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Reviews
X: First Class (2011)
Good. Well worth seeing
Good. Well worth seeing.
It's a reboot, so some of the character back stories may not make complete sense to anyone who knows the original history. Set in 1963 the film centres around the meeting of Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Eric Lensherr (Magneto) and the founding of Xavier's school for the gifted.
Eric's personal back story is given as flashback, and will seem remarkably familiar to anyone who's seen the previous X-films. Charles's story is somewhat different to what we've seen previously.
XM:FC explores the usual territory of difference and prejudice, but this time devotes a good proportion of the first third of the film to some good old fashioned, bond-like action.
The middle portion, as would be expected develops some of the other characters - this part drags a bit, but then again I'm probably not the target audience, not being a teenager.
The final third ratchets up the action and dramatic tension, if not quite as convincingly as the beginning.
I had some concerns about slight overplaying by the three main stars - Magneto twisting the air as if he had a Nazi's throat in his hands, and Prof-X touching his temple as if he was a circus mind reader. But I'll forgive them both some slight overacting, they didn't take it too far. Kevin Bacon on the other hand, took the 'big acting' a couple of steps further, but it seemed to suit his style and the evil ego-maniac character he played.
The kids all played their parts moderately well.
Overall, quite well done. As good as, may be better, than the first two X-films, and definitely better than the poor third on. The main praise should go to Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman and Bryan singer for a good action film.
AVPR: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem (2007)
'Freddy vs Jason'...ugh, I mean, Alien Vs Predator!
Oh my god! They've turned 'Alien' into a cheap teenage slasher movie! And what's worse they've turned the Alien and the Predator into Freddy and Jason! Typical for a teenage slasher, it comes replete with a house full of annoying kids, a decent but poor one, a high school bully one (and his bully cohorts) and a beautiful girl, who has to get her clothes off in the obligatory pool and monster scene. The story eventually improves but only to the point where it changes from a poor slasher movie ...(read more)into a weak 'zombie-survival horror' movie. What's next, a Scream like spoof! God, I hope not! Please kill off the franchise now if you can't come up with anything better than this cliché-ridden, weak excuse for a horror/action film!
Silver Surfer (1998)
Excellent Comic Book-Adapted Animation Series
Excellent adaptation of the Silver Surfer comic book, true to the spirit of the original. Thoughtful and entertaining. It's a shame that arguments prevented the story arc from being completed.
The Silver Surfer has always been a serious and thoughtful character, especially in the 60s incarnation, and that is true in this adaptation. This version surely demanded a completed finale and at least one follow-up series.
The background artwork seems true to the style of Jack Kirby, while the characters owe more to the John Buscema versions. Jack Kirby was always best at drawing outlandish technology and architecture, and his work on the 60s Silver Surfer comic book took great advantage of this with stunning alien technology and lifeforms. John Buscema produced great character drawings, and with the Silver Surfer, ones depicting emotions that leaped off the page. The writing of Stan Lee, with all his humanist tendencies (no pun intended), also gave this character great drama - almost Shakespearian at times!
What a great combination!