Nathan Bentley - the ramblings of a web designer... - nathanbentley.com » cinema

Every time you torrent a film…

nath — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:05:38 +0000

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

nath — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:16:41 +0000

It’s been 20 years since we last saw Harrison Ford crack a whip as Indiana Jones, and the Kindom of the Crystal Skull has been eagerly awaited since the announcement that we were due to get a fourth installment.

Sitting down in the packed Leicester Square Odeon with a bucket of popcorn and a diabetic coma inducing volume of Coke, I joined the ranks of those people who were eager to see if it would live up to the hype.

I won’t wax on about the scenes in the film because it’d ruin the fun (especially if you’re waiting to go yourself), but overall I’d say I appeared to come out the cinema with the same impression as the rest of the audience.

I didn’t hate it, but I certainly wasn’t blown away.

Still, it was markedly better than Temple of Doom. Wise cracking Ford keeps the pace steadily moving along, and at 65, performing some incredible stunts (I hope I’m able to do half of what he does when I’m his age…). The slapstick comedy from the first two films creeps in – in parts a little too much, but overall it keeps in line with the franchise. Sticking safely to the tried and tested formula of young sidekick, slightly irate love interest and a team of organised baddies (nazis, indian tribes, etc), the film holds it together well until the ending where it becomes a little untied.

I won’t spoil the ending, as it’s worth a watch – just be prepared to be found wanting when you leave.

To leave you on a happy note, keep an eye out for the hidden references throughout the film:

Harrison Ford saying “I have a bad feeling about this” – a line which is used once in each of the Starwars films
During the hanger scene, look out for the crate that breaks open… containing the Ark from “raiders”
Watch the reaction of the Moles as the rocket launches – flip to Starwars ep. 1, and you’ll see the Jawa’s do the same during the pod racing scene.

Found more? Comment and I’ll add them.

I am Iron Man

nath — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:26:34 +0000

Usually, when I hear about a new transfer from the Marvel comic world to the genre of film, I stop myself from getting excited and sit and think about the chronic mistakes they’ve made in the past. “Spiderman” was barely good enough to merit a visit to the cinema screen, let alone II and III (which thankfully were viewed on DVD). Let’s not even go into the 3 hours of my life which I’ll never get back from watching “The Hulk”.

It’s not that they don’t have great special effects, or stunning casts, it’s just that they tend to be utter drivel from start to end. You’ve got a great canvas to explore (after all, this is the comic book land we’re talking about here) – so why waste millions on special effects at the expense of a decent plotline?

Thankfully, there are exceptions to the rule. The fantastic X-Men series not only delivers the first time round, but follows up with 2 excellently crafted sequels. Batman got it’s act together with Christian Bale doing Batman Begins justice.

Luckily, it seems like Iron Man fits nicely into the latter of the comic-to-film types. Robert Downy Jr. carves his role as the multi-billionaire, wise cracking ladies-man come superhero perfectly. The film moves along at a rocket pace, keeping relative truth to the original whilst incorporating modern day twists, whilst the excellent cast line-up support the smooth dialog perfectly. At one or two points the film lapses into cheese, but does so whilst remaining true to the comics, and for me, providing laughter on a cinema wide scale I haven’t seen since Juno was released.

Put your hands down the back of the sofa and dig out the change for the tickets – you won’t be disappointed. (I’d consider a second mortgage mind you, if you’re looking to get popcorn and a drink too).