Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Pt.2 - A Double 'Spell Pounding' Movie Review

We have two reviews on the HP movie today (blimey I hear you cry!) – the 1st review will be by yours truly & then followed on by our guest reviewer Peter Lewis. 

Welcome Mr Lewis!

  

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Danny Review

Okay! I think I’m a little bit over the whole Harry Potter thing now I’ve decided. And I’m pretty certain they shouldn’t make anymore. Just in the nick of time really.

I’ve read the reviews & nattered with some friends (who’d already seen this epic final outing) & the overall response has been really good. But I must admit I came out thinking “I just don’t care anymore" & "The sweet, sweet smell of beer is waving me this way!" 

Anyway, we took the option to go to see HP in 3D, Saturday night, despite hearing that it really doesn’t seem to matter - and I’ll be honest it really doesn’t. A few dragons and wands leap out at you every now and again, nothing to blow your Potter load over.

The story centres on Harry, Ron & Hermoine hunting down the final horcruxes (the parts of Voldemort’s soul) & so we eventually arrive at the battle of Hogwarts & the showdown between Harry & Voldemort.

To its credit and after the previous 2 films (which fell pretty bloody flat in my opinion) the film moves at a lightening pace, with some stellar action set pieces and solid performances from our lead cast. I really do think Mr Radcliffe (Harry) is a pretty good actor and can tread the boards of my tiny flat any time!

Even if you haven’t read the book The Deathly Hallows (which I haven’t), there is nothing all that surprising in the story here. Harry Potter fans will obviously devour this hole, but if you’ve never seen the previous flicks or read the books (before this one) you won’t have the foggiest clue what’s going on - so I wouldn’t recommend it.

But after a decade of Harry Potters I must admit I did feel a rather small lump form as this films final curtain began to close. So here's cheers for the memories Harry!

Now bugger off.

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Pete's Review

Hello and welcome to a special guest edition of the Danny Holland special. I’m Peter and a friend/colleague of Danny, and he’s given me ‘guest blogger’ status for the day so I can enter a film review on to his site.

Before starting, I was thinking what style/approach I should take – a worldly film connoisseur, a creative critique, an ‘I would have done this better by’ snob or maybe just an ignorant who mainly goes to the cinema for the pick n mix. Me being a big Harry Potter fan with an even bigger sweet tooth, I thought a mixture of the latter two probably the most apt.

Before I start on Harry And The Deathly Hallows Part 2, the 8^th and final Harry Potter film, but doubtfully the end of a multi-billion dollar license, I just need to get this out the way so it doesn’t become a running theme – Hermione/ Emma Watson is amazing. Fit. Stunning. There’s a scene early on where they don’t zip her top up all the way and... well, you get the picture. Oh, and it’s in 3D... ok, no more.

Unless you’re a hobbit or a desert farmer whose being flying around the galaxy recently, I don’t think I need to spend time discussing the plot and the basic concept. In terms of promise then it delivers perfectly on the book with all the cinematic magic that is accustomed too by today’s audience. It also continues to deliver on the wooden acting that has been prevalent in the previous films but when hiring 11yo kids for a 10 year programme it’s always going to be a risk. But then we’ve gladly forgiven them the poor narrative display or lack of depth as we took the journey with them over the last few years. They were our wizard heroes battling more than just hormones and some tricky Latin.

But can we really forgive the producers and Directors for some bizarre conceptual plots. For all that this film visually delivers it also fails with any sense. Without spoiling too much, Harry defeats the baddest wizard ever, a few kids (literally) fight off 20,000 marauding wizards and some trolls that would scare Gandalf and at the end there’s not even a cheer or a “well done”. Maybe they all realised that the film was drawing to an end too and that there would be no more instalments. Maybe they were too preoccupied with money and credit card problems after the recession. Maybe they were just tired but the deflated ending sort or deflated the whole 8 films for me. There was no gravity of what they had done, no sense of the 18hour series marathon that this culminated. The defenders took up their positions with the gaiety of a trip to the fairground. Sure it was spectacular and I wanted to like it but, well, too much just irked me. Some I can forgive, some I can’t. Oh well, I’ll always have the books.       

Captain America: The First Avenger (A rather large melting pot of class action)

So Captain America has finally decided to appear on our movie screens!

Exciting stuff…

Starring Chris Evans (Fantastic Four) the movie focuses on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America.  As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving.)

I think from what I can gather from the trailer, what you see is what you get - But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If the same studio can produce something as good as ‘Iron Man’ then I’m sure a large portion of this film will thoroughly satisfy & entertain all those popcorn munching action junkies (which includes yours truly).

And not to mention ladies (& gents that are into that sort of thing), Chris has done a small amount of working out for this film & ‘blown up’ somewhat.

Which should also draw some attention from fans and fitness freaks alike!

Check out the trailer though folks:

http://captainamerica.marvel.com/

And a featurette named ‘Behind the Shield’:

 http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/167621-chris-evans-on-captain-americas-shield

This juicy morsel is released July 28^th

 

Martin Scorsese’s stab at Fantasy in his new film ‘Hugo’

Noooo!

Marty please don’t do this - Surely you have another crime drama up your sleeve?! Call Bob De Niro right now and tell him you’ll scrap this for Good Fellas 4!

Or perhaps this is a shrewd move for the grand director of American cinema?? After being generally associated with gritty, blood thirsty mob movies – Martin has decided to have a go at the fantasy genre.

‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’ was originally a historical-fiction book written and illustrated by Brian Selznic, published only a few years ago. Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan (called Hugo) who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton (a strange sort of robot from what I could tell from the trailer).

The impressive cast includes Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee and Jude Law.

Certainly could with worth a butchers!

Trailer - http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xk07h3

Released - January 2012 

The Guard - 'An Irish Belter of a Comedy' with Brendan Gleeson

...And for those who have no idea who the lovely Mr Gleeson is - you may have seen him in such flicks (fairly recently) as Harry Potter, In Bruges & Green Zone. This fella is an Irish veteran and a fantastic actor to boot!

Don Cheadle also stars alongside Brendan & his acting talents have shone in such films as Hotel Rwanda, Traffic & the Ocean (11,12 & 13) series.

So this should make for quite a juicy acting combo.

Anyways. Our story in a nutshell...

'Three drug dealers are planning to land half a billion dollars' worth of cocaine off the west coast of Ireland. The only men standing in their way are straight faced FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) & Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson), an unconventional, hard-living and over-the-hill Galway guard with a dying mother, a fondness for prostitutes and a heightened sense of the absurd!'

I've been to Galway & it's a lovely part of the world. I certainly would've never got the feeling that rather large shipments of drugs would be arriving at the port any time soon. So this should make for an intriguing tale against a beautiful backdrop!

And if after my rambling this is still tickling your movie taste buds - please view the trailer people.

In cinemas August 25th:

www.facebook.com/theguardau

 

The Foo Fighters Documentary - Back & Forth

I thought I’d pop a short review up around this documentary - the rise (and rise) of the now stadium rock band the Foo Fighters.

In short, this film captures the band from their inception after the suicide of the Nirvana front man Curt Cobain leading us through a steady journey of members leaving (& returning in the case of guitarist Pat Smear), joining, then leaving - pretty standard band practice if you ask me.

The largest drama & point of interest for me (apart from their current drummer Taylor Hawkins falling into a drug induced coma in 2002) is when the original drummer William Goldsmith has all his drum tracks re-done by Grohl during the recording of their second album ‘The Colour & the Shape'. Off the back of this act by Grohl it’s quite surprising that William actually leaves the band.

It's at these stages in the film that it's at its most exhilarating. Well for me at least.

But as Dave protests “I know what the drums should sound like”. I’m sure you do Dave!

So Mr Grohl certainly does comes across as the driving force / control freak behind the band (which I’m sure is no surprise to anyone into this outfit).

I have enjoyed the Foos over the years dipping in and out of their albums (I bought their first album when I was 16 & in a really shit grunge band myself).‘One By One’ & ‘In Your Honour’ passed me by & then I guess ‘Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace’ I thought was a lovely piece of rock magnificence. So overall I must admit I’m a bit of a fan.

I wouldn’t warn people not interested in the band off this, it’s a handy little exploration into the world of a rather large rock group. As individuals the group are really charasmatic, funny fellas. I even chuckled to myself on a few occasions (like some sad bastard watching a documentary on his own, Saturday night).

Also, if you’re looking for any kind of musical insight into how the band constructs their songs etc you ain't gonna get it brothers & sisters! Apart from the rather sloooooow back end of the doco when the camera observes the production of some songs off their latest album 'Wasting Light' there isn’t much else.

But for me I was quite happy to be entertained by the many anecdotes from each member as they slowly trawl through the bands history. Wembley is another rather touching moment, the two sold out shows the Foos play in 2008, playing to 85,000 people each night. Dave is nearly brought to tears, the soft (hard rocking) Jessie.

So whether it gave enough of an insight into the musical world of the Foo Fighters or not, this documentary both charmed & rocked my bollocks off...

http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=FOOFIGHT11&gclid=CK_Z1ryC-KkCFYYcHAodEjqbYA#.ThpCFmH86i8

The Trip - Coogan & Brydon eat, drink & impersonate their way through the north...

Michael Winterbottom's 'The Trip' was a welcomed feast for a Friday night viewing at my local cinema this week.

Already out for a week or so I'd heard some lovely feedback from a few people here and there & also noticed it screened at the Sydney film festival. I thought to myself, this could be an interesting one son.

The drawing cards for me personally were the fact that it was A. filmed in a fantastic part of the world, northern England (where I just happen to be from) B. Steve Coogan & the fantastic Welsh comedian Rob Brydon were starring together and finally C. It involved Sean Connery & Michael Cain impressions galore!

Originally shot as a 6 part series for the BBC (with all 6 parts in effect making this feature), it didn't bloody disappoint.

From the very beginning of this film these two are looking to outdo each other in the impressions department and they are both brilliant. They both play themselves and when Coogan is offered to write a food column for the UK's Observer, a job picked up largely as an excuse to take his girl on an all expenses paid trip through the northern English countryside, stopping off in a variety of high end hotels and restaurants along the way.

However his girlfriend has commitments in the states & his second or even perhaps third choice happens to be his occasional work partner in crime, Brydon. So the two pack up for six days on the road together, eat good food, and do battle on who can do the best Michael Cain impressions.

I somehow feel I could have been bored to tears by this film, but Winterbottom really manages to create an intimate feel throughout this picture. Coogan the insecure, Hollywood obsessed, womanizer & Brydon the rather less successful, but very happy/content family man! Who never seems to tire of his own impressions.

There are flippin hilarious scenes within this film which have both characters play these comedy 'duals' between each other. Whether it be in the car parading around the countryside or in some rather posh restaurant chastising the colour or appearance of the food. Back & forth they go trying to out do one another and so does the level of my laughter in the cinema (but thank god so does everyone elses, which is a little less embarrassing).

I'll be honest, I've had little or no interest in what Coogan has produced in Hollywood, but here with Winterbottom they really seem to make sweet music (having already worked on Tristram Shandy: A Cock And Bull Story and 24 Hour Party People previously).

I love to see films like this. A simple idea well executed, with a linear story that is wonderfully improvised by our two protagonists. They just seem to start talking about whatever happens to pop into their heads & which makes for some stomach wrenchingly funny moments.

For some reason the one thing that sticks in my head is the Abba renditions they attempt on a couple of occasions. I wonder if I could beat Brydon's attempt at going up 3 octaves?

Lovely work fellas.

And so let the film ranting begin...

My attempt to blog the shit out of something I care a great deal about - Which just so happens to be cinema.

I remember the first film that laid a rather large impression on me. 'Care Bears The Movie'.

The evil face book that bewitched the young boy and turned him into a zombie / evil wizard! Scary shit when you're only knee high.

I also remember watching the Indiana Jones series 100's of times and thinking that perhaps one day I could have a cool wip, a hat, some fashionable stuble while fighting nazi scum all around the four corners of the earth.Apart from flying around the globe a little bit though...sadly non of this has come true.

Over the years I feel I've become some what of a critic / snob when it comes to movies (or at least I'd like to think so!). But I do hope that at least a few people might read these reviews and in some cases even enjoy them.

To kick things off here are a few flicks heading our way this year (& next)  to get the cinematic juices flowing.

A review of The Trip (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=74116) starring Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon is also to follow in my next post:

The Iron Lady - http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=67523

Cowboys & Aliens - http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=79008

Mission Impossibly 4 - http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/missionimpossibleghostprotocol/

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=56998

Thanks for reading!!