I saw The Expendables 3 in cinemas on Thursday 14th August.
Lots of stuff blew up in this movie. That's all.
Aha no but really, The first two Expendables movies were very actiony and explodey, so don't expect this one to be any different, because it's not. This third installment of the old-timers action franchise is toned down even more, what with the certificate being a 12A (the first was an 18 and the second a 15), but still enjoyable.
The story goes that the old guys are, well, getting old, and a batch of bloodthirsty, cut-throat young'uns are drafted in to stop a mad, bad Mel Gibson from giving even badder baddies the means to make things go boom. Old team are annoyed. Young team are cocky. Chaos ensues, as well as many of the films laugh-out-loud one-liners, often delivered by Jason Statham in a wry tone of voice that betrays how much fun he is actually having, beneath all the pretended angst. (How much angst can a bald, relatively short, tough 47-year-old British man portray anyway?) Sylvester Stallone still mumbles, Dolph Lundgren still grunts.
The new guys - well, the young new guys - aren't as well-known, much more rising stars than Hollywood's golden guys and girl. Perhaps the most recognisable of the lot is Kellan Lutz (of Twilight fame), who plays his role very well, effective preparing to nab Statham's seat and the quippy sidekick riding shotgun. He even has a motorcycle, a la Statham in the first film.
There are older new faces too... Mel Gibson, playing it very Mad Max and enjoying the hell out of his betrayed-bad-guy, delivering one particularly vehement speech with such relish you can almost feel his spit on your face (Eww I know, but you get my point). Harrison Ford is in there, being the "dad" who picks up the kids' mess when everything goes to pot, but having a go with a few of the boys' toys himself by the finale. It was Antonio Banderas for me who stole it. OH MY GOODNESS. He was like Zorro and Puss-in-Boots rolled together, with a few grey hairs and minus a few marbles. He was brilliant, one of the highlights, so so funny you'll be remembering his lines for days.
Overall, very enjoyable, silly, explodey fun.
RK.
*Short and sweet review today, as I'm off on holiday tomorrow!
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Guardians of the Galaxy
I saw Guardians of the Galaxy in cinemas on Friday 8th August.
NEW MARVEL FILM, FAN GIRL MOMENT.
I've been having slight Marvel withdrawal, the last one in cinemas was Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and although I've been re-watching The Avengers movies I have felt like something new was needed, very desperately. That said, I didn't realise I was in fact expecting GotG to be "another Avengers" until I was watching it, but more on that later.
Seven word synopsis: Criminals relied upon to save the world.
First things first, the soundtrack. Might not seem an obvious choice for the first order of business, but it's INCREDIBLE. (I'm listening to it right now and singing along to Come and Get Your Love by Redbone is thoroughly brightening my Wednesday.) It's not just there for you to bop along to in the action sequences; it also frames the story and is an integral part of the emotional impact of the film. Often, it is the superbly chosen song which brings a smile to the face as equally as the dialogue.
Speaking of (brilliant segway there), this film is so unbelievably funny! I literally cried with laughter at so many points. Lots of the humour is to do with the nuances of the characters with we see in ourselves or in people we know, such as Drax the Destroyer taking everything very literally with no understanding of metaphors or sarcasm - we all have that one friend... There were also tears shed of a different kind. Prepare yourselves to be emotionally attached to a character you will not expect to steal your heart.
And then there's the character portrayals, oh my life. I cannot praise Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel enough for giving their voices to Rocket and Groot, and making a talking raccoon and tree seem the total norm. Zoe Saldana is in there, doing it for the girls, being a totally kick-ass fighting machine who might not be as tough as she thinks, portraying Gamora with a slight vulnerability that only makes us admire her more. And then. There's Chris Pratt, Peter Quill, Star Lord, the main man as it were. I wish I could be friends with this guy (both the character and the actor) because he is just brilliant. Quill is a balance of adorable bumbling idiot, sassy cool kid and sensitive gentleman, with each side of his personality pyramid having their moment in the spotlight. I could see how he may become slightly grating on some people - someone I knew who saw it didn't like him at all - but for the most, he's the best kind of boy-next-door.
Expectations? Well, as I mentioned, I didn't realise what I was expecting until it wasn't what I expected (I'm pretty sure that makes sense). I think that maybe I was expecting "another Avengers", with GotG being a buddy-ensemble movie, but the tone is entirely different and obviously brilliant, once you adjust to it not being the same as the Avengers. To describe the difference... Imagine the Avengers are your A team, your star players, each with their own fans, their own individual sponsorships and their own egos. Put them all together and you get a neatly packaged, shiny parcel with lots of ready-made followers and plenty of fireworks to entertain the crowds. Now, the Guardians of the Galaxy, they're your B team, managed by the same club but sat on the bench. Some lean forward, watching the game eagerly, dreaming of their turn; others slump with their arms crossed, a permanent frown showing everyone how little they want to be there. However, despite this seemingly rag-tag collection of individuals appearing to have little/nothing in common, when it's their turn on the pitch what they can do together is a lot more fun to watch than the A team, if not as polished. But rough-and-ready is the new perfection, I think.
Aahhh I haven't talked about baddies and this is already a super-long post! Um, so, Lee Pace (who you won't recognise) is Ronan, one of those destroy-the-galaxy-based-on-a-really-old-grudge types, and his right hand is Nebula, played by Karen Gillan - who appears less than I expected given the amount of media hype surrounding her addition to the cast. And, there's another baddie, who will be recognised by Marvel aficionados...
Verdict
Go and see this film. Right now. Stop what you're doing, head to your local multiplex and see this movie. I don't care if you're by yourself, I don't care if you're in your pyjamas, SEE IT.
RK.
NEW MARVEL FILM, FAN GIRL MOMENT.
I've been having slight Marvel withdrawal, the last one in cinemas was Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and although I've been re-watching The Avengers movies I have felt like something new was needed, very desperately. That said, I didn't realise I was in fact expecting GotG to be "another Avengers" until I was watching it, but more on that later.
Seven word synopsis: Criminals relied upon to save the world.
First things first, the soundtrack. Might not seem an obvious choice for the first order of business, but it's INCREDIBLE. (I'm listening to it right now and singing along to Come and Get Your Love by Redbone is thoroughly brightening my Wednesday.) It's not just there for you to bop along to in the action sequences; it also frames the story and is an integral part of the emotional impact of the film. Often, it is the superbly chosen song which brings a smile to the face as equally as the dialogue.
Speaking of (brilliant segway there), this film is so unbelievably funny! I literally cried with laughter at so many points. Lots of the humour is to do with the nuances of the characters with we see in ourselves or in people we know, such as Drax the Destroyer taking everything very literally with no understanding of metaphors or sarcasm - we all have that one friend... There were also tears shed of a different kind. Prepare yourselves to be emotionally attached to a character you will not expect to steal your heart.
And then there's the character portrayals, oh my life. I cannot praise Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel enough for giving their voices to Rocket and Groot, and making a talking raccoon and tree seem the total norm. Zoe Saldana is in there, doing it for the girls, being a totally kick-ass fighting machine who might not be as tough as she thinks, portraying Gamora with a slight vulnerability that only makes us admire her more. And then. There's Chris Pratt, Peter Quill, Star Lord, the main man as it were. I wish I could be friends with this guy (both the character and the actor) because he is just brilliant. Quill is a balance of adorable bumbling idiot, sassy cool kid and sensitive gentleman, with each side of his personality pyramid having their moment in the spotlight. I could see how he may become slightly grating on some people - someone I knew who saw it didn't like him at all - but for the most, he's the best kind of boy-next-door.
Expectations? Well, as I mentioned, I didn't realise what I was expecting until it wasn't what I expected (I'm pretty sure that makes sense). I think that maybe I was expecting "another Avengers", with GotG being a buddy-ensemble movie, but the tone is entirely different and obviously brilliant, once you adjust to it not being the same as the Avengers. To describe the difference... Imagine the Avengers are your A team, your star players, each with their own fans, their own individual sponsorships and their own egos. Put them all together and you get a neatly packaged, shiny parcel with lots of ready-made followers and plenty of fireworks to entertain the crowds. Now, the Guardians of the Galaxy, they're your B team, managed by the same club but sat on the bench. Some lean forward, watching the game eagerly, dreaming of their turn; others slump with their arms crossed, a permanent frown showing everyone how little they want to be there. However, despite this seemingly rag-tag collection of individuals appearing to have little/nothing in common, when it's their turn on the pitch what they can do together is a lot more fun to watch than the A team, if not as polished. But rough-and-ready is the new perfection, I think.
Aahhh I haven't talked about baddies and this is already a super-long post! Um, so, Lee Pace (who you won't recognise) is Ronan, one of those destroy-the-galaxy-based-on-a-really-old-grudge types, and his right hand is Nebula, played by Karen Gillan - who appears less than I expected given the amount of media hype surrounding her addition to the cast. And, there's another baddie, who will be recognised by Marvel aficionados...
Verdict
Go and see this film. Right now. Stop what you're doing, head to your local multiplex and see this movie. I don't care if you're by yourself, I don't care if you're in your pyjamas, SEE IT.
 |
| Image credit: Marvel, Instagram. |
Sunday, 3 August 2014
The Luna Cinema
On Thursday 31st July, I took my parents out for a surprise for their wedding anniversary (everybody "Awww"). I'd actually had the tickets for this big mystery since April, and I think I was more excited to tell them than they were to find out! We went to Ascot Racecourse to see 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', hosted by The Luna Cinema. The Luna Cinema are one of the UK's biggest and best open air cinema companies, so I hoped we would be in a for a unique and unforgettable movie experience...
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| The evening begins! |
This is what we were greeted with on arrival - the directors' chairs laid out were for Premium ticket holders ( ourselves sadly not among them) and THE BIGGEST SCREEN I'VE EVER SEEN NOT IN AN ACTUAL CINEMA. We were one of the first groups of people through the door so we were able to set up our picnic chairs in a good viewing spot and settle in for the evening. While the venue was still quite empty I took the opportunity to snap some photos of the other bits and bobs they had going on.
The Luna Cinema's headline partner for this season is Benefit Cosmetics, so they were out in full force with their pink Bene-Bus and fun fairground attractions.
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| The Bene-Bus... |
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| "Put-your-face-here" photo booth, like at the seaside (do these have a proper name?) |
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| Mascara hoopla! |
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| Movie prop phonebox photo booth |
You could also choose to have your photo taken on their pink carpet, in order to be in with a chance to win a VIP seats in the bright pink Bene-Lounge, to enjoy the film in comfort and style!
The lovely Benefit girls also came round with samples, with all proceeds going to charity - so I may have splashed out on a few essential items...
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| The pink carpet... |
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| The VIP Bene-Lounge! VERY VERY PINK. |
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| My sample purchases |
There was food and drink available to buy, or you could elect to take a picnic. I didn't take many pictures of the food we ate because it all went so fast aha, but we took some scones to eat before the film and popcorn/chocolate to eat during. We got a little more peckish than we anticipated so we also treated ourselves to hot dogs from Dog'N'Bun, which were deeeeeelicious, mmmmmm.
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| PS I made the scones *pat on the back for me* |
As the sun started to set there were a few announcements and then the credits started to roll... We've always loved Indiana Jones so it was amazing to see a film we treasure in such a distinctive way. It was a little loud, but this was clearly so that the people at the back would also be able to hear every one of Harrison Ford's growled lines as well as those seated at the front! We got a little chilly as the evening wore on but it was nothing a few blankets couldn't fix. All in all we left Ascot as three very happy campers - and have already trawled through the Luna Cinema calendar to see which remaining films of the season we can go to see!
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| Beautiful sunset sky |
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| Beautiful family photo, to remember an amazing night. |
RK.
(DISCLAIMER: This post is NOT sponsored and all opinions are my own.)
(DISCLAIMER: This post is NOT sponsored and all opinions are my own.)
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