Movie Review - Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, and more.

Directed by: Scott Derrickson Written by: Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson, and C. Robert Cargill Based on the Comics by: Steve Ditko Cinematography by: Ben Davis Music by: Michael Giacchino 

Premise: A world famous surgeon loses the use of his hands after a terrible car accident. Determined to find a cure, he eventually ends up in Kathmandu, Nepal where he meets the Ancient One. Driven to succeed so he can go back to his old life, Strange finds himself embroiled in a conflict that could well decide the fate of the planet. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Benedict Cumberbatch did a great job as Doctor Stephen Strange. Cumberbatch took the character and made it his own. Though he's played many roles with ego filled men with hearts they deny, he still found a way to make Strange unique from all his other performances. Kudos! Tilda Swinton  was quite convincing as a female version of the Ancient One. Mads Mikkelsen was wonderful as Kaecilius. His conversation with Strange in the NY Sanctum was wicked and fabulous on so many levels. Not to be outdone, Chiwetel Ejiofor holds his own as Mordo. (For those who know the comic series, they do push him in the right direction by the end, so go with it.) Benedict Wong (I swear they made an in-joke of the fact they had two Benedicts) was a perfect and fun foil for Strange. Rachel McAdams was fun as Christine Palmer. Her reactions at a couple of places were priceless! :)

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: If you can possibly see this film in IMAX 3D I would urge you to do so! I get motion sickness easily, but didn't have trouble with the film, so I think it should be safe for most people. All the warping of reality looked spectacular! 

The special effects team also handled a silent actor who just about stole the show - the Cloak of Levitation. Totally unexpected handling of the ancient artifact and it worked so well! Loved what they did with it! 

The mirror universe, Dormamu's universe, and all the weird manipulations of reality were fantastic. Dormamu himself, which you get a hint of during Stephen's first introduction to the unknown, looked fabulous! Wish we'd gotten a look at the Mindless ones, but I'm sure they're saving those for later. :P 

The spells themselves were super cool. The physicality added to them made them seem more real, which added more to the film than just straight visual effects would have. Awesome choice.

The Eye of Agamotto doesn't much resemble the iconic image used in the comics, but was still very cool. And wait untill you see the astral fight through the hospital! Fab!

And wait till you see what they do with the apple. Fantastic! And the backwards while still going forward combat was sublime!

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: This is an intro story and most of the important facts fit with the stated mythology from the comics. Doctor Strange is hubby's favorite all time comic book hero so he's been slobbering to see it. :P And he was quite happy with the treatment. 

Three major changes from the comics  were in the film. The Ancient One is now female - though it was pulled off quite nicely. The second was the introduction of Kaecilius as Stephen's first nemesis. But that's only so they could build up what they'll be doing with Mordo later. Bwahahahaha! (Ahem...) The third was the addition of Christine Palmer into the origin story. But she made for a nice counterpoint with Strange. In essence, all the best parts of what make up Doctor Strange were definitely there.

The film had a lot of interspersed humor. It was quite a surprise, but it added a nice layer of fun to the film. 

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Between the training, the fighting and the effect of magic on others - the stunt team was kept very busy. Fights weren't on just the usual planes of existence anymore. This made for some challenging hand to hand combat! Even escaping was a major stunt trial. lol.  

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Both the real and the imagined locations were great! They had great flavor. They even used a couple of places where you saw one thing, but heard another, throwing the whole into a new context. What fun! Filming occurred in the real Kathmandu, Nepal. Also in Hong Kong, London, New York, Los Angeles and more. The addition of the Avenger's tower outside of Stephen's view was a nice touch.

And wait till you see the New York Sanctum. Sweet! 

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Major kudos to the makeup department, Benedict Cumberbatch, and the special effects group with respect to Stephen's messed up hands. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that they weren't the same as they'd been when he wakes up in the hospital after the accident. And later you can see the scars from the repairs and additional surgeries he had performed in an attempt to get them fixed. A constant reminder of his loss.

The group also did a fabulous job recreating Strange's unique look from the white in his hair to the blue gi like uniform. Great attention to detail!

Conclusion: Doctor Strange is an awesome rendition of the famous comic series. Fans will be please with how technology has finally caught up enough to bring this fabulous character to the world in the right way. There are two (yes two!) extra scenes during the credits. So stay all the way to the end! Stan Lee also has a cameo! (I know - like DUH!) :P

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)

Movie Review - Zoolander 2

Zoolander 2

Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Benedict Cumberbatch, Penélope Cruz, Kristen Wiig, Milla Jovovich, Billy Zane, Cyrus Arnold, Justin Bieber, Sting, Kiefer Sutherland, and many more.

Directed by: Ben Stiller Written by: Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller, Nicholas Stoller, and John Hamburg Based on Characters Created by: Drake Sather and Ben Stiller Cinematography by: Daniel Mindel Music by: Theodore Shapiro

Premise: After the death of his wife and loss of custody of his son, Derek Zoolander hid himself away from modeling and life. He's brought back into the modeling scene after Billy Zane delivers an invitation from the current fashion diva, Alexanya Atoz, to come to Rome. Dealing with his own issues of a scarred face and the possibility of his being a father, Hansel receives the same invitation. Yet all is not as it would appear, as a rash of deaths in the music industry and cryptic photos by the murdered victims lead interpol fashion police officer Valentina straight into Zoolander's path. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: I've yet to see the original Zoolander (my bad), but it was obvious from the start that everyone, from the main leads to the zillion cameos, that everyone had a ball being a part of this film. And while I heard there was some unhappiness from fans with regards to Benedict Cumberbatch playing All, I am not sure why they were displeased. He was fabulous in the role! And looked to have enjoyed every moment of it. He was perfect for the character. And his sweeping in to whip two Mork from Ork clones with vengeful fashion wrath was hilarious! (Wished they'd let him do more! :P)

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: They did some very 80's and also some cool futuristic looking effects in the film. Interpol was super high tech - loved the screens. There was also a lovely chase scene with some Matrix like hijinxs to grab our attention from the very beginning that were nicely done. 

The jail for the criminally fashion insane was a giant thimble and needle - genius! And the prison cell holding Mugato was outstanding.  Several of the locations got spruced up with special effects magic so you got a combination James Bond and 80's MTV video effects here and there. :)

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: I'd heard of Zoolander and learned about the Blue Steel look when all the celebs were doing it. But I'd not gotten around to seeing the first film. That being said, anyone who hasn't seen it doesn't need to worry about not knowing what's going on as they do a nice quick recap and even fill in the intervening years to throw wrenches for the upcoming plot.

Zoolander and Hansel go on a true trip of discovery - one to help them find out who they are and also what others mean to them. Rolled up in this are the themes of family, connecting, and acceptance. And of course 'looking cool' and what that really means.

No real surprises on the plot, but with the lack of mental capacity from the heroes, they couldn't make it too hard on them. lol. My two favorite spots were the beginning James Bond like sequence and the scenes with All. And Keifer Sutherland is pregnant?

There are all sorts of in-jokes thrown all over the place as well. Trying to catch them is rather fun. :) Oh, and the whole serving tea with the feet scene? Awesome! :P

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Some physical and some CGI stunts. This is a comedy so some bits go beyond human boundaries, but that's part of the fun. (Who knew Will Ferrell was so flexible?) And one of the longest car rolls EVER!

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: From the desert outside Malibu to the Northern reaches of New Jersey, they really picked some great locations for the film. All the spots in Rome were fantastic. And the views! 

Heck, even the weird locations like the dolled up medicine factory/toxic waste dump/fashion party were nicely done. Lovely cinematography.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Loved loved loved the Dr. Strange look they gave Zoolander when we find him in his hermitage in the cold north! Hansel's quarter mask was also adorable. Make note of his scar after the first look and see what/who it reminds you of. :)  

And the amazing (and horrifying) things they did to Kristen Wiig! OMG! Creepiest looking character ever! lol. I swear there were several characters from some old movies squished together to make her up. (Dug back up?) :P 

And since the film is about models, there are costume changes for just about every scene! Having to come up with all these clothes must have driven the wardrobe people crazy. Using tattoos as part of Hansel's costumes was a great move.

7) Music - Total Thumbs Up: I have to say half of my enjoyment of the film was from the great background score by Theodore Shapiro. A very spy/thriller type sound with lovely changes for different areas that set the perfect mood from the start. :)

Conclusion: Can't say if it is better or not than the original Zoolander, but Zoolander 2 was fun. Everyone looked to be having a ball. So if you're looking for something silly, light, and very well done with cool locations, look no further. Zoolander 2 will take you there. :)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better for Matinee) 

Movie Review - The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Allen Leech, Matthew Beard, Charles Dance, Mark Strong, James Northcote, Tom Goodman-Hill, Alex Lawther, Jack Bannon, and more.

Directed by: Morten Tyldum Screenplay by: Graham Moore Based on the Book by: Andrew Hodges Cinematography by: Oscar Faura Music by: Alexandre Desplat

Premise: A detective becomes interested in a robbery in 1951 after meeting the victim, Alan Turing. The detective feels the victim is hiding something and decides to dig deeper. Flashing back to 1939, we see Alan Turing at his work and trials on creating a machine able to decode Germany's unbreakable Enigma machine. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Benedict Cumberbatch shines in his portrayal of the mathematical and code breaking prodigy Alan Turing. He does a fantastic job getting across Turing's social confusion and other feelings as he takes on the job to break Enigma's naval code. His bumbling attempts at levity, or making inadvertent jokes, will strangely endear all those watching to the mathematician - one of Cumberbatch's incredible abilities.

Keira Knightley also shone as Joan Clarke, a capable woman pigeon holed by society and her parents not to amount to anything despite her amazing talents. It was great seeing Allen Leech again and the surprises he brings with him as well. Great job from all the cast members.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: While not a flashy special effects type of film, the Christopher/Ultra/Bombe machine seen at its various states of construction was fascinating and was kept within the technologies available at the time, even as it made some leaps forward. The audience will be as excited as the actors when those circles begin to spin, and later when they stop!

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: The story grabs the audience almost immediately - beginning in 1951 and showing Alan Turing in an interrogation room. The mathematician begins speaking to the audience, giving several rules, and how he will not repeat himself, so all must listen carefully.

It is after we're told of a burglary at Turing's and Nock's suspicion that Turing is hiding something that propels the story back to 1939.

The rest of the tale is told with small leaps back to Turing's youth at school, and the investigation in 1951 as matters progress in 1939. So you get to know the man and how he became to be as he was. There's a phrase used several times, which proves to be a turning point for many people.

While most matters proceed as you'd expect, lots of lovely curve balls show up throughout the story. You'll also be happy to know that Joan Clarke was not a token female, but was an actual member of the team, brought slowly forth into the group as Turing and the others pushed for her to help with the work.

There's a lot having to do with the Enigma machines and different encryption levels used by the different branches of the German military that don't get disclosed, but was not really needed as it kept the information more focused. But it was specifically the naval's super high encryption and water soluble code books that caused the most trouble for decoding their encryption, especially at the short time frames before the codes were changed. Truly a mind boggling problem.

The ending both in the 40's and 50's truly brings home the sacrifice, service, and sadness of all those who worked during that time - so I would advice taking some tissues.

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: A lot of the filming happened at actual historical locations - Bletchley Park, Sherborne School, London, King's Cross Station and more. The sequence with the crossword puzzle really brings home some of what the regular population was going through during those trying times.

5) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Running a span of thirty or so years, great care was taken with the costuming and hairstyles. Several times, when they would switch years, the costumes alone were enough to ground you into the proper time location.

Conclusion: The Imitation Game is a fascinating look at the man and the struggle to beat the Enigma naval codes used by the Germans during World War II. The superb cast and cross pollination storytelling made it an incredibly fascinating watch.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dean O'Gorman, Aidan Turner, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Fry, Jed Brophy, Mark Hadlow, Adam Brown, and more.

Directed by: Peter Jackson Screenplay by: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro Based on the Novel by: J.R.R. Tolkien Cinematography by: Andrew Lesnie Music by: Howard Shore

Premise: Still pursued by orcs, the company of dwarves, Gandalf, and Bilbo continue towards the old mountain kingdom. As Bilbo learns about the ancient feud between the elves and the dwarves, and they run into more trouble, he also begins to grasp that there's something not quite right with the ring he took from the orc caves. Gandalf, too, comes to realize that an ancient evil is once more loose upon the world. And none of them have yet figured out how they plan to deal with the dragon. (Rated PG -13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Martin Freeman more than amply proves again why he was the perfect choice to play Bilbo Baggins. Though his part in the second film is not quite as extensive as in the first, he still brings so much to the film as to be invaluable. Freeman even has several comedic moments were just a few gestures totally made the scene. Evangeline Lilly, Orlando Bloom, and Lee Pace were great additions to the cast. Lee Pace gave the High Elf Thranduil a wonderful edge, as if the character were swaying back and forth between possible madness.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: There are a ton of special effects, and just about all of them looked fabulous. I loved the interpretation of Mirkwood forest. The creepy, almost rotting inside later contrasted nicely with the gorgeous top of the canopy. The way they show trouble is coming while he was up there was quite clever. The flip sides of the forest, very much hint of the very things which are happening within the underground palace of the elves. The combat sequences with the CGI orcs and the actors were fantastic. You'd hardly believe they weren't really there. You'll also see a barrel used as a deadly weapon - fabulous.

There is a neat magic bout literally between light and dark, and the film bled all color away, which was a nice touch which showed the two extremes colliding. The CGI work on Smaug was awesome - add in Benedict Cumberbatch's voice - and one could not ask for better. Make sure to look at the dwarves' hands. Not sure how they did it, but they're different enough from a normal human hand to really help the audience believe Thorin's band are indeed a different race from the norm.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: I'll warn you now, you'll grit your teeth at where they leave off the film. But at least they do give you a fun, fabulous ride before yanking it on you. The pace is fast, so the two hours and forty minutes fly by. Some tweaking to the original story by adding elements not in the book, but in general it seemed to stick to it pretty faithfully. Definitely felt better put together than the first film.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of closeup battle scenes between elves, orcs, dwarves, giant spiders, and one hobbit. A ton of great moments during the fights, too. It's almost a contest to see who can kill whom in the most surprising manner. However they worked the stand-ins for the CGI orcs and other creatures to battle the others, it was an amazing job.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: There were a lot of new and fantastical places to see in this second film. The cinematography did a great job in letting us get a look at them, and sometimes doing so from unexpected directions, which let us get even more out of the view. The shot from the top of the tree canopy in Mirkwood is absolutely breathtaking. The elven grounds, the palace under the mountain, the hideout of the orcs, even the sad human town, all perfect set locations.

Conclusion: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" is fast paced and a ton of fun. They leave you hanging at a bad spot, so reconcile yourself to this before going to see it. Sadly, there were no previews or extra items in the credits. But if you have time, I definitely recommend going to the main site and then clicking on the web experiment. Fun stuff.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again)

Mind Sieve 10/7/13

Morning!

Fan Fun

I, Frankenstein Official Trailer 2014 - Oooo, were-gargoyles! This looks fun!

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit trailer 1 - Hmm could be good!

Frankenstein - I heard about this at a panel on Sherlock Holmes at Fencon and had to go looking. This sounds so freaking awesome! 

And it's coming to the US through Fandango! To the Angelika Plano and Dallas in OCT/NOV 2013!!!! SQUEE!!! (Thank you for mentioning this today Melanie!) Got my tickets!!!!  

In case you're wondering what the heck I am talking about... Sherlock Holmes from Elementary (Johnny Lee Miller) and Sherlock Holmes from BBC's Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) have done a stage version of Frankenstein where they each play the doctor and monster and SWITCH who plays who each night! And both have totally different interpretations. And BOTH will be playing at the Angelika on different days. This is going to be EPIC!

SQUEE!

And insanely running around the internet to get this info and SQUEE - freak out - and check time conflicts - and check the dates for the Plano vs Dallas - and realizing I can make it - and manically calling hubby -

Yeah, the rest of the time to do the blog post went out the window.

Why, no, I am not excited by this AT ALL! Hah!

Movie Review - Star Trek Into Darkness

(I have Dallas Comic Con this weekend. So we went to the movies last night! Yay)

Star Trek Into Darkness

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bruce Greenwood, Peter Weller, Alice Eve, Leonard Nimoy, and more.

Directed by: J J Abrams Written by: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof Based on the TV series "Star Trek" by: Gene Roddenberry Cinematography by: Daniel Mindel Original Music by: Michael Giacchino

Premise: An act of terrorism followed by an unexpected attack on Star Fleet Headquarters sets James T Kirk on a path to hunt down the man responsible. Armed with new top secret, untrackable torpedoes, he's to follow John Harrison into Klingon space and destroy him before the Klingons discover them and drag the Federation into a full interstellar war. (Rated  PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Thumbs Up: I believe this is probably one of Chris Pine's best performances. The great chemistry between the characters comprising the core of the crew is definitely there and a lot of funny moments come from Zoe Saldana's and Zachary Quinto's interactions. While Karl Urban was one hundred percent Dr. McCoy and funny as always, it was Simon Pegg who pulled off the most comedic bits this time around. The only real disappointment in the acting area was the lack of use by the scriptwriters of Benedict Cumberbatch's awesome range. (If you've not seen the fabulous series "Sherlock" with Benedict Cumberbatch and  Martin Freeman, go do it now!) Peter Weller also did great, but lacked support in the script for his motivation.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: From the belly of a volcano to the crashing of spaceships, all the special effects work was 'top notch'. I especially liked the work on the mini-story at the beginning of the film - it truly felt like an alien world. The Klingon Birds of Prey actually flew like a bird when in atmosphere, which I found fascinating. This made the appearance of the dreadnaught and its almost 'cookie cutter' appearance to other Federation ships, despite its being a totally different class, rather odd.

There was also something they did that I couldn't figure out if it was on purpose, mostly because it wasn't consistent. John Harrison looked bigger than a standard human during the brig sequences and a couple of other places, but when standing next to Kirk or other characters, he was normal sized. Totally odd.

Lots of new aliens show up in this film. All humanoid, but definitely interesting. Watch for them in the background and not just inside the ships.

3)  Plot/Story - Neutral: There was some great stuff, there was some awful stuff.

For some of the bad - the science got in the way, so it was pitched out the window. Even traveling at maximum warp, it takes more than five minutes to reach the Klingon Empire, let alone their main planet of Cronos. The same applies for the trip back.

Transporter beams cannot beam you onto something that's moving. Since regeneration of the person on the other end is not instantaneous, it wouldn't move with the object being beamed onto. Also if the person you're trying to transport tries to run for it, the beam would not be able to keep a lock as it does not move.

Earth does have stations and other ships in orbit. They also have sensors. (This will make sense when you see it in context.) (There's more, but I will restrain myself.)

Another major issue was the motivation for one of the characters (not John Harrison). The total turn around of said character had nothing to substantiate it whatsoever. Not to the extreme used - it just wasn't believable. And with such a flaw, it took away from pretty much everything else that happened after, at least to me.

On the good side - lots and lots of in-jokes and acts of homage for the second of the original Star Trek movies. They even took several familiar scenes and twisted them for the new timeline. (Some worked really well, others not as much.) They also snuck in a "Damn it, Jim, I'm a doctor not a 'insert occupation here'!" which made my hubby very, very happy. A lot of the little moments were a lot of fun. Watching Spock being befuddled by the actions of those around him and vice versa, never gets old.

There were actually a few unexpected twists and surprises. One I'd told hubby my suspicions on six months or more ago after seeing the first trailers, so it made me giggle when he looked over at me in surprise when my guess did come to pass. Loved that Uhura got more screen time and was pivotal more than once. You go, girl!

I still want to know why the heck McCoy had a dead Tribble sitting around in sickbay.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: The hand-to-hand fight on Chronos was great! Wonderful intro for the Klingon race into the new universe.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: From the futuristic city of London to the ruins on Cronos, everything looked pretty amazing. The cloud field shot when Enterprise goes back to Earth was lovely.

Strangely, the only place that seemed not to fit was the Enterprise's engine room. The style and how it was set up clashed with the look of every other section in the ship. Very odd.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Thumbs Up: Overall the costuming and makeup departments did a marvelous job, especially with the new aliens, and giving Klingons a new yet old look. No green tinting at all on Spock's skin, making him less Vulcan, though Kirk got plenty of it in a scene towards the end.

The uniforms on ship were reminiscent of the original TV series uniforms, and they even had a few 'red shirt' jokes, but they clashed with the new gray and black uniforms worn Earthside. For Starfleet and the Federation being dedicated to peace, the hats and dark clothes gave the opposite impression and made Starfleet members look very militant. Seemed very out of place.

Conclusion: A fun thrill ride as long as you turn your brain off and not look at anything too closely. Lots of jokes and homage to the original series and movies, so in that respect, it was a lot of fun. The very end before the credits will make many very nostalgic.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price To See Again!)

Movie Review - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Dean O'Gorman, Aidan Turner, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, Jed Brophy, Mark Hadlow, Adam Brown, Ian Holm, Andy Serkin, Elijah Wood, Christipher Lee, Benedict Cumberbatch, and more.

Directed by: Peter Jackson Screenplay by: Fran Walsh, Philipa Boyens, Peter Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro Based on the novel "The Hobbit" by: J R R Tolkien Cinematography by: Andrew Lesnie Original Music by: Howard Shore

Premise: Bilbo Baggins' tranquil life is turned upside down when Gandalf comes to viist. Not only is the wizard wanting to take Bilbo on an adventure, but he invites thirteen dwarves to come meet at his home. Worse, Gadalf has told the dwarves that Bilbo is a burglar and that he's the right person to invite along on their grand quest. And much to his own surprise, Bilbo decides to go along after all. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Martin Freeman is perfect as the reluctant adventurer Bilbo Baggins. Ian McKellen was incredibly expressive as he reprised his role as Gandalf the Grey. Richard Armitage shows Thorin's greatness as well as his fallacies without saying a word. Andy Selkin brought Gollum to life once more, flicking skillfully around the split personality of the pitiful creature.

2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: Most of the special effects went toward the animation of a lot of the unusual wildlife and other sentient species. And while they moved and interacted well, and I got a good giggle of thinking the Pale Orc looked a lot like Benedict Cumberbatch, I was somewhat disappointed by the fact the orcs, the goblins, and the trolls looked similar to one another. Even for gamers and fantasy fans, the film made it hard on occasion to know which type of foe the adventurers were facing -- all three were mostly hairless with pasty type skin. When standing still the differences were more evident, but during combat and ambushes it was difficult.

Loved the dwarven city when it was shown in its heyday during a flashback. They did several panning shots of the amazing place, but they were rather fast, so it was hard to take everything in. The few places they did slow down on looked amazing!

The small forest animals, the spiders, and the giant birds were incredibly detailed and turned out wonderfully. The few glimpses of Smaug at the beginning and the end were very nicely done. Totally loved the rock warriors too.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: For those who may not yet realize it, the novel the movie was based on has been split into three movies. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is but the first, to be followed in 2013 by "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," and in 2014 by "The Hobbit: There and Back Again." For seeing a detailed film and getting a lot of time to become familiar with the characters, this is a great thing, but it can also be perilous.

I read the novel thirty plus years ago, so aside from the occasional moment of 'aha!', I've forgotten most of the details, so I can't honestly say how faithful the movie adaptation coincides with the novel, but I did feel it definitely caught the spirit of the book. Even for such a  long film, there's plenty to absorb and on the last half progresses at an incredible pace as the adventurers are beset with problem after problem.

For this first film, they follow the thread of Thorin's adamant belief in the worthless effort to ask the elves fir help and of Bilbo not belonging in his quest. The latter thread builds to a climax and resolution, making a nice story arc for the film to hinge on. And by cutting the novel into three parts, they allow for the telling of the story to be deeper, so the audience can get to know this odd bunch of dwarves and Middle Earth itself.

4) Stunts - Thumbs Up: Faked, real or both, the combat and physical scenes came out quite well. I have to wonder at how many plates were broken during the beautiful dish tossing scene. The insane combat in the goblin domain and the subsequent orc/warg battle had to be a choreography nightmare.

The scene with the dwarves on a spit was priceless.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Thumbs Up: The film was filled with grand sweeping shots, the typical adventurer party going over the spine of mountains shots, and breathtaking scenery shots. Each location was unique and interesting. Definitely a lot of visuals to enjoy and enough variety to make the audience feel they were truly on a journey.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: A great amount of detail was spent making the dwarves look as unique as their culture. The dwarf king even had 'bling' for his beard. The dwarven hairstyles ran the gauntlet from shaven with tattoos to intricate triple splits with braids. Made the elves look totally boring in comparison as they pretty much only wore long straight hair. The dwarves even gave the elves some competition on stylish wear. Kind of fun!

Conclusion: "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is a fun, fantasy adventure film that captures the imagination and does a great job of bringing Tolkien's world to life. (If you see the film in IMAX 3D (well worth it) you also get an extended 9 minute preview for "Star Trek Into Darkness." (6 minutes of new footage and a replay of the preview already out.)

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price To See Again!)

Mind Sieve 3/5/12

Greetings!
And off we go!

Humboldt Squid's Impressive Dives from BBC News. Cool info!

Scrat Parodies "The Artist" In Ice Age 4 Continental Drift Featurette from Total Film

New MIB 3 Poster story from Total Film.

See Otherland's Lambda Mall In New Developer Video -  story by Jef Reahard. Just looks cooler and cooler!

Medieval Mondays - Viking Trading Ships by A J Walker. Interesting info! 

More Star Trek 2 Images Online from Total Films. Story by George Wales. Wait a minute! Benedict Cumberbatch is in Star Trek 2?!?!?!  Woot!!!!!

From the History Blog - Viking Sword Found In Norway During Construction. And we get some historical stories to boot! 

Encasing The Magna Carta from the History Blog. Utterly fascinating videos and info on preserving the Magna Carta copy we have here in the states. (Yes, I like weird stuff! It's a thing. ;P)

Shadows - Lindsey Stirling. Nice music and cute shadow games. 

Ultimate Ping Pong from GakAttack. Too fun!

Beautiful Time Lapse Of The Milky Way, Auroras, and Shooting Stars - article from Peta Pixel and Michael Zhang. Absolutely gorgeous!!!! 

13 Ways To Impress An Agent by Rachelle Gardner. Yay - hints!!!! (Chocolate should probably wait till they ask to see the full the manuscript. Heh heh heh.)

Amazon - Beware Of Greek Bearing Gifts from Kristen Lamb. Much food for thought! Scary food for thought. lol.

How Do Readers Find Your Books On Goodreads? by Tamara Ward.

25 Ways To UnF*** Your Story from Chuck (NSFW) Wendig. :P Hey, he speaks good truth, even if he's a little colorful. heh heh.

The Failure Of The Gatekeepers by Paul Biba. Another interesting article that is also depressing. lol. This industry is so hard!

What Finding Nemo Can Teach Us About Story Action from Kriten Lamb. Super insightful stuff!

Okay, I'm done in. That's it for this round. Enjoy!

Movie Review - Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy

Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy

Starring: Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Hurt, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, David Dencik, Ciaran Hinds, Kathy Burke, Tom Hardy, Amanda Fairbank-Hines, Simon McBurney, and more.

Directed by: Tomas Alfredson Screenplay by: Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan Based on the Novel by: John le Carre Original Music by: Alberto Iglesias

Premise: A forcibly retired spy in the 70's is asked for one more task after it appears that what had been thought of as the paranoid delusions of the previous head of British Intelligence about a mole in their ranks appears to be a possibility after the man's passing. (Rated R)

Review: This film is a slow puzzle being put together from floating pieces of yarn or random dots. The trick is to figure out which dot is the right one, the correct starting point you need to connect the line for the next one and then the next - the most innocuous of things actually are clues to the whole.

If you're sleepy or tired, that's not the time to see this movie. If you blink you might miss something important. Take a restroom break at your peril! Clues are everywhere, and some are incredibly subtle.

Tons of kudos to all the actors in this piece. A lot of information is gleamed from looks, a stumbled step, who finds what or not amusing. It was a lot of fun compiling all the information being provided to realize the motives and secrets laying about in the hunt for the mole.

The film might not satisfy younger tastes as it is full of seemingly random scenes and builds at a slow pace. The few sections of violence are brutal though also mostly implied. The hunt is mostly mental rather than physical, each piece leading towards the next.

What was truly lovely in the plot was a tandem mission within the mission. One that despite seeming to be irrelevant and nothing but a distraction, actually meant more than imagined when seen in the whole. There is a ton of subtext -  another reason why you dare not blink. And it was marvelously shared. The scene at the small airport towards the end was chucked full of subtext from the moment Toby entered the car with Peter. Lovely. You'll leave the film flashing on little nuggets and getting new insight all the way home.

Two items that I found super interesting was how the fired head of the Circus (British Intelligence) was only ever referred to as Control. He even signed his dispatches as 'C'. The other was you never see the face of Ann. Also was fun watching the route within HQ of the sensitive data. So many little touches!

This is a film about the rewards of long term loyalty, trust, honor, of the impacts we make on other peoples's lives which could have far reaching impacts even from a short, casual meeting.

As for the title - it is a reference to the nicknames given to those who might be the mole. So truly it is Tinker, Taylor, Soldier.

If you like puzzles and mental spy games, this is for you!

Rating: 4 out of  5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - War Horse

War Horse

Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, Neils Arestrup, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, Celine Buckens, Toby Kebbel, David Cross, and many more...

Directed by: Steven Spieldberg Screenplay by: Lee Hall and Richard Curtis Based on the Book by: Michael Morpurgo Original Music by: John Williams Cinematography by: Janusz Kamiski

Premise: After a young man, Albert, and a young horse, Joey, are brought together and bond, the two are separated with the coming of World War I. But not before Albert vows to somehow meet again someday. (PG-13)

Review: Black Beauty meets The Red Violin! I don't know what it was about the previews, but I eagerly awaited the coming of this film. Hubby had no interest, but ended up going with me and loved it.

Older audiences will be reminded of great classics like My Friend Flicka, Black Beauty, and Old Yeller. And because the film follows not only Joey's adventure but Albert's father's regiment flag, as well as the encapsulated stories of those Joey meets, the film was very reminiscent of the captivating film the Red Violin.

War Horse is a family friendly movie. Spieldberg went out of his way to hide moments of death to anyone the viewers might have become vested in, so though they die, it shouldn't traumatize the kids. There are still some scenes of violence, but very few, and the blood is kept to a minimum. Do take a hanky just in case. Some will need it. (I did!)

The film is a coming of age tale showing the courage of animals and people, of hope and loyalty. Between the goose, Joey, and the major's black horse, the animals steal the show. The acting was also superb from everyone present. Some of the best scenes were those without dialogue - where a look or a simple gesture conveyed volumes. Very nicely done.

The locations are fabulous. The sets for the trench warfare and no man's land will make you feel like you are there. Some truly majestic and sweeping camera work.

Definitely worth a watch, with or without the kids.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)