The Cinemasitter

Tag: The Digital Fix

  • Review: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

    The late Tom Clancy’s most famous character is dusted off and rebooted once again in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, an entertaining if rudimentary assembly of familiar espionage plot devices and characters. Those who remember the previous Ryan films – in particular the original trilogy of The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger – will feel immediately at home in this new take, which moves the character in to the present day whilst portraying a reasonably faithful version of his origins. But the uncomplicated plot, brisk pace and short-ish running time mean that, compared to those previous outings, this is a lightweight take on Clancy’s hero, lacking the murky politics which usually dragged him out of his depth.

    Full review: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit | Film @ The Digital Fix

  • Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

    Director Peter Jackson took a risk when he decided to break up his epic prequel to The Lord of the Rings in to three parts rather than the originally-planned two. After all, this was clearly never going to be a simple page-to-screen adaptation of The Hobbit, and it threatened to stretch an already slender plot beyond breaking point. Yet he just about succeeds in pulling it off. The Desolation of Smaug is an exciting adventure romp, providing two and a half hours of solid entertainment, while at the same time failing to come anywhere near the highs of The Two Towers, Jackson’s middle section of his earlier Rings cycle which, for many, was the best film in the entire trilogy.

    Full review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | 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