Diary Of A Wimpy Kid is a comedy based on Jeff Kinney’s bestselling illustrated teen fiction series directed by Thor Freudenthal. With a very humorous plot throughout the film, linking with family, school and relationship issues, one can relate to this diary of a wimpy kid very well. The trailer reveals a few funny scenes which prepare us for a comical film that the whole family can enjoy, with some shots of cartoons thrown in from the original book – this film doesn’t disappoint fans of the book. The film opens shortly with Greg Heffley insisting that “it’s not a diary, it’s a journal!”.

The Plot

Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) begins his first year of middle school and his idea of becoming the school’s most popular kid takes a turn for the worse as his plans fail – terribly. He worries about his ‘uncool’ best friend – Rowley Jefferson (Robert Capron) and often gets Greg into embarrassing situations. To Greg – middle school is useless and filled with morons, bullies and freaks. He believes he deserves far better, therefore he created this diary – journal as he insists, which he trusts will come to prove handy when he becomes famous ‘I’ll have better things to do than answer people’s stupid questions all day’.

Greg comes up with countless schemes whereby he tries to make it to become one of the popular kids, which of course don’t go according to plan. Greg throws a ball at Rowley while he is riding ‘The Big Wheel’, breaking his hand. At school, Rowley is surrounded by girls because of his injury which makes Greg furious and jealous.

With Greg and Rowley’s deteriorating relationship, Greg is left with Collin (Grayson Russell) – the class geek. One day, Greg decides to have a sleepover at Collin’s. The sleepover turns into a disaster as Fregley (Collin’s nickname), eats a bag of jelly beans which induces hyperactivity; he begins to chase Greg with a booger. Will Greg become famous like how he always believed?

The Thoughts

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid is pacy, funny, and a good illustration of the awkwardness of starting school at the bottom year. Many of the stereotypical children in schools are well represented with humour and style; reminding us of our own childhood, growing up and trying to fit in. Zachary Gordon played excellently as Greg Heffley, through family, school and relationships, induce funny, painful and emotional feelings to the audience of any age.

After reading the book, I believe this film is well adapted and slightly different which is a good surprise. Both the book and the film link well together with snaps of parts of the book incorporated throughout the film. Although some parts of the film contained some cliché situations, but it ceases to disappoint as it sums up a well acted and family-friendly comedy. I think the film is a good representation of the book although the book seemed much better, but the film can only fit so much in.

[Rowley is walking with his backpack on. Greg stops him]
Greg Heffley: Stop. You look like one of the seven dwarves. Always wear one strap. One strap is cool.
Rowley Jefferson: Then why do they put two straps instead of one?
Greg Heffley: [walking] Because the people who make backpacks aren’t cool.
Greg Heffley: [stops walking] You know what has one strap? Machine guns. You know what else? Electric guitars.
Greg Heffley: [continues walking] You know what else?
Rowley Jefferson: Purses?

There is nothing not to like about this adventure through the first year of middle school, involving bullies, wrestling classes, tragic school plays, crazy kids, lonely kids which all add up to non-stop laugh-out-loud comedy. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid is a fun, entertaining film; one to experience with children, friends and family.

The Film Buzz Review Rating: *******~~~ (7/10)

Release Date: 20 August 2010

Director: Thor Freudenthal

Writers: Jackie Filgo, Jeff Filgo, Gabe Sachs

One of 2010’s highly-anticipated action thrillers is Philip Noyce’s Salt. Casting Angelina Jolie, an uprising action heroine, as the mysterious Russian spy has undoubtedly boosted the film’s appeal while she produces her own incredible stunts as the forever-running Evelyn Salt.

The Plot

Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie), a CIA agent based in New York, is accused by suspicious Russian defector Vassily Orlov (Daniel Olbrychski) of being a dangerous spy who also originates from his country, with the intentions of assassinating the Russian president during his visit to New York City.

Denying the high-stake claims against her, Salt flees her company attempting to prioritise the safety of her husband, Michael Krause (August Diehl), yet returns home to an empty apartment. Realising that she may be too late, she escapes the pursuit from the CIA and successfully shoots the Russian president.

Submersing herself into further trouble, Salt is in a permanent game of cat-and-mouse: frequently changing disguises and names as she craftily pursues different targets, but trusts no individual. The concept of identity is persistently toyed with as Salt manipulates betrayal as well having to face it herself.

The Thoughts

Being a die-hard Jolie fan, my expectations of this film were fairly straightforward, though admittedly I had left the cinema hall feeling even more disappointed than I had anticipated. While Jolie may not hold the place of an exceptionally talented actor, she certainly has more depth to her than that portrayed in the somewhat uninteresting Salt.

I was fairly betrothed by the opening torture scene; I felt that it was an engaging five minutes, making the viewers feel as if they were resting on a worthwhile decision – nevertheless I can conclude that the quality of the film and acting had regrettably ended there. Director Philip Noyce had failed to embrace the opportunity to create an exquisitely mysterious, multi-faceted character with a thrillingly questionable identity; instead we were left with a bland rock of an assassin/secret agent/target – whatever she may be – with very little dialogue and depth, seeming as if she was simply following directorial orders.

A persona as intriguing as Salt, combined with the edgy, twisted character that Jolie undoubtedly has the capability to portray, may have been the ideal recipe for a thoroughly entertaining, somewhat dark spy thriller though it seems that Noyce had held back on some ingredients and unfortunately produced a half-baked dissatisfaction.

The plot I felt had a lot of untidiness and ambiguity; although the twists and revelations were ‘predictably unpredictable’, Noyce could certainly have polished it with an eyebrow-raising climax, however I found myself being surprised into an abrupt and pointless ending with a pitiable attempt at a cliff-hanger.  There is no doubt that Jolie as well as the other skilled actors could have brought some effervescence into an otherwise dull and mediocre script, yet it seems as if such potential was shamefully shunned.

Criticism aside, the action and visual effects were undeniably impressive – what Jolie lacks in character in this film, she indeed fills with a sense of physical deity.  Her jaw-dropping leaps, shocking falls, unanticipated strength and the sheer ability to escape every nerve-wracking,  entrapping moment compare her to a “lean, mean fighting machine” with barely any human qualities; all the while maintaining an appropriately tight, piercing and sometimes icy facial expression. I recognise that this is what Noyce had intended – to ultimately convey a strong, silent, and deadly assassin, though I feel that there were simply not enough opportunities for the viewers to truly absorb and thus appreciate the potentially powerful character that is, Evelyn Salt.

The Film Buzz Rating: ******½~~~ (6.5/10)

UK Release Date: 18 August 2010.

Director: Phillip Noyce

Writer: Kurt Wimmer

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a heart-warmingly funny love story, but it’s unlike any other you’ve seen before. All the main elements are there: boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, boy has to fight the girls’ seven evil ex’s to be able to date her, wait… what?
Based on the cult six volume comic by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is Shaun of the Dead director, Edgar Wrights’ most imaginative and visually delightful offering to date.

The Plot

Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a 22-year old jobless layabout barely passing off as a bassist for the utterly abysmal Toronto 3-piece grunge band “Sex Bob-Omb” (Super Mario reference anyone?). Quite happy to share an apartment (and bed) with his gay best friend (played by a scene stealing Keiran Culkin), Scott attempts to deal with his painful year old break up by dating high school girl, Knives Chau (Ellen Wong).

It isn’t long however, before Scott falls for the mysterious Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), the new Amazon.ca delivery girl from New York; and that’s when things start to get a little crazy.
No sooner does Scott court the young lady, and her first evil ex-boyfriend crashes through the ceiling during the Battle of the Bands, challenging Scott to a showdown.
Scott soon learns that in order to be able to date the illusive Ramona Flowers, he must first defeat the League of Evil Ex’s; a group comprising of seven of Ramona’s past partners put together by her most recent and evil of ex’s, Gideon Gordon Graves (Jason Schwartzman).

What follows is a non-stop riot of comic humour, quirky characters, and brilliantly inventive fight scenes between Scott and his new nemeses. But the question is, can he defeat them all and win the right to date the captivating Miss Flowers?

The Thoughts

Being a huge fan of the comics, I had doubts at how O’Malley’s masterpiece could possibly be visually represented on the big screen. I feared that the bizarre humour which I had come to love so much, and gaming references (there are plenty of those) would be lost in the transition from page to screen. There’s always an element of risk involved when adapting any book for cinema, but somehow it felt increased when it came to Scott Pilgrim.

Needless to say, my fears were laid to rest in the opening moments of the film when I saw a tacky looking, old game style blocky graphic of the Universal logo spinning around accompanied by midi music. After that it just got better.

Michael Cera played Scott Pilgrim wonderfully. Although he looks completely different to the illustrated Scott, his comic timing is impeccable; and the bumbling, confused, post teen acting he does so well is perfect for the role. More impressive though, is his quick change to ‘fighting-mode’ when in battle. If you’ve seen Youth in Revolt, you’ll know this kid can do more than act nervous.

Most of the other cast members both looked and acted like their comic counter-parts. The most standout for me were Wallace Wells (Keiran Kulkin), Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza) and evil ex Todd Ingram (played by the latest ‘Superman’ Brandon Routh).

What blew me away was the choreography of the fights, and the soundtrack. Music is integral to the Scott Pilgrim comics, with many character names taken from songs or in reference to artists. O’Malley even gives the reader words and chords for some of the songs. To see and hear Sex Bob-Omb, and the other fictional bands, actually play on stage is true indulgence.

With regards to the fight scenes… well… I think ‘epic’ is the only word I can use to do it justice. How else do you describe a fight against a floating fire wielding Indian dude? Or a bass playing vegan with super powers?
In the comics, a fight lasts only a page or two; but Edgar Wright used the screen as a playground to transform those few pages into colourful, visual treats of awesome ass-kicking.

The entire film in fact is a perfect example of how cinema can help to enhance the reading experience. It’s something other directors should look to learn from.  Don’t adapt for the sake of adapting… but bring something new to the table. Show the viewer the world they wish to explore whilst staying true to the source material.

Of course things had to be altered, how else do you fit 6 graphic novels into 115 minutes? But I am happy to report that even the changes were not disappointing. I gladly welcomed the longer fight scenes in place of the somewhat confusing storyline of the 6^th book. Whatever changes were made were done so for the good of the film, and hopefully it will get more people to read the comics and be able to appreciate both stories.

You don’t have to be a fan of video games and comic books to watch this film. Don’t get me wrong, being a geek will certainly help you to appreciate it more; but anyone can enjoy it, whether you’ve read the comics or not. In fact, when I saw it with friends, only two of us had read the comics, and all five of us loved it.
Die-hard fans of books maybe disappointed at the loss of depth or lack screen time of supporting characters, but how much can you fit in to just under two hours? In the case of Scott Pilgrim, allowances should be made.

People keep talking about wanting ‘fresh’ and ‘innovative’ ideas to change cinema. They crave something truly original and never-before-seen. Scott Pilgrim will certainly give them that.
In a time when every book or comic is being turned into a film for the sake of it, Edgar Wright shows that with a lot of passion, and the right cast, there is still a reason to go to the cinema and be surprised.

The Film Buzz Rating: *********½ (9.5/10)

UK Release Date: 25^th August, 2010.

Director: Edgar Wright

Writer’s: Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright. Bryan Lee O’Malley (comic).

Se7en and Zodiac director David Fincher will take up the director’s chair, with Jesse Eisenberg playing Facebook billionaire owner Mark Zuckerberg. Justin Timberlake stars as well as Max Minghella and Andrew Garfield. The Social Network hits UK theatres at the end of this year.

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: ******~~~~ (6/10)

UK Release Date: Autumn 2010

]]> http://www.thefilmbuzz.com/the-social-network-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.thefilmbuzz.com/when-in-rome-2010-official-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=when-in-rome-2010-official-review http://www.thefilmbuzz.com/when-in-rome-2010-official-review/#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 07:00:22 +0000 Maz http://www.thefilmbuzz.com/?p=1679 I like Kristen Bell, she’s a young, fresh and talented actress, I’ve enjoyed her work in the past, and I’m sure she’ll continue to make a few more decent movies. Unfortunately When in Rome is one film that I just cannot get on board with.

The Plot

Beth is a young, ambitious New Yorker who is completely unlucky in love. However, on a whirlwind trip to Rome, she impulsively steals some coins from a reputed fountain of love, and is then aggressively pursued by a band of suitors.

The Thoughts

From the opening scenes we get what could be a promising movie, but everything goes downhill from when Bell actually enters Rome for her sister’s wedding. Everything up to this point could well be believable but from the point all those ‘Italian’ losers (played by well-known American actors) fall in love with Bell, I wondered if this movie could ever gain back it’s credibility.

When in Rome is full of unintelligent slapstick beginners comedy that we really shouldn’t call comedy – it’s all been seen before and was quite honestly scraping the bottom of the barrel. I lost count at how many times I’d seen ‘that’ joke in a movie.

When in Rome has a host of well known actors who I just didn’t care for (not even Bell who I usually find somewhat charismatic) in fact some of the characters I hated so much I found myself groaning in annoyance at the sight of their very presence in this movie. Josh Duhamel (Transformers) as Bell’s love interest Nick, looks uncomfortable, like the words that are coming out of his own mouth he himself can’t quite believe them. Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), who plays the magician Lance, cannot act in this role. Danny DeVito (One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest) though sweet, made me want to projectile vomit with his cliché sad-old-man-that-wants-to-be-loved character. Bell tries hard to gel this movie together but everything else is just working against her – good and respectable actors are let down by a bad predictable story.

Only see this if you have to – you know like if someone is holding a gun to your head.

The Film Buzz Rating: ***½~~~~~~ (3.5/10)

UK Release Date: 25th June 2010

Director: Mark Steven Johnson

Writer’s: David Diamond, David Weissman

Links: IMDB, Official Site

The fifth collaboration between director Ridley Scott and award-winning Russell “Gladiator” Crowe explodes on the big screen as the much-anticipated Robin Hood. Based on a celebrated tale of English folklore that remains as familiar as fish and chips, Scott’s version is expected to have a plate full of comparisons.

The Plot

Set in Medieval England, this origin myth unfolds the story of Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe); a common yet gifted archer in King Richard the Lionheart’s (Danny Huston) army in the Third Crusade.

After the death of the king, Longstride endeavours to return to his native soil with his fellow soldiers, but encounter an ambush on the way from Sir Godfrey (Mark Strong), an English knight with French ancestry. Although Godfrey is temporarily driven out by Longstride and his band, the crowning of King John (Oscar Isaac), Richard’s vain younger brother, had enhanced Godfrey’s position to that of the Chancellor, giving him more incentive to terrorise civilians and strip the poor further of the little wealth which they had to begin with.

Godfrey’s notorious stirring and double-crossing personality leads to a war far greater than what was originally intended, though Longstride, supported by his archer companions, accumulate an apt force for the final battle on the south coast of England.

The Thoughts

The tales of Robin Hood were indeed childhood favourites of mine; and while I had foolishly missed the 1991 Prince of Thieves version, the Walt Disney classic had imprinted a fond memory during my pre-teen years, as had the books themselves. After hearing that another film was being made with its franchise – particularly with the ultimate combination of Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott - I eagerly counted down the weeks till its UK release.

Being my first time viewing Robin Hood with actual people – as opposed to foxes, lions and a snake – I was hesitant of what to expect from the characters. The quality of the film itself was breathtaking; director Scott pieces together impressive scenes of a late twelfth century England with authentic sounds, visions and appropriately-clad soldiers, nevertheless the plot itself I felt did not reach its potential in terms of capturing and intriguing the audience.

Considering this version is a “prequel” to the Robin Hood story most people may know of, it provides useful insight and thought to his character and the origins of the legend, however the portrayal of the events appeared somewhat messy and indefinite. The intention of the film had only ceased to be ambiguous at about midway; the first half lacking vivacity and clarity, although Crowe’s steady, subtle portrayal of the rebellious hero had undoubtedly endowed the audience with sufficient entertainment, as had the uplifting and comical Merry Men – a name which was not yet used during this period.

While the protagonists may receive little criticism, the villains I felt were conveyed inappropriately. Oscar Isaac’s annoying representation of King John had ruined his title, which would have otherwise been majestic – regardless of his vanity and arrogance. Even the lion in the animated Disney version had seemed appropriately intimidating for this character. Isaac appeared far too young and inexperienced to be taken seriously as King John, while Mark “Archy” Strong I believed had too ‘brute’ an appearance for the manipulating and merciless Sir Godfrey. He may well have suited the dim-witted, Cockney gang member in RocknRolla, but he certainly failed as a ruthless Medieval knight with an embarrassing French accent.

The film balances action, drama, romance and comedy astonishingly well, and although the fight scenes were as short-lived as the dialogue had lacked depth, it was Crowe’s usual, “man of steel” performance of an epic hero (besides his poor attempt at a Northern English accent) combined with Blanchett’s fervent yet charismatic depiction of Maid Marion that bring the characters and main storyline to life. Although the film has its flaws, it is certainly ‘hats off’ to Scott for a generally entertaining attempt at recreating the legend of one of the most-loved tales of England.

The Film Buzz Rating: *******½~~ (7.5/10)

UK Release Date: 12th May 2010

Director: Ridley Scott

Writer: Brian Helgeland

Links: IMDB, Official Site

Set in New York, Wahlberg plays detective Holtz who is stuck with his partner detective Gamble (Ferrell) – a cop who would rather do paper work than hitting the streets. Holtz and Gamble both idolize Danson and Manzetti, the city’s two top cops played by Jackson and Johnson. Finally an opportunity presents itself for Gamble and Holtz to finally step up their game, but unfortunately things don’t go as planned.

The Other Guys

This looks pretty good, Ferrell and Wahlberg both have hits and misses with me when it comes to their films and I wouldn’t have necessarily put them up as a likely pairing – I guess that’s the point! This looks as though it’s a fun movie. Oh please don’t let all the funny bits be in the trailer.

The Other Guys hits UK cinemas in September 2010.

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: 7/10

UK Release Date: 2 September 2010

Director: Adam Mckay

Writer’s: Adam McKay, Chris Henchy

Links: IMDB, Official Site

With a mostly British cast and British born director and writers, Kick Ass is a film we on this little island can be well and truly proud of.  Aaron Johnson leads the Kick Ass cast in a funny, witty and maybe slightly eccentric storyline.

The Plot

Dave is a normal but completely unnoticed high school student, him and his friends like to hang out at comic book stores and joke about the women they can’t get. One day Dave decides that he wants to be a super hero, even though he has absoluetly no training or special skills to help him out what so ever.

The Thoughts

For a virtually unknown cast, that are mostly under 20 years of age, Kick Ass is top notch – each actor holds their own adding their own style and flair to a set of already great characters. Not once was I bored or looking at my watch during this film, but was mostly in awe of the character Hit Girl played by the then eleven-year-old Chloe Mortez. Hit Girl steals most the scenes she’s in, though you may find the language coming out of this kid’s mouth a little unsettling, it’s all in good humor. Aaron Johnson, who you may remember from Brit flick Nowhere Boy is a good choice for Kick Ass – something about him screams Peter Parker and he’s not half bad to look at either.

Usually I can’t stand Nicholas Cage but in Kick Ass I found his performance refreshing and highly entertaining, his chemisty with Mortez is perfect and they make a good team as Hit Girl and Big Daddy and of course Mark Strong does the bad guy Frank D’Amico just as well as he does all the other bad guys he’s ever played.

The producers pay homage to the comic  legends such as Superman, with them never forgetting where their roots came from. A superb film with clever one liners and dialogue that is just down right funny. Kick Ass made up for the recent string of disapointments they’ve been spewing out at the cinema and then some. You must see this film as soon as you can.

The Film Buzz Rating: 8.5/10

UK Release Date: 26th March 2010

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Writer’s: Mark Millar, Jane Goldman

Links: IMDB, Official Site

Martin Scorsese directs Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams and Emily Mortimer in an adaptation from Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island novel.

The Plot

DiCaprio takes on the role of U.S Marshall Teddy Daniels along with his partner Chuck. The two of them are sent to Shutter Islands Ashecliffe Hospital to investigate the disappearance of one of the patients played by Emily Mortimer.
After a somewhat rocky start the two of them then begin to unearth what seems like a twisted plot to experiment on the patients of the institute.
Teddy actually pushes to be placed on the Shutter Island case for his own reasons and it soon becomes apparent that these secrets and plots go a lot deeper than initially thought with Teddy finding himself drawn deeper into the Shutter Island world.

Shutter Island

The Thoughts

Shutter Island is most definitely watchable with DiCaprio and Kingsley delivering charming performances, but I feel Scorsese tries far too hard to keep us in suspense throughout the whole 138 minutes which tended to drag past the hour and a half mark.

Shutter Island aims to get inside the head with somewhat disturbing scenes that had a profoundly frightening effect on me afterwards upon which I found myself asking how humans could be so cruel? So don’t see this if you don’t like seeing nasty images.
This isn’t your average run-of-the-mill predictable thriller. Sure there are some expected scenes and the smartest of us will probably be able to figure out what’s going on before they spell it out for us all, but overall it’s a clever story.

All the secrets and twists become clear by the end of the film, with the ending open to different interpretations which may lead to some confusion, still a worthwhile trip if you don’t mind leaving feeling almost unsatisfied if you need a definite ending to your films. This is a film you can only see once to get the full impact, think along the lines of A Beautiful Mind. but it’s a film that made an impression on me but not entirely memorable or a film I would want to see again anytime soon.

The Film Buzz Rating: 6/10

UK Release Date: 12th March 2010

Director: Martin Scorsese

Writer’s: Dennis Lehane (novel), Laeta Kalogridis (screenplay)

Links: IMDB, Official Site

So what can we expect to be different from the other hundred times this story has been told? Perhaps it will be somewhat like 2004’s King Arthur - darker, bloodier more savage than any story of King Arthur that was told before.

All the characters that we associate with Robin Hood such as Maid Marian, Little John, King Richard, Prince John, Sheriff of Nottingham, all make an appearance in this story, so it’s more than likely that we can expect a retelling of this classic tale –  the story of how the archer Robin becomes Robin of the Hood.

Robin Hood

I personally love these new modern re-envisioning of old stories. I think modern technology has finally got to a point where it’s possible to make these old stories seem far more believeable than they did before. So I can’t wait for this to hit theatres this year.

Russell Crowe is joined by Cate Blanchett, Matthew Macfadyen, Danny Huston, Mark Strong and Kevin Durand and of course none other than Ridley Scott directs.

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: 7.5/10

UK Cinema Release Date: 14th May 2010

Director: Ridley Scott

Writer’s: Brian Helgeland, Ethan Reiff & Cyrus Voris

Links: IMDB, Official Site