These days, it seems like every other film I watch contains some sort of fight scene. As such, I’ve seen a number of similar looking sequences which vary in their degrees of effectiveness, and the vast majority of those are little more than ‘seen-it-all-before’ shoot-em ups and the like. Put simply, it’s not often that a film excites me purely on an action basis, but The Raid is a fresh breath of air in this regard, and an instant standout of the genre. Whilst it will take a more thorough investigation to determine where The Raid ranks among the greatest action films of all time, it has certainly earned its place in that discussion.
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Not for nothing has Jason Statham got a reputation as an action star; he’s been showcasing his fighting skills in films for years – more often than not as the ‘ordinary guy’ who somehow gets the job done – ranging from the good (The Transporter, Killer Elite) to the bad (Death Race) to the downright wild (the Crank series). Later this year, he will reunite with his fellow bad-asses in The Expendables 2, but until then New York is the backdrop for the latest round of his exploits in Safe, a crime thriller written and directed by Boaz Yakin (Remember the Titans). Unfortunately, the film does not afford itself enough smarts story-wise to accompany Statham’s very watchable brawn.
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To the surprise of no one, Avengers Assemble is already proving to be a financial success even though it was only released last week, and along with Marley it was the strongest film of April. We are now firmly in ‘Summer movie’ territory and there is no shortage of blockbusters coming our way this month. From anticipated threequels to martial arts extravaganzas, have a gander at the latest edition of Film Watch.
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During the past few months, my excitement for Avengers outweighed my anticipation for Christopher Nolan’s final Batman flick, and those of you who have seen Joss Whedon’s superhero team-up will be aware of how much that excitement was justified. But on the short list of possible films to top Avengers (my film of the year thus far), The Dark Knight Rises is at the very top. With the July 20 release date drawing ever nearer, the marketing is guaranteed to kick up a few notches, and today Warner Bros. have unveiled a third (and final?) theatrical trailer for Nolan’s conclusion to his Batman trilogy. You don’t need me to tell you to hit the link, do you?
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“And there came a day unlike any other…” This opening line to the Avengers comic books was also spoken by Samuel L. Jackson when the cast of the Avengers was first unveiled at Comic-Con almost two years ago. Marvel’s ambitious superhero team-up has been four years in the making and has spanned five films, but now it’s finally upon us. Make no mistake about it; Avengers Assemble marks an unprecedented event. Just like the team itself, there are so many reasons why it should not work. And yet, director Joss Whedon & co have managed to surpass all the lofty expectations and deliver not only one of the greatest superhero films ever made, but one of the best blockbusters in recent memory.
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Have you ever been watching a film and felt that you’ve seen parts of it before? It’s a problem that horror films in particular seem to have run into of late. Well good news horror fans; it’s a problem that the makers of Cabin in the Woods are well aware of. Penned by Joss Whedon – aka the director of that small film called Avengers Assemble – and directed by Drew Goodard, this latest addition to the genre revels in turning those well known clichés upside down, and is easily the best horror film of the year for it.
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Recently, James Cameron (Avatar) came out about the lack of originality in Hollywood, citing Battleship as a prime example. With the amount of sequels, prequels, and reboots due for release in the next couple of years, I am inclined to agree with him. Battleship is based on the Hasbro video game, the same company from which Transformers was birthed. The similarities between the two have been very apparent in the trailers, and many have proclaimed that it is Transformers-at-sea. Can director Peter Berg (Hancock) distinguish Battleship from its criticized counterpart?
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