Batman - A review

*S-s-s-s-s-spoiler Alert*
Do not read if you haven't watch the film yet. If you do you only have yourself to blame.

Definitely an amazing film. No dull parts. Really interesting use of sound and music too; particularly with the kid singing at the football match. Amazing special effects, and so glad they didn't bother with 3D because there is genuinely no need in a film like this. The story/FX balance was just right, and I salute the film for this. A lot of people have said it isn't as good as the previous Batman film, and opinion with which, with the distinct lack of Heath Ledger, I am inclined to agree. It had a lot more story than the first one, which was good in its own right. I think that you can view this film as its own product,  like with the new Charlie and the Chocolate factory - it is different to the first one, and it only becomes bad, or poor, through comparison, which is not necessarily fair.

I do think it needed a bit more... something. A lot of it was very generic action movie stuff, which yep, it builds tension, there's a few twists to throw you off course but it wasn't quite special enough owing to the effort that has gone into this movie's production. I also found a lot of it was reminiscent of its surroundings. We have the riots of the poor against the rich, there are terrorists, and the scene in the football stadium I'm sure would be eerily too close to home for those poor people in that cinema in Denver (although obviously there is no link there). Then we have the Chilean minors in the buried police officers; and there was something very Mrs. Weasley about the come back of the Commissioner ("That's my city you bitch, BOOM"). The ending was also a remake of the latest Sherlock Holmes.

It also need a lot more Batman. I don't know who else feels the same, but I feel utterly mis-sold by the title of the film. High points for me were some amazing performances from Mr. Can-do-no-wrong Gordon-Levitt, and Michael Caine. Anne Hathaway definitely came out of her shell too and her nemesis/lover dynamic with Bruce worked really well. Brucey himself though; what a self indulgent little shit. I'm sorry but all this moody angst was just not what I wanted from the hero of this movie. I appreciate that he's resurrecting an old and dead part of himself but he really could have done it with less of a fuss. And yes, you should have sacrificed yourself, but you should be the selfless hero and you just weren't and that makes me sad.

The ending however was amazing. I was too slow to click that JGL would be Robin, but couldn't think of anyone better for the role.

I will end this review with a small rant about Marion Cotillard. Yes I appreciate that this is your second, or perhaps even third or fourth language, but woman, PLEASE, enunciate! I also appreciate that for 99% of the film your role was to be pointless, naked and flouncy but that is no excuse for mulching through words like "necessary" and whatever else you said that I simply couldn't catch. Luckily most of it was pointless so it didn't take much from the overall impact of the film. I've even seen you in other films where you display the ability to speak. All I can imagine is she was told to mumble while her character was being deceptive so when she reveals her true identity as the villain you think "Ah that explains her lack of communication then".
Same goes from Tom Hardy. Tone down on the echo boys, it was very difficult to understand him and he was far too posh to have been lived in a hole in the ground and to possess monstrous strength.

Overall, 4 stars. Bravo.

Ted - A Review

I saw Ted yesterday and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Usually things like this are super hyped up and everyone tells me how hilarious it is, so I don't find it funny as a result.

Luckily for the producers of Ted, fat children being punched in the face and inappropriate jokes about hookers and poo do actually crack me up. However it did fall into the awkward category with scenes that lasted way longer than necessary, but less so than Borat or Bridesmaids so I wouldn't hold it against the film as a whole.

The whole film was well put together, the old British guy voice over making it seem like a Christmas story set the tone just right for the rest of the film. Plus before the bear became Peter Griffin it was super cute. I have mixed feelings about Mila Kunis. Mostly because she looked way too pristine for a film like this, making her seem more like a Megan Fox wannabe, when Kunis is actually a reasonably talented actress (Also had no idea she did the voice for Meg in Family Guy until just now...). Her ridiculous make up having just got out the shower and when she had woken up, combined with her stroppy attitude to Ted made her a really unlikeable character which she's really not supposed to be. You should be able to sympathise with her that her boyfriend was obsessed with his Teddy Bear; but she came across so tarty I just felt she was being unreasonable.

I did enjoy Mark Wahlberg, mostly his very slight Boston accent. It made him better looking because he was a bit more rough around the edges than what you would expect from your average movie star/Mila Kunis's boyfriend type of person.

Overall the film made me laugh out loud, it made me cry and I would definitely watch it again. I give it 3.5 stars.