The Plot

The quirky chameleon Rango (Johnny Depp) is used to the simple life. Never having to worry about shelter, food or water, he reigns as king of his tank. The only thing he lacks, is friendship. When a sudden turn of events leaves Rango to fend for himself, he discovers that life is not so easy on the other side of the glass. Stumbling upon a small town called “Dirt”, Rango’s charm and telling of tall tales soon land him the position of Sheriff – and his sworn duty: to protect the towns dwindling water supply.

But when the last of the water is taken from right under his nose, Rango must either embark on an adventure to retrieve it, or face exposing who he really is and lose the only friends he ever had.

The Thoughts

It has to be made perfectly clear, from the outset, that if you are expecting a cute and cuddly CGI film for the children, then this is not for you. Don’t be fooled by the fact it is a Nickelodeon production, Rango is not a film for kids; the clever references to “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” are proof of that. That’s not to say children won’t laugh now and then, but it was certainly made with adults in mind. The sporadic humour makes the running time of 107 minutes feel a lot longer than it is, possibly enough to make the young ones lose interest; and despite slowing to a snails pace in places, the story does manage to keep the attention of adults.

It’s not until you realise that Rango is a Western do you understand the need for a dramatic, long drawn-out narrative; for you see, Rango is an homage to that genre of Spaghetti Westerns made famous by Sergio Leone. It’s a tale of good verses evil, but with plenty of shades of grey, and although the storyline is rather predictable (as common for Westerns) it doesn’t make it any less enjoyable to watch. Rango is not your ordinary hero, in fact he quite the opposite: a nameless wandering lizard, much like Clint Eastwood’s no name anti-hero; albeit cowardly. Through chance, a lot of luck, and some bending of the truth, he obtains everything he’s ever wanted; but it’s in his fall from grace and subsequent redemption that the true hero is discovered.

To appreciate Rango for the film that it is, you need to prepare yourself for a long and engaging adventure – no surprise then that it’s directed by Pirates of the Caribbean’s Gore Verbinski. I have to admit that this one of the most beautifully made animated films to date. The attention to detail and quality of CGI is beyond anything I’ve seen so far. With incredible vocal performances from Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Bill Nighy, Ned Beatty and Timothy Olyphant; and a soundtrack that just makes you want to ride a horse into the sunset; Rango is one of the most surprisingly satisfying films I have seen since 2010’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Written by: John Logan

The Film Buzz Official Rating: ********~~ (8/10)

The Plot

Elise Ward (Angelina Jolie) is summoned to Venice by a mysterious personality known as Alexander Pearce. Aware of his notoriety, he instructs Ward to mislead those who are after him by selecting a human decoy with a strong resemblance to himself. Ward chooses Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp); a humble math teacher whom she encounters on the train from Paris to Venice.

Tupelo, though taken aback by Ward’s directness, falls into her trap instantly and seems overpowered by her lure. The trouble begins at a magnificent Venetian hotel when Tupelo is believed to be Pearce and is chased by Russian thugs. While he ends up in more danger than he could ever imagine, Tupelo declines Ward’s ticket to escape and involves himself even further in her dangerous schemes.

The Thoughts

Although this was not a film which I had expected to be of high quality; I had nevertheless anticipated a fair handful of action scenes, a thrilling plot, and even a substantially intimate scene between Jolie and Depp. Disappointingly, there was nothing; null, nada, zilch.

Jolie, a personality whom I have admired since my teens for her uniqueness and usually strong roles, was the first let-down. She strutted around in The Tourist pouting as if her life depended on it, used scarce and impotent dialogue, and portrayed a good-for-nothing ego that had eclipsed the entire film; she was so fabricated and unyielding that she resembled little more than a mannequin. However when Jolie did open her mouth, out had erupted her awful and stereotyped attempt at an English accent; I was one of many who were heard sniggering at it. What had struck me as even more disappointing, were the few scenes where she would normally have whipped out a pistol, a rifle, or even a surprise knife from her suspenders or other such kinky garment – instead she continued to pose with her nose turned up to the point where it could hardly be seen, draped in gleaming oversized jewels, and caked in more cosmetics than a clown, all Victoria Beckham-esque, swinging her hips so dramatically that it seemed as if she was starring in a parody. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or curl my lip.

As abysmal as Jolie’s on-screen self-indulgence was, I eventually overlooked it, considering her reputation is based on her appearance rather than her acting skills – thus there is only so much one can expect from her. It was Johnny “Scissorhands” Depp however, that made me feel like bursting through the screen and shouting “What were you thinking?!” In an interview that I watched afterwards, Depp was asked how it had felt to play such a “normal” role, taking into account his history of eccentric on-screen characters. I laughed; “normal” role? For someone of Depp’s capability, it was a mind-numbingly-pathetic role. The character of Frank Tupelo was less convincing than any of Depp’s previous “oddball” roles; regardless of how far from reality the characters had seemed, they were more comprehensible and certainly more compelling  than this lame persona to which he was painfully ill-fitted. His character was neither shy, nor humorous, nor a “hero” of any sort; he was simply indifferent – possibly the worst criticism an actor could receive whether or not it was intentional. Depp was far better off playing the quirky, unconventional roles which I believe  he had acquired well, thus giving him the respect he should deserve.

As I sunk into my seat, I tried to figure out what exactly director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck had planned for the audience. The film was miles from being exceptional enough to stand in a genre of its own, so it appeared as if von Donnersmarck had combined a pretentious “romance” with a “thriller” that had absolutely zero suspense and a bland, uninspiring plot, thus the overall product resembled a spoof movie – which I somehow assume was unlikely to be the writer’s intention. The embarrassment of the film had reminded me of my screenwriting tutor’s advice;  she warned us that one of the worst reactions to a potential “drama” is to send the audience into fits of laughter – otherwise known as clichéd melodrama. I rest my case.

The Tourist‘s inappropriately corny music, awful dialogue (or lack thereof) and vague, hollow characters had me astonished that Depp, and even Jolie, were the leads of such a dreadful failure. To sum it up: two points go to the few wide shots of Venice, and the other two for the predictable, yet somewhat entertaining (in comparison to the rest of the film), “twist” at the end.

The Film Buzz Official Rating: ****~~~~~~ (4/10)

Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Writer: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (screenplay), Christopher McQuarrie (screenplay)

UK Release Date: 10 December 2010

A film whose title is sure to disturb parents and elderly folk such as myself is the upcoming 2011 film Friends with Benefits. Starring Justin Timberlake and a personal favourite Family Guy’s Mila Kunis.

The story centres around two professionals who meet but are too busy to find a mate. They agree to have an intimate relationship with no strings attached. However things get complicated when the guy falls for the girl, who’s dating someone else.

A predictable plot? Most definitely. Let’s hope Kunis can lift this unfortunate plotline with the same humour and wit she is so well known for on the small screen.

Love and Other Drugs ( 2010)

The 29^th of December…not a particularly significant date I’ll grant you, still satiated from Christmas, the woollen jumper from grandma has already begun to unravel and New Years seem so close and yet so far… the perfect solution? Watch the latest Anne Hathaway romance of course!

Anne Hathaway is not a name that often finds a host of fans among cinema goers (apart from her ‘lifelong adoring fan base since the Princess Diaries’) but Love and Other Drugs (2010) is a film which will definitely see a growth in the actress and her ability to take on a dramatic but funny role. As well as this, the stunning and incredibly  talented Jake Gyllenhaal (Prince of Persia) plays the male lead Jamie Randall a Viagra salesman who ends up falling for Hathaways character Maggie, in what is an adaptation of the Jamie Reidy memoir Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman.

I sincerely recommend checking out the trailer to this film; whilst Hathaway ensures rom-com lightness to this release, the combination of the film’s script and Gyllenhaal’s brooding presence guarantee a perhaps unexpected depth.

The Fighter (2011)

A question I often ask myself on a daily basis is what Mark ‘Marky-Mark’ Wahlberg’s career is set to have him appear in next? Will he make a comeback to modelling, and bless us all a good peek at his abs of steel? To my dismay I was instead offered my piece of Wahlberg in the form of his latest release The Other Guys (2010) however there is still a glimmer of hope in his 2011 project The Fighter.

Due to be released on the 4^th of February 2011, this is definitely a cure to the Valentine frenzy which is sure to engulf every major city in England. Playing alongside a very skinny The Machinist-esque Christian Bale, Wahlberg takes on a role as a boxer whose Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky (Christian Bale), a boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KO’d by drugs and crime.

The Fighter also stars Amy Adams in a role far apart from her outbreak film Enchanted (2007) this is a movie which is definitely set to rival the ultimate boxing film Rocky (1976).

The Tourist (2010/2011)

A slightly chubby, but still divine, Johnny Depp appeared on my computer screen recently in a movie trailer which sees this quirky heartthrob in a role which many of us have not seen him play…’the ordinary man’.  Playing opposite the formidable Angelina Jolie, Depp plays Frank, an American tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. Elise (Jolie) is an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path in order to mislead all those following her former lover.

Intrigued? Set to be released early December, this is definitely a film which will provide a bit of heat to our winter days.

For Colored Girls (2010/2011)

Tyler Perry is perhaps a name which is not so well known over her in the UK; however his new release For Colored Girls (2010) is most certainly set to put him in the spotlight.

The film is an adaptation of the play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf and deals with issues from divorce, to sex, rape and abortion to name but a few. Starring Janet Jackson, Loretta Devine and Whoopi Goldberg, this film is most definitely not short on talent; For Colored Girls(2010) is a film which is expected to break all codes and boundaries, featuring a cast of all black women dealing with such strong issues, November 2010 will be a month where audiences will absolutely take notice.

The long waited fourth sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean comes in the form of an adventurous action film and is due to be released May 20^th 2011 in 3D/2D theatres and IMAX 3D!

Directed by Roy Marshall (not having previously directed any Pirates of the Caribbean prequels before but has Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) to boast amongst his work) and starring the main man Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, Ian McShane as Blackbeard, Penélope Cruz as Angelica, Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa and many more.

With themes of love, fear and determination, Jack Sparrow once again sails the seven seas and meets his match – love match that is. Angelica (Penelope Cruz) resurfaces from Sparrow’s past, and Sparrow isn’t sure of whether the reason for her sudden appearance is to seek love or to con him to find the lost Fountain of Youth. We soon realise it may be the latter as she forces him aboard The Queen Anne’s Revenge, home to the infamous and cuthroat Blackbeard. Sparrow then finds himself on an expected adventure in which he’s not sure which he wants to escape from most: the woman from his past or the deadly pirate.

Even with the mysterious trailer, Pirates of the Caribbean looks to be another whole new adventure – fun, enticing, and humorous and definitely one to look forward to next summer. Many seem to doubt this new film as they believe that after the first Pirates of The Caribbean, they started to deteriorate in quality. Well, we’re going to have to wait and see!

The Film Buzz Anticipation: *******~~~ (7/10)

UK Release Date: 20 May 2011

Director: Rob Marshall

Writer: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio (written by)

According to the publication studios saw an $81 return for every dollar they spent on the 24 year-old, making him the best value actor in Hollywood.

The huge success of Alice in Wonderland, which grossed over $1 billion, helped put Anne Hathaway into second place. The star offering a $64 return for every dollar she is paid.

Whilst, Daniel Radcliffe was the highest placing Brit on the list, coming in third, with a $61 return.

That bronze, silver and gold all went to young actors is hardly surprising. These young stars are all (relatively) low paid and therefore provide a better rate of return than their older, higher paid peers.

As they mature, and their successes continue, they will be able to increase their quota per film. This might place them out of the list unless they can continue to make successful (read: lucrative) films.

It may be hard, but it can be done. Johnny Depp continues to be one of Hollywood’s highest paid actors because his films do so well and he continues to offer a great return on investment ($18).

Although the list is a good indicator of star power, and will no doubt help each actor in negotiating their next fee, it is slightly misleading to assume direct causation between an actor and a film success.

LaBeouf tops the list primarily due to the inclusion of high grossing films like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (which made an estimated $790 million in 2008) and Transformers 2 (which earned $833 million in 2009), however, the actor wasn’t the main reason these films were successful.

Indy 4 was the hugely anticipated continuation of the much adored Indiana Jones franchise, which already had huge Hollywood heavyweights behind it (George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford), whilst Transformers 2 had, well, giant robots fighting.

Forbes’ has yet to release their counterpart list “Hollywood’s Most Overpaid Actors”, which funny-man/perennial man-child Will Ferrell topped last year.

For full details visit Forbes’ website.

McGregor will be starring with long time actor Robert Duvall (Crazy Heart, 2010). McGregor will play a 21st century advertising executive who travels back in time and has adventures with the legendary Quixote.

As of late I haven’t been too impressed with McGregor’s performances, but Gilliam speaks highly of him saying: “He’s got a great sense of humour and he’s a wonderful actor. He’s wonderfully boyish and can be charming – when he flashes a smile, everybody melts. He wields it like a nuclear bomb”. Hopefully McGregor can pull this one out of the bag.

This will be Gillam’s second attempt at a Don Quixote movie, having had the set for his first attempt destroyed in a freak storm back in 1999.

You’ve got a very important date.

The most hugely anticipated film of this year yet – Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton brings you the epic 3D fantasy adventure of one of  the most beloved stories of all time with a magical and imaginative twist.

With Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Mia Wasikowska as 19 year-old Alice as she returns to the quirky, whimsical world she visited as a child to reunite with her old friends: The White Rabbit, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat. As the fantastical journey unfolds, Alice must find her true destiny and end the Red Queens reign of terror.

Cast includes: Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas and Stephen Fry.

You’d be mad as a hatter if you didn’t catch this film as soon as it’s released.

Certificate: PG

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Family

Release Date: 5 March 2010

Case 39 (2010)

Some cases should never be opened.

Case 39 starring Renée Zellweger as an idealistic social worker who tries to rescue an abused 10-year-old girl from her parents only to discover that the girl is not as innocent as she thinks…

Directed by Christian Alvart, this horror/thriller also stars Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane and Kerry O’Malley.

See it if you liked: Orphan, The Haunting in Connecticut

Certificate: 15

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Release Date: 5 March 2010

Legion (2010)

When the last angel falls, the fight for mankind begins.

A super-natural action thriller with an apocalypse theme of epic proportions – when God loses faith in mankind, he sends a legion of angels to bring on the apocalypse. The survival of humanity lies in the hands of a group of strangers stranded in a desert diner and the Archangel Michael (Paul Bettany).

Directed by Scott Stewart and featuring a cast of Lucas Black, Tyrese Gibson, Adrianne Palicki and Charles S. Dutton.

Certificate: 15

Genre: Action/Thriller

Release Date: 5 March 2010

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is the latest and much anticipated creation of Terry Gilliam, the man who co-wrote Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) and directed The Fisher King (1991) and 12 Monkeys (1995), and this time he’s done a double whammy, both writing and directing The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

The Plot

This film is set in present day with Doctor Parnassus and his extraordinary “Imaginarium” – a travelling show and crew who offer members of the audience should there be any, a chance to live their dreams and fantasies temporarily once they step through the magical mirror behind the mysterious Doctor Parnassus who controls the and assists the imagination of each person that enters his magical world.

Although the Doctor may seemed blessed with the gift of guiding other people’s imaginations, he has a dark secret that he is ashamed of and that is having made two deals with the devil – the first being immortality. But a few centuries on, he met his one true love and the Doctor wished for mortality again so that they may grow old together. The Devil granted his wish on the one condition that when their first born child reaches their 16th birthday, he or she will become the Devil’s property.

Now the Doctor’s beautiful daughter Valentina, is fast approaching this milestone and the Doctor is distraught, and tries to think of ways he can prevent the Devil from taking her away from him. In his desperate attempts to undo his mistakes of the past, he makes yet another deal with the Devil and the winner of this deal will win Valentina…

Featuring a star-studded cast including the late Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, the lovely model Lily Cole and a cameo appearance from singer Paloma Faith.

The Thoughts

This film promises originality and fantasy unlike anything out there as we are taken into Doctor Parnassus’s bizarre, whimsical world of imagination land and I couldn’t be more excited about going to see this film on Friday. But dear dear dear, did it disappoint me. The first half an hour had me frowning in impatience and frustration, and the rest of the film had breathtaking visual moments where I was thinking “Finally!” and then that feeling subsided into disappointment once again. There are so many wonderful ideas and so many ways to make the film wonderful, alas, the plot was too piecey and hard to follow, the surrealism never quite executes in the way you needed it to, and you find yourself wondering what the characters are running around trying to do, because whatever it is, they’re not achieving it.

Apart from some scenes being visually stunning, Lily Cole’s acting being surprisingly good for a model and being able to see the late Heath Ledger in his last performance, the rest of it is I’m afraid – a shambles.

Maz thinks:

If Heath Ledger hadn’t died, would this film be as popular as it is?

The Film Buzz Review Rating: 5/10

Release Date: 16 October 2009

Director: Terry Gilliam

Writer’s: Terry Gilliam, Charles McKeown

Links: IMDB, Official Site, Rotten Tomatoes