Jack Reacher

Here I am for my traditional Boxing Day trip to the cinema. Graham didn't feel up to it... which is a shame because he missed a cracking film! 

The basic synopsis goes like this... Tom Cruise plays a ex-military police man who is off the grid as it were. When there is a multiple shooting he turns up to "sort things out".. And much mayhem ensues.. In a lot of ways this was like a cross between Sherlock Holmes, the Mentalist and a Jason Bourne movie. And this was probably why I enjoyed it so much. The way Jack despatches of the standard issue bad guy is both efficient and entertaining.. Plus it was nice to see Werner Hertzog in front of the camera for a change.. I'm not sure how it will work on a second viewing but you know me...

Probably the last film I'm gonna see this year so it's good to end on a **** movie!

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The Hobbit Part 1(2D) (2nd viewing)

Ummm... was this better in 2D?
Some of the scenery certainly benefited from a more earthy look, not so artificial. Having said that the 'Goblin lair escape' was more coherent and easier to follow in 48 framed 3D.

Still a cracking film! ****

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The Life Of Pi (3D)

Sunday morning and while everyone was moping around I decided not to waste the day and catch a flick or two... 

Erm... Didn't quite go to plan though (does it ever?).

I thought I catch the 10.15am 'The Life Of Pi (in 3D)'. So headed for the bus at about 10... Yeah, I know, cutting it a bit fine.. Needless to say I got to the Cinema at 10.50 and had to opt for the 11.45 showing....

I'd heard reports that this was one of the best uses of 3D in the cinema to date. And as I don't have to pay extra for 3D I thought why not?!

Now if you're unfamiliar with the story basically its about a boy who gets shipwrecked on a lifeboat with a bengal tiger.

It's the sort of film I could have done seeing with Liz really. She would have liked this one.

It had the same emotional impact as Castaway (the Tom Hanks one) and overall I enjoyed it.

The cinematography was excellent and the CGI animals didn't bother me too much. Plus the religious overtones weren't too preachy..

Rating: ***1/2

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The Hobbit Part 1 (3D 48 frames/sec).

Whoo hooo!
We're in Cardiff!
It's Christmas!
And thus begins Peter Jacksons Hobbit trilogy..

Firstly, I'd almost forgot about this movie. It wasn't until the last few weeks and all the hype that I remembered how excited I was about it (if that makes sense?!)
There was a lot of talk about the 48 frames per second technology this was filmed in too. So I decided to check out the latest format...

What can I say about this one. Well to start with I had to go and tell an usher to turn the lights off (!?). After that was sorted I settled down in my usual centre seat and took it in.
Initially the '48 Frames effect' was too good. Some of the scenery looked like models and it all looked a bit fake!
Once the story kicked in though it became less bothersome (although the juries still out on some of the CGI!).
I haven't read the book for 30 years or so but there were certain elements that seemed familiar (and I don't mean LOTR familiar..) And this took me back..
It's worth a second viewing for the 'Goblin Lair' escape alone! Perhaps next time in 24 frames and 2D..

A definite **** movie.. In fact I'm looking forward to seeing it again..

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Argo

All the buzz on this film had been good and it turned out to be a right nail biter. 

Set in Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis it played close attention to the details, right down to the Warner Brothers logo at the beginning. Also it didn't make the Iranians out to be evil, Middle Eastern stereotypes by having a short introductory backstory. It was funny too.. I laughed out loud several times particularly John Goodmans line "it's not going to appeal to its target audience.." "Who's that?" "People with eyes.."

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable ****.

Also I'm officially PREMIER UNLIMITED now.. 25% off grub plus I can pre book my ticket... Which is nice..

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Skyfall (2nd viewing)

This was definitely better the second time..

Rating ***1/2

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Skyfall

I was looking forward to this one. The general opinion was good to great and I'd deliberately avoided any reviews..

It started off well. The pre-credit sequence reminded me of 'Casino Royale' and I thought "this looks promising.."
Then it slowed down... I've only seen one Sam Mendes movie (American Beauty) which I enjoyed.. This on the other hand.. Don't get wrong, I didn't hate it. I put it down to the Bourne films. The action in those is constant and punchy, and as a result I expected it with this film too. In my opinion this film was too long. If they'd chopped it down to an hour and a half..
It had good points. Javia Barton (?) was particularly good/creepy and locations were excellent.
In fact, the more I think about, it wasn't that bad.. Perhaps I'll watch it again without Graham 'sighing' and yawning constantly...
Overall ***1/2

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Looper

I really wanted to see this film. So much so that I drove all the way to Newport..
And as a result it suffered from the 'too much build up' problem that affected The Dark Knight Rises.
That being said though I did enjoy it. I'm a sucker when it comes to Sci-fi. Sci-fi and time travel and I'm bought!
This started off really well. It was set in the future and further in the future. There was some interesting ideas which I liked and it had a gritty realistic feel to it.
Definitely a renter.. Maybe a buyer..? I may even see it again if it stays long enough..
Overall a solid ****

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Taken 2

Ummm... What can I say about this one?

To be fair I wasn't expecting much. I'd heard bad reviews so I knew what I was letting myself in for.

Unfortunately this film really stretches it's artistic licence for want of a better phrase.  Particularly such gems as throwing grenades in order that Liam's character can locate his daughter.. Really? The fight scenes were just ridiculous.. You couldn't tell who was wining for starters.  Plus some of the Drive soundtrack was used and it made me remember what a better film that was.

Overall memorable but for all the wrong reasons. At least Graham enjoyed it **

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House At The End Of The Street.

This was a bit of an odd one really. To be honest I saw the trailer a while back but couldn't remember it. And the same will probably apply to the film in a months time. I think it had more of an effect on Liz than me.  Isn't wasn't a bad film but overal a fairly forgettable one.

Rating ***

What I will remember is that Liz and I had our first ChimiChanga to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary. That was nice!

Dredd 3D

I shouldn't have enjoyed this really. To start with I'm not a big fan of 3D. Given the choice I would pick 2D every time. Here though I had no choice due to time restrictions, so this was a negative. Plus it was riddled with clichés and cheesy dialogue. The plot was almost a direct rip off of The Raid I saw earlier this year. And the main character was played by Karl Urban. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy but his back catalogue includes such gems as DOOM and The Chronicles Of Riddick (which I erm.. also like.!?). 

But despite all the above, I enjoyed it! For some reason it reminded me of Drive. I think it was down to it's general tone and that they both have emotive-less lead characters. The slo-mo action was quite effective too and you could tell it was an 18 certificate.. I particularly liked the voice activated/DNA encoded gun.  And yes, even some of the 3D worked in places!? 

I'm probably going against popular opinion here but I'm going to rate it ****. 

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Total Recall

Now I was a big fan of the original.  So when I heard they were remaking it I was a little sceptical. When I heard Len Wiseman and his wife were doing it even more so (have you seen the latest Underworld movie??!). But as a Sci-fi fan I went along with it.
Turns out it wasn't that bad really...
Pros: The special effects were good. Gritty like a CGI Bladerunner. Colin Farrel and Mrs Wiseman played their parts well and were convincing. There were a few nods to the original which I found amusing..
Cons: The fact that I noticed that the special effects were good. (What's with lens flare effect? It was everywhere!) Plot wise I kept comparing it to the original and consequently knew what was going to happen next. Which spoilt it a bit, y'know, no surprises..

But I'm a sucker for a sci-fi so overall, a worthy ***1/2.

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The Dark Knight Rises (Fourth viewing)

Well, only got to see about a third of this one.

Rating: **** (still)

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The Expendables 2

Spent half a day in Newport while the girls went to Cribbs Causeway, Bristol. This was the first offering..

What can I say about this film? Firstly the dialogue was dreadful. There were more clichés in this film than I'd care to mention. Towards the end it started to resemble COD (particularly the airport scene). After watching TDKR and The Avengers this film was MORE comic book than both those films combined, totally over the top..

And despite all this (or maybe because of?!) I really enjoyed it. The violence was bloody, similar to a 15 certificate Rambo 4. Plenty of blood and the occasional head being lobbed off. I thought Van Damme played a bad guy well. Could have done with a bit more Jet Li in my opinion but with that many stars it's difficult to get the balance right I guess. Chuck Norris was amusing, even cracking one of his own jokes! Plus it was cool to see Arnie firing a big gun again, just like the 80's!

Overall rating: ***1/2

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Brave 2D

This was a filler really when the girls went to see 'Magic Mike'. And as fillers go it was ok. Not up to Pixar's usual standard and the humour seemed a bit thin on ground. I think it was aimed more at the kids than their usual offerings. 

All in all a pleasant way to kill 100 minutes.

Rating: ***

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The Bourne Legacy (Second viewing)

Saw this with Graham this time. I think he enjoyed it..

Still a solid ***1/2

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The Bourne Legacy

I wasn't quite sure how this one was going to pan out.. I'd enjoyed the previous 'Bourne' trilogy ('Supremacy' less so..) and I was looking forward to this one.

As it turns out it wasn't bad really. It's main flaw (if you can call it a flaw?) is that it's been done before. After the initial setup and back story fill-in the action kicked off! There was a couple of good set pieces and this level of action was maintained, pretty well throughout the rest of the film. It helps if you've seen the previous trilogy. You'll not only know what to expect but, have a rough idea about Treadstone and Blackbriar, which crops up quite a bit during the film.
I don't think it was as good as 'Identity' or 'Ultimatum' but it was an enjoyable action flick.
Which is probably just as well as I'm seeing it again at 4.40pm with Graham. Not sure what he'll make of it though..?!

Overall, a respectable ***1/2

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The Dark Knight Rises (Third viewing).

Well, this is the third viewing of this one and..... I think it's improving.. I even had a few 'pins and needle' moments this time too.
To be honest the choices available at the moment are pretty thin. Once is enough for 'Ted' and 'Magic Mike'. I wouldn't have minded seeing 'Searching For Sugar man' or even 'Five Year Engagement' but couldn't due to the late, single showings.

There was quite a few people in this showing of 'TDKR' too.

Still a respectable ****

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Ted

Yes, two tickets. In fact Liz WANTED to see this one!? Plus she managed to get in free with Orange Wednesday promotion..

... Which is just as well really as she hated it! (with a passion! She wanted to leave half way through!?.. I told her its against the law at Cinemas..)

As for my opinion.. It was ok.. There were some genuinely funny jokes, which worked better if you're a fan of Family Guy. But it did start to get a bit stale as the film progressed and a swearing bear is only funny for so long..
Overall ***

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Magic Mike

Liz wanted to see this one so naturally I went along (you don't need to ask me twice to see a film!)
And it wasn't that bad really. Liz enjoyed the naked Channing Tatum and I enjoyed the erm.. plot?. It was quite funny in places and, despite the cliches, it ended on a good note (which is also a cliche!)..

Overall rating: ***

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The Dark Knight Rises (Second viewing).

Well, after the Photomarathon opening I thought I'd get a second opinion on this one..
It was still good. But on reflection I enjoyed the Avengers more. The Dark Knight (with Heath Ledger) seemed to have more 'hair on the back of your neck' moments than this one too. For example, when we're first introduced to the Bat Pod and when Batman takes out the SWAT team on the tower near the end. This film seemed to lack those moments. Even the introduction of 'The Bat' didn't have that effect..
I enjoyed it but, at nearly 3 hours I doubt I'll see it again.

Rating ****

(the second viewing also didn't have the same emotional impact)

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The Amazing Spider-Man 3D

This is my second film today. I can still remember (with fondness I might add!) the Sam Rami Spider-man and that was always in the back of my mind during this one. This definitely hindered my enjoyment of the film. The special effects were on par with most super hero movies of this budget and Andrew Garfield was a convincing Spider-man. To be fair it's got a bit of an uphill struggle straight after 'The Dark Knight Rises' but regardless of when I saw it I think my opinion would remain the same. It was... Ok. I wasn't gripped, scared or thrilled at any point. Just entertained. When the bar has been set so high by 'The Avengers' and 'The Dark Knight Rises' they really need to try harder... Well, for me at least. I'm sure there are a lot of 12 year old kids out there who enjoyed it..

Overall:***1/2

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The Dark Knight Rises.

My journey started at 5.45am when I got up. Drove to work and then walked to Hereford station. Caught the 7.10 train to Cardiff and here I am. It's 8.38am and this is without doubt the earliest showing I've ever been to.  The hype has been unprecedented, and although I tried to avoid it, you couldn't help but get swept along. According to the ticket sales person they sold 250 seats for the 5am showing!? 5am?? And this screens starting to fill up with half an hour to go.. The question is can it beat The Avengers?? I'll let you know in 2 hours, 40 mins...  

Well it was 2 hours and 44 mins apparently. But was it any good?? In a word YES!

It lacked the 'coolness' of the Avengers movie but more than made up for it with emotional content. It was a bit too long but only once did I check my phone for the time. I had my suspicions but didn't really see the twist coming in all fairness. In the end it tied the three films together quite nicely. Was it as good as The Avengers? Wasn't a much fun but yes, I enjoyed it. Plus it definitely deserves another viewing (or 2!)

Rating: ****

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Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter 3D

Didn't really want to see this film. Well, when I say I didn't want to see it what I meant was it wasn't top of my list.. Prometheus was my first choice but there wasn't a 2D showing!? 

And I should have seen the 3D Prometheus. This film was pretty rubbish to be honest. With a title like 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' I went in not expecting 'Citizen Kane', but a tongue in cheek, comedy-horror.  This was totally devoid of comedy.. The horror was pretty thin on the ground too. The plot had one or two holes you could drive a stampede of horses through. The CGI was pretty lame, while some of it was just ridiculous (the aforementioned horse stampede springs to mind!)

I think if it had been a film about 17th Century vampire killing during the American civil war and didn't feature Abraham Lincoln, they may have got a way with it.. Or even injecting a bit of humour into it (no, injecting a LOT of humour) As it happens, I struggled with it and towards the end I found myself thinking 'please make it stop...'

If it has any redeeming features.... I didn't find them..

On a plus note, there was only me and one other unfortunate idiot in the entire showing... which says it all really..

Rating: *

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Red Lights

It was the Photomarathon yesterday and some how I've managed to grab a film today?! It was a toss up between seeing this or Prometheus again and I opted for something new. Plus I can't see this being around too long as its not exactly blockbuster material.

I'd heard nothing about this only catching the trailer recently and seeing the poster (with a bold quote saying "this years Sixth Sense.")

There was no trailers with this film and as result if finished about 15mins earlier than predicted..

My opinion? Not quite sure about it really. During the film I was questioning everything. "Is she really dead?", "is that girl working for him?","is he really blind?" etc, etc.  And as a result, what ever happened in the end I could have said "yeah, I saw that coming.. ".

But it turns out I didn't.. That being said, the 'Big reveal' a-la "Sixth Sense", didn't really work.  Well, not for me anyway.

Overall, not bad.. ***

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Avengers Assemble 2D (Fifth viewing)

Yes, I know, I know but it's a good film. And you know what you're gonna get.
Yep, it's still ****1/2

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The Dictator

This wasn't my first choice today but I saw it due to timing.. And to be fair it wasn't that bad... really.
It started off well and I laughed out loud a couple of times. The humour was scraping the barrel and a couple of times it missed the mark, but that was expected. Overall it was an enjoyable waste of time.
Rating:***

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Snow White and The Huntsman

Second film today. At one point I did contemplate going to see 'The Avengers' again but I thought I ought to see something new.
This film was.... ok I guess. Lets start with the cons. There was one point early on when the narrator 'fudged' over a plot point that made me think eh? Also the combat suffered from the, now customary, 'who's hitting who?', 'let's get IN the action' filming which is getting on my t*ts to be honest.
But on the plus side the film did 'look' nice. Some of the CGI was good (the Troll springs to mind)
Overall though I should have seen the Avengers again..
Rating **1/2


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Prometheus 2D

This one was another highly anticipated Sumer movie... Well, highly anticipated by me for sure. Firstly I'm a big Sci-fi fan! Secondly it was directed by Sir Ridley Scott, director of the greatest movie ever made! ('Bladerunner' in case you needed reminding!?). And lastly it has Alien DNA running through it! What's not to like??
When it kicked off I was smitten! The screen opened up to full widescreen format and Ridley introduced the sweeping panoramic vistas which are his trademark. It's been a longtime since I've seen a more beautiful depiction of space (probably Avatar). I'd heard good reports of Michael Fassbenders performance and he didn't disappoint. His smooth but sinister 'Synthetic' was the standout of the whole movie.
It took a while before it got 'nasty' but it was all the better for it and I enjoyed the slow burn technique.. (another Ridley Scott characteristic)
Overall a very enjoyable couple of hours.
Rating: ****

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Avengers Assemble 3D (Fourth viewing)

Yes, I know...

Rating: ****1/2

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Men In Black III

After the disappointment that was Men In Black II this wasn't that bad a film really. There was the humour of the first one and the special effects were up to scratch. Also it was genuinely moving at the end... which was a surprise. Tommy Lee Jones is starting to look old these days but casting Joss Brolin as a younger version was a stoke of genius! Overall the film was an enjoyable 1hr plus..

Rating: ***1/2

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The Raid

My second film at Newport today. I was looking forward to this one. The trailer looked good plus the reviews had been very positive.
Being an 18 certificate I was expecting extreme violence.... and I got it. The action was relentless and together with the tension made it an overall exciting film. The 'end of level boss' perhaps took a little too long to despatch but this was only a minor criticism.
Rating ****

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Avengers Assemble 2D (Third viewing)

Third time for this one. And it's still good. The last 3/4 hour of the film still does it for me.
Saw it in 2D this time and at Newport. Haven't been here for a while..

Still a ****1/2 movie

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Salmon Fishing In The Yemen

This makes a change.

Firstly I'm posting this using my laptop instead of the usual iPhone..

Secondly, I saw a film that wasn't The Avengers or a run of the mill blockbuster.

I think I've got a thing for Emily Blunt.  Particularly after her turn in The Adjustment Bureau.  And here she puts in another good performance.   This was billed as 'a romantic comedy featuring fishing' and I'd have to agree with that.  Although both the romance and comedy were very subtle.  As a result I'm not sure its to everyones taste but I found it very enduring.

Overall rating: ***1/2

Also I've noticed a trend developing where Emily Blunt takes of her shoes and races her male counterpart calling him a B*****d! She did this in The Adjustment Bureau too... or perhaps I need to get out more..

Avengers Assemble 3D (Second viewing)

Second viewing of this one and it's still as good as the first time!
Rating:****1/2

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Safe

After seeing trailers for 'The Raid', 'Prometheus', 'The Dictator' and 'Men In Black III', Graham and I settled down for the latest Jason Statham action flick.

The comforting thing about Jason is that he's typecast. He even admitted in a recent interview that he doesn't have the range to do anything other than ACTION! He's like a McDonalds. You pay your money and you know exactly what you're going to get... pretty well every time.

And 'Safe' is no exception... 'its a safe bet' (groan!)

It takes a little longer than usual with the build up but, once the action kicks in it becomes familiar territory..

And I'm sorry to say I enjoyed it.. There's the odd moment of humour thrown in too for good measure.

Overall rating: ***1/2

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Avengers Assemble

I really enjoyed this! After the disappointment of Thor, Captain America and yes, even Ironman 2 I was a little sceptical of this one... But, the general buzz has been promising so I went in quite excited..

It delivered... in spades! After the initial plot and character introduction the action took over.. And it was cool..!
The stand out 'hero' was the Hulk and there was a nice cameo from Harry Dean Stanton. In fact humour played a big part in this movie and that certainly helped to put it in its place... as a comic book super hero movie.
Throughly enjoyed it, and together with 'Cabin In The Woods' it's been an excellent day!
(I contemplated 'Battleships' after but why ruin the moment)
Rating:  **** 1/2 movie

8/5/12 Update:

On reflection I've had to up the rating on this one. To be fair I prefer it to Cabin In The Woods, Source Code etc..
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Cabin In The Woods

I was hoping to get 3 in today but due to timing and the length of the films I think it's gonna be just the 2.

I was intrigued by this one. The trailer gave the basic premise and I was concerned it would spoil the film... 

It didn't and the film was excellent! I'm not a big fan of the horror genre but this puts a clever twist on it.  Can't say too much without spoiling it so I won't say anything only to GO AND SEE IT! 

Overall rating: ****

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Headhunters

This film was INSANE! And as a result, probably the best film I've seen all weekend!

I walked in to a pretty full screening and consequently had to sit right down the front. I knew it was subtitled and as it started I was worried I was gonna be too close to take in the action. After about 10 minutes though this didn't prove to be a problem..

I'm not quite sure how to describe this film.. It certainly had a streak of black humour running though it.  One particular scene has the protagonist crawl out of an outside toilet and then proceed to drive away in a stolen tractor, having impaled a dog on the front forks... Yeah, exactly!? 

The film was peppered with moments like this and also some genuine tense and thrilling parts too.. 

I recognised the main 'bad guy'.  And on further investigation it turns out it was Nickolaj Coster-Waldau from 'Wimbldon', Paul Bethany's sparing partner..

There was some twists I didnt see coming and film tied it all up nicely at the end..

Overall rating: **** 

(mainly down to the sheer madness of it!)

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The Cold Light Of Day

I'd seen the trailer for this one and it looked interesting.. 

After a few minutes of background filler information and character introduction we cut to the now compulsory 'shaky cam' action.  This is REALLY starting to get on my nerves now. I know it adds to the general ambience of the film but it makes me yearn for the days when you could make out whose actually fighting who..!?

The plot keeps you guessing most of the way through but generally I didn't find myself that pulled in to the film. This became more obvious when I started to notice the product placements, which as a rule doesn't usually bother me. Henry Cavil had a certain screen presence and I think he'll make an interesting Superman next year (providing Zack Snyder can keep it together).

Not bad, but not that good overall.

Rating:**1/2

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The Hunger Games

Third film this weekend. This one took a shed load on its opening weekend in the US. The first part of a trilogy, this is like 'Battle Royal' but with less blood.
It started off 'hand held' style and initially it got on my nerves. But as the film progressed I got used to it and it turned out to be quite entertaining. Jennifer Lawrence, who I last saw in 'X-Men:First Class' was pretty cool and it was nice to see Wes Bentley, who hasn't been in anything decent since his debut in 'American Beauty'.. I was expecting a more dramatic ending, a'la 'The Running Man' but as this is only the first part...
Rating: ***1/2
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Pirates! An adventure with scientists 3D

This was better. I'm a big fan of Wallace and Grommet and the general vibe was good.
I enjoyed this. There was a lot of background humour (which is a common thread with Aardman) and it'll probably deserve a second viewing. I saw it in 3D due to the timing, and that was a pointless venture!
Rating:***1/2
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Wrath Of The Titans

First up today was the (unfortunately abbreviated) Wrath Of The Tit(ans).
I'd seen the previous Clash of the Tit and wasn't too impressed. So as a result I didn't hold much hope for this one. And it turns out I was right.. Granted the special effects were very good and it was a fun hour and a half or so. But the dialogue was lame and the acting was pretty crap..
Rating: ** (for the effects)
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Women In Black

It was this or the Muppets. And as I'd heard good reports about this I thought I'd give it a go.
The basic synopsis is this. Daniel Radcliffe plays a widower working for a law firm and he's charged with attending to the last will and testament of a recently deceased women. And all manor of spooky goings on occur...
I enjoyed this. It reminded me of 'The Others' with the period and attention to detail. Very Gothic, which I liked. Also the wind up toys freaked me out a bit. I could see why there was an issue with the certification. I think the general tone was more 15 than 12a.
Rating ***1/2
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John Carter

I haven't seen a good sci-fi in ages and was sort of looking forward to this one. I'd heard mixed reports and financially it has bombed (spectacularly in America!)
Turns out it wasn't that bad... really. You got the usual 'Tharks' and 'Heliums' vs the 'Nards' or something, which is the norm regarding Sci-fi and that didn't bother me. I mean most people seemed to accept 7ft Blue Aliens in 'Avatar' didn't they.
Visually it was enjoyable and you could see most of the budget was up there on the screen. Unfortunately the characters and story line let it down. But overall it wasn't that bad.
Rating :***
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The Grey

This wasn't my first choice today. That being 'The Artist'.

But I missed that due to time issues and ended up seeing this..

The basic synopsis is that a group of oil workers in Alaska
crash on a routine fight and they find themselves being
hunted by wolves.  It was a bit intense to say the least!
The plane crash, although not particularly graphic, was well
executed and set the tone for the rest of the movie.
I found it genuinely gripping and jumped on several occasions..

Liam Neeson played an Irishman for a change and he put in an
excellent performance as did the supporting cast..
Overall I enjoyed it and thanks to the 'Run-pee' app, stayed
till the end of credits bit.. (though I'm not quite sure what it was!)

Rating: ****

Haywire

Ummm.... Disappointed with this one.. The trailer and general blurb 

hinted at a 'Bourne' copy but to be fair this is NO 'Bourne' film.. 

I'm not quite sure why it didn't work. It had all the ingredients, 

young ex-marine, betrayed, against all odds, etc etc.. 

But it just didn't do it for me. It may have been down to the general pace, 

which at times felt cumbersome. Or maybe it was the music which was 

taken straight out of Oceans 11.  This didn't help with the mood. 

Also the lead wasn't really lead material.  Don't get me wrong, she's very

talented but she lack's charisma..  Michael Fassbender (who I last saw in 

X-Men:First Class) was wasted too.

Overall it was a shame because I was looking forward to this one.

Rating: **1/2

My Review of 2011

Well I got to see 41 films last year (three of them twice!) and overall the quality was.... ok.
There were a few exceptions, notably the British efforts and I particularly enjoyed 'Sherlock Homes 2' (although wether it'll stand the test of time remains to be seen).

In my opinion the Super Hero offerings this year were generally poor in comparison to the recent Batman & Spiderman francises (not including Spiderman 3).  With the exception of the first 'Iron Man', the Avengers line-up has been pretty weak.. I'm hoping Christopher Nolan will show them how its done with 'The Dark Knight Rises' later this year (although the law of averages states it's going to be poor, I hope not)

There was some particularly poor efforts this year. Most notable was 'Hangover 2'. I'd heard bad reports of this one but I really enjoyed the first film so I thought I'd give it a go... Idiot..

I'd seen all the Harry Potter films and to be fair most of them had blended into each other.. The last one on the other hand, I did enjoy.  It had plenty of action and emotion, plus it rounded off the francise nicely.

There was a few good sci offerings this year too. 'Super 8' and 'Source Code' were two of my favourites and I was pleasantly surprised with 'Rise of The Planet Of The Apes'.  Other enjoyable time wasters were 'The Adjustment Bureau', 'Xmen - First Class','Limitless' and 'Cowboys and Aliens'..

Good comedies were a bit thin on the ground... Although I enjoyed 'Paul' and 'Bridesmaids'. I even laughed at 'Horrible Bosses' although I think I was in the minority with that one.

The quality seemed to improve towards the end of the year.  In particular the previous mentioned Sherlock Homes and also I really enjoyed David Finchers 'Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'. With hindsight I think I should have seen 'Hugo' in 3D instead of 2D but it was ok..

I'm looking forward to 2012 movie wise. In particular 'The Hobbit Part 1' and the above mentioned 'Dark Knight rises'.. Also hopefully a decent 'Avengers' movie with Joss Weadon at the helm..