Review: The Dark Knight Rises

First I must be clear: what follows is a review which will hold no punches back spoilers wise. If you have yet to see the end of the Dark Knight trilogy, and do not want to read anything before you go into Dark Knight Rises, then stop reading right now. You have been warned.

It was always going to be a difficult third act for Christopher Nolan to create. With a near perfect first two installments to Nolan’s Batman trilogy, he had a lot to live up to. My oh my did he deliver on that and so much more.

Starting out eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne has turned recluse, hanging up the cape and mask for good, while Commissioner Gordon has managed to clean up the streets of Gotham in Harvey Dent’s name.

Before long though the mysterious Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway presenting a near definitive version of the character) informs Bruce - and the audience watching - that “there’s a storm coming”.

That storm comes in the form of the frankly terrifying Bane. Introduced here as an agent of Ra’s Al Ghul and the League of Shadows, its nice to see the trilogy tie up the loose ends that we’ve seen come through from the first film, while moving the story forward as Bane makes good on the Leagues promises, and we see the fall of Gotham and particularly of Bruce Wayne himself.

There are sequences in the film which probably struggle to stay below the 12A rating, as the audience is forced to come to terms with the mortality and vulnerability of their hero, outmatched physically and mentally by a man even he must accept is his superior in every way.

The film’s emotional heart though is found through Michael Caine’s Alfred. Always an important part of the trilogy in a comedic sense, it feels like Nolan really moved the character forward here. It is him who gets many of the most poignant lines as he begs Bruce to simply give in, telling him simply that he “won’t bury you.” and that “he has already buried too many members of the Wayne family”. Your heart breaks as he speaks, and you literally feel yourself getting angry with Bruce as he ignores his oldest friend.

On Bane himself, there had been alot of talk before the release of the film about Bane's voice - especially following the prologue to the film which was shown in cinemas last year. Thankfully the vocal track has been completely redubbed since then, meaning thankfully that the voice was completely understandable (if a little raspy) throughout. Thomas Hardy's huge dominating figure is something audiences will come away talking about having seen the film, and while he is not as big as the character in the comics (like everything in the Nolan universe he is at least to some extent grounded in reality) he still towers over his fellow screen presences, and you truly feel a sense of dread whenever he is on screen.

The action sequences have all been ramped up from the previous installments too. Following the terrific lorry chase in The Dark Knight, there are several superb scenes in this - most notably a sequence in which about 100 police cars chase the caped crusader on the batbike (who in turn is chaisng Bane and his cronies), as they race across the streets of Gotham.

It feels like Nolan looked back at everything which had worked in the previous installments - a villain worthy of a superhero movie from the maniacal point of view, while still being firmly grounded in reality, a witty and fast moving script, and a concentration on the true angst and suffering of the hero. This Batman (and it has been alluded to in the previous films) is only a man, and you truly find yourself believing he could die at any moment - especially as this is the final act of the trilogy.

The supporting cast are great, as ever - from the appearance of Cillian Murphy’s psychotic Dr Crane as a judge in the kangaroo court Bane has setup to be judge jury and executioner, to the ever watchable Morgan Freeman’s Lucius Fox, everyone is superb.

New comer to the franchise Marion Cotillard too does a fantastic job as Talia Al Ghul. While perhaps not the best kept secret - indeed I think just about everyone who announced her casting the movie originally attributed the role to her - the twist ending surrounding Cotillard’s true identity in the film was remarkably well handled, coming at a moment of true power in the film, and to say there was audible gasps in the cinema I was in when the revelation finally came through would not be an exaggeration

The film is as close to perfect as anyone could honestly hope for, making good on the promises of the franchise, and improving across the board to produce that most wonderful of things: a trilogy ender that is not just as good but better than what came before. I cannot wait to see it again, as I know there will be things I missed the first time around, but to be clear, this is the best movie this year to date. Not the best superhero movie, not the best blockbuster, THE BEST MOVIE. PERIOD.






Footnote: It was awesome to see Nottingham's Wollaton Hall double as the newly rebuilt Wayne Manor. Seeing my town on the big screen like that was mental :D

Review: Katy Perry: Part Of Me

Over the last several years, a new genre of film has grown into being: the 3D-concert-movie-cum-documentary. The latest example of the breed, featuring pop megastar Katy Perry brings forth plenty which will keep her fans entertained, and enough good cinema to keep everyone else on board.

The film sets about explaining Perry’s christian upbringing, and how at seventeen, she felt almost rebellious writing songs which her strict christian mother comments that she “would not her own daughter perform on MTV.”

This struggle only intensifies as the singer moves out to LA, coming up against rejection and manipulation from several major record labels before she is finally able to hit the big time.

Of all the 3D concert movies recently, its definitely not the worst, although it doesn't live up to the high watermark of something like Justin Bieber's Never Say Never - which I reviewed here - or Michael Jackson's This is It.

Somehow as believable and frankly adorable as Perry’s zany personality is, the whole product just feels a little too over produced. Too afraid to ever say anything against her (while being unafraid to point the finger elsewhere) or to show Katy in the wrong.

Interestingly it’s at it's best when the whole fairy tale falls down and you see her as a human being,  especially in a key sequence during her divorce from Russell Brand (a moment the entire movie feels like it is building towards). It feels like you are finally seeing Katy in a real raw moment, and this particular sequence is perfectly mixed with the live performances to bring meaning to the lyrics.

If you are a fan of Perry’s music you are going to love this film, and for those who aren’t, it has some interesting things to say about the way people cope with juggling fame and relationships. Its a long way from perfect, but it’s undeniably fun, with a soundtrack which will have even fairweather fans wanting to sing along at the top of their lungs.

The Amazing Spider-man

Director: Marc Webb
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Martin Sheen, Rhys Ifans
Release Date: 3rd June 2012
Rating: 12A

When I first heard Marvel were rebooting the Spider-man franchise, I couldn't help but feel it was too soon. Tobey Maguire had only just had his turn, and what a great turn it was.

Having seen The Amazing Spider-man though, Marc Webb has crafted a universe which lets the audience forget about what has gone before, grounding Peter Parker’s story closer to reality, coping more with the human issues and his human relationships - with his parents abandonment, and with his struggle to find love, among others.

The always excellent Andrew Garfield steps into role of the webslinger, bringing a rather cock-sure interpretation of the role to screen. He uses his powers because he can, sometimes to the extent of almost abusing them.

This is perhaps best emphasised when we see Peter discuss the “masked vigilante” wreaking havoc on the streets with police chief George Stacy over the dinner table, as Peter tries (and fails) to argue that what Spider-man is doing is in the public interest.

It is not just Garfield who shines though. The peripheral cast is equally impressive, from Emma Stone’s turn as love interest Gwen Stacy, to Rhys Ifans’ maniacal portrayal of Dr Curt Connors (the villain of the piece, The Lizard). On the subject of The Lizard, it must be said that the CGI surrounding the mad scientist's transformation is incredible. They manage just the right mixture of physical effects and CGI to bring the dark creation to life.

It is Martin Sheen though who is the real revelation. If ever there was someone who you would think of to play Uncle Ben it would be him. He is such a trustable, loveable screen presence, and when the inevitable comes, your heart breaks in a way which somehow it never did in the original Spidey movie.

All in all, this film is a reboot which achieves exactly what it sets out to do. Marc Webb has managed to create a universe which really does overshadow everything which came before, and gives a much more rounded look into the backstory of the world we are inhabiting. This really is: The Amazing Spider-man

Review: Prometheus (SPOILERS)

Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, Charlize Theron
Released: 01/06/2012

In space, no one can hear you scream. That was the tagline to 1979's seminal science-fiction-cum-horror film Alien. There have been several sequels to the film over the years, but now, more than thirty years later Ridley Scott is going back to space to explore where the story (not just of Alien but of mankind itself) all began.

When two archaeologists find a series of cave paintings from different civilisations, all pointing to the same constellation, and all suggesting a race of super beings coming down to earth, it isn't long before they realise they must assemble a team and head out there in search of the origins of humanity.


Noomi Rapace impresses  with her Elizabeth Shaw, a devout christian, searching for answers, but refusing to give up her faith despite what she discovers. It is a weighty role but she does not disappoint, drawing the audience in and really making them care about her fate.

Michael Fassbender also has an excellent showing as David - an android, and by far the most morally ambiguous character in the film. His motives seem to suggest he is on one side one minute, while going completely the other way the next. Intriguing to note of course that we find ourselves questioning morality more for the only being without a soul in the film than anyone else.

From sweeping views across a harsh alien landscape to more familiar structures and interiors which hark back to the original film, no one could accuse the film of going half heartedly about its design, and this is to the credit of all involved.

Unfortunately as good as the film looks it is far from flawless. It certainly starts well, raising intriguing philosophical questions while not forgetting its horror roots, but the film rather falls flat in its final act. Some dodgy CGI, as well as a need to leave something for the inevitable sequel, means that in the end not everything gets tied up and you're left scratching your head.

If Prometheus 2 comes along and answers these questions, all may be forgiven, but for now nonetheless we have a fun and thrilling (even if not entirely sound) horror film which will no doubt have audiences on the edge of their seat throughout. From a scene of self-inflicted surgery which makes the scene of the alien eating it's way out of John Hurt's stomach look like child's play, to the very final shots, there is plenty here to keep fans of the franchise happy from start to finish.

Verdict: Not without flaws, but thoroughly entertaining and plenty of thrills. 3.5/5

Stop Kony - Not For Invisible Children But For Justice

If you have been anywhere near a social network today you will no doubt have seen the words Kony 2012 plastered across every other status. If you’ve yet to watch the 29minute viral video which is spreading, and don’t know what the whole campaign is about allow me to first fill you in on the basics of what is an incredibly complex situation.

Joseph Kony is the leader of a rebel militia in Uganda which calls itself the Lord's Resistance Army (or simply the LRA). The group have massacred huge groups of people, and abducted hundreds of young children, brainwashing some for their cause - making them child soldiers.

In 2008 the International Criminal Court issued warrants for Kony and several other members of the LRA including Vincent Otti (Kony’s deputy and second in command), but all of the organisations major players have to date evaded capture.

Kony 2012 as the campaign is being called is a campaign which seeks to “make Joseph Kony famous.” It does not seek to justify nor deify his actions, but rather to make the entire world (many of whom, myself included, were not aware of the LRA’s attrocities) stand up and demand change, and demand of policy makers the the Kony be captured before the years end. 


A noble cause no doubt, but of course like so many things that seem to good to be true, the truth in and of itself is not so simple, and in the 24hours since the explosion of the campaign into the public consciousness there has been an equal explosion of questioning of the partys involved in bringing it to light in the first place.

The campaign is being spearheaded by Invisible Children, a not for profit organisation who have been working to raise awareness of the plight in Uganda for several years, and an organisation who are themselves not unbridled by controversy - not least over the way they use donations. For an indepth look at some of the problems with IC as an organisation I suggest reading http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/ and http://ilto.wordpress.com which both offer a far more indepth analysis than I could hope to offer, but again below you will find an incredibly condensed version of what they have to offer.


The 3 top people at the company are on close to $90,000 a year, which does not include any travel expenses (which for a US organisation working in Africa then proceeds to take up an even larger portion of the donations which are supposed to be going to aid).

So while the idealism of the campaign - there is a bad guy, lets all come together to try and stop him - is fantastic, the methodology (pay IC a certain amount per month and they will send you a kit full of posters and wristbands to raise awareness) are problematic.

Indeed in the video itself IC effectively set a deadline for Kony’s capture: December 31st 2012, when they say the video which started this whole movement will expire. This feels misguided, as Kony has been at large for years, and has evaded capture to date despite numerous attempts to bring him to justice.

It’s important that now the eyes of the world are on him because it means politicians around the globe will step up and help to bring international condemnation down upon him in a way which they would be less ready to do were their no public support. But if come December 31st Kony has still evaded capture we can’t just allow our efforts to expire in the same way as the video. Because the moment we show a sign of letting up so will the political pressure.

Equally problematic seems to be Invisible Children’s proposal for exactly how to go about stopping Kony. They are currently using donation money to fund the Ugandan national army as well as lobbying for US and international troops and advisors on the ground going after Kony.

After the blunders in Iraq, effectively starting a war to take out one person, it feels like the idea of ground troops is one which is going to hold little water with anyone, policy makers or civilians once they take a step back from the furore of the campaign.

Is all this to say we should do nothing? Not all, and if it takes a somewhat misguided organisation to at least have raised awareness of the issues then fantastic. I still wholeheartedly support the idea of spreading Kony’s face far and wide, making it so that the whole world knows who he is, and have the whole world in support of his capture, but I simply do not believe that paying Invisible Children for the privilege is a requirement nor a necessity.

What is really important: keep posting Facebook statuses, keep tweeting, keep writing to your MP or congressperson. Write to celebrities who can spread the message to their followers, spread the message as far and wide as possible. Joseph Kony and his mob need to be stopped. They need to stand trial and the families of the children who were abducted deserve justice.

For decades’ Kony has gone undeterred, and now the spotlight is finally on him it is up to each and every person who sees this story to keep it on him. The moment the pressure lets up, and the world goes back to it’s complacency is the moment people like Joseph Kony win.

But above all else: let us make this campaign about Joseph Kony and not about a viral propaganda video - let it grow beyond the misgivings of Invisible Children as an organisation and let it take on a mind of it’s own.

Let’s make history, but let’s do it the right way, so that one day our children can grow up in a better world.  

The Mike Lombardo Situation

This weekend myself - and many of my friends in the Youtube community - have been shocked to discover that Mike Lombardo, a 23year old musician on youtube, was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the exchanging of explicit images with underage fans.

Lombardo had worked closely with DFTBA Records and the nerdfighter community at large over the past few years, and many in the fandom looked up to and respected him and his musical talents.

I myself had the oppurtunity to interview Lombardo about a year ago for my university radio show, and held the utmost respect for him. All that respect has disappeared following these shocking revelations.

While it should be made clear that he has not yet been officially charged, there is a sworn affadavit from the FBI agent dealing with the case who has seen the photos in question (which were sent to 2 girls, one 15 and one 17), so it seems increasingly unlikely that this is all simply a misunderstanding.

Innocent until proven guilty certainly, but the facts as they stand simply don’t look good there’s no two ways about it.

I write today though not to demonise Mike, but to implore the rest of the world who will see this story and say “Oh well, it just proves what we’ve been saying about the dangers of the internet” to take a second glance.

I have been a part of this fandom for the best part of the last 10 years, and for a long period of that time I was a legal minor. I - and hundreds, even thousands like me - understood the inherent danger we placed ourselves in. We were conversing with people in some cases more than double our age, and in many cases (such as at conferences or even just as friends outside of it all) arranging to meet people we had only ever spoken to online.

Now clearly the case of Mike Lombardo shows that in some ways that innate trust was misguided, but it would still never stop me doing the same thing all over again were I back in that position once more.

While there are bad people in the world, and people who will try and take advantage (and the law is in place to ensure these horrible people are dealt with), 99.99999% of the people I have met online I would deem to be the closest friends I have. Through the Harry Potter fandom, and more recently the nerdfighter community on Youtube I have found a home and I have found a family who I truly know I can trust with my life.

So should we be more wary of the fact that predators are out there, even in places online that we assume to be inherently safe: yes. But that does not mean that there should equally be an inherent assumption that everyone we meet online is a sexual predator.

This is I admit a somewhat rambling blog post - far from my most eloquent at any rate - and for that I apologise, but I needed to get these opinions out. I need the world to know that at it’s heart there is still a goodness and a respect that comes with the sense of community that I have felt online, and that I will not let a minority abusing that change the way I feel about the internet and it’s power to bring us together.

For more on the story, I would suggest these posts, firstly by LeakyNews, and secondly by Lauren Fairweather, both of whom write far more eloquently than I have managed.

Twiathlon - From Twilight to Breaking Dawn Part 1 - My Thoughts

On Thursday night I took part in the first ever Twiathlon. A series of screenings, running worldwide in the lead up to the release of the penultimate film in the Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn Part 1- the preceding 3 films were screened back to back before we got to see the new movie at midnight.

Writing as someone who enjoyed the first three books - utterly hating Breaking Dawn for reasons I will get into later - and having a some what mild opinion of the films to date, I decided that the best way to see the new movie was to do it with real fans, the kind of people who would sit for 10 hours straight and watch the quadrilogy unfold.

I did this for two reasons: firstly, that I wanted to see exactly how the “Twi-hard” fan base would react to the films, rather than simply how I myself reacted to them, and secondly because if I was going to sit through Breaking Dawn, knowing what I knew of the story, I wanted to at least have some enjoyment first, and the first few films are nothing if not harmless fun.

So, at 4:30, I sat down in a packed cinema, fangirls (and maybe like 4 or 5 other guys dotted around) surrounding me, and the lights dimmed for the first film.

My impressions, as they have always been, were that the first is by far the weakest Twilight film to date. Kristin Stewart just feels wooden and soul-less, and Robert Pattinson is a shadow of the actor he can be when he performs at his best - if you compare this performance to say Remember Me, or even to a lesser extent the third Twilight: Eclipse, this performance leaves an awful lot to be required, and its because of this that the film just doesn’t really work for me.

For the fans though, this was clearly a return to a world where they feel at home. From the cheers and woops as Edward first appears to the loving sighs which accompany Jacob’s first appearances, this first film definitely felt like it got the most reaction from the fans throughout the evening, and it’s clear that for people invested heavily in this narrative, this is the true cornerstone of the text.

In the break which followed Twilight before New Moon got underway, I caught the tail end of a conversation taking place behind me, between one of the fans and her boyfriend, explaining the scene in Breaking Dawn in which Edward (and it pains me to say this, as its just revolting) eats the baby out of Bella’s womb.

The guy straight up refused to believe that such a thing could happen in what is of course a 12A film, and said she should stop making stuff up. Of course as it turns out: she wasn’t. But again: more on that later.

As far as New Moon goes, I had in fact forgotten quite how much I like the film. After the rather awful R-Patz showing in the first film, he was blissfully missing from much of this second outing, and the relationship which grows between Jacob (who is the far more interesting of the two lead male characters), and Bella is heartwarming and well judged - even if we know it can never last.
Again, maybe it was simply that I was with an audience who were rapt throughout, but it just felt impossible not to get swept up in the atmosphere, and get drawn into the story in a way which I can say I’ve never experienced watching a Twilight movie before.

It is also the film which first introduces us to the Volturi, and to Jane, the slightly psychotic and entirely sadistic vampire who can bring pain to anyone just by thinking it. While they are sorely underused later in the series, the sequences towards the end of New Moon in Voltera are some of the very best the series has to offer to date.

Next up it was the turn of Eclipse. Both my favourite book and favourite movie (indeed the only one I saw more than once in the cinema), in the franchise, we finally see the love triangle between Jacob, Bella and Edward come to a head.

Intertwined around this is a well written, and frankly very dark given the nature of the story subplot about an army of new born vampires, some scenes from which genuinely look like they have come right out of a real horror film, rather than a teen-lit love story.

David Slade - who has dealt with vampires before on 30 Days of Night - has found a great mix of the two stories to bring out what is actually a very good movie indeed, and one which seems almost out of place in the franchise as a whole: it is simply in a league of its own in comparison to the two movies which have come before it.

Finally, as the clock struck 12, and to tremendous cheers and applause, the lights dim a final time and the reason we’re all here finally makes it’s way onto the screen, as Breaking Dawn Part 1 gets underway.

Now, it is important before I talk in detail about the film to explain my prejudices against the movie based on my reading of the novel.

This is a book which includes, in no particular order: violent sex; paedophilia - as well as the character assassination of one of the best characters in the series - ; a baby being EATEN out of it’s mother’s womb after the baby breaks its mother legs and back and nearly kills her; a pregnant 18year old girl having to drink blood so as not to waste away and die ; among countless other abhorrent, and frankly disgusting things.

These are things which, in my mind, do not belong in a book aimed at young teenage girls. This is a book which features things which would not feel out of place in an 18 rated horror film, and things which are in no way suitable for the younger audience at which Stephenie Meyer aimed her novel.

So the question is: with all of these ingredients involved: how can a film get through with only a 12A rating, and even if it could: can the film possibly be any better than the frankly horrific book?

In a word: Yes. Yes it can be better than the book The style and the way it deals with a lot of these frankly impossible and even ridiculous instances is at times flawed, but Breaking Dawn Part 1 is, as an adaptation of THAT BOOK, turning that book into a film suitable for 12 year olds, is far from terrible.

Kristin Stewart stands at the heart of the piece this time around, really taking control of the screen, and in every scene she’s in - from the wedding, to a heartbreaking sequence where, as she wastes away into nothingness, she looks at herself in a mirror, realising how much weight she is losing, and yet remains resolved to carry the baby to term - you cannot help but feel like she is in the driving seat.

Up until this point in the franchise she has always felt like the weak link, held up by Lautner and Pattinson, but here she actually holds her own impressively.

There have been a lot of really terrible reviews of this first film, and to a large extent I’d say they are pretty unfounded. It is probably actually the best of the films to date - except possibly for Eclipse - and while certainly in it’s second half procedings do enter the borderline insane territory, it should be remembered that what we’re watching is a Vampire film, and by definition therefore a horror film.

The horror elements shining through seem to fit so much better here than they ever did in the book, where the series was squarely a romance until this final chapter: the films have dealt with the horror roots much earlier, and have built more naturaly to a point where some of these sequences fit. It feels as though the films found the balance that the book could not, by bringing these subtle horror vibes throughout, while not sacrificing Bella and Edwards love story.

Indeed when Edward finally eats the baby out of Bella’s womb as she seemingly flatlines on the table, it is actually stylistically very well handled, showing you just enough to know what you’re seeing, but not too much as for it to be as graphic or as blatant as it felt reading the book.

That is not to say it is a perfect film. Jacob imprinting on Renesmee still standing out for me as the one sequence in the whole series which really is beyond disgusting and was handled with as little dignity here as it was in the original text (although I’m sure we’ll see more as that subplot evolves in Part Two.)

Jacob has - as I have alluded to - always been one of my favourite characters in the series - and the idea that Meyer could find no better way to finally close of the love triangle once and for all than to fob Jacob off ON BELLA’S DAUGHTER is painful to watch, as the creepy paedophilic undertones of it all just wash over you as you view it. Infact I am getting the shudders just thinking about it.... *ugh*

All in all though, Breaking Dawn Part One is, as far as an adaptation of what I would have deemed to be an unfilmable novel goes, surprisingly entertaining. It combined all the elements of the series into the just the right melting pot, and while there are certain elements I still wish they could change, the film is nothing like the train wreck it could so easily have been.