Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

The return of Caesar, the return of the stunning visuals, the return of the brilliant Andy Serkis; the return of the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise. I must freely admit to having made a classic film faux pas as I have only very recently seen the original film, which I loved, but I did love the 2011 reboot all the more, and this second outing well and truly blew me away. Not a massively "in your face" impact from the start, but hugely dramatic, and lucidly powerful and emotive throughout, to the point that by the end I was well and truly bowled over. This is easily the best Apes film I have seen by far, and all I shall say is - we've come a long way since Charlton Heston shouting at those "damn dirty apes".

Much more so that the first in this reboot series, Dawn of just seems to come together so much more, so effortlessly and so wonderfully.

Origin stories are always difficult (see what I was saying about Captain America a few days ago if you want to read more of my ramblings) and rebooted origin stories even more so. Don't get me wrong, I feel Rise of was still a great film and they pulled it off, but only just. On one hand they did take quite a while in getting to the crux of the matter and whilst solid, I didn't feel James Franco did quite enough to carry the film home. On the other hand though, they did in that film instead concentrate on some beautiful emotive and unique sequences, they showcased some spectacular effects, and showcased the superb Andy Serkis as Caesar.

In this barnstorming, blistering sequel those last two are back and back with a vengeance. No matter what is on screen in this film, it is always stunning to look at. Terrifying villains, chilling moments, beautiful scenery or apes, touching emotive scenes or all out war; it is just beguilingly dazzling to look at. We are of course very used to all sorts of CGI effects being able to create literally anything on screen these days, but the unique and tailored techniques used in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes just make everything look so heightened and pure in a way that I have never seen before.

We must also of course, mention Andy Serkis, the star of the last film and even more so of this one. He is of course no stranger to perfectly inhabiting and creating CGI enhanced roles (King Kong and Gollum to name two) and again as Caesar he comes alive. Not only as Caesar, but as a clearly defined and evolved Caesar in this film. It is one of those occasions where I am truly struggling to describe a performance; I urge you just to watch Dawn of for Andy Serkis if nothing else - he is perfect.

Another ape to mention, is Caesar's second in command turned nemesis Koba, played by relative unknown Toby Kebbell. Chilling...truly chilling. It has been a long time since I have seen a film villain fashioned, created, honed (over the space of two films) fleshed out and then presented to marvellous effect. Just the look of Koba on screen is frighteningly excellent, but when teamed with Kebbell's truly and deliciously sinister voice; the result is a visually and audibly equal character to Caesar.  

Let us now turn to the human side of things, as they are an important aspect of these films too. Like James Franco (who does get a welcome cameo in this one) in the first film, I feel Jason Clarke as Malcolm could have done a bit more to carry his character and role in the film. Having said that I can completely see why he was cast and he has enough of an individually raw approach to see the film through. Keri Russell is his opposite lead and generally I love her as an actress, my only complaint being that for whatever reason we don't see more of a developed role for her. Aside from the simian side of things, the star performer for me is Gary Oldman as Dreyfus, the leader of the human colony. His role itself is perhaps quite predictable (a hint of villainy but broadly just fanatical) yet he does it justice entirely, being incredibly watchable every second he is on screen.

What I love about this film, alongside its predecessor now, is probably what a lot enjoyed with the original films; they have found a very unique and captivating way of telling an evolving, well-crafted, brilliant story. Again, clichéd though it may sound, this is a startling rarity as the Dawn of sequel is in my opinion a far greater film than Rise of. It is truly wonderful to behold. Visuals, music (composed by the rapidly ascending star that is Michael Giacchino) the acting and the overall stunning finished product. I have no doubt that Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, like its original predecessor of so many years ago, shall go on to become a cinematic classic.

*Oh and as a brief aside, it has come to my attention that this is actually my 100th blog post! Thank you so much for your readership and support, hope you have enjoyed it so far!*

RIP Lord Richard Attenborough

1923-2014

CAPTAIN AMERICA - The Winter Soldier

The final Marvel movie/"Avengers sequel" to date that I missed at the cinema and have now finally caught up on via DVD. Essentially Captain America 2, this film takes the war-time, all-American hero of a bygone day and thrusts him well and truly into the modern Marvel era.

Without his team of Avengers, we see what life is like for Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) when he flies solo. In many senses - it is action packed! Honed and focused action sequences, thrilling political neo-drama, sparkling character chemistry and various intruiging and well executed Marvel themes and undercurrents make The Winter Soldier a very solid film in the Marvel canon, a very well received sequel and a great 2 hour watch.

I did enjoy the first Captain America of 2011; in many senses it was groundbreaking and gave something radically different compared to other Marvel action movies - offering a near-perfect blend of action and incredibly human emotive scenes, as well as being heavily genre orientated. But in the back of my mind whenever I watch it, there is always the sense that they were trying to get through it for the sake of it at times; like they just wanted to establish the origin of Captain America, draw it out into one long film, and then bounce him into the rosta of the Avengers. Now we see the Captain coming into his own in the modern world (though the process takes some struggle) which to me feels like what we were meant to see from the start; certainly it is what a major proportion of the character's comic book background is made of. From his first origin film, to development in the Avengers, to major development in this film, we also see Chris Evans come on leaps and bounds too. Slipping back into the essence of Captain America with ease,we now get to see him in this whole new host of situations and scenarios, the result  of which he delivers upon very well.

Apart from Chris Evans and Captain America/Steve Rogers, we also get the welcome return and evolution of a few other familiar faces. The ever iconic Samuel L. Jackson returns as the ever iconic Nick Fury who, without giving too much away, by the end of the film goes on quite a ride character-wise himself. In terms of action, attitude and development, we see more of Jackson in all his glory as Fury then we have ever seen before, and I for one think that to be a brilliant thing. Scarlett Johansson returns as Cap's fellow Avenger Natasha Romanoff, AKA the Black Widow. Again we see a few new glimmers of development in what is clearly a multi-film character arc here, but we still see a development of this character's personality and backstory, as well as being reminded of her ability to kick ass like the best of them. Also as a brief aside, I credit the writers and producers for not simply turning the Black Widow into the girl who falls for the boy in this film. Obviously Scarlett Johansson is stunningly gorgeous and she is the main female lead in this film, but her character introduced in the Avengers is stuck to, and we do not just see her gazing into Cap's eyes for two hours. The result is originality and very watchable chemistry.

The other returning face comes in the form of the character the title of The Winter Soldier refers to. Sebastian Stan returns as the resurrected "Bucky" Barnes who has hence become the villainous Winter Soldier. Whilst this is a staple in the Captain America mythology, and a very important aspect to be covered in these films, the character itself fell quite flat for me; being one element in an otherwise quite original Marvel film that felt clichéd. I didn't really take to the character in the first film, I thought he was two one-dimensional and predictable, and I'm afraid (despite a radical revamp) the same can be said second time around.

Though not seen before, though also a staple in the Marvel/Avengers mythology is Sam Wilson, AKA the Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie. A bit of backstory and a new action boost makes his a welcome new face.

One final casting note to mention. Cap 2 has a very deep and resonant undercurrent of the political, the secretive, and the scandal exposure. All elements in this film work to create this, but one more than most is Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce. This was a surprise bit of casting, but still a welcome one, as the moments where Redford tries to convey the two-sided Pierce fall a bit flat, but when his dark streak is revealed he excels in presenting it with subtle venom.

So yes, unlike for example the Thor sequel which also came post-Avengers, this film goes a bit beyond relying on old formula, and instead pushes the character and the universe in new and slightly unexpected directions, which such a film and such a sequel should do. Though at no point do we feel that this particular Marvel branch is running out of steam, I feel that this is certainly a better outing for the star-spangled hero, and bodes well for the next time we shall see these characters, which I am sure we are due to get... Avengers: Age of Ultron anyone?

Doctor Who - Peter Capaldi First Impressions?

Well that's it - Doctor Who is back and back with a bang! Peter Capaldi's 80 minute long debut episode Deep Breath hit our screens tonight, and although this new Doctor and new age Doctor Who has only just begun, from what I have seen I am mostly encouraged.

The masses of hype building up to this new Who series heavily mentioned the fact that straight away we will see a radical change in direction from recent years, and that is abundantly clear. It is by no means slow and meandering as opposed to the fast-paced stylized action of days gone by (which the likes of Matt Smith excelled at). Instead we get a more focused, energized and retrospective feel to Doctor Who. Just in the series opener we got a shed load of emotive, tangible and intruiging concepts and ideas flowing through the usual amounts of Who adventure. On that subject though, I am sad in saying that I have to level this at Steven Moffat in terms of the plot (apologies in advance) - what the f**k are you playing at? We had a brand new Doctor, which meant a brand new feel to the show along with the potential for brand new exciting directions and still Steven Moffat came horribly close to turning the opening episode into a farcical idiotic pile of broken dirge on the floor. In a lot of ways the plot really was a batty mess. Without wishing to give too much away, a lot of random elements, which can be good on Who, were sadly sporadically thrown together resulting in a cacophony of rogue elements with no subtlety at all. It was just about follow-able; if you are a relative Who fan and are used to what infuriating gobbledygook Steven Moffat can sometimes come out with.

Happily however, this is where Peter Capaldi and his 12th Doctor came in, for he was able to masterfully harness any positive elements of the episode and galvanize them together to salvage a promising debut for the series and for the new Doctor. Again I was a tad worried that (like his predecessor) Capaldi and his considerable talent might get lost in the Moffat maze, but joyfully he was brilliant to watch from start to finish. His Doctor, whilst being relatively restrained and focused, nevertheless bombarded viewers with some superb moments, from his opening tirades, to some fleeting but resonating Doctor Who homages and references, to wonderfully timed comedic elements to incredibly raw and powerful drama. Again one could say it was due to the unclear direction of the episode plot, but I think Capaldi's distinct lack of direction at times was due to his own design. In doing so he did not leap out of the TARDIS fully formed and straight into action, but slowly and surely permeated into the episode and allowed the audience to find and appreciate him for what he is, and hopefully for what he will go on to bring to Who.

He was supported by some sterling familiar faces (as well as a dimwitted and partially recycled villain - again blame Moffat) including the ever wonderful Sontaran Strax, some very cheeky and sizzling Jenny and Vastra moments, and of course the ever-evolving and now equally promising Jenna Coleman as returning companion Clara. She too promises to have a lot more to do with this new Doctor, and the ensuing chemistry should hopefully be something to watch out for. It sounds by the way, like I'm having a big go at Steven Moffat, but I still praise him highly as a writer and at times even as a show head. He has got us this far, but when he starts tangling and interweaving, then bombarding us with plot after fragmented plot, I do start to despair a tad.

Regardless, I think Peter Capaldi has a lot to be pleased about with regards to his first outing as the Doctor, as do we the fans. The Doctor and the show itself have certainly re-emerged very differently and, whilst it may take a wee bit of getting used to, as long as we get more of the same (and as long as Moffat doesn't get too swarmy and too big for his boots) I think that series 8 and beyond will be magnificent for Whovians to behold. These are changing times folks, but for now I say embrace it and enjoy the ride, now led by the 12th Doctor - the great Peter Capaldi.

Doctor Who - Archive of the Doctors

The 23rd of August is less than a week away, and for Whovians everywhere that now means only one thing - the return of Doctor Who! Yes, Peter Capaldi's brand new 12th Doctor is about to burst onto our screens and I for one am jolly excited. However, before the regenerated Doctor takes centre stage, I thought it appropriate and important to take a look back at some of his predecessors; the Doctors that we have watched and enjoyed in years gone by. Yes I am only too aware that the classic Doctors are incredibly important to the legacy and mythology of the show, but this time I am merely going to look back as far as 2005; when the show returned after a long leave of absence under the helm of the great Russell T. Davies, and when I first became glued to the adventures of the mad man in a blue box.

CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON - THE 9TH DOCTOR

To my mind, Christopher Eccleston was a sterling choice to lead the revamped Doctor Who. Wacky and wild (and northern!) on the outside, but dark, deep and brooding on the inside. His bright eyes, wide smile and tempered but powerful energy were  just what was needed, to give us an enigmatic and formidable Doctor to grab the attention of a brand new audience, and to take the show into new and exciting directions.

In recent times, possibly due to the massive world-wide phenomenon that Who has now become, Christopher Eccleston's relatively short-lived contribution (he only stayed for one season) feels to have been a tad overlooked, but it certainly shouldn't. His Doctor was magnificent, as was his time on the show, and without him I do not beleive that where the show and the fans are now would be possible.

MY FAVOURITE MOMENTS

The Doctor's chilling reunion with a Dalek; the first after the horror of the Time War. 

The Doctor being a doctor, alongside Richard Wilson's Dr. Constantine in The Empty Child.

DAVID TENNANT - THE 10TH DOCTOR

 

For the modern generation, or at least many of them, David Tennant remains the Doctor, and I can totally see why. Charming, excitable,  powerful, charismatic; a natural successor to Eccleston yet definitely individual enough for a fitting regeneration and yet more exciting adventures for the Doctor Who universe to contend with and provide.

For me, David Tennant was an intruiging blend of a man seeming to go through his time as the Doctor at whirlwind pace, as well as being incredibly cool and relaxed in most situations. Like Eccleston, and like all good Doctors, he managed to capture the character's wondrous and light-hearted nature, as well as being able to release the dark, brooding and ferocious Lord of Time at any moment. I have no problem with people calling him "the epitome" of what the Doctor should be, for David Tennant rightly so shall be forever remembered and loved within the long annals of Whovian fandom.

MY FAVOURITE MOMENTS 

The Doctor's meeting of River Song for the first time and being introduced to "spoilers" in Silence in the Library. 

The Doctor being reunited with Captain Jack, and the sparkling interplay that followed in Utopia.

That speech aboard a sinking Titanic in Voyage of the Damned.

MATT SMITH - THE 11TH DOCTOR

If ever there was a time when words like "whirlwind" and "firecracker" were to be used to describe the Doctor, it would be during the time of Matt Smith. A great big bouncing ball of energy from day one, his Doctor was a new kind of charismatic; giving us plenty to watch and enjoy rendering Smith well and truly one of the all time greats. Occasionally his talent got a tad lost in the over-complicated plots (however I blame Steven Moffat for that!) but Matt Smith often brought an overwhelming sense of joy and wonder to the Doctor's exploits. Yes he often rushed into everything to brilliant effect, but when it was time to be still and somber, we quickly discovered Matt Smith could deliver massively in that area too.

Flamboyant, floppy haired, and fluidly awesome - his was a truly remarkable Doctor.

MY FAVOURITE MOMENTS

The Pandorica speech atop Stonehenge. 

                                                   

Double trouble as the Doctor inter-played brilliantly with a copy of himself in The Almost People.

The entire epic and heart-breaking final 11th Doctor episode - The Time of the Doctor.

JOHN HURT - THE WAR DOCTOR

Last but certainly not least, we have the Doctor who featured in only one full episode (albeit a fairly major one - the 50th anniversary episode). The superbly perfect John Hurt was simply masterful as the Doctor who wasn't; the Doctor who committed such atrocity that he did not feel himself fit to be "The Doctor" and such that his other incarnations did their best to forget him. Yet he never once felt "evil". On the contrary - John Hurt's performance was so intense and so wonderful that I for one felt nothing but warmth and appreciation for his Doctor, and truly sorry when it came time for him to go.

Though quite a unique case, John Hurt has just as much right to call himself the Doctor as any other incarnation. His involvement was integral and wonderful in the 50th anniversary show, and aside from all the hype of that, he was quite simply a great Doctor.

MY FAVOURITE MOMENTS 

The Doctor crashing through Gallifreyan walls and Daleks alike in his TARDIS.

Walking side-by-side with his 10th and 11th incarnations out of a piece of Time Lord art.

"Great men are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame."