The Movie Bit

Leaving the cinema after watching The Fast and The Furious, based on a magazine article about street racing, way back in 2001, I never thought it would get a sequel, let alone five. But here we are with Fast and Furious 6, director Justin Lin's swansong after helming every installment since the third, Tokyo Drift (in some strange chronology, every movie since then actually takes place before it). He was also responsible for taking the series away from its street racer roots and moving it into action movie territory. Under his guidance, they have become ridiculous movies that revel in their ridiculousness. To apply an ounce of sense and logic to them is to miss the point. They exist to satisfy that itch that only over the top action, and little else, can scratch. And with this installment, Lin has brought us not only a great example of that, but one of the most enjoyable pure action movies we have had in a while.

Following the events of Fast 5, Dom (Vin Diesel) and his team of high octane thieves have scattered across the globe, living off the takings of their audacious heist in Brazil. But they are all brought back together by their one time nemesis Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) to tackle a team of mercenaries, led by former soldier Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) with Dom's thought to be dead ex Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) at his side, whose m.o. matches their own. This leads to set piece after set piece, where everything from high performance muscle cars, planes, what can be best described as an armoured formula one car, and even a tank, are thrown about with abandon. Since the movie has to stick to a strict formula of mostly having the action around fast cars, you would think the action scenes would get stale, but each one is kept fresh by adding new elements. An early scene involving custom built ramp cars is a standout, and the scene everybody is talking about, a cargo plane being pulled out of the air by three cars, is just as epic as you can imagine. Each set piece is topped by the next, with an amazing escalation of quality on display, with some very nice one on one combat peppered between the vehicular mayhem, making good use of the physicality of Johnson, Haywire's Gina Carano, and The Raid's Joe Taslim. If these scenes have any problems, it has to be one shared by all modern action movies: the camera. It doesn't become a real problem until the movies finale, with the camera whipping around to track the action in and around Shaw's plane, leading to many a moment where you will lose track of what is going on. It is really annoying since the rest of the action is shot so well, with tight editing giving us a clear sense of everything that is going on. That's a good thing, because the set pieces are so insane you don't want to miss a thing.

The quiet moments between the flipping cars and explosions are played extremely well, with some genuinely funny moments, most of them involving making fun of Johnson's size (at one point he is referred to as Samoan Thor) or Tyrese Gibson as comic relief Roman. The story does go in some pretty unbelievable places, with that good old plot device amnesia coming into play, and Diesel reminding us every six seconds that nothing "is as important as family" gets grating very quickly, but is extremely well paced, even surprising in places, and never has you switching off. Being Lin's final time behind the wheel, he ties everything up nicely, cleaning up any loose ends from his time on the franchise, and delivering a surprising post credits cameo that shows a lot of promise for the seventh installment (due out next year with Insidious' James Wan at the helm). As you would expect after five sequels, the chemistry between the ensemble cast is second to none, everybody playing their characters without fault. No one is wasted here, with the exception of Jordana Brewster who is brought in at the last minute to fill the damsel in distress role, each character getting their moment in the spotlight. Of the newcomers, Evans is fantastic as Shaw. He is a great villain, all he's missing out on a mustache long enough to twirl, and he makes you want to step into the movie and give him a slap.

I can't express enough how much fun I had with Fast And Furious 6. If you are not a fan of the franchise this review probably won't change your mind, but if you are looking to let yourself go for two hours or so, and let some over the top action wash over you, this is the movie for you. Highly recommended!

Look, whatever (or whoever) you’re doing right now, stop. Just stop. Put it down, switch it off, pull it out. You NEED to watch this. That is all! HOLY SHIT!!!

Released: 12th July 2013 (U.S./U.K./IRE)

Synopsis: From acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ epic sci-fi action adventure “Pacific Rim.”When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse. Oscar^® nominee Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) is directing “Pacific Rim” from a script by Travis Beacham (“Clash of the Titans”). Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and Mary Parent are producing, with Callum Greene serving as executive producer. The film stars Charlie Hunnam (TV’s “Sons of Anarchy”), Idris Elba (“Thor”), Rinko Kikuchi (“The Brothers Bloom”), Charlie Day (“Horrible Bosses”), and Ron Perlman (the “Hellboy” films). The ensemble cast also includes Max Martini, Robert Kazinsky, Clifton Collins, Jr., Burn Gorman, Larry Joe Campbell, Diego Klattenhoff, and Brad William Henke. Del Toro’s behind-the-scenes team includes Academy Award^®-winning director of photography Guillermo Navarro, production designer Andrew Neskoromny, editor Peter Amundson, and costume designer Kate Hawley. Slated for release in Summer 2013, “Pacific Rim” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures. The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Released: 12th July 2013 (U.S./U.K./IRE)

As the summer blockbuster season kicks off with superheroes and spaceships, The Great Gatsby arrives and planks itself right in the middle. A movie based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel. To many The Great Gatsby name may be familiar, and you’d be correct. You may have last seen Jim Carrey read from it as Andy Kaufman in Man On The Moon. It may also be on your book shelf, or you may have been forced upon you in school.

Regardless, it tells the story of Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) who is lured into the lavish and luxurious world of his neighbour Jay Gatsby (Leonardo Di Caprio). Gatsby has an ulterior motive for befriending Carraway, namely his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan). What follows is a tale of opulence, deceit and love, all set in the early 1920s. And we’ll park that there as I don’t want to start delving into spoilers too much.

Visually, The Great Gatsby is nothing short of mind blowing. Director Baz Luhrmann has really outdone himself here. 1920s New York is vividly and stylistically brought to life. Attention to detail is staggering as costumes and sets are utterly convincing. Combined with the long pans, zooms and unique camera angles this is a very unique looking film that impresses scene after scene. From it’s opening, it will leave you breathless as you try and take everything in. By the time the first hour has passed, you’ll wonder where time has gone as the pacing and the story telling that pushes it is superb. Tragically, things start slowing down a bit from here and the movie sort of lingers and seems at times, bizarrely boring, where you’ll be just urging it to move along. And while it does get going again, those brilliant, breath taking first impressions are now only a distant memory.

Besides the striking visuals, a special mention must go to the soundtrack though. Featuring the likes of Jay-Z, Florence and the Machine, Jack White, Beyonce and a whole list of household names, it’s a bizarre listing to have attached to a 1920s film. However, it does work incredibly well, even if at times it only confuses the onscreen era. It may well split audiences down the middle, but for this reviewer at least, it worked and compliments the visual style quite well.

Cast wise, Luhrmann has done well here. Tobey Maguire is especially impressive projecting that Peter Parker style innocence we’ve become accustomed to. His on screen chemistry with his long-time real life friend Leonardo DiCaprio, is effortless. Speaking of effortless, DiCaprio’s performance is also effortless, in the sense that he doesn’t break much of a sweat. He seems a natural fit for the character of Gatsby, but it’s only in the final chapters does a genuinely good performance come out. Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton though, are simply brilliant, with both of them stealing scene after scene, time and time again. It’s only for their introductions in the brilliant opening hour or so, that may keep you in your seat for the dragged out midway parts!

From the 3D point of view, unfortunately a 3D version wasn’t available for the viewing I attended, but I would speculate this is something that warrants the extra few quid to see the 3D version as it has moment after moment that is just screaming 3 dimensions.

Andy Kaufman tackled hecklers with readings of The Great Gatsby, which continued long after many audience members upped sticks and made for the exits. If you were brave enough to endure the ramblings from beginning to their lengthy end, no doubt you felt you were part of something special and unique. If you’re brave enough to endure Baz Luhrmann’s take on F. Scott Fitzgeralds book, then you will be rewarded with stunning visuals, solid performances, and a soundtrack that bizarrely works, but it falls short of being special and unique.

While this is not going to be for everybody, it is very watchable and entertaining but it’s more Gatsby than Great Gatsby.

Anybody who has being following Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim knows that it will have it's fair share of jaw dropping images (giant robots, giant monsters, said giant robots punching the tar out of said giant monsters and vice versa), but this one of a Kaiju skull as a museam piece has to be my favorite. Appearing on the movie official Twitter feed, it came with the caption "What envoked fear, now inspires awe". It really hammers home the scale of the movie, with the events happening globally, and shows that Del Toro's eye for monster design is second to none.