The Cinemasitter

Category: The Digital Fix

  • Review: Total Recall (2012)

    Going where many, many futuristic sci-fi thrillers have gone before, Total Recall 2012 is an instantly forgettable experience. Say what you will about the Schwarzenegger-starring 1990 original, it at least had personality – chock full of the blunt satire and unapologetic violence that are the hallmarks of its director, Paul Verhoeven. This new version is so bland it barely has the strength to stay up on the screen. What makes it doubly frustrating is that there was plenty of scope for a different take on the story – a deeper and darker exploration of the rabbit-hole plot, with its multiple memories and shifting loyalties, while remaining faithful to the spirit, if not the letter, of original author Philip K. Dick. Does no-one remember a little film called Inception?

    Full review: Total Recall | Cinema Review | Film @ The Digital Fix

  • Review: The Bourne Legacy

    A sidequel rather than a direct sequel, The Bourne Legacy succeeds in giving the kiss of life to a franchise that had a Do Not Resuscitate sign hanging over it. The series seemingly came to a natural conclusion with Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne finally discovering who he was and how he came to be fished out of the sea with no memory three years earlier. But there was a problem: that concluding chapter, The Bourne Ultimatum, made enormous piles of cash for studio Universal. Their franchise was still lucrative but had run out of narrative gas. Enter “series architect” Tony Gilroy, who has gone and greatly fleshed out the backstory behind the Treadstone program that created Bourne in order to allow for another agent to go on the run from a different set of people. What’s surprising is that The Bourne Legacy turns out to be a respectable thriller in its own right.

    Full review: The Bourne Legacy | Cinema Review | Film @ The Digital Fix

  • Review: Prometheus (2012)

    Ridley Scott’s return to the massively popular Alien franchise he helped launch in 1979 shoulders an enormous burden in audience expectations – this is his first science fiction film since Blade Runner, after all – and it’s little short of a miracle that he succeeds in delivering a worthy follow-up. It may not be the equal of its classic progenitor or his landmark 1982 future noir, but Scott proves he still has it in him to deliver a beautifully crafted, mature slice of sci-fi while keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. Raising as many questions as it does answers, the director and Twentieth Century Fox have successfully resuscitated one of the studio’s key properties by delving in to its origins (much as they did with last year’s X-Men and Planet of the Apes reboots) instead of churning out a redundant remake, managing the difficult act of keeping long time fans onboard without (ahem) alienating newcomers.

    Full review: Prometheus | Cinema Review | Film @ The Digital Fix

  • Review: Men in Black 3 (2012)

    Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones saddle up together for a third time in Men in Black 3, a sequel that feels like it was made five years too late and everyone turned up to make it just so they could get it over with and cross it off their To Do lists. A sense of tiredness permeates this belated threequel as it struggles to deliver big laughs or re-establish the quick-fire chemistry between its two stars. Yet, with that caveat out of the way, there is still some fun to be had – a time-twisting plot and new supporting characters do go some way to freshening things up – but anyone hoping for a rejuvenated franchise will come away somewhat disappointed.

    Full review: Men in Black 3 | Cinema Review | Film @ The Digital Fix

     

  • Review: The Dictator (2012)

    Sacha Baron Cohen’s particular brand of provocative comedy comes undone in his latest venture, a disappointing satire of Middle Eastern politics that never really comes together. In attempting to move away from the mockumentary approach of previous films like Borat, Baron Cohen falls victim to an utterly conventional plot and a string of misfiring jokes that leave the film struggling to stay afloat. When there’s more laughs to be found in a film’s trailer than in the film itself, you know you’re in trouble. It’s not a complete loss – as with all his films, Baron Cohen succeeds in making a few pointed political statements – but it’s surely his weakest big screen effort to date.

    Full review: The Dictator | Cinema Review | Film @ The Digital Fix

     

  • Digital Fix review – Piranha 3DD (2012)

    History repeats itself, so the saying goes, and ample proof is provided by the resurrected Piranha franchise. In 1978 Joe Dante’s trashy Jaws rip-off delivered the goods but was followed in 1981 by an entirely worthless sequel, which would have been long forgotten were it not for the fact that it happened to be directed by one James Cameron. Then in 2010 Alexandre Aja’s tits ‘n’ gore remake similarly provided robust entertainment, mixing big name cameos with tongue-in-cheek humour amidst some serious carnage, and this has now duly been followed by a worthless sequel of its very own. Ramping up the camp humour along with the size of breasts on display, director John Gulager must surely be praying that his career will now follow a trajectory similar to that of Cameron’s – but from here it’s looking somewhat unlikely.

    Full review: Piranha 3DD | Cinema Review | Film @ The Digital Fix

     

  • Digital Fix review – Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

    My review of the fairly enjoyable Ewan McGregor/Emily Blunt romantic comedy drama currently in cinemas is now up at The Digital Fix:

    Salmon Fishing in the Yemen @ The Digital Fix

  • Digital Fix review – Wrath of the Titans

    My review of Wrath of the Titans – it’s better than the first one:

    Wrath of the Titans @ The Digital Fix

  • Digital Fix review – The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

    Here’s my review of Aardman’s latest slice of claymation fun over at The Digital Fix:

    The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! @ The Digital Fix

  • Digital Fix Review – Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)

    Ghost Rider 2My review of Ghost Rider 2 is now online:

    Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance | Cinema Review | Film @ The Digital Fix.