My Humble Opinion

Jack Reacher SPOILER-FREE movie review

Jack Reacher is a movie I have been looking forward to seeing for quite some time. Surprisingly, however, the group of people I went to see the movie with were divided in their opinion regarding the movie itself. I thought it was fantastic and I especially enjoyed the elements of conspiracy, as well as the main character’s use of fighting over gadgets. The plot is very intriguing and I found the acting to be perfectly suited to the tone of the film. The script was sharp and Reacher’s witty one-liners are well matched against his fellow characters’ occasional quips.

Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike share great chemistry and semi-newcomer Jai Courtney makes for a great villain (despite being well-known for being cast in the role of ‘hero’ as John McClane’s son in the upcoming Die Hard film). The film hasn’t been able to reach its target in terms of earnings and as a result the chance of it being turned into a franchise is hanging on the line, but I have to admit it would be a damn shame to see a character such as Jack Reacher go to waste because it only made 150 million rather than 250 million dollars (Hollywood. Honestly.)

This movie is a must-see if you enjoy actions or thrillers. Some of the content is disturbing for sensitive viewers — according to one of my friends who didn’t enjoy the movie “one bit”, but it will in all likelihood impress fans of franchises such as the Bourne or Bond films. Cruise puts all he has in to the character despite not meeting the actual character sketch, but author Lee Child had this to say of the casting choice: “With another actor you might get 100% of the height but only 90% of Reacher. With Tom, you’ll get 100% of Reacher with 90% of the height.”

All said and done, here’s what the verdict:

My Humble Opinion: 8/10

Top Critics: 6.1

Audience Opinion: 7.3

I’ve over-scored, it would seem, but the general consensus is that the movie is better than average. Give it a hit if you get the chance.

danigeyer

The Hobbit HFR 3D [SPOILER-FREE] review

There are a number of features Peter Jackson’s latest Tolkien adaption has to offer: wonderful set-pieces, a perfectly-suited cast,  spectacular effects, an almost flawless script and a close following of The Hobbit (although you’d expect as much with Jackson’s decision to turn the book into a 3-part movie).

 The latest 3D technology — High Frame Rate (HFR) — also makes for a delightful cinematic experience as it offers a ‘crisp’ take on 3D. My experience with 3D (although I’m a big fan) is often one where I feel the quality of the film is has been lost. The Avengers is my go-to example, where I recall the scene in the forest being nothing more than a blur as Thor and Iron Man butt heads for the first time; the whole scene is set in darkness and it was quite hard to figure out what the hell was going on — that said, when I saw the movie a second time I chose to see it in 2D and found the experience much more enjoyable. However, The Hobbit is definitely something I’d recommend seeing in HFR 3D. Another film I’ve seen twice in the cinema, I chose to see it in 2D the second time around and found that I much preferred the HFR 3D rendering. Whether the normal 3D version is as well executed remains to be seen.

There are a number of factors I enjoyed about the film, one of the biggest factors being the nostalgia I felt after leaving the cinema. I was taken back to when I first saw the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the fantasy and magic that surrounded my childish understanding of it all. Years later, it’s less of a task to understand the plot and I’m simultaneously able to enjoy the movie for all its splendour. I don’t have a lot of negative things to say: granted, the movie is damn long (and not something I’d recommend seeing at 20:45 after a long day at work), but mostly enjoyable. There has been a lot of hype surrounding Jackson’s decision to turn the book into a three-part movie, and although I disagree with the mostly-negative reviews regarding this decision, I do have to say that at some points it felt as though Jackson had stretched the movie beyond its reach. Not only are there drawn-out action scenes, but considering Jackson’s decision to make the move part of a trilogy, Part 1 of The Hobbit could have ended half an hour earlier and the final scenes could have been saved for Part 2. The highlight of the movie was Andy Serkis’ return as Gollum — his entrance in the film providing Martin Freeman with an opportunity to prove himself as an actor worthy of playing Bilbo Baggins; admittedly I hadn’t enjoyed Freeman’s performance until his riddle-swapping encounter with Gollum, as I hadn’t found him to be convincing up until that point.

At the end of the day, movie-goers will see this movie because they loved the Lord of the Rings. Iwould highly recommend seeing The Hobbit, and moreover I’d recommend seeing it in HFR 3D. Fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy won’t be disappointed and anyone who has read the book will see a reflection of The Hobbit that Tolkien himself would approve of. The acting, score, cinematography, screenplay and directing are almost flawless and the special-effects are superb. I give this movie a 7/10 for its ability to evoke such great feelings of nostalgia. Here’s what everyone else had to say:

Top Critics:                                          6.5/10

General audience:                           8.1/10

Your Humble Opinion:                   Let me know on twitter (@Dani_Geyer)

Happy Holidays, folks! Be good, have fun, and eat like a Hobbit this festive season (I know I will)!

danigeyer

Skyfall SPOILER-FREE review

Late to hit South African circuits but certainly worth the wait, Skyfall is one of the best Bond films to date and has scored extremely well with the critics. The 23rd film in the Bond series sees Bond hitting a number of locations in a number of cars with a number of women — as one would expect. The gadgets in this film aren’t as exciting or (dare I say) over-the-top as the previous Bond films, but their simplicity adds to the context and enjoyment of the latest film, which proves to be more ‘realistic’ than the previous Bond instalments.

The acting is superb and I was quite impressed by Javier Bardem’s performance as the villain. He makes for the best villain in the Daniel Craig run of Bond films so far (although I loved Mads Mikkelson in Casino Royale), and — as usual — is very convincing in his performance. That said, I did feel as though he tried a little too hard to meet the ‘crazy villain’ role and I couldn’t help but compare him to Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker in Dark Knight, but Javier brings a great deal to the screen. Craig was convincing as Bond — although still not my favourite Bond to date — and has adapted to the character who has a great deal to deal with besides villains, girls and gadgets. I was very pleased to see Judi Dench play a bigger role than usual as M and absolutely adored her performance — not only was she very believable but she perfectly reflects the emotions one would expect her character to have experienced in reality. Semi-new-comer Ben Wishaw, perhaps better known for his role in Julie Taymor’s adaption of The Tempest,is wonderful as Q, and I am quite happy with the new take on the character, who proves to share the same wit as his predecessors although is otherwise younger and seems to prefer a simple approach.

Sam Mendes did a great job in directing Skyfall and pays great attention to detail. The Bond girls, Naomie Harris and BéréniceMarlohe were just lovely, with Harris’ character bringing a twist to the roots of the franchise and proving to be my favourite of the two ladies. The script was superb, although lacking in that regular Bond innuendo, and Adele’s Skyfall was not only perfectly suited to the movie but also great in accompanying the traditionally over-the-top Bond intro.

Definitely worth seeing, this movie requires no previous knowledge of the franchise but will in all likelihood impress hard-core Bond fans.

My score:                                                            7/10

Average audience member:                       8.8/10

Top Critics:                                                          9.2/10

Let me know if you check it out this weekend or if you’ve seen it already (via @Dani_Geyer). Would love to hear what Your Humble Opinion is.

Always,

danigeyer