Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon, Gary Dourdan, Michael Wincott
Certificate: 18
Genre: Horror, Sci Fi, Action
Awards: None

Alien: Resurrection takes place two-hundred years after the happenings of Alien3. Ellen Ripley is dead and she has been cloned by Weyland industries in order to gain possession of an Alien Queen. When the aliens escape, the clone of Ripley (Weaver) then teams up with a pirate crew in order to escape.

From what I've heard of this film I expected it to be terrible, but it's not that bad. It's nowhere near Alien and Aliens of course but it doesn't destroy the franchise at all. Most of the crew are enjoyable to watch and you don't want them to die. Winona Rider is a likeable new heroine and Ron Perlman is as awesome as ever.

However, the film is far from perfect. Alien: Resurrection is desperate to create something new in the series. They try human aliens, mutated humans and many others. Unfortunately, none really seem shocking or new.

Alien: Resurrection is tons better than Alien3 but can't compete with the originals. An enjoyable film with a twist I didn't see coming.

****Good

Alien: Resurrection Trailer

Kick-Ass (2010)

Director: Mathew Vaughn
Starring: Aaron Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Lyndsy Fonseca
Certificate: 15
Genre: Superhero, Comedy, action
Awards: None

Kick-Ass a comic book adaptation about a kid who decides he's going to become a superhero. Dressed in a green wetsuit and armed with kendo sticks, Kick-Ass (Johnson) takes to the streets to stop crime. After a few bad attempts, he finally stops a mugging and becomes a youtube sensation.  Soon he meets other superheroes such as the eleven year old Hit Girl (Moretz) and her father Big Daddy (Cage). He also draws the attention of the mob boss Frank D'Amico (Strong) who makes a dangerous enemy.

Kick-Ass is very funny and very violent. The characters are likeable and it feels unique. Nicholas Cage is great as the batman like Big Daddy. There is apparently a sequel on the way. If it's anywhere as good as the original, it will be a great film.

****Good

Kick Ass Trailer

The Towering Inferno (1974)

Director: John Guillermin
Starring: Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Susan Blakely,  Richard Chamberlain, Jennifer Jones, O. J Simpson
Certificate: 15
Genre: Thriller, Action, Disaster
Awards: Best Cinematography, best editing, best music

The Towering Inferno is a disaster film when a skyscraper with shoddy building catches fire and the party on the top floor have to escape before the fire gets to them. There are a variety of different characters such as Steve McQueens fire chief, Paul Newman the architect and Fred Astaire the conman.

The towering inferno makes you care about the characters (well... some of them) . The characters are strong and realistic. It shows how fear affects people and how they would react if there life was in danger. Overall, an enjoyable film but forgettable.

****Good

The Towering Inferno Trailer

Face/ Off (1997)

Director: John Woo
Starring: John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen
Certificate: 18
Genre: Action, Crime
Awards: None

In Face/Off, John Travolta is cop Sean Archer who is fixed on one thing, catching the terrorist Caster Troy (Cage) who also killed his son. When he succeeds, he has become his enemy to find out where the terrorists have planted the bomb. Unfortunately, not all goes to plan and Troy takes Archer's face and takes over his life. Now both are trying to kill the other.

Face/ Off has an original idea and an interesting story. It's not trying to be cleverer than other action films. Travolta and Cage both play good heroes and villains. Overall, Face/ Off is an enjoyable action film which is definitely worth watching. It makes me want to see more of John Woo's films anyway.

****Good

Face Off Trailer

Batman returns (1992)

Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Michael Keaton, Danny Devito, Michelle Pfeiffer , Christopher Walken
Certificate: 12
Genre: Superhero
Awards: None

Batman Returns is the second Batman film by Tim Burton. This time it's the Penguin who seems to be wrecking havoc in Gotham City as he partners with the rich businessman Max Shrek in order to drive batman out of the city for good and become mayor. Catwoman also has something in store for Batman.

This is very different to the Christopher Nolan films. It definitely has Tim Burton's signature all over it- the gothic feel, the opera like music- and it seems he has made it too weird. The final of the film is absolutely hilarious.

Like The Dark Knight, Batman seems to be sidelined while the film focuses on the villains. Danny Devito is brilliant as the Penguin while Christopher Walken's character is sometimes hatable (when he pushes Selina Kyle out of a window) and sometimes he is likeable (sacrificing himself for his son).  I didn't really get what Catwoman was trying to do throughout the film. She seemed to want to kill batman for some reason.

Overall Batman Returns is a very gothic and weird look at our hero and his nemesis's. It's not bad, but it could have been better.

***Okay

Batman Returns trailer

Prometheus (2012)

Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, Charlize Theron, Logam Marshall-Green, Guy Pearce, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall
Certificate: 15
Genre: Horror, Sci Fi
Awards: None

Prometheus takes place in the same universe as the Alien franchise and follows a group of scientists as they travel to LV-426 (the moon where the alien eggs were found in Alien) to find out who created the human race. There things start to go wrong.

The android David (Fassbender) steals the film. He is a likeable character but you don't trust him. Unlike Alien, you don't really get to know most of the crew. As there are seventeen of them, most don't live long enough for you to care about them.

The film is visually stunning, but some parts of the story seem to not add up. The beginning scenes don't seem to make sense with the rest of the film at all.

Prometheus raises more questions than answers. Nothing is really explained, but a sequel was hinted. I would be interested in seeing the sequel so the film did it's job. The ending however, is absolutely perfect.

****Good

Prometheus Trailer

28 Weeks Later (2007)

Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Starring: Mackintosh Muggleton, Imogen Poots, Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner
Certificate: 18
Genre: Horror
Awards: None

28 Weeks later is the sequel to 28 weeks later. It shows us what happens after the infection of Britain dies and London is repopulated .

The beginning scenes are really good; showing how Don (Carlyle) survived the first outbreak. It is a really intensive scene helped by a brilliant score by John Murphey.  You can relate to all of the characters - even the general who condemns the people to death as you understand why he did it. Usually when a character dies in a film, I don't care that much. In 28 Weeks Later, you follow all the characters and get to know them. When they die, you're heart broken.

28 Weeks Later has matched up to it's predecessor. Both films are modern masterpieces that will be a milestone in British Films. There are rumours that a 28 Months Later may be made. If so, it has a lot to live up to.

*****Brilliant

28 Weeks Later trailer

The Dark Knight (2008)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Certificate: 12
Genre: Superhero, action
Awards: Best sound editing, Best supporting actor (Heath Ledger)

Batman is back and been put to new limits. Batman has always had at least two villains in each film since returns and this time it's the Joker and Two Face. Batman has been doing quite well since we last saw him and Gotham seems to be cleaning up. Unfortunately, the Joker has other ideas is hired by the mafia to take own the three heroes of Gotham City. Batman, Commissioner Jim Gordon and the new district attorney Harvey Dent. Together the three may be able to take him down.

The Dark Knight seems a lot darker than it's predessesor. It also focuses less on Batman. Batman Begins was the story of how Bruce Wayne became Batman and therefore he was the star. The Dark Knight follows a lot more characters making Batman just another player in the game. The Joker absolutely steals the show with his maniacal personallity and cackling voice.

There are however some things I felt could have been done better. The beginning scenes where Batman is chasing the Scarecrow seems unnesesary. In Batman Begins, the scarecrow escapes and says that he will be back. Just arresting him and then not showing him for the rest of the film just makes it look like Christopher Nolan changed his mind and didn't know what to do with him anymore.

Overall, TDK is a very good superhero film. I prefer Begins for the scarecrow and Liam Neeson but both are extremely good films.

*****Brilliant

The Dark Knight Trailer