colcool007]

I really do want to see Captain America and that review makes me want to see it all the more. I agree with you about Green Lantern. Miles better than Thor but still a long way to go.

One other movie some of you may have missed is Bad Teacher. A comedy with Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake and a beautifully down-played supporting role by Jason Segal. Worth sitting down with the popcorn and getting out on DVD, but not really worth the price of seeing at the cinema. However, the chemistry between Diaz and Segal is worth a movie to themselves. The scenes featuring them really are the highpoint of the movie.

Also seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Spoiler. Voldemort loses. Definitely the action movie of the series. To fans, it's worth seeing. But for non-fans, it's decidedly average. Nothing really surprises. (Read the book, so not such a big shock there). Best scene of the movie is the epilogue featuring HP et al standing at Platform 9 and three quarters to see their children off to Hogwarts for their first term.

[colcool007]

This evening, we went to see Captain America. It was great. Certainly the best of the current crop. I would heartily recommend it to anyone who wants to see a good superhero movie. And none too shabby as a action movie either. I even think I would not mind watching it again, but there are too many up and coming movies that catch my eye to watch it again at the movies. Will have to wait until it's out on DVD.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

It's been a pretty poor 'summer season' of films I reckon, Col, in fact I've only been going to the cinema about twice a week recently, which is a poor turn-out for me.

Glad you liked Captain Ameria, though; I'll definately be going back to see it. Half of the audience stayed back to see the teaser for the next instalment of the Avengers, but it never looked as intruiging as this one set in 1942; I liked the bit when he was dumbfounded by the sights and sounds of the 21st Century!

The unknown female lead was another appetizing visual feast, I thought [he said ,sexistly].

[colcool007]

...I'll definately be going back to see it. Half of the audience stayed back to see the teaser for the next instalment of the Avengers, but it never looked as intruiging as this one set in 1942; I liked the bit when he was dumbfounded by the sights and sounds of the 21st Century!

The unknown female lead was another appetizing visual feast, I thought [he said ,sexistly].

Damn! I didn't stay long enough. Miss Romanoff is delectably played by Scarlett Johannson. Yet another couple of reasons to see Avengers!

[Raven]

It's been a pretty poor 'summer season' of films I reckon, Col, in fact I've only been going to the cinema about twice a week recently, which is a poor turn-out for me.

Horrible Bosses is quite fun!

I'm quite looking forward to Super 8 starting this Friday (lots of good reviews around for this), and Rise of the Planet of the Apes starting the week after.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Yes, both 'Apes' and 'Super 8' look promising to me, Raven: hopefully the studios are saving their best stuff 'til late summer.....


'Horrible Bosses' was crude and lewd, but yes, I agree it was quite funny all the same.

[presterjohn]

I have just come back from seeing Captain America. I loved it for me at least it was the best superhero film of the year. It really worked being set during WW2 too. It stayed true to the spirit of the comics and what changes it made were reasonable enough under the circumstances of a two hour film. The 3D was as usual with 3D films not worth the extra money paid though.

[Raven]

I wouldn't say Super 8 fully lives up to expectations: the "emotional", huggy bits seem a bit artificial, and the film becomes increasingly less convincing and assured towards the end, but it's mostly entertaining and fun, and the first half is extremely well done.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

I saw Super 8 today, Raven: it was typically Spielbergian-produced: saccharine 'sense-of-wonder', lens flare from 'close encounters' of 1977, cheap-to-hire unknown teen actors and other standard ingredients.


This film never done a lot for me, the sort of film I couldn't care less if I never saw again.

Pedestrianly watchable for the easily-impressed.



3/5.


Going to the cinema is quite expensive---is it really seven quid a throw normally?



If you only want to see one worthwhile film, listen to Colcool and Pesterjohn, and go see Captain America--good fare for comics fans.

I anticipate---with customarily relish------the upcoming APES film.

[Raven]

Pedestrianly watchable for the easily-impressed.

Very good special effects with that train, though.

Going to the cinema is quite expensive---is it really seven quid a throw normally?

Depends on what time of day you go, usually - and if you were in London it could be more. There's one near me that's £4 pre-noon. But, generally, it's especially expensive for parents wanting to take a couple of kids - if they demand their buckets of "popcorn" and all, it can be around £40 or more for a family night at the cinema.

[colcool007]

It's even more expensive in the big smoke. HP for six cost me just under £50 for six of us and that was off-peak! £12.50 for the Cap, but worth every penny.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Captain America recap:


I went back to see it a second time, and it is still highly entertaining. However, the male lead ['Captain' himself] is depicted as a seven-stone weakling in the early scenes, and I since discovered that the brawny actor had his real rippling torso 'digitally removed' and replaced with a scrawny bod instead.

Such is the airbrushed CGI skill in this visual manipulation, I never even noticed first time around, but looking at the results with more knowing eyes, it's slightly queasy! Brilliantly done, though....


----oh, yes, and I've STILL missed the Stan Lee cameo [anyone know when this quick shot was?] and also the appearance of the original 'Human Torch' on display at the 1942-43 'World of Tomorrow' Fair.






Now, then....



RISE of the PLANET of the APES:


I don't know if the events depicted here are connected with the original Apes films from 1968 onwards, but this is the most satisfying film in the franchise since 1972's 'Escape from...' [the one where Roddy McDowell and Kim Hunter travel to the 1970s].

The first Charlton Heston film was the best one in my view, with the first two sequels 'Beneath' and 'Escape' pretty darned watchable-------'Conquest' and 'Battle for' ran out of steam and suffered from lesser budgets. The events of the Tim Burton 're-imagining' of almost exactly 10 years ago has completely escaped my memory, except for the fairly decent 'shock' ending.




This new Apes film will hopefully kickstart a brand-new Apes franchise [it's scored very well at the box-office thus far] and it definitely sets up teaser events at the conclusion, where mankind appears to be heading for impending disaster. The early scenes recount the birth and background of intelligent Ape Ceaser and explain the reason for his hyper-intelligence and organizational ape-skills: the bulk of the early scenarios are set in an Ape complex situated near San Francisco.



Much back-stabbing and double-dealing frame the bulk of the shenanigans, and the WETA SPFX team responsible for KING KONG in 2005 have been well-chosen for their sterling visuals here, with some of the best character CGI yet seen anywhere onscreen, seriously challenging the likes of ILM. The chimps [there are loads of them] are brilliantly-realized and utterly convincing.


I enjoyed a shot of a TV showing a rocket-launch from Earth [tantalizingly, was this the spaceship that whisked Taylor and co into the far future in the 1968 original?---it's not made clear, wisely].


Anarchy abounds in the closing reels with a rousing finale set on and around the Golden Gate Bridge.



Another absolute all-round winner to round off the late summer season, this film gripped me from start to finish [but I'm partial to movies featuring fantasy Ape mayhem, so maybe it's just me]. If you liked the old APES films, you'll really enjoy this.



MUST SEE : 5/5.

[colcool007]

Rab, you git! I thought I had beat you to it with a ROTPOTA review. I can now only agree with you. Fantastic origin movie and a miles better reboot of the franchise than the 2001 POTA. There were plenty of nods to the original movies, such as Caesar being called Caesar, Caesar building a model of the Statue Of Liberty when he went to the rescue of Charles Franco. And the use of the classic line of "Take your stinkin' hands off me, you damn ape!" Fantastic!

I never thought about the rocket until you said it, but that makes sense.

And Caesar saying "No!" had the same spell-binding effect as when you first heard the original Caesar saying "Mama" for the audience. But, believe me, the No had much more impact on the movie than the Mama ever did. And the set-up for mankind's doom is much more plausible than the original idea of nuclear warfare. That never sat well in my mind.

As Rab said, if you enjoyed the original movies then this is a very worthy successor. In my opinion, it's as good as the original and in some spots much better.

As for movies to look forward to, Cowboys and Aliens, Darkest Hour, Conan The Barbarian and Real Steel are on my list.

So Rab, what's next on your list?

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Col: I will probably see all of the above, and mention them all on here.

your thoughts and opinions regarding current cinematic releases are always more than welcome on here, and I hope you will continue to put forth your views on current releases.

You clearly enjoy a regular trip to the flicks as much as I do, and your 'takes' on new films are always welcome.

In future, I will try and hold back on new film releases, and allow you to get your views in first.

The arena is all yours!

[colcool007]

Rab, don't hold back on my account. If you get in there first, you get in there first. You're right, I have been addicted to the cinema since I saw Harry H Corbett, Wilfred Brambell and Hercules at the Regal in Forfar many many years ago.

My current regret is that I have not been able to go to the Big Screen convention at the O2 Arena, but the prices were just too steep. It would have been £60 just for the day and that's not including parking (another £25) or food. And if we had gone for the Diamond tickets for the family, I could have waved good-bye to a grand plus.