Avengers Assemble (3D) 12A - *****

Avengers Assemble (3D) 12A - *****

Dir: Joss Whedon

Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansen, Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson,

Synopsis: S.H.I.E.L.D has spent years gathering intelligence and the means to join the Earths mightiest heroes together to protect humanity. The super humans, brought together by Nick Fury and Agent Coulson – the seemingly omniscient people behind S.H.I.E.L.D – have to fight between themselves before they are capable of fighting Loki’s alien army.

Verdict: After several years of origin stories building up to it – and linking into one another - the Avengers are finally here! And the first thing to be said about it is straight from my geeky heart – wow!

As with any fantasy/comic book film, this is heavily reliant on special effects, and they have in no means skimped on them. From the pyrotechnics and old style acting effects to the CGI that is relied on heavily throughout the film, everything has come together to create some fantastic action sequences - both in terms of the inner fighting between the Avengers, and the battle between the invading aliens.

My main worry with the film was how they were going to get everything in: rounding up the various members of the team – especially Thor and Hulk who are either on a distant planet or hiding from the world, having them fight between one another, and the ‘war’ for Earth. Thankfully they managed to get it all in and, much to Whedons credit, it doesn’t feel rushed in any way, and the story works. The rifts between the team are believable, as is the way they manage to pull together. That said, however, some parts I didn’t like (no spoilers) which could have either been developed better, or omitted completely.

My second worry was, of course, the 3D. After seeing a 3D trailer when I went to Wrath of the Titans, it looked to be awful. From what my movie-viewing cohort tells me, the 3D wasn’t too bad from around the middle of the theatre, but where we sat today at the front, the 3D had some dodgy moments, especially in the problem area that tends to be text. If seating location is a factor, then 3D needs addressing until the whole screen gets the same effect, and not just have one sweet spot where the 3D is good.

The acting talent is the same as with the previous films. Downy Jr has proven himself in the past few years as both Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes, and there is little arguing with Jackson who is renowned for the roles he has played. The rest of the cast live up to their reputations, especially Mark Ruffalo as Banner/Hulk (a significant mention must be made to the effects department that rendered the newest incarnation of the Hulk to be so like him in appearance) and Tom Hiddleston plays the evil, if not psychotic/twisted Loki.

The film brings together the themes that have made the growing franchise in the run up to The Avengers so good –the mix of action, comedy and sentimental moments. This said, most of the funniest moments of the film belong to the Hulk and Stark characters, as you would expect with the other members being quite serious, and even Coulson (Clark Gregg) has his moments (mainly gushing over Evans’ Captain America).

The film is definitely worth seeing - especially by those of a geeky disposition, or just people who get their kicks from great action films.

Battleship (12A) **

Battleship (12A) **


Dir: Peter Berg


Starring: Liam Neeson, Taylor Kitsch, Rihanna


Synopsis: During the RIMPAC naval war games in Hawaii, a group of alien ships - attracted by a signal sent seven years earlier - splash lands in the sea and cuts off three destroyers and one of the Hawaiian islands from the rest of the world with a force field. The Race is then on to destroy the invaders and to stop them messaging their home world.


Verdict:  I was prepared for this film to be all 'HOORAH!' and macho soldier heroism - a triumph of special effects pornography over substance with a trailer that outmatched the final product. And I was pretty much bang on the money.

Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean that I didn't like the special effects. They are good, but repetitive, and a bonus of this film is the fact that they chose not to do it in 3D. However, this redeeming feature doesn't detract from the fact that the film is, for all intents and purposes, a carbon copy of films like Battle L.A., Independence Day, all tied together with a dose of Transformers - even down to the  way the ships look, the sound effects, the music, and the plot (and being from the same company, it's hardly surprising).

It doesn't help that the plot is so samey that you could walk in halfway through the film and pretty much guess it with a high probability of accuracy, and that the script itself is littered with typically predictable one line quips that would make the worst offending of action heroes cringe. At least it realises this, and after one such line, a character is asked: "who talks like that?!"

But, this admission doesn't make amends for the amount of clichés that make up the back story, disappointing creature design, lack of originality, and the surprisingly long time it takes to approach the Battleship game that the film is supposed to be based upon.

The acting, thankfully, isn't awful, with Neeson's small amount of screen time made up of either speech-making or shouting angrily into a phone, and singer-turned-actress Rihanna's début being made up of the 'hoorah!' dialogue that was expected from the film.


Through all the recent alien invasion films, I can't help the feeling that Battleship is the latest offering from a Hollywood that seems to have been infiltrated by the military to produce a film that borders on propaganda and, somewhere, I am sure there is a journal or dissertation being written on that very subject.

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! 3D (U) ****

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! 3D (U) ****

Dir: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt

Starring: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven, Brian Blessed

Synopsis: The Pirate Captain (Grant) and his jolly, yet awkward crew, set off from Blood Island and the Pirate of the Year awards to London to find fortune from their ships ‘parrot’, Polly - who is in reality a Dodo who has caught the attention of Charles Darwin (David Tennant) who wants to use Polly to get in with Queen Victoria.

Verdict: The latest offering from the Aardman studios - famous for Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, and Gnomeo and Juliet – is a brilliantly funny, well made film that returns to the stop motion roots which made the production company what it is today.

With a plot that appeals to both adults and children alike, with generous helpings of jokes aimed at either group, and often encompassing both, the film was a lot more enjoyable than their last release in December, Arthur Christmas. This is partially due to the comedy being just classier and funnier, as well as the clay-mation style which is, personally, more endearing than CGI.

It was also pleasant to find a 3D film which had decent 3D, albeit with the odd hiccough, as is to be expected but, all in all, it stood apart from other 3D films that I’ve seen recently (cough Wrath of the Titans cough!).

The cast also helps to make the film, with Grants’ The Pirate Captain being familiarly like Wallace, with his own Gromit in the form of Number Two (Martin Freeman). The supporting cast are all quality actors too, with Tennant’s Darwin being a great mix of both bad and good guy, and a brilliant performance from Imelda Staunton as a very Mrs Tweedy-esque Queen Victoria.

As you can tell from all the references to previous Aardman films, this film follows a very similar structure, with similar characters, which is what makes Aardman stand the test of time. Yes it’s quite samey, but it’s samey in a good, classic, wholesome way, which makes this film perfect for long standing fans of the company, and the young kids that give you an excuse to go and see it.