Movie Review - Cinderella

(Running late! Have Allcon this weekend and after the movie it was way late!)

Cinderella

Starring:  Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Helena Bonham Carter, Nonso Anozie, Stellan Skarsgard, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger, Derek Jacobi, Ben Chaplin, Hayley Atwell, and more

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh Screenplay by: Chris Weitz Cinematography by: Haris Zambarloukos Music by: Patrick Doyle

Premise: Years after the death of her mother, Ella's father remarries a widow with two daughters. The rocky relationship between the new members of the family escalates when Ella's father also passes. Bereft of most of their income and imbued with jealousy, Ella's step-mother and step-sisters slowly but surely relegate Ella to the role of a servant rather than a family member. Things continue to deteriorate and are brought to a boil when the small kingdom holds an open ball for all eligible your maidens. (Rated PG)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: The casting on this film by Lucy Bevan was great. Lily James does a lovely job as Cinderella. Richard Madden and Lily are adorable together and the chemistry between them felt real and fresh. Cate Blanchett was fab as the evil step-mother. She was very expressive and gave depth to the character, showing her bitterness at her lack of power and socially forced dependence on men to assure a comfortable existence and fear she might not be able to give that certainty to her daughters. Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger were perfect as the clueless and mean step-sisters. Helena Bonham Carter put her own twist to the Fairy Godmother and did a grand job as the story's narrator.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of lovely and subtle special effects enhance the film to give it just the right amount of magic, yet kept it within the bounds of something that could happen in reality. The CGI for the mice and other animals was very well done. Lots of humorous touches, especially with the goose, that make the film transcend to a possible new Disney classic.

The pumpkin transformation scene was changed with a cute twist, but the payoff is totally there when it starts reverting back to what it originally was on the mad dash away from the castle at midnight. Totally worth the wait and they give you a fun and funny conversion for the mice and lizards to satiate the audience until the later midnight reversion payoff.

The enhancements to the real castle and even the manor that is Ella's home definitely make the places magical. The stag in the forest was fantastic as well. The stag's expressions when he first meets her and then when he realizes she means him no harm, were exquisitely done. Also loved the use of the blue birds, which tie back to the animated film.

3) Story - Thumbs Up: The original tale gets expanded a little, making the whole more robust. Some of the actions and reactions are based on realities, thus giving more depth to the situations. The need for women of certain social status to marry to ensure they have money to live on as their skills are only useful in the management of a home or entertainment, rather than on ways to make a living. The pressures on monarchs to make advantageous alliances through marriage, and more.

They even plug in a couple of issues with the original, like why the step-mother and step-sisters do not recognize Cinderella at the ball.

There's also a little more interaction between Ella and the prince, making them more both more multidimensional. And Ella's conversations with animals and their reactions to her totally fit.

Incidental characters add a lot as well - used for comedic moments or for adding flavor. Both animals and people love to peek in at all sorts of places.

4) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Great work on both fronts! Loved everything they did with the step-sisters - the horrid patterns and matching fabrics, the hair styles making them closely resemble their animated counterparts. The beautiful dresses and fashion for the step-mother, making a definite contrast between her talents and advantages and the utter lack of same by her daughters.

Cinderella's dress for the ball was fantastic! The gorgeous blue color and the layers and layers of fabric beneath made the dress seem to shimmer in different shades whenever she moved. Lots of prime colors for the other ladies at the ball, giving the scenes the same brightness of the animated version.      

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: A lot of the filming locations are real places in England, enhanced by CGI. The combinations works fabulously. The cinematography took advantage of this as well, for lovely sweeping shots of the palace and the country manor. The Old Naval Royal College used for the palace interiors looked awesome all on its own.

Conclusion: This live action rendition of the old classic is definitely good enough to be a new classic. No singing, though they do have two of the songs play through the credits. The extra depth and detail given to the characters make for a better film. The animated short before the main film is a Frozen short and it is utterly adorable and very well done!

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

Movie Review - Jack The Giant Slayer

Jack The Giant Slayer

Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Eddie Marsan, Ewen Bremmer, Ian McShane, Christopher Fairbank, Simon Lowe, Mingus Johnson, Ralph Brown, Bill Nighy, John Kassir, Ben Daniels, and more.

Directed by: Bryan Singer Screenplay by: Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie, and Dan Studney Story by: Darren Lemke and David Dobkin Cinematography by: Newton Thomas Sigel Original Music by: John Ottman

Premise: Jack and Isabel, though from very different worlds, grew up hearing the same stories about the giants living between the earth and heaven. Both want nothing more than to have an adventure of their own. Fate draws them together and between a rainy night and some stolen magical beans, the two of them find themselves in the midst of more adventure than they can handle. And they've yet to find out about the dark plot being woven around them. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Thumbs Up: Nicholas Hoult makes the act of slaying giants look easy. Eleanor Tomlinson was adorable, especially at the beginning, when she's trying to find out from Jack about the motives for his actions when they first met, while still trying to hide who she is from him. Ewan McGregor had several good lines, and looked quite dashing in his armor. He did several silent looks which spoke volumes, and delivered several delightful lines. Wish he'd had more! Stanley Tucci was perfect as the oily Roderick. Bill Nighy and John Kassir were fun as the two headed giant.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The movie is totally worth seeing for the beanstalks alone! Watching the thing grow at a magical rate and seeing it burrows everywhere was utterly fascinating. The effect when they cut it down was both realistic and unexpected. It might very well have done more harm  than the giants.

The giants themselves were varied in how they looked and acted and moved well. Their gross manners, bedraggled appearance, and lack of hygiene, however, clashed with the gift of their incredible sense of smell. As badly as these fellows looked, they wouldn't have been able to smell much of anything other than themselves.

The final battle sequence was outstanding. I loved how the giants took one of the defensing measures created by the humans at the castle and figured out how to turn it to their advantage. Sadly, however, the definite intelligence shown in combat again clashed with their lack of skills in making clothes or armor.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: While the main plot and its resolution won't be a surprise to anyone, there were still many pleasant surprises in the plot. Setbacks and progress were parceled to all parties, and a number of things didn't follow the expected route.

There are also a lot of subtle bits woven into the story. Some were jokes, like having Elmont make an Obi-wan type comment. While others were silent, or implied, and you have to pay attention to catch them. My favorite was when Roderick and the giants made it to the waterfall. Watch the General's heads.

Another fun thing about the story were the circular elements. There's a ying and yang quality at the very beginning as we glimpse the different yet similar lives of Jack and Isabel as children. Another has to do with specific dialogue being said more than once by different people. The final circle happens at the end, when we get to hear the story of the giants as it changes through time and how Jack safeguarded the one thing that could help mankind if the giants somehow returned yet again. (Pay special attention to the boy at the very end. He should look familiar.)

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Some stunts were CGI, others were real, and yet others were a mix of the two. Regardless of which kind it turned out to be, the 'gags' were all done very well.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: A mixture of CGI and real locations, they fit perfectly. The view from the beanstalk as the sun comes up over the clouds will take your breath away. The same can be said of several of the sweeping views of the giants' domain. There was a lot in the film to satisfy the eyes.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Thumbs Up: The costuming department had a lot of fun with this film. There were subtle jokes about clothing in several places. The human general was one - strangely looking like a spruced up version of the magistrate in the original "Frankenstein" film. The king's cloak was another joke and actually played a part later in the film. The Princess though did suffer 'perfect hair' syndrome throughout despite all their troubles.

Conclusion: "Jack the Giant Slayer" is a fun and more complex retelling of the classic fairy tale. It was filled with lots of gorgeous vistas and giant action. Definitely worth seeing in IMAX 3D.

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

Movie Review - Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen, Pihla Viitala, Derek Mears, Robin Atkins Downes, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Joanna Kulig, Thomas Mann, Peter Stormare, Rainer Bock, and more.

Directed by: Tommy Wirkola Written by: Tommy Wirkola and D W Harper Cinematography by: Michael Bonvillain Music by: Atli Övarsson

Premise: Hansel and Gretel were left alone in the woods at night by their father and were almost eaten by a witch. Rather than give in to the horror of their childhood trauma, the two siblings decide to save others from suffering their same plight and become witch hunters. Years later, a series of child disappearances brings the siblings to a small town where an unknown evil is gathering for a very special night. (Rated R)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton are great as the famous siblings. I loved the little touches in visual cues or silent looks that spoke of the siblings close relationship and also their different personalities. Famke Janssen was delicious as the evil Muriel.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: From the unique touch-ups on the witches, to the glowing of wands, to the great work on Edward, the special effects were great. Throw in some super cool weapons and colorful zapping spells and there's plenty to keep the eyes occupied. And wait till you see the candy cottage! The frosting on the roof even dripped.

The title sequence where we're given a quick flash through of Hansel and Gretel's life with the moving paper cutouts was great. And like the original fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm, the sequence gets bloody. The rest of the film also had its share of bloody splatters.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" is a fairy tale about a fairy tale, so normal rules do not apply. The spin on the well known story was a lot of fun. But even better were the couple of unexpected story loops that got thrown in as well. I'd talk about them, but I don't want to spoil them for you.

Several great one liners in the script! And since there were no rules, we get lots and lots of anachronistic but still very fun weapons.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Lots and lots of hand to hand combat with lots and lots of fun weapons. All the fights were fast, well choreographed, with many little surprises. Several great strategies for dealing with witches on their brooms (which in this film, it looked like any kind of stick would pretty much do as one - some were even quite bizarre looking). A lot of trees had parts and pieces scraped, cracked, or blown up, making the 'gags' more amazing with all that wood shrapnel for the stunt people to avoid during filming.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Since the film dealt with witches, it seemed apt that several of the sweeping views over the forest and the town appeared to have been shot from the point of view of a witch riding her broom. As I mentioned earlier, the candy cottage was marvelous. The candy designs on the door was cool until you realize that the outer circle look like giant teeth, which then made it  utterly creepy. The gloomy, rotted inside of the cottage made for a great contrast. The woods, the hidden ponds, and the waterfalls were perfect.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Between the CGI and great makeup, the witches all had unique looks of their own. Wounds received in battle by the brother-sister team didn't just disappear  in the next scene, but were kept. And I was quite impressed with the bruising we could see, along with the scars Hansel's accumulated over the years, during a quiet moment in the film. (Though with all the fighting sequences and stunts, there's a chance those bruises were actually the real thing.)

Conclusion: "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" is a great romp if you're looking for some fun fights, an unexpectedly decent story, and super cool weaponry. Like the original Grimm fairy tales, the film is graphically bloody in places, so I wouldn't recommend it for younger viewers. If you can afford it, definitely go see it in IMAX 3D.

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

Movie Review - Mirror Mirror

Mirror Mirror

Starring: Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane, Jordan Prentice, Mark Povinelli, Joe Gnoffo, Danny Woodburn, Sebastian Saraceno, Martin Klebba, Ronald Lee Clark, Robert Emms, Mare Winningham, Sean Bean, and more...

Directed by: Tarsem Sighn Dhandwar Original Story by: Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm Screenplay by: Melissa Wallack and Jason Keller Original Music by: Alan Menken

Premise: The Queen of a small kingdom decides she must rid herself of her departed husband's daughter as Snow White begins to outshine her as the most beautiful woman of the realm. (Rated PG)

Review:

1) Acting - Thumbs Up - Julia Roberts was a hoot as the vain evil queen. Nathan Lane delivered any number of great lines and was the perfect toady. Lily Collins made a great Snow White, especially at the end when she showed the steel beneath the fair maiden! I have always enjoyed the work of Danny Woodburn, Jordan Prentice, and Martin Klebba. Now I have four more great actors to add to the list as well. The seven of them made a great team and looked to have had a lot of fun making the film and it shows. Armie Hammer brought a great air for Prince Alcott, whose ego suffered a few blows, but he learned in time. He pulled off the puppy love scenes hilariously. Robert Emms, though he unfortunately did not return in the latter part of the film, was a lot of fun as well. Great chemistry between all the cast.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up - From the gorgeous CGI castle, to the Beast, and the super amazing killer puppets, the special effects were outstanding. The integration of the Queen as she walked through the Mirror to the other world was amazing. And I totally enjoyed the cartoonish addition of hearts to the Prince as the Queen's potion took effect. Adorable! The beginning of the film as the Queen told her tale with the dolls was nicely done.

Totally loved the ships used during the chess match. Especially when they proved to be somewhat functional!

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up - The screenwriters took a story that has been retold countless times yet tweaked things up enough to make it fresh. Expect many of the bits one normally ties to Snow White, though not always in the same order or to the same effect, but are there for those who know the story - whether it be from the original Grimm tales or Disney. The tack taken with the Seven Dwarves was fun and made them more real. There's also a story twist, with plenty of hints so viewers might get there before our heroine does.

Comedic moments and one liners abound. The entire feel of the piece kept crossing boundaries, but also made sure to remain light even on dark subjects. Loved the direction they took on the concept of the mirror itself.

4) Stunts - Thumbs Up - There is a lot of fun swordplay. The stilt scenes with all the acrobatics during the robberies were great to watch.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Thumbs Up - Lovely sweeping views of the forest and the CGI kingdom. Totally loved the fact that the Queen's open bedroom, showing the sky outside, would match the Queen's moods. The forest views and locations of interest there looked real and believable.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Thumbs Up - They had a lot of fun with this. The Queen's costumes were always large and grand, to compensate for her fading beauty. The wedding dress she wore was a monstrous affair but lovely. Trying to look at all the costumes at the ball totally entertained. Some truly innovative thinking - see if you can spot the sheep. The walrus took a minute to figure out, but it was totally outlandish! And all were outdone by the eye burning colors of the wigs and clothes of the attendees at the Queen's wedding. You almost got the sense they were trying to compensate for their ever growing unhappiness.

Watching Snow go through clothes for just the right thief look was fun. By the time they find just the thing, you're agreeing one hundred percent with the choice!

Conclusion: Mirror, Mirror is a fun film enjoyable by the entire family. It is funny and light, with several surprises and cute moments. Well worth a watch. The in-joke to Bollywood during the closing credits (possibly a poke at the director?) was a lot of fun!

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