Movie Review - King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Bergès-Firsbey, Jude Law, Djimon Hounsou, Eric Bana, Aidan Gillen, Freddie Fox, Graig McGinlay, Tom Wu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Neil Maskell, Annabelle Wallis, Bleu Landau, and more.

Directed by: Guy Ritchie Screenplay by: Joby Harold, Guy Ritchie, and Lionel Wigram Story by: David Dobkin and Joby Harold Cinematography by: John Mathieson Music by: Daniel Pemberton

Premise: A betrayal destroys the peace Uther Pendragon has built and it's led to the massacre of most mages. But Uther's son escaped Vortigen's grasp as well as Excalibur. Years later, the sword surfaces again embedded in a stone. Vortigern can't afford to have his plans interfered with. So all males of a certain age must come forward and try their hand at removing the sword from the stone. Yet pulling the Excalibur free also means certain death. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Charlie Hunnam does an excellent job as the down to earth, yet troubled Arthur. Astrid Bergès-Firsbey as the mage was both mysterious and no-nonsense. Jude Law didn't have to stretch too hard to play the backstabbing Vortigern. Though I will say, he did a fabulous job looking conflicted as he made his sacrifice.

2) Special Effect - Total Thumbs Up:  Just when I think I can't be wowed by special effects, I run across something to prove me wrong. All the effects in the film were fabulous! (And they should be, I saw at least three visual effect companies in the credits!) The 3D component served several of the special effect sections quite well.

The giant elephants with pyramids on their backs in the beginning sequence were super rad. Loved their fire eyes and their cunning intelligence as they wielded giant rocks tied to ropes. Sweet!

The three fates/sirens/octopi looked amazing! The tentacles and undulations were superb. The Lady of the Lake also gets a super neat sequence of her own.

The demon warrior with the flaming and smoke cloak was super cool! So were the bizarre fire bombs. The giant rats, bats, and snakes were very detailed and looked alive.

Though a mixture of cultures, all the fantasy locations looked fantastic. Londinium was a bizarre mix of British and Roman but looked awesome. The tower, the Bad Lands, all the CGI locations looked super.

3) Plots Story - Neutral: If you come to see this film expecting an accurate rendition of the Arthurian legend, you're in for major disappointment. Much as Guy Ritchie did with the Sherlock Holmes movies, he's kept the bits he liked then jumbled/changed the rest. The previews alone should have been an indication this would not be cannon, but in case you didn't realize it, I figured I'd give you a heads up!

You know you're not in our England when you see a Mayan temple on a hillside not far from a mage's tower. Londinium itself is a weird mix of Roman, Greek, and old English styles. It's difficult to say if it was intentional in order to let us know this won't be your usual Arthurian legend or people not doing their homework or just something someone had always wanted to do.

The plot is straight forward for the most part. There are no real surprises aside from those at the beginning. Some of the motivation was suspect though. They say Vortigern betrays Uther because he was jealous of him, but I didn't see much to be jealous about. He had a loving wife, a beautiful daughter, a high position in court. He could even do magic! So his "jealousy" motivation didn't quite work. (Coming to love people fearing him came later, so not part of the original equation.) Also, the fact he suffered so much in his sacrifices for power scenes - if you feel so terrible about it, why would you do it at all? Bleah.

Arthur's motivations worked a little better. And they had an arc for his needing to overcome a hurdle to get to use the sword as it was meant to be used. (Excaliber in this film is super powerful!) One thing they never do cover is why Arthur was hoarding so much gold. What had he planned to do with it? The detail would have meant more if they'd given us a reason. Otherwise, it just looks like greed for greed's sake.

They did do a bunch of fun and good bits. There was a lot of story to cover and some of the ways they condensed things worked pretty well. The gag with the story of the Vikings was a hoot and a half. Some play with camera work made for some funky storytelling as well.

So some definite points for the fun and some of the maneuverings, but negative points for so wholly messing up the legend. The fact Mordred is in the beginning sequence made me think Uther was Arthur for a while. Ugh.

Oh, and we get one, one super quick glimpse of Merlin. And that's it. Boo!

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Aside from the CGI deaths and pratfalls, there are also plenty of fights, chases, and other physical stunts. Good job by all involved!

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: While historically inaccurate, all the sites looked fantastic. Londinium was a giant mix of several cultures and showed many differing types of architecture. Bizarre but cool. The Stonehenge type temple and several other mystical locations were fab. I fell totally in love with Vortigen's cave. Sometimes less is more!

6) Costuming/Makeup - Neutral: I keep going back and forth on this one. Most of the costumes looked great. But then they'd throw something in that would bug the heck out of me. For example - the ladies by the bank who find the boat - the way they're dressed, I thought them ladies of the court rather than ladies of the night (they were awfully dressed up for doing laundry!). And in several spots, Arthur's clothes don't look period but rather modern. His fleece lined coat, his machine stitched night shirt. They looked like something out of a modern store. Jude Law's clothes all looked great and medieval. And so did most everyone else. But Arthur's colors, cut of clothes, etc. stuck out a lot.

7) Music - Total Thumbs Up: Daniel Pemberton does a lovely job with the soundtrack. Has several flavors mixed in it all the way from modern to Scottish. Lots of fast paced tracks that merge well with the action around it.

Conclusion:  "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" is a retelling of the old legend which has been chewed up and put back together in a different way. Think Robin Hood meets King Arthur meets Spartacus meets Dungeons and Dragons, and you'll have a good idea of what you're in for. And yet, it was still fun.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Jude Law, F. Murray Abraham, Tom Wilkinson, Saoirse Ronan, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Mathieu Amalric, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Harvey Keitel, Bill Murray, and many more.

Directed by: Wes Anderson Story by: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness Screenplay by: Wes Anderson Inspired by the Works of: Stefan Zweig Cinematography by: Robert D. Yeoman Music by: Alexandre Desplat

Premise: Jumping back from the 80's to the 60's then the 30's, a tale unfolds about the Grand Budapest Hotel, it's concierge M. Gustave, and the hotel's newest lobby boy, Zero. When one of the hotel's long time patrons dies, and she's bequeathed a priceless painting to the concierge, he suddenly finds himself accused of murder. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Ralph Fiennes was captivating as the hard working, mature ladies man, and amazing concierge, M. Gustave. Tony Revolori turned out to be a perfect foil for Mr. Fiennes as the soft spoken, yet incredibly brave, Zero. And there were many well known and familiar faces in the rest of the cast, Edward Norton and Jeff Goldblum, but two of the throng.

2)  Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The makers of the film went 'old school' and used stop motion animation to give the film a lot of its quirky feel. The large chase scene was done almost entirely with stop motion animation and looked great. Other special effects used in the film were visual or had to do with presentation. They were all really well done and did much to create a great atmosphere for the film.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: The story is told in a very unique way as we start in a small eastern country at a cemetery and a young lady who hangs an old fashioned hotel key off a pedestal with the bust of a famous author. Then we see said author alive in his later years and as he speaks, he leap back in time yet again to the 60's, and we see the Budapest Hotel as it was then. It is here that the mystery begins as author meets the widely known owner of the hotel. In the telling of how the owner obtained the hotel, we then leap back to the late 30's, where the Grand Budapest Hotel was at its peak yet about to begin its slow descent into obscurity.

In many ways the film reminded me of an operatic farce - with things overblown toward the absurd, but never entirely crossing the line. The prison escape sequence is a perfect example.

Watching all the different odd characters interacting was just too much fun. Yet there's also a depth and sadness to the tale as we see the world changing as war boiled up then ran rampant during that time. Even with our own worries, the world beyond moves on, and nothing is ever certain.

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Filmed in eight different locations in Germany, many of them castles, there is plenty to 'feed the eyes'. Many of the rooms and hallways were fabulous. Some of the long shot angles gave many of the hallways an almost supernatural look. There's even a shoot out scene that will make you cringe every time a bullet hits the gorgeous hotel's columns.

Conclusion: "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is a lovingly quirky and quite entertaining film. It pretends to be light, but has a lot of unexpected depth behind it. It was also a lot of fun.

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

Movie Review - Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina

Starring: Keira Knightley, Matthew McFadyen, Kelly McDonald, Jude Law, Olivia Williams, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and more.

Directed by: Joe Wright Screenplay by: Tom Stoppard Based on the Novel by: Leo Tolstoy Cinematography by: Seamus McGarvey Original Music by: Dario Marianelli

Premise: Leaving her husband and son to go to Moscow to help her brother reconcile with his wife, Anna Karenina inadvertently crosses paths with Vronsky, a young and passionate soldier who is currently courting another woman. The spark struck between them sets their own lives and that of those around them spiraling in directions none ever expected and which could prove the undoing of them all. (Rated R)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Keira Knightley does a superb job as Anna Karenina. From her drifting through her overtly ordered life to resisting temptation to giving in to it and eventually spiraling into despair, every emotion was clear and full. As her conservative, workaholic husband, Jude Law was perfect. Matthew McFadyen brought a touch of levity as Anna's philandering brother, Olansky. All the performances by the cast were outstanding.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The effects for this film are many, though most go back to the 'tried and true' methods of theater, just on a grander and expanded scale. Reality waxes and wanes, toy trains transforming into actual machines or illusions of docks or Moscow streets in the upper walking rafters of a theater. Image is everything, whether by a reality imposed by society, or that dreamed up for ourselves. Slices of life turned surreal.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Nicely paced for the most part, the story follows the developing lives of a number of characters all somehow connected to or affected by Anna Karenina. As the film's tag line says "You can't ask why about love." And we're shown various types of it, from destructive, to one sided, to sublime. It is the main driving force behind all. But it isn't always healthy for everyone.

The integration of the stage motif and and its intricate interweaving between social expectations and rules of conduct was an interesting take on a story which has been told many times in film. At first it seemed a little jarring, then into a lot of fun. Watching its influence on the different scenes was interesting. Not all viewers will enjoy it, however, as to some it will prove a distraction rather than an added layer, and jerk them multiple times out of the story's trance.

There are a lot of little details that have to be caught visually, or from sounds, little clues of things not addressed directly. These worked really well. And though the industrial age was well entrenched at the time the story is set in, the machines in the film are the people. The choreography in this movie for several sequences was just amazing.

Lots and lots of symbolism hidden throughout - the ordered and staged state in the lives of those involved, yet when they are happy, content, or at peace they are out in nature, under an open sky. The longer you think about the film after it's over, the more discoveries you'll make, and the more astounded you will be.

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The majority of the film occurs indoors, but the locations vary widely, even when it is in the same place as it will have been twisted into something else. The country scenes are all vast and wide. The inner scenes inversely are always restrained, like puzzles being changed, but still leaving you trapped in the same location - stuck.

5) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The costumes were fantastic. Several of the costume changes are done as we watch - definitely not your normal fare, yet so wonderfully done.

Conclusion: "Anna Karenina" is a stunning, visual treat. Very subtle on many levels. Slows down a bit too much towards the end, but totally worth it.  And wait until you see the ballroom scene - very complex and even pays homage to the Russian Ballet.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better for Matinee)

Movie Review - Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, Jared Harris, Stephen Fry, Paul Anderson, Kelly Reilly, and more.

Directed by: Guy Ritchie Written by: Michele and Kieran Mulroney Based on Characters by: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Original Music by: Hans Zimmer

Premise: Dr. Watson is getting married. Holmes is not dealing well with the news and to make matters worse, Moriarty has made the doctor and his new bride a target. Holmes must keep them alive while also attempting to foil the plans of his archenemy. (Rated PG-13)

Review: The unique portrayals of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson by Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are back! And adding to the team is Stephen Fry's interpretation of Mycroft, Sherlock's brother.

The film starts at a fast pace as Sherlock and Miss Irene Adler share some fun moments in some dangerous meetings. Then she is gone, pitched from the story. Not entirely sure why they went this route unless it was to make room for the new female lead, but whatever the reason, it doesn't quite work. At least to me. The expectation was that she would somehow return, that some hint of her would be seen, despite everything we're told. But such was not the case. (We sat through the credits still expecting SOMETHING! But no.)

As in the first film, we get mental foreshadowing of hand to hand combat, which are pretty cool, but possibly done too many times, in my opinion. Definitely needed to be done in the one true battle that mattered (can't tell you!) which was fabulous but otherwise... Because this meant less cases of seeing Sherlock's mental visual deductions of the crimes being committed, something which had me totally fascinated in the first film.

Great vistas and city fronts, which did much to set the locations and mood. The crossing of the border between France and Germany - hilarious!

Several good comedic moments. Some quite poignant ones. I have to say several spots and Sherlock's actions would have stopped me from wanting to be his friend. Not sure how Watson forgave him about the stag party and the following morning. Though Sherlock was able to put him back together in time. lol. Needless to say their relationship was rather strained during the film, so some of the buddy banter is not as before. :P

One thing I did totally love was when they were in Germany and also at the Peace Summit. You could see the signs of things to come in real history. The weaponry and preparations by the different players for what would in not too many more years turn into WWI. And when a lot of viewers see the cool place in Switzerland for the peace summit, the waterfall there will speak volumes. :P

There was one set of scenes interplaying with each other that were totally masterful. They formed a beautiful dichotomy as we watch the opera by Mozart unfold (way cool costumes!) and Sherlock's last minute attempt to stop a tragedy and the time after.

Their run through the woods as they are fired upon not only by bullets but then cannon was eerily cool to watch. There was a lot of action and good combat scenes.

Overall a nice and enjoyable romp. Not quite as good as the first one, but still well worth it. Especially with the Moriarty and Sherlock Face-off Supreme towards the end. (Oh come on! You knew it was coming.) :)

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

Movie Review - Hugo

Hugo

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Christopher Lee, Jude Law, Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Griffiths, Emily Mortimer, Helen McCrory, Frances de la Tour, and more.

Directed by: Martin Scorsese Based on the Book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by: Brian Selznik Screenplay by: John Logan Original Music by: Howard Shore

Premise: A young orphan doing his uncle's work at the Paris Train Station sometime after WWI finally makes headway on the puzzle/repair he and his father were working on when the latter died. Hugo is convinced that if he can just fix the automaton, it will give him a message from his deceased father. (Rating PG)

Review: The previews for this film don't begin to touch what it's about. The tale has multiple layers and each discovery spins the story into totally unexpected directions.

The theme of dreams, machines, and discovery are threaded throughout. CGI use is very subtle most of the time. So much so you will be hard pressed to tell the difference between what's real and what's not at times.

The story unfolds slowly as the world and the denizens of the train station are unveiled to the viewer. This gives the whole a great depth and wonderful layering, which will in turn support the worldview held by the protagonist.

There are no true bad guys, just people. Each trying to do the right thing in their own way. Some of the most serious are also the most humorous. And you will find yourself caring for every last one of them. Very young children probably wouldn't be entertained enough by the film, but those ten and up should find it fun and full of adventure and even magic. Adults will be even more enraptured, especially at some of the unexpected turns and discoveries.

Definitely a worth while film! (Don't want to spoil anything by saying too much! The discoveries are half the fun!)

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Would Pay Full Price to See It Again!)