I thought I’d do something a little different this year as we near the end of December. There will still be my final Top Ten of 2010, but for now I thought I’d offer a critical look back on the movies I have watched since January. Note: This is not a review of movies released in 2010, as there’s many I haven’t been able to see, rather this is a look at what movies I’ve seen that have impressed me, regardless of original release date.
Viewed – 29 October 2010 Blu-ray
Back in a packed summer season, Iron Man #1 stood out as the surprise superhero gem despite tough competition from The Dark Knight and Hellboy 2. I loved it, mainly down to the perfect casting of Robert Downey Jr but also some superb action scenes and a tongue-in-cheek rule breaking attitude that kept it fresh and exciting. Naturally I was hyped for the sequel, but sadly missed it at the cinema. So it was high time I made up for that on Blu-ray.
Viewed – 19 May 2010 Blu-ray
I will always say you can’t go wrong with Robert Downey Jr, arguable one of the most gifted and enjoyable to watch actors of his generation, he often livens up even the weakest movies and when script, character and actor come together it can be something to behold (Kiss, Kiss Bang, Bang anyone?), so when I heard he was stepping into the shoes of the East End sleuth, I was more than confident he would deliver the goods. Less confident was I when I heard that Guy Ritchie was at the helm, following his awful return to cockney-geezer gangster movie with the lamentable Rocknrolla.
Yet I shouldn’t have been too worried. The story has Holmes and his faithful crime fighting friend Dr Watson (a brilliant Jude Law) in turn of the century London up against a disgraced Lord who dabbles in black magic, and set forth solving a mystery after said Lord seemingly cheats death. What impressed me was that instead of making Holmes some sort of action-hero (for the most part), the script focused on his genius crime solving methods and intricate eye for details and clues, delivered effortlessly by an excellent Downey Jr. Law lends support as a tougher, more modern interpretation of Watson closer to Conan Doyle’s original character than the bumbling old man you may be used to, and with Mark Strong on hand as the sinister Lord, the cast is fleshed out and jumping off the screen. Love interest Rachel McAdams offers a spunky career thief and someone to outwit Holmes but any bed hopping is thankfully avoided as the two instead choose to spar and bicker endlessly. Ritchie’s film is full of style, with a great soundtrack and some brilliant period detail. He also handles the action masterfully, which did surprise me, but proves that Snatch wasn’t just a fluke.
The old story of the Templars and shady secret organisations may be a cheap villainous cliché nowadays, and Mark Strong is getting a little too familair as a bad guy (I almost expected Hit Girl to turn up). Also at times some set pieces (such as the warehouse fire) seem rather random and a little old fashioned. Yet these are small gripes in what is otherwise a very well put together movie that is sure to spawn a franchise.
Verdict: 4 /5
Following my previous post reviewing the theatrical cut of the movie, I have recently got hold of the director’s cut on blu-ray (still currently only available in the U.S.), and although I stand by the review, saying what is available in this uncensored version has little effect on the overall entertainment of the movie, any fan of Natural Born Killers should know – this is a movie that should never have been cut in the first place. Finally we get the warts-and-all complete version, that although structurally identical to the theatrical cut, has just that little bit more attitude and bite.
New to the Blu-ray director’s cut is a 22 minute documentary exploring the impact of the movie and how it would be treated in this internet, information-obsessed age, which is invaluable – as is the older ‘chaos rising’ featurette that appeared on the DVD version of this cut. Add to this all the extras from the previous release and a 44 page booklet (with a new Oliver Stone introduction) that is basically a re-issue of the original releases’ book contents. Shame on Warners for making us double-dip, but if like me you need to have NBK in your collection, this is well worth the purchase.
Still one of the boldest, daring and craziest main-stream movies ever made.
Viewed – 28 Feb 2009 Blu-ray
I like Ben Stiller, as although I don’t consider him a laugh-out-loud funny actor on a par with Jim Carey at his best or Steve Martin when he was funny, he remains a likable screen presence elevating otherwise run of the mill fair like Meet The Parents to classic status.
This directorial and star outing for him seems his most ambitious film yet with some big names filling out the cast with Robert Downey Jr, Jack Black, Nick Nolte and even Tom Cruise. Following the story of a maverick director (Steve Coogan) intent on making the best Vietnam War movie ever, the big pull here is that the actors suddenly find themselves faced with a real conflict involving Vietnamese drug dealers, who think the actors are real U.S. marines. A great concept, I’m sure you’ll agree, and with no small amount of big-budget action and some tongue-in-cheek references to classic war movies thrown in, this is great entertainment.
Ben Stiller plays a past-his-best action movie star that is an obvious stab at the 80s reliance of be-muscled no-brain action icons, and is an interesting if rather pathetic creation. Jack Black’s drug-addled comedy actor is quite simply irritating and out of place, but the casting is saved by a superb Robert Downy Jr as the method thesp who has had his skin colour changed to play a grizzled black Sergeant … and is a gag that never wears thin. Tom Cruise lends support as a loud mouthed media mogul, all bald head, hairy chest and flab, and is obviously Cruise trying to reach out to a wider audience … but his comedy is over the top and rather embarrassing.
Thankfully the action and pace of this is fairly unrelenting and there are some priceless moments. For a NAM movie it looks superb, represented vividly on Blu-ray and is worth having in your collection as an ‘impress your friends’ disc when wanting to show off your system. Some of the humour may feel a bit stretched at times, but the characters on a whole make for a likable team of fish-out-of-water buddies up against impossible odds.
Verdict: 3 /5
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