Cowboys & Aliens (12A) ***

Cowboys & Aliens (12A) ***

Dir: Jon Favreau

Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde.

Synopsis: A man wakes up in the desert without any memory of who he is, where he came from, or where the mysterious thing on his wrist came from. What he discovers about himself and what is happening around him leads to him and his posse saving their town and, possibly, the world.

Verdict: I was so excited about seeing Cowboys & Aliens, after months of seeing trailers in the cinema and online. I was all set to having my socks blown off and, unfortunately, I was left with my feet still nice and cosy.

It wasn't that it is a bad film which is what left me feeling deflated. The cast certainly live up to their reputations: Harrison Ford plays Woodrow Dolarhyde, a cattle owner and ex-solider from the civil war. A tough, stony, hard ass character, Ford shows the different layers behind the gravelly exterior, albeit not as well as the cheeky charm of the roles he is most famous for.

Daniel Craig is the main character, Jake Lonergan. He does a pretty good job of being a reflection of Ford's Woodrow, a hard-ass, stubborn, take-no-nonsense cowboy on the outside, with a soft caramel inside. His performance is great but, being a British actor, his accent isn't as convincing as the rest of the cast.

Olivia Wildes portrayal of Ella Swenson, the mysterious woman who knows more about Jake than he does, is very good - although sometimes feels a bit stiff. However, this talent is rendered almost irrelevent about halfway through the film by some bad choices by the writers.

The story-line isn't too bad, but leaves a lot to be desired, which is my main problem with the film. It leaves you groaning with exasperation at certain points of the plot, and by the time credits started I felt like it had been a real anti-climax. It wasn't a specific scene in particular which gave this feeling, but that the film didn't live up to the hype.

The special effects aren't anything to write home about either. The CG for the aliens and the weapon on Jake's wrist are good, but there's nothing that stands out and makes you think 'wow!' like with the recent Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The aliens are interesting, combining both what you expect an alien to look like with the unknown, and the level of CG/environment interaction is brilliant, especially considering the dusty desert setting.

Favreau is best known for directing the 2 Iron Man instalments which, I'll be honest, I have large amounts of nerd love for and saw at the cinema more than once, and got on DVD as soon as it came out. But with Cowboys & Aliens, I haven't been left thinking 'I need to see that again' or 'I can't wait to get it on DVD', which is what knocks it down that peg or two.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (12A) ****

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (12A) ****

Dir: Rupert Wyatt

Starring: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow.

Synopsis: A prequel to the Planet of the Apes films which follows the rise and rise of Caesar. After trialing an experimental cure for alzheimers on chimpanzees, one begins to develop significantly increased inteligence. Abused and misunderstood, the aptly named Caeser begins an ape revolution to free themselves of their human oppressors.

Verdict: This film was built up to be something epic, with trailers showing constantly on TV and in the cinema and, honestly, it didn't disappoint. The origins of the Planet of the Apes were touched on brilliantly by the producers (including hints towards a possible remake of the series? See if you can spot the hints).

The main thing to talk about most is, of course, the sophistication of the CG of the apes which is, at times, almost impossible to tell from real life. This is helped in no small part to Andy Serkis, who is well versed in donning the green-suit and acting more primate than man (King Kong, Lord of the Rings). However, I couldnt help feeling that the effects to make up the new Caeser are surprisingly similar to the end result of Tim Roth's portrayal in Tim Burton's own imagining of The Planet of the Apes.

The next biggie is of course the reason behind the development of this drug which sets the whole ball rolling - alzheimers. John Lithgow's depiction of Charles Rodman, a sufferer of the disease, is scarily convincing, while deeply moving - showing how bad the condition can get and its effects both on the sufferer and those around them. This also feeds into the development again, as James Franco plays Rodman's son, Will, a scientist who develops the drug, not just for his father, but to try and help all sufferers.

The franchise has long been associated with its subtext about humanity, judging and comparing us for our similarities and differences to the apes, and Wyatt's re-imagining is no different. He carries on the tradition of touching on traditional aspects such as cruelty and hierarchy, as well as the pressing theme in this film, animal testing.

A film that is as 'heavy' and thought provoking as it is visually stunning, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a great film to end the summer on before the autumn movies roll in.

Super 8 (12A) ****

Super 8 (12A) ****

Dir: J.J. Abrams

Starring: Joel Courtney, Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Riley Griffiths

Synopsis: While filming a zombie flick for their local film competition, a group of kids accidentally film a U.S Air Force train derail. Afterwards, strange things start happening - dogs, people and machinery disappear - and the youths take it upon themselves to find out what's happening to their little town.
Verdict: It is easy to see that this film has been influenced so much by the work of Steven Spielberg, from the classic flare off the sky and lights, down to the cinematography and even the story and characters. All of which isn't difficult to explain when you consider Abrams has been planning this film since he was a kid watching Close Encounters and ET (which shows).

Joel Courtney plays Joe Lamb, the protagonist son of Kyle Chandler's Jackson - the deputy of Lillian - who does the sound and make up on his best friend Charles' directoral. debut. Throw into the mix the love interest Alice,  played by Elle Fanning, and the scene is set.

Considering the youth of the cast, Abrams has managed to pool together a group that could very well be considered this centuries' Goonies, albeit a little more serious and grown up. They all play their roles well, from the always-in-charge Charles, the pyromaniac Cary (Ryan Lee), worrisome Preston (Zach Mills) and the timid at first but then comes out of his shell Joe.

Their performance is backed up by the adult cast, from Chandler's portrayal of Jackson, a dad slightly out of his depth, to  Glynn Turman's Dr Woodward.

One of the ways Abrams excels in his films is with special effects, and Super 8 is no different. From the creature effects to the stunning derailment scene, with flying cars in between, the SFX team really out did themselves, and to not jump onto the 3D bandwagon is pleasant to see. Combine this with some brilliant jumpy scenes, and a play on the old Alien addage that what you don't see is scarier than what you do, and you get a thoroughly engrossing experience.

My only faults with the film would be some of the cheeseyness towards the end, playing too much on the sentimental value that Abrams creates throughout the film to create something that made me audibly groan at one or two spots. Otherwise, a very good film which sits nicely on the line of thriller and nostalgia.