3DSpecs Reviews

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

ENTERTAINMENT - Not to be taken to heart

[10/10 · 3 February 2017]

Colourful, well paced, excellent casting, visually striking.

The plot is "believable" in a cartoon kind of way, but that's enough.

Like all good comic book stories, it carries a moral and there is a degree of poetry in the way the narrative picks up on earlier scenes later on.

If there is a moral message to take home from it, to spell it out would spoil the whole thing (even if you have seen it).

Behind the explosive wizardry lurks a serious reflection on today's world, the sentiments and objectives to which it refers may be nearer to the truth than we would like to think.

Good cinema is about telling a story and delivering entertainment, I found this to be flawless.

Moana (I) (2016)

Enjoyable entertainment with character

[10/10 · 1 February 2017]

My friend has strong connections with Hawaii and urged us to see Disney's latest animation.

With an open mind and no expectations, I settled back to see what was on offer.

Many of the portrayals I found surprising, and, for me, that added to the character of the film.

The animation flows impeccably.

I found the timing and rhythm of the story telling to be right on target.

Scanning some of the more disparaging reviews makes me wonder about how one's frame of mind can change perception, perhaps seeing too many films creates impossible-to-meet expectations.

As a moderate-to-low film/TV watcher, "Moana" was for me thoroughly enjoyable and engaging from beginning to end. I was being told a story I had previously not known even existed, and the story was told very well.

"Well done Disney", that's how I felt as I left the cinema.

Cinderella (I) (2015)

Disney Excels Again

[10/10 · 1 February 2017]

My disappointment was hearing that critics had found fault with this work of perfection.

The characterisation has been thought through carefully and the temptation to make caricatures of the step-mother and her daughters consciously resisted.

The retelling of "Cinderella" (apparently known, in the 19th century, as "Cinderslut") with the benefits of modern techniques and processes is impeccable.

Often, films that are 'great works' suffer from some minor weakness or other, a detail not followed through, a hasty bit of editing, a clipped or overly long scene but never did I feel that could be said about Disney's film. "TLC" (tender loving care") from beginning to end.

True to Walt's original intentions, here is a film for all the family (well, some teenagers may want to wait a little).

Good luck, it's great to see memorable films making it to our screens.

The Intouchables (2011)

Pleasantly Surprised

[10/10 · 1 February 2017]

10/10, faultless.

Given to me as birthday present, I was sceptical of the "rave reviews" splashed across the DVD sleeve (and the subject matter put me off).

The film is authentic and genuine.

"Untouchable" made us us laugh because the scenes were both funny and brilliantly done - real life on screen as opposed to "Actors-Being-Comedians".

Everything is deadly serious, "Untouchable" is based (however loosely I cannot tell) on actual events.

Eye candy it is not, here we have an insight into a world behind doors that keeps itself to itself. I found myself looking into two greatly contrasting lives.

The characters evoke empathy in different ways and for different reasons, even when someone is "being bad".

The casting is excellent, timing, pace, mood all have been handled with impeccability.

Would it have come across differently if it had been presented as pure fiction? That may be a hard question to answer, telling myself I was watching the retelling of true events undoubtedly added to the strength of the film.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

The Hard Price Of Enduring Success?

[4/10 · 1 February 2017]

Fan club eye candy.

(I don't think anything here can be considered a Spoiler as such, however, it is best read if you HAVE seen the film, NOT if you are intending to see it. If the latter, please "look away now".) It is not really a "stand alone" story line (as advertised) but presumes the audience has watched every-single-Star-Wars-film-ever-made.

Big mistake.

The need to tie in with later films severely handicapped both the character development and the plot.

Technically, brilliant, ground breaking.

Those who dedicated 18 months (and more) to CGI deserve every credit. Time and again, however, I felt cheated - "Wow, what a great scene!" - whoops, where has it gone? I was enjoying that but I'm rationed to one and a half seconds ("because every Star Wars Fan has seen something like that too often before"? I wonder).

Big disappointment with the music, sorry, it attacked rather than enhanced the imagery and narrative.

To me it felt like every creative input was handcuffed and manacled by the past, by the need to "live up" to something, to, "satisfy expectations".

The whole Star Wars concept is a most fantastic piece of modern science fiction.

"Star Wars" is to cinema what "Dune" was to literature.

I still love the original, first and, possibly, the best - but then, I've seen only a few.

Those historic and impeccable CGIs should, please, surely have featured, however briefly, right at the start.

The Chess Scene was one of the Great Moments in the original, that uniqueness, the Magic, simply cannot be recaptured. There is only ever one First Time. It could, however, be woven in as "part of everyday life" something with which we the viewers are presumed to be familiar. It is so brief, it serves as no more than a reference or a reminder.

The "guest appearances" of C-3PO & R2-D2 were for me too brief and lacked the, how can I put it, "red carpet" they deserved. I would like to have seen them for a few more moments at least.

I loved the peculiar aliens in their rocket machines, but again, Now You See Them Now You Don't, gone in the blink of an eye.

Those "Other Worlds", wonderful vistas, I wanted to gaze upon them and drink in the "Avatar-meets-Blade-Runner" landscapes but no, whoosh, they're whisked away before you can see the mountain tops.

Clearly, many fans love this prequel; the real test, to my mind, is how does it come across to Newbies? Perhaps that is as hard as finding an impartial jury for a world-famous crime (if you'll excuse the analogy).

The "Star Wars" epic-drama suffers (shock horror) from decades of astounding, hard-earned and much deserved success.

Long may the Force continue to bring us great screen moments.

Dark Journey (2012)

A Happy Holiday takes a turn, or two.

[9/10 · 27 August 2014]

There you are, you have arrived in London to begin a new life.

The path you thought you were on vanishes and is immediately replaced by another, potentially equally good.

London is a city filled with history, as everyone knows, but you discover it has another, less documented, side.

The wonderful, friendly and helpful people have something to show you, something you do not see until the very end.

Put yourself in Kelly's (Tiffany Mulheron's) shoes as she embarks upon her "Dark Journey".

The film leads the viewer into the mind of Kelly the young singer as she undergoes torment and transformation.

Many people go through such experiences when they arrive, alone, in a strange city, but rarely does real life go quite as far as this.

Or does it?

The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)

Had it been made in Hollywood, it would have circled the world

[9/10 · 16 May 2008]

Had this version of Pinnochio been made by a major Hollywood studio we would have had adverts on TV, all the major cinemas would have run it for weeks and we would never have heard the end of it. I saw this premiered at the Edinburgh Festival where the running time was listed as 180 minutes (so far as I can recall) and I thought we were half way through when in fact there were just 15 minutes to go. After the premier, it vanished from sight and I never heard nor saw any sign of it again. What a terrible waste. The film deserves better. My only disappointment was when the puppet turned into a chubby little boy but, after the excellent blending of animation with live action, this was a minor niggle. I found the film entertaining on several levels and strongly recommend it to film clubs and people with large screens - I suspect this is a film that does not work nearly so well on an average television set - a full-sized cinema or large Home Cinema system with surround sound is what it needs to do it justice.