Man Of Steel (2013)

Year: 2013
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne
Man Of Steel is now showing everywhere. Check your local cinema listing for times and details

Superman films have in recent years become a dangerous project to take on. Not because of the so called Superman Curse (although some may argue that this MAY have something to do with it), but because they have so much history and so much to live up to.

Man Of Steel has created so much buzz from film and Superman fans alike with a wonderful cast and Zack Snyder's history with visually astonishing action. However, with all that comes incredibly high expectations and a wave of depression when you realise that Man Of Steel isn't all you wanted it to be. The biggest disappointments being an incredibly weak screenplay and overly self-indulgent direction by Snyder.

Man Of Steel opens with the first natural birth of a child on the planet, Krypton for centuries. Sensing unrest and the end of the world as they know it, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) sends his new born son to Earth to live among the humans and give his race hope. Kal-El grows up being known as Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) and possesses extraordinary strength which sets him apart from others. When Clark sets out to find out who he really is, he encounters reporter, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) who is on a mission to also find out who he really is. Unfortunately, there is someone who knows exactly who Clark is and that is General Zod (Michael Shannon) who is set on rebuilding Krypton even if it means the destruction of Earth and the human race.

One has to wonder how different the reception to Man Of Steel would have been if it was the first we had ever known of Superman or if it was a stand alone film. It is almost inconceivable to think of it this way and therefore is hard to say what we would think about it if it was. Superman has been in our culture for over 60 years now and as a result, it isn't an option for Man Of Steel not be compared to its predecessors.

The major thing that is lacking in this film in regards to past Superman films (particularly those Christopher Reeve films) is there is a lack of suspense and lack of excitement and thrill, which is what Superman is all about. The first half of the film is completely void of any excitement or suspense. The second half admittedly does get better, but 143 minutes is just too long for the film. There was a point where it should have just finished and it would have been the perfect feeling for the action packed conclusion. Yet it just feels like Snyder went overboard with trying to prove what he could do special effects wise and it becomes a little too much. However, don't be alarmed. This is an improvement on 2006's Superman Returns.

It isn't just the final scenes which are a little too much when it comes to the special effects and cinematography. Man Of Steel is primarily a 3D film and that is how it appears even when you watch it even in 2D. There is so much going on that the story is sometimes lost in the crazy CGI and special effects. There is no denying that the special effects are incredible, especially during those scenes on Krypton and in Metropolis. The costume design is also incredible. Then there are the moments that give the impression that a handheld camera is being used and it doesn't add anything to the film.The choice to have flashbacks continuously through the film is also quite annoying and does not allow the film to run smoothly at all.

What die-hard Superman fans may not like about Man Of Steel is that there are several aspects of the film which contradict the original Superman stories. You can tell that what story creators, Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer were trying to do with the story was to not make it exactly like the original Superman so that it wasn't an exact remake. It is really quite admirable as it gives the story some originality and makes for a different take on how Kal-El/ Clark Kent becomes Superman.

However, you cannot fault any of the actors. Henry Cavill was a great choice for the lead role. He shows great character development throughout the film and completely embodies all that both Clark Kent and Superman should be. He has some wonderful emotional moments showing his true acting ability that lies behind the Superman suit.

Amy Adams can clearly do everything and with Man Of Steel she can add action to type of films that she has now conquered. She is a very convincing Lois Lane and her and Cavill work brilliantly together. Michael Shannon does evil very well as General Zod and has some truly terrifying moments. Russell Crowe is far from terrible as Jor-El. He does well and is actually quite fun to watch. Both Diane Lane and Kevin Costner do very well as Clark's parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent. They both are wonderful and very convincing in regards to the emotion they show to their son.

Man Of Steel is let down by a Snyder's thirst for creating as big an impact with CGI action as possible and a very jerky screenplay. The high expectations of anything Superman related didn't help it's cause at all. Yet, it is still Superman and there is always interest when it comes to the man who is faster than a speeding bullet.

5.5/10



You may also be interested in reading our article about whether there is a Superman curse or not. Check it out and decide for yourselves!


You may have also seen Amy Adams in....
Julie & Julia as Julie Powell
The Fighter as Charlene Fleming
The Master as Peggy Dodd

You may have also seen Michael Shannon in......
The Iceman as Richard Kuklinski

You may have also seen Russell Crowe in....
Robin Hood as Robin Hood
Les Miserables as Javert

This Is The End (2013)

Year: 2013
Director: Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogan
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogan, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, Emma Watson, Michael Cera
This Is The End is currently screening in the USA and the UK
To be released in Australia on the 18th July 2013

Rated MA15+ for strong crude humour, coarse language, sexual references, comedic violence, nudity and drug use.

With warnings like this, you may be a little concerned and cautious about the viewing of This Is the End you are planning. The poster doesn't lie, they are all there, but the movie doesn't lose it's hilarity in it's warned content. This Is the End is one of the funniest films of the year and is one of those rare comedy films that come along every so often that have longevity and staying power.

This Is The End isn't your typical film for any of the A-list celebrities involved. Instead of pretending to be someone else, they are all playing themselves. Jay Baruchel and Seth Rogan decide to go to a party at James Franco's house where everyone who is anyone is. During the wild party, chaos erupts outside in a fashion which indicates that this may well be the end of the world. Together, Jay, Seth, James, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson and Danny McBride must find a way to survive and work together.

This is one funny film. It is able to conquer the audiences who love comedy, but are not fans of crude and gruesome comedy. This Is The End has these things, but has so much comedic power that it makes you almost believe that it needs to have it's crude moments and that they are completely relevant. The script, written by directors Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogan, is just wonderful and contains many great ad-libbed one liners.Although there are so many films in recent history regarding the end of the world, this one is completely unlike any other. It's not a common thing to be able to laugh at the concept of the end of the world.

There is nothing really serious about this film, it is a comedy in every way possible. There are some biblical references regarding Revelations and the apocalypse, but that is as far as it will get. The "dramatic" moments of the film are just so overdone that you know that the film makers are trying to achieve laughs rather than critical success. There is also some dodgy and a little B-grade CGI, but you can only assume that the CGI was never meant to be world class and a little B-gradeness just makes it a bit funnier.

The brilliance of this film is that everyone is making fun of themselves. All the male actors are poking fun at themselves throughout the film in several different ways, including Franco's movie memorabilia collection and his art collection and Hill overplaying the sensitive role which he has often been cast in. There are cameos throughout the film, especially in Franco's house party, but stay until the end of the film for one of the most hilarious endings you will see in a film. Completely overdone, but completely fitting and hysterically funny.

All the actors in the film do so well. Baruchel, Rogan, Franco, Hill and Robinson all do well and remain likable throughout the film. Perhaps Hill stops being actually likable at one point, but is still hilarious. Danny McBride can become annoying at times, but that is his role in the film. It is hilarious seeing Emma Watson drop the F-bomb for the first time in her film career. She is a great touch to a predominantly male movie. You can't help watching This Is The End thinking how much fun this film would really have been to make.

It is incredible what Goldberg and Rogan have achieved with This Is The End. A concept that could just sound silly has given birth to comedic brilliance.

8/10

Warning: This YouTube clip contains some coarse language

On a side note.....

Check out this Cast Featurette as supplied by Sony Pictures to get a bit more insight into the making of This Is The End

We Steal Secrets: The Story Of Wikileaks (2013)

Year: 2013
Director: Alex Gibney
Cast: Julian Assange, Adrian Lamo, Bradley Manning, James Ball
We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks opens in Australian cinemas on the 4th July 2013 and opens in the UK on the 12th July 2013

If you are starting from scratch with your Wikileaks and Julian Assange knowledge, We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks is a great place to start and learn everything you could possibly need to know about the infamous man and his ground breaking website in just over 2 hours.

However, if you are on a need to know basis with Assange and Wikileaks, while We Steal Secrets is thorough enough, it is still very pro-Wikileaks. Interestingly, it is pro-Wikileaks and anti-Assange. Therefore, Alex Gibney's documentary is not rid of bias, but is still extremely interesting and effective.

We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks is a detailed look at how the concept of Wikileaks was formed by it's founder, Julian Assange and how it came to be the focus of international controversy by being the facilitator of the biggest security breach in US history. Through interviews with ex- Wikileaks employees and detailed biographies of all the major people involved in the scandals surrounding Wikileaks, the truth is learnt about the charismatic Assange and the ongoing effects of Wikileaks.

This documentary, which had it's world premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival and Australian premiere at the Sydney Film Festival, is nothing short of entertaining. There is so much drama surrounding Wikileaks that at times it can feel as though you are watching a narrative feature film rather than a documentary. It can be extremely emotional and heartfelt, especially when looking at the result of Bradley Manning being the whistle-blower on the operations of the US military and the final interview scene with Adrian Lamo.

Throughout most of the film, it is clear that it is pro-Wikileaks. It does seem as though it is pro-Assange for a time as well, but then it suddenly switches. All the dirt suddenly comes out on Assange from the mouths of those who have personally known him and the conclusion of the film makes him out to be the exact opposite of what Wikileaks stands for. Whether this has come to past as being true or not, the film suddenly starts on the path of being extremely one-sided. Especially when it is mentioned that Assange set a price to give an interview for the film and Gibney did not approve of this. After being asked for that amount of money, it is obvious Gibney isn't a big fan of Assange, which is understandable in many ways. However, the bias does bring down the credibility of the film.

We Steal Secrets can almost be quite anti-USA at times as well when it comes to the case of Bradley Manning. Some of the things the interviewees say could be taken quite harshly by many Americans.

Gibney has used other techniques besides the information he has to ensure that We Steal Secrets is as entertaining as it can be. There is the use of loud music, such as that of Midnight Oil and Lady Gaga to increase the excitement and tension of the film as well as an original score by Will Bates which helps add to the emotion of the moment. The visual technique of using the electric blue typing against a black ground is also effective and heightens awareness of how important these electronic messages are to the story.

One thing is for certain with We Steal Secrets is that it certainly makes you think. It challenges you to think further about what you have been informed about and decide whether you think what happened as a result of Wikileaks uncovering the secrets of the US military was handled in the right way or not. The film encourages you to believe that it wasn't, but it still doesn't stop you pondering over the question of morals and the role and treatment of whistle-blowers in society.

We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks is an extremely interesting documentary and leaves you feeling like you are an expert on the subject, which is what a good documentary should do. However, it is still guilty of the crime of pushing you towards a certain viewpoint through it's bias ways.

7.5/10