Man of Steel

Around the summer of 2013, there were a few films that were generating massive hype, films that I really wanted to see, but sadly didn't get around to. One of them was Zack Snyder's epic Superman reboot; Man of Steel. Of course, come Christmas time the DVD came out and I made sure I got my hands on a copy. In a lot of ways, Man of Steel is an amazing film. Yet in some key areas, I do not feel it was worth all the fuss.

Visually, a great proportion of what we see is fantastic. Zack Snyder has treated us to a well and truly hefty chunk of Krypton, albeit in its dying days, but such a broad and detailed depiction of Superman's home world, and the Kryptonians who dwell on it, hasn't been seen for a long time in any incarnation or interpretation of Superman. Not only that but, on Earth and off it, we get action sequences galore. Each one is breath-takingly fast and furious, presented in exquisite detail. Yet you might be forgiven for thinking that not many of them presented anything too inventive and alternative, which is what you might expect from such a hyped up remake. However, this is a comic book film if ever there was one, and the action certainly reflects that.

Yet that is certainly not enough, and must be backed by good characters and good actors behind them. Superman/Clark Kent/Kal El himself, Henry Cavill is I think, a refreshing and dynamic new man to don the cape. Their is enough of that classic quality to him to satisfy die-hard fans (dare I say a little Christopher Reeve-ish at times) as well as having enough little nuances that I don't think any incarnation has had before. I truly believe that this is a very modern day Superman, and he better be, as he has already signed up for several sequels! Of course where there is Superman, Lois Lane is never far behind. On her own the beautiful, beguiling and brilliant Amy Adams makes a very good Lois Lane; again classic but fresh. However, I feel the somewhat haphazard chemistry and interplay between her and Cavill is a little lacking. At a guess I think, in trying to revamp the whole Clark/Lois/Superman saga (which is interesting in itself) I feel they've tried to slot some romance and closeness between these two characters that shouldn't be there, at least not all at once, as it comes across. On the face of it, all is fine, and we're rooting for these two as per, but look a little deeper and the pair don't look as convincing as they might together.

A lot of people praised Michael Shannon in his portrayal of villainous General Zod no end. Again, whilst it was great in terms of the mythology to see a new version of the dark Kryptonian, this is where I feel most let down character-wise. Yes he pulls of a few evil and manic facial expressions now and then, but when it matters most, I feel Shannon comes off as eerily distant, shallow and wooden even.

Zod is a character whom we see a lot of, nearly as much as Superman himself. This is a shame to me in some ways, as there are other, much more believable performances that we don't see so much of. Clark Kent's parents, John and Martha, are played by Kevin Kostner and Diane Lane respectively. Now I know Kostner's character dies (SPOILER! SORRY!) but we have enough jumps and flashbacks through time in this film, and I just wish we got to see more of his portrayal as Clark's loving and concerned Earth-father. More so slightly than Diane Lane's character (who survives the film) for yes, she is a quaint and warm motherly figure, but her performance wasn't as good I think, it even headed toward the dreaded cliche. Talking of screen time, another great actor/performance/character I wish we got to see more of was Lawrence Fishbourne as Daily Planet boss Perry White. Whether its the voice, the eyes, the power, I don't know, but I think Lawrence Fishbourne brings such gravity and watch-ability to almost everything he does, and Man of Steel was no exception. Luckily though, he has signed up to the sequel.

We did get to see quite a bit of the legendary Russell Crowe as Jor El, Superman's biological father, both before and after his demise. Again, no complaints from me, and I think, within the highs and lows of the mixed bag that is the casting of Man of Steel, Russell Crowe was surely one of the best bets, and one who delivered most definitively. 

I don't normally mention this, but this time the musical score of this film struck me as a tad disappointing. Though, it was created by the truly iconic Hans Zimmer, so this is a surprise and a shame. Hans Zimmer has produced some truly brilliant scores for brilliant films in his massive career (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Night series, and The Last Samurai to name but a few) so I was really quite gutted when I didn't get a lot out of this one. Rousing at times yes, brisk and fast paced OK, but nothing that ever blew me away or made me prick my ears up a bit more, or anything I would actively listen to again. Again not really living up to the reputation of this blockbusting film here then.

Yet blockbusting it was, and by and large I can see why. This is certainly not just "another Superman movie" and thank God for that. No, I truly feel that, despite some things that need working on (maybe I'm being a tad picky!) those behind Man of Steel have done a good job, and can do so again in the obviously imminent sequels to come. I for one can't wait, especially as the next one apparently features a certain caped crusader...

SHERLOCK.IS.BACK!

Ah yes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Mark Gatiss...they're all back to kick off Sherlock's return with a bang! I have to admit that I, like millions of highly enthusiastic fans around the world, was looking forward to this one. Yet strangely, as with Sherlock in the past, I kind of got used to it not being around, this probably being a combination of the writers/producers wanting to tease us as much as possible (remember - the brilliant but devilishly devious Steven Moffat heads this one too!) plus the two leading men having careers going from strength to strength, which clearly mean other filming commitments. Lest we forget, in between this series and the last, there has been the ginormous Peter Jackon-helmed epic that is The Hobbit franchise, which stars Freeman as the Hobbit in question, as well as Cumberbatch lending his prodigious vocal skills to the characters of the Necromancer and Smaug the dragon. And that is just one of the many projects these actors have been working on, hence the two year wait, so at one point it was doubtful we'd see Sherlock again. Yet we have and I am sure we are all hugely greatful.

The speculative hype leading to this series outdoes that of previous series by miles. That is due of course, to the awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping cliff hanger at the end of series 2 that saw Sherlock fake his own death. On the face of it, series 3 kicks off by answering that crucial question - how did he do it? However... things (again, this being Sherlock/Moffat led) are not entirely as they appear. Oh don't get me wrong, the audience were massively treated to many great "scenarios" shot, scored and acted brilliantly; depicting just how Sherlock did it. But as the credits started to roll, we were left in some doubt as to whether or not we had seen how events actually did play out, and not just the various musings and fantasies of several characters. That I feel, is the only fly in the ointment for me, and I suspect a few others too.

Other than that - epic, amazing, spectacular, funny, exciting, touching, cryptic, dramatic. All this and more, done in the best of ways possible. This is of course in some ways, "the difficult third album" for Sherlock, and though it was set up, and thus far executed brilliantly, I can understand some niggling doubts that people may have. Luckily Sherlock is still as vibrant and as fresh as ever, as well as having that incredible, charismatic, and oddly quite warm-hearted, chemistry and familiarity that fans have now come to know and love well and truly. The characters were on fire both new and old. Cumberbatch and Freeman's Sherlock and John were just as wonderful to behold as they ever were, we got quite a packed episode from Mark Gatiss' Mycroft Holmes, and Mrs. Hudson and Molly Hooper were a joy to watch too, as always. We also have a new dynamic or two, to add to the beautiful character mix. Without wishing to give too much away, there are definitely things a' changin' for the Baker Street Boys

Yes, I am well and truly chuffed that Sherlock is back. And though we've already had one of only three new episodes, needless to say I can't wait to see what is to come in the next two.

Still Open All Hours ~ A light-hearted nostalgic one-off, and a reminder of a by-gone gem

A little while ago, as part of my exploration into truly classic comedy, I hailed Open All Hours as one of the greatest television shows this country has ever seen in terms of the sitcom. My only niggling worry was that there were plans to bring it back this Christmas; I was worried it might not live up, and that all the love and wonder for the original series would come crashing down. Although I did say, or I rather hoped that whatever happened nothing would dent the original show too much. Well, Still Open All Hours graced our screens on Boxing Day, and by and large, I was pleasantly pleased and amused for half an hour.


I'm not the only one it seems. Still Open All Hours topped the Boxing Day viewing figures, not too far away from 10 million, and most hailed it as an affectionate look back at a true gem. However others make out that the show was way behind it's time, and that David Jason looked lost and feeble trying to fill the void left by Ronnie Barker's Arkwright. And that is me paraphrasing politely.
As for me, I did rather like it, and I was pleasantly surprised by how funny it still was. I confess some of this talk of "lost causes" and "old relics" did seep into my subconscious. However they, and I couldn't be more wrong. For me the laughs still came at just the right places, and even though in some cases they were just where you expected them to be, it did not make the wordplay, the occasional cheeky innuendo, and the sheer comedy value any less real. And as for these people who claim Sir David Jason has lost it somewhat; how dare they! I did glance over "established" critic's views of Still Open All Hours, and some made out that the wonderful David Jason was well past it, that he hadn't had a hit in years (that one is a quote from a certain Telegraph critic, kid you not - the charlatan! ) almost hinting that he doesn't deserve to be there. How utterly outrageous. Apologies for lowering the tone, but they are talking absolute bollocks. Anyone who talks like that is most likely the sort of person who is only ever obsessed with the next big thing, the sort of person who is constantly hounding Twitter and Snapchat and God knows what else for what other idle twits are talking about for the next five minutes, and people who think that the only thing worth while on TV is the sort of inane drivel that can be summed up in a pathetic T-shirt catchphrase. Sorry to rant, but with David Jason that is simply not the case.
I might not mind if they were having a go at someone who used to be celebrated but is now clearly trying too hard and failing, but that is plainly not happening here. Alright, Still Open All Hours isn't to everybody's taste (what ever is?) and yes of course, David Jason is older now than when he  first donned Granville's pinny. Who cares? The laughs still came in abundance, the charm was still surely there, David Jason, along with all the other cast members, still delivered, and the viewers still tuned in, in their millions.

OK, critiquing the critics over, let's get back to the programme. For me as a fan and a comedy lover generally, this 30 minute return to Arkwright's was a joy to watch. From the moment we got the exterior shot of that hallowed Doncaster corner shop, and that melodic and mournful brass band started to play, it was if we'd never left. But of course, changes had occurred, chief among which was the sad absence of Ronnie Barker's Arkwright. Yet at no point did those left behind ever try to replace him, I don't think they ever wanted to try, but his presence was surely felt, not just from his picture hanging on the wall. Some old gags from the show were re-hashed and used again, but they were moments that truly were classic; they still made us giggle. From the dog-shopper, to a man being taken for a walk by his dog (this time played by a certain Chuckle brother!) they were recognised and celebrated. We had a lot of old faces resurfacing, led by the magnificent Jason as Granville, but also featuring Lynda Baron as the renowned Gladys Emmanuel (who it transpired never did walk down the aisle with Arkwright - bless!) and other warmly welcomed faces like the lovable Mavis and Mrs "Black Widow" Featherstone.

We also had a lot of new to mix in with the old. Chiefly there was Granville's son Leroy, the new young blood on the block, and new errand boy-come IT manager. For me there was also a brilliant, and incredibly amusing star performance from Johnny Vegas, who played the incomparably named "Wet" Eric.
All this and more made Still Open All Hours a wonderfully pleasant and charming take on a classic sitcom that more than proved its metal today. Yes, we can never replace nor forget the legendary Ronnie Barker as Arkwright, but at least he can happily know that his beloved shop can still generate the interest, and deliver all the laughs in abandon. Thank you (Still) Open All Hours. Now...G-Granville! Fetch yer cloth!