The Misfits Series 3 review.

Review: 2.5 out of 5.

Back again with a vengeance, reviewing one of the most infamous shows to ever stalk our TV screens. Said to be a program that is dark but with sharp humour, its Heroes meets Skins. For those who don't know what Misfits is, get on track here and quit living under a rock. Its about a rag tag group of young offenders on ASBO who end up during their community service, getting struck by an electric storm and discover the five of them have super powers. Kind of sweet, don't you think? Well, not if you have limited control and your special abilities are crap to the bone. Now in its Third Season, the ASBO 5; Simon Bellamy (Iwan Rhoen), Curtis Donovan (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), Nathan Young (Robert Sheehan) Kelly Bailey (Lauren Socha) and Alisha Bailey (Antonia Thomas) spent the first two series in community service avoiding suspicion from authority and getting leaked to the public about the missing probation workers they accidentally killed whilst they deal with people who have also been affected by the storm.

On the E4 network, Misfits, created by Howard Overman is now in the penultimate episode to its conclusion. With the absence of Sheehan, I feared this series would fall short, as Nathan's character, let's face it, is the star of the show. The 7th episode before the finale is here. After Series 2 ended with a Priest who masqueraded as Jesus caused pain in the group, they gave their powers away to a dealer named Seth (Matthew McNulty), who has the ability to remove an individual's powers and transfer them to someone else, a cliffhanger left all of them with a possibility of getting new powers. In Series 3, the ASBO 5 (except for Nathan) is joined by Rudy Wade (Joseph Gilgun), an obnoxious yet insecure pain-in-the-butt who got the power to create a duplicate with a separate personality. They return to community service thanks to Rudy and the show has gotten weirder ever since. With a lot more fanatics and mayhem involved, it becomes freaky central as many have the opportunity to sell or buy abilities.

Good:

This episode had Curtis claim a new power called Resurrection from Seth after his old power of changing gender forced him to become a woman permanently (I prefer time manipulation he used to have). In return, Seth wants a favour to bring his deceased girlfriend back to life. Unfortunately, all hail breaks loose as the rebirth has unforeseen side effects, which results in total damnation in a zombie onslaught. Not a bad episode and the punchlines cracked in the right places. Gilgun as Rudy was great to watch. His performance was well conducted and had fit his character spot on.

Story was not great, it fell too much into Shaun of the Dead fields but Overman did correct in measuring the drama and comedy aspect of the TV show. Gore was blown out and gross, laying out the supernatural aspect of the show. The lines were fairly descent and not too out of place but I did feel Simon's knowledge is based on a particular Capcom game and him admittedly stating the zombies are "Gonna keep us until we're trapped in a shopping centre" as the basis and reason for killing all the zombies as opposed to "Keeping off the grid" was quite forced. Although, I did appreciate the irony of cheerleaders in the mix. Mr. Miggles was one of the great additions to this episode. Just the name itself and what he did to that poor old woman is tongue-in-cheek laughter at it's best.

Directed by Will Sinclair, the person who did the 3rd and 5th episode of this Season really knew how to not let the rest go low key. This was just a "filler" as such, but more-so a good attempt to put Kelly's relationship with Seth to the test. I thank Sinclair and Overman for a gritty but fun installment of utter blood-lust and throttling escapades. The majority of the cast did well to react to zombie cheerleaders and their acting was pretty good. Special effects were not so fluid but its not terrible either. I felt Seth's girlfriend was not given much justice character wise and in performance as well but I'll get on to that later.

Bad:

I have watched every single episode of Misfits and this Season lacked a certain balance and focus, which the last two had. Enough of the "Nathan come back charade", Sheehan isn't coming back and not for awhile. In regular TV, it often happens, get used to it. Even if Sheehan was to come back, what makes you think his character would be able to maintain his cheeky gags with a new role as a father? Overman had some ingenious concepts that now reshaped his setting within his universe but the story now adopts this "story arc" way of writing than "character arc". I guess what I'm trying to say is as a whole, this episode and the entire series could have done better with more clear themes that doesn't allow it to go way off. You can tell other writers "chipped in" as the style is different.

The problem I had with this episode save for the creator finding new ways to kill probation workers (only kidding) is it's not that it was not entertaining but it's just that there's nothing here that benefits the series and was really just fun. Silly, but practically a good run. What didn't help is Seth's girlfriend being turned from a likable supporting character that could bust Seth's chops into another "villain of the week" role. Worse off is her urges, although well put on, is pretty flat. Her character wasn't developed enough. Nothing much was going on save for cheerleaders doing their practice on the site, Simon's fetish of dress up, Rudy's inferior fear of cheerleaders and Kelly's temporary break up. I was dissatisfied with the special effects usage on Seth's old flame's Resurrection but the editing and production weren't too bad.

Overall:

A zombie love fest at it's worst, it can beat Lesbian Vampires without swinging a bat. Overman didn't do too bad on script-writing duty, but it could of been done better. I really liked the final showdown with the zombie-cheerleaders even though I haven't got the slightest clue why they're at the centre. The Misfits themselves were bad as hell; Simon as the leader is smooth, Curtis I'm glad is over that shape-shifting mess, Kelly says it like it is, Rudy is just a prat and Alisha I wish had more clout. The visuals was clear-cut, gory and in your face with poor effects, okay-ish acting but nice directing, screams and humour I laughed my arse off. The next and final episode looks promising and I hope I see more Super Hoodie. Next post is back to films.

- Written by Kbon.

Stratosphere 2 review.

Review: 3 out of 5.

Kbon to review yet another music piece, again from one artist up in North, Lil Simz. Stratosphere 2, no it's not an airline people, but a mix-tape. Who is she, you ask? The Princess of Rap does it all; write, produce, dance and act. She is also well known in playing Spirit Warriors on CBBC; my cousin, 7 now, showed me. In my rampage of finding stuff to review, I came across some clip on YouTube from around Summer time and viewed her at an event on stage. "Hold on, this girl's good", is what racked in my brain. I needed to get in touch with her somehow. The next few days, I check out my little coz watching some next Crouching-Tiger-Hidden-Whatsoever, but with kids. Next thing I know, I see a young black woman doing kicks and suddenly I get deja vu. "Wait, ain't that the same artist I saw on YouTube?" It took me a few minutes to recollect, but as the weeks soared, I check she's dropped a mixtape. The rest is history.

Good:

Lil Simz is a decent artist, for all intents and purposes, her mix-tape was enough to get applauds. She did justice to both interpretations of Drake's tracks "Dreams Money Can Buy" of the same name; in more up tempo, semitones plus heavy base and with "Space" inspired by "Marvin's Room". However, I'm not too sure about "Rose" an obvious influence of Eminem. What I found brilliant about the mix-tape is she held out her own throughout the whole set. She didn't bother much about bringing along many artists' on board and I commend out to her that is a very brave thing to do. This shows confidence in her abilities and it allows reverence too. Another thing, which I admired about Lil Simz is her feisty persona and "down to earth" traits and her individuality. She does not try to be anyone else but stay true to who she is. When Simz did get other artists, it actually enhanced the concepts to another stage. An instance of this level-up is "Words I Never Said" feat. Chucks.

This mix-tape had some great tracks and I do relate to what Simz has said. Her punch lines are on point e.g. "They call me an alarm clock, I'mma end your dreams whatever the time" and this one "Turn it up coz you're listenin' to duh mix-tape, whether it be on a train or a whip, who cares? Dem ah act greedy like Hershey's". Those are from the start alone. The soundtracks mostly sound edgy and intense but other times it is more tranquil and mellow. "Rose" did make a point about how you must not always depend on people, even those who are your true fans and telling a story in the character of the fan and as herself but I had a little issue about how this was tackled. No one is perfect, though, so I can't really complain. Simz always manages to pick herself up and come up with something quip and fluid.

Bad:

Stratosphere 2 has some content in it that speaks for itself, but to be honest its not a jaw dropper. At times the music blares out at you which is good for attention but can be a bit much. The lines are catchy but sometimes its quite off. "Adidas Shoes" and "Rose" were the least choices I made. The latter sounds forced and not too convincing, at the same time, I do understand where she is coming from. Nevertheless, the majority of the tape managed to carry its way through. Tracks such as "No Minutes Wasted" make me think otherwise. At least her music is positive, there is more that can be done that could elevate it more. Sometimes less said is more, what I mean in relation to this is I want to be kept guessing and I do not mean subliminal messages. What I'm saying here is to step out the comfort zone and try to go beyond your limits. I just feel Simz is holding back, I'm not sure how. Mixing was fine and the production was okay, but some beats could be spiced up a bit.

Overall:

Stratosphere 2 had some fitting tracks to every young audience, man or woman could enjoy but its shaken a bit with not much expansion on the subjects at hand. Some tracks did better than others and some better melodies on a few beats could be called for. The flow was there, other than that, it is great and "Words I Never Said" is the one track that could rocket into the heavens and proves she can hit stuff way out of orbit. My next review will be Misfits Season 3.

- Written by Kbon.

Black and White review.

Review: 4 out of 5.

Been awhile since I did Chicks and Vans review, but here I am, any person who are fans of this page send me any possible or manageable piece of media, be it films, TV, music and games to review. Now, I plan to review the ground-breaking artist, Wretch 32. The first time I heard this artist was about 4 years ago, when Grime was on a hiatus. I have a few of his mix-tapes which I need to go back to. What I do know is this artist has been in the game for a long time and only just broke to mainstream. He is a very clever MC who has well constructive lines that build with one after the other. As the title suggests, Black and White is about the positive and negative aspects of his experiences, which I believe shows the artists' character, rather than settle with a narrow concept that is to me generic. I think Wretch 32 stands out more than most UK Grime MC's, in that he refuses to be put into a category. Is it enough though? You wretch, he did it!

Good:

Black and White has gone in, working his magic. Luck is not an option he plays as he went out to a whole lot of trouble in finding an retrospective, medium tempo, hard base, electronic but fresh take on British Hip Hop and Pop. Released in August 2011, his single, Traktor was one of my favourite tracks. I saw the music video for that and its very rectifying. Wretch has even added dub step, acoustic and anniversary versions of some of his songs in the deluxe edition, which shows he has an appreciation for other genres of music. Either this, or Wretch became smart and went the "Tinnie Tempah" route and crossed genres in order not to target a particular audience, rendering it a niche in the market. What is great about it, among other things, like being with many artists to name one of them; Chipmunk, he moved to new territory without moving too far from his roots. His work has cut out for him and he shows a strong essence of those he collaborates with.

The one big trait about Wretch 32 is that he is not all that serious, the way he executes his lines at each end of a bar is quite offhand without being so blase and he raises his tone that uplifts you at the same time. Most of his tracks mainly talk about his childhood, teenage years and career. Not only that, but misguidance, financial problems, growing up, his exploits and parent's. You wouldn't really call this Grime at all. In fact, about 10 miles away from it. There is just songs for everyone here, tracks like "Never Be Me" featuring Angel "Anniversary (Fall in Love)" ft Alex Mills and "Please Don't Let Me Go" ft Darren B are nostalgic, dreamy and have a common use of synthesizers and is down tempo reminiscent of electronica in a way. While "Unorthodox" "I'm Not the Man" and "Sane's the New Mad" have a moving quality to it.

Bad:

There's not much downsides to his album, except the style is a little sparse, which isn't a bad thing as such. It just makes it hard to define what it is. However, music is an art form that is expressed through sound. It is not really meant to be contained. On the other hand, there's a point where you have to settle down with subjects or approach that sticks with your interpretation without being unstuck. Another thing is "Black and White" and "Air" were both the least type of tracks I liked. I will not go hard with judgement with Air but the first track I said out of the two has to be, it was the first one on its track listing, hence the reason I've had a crack at it the way I did. It must be a good impression from the start, otherwise the listener may not have a reason to listen to the rest. Black and White (the track not the album, keep up) was a solid intro to everything for what's to come, even some of his words I was thinking "Come on, you can do better than that". It was just slow, flat and could have had a great impact. Although "Dark side of my life", "Light side of my life" were good analogues for the whole concept that drives the piece.

Those who don't have the Deluxe Version, this doesn't apply to what I'm about to say here. Those who do, you can pay attention to what I said earlier on in this review. Wretch added many remixes, if you will, to the album. Now I personally favoured acoustic versions of "Tracktor" and "Don't Go", he even made dub step as well. The other version was terrible, especially "Tracktor" in Friction remix. It gives you a choice though, which I believe the budding artist was aiming for. One more thing, even though Wretch had evident teamwork he did make some bad choices, for instance, Chipmunk featuring on his track "I'm Not the Man" did not add substance. Instead it detracted from the material, away for a bit. I'm not usually this critical over a respected MC's alliance with other artist's, but a few were not good, one of them on "Air".

Overall:

Black and White has got to be one of the best album's this year, while Wretch won't be seen on the "Jeremy Kyle show", I am confident when he comes back with a new album it is just as good. A fresh take on UK Hip Hop, this edition has the best of many different world's including Pop, Dub step and the like. His great strength is his bars, swagger and tracks "Never Be Me", "Please Don't Let Me Go" and of course "Tracktor". A little hiccup with the kind of collaboration he's associated with but he didn't lose focus and carried on until I saw hope. Many can enjoy his second outing into mainstream.

- Written by Kbon.

PUK Chicks and Vans review.

Review: 3 out of 5.

Back again with the next line of music, which is a group call P.U.K, I ain't got a clue what it stands for but I'll ask whenever I get the chance. For now, just shorten it and name them "PUK". Its made up of Teezy; dubbed the Fresh Prince of Hip Hop, Tigger Da Author, J Scripts and Paigey Cakey, think Young Money of the UK. I heard them first on Spiff TV (ain't everyone?) and it was hard. We need something fresh and that is what they got. "Chicks and Vans" was released in the peak of summer in July and its not bad. Its casual and has swagger. Onto the review, does it have what it takes to drive past my keen senses? Well, only just about.

Good:

PUK went right to the point, Chicks and Vans is all its ever about yeah? You're half right, don't be fooled by just the title of the mix tape. "How could I be wrong?" you say, I didn't say you are completely wrong, in fact you're almost right. "No vans, Chicks only"; I just gave them a new title it should of been called. Its essential, think about it. That's a hit already, I can smell it, just playin' but serious talk I enjoyed it. The best tracks on this mix tape I'll share with all of you is "Killn' it (Ayo)", "Love you later" and "Sexiest" above the rest. I just feel those four tracks show more character, the beat on the first I mentioned was fluid and quite experimental but its wordplay was cool even though it did talk about money and *cough* *cough* b@#£*$! Don't be offended by what I say, I didn't say it. I respect women and love them like cherry pie and cake. You find that in most Hip Hop, get used to it.

Moving on, PUK had some good tracks I could hype up to like its single "Money and Girls" or "Pow Pow Pow". These are not up tempo, though one; the first of the two tracks in comparison had some needed adrenaline to it, which if done proper could of blown everyone away. "Money and Girls" had a kick to it which felt almost like you were being played, but the bars fit to some degree. On "Sexiest", the part with Queen Latifah on the intro was a nice touch. While the concept of it was just pure and simple "Who's the sexiest one in the room?" Although, the best one had to be "Killin' it (Ayo)". I blew that tune indoors to annoy neighbours, not really.

Bad:

I will be honest, Chicks and Vans is not the best mix tape out there but then again its just that, a mix tape. I appreciate the fact they have tried different beats for this and is sort of Alternative Hip Hop, but the content does not match up. My expectations were not high, but on the other hand, I wanted more from it. This felt unfinished, indecisive and run of the mill. I wanted something that I can ride with the beat and to affect me in some way as I listen but its just nothing much to it.

PUK went in with some attitude plus some layered in punchlines, but I get nothing much from their character and there is not much variety. I don't have much problem with flow or anything of the sort, even the beat, the majority of them is brilliant. Its just there is so much that can be done with the lyrics that could of fit with the rhythms. The fact that its length only had 8 tracks is not really much of an issue, but I am sure if I heard at least 4 or more tracks I could see what I can get out of the music.

Overall:

It was a short road trip, but it did have an incentive that is basic. Teezy and the gang did excellent on delivery, mixing was standard and the pacing of these beats is not too bad, I'm not feeling the way its put together. It had fluid sounds but the content is poor. If not for Teezy and Paigey the score would have been lower but if I had more variety, it would be better. My next review will be Wretch 32 album Black and White.

- Written by Kbon.

Barnation World review.

Review: 3.5 out of 5.

I'm back everyone,

Last month has been crazy. I left my review scribe of movie reels and settled in, now talking about music. What I have for you people here is a person from up North who I met a few times on set during his videos. He is laid back and is pretty safe. He calls himself Blaze Barnation. I have listened to his mix tape and I heard that he produced some of his own songs. That is a great art to have, considering most wannabe artist's or genuine ones scramble to find producer's and worry about gettin' signed to the best label. Music is not that easy to get into. Forget X-Factor an' that so-called reality-pansy rubbish, it's deeper than River Thames. Anyway, back to Blaze, it's not a bad mix at all. In fact, it can be marketable.

Good:

Blaze really knows how to set the mood as he often variate his tone on a particular beat while still keeping his flow locked. He has a very distinctive style which can go from a monotone to an upbeat Garage, Dub step, pace. You can tell which area his background comes from within this genre. The good thing is that his delivery is quite unique and I'm here scratching my head trying to figure out what artist could he be influenced from, British that is. I'm thinking of maybe Bashy, Ghetts or K-Coke but I could be wrong. Not sure, but I'm not gonna wrestle and rack my brain too much on it. Its better left another day.

There are some great tunes out there, but the good thing about this is its a different story every track. Every track is like a new chapter that progressed until the bitter end. The content is great, but I feel there is something missing. I will get onto the other side of it later, but I want to tell you some of the hardest bars on the mix-tape. I won't spoil it, but even though one of his tracks was not on my top list "A Star" featuring Drea was slow and quite built with electronica, but not hardcore. The beat was decent and had a strong voice from the singer. Blaze spit lines I liked "Tupac was talkin' about changes, something that can uplift our nation" and this one "But just cause I'm stuck an' coulda been ballers, but you're not, your more like a supporter". Those two bars are honest, smack in the middle and had meaning. Yes, Tupac was talking about changes. Another thing is "ballers", living the fast lane don't always give easy pickings and if you support that you are just as contradictory as them. There are more tracks I want to dive into.

The favourite tracks I have listened to is "Sometimes I Don't Want to Be Alive", "Legend", "I Am a Champion", just to name a few. The best guests alongside Blaze was Dominic, Abstrakt E, Blink and Sylvia. It feels more mainstream somehow, but I think it will catch on quickly if it hits the right circuit. The mixing was well put together and goes in and some of the tracks sound almost like remixes of each other, but its not, which is strange but yes, he came out the box. The way he ends on a line is a nice touch, something many rappers tend to do these days. He makes it his own though with his flow. Those are the best things about the mix-tape, as he swung punch lines right in a match.

Bad:

Now, with the highs always come with lows. I will be fair, there is not many tunes I listened to in the UK that are like this. I'm a hard judge, I don't try to go for commercial stuff. Not that there's anything wrong, but it has it's short coming's. One thing I have a problem with is his bars are sometimes not clear. I'm not someone who listens to music just for base, and I admit it's sick but I want to hear the lyrics as well. Those are what get me when I jump and start bopping my head. I need it, otherwise I miss out. Another thing is the tracks such as "A Star", "Let go", "Gorgeous" and "Lost With Nowhere to Go" has base and melody that is almost too similar. People may lose interest quickly, but the rest of the mix-tape such as "hood tracks" like "Rain on dem" help to compensate. I'm not into his other track "R-Kelly", but I think it's Blaze just having fun. I gotta say, the "R-Kelly swagger" is corny but catchy. Not a bad run, it's pretty swell.

Overall:

Barnation World did manage to make you feel at home with some very fitting tracks which can easily hit the mainstream. He is a talented rapper and producer who knows what he is doing, there is respectable delivery that goes right in but I feel it needed more work to push it to the right side of the spectrum. The biggest praise was the acts by Dominic, Abstrakt E and Blink. I think if the singers like Drea and Grace had more qualms, it would have potential to push it into the next wing of success. The next review will be P.U.K's EP and after that, is a surprise.

- Written by Kbon.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes review.

Review: 4 out of 5.

When I saw that there was going to be another adaptation of Planet of the Apes, I didn't know what to think. I watched the remake in 2001 with Mark Wahlberg and I felt almost like dung was being thrown in my face. Seriously, it was that bad. I flicked through all trailers on TV and decided to go watch only after my friend did who said it was fantastic. I'm not too familiar with the franchise, only after watching it and browsing on the internet, I realized there were many other films made into adaptations of the book by Pierre Boulle in a film series. This movie is more of an origin story or you could say a prequel to the original series from the late 60's and early 70's.

Now a decade since the remake in 2001 was introduced to the general public to a new generation, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a reboot by 20th Century Fox. The film is directed by Rupert Wyatt. It followed Will Rodman (James Franco), scientist of the pharmaceutical, Gen-Sys. Rodman is trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer's disease and is using a genetically engineered virus on chimpanzees. The virus initially repairs neurons in their brain and then mutates. Bright Eyes (Terry Notary), having given birth to a baby chimp, ran amok in the experiment and caused a ruckus in a board meeting where Rodman presented the cure and is killed. It turned out she was only protecting her baby and after Rodman is told to eradicate all test subjects by Steven Jacobs (David Oyelowo), his boss; Robert Franklin (Tyler Labine), the ape handler, advised that Rodman take care of the baby chimp. Rodman took him home and his father named it Caesar (Andy Serkis).

8 years later, Caesar, inherited by his mother's genes of a high scaled intelligence; now evolved into a human pet. He can communicate with Rodman using sign language. Rodman tests a sample of the cure to his father, Charles (John Lithgow), who is struck with Alzheimer's disease. At first, he improves but his Dementia slowly returned as his immune system fought off the virus. Tortured by gate keepers, in a Primate Sanctuary, by John Landon (Brian Cox) and Dodge (Tom Felton), Caesar rose to power and led the other apes in a revolution against human society and oppression. The uprising has begun.

Good:

One of the best films of 2011, this Ape feature could tussle even Peter Jackson's King Kong all the way to the top. I am pleased with the fact it delivered. It has a rich story which explained a lot of things. It really played well the angle the filmmakers were getting at; the apes high IQ being a result of genetic engineering, the fall of mankind and the ape's rebellion all fit into place. I mean, I couldn't buy extraterrestrials in monkey form, could I? All those favour of Oozaru, don't remind me.

The strengths was the stupendous work on motion capture with all the apes by Chernin Entertainment including Serkis' role of a prodigal, morbid, Caesar, who proved more than just a pet. James Franco nailed the struggling doctor pretty hard and could balance his dramatic interactivity with his relationships between the father, boss, primatologist girlfriend Caroline Aranha, played by Freida Pinto and his companion every bit as tight. His character arc was told very skilfully and Franco knew how to grow aware of something a little out of nature brought into reality. Stepping past the fact he is not speaking with a chimp is not easy to conduct. I commend the majority of the main and supporting cast for their handiwork.

Bad:

Surprisingly it did not have many flaws, if not next to nothing. I only have a problem with the pacing of this magnificent story. It was a snail pace from the beginning but that was minor. At least it wasn't talkative and it was pretty unexpected. In most origin stories, Act 1 is the slowest, but it depends on a lot of factors; the impact of the inciting event or build up towards it and how much the audience want to invest in the characters. If they have a rich background, obviously it will take a while to present it on screen. On the other hand, there are exceptions.

Although the performances from the leading roles equally on the human and chimp races, including stunning visual effects, there was something about it that was missing. I expected more on the delivery. Now, I don't get "too gassed" on movie trailers, but let's be real everyone - we bought tickets (some of us) so that we can enjoy a well spent film, ain't that right? I'm not saying this wasn't but I wanted more in terms of big scale action. Its a revolution in the making, for Christ sake. This is very big since Parallax's attack in Coast City (Green Lantern), at least make it feel like one. Reason I say this is a few scenes from the trailer was missing; one clip from a tree climbing scene was supposed to have Dodge appear looking from below who is scared of the ape plus two other scenes I won't spoil. Another thing I was most disappointed in was the ending was quite weak. Though, it did make sense which wasn't too bad.

Overall:

This review should be 3.5 out of 5, but for astounding performances from James Franco, Andy Serkis and Tom Felton made it 4 stars. Brilliant acting, script, direction; I applaud Rupert Wyatt for his vision in making this film happen. With scrupulous editing or continuity issues during post-production and a less impacted ending it could be a titchy bit more epic. Music by Patrick Doyle complimented the action scenes. The post credit sequence also fit most pieces together in store for any future sequels. If you're into sci-fi or have a love of animals, this is the movie for you. That's it, I'm taking a break from reviewing films. Next up, is Blaze Barnation's mixtape, Barnation World.

- Written by Kbon

Cow Boys and Aliens review.

Review: 2 out of 5.

I was going to see the premiere one day at the O2 but cancelled. My rotten luck, well let's face it, life doesn't always give you what you want. So, I conclude in one simple opinion that this movie is below mediocre. Its a show reel that has every sequence tarnished. I will be quick, Cow Boys and Aliens is written by Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci, Mark Fergus and Haw Ostby. The screenplay was formed by a story from the latter two writers and Steve Oedekerk. It was directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man), the film is based on the graphic novel in 2006 created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg (I think his last name might be Russian for "where I got my madness from"). It was published by Platinum Studios. Enough credits, I don't feel like commending anybody today. Oh well, here we go.

Good:

This 118 minute sci-fi western had a terrific start, as we go neck-deep into New Mexico, 1873. A loser found himself in the middle of nowhere, struck in the abdomen, memory loss and some futuristic bracelet on his wrist. The amnesiac (Daniel Craig) fought his way out of capture and reached a small town, Absolution. Preacher Meachem (Clancy Brown) dressed his wound. Following a confrontation with Percy Dolarhyde (Paul Dano), we learn the stranger is Jake Lonergan from Sheriff Taggart (Keith Carradine). He attempted to arrest Jake as he is a wanted man. Almost free, Jake is knocked unconscious by an unfamiliar woman named Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde), who he met earlier in a bar.

Elsewhere, Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), Percy's father, arrived in Absolution to bail his son out. He also wanted Jake, who stole Woodrow's gold. Suddenly, flying saucers attack the town. Percy, the Sheriff and many civilians are taken hostage in what appeared to be space ships. Jake managed to hold them off with the bracelet that fashioned into a weapon. He fired a powerful laser beam that shot down one of the ships as the rest dispersed. The remaining survivors of the invasion; Jake, Woodrow, Ella, Doc (Sam Rockwell), Emmett Taggart (Noah Ringer) and Meacham track down the missing passenger who threatened a lot of people. The assailant is obviously not from this world and escaped onto the desert.

At this point, Jake started to collect parts of his memories about him being involved with a woman, Alice (Abigail Spencer), before they were abducted by aliens. The flick does have its strong points with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford who fit well in the cast and the actors presumably had fun playing their roles. The story was put together nicely, but along the way it kind of fumbled itself and did not seem right. The aliens were good cave dwellers but they are not that bright in the metaphorical and literal sense. There is a flaw in their logic and motive. The performances from most of the cast was excellent, setting was exotic, steaming and class plus the visual effects and shots were okay.

Bad:

Now, the fact is I don't usually watch Westerns. I appreciate them for what they are, but it's not my taste. Usually, the reality is most run on the same old formula; if it's not Cow Boys chasing Indians, its a traditional cops and robbers anecdote. Don't get me wrong, some Westerns like Spaghetti Westerns, "The Wild Wild West", "No Country For Old Men" and "True Grit" are good but I rather go for a Western that has something different. To be fair, Cow Boys and Aliens did have potential but flopped on its own merits. I guess there is different and way up in the stars. It had no structure and lacked a voice. You can see the style of what devices are used and how it is told. Flashbacks and flash-forwards are very much Lindelof's style plus the swagger and dramatic tension is largely Kurtzman and Orci's.

Although the actors performed well in the respective characters, one of them, Ella played by Wilde I had trouble with. The big reveal in her role was too predictable and her characterization made her seem very solitary, which ain't too bad, however it is flat. There wasn't much Wilde could do since its how she was being written. Her figure was stunning and she did as best as she could at the least, but some more interaction with the other characters may be noted. Sequences with the aliens themselves were cool, but there wasn't much depth in their grand plan and their object of pursuit weren't explained very well. I won't give out too much but let's just say it didn't sink in too deep and was not clear. This is sad because the conflict between the aliens and humans faced is quite interesting, creepy and did shake me up a little bit (jokes).

One next factor is it had drama but poor on the action, I'm not expecting a lot of shooting, wide explosions, fisty-cuffs and death rays "The Expendables" style but the middle section did not have much tension. Most carried out was coming up with an initiative to defeat the aliens rather than a hint of challenges. It couldn't hurt with some humour either, its difficult to relate to something as outlandish as this. I mean Firefly had some quirks and it was successful, why? Because it had a brilliant cast, slick, multicultural, storyline, it also balanced action, tension and humour. The dialogue on that show had wit and even one of the captain's held a gun. Not to say this movie didn't have guns, but they knew how to use it. A friend told me Westerns are known for their focus on landscapes and panoramic shots. That is true, but without dilemma or favorable characters, it would be dull.

Overall:

Smooth direction, wonderful cast, superb premise but a patchy script and huge downplay on action. It had poor characterization from Ella who did fine as some female stranger but did not have much edge or affection to land her in the same league of Craig or Ford's character. Same can be said for the aliens, their purpose for their invasion was sketchy and the reason is stupid and made no sense. Its plot was extremely straight and narrow, their twists and turns weren't felt at all and can be guessed. Though its ending was crisp and sweet. Visuals, shots plus edits were pretty satisfactory, but continuity weren't kept up and lost integrity. The only time I'll watch this again is if I join the cast of a sequel for Attack the Block.

- Written by Kbon

Captain America: The First Avenger review.

Review: 3.5 out of 5.

Listen, before you read the rest of this review, I would like to say I remember promising you all for doing a preview of Phoenix Da Icefire's upcoming new album, Quantum Leap. But I thought rather than show you a video of 5 Jewels why not review the whole thing when it comes out. Alright, now that is clear, let me say, after having viewed a backlog of superhero films this 2011 with the Old Norse God, Thor, mutant supremacist, X-Men First Class, along with the emerald - wise cracking - Green Lantern I decided to take on World War II veteran Captain America The First Avenger.

Directed by Joe Johnston, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, it is based on the Marvel Comics character that is created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Again helmed for production with a duration of 124 minutes by Marvel Studios, this is the last Paramount Pictures film that will dare to distribute any of their characters. This was produced by Kevin Feige (Iron Man). Movies in this genre are hard to pass ahead, you got to leave the cliche factors behind and it can't take itself too seriously and mustn't be a spoof. I think that's where Green Lantern and Thor didn't nail. Another, is you can't ground the main character too much otherwise they run around without any purpose. That is what I hated the most about the last two I mentioned.

Good:

The film stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, a young man who desperately wanted to aid his country in the war effort during the 1940's. Deemed unfit for service and denied several times in five different locations for military duty, Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) gives Rogers the benefit of the doubt and is recruited in a super soldier experiment. Erskine, Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) and British MI5 Officer Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) head the program. Doused with a unique serum and vita-rays (seriously who names these things?), Rogers is then genetically altered into the star-spangled, American hero.

The first act ended nicely with the broader, courageous, Rogers subduing Heinz Kruger (Richard Armitage), Nazi assassin of Johaan Schmidt/Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). Marcus and McFeely did a great job in making the script tight; action, drama, conflicts and humour were in the right places and did not feel over-complicated and was very easy to follow. Apart from Chris who nailed the feel and spirit of the leading role perfectly, Hayley did well in her depiction of Peggy Carter as did the majority of the supporting cast with Tommy Lee Jones.

My favourite scene is the rescue of Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and when Captain America meets Red Skull for the first time. The next was the battle with HYDRA in the full red, white and blue suit in an enemy base. The action sequences in that location were fantastic, particularly the shield throwing moments which are iconic. The set designs, visual effects and costume designs were solid; Cap's final outfit were obviously inspired by The Ultimate Marvel universe in the comics (an imprint separate from the mainstream comics). Although, the 3D were not visually an impact on screens.

Bad:

Despite all of the aptitudes that make this film look great, there were some inconsistencies. One is the inaccuracy of the actual time period, now I know Johnston stated in an interview this is not actually a period piece but is set within some alternate timeline in 1942, which does kind of justify some of the flaws (the advanced technology) and MI5 not known in those days. However, even so, it should be a little more consistent. I mean you don't see little green men in space pods running amok in Ancient Greece. I do appreciate the twists and turns in that era.

Another thing was character development of Red Skull was not good enough, Weaving got the accent right but it left him not having much arm stretches to enter his psyche and show why the concoction screwed him up the way it did. Yes he is a villain, but he is a pretty two dimensional one at that. The Red Skull I know is more than that, but instead he is reduced to just a super - cardboard - cut-out - version of the bad guy who promoted Hitler's fascist ideologies. The writers did not take enough time out to flesh him out more, if they gave Weaving a bit more screen time it could allow us as the audience to take a glimpse of the relation between the Captain and Red Skull. They are metaphors for the American Dream plus Nazi Dictatorship.

One more thing, we need to see more of the situation at hand with the war. Take for example, Saving Private Ryan, I don't mean blood and guts cause that will raise the whole certificate to about 15 but show what is happening rather than show Cap destroying HYDRA Bases. It may not be a war film but it is set in that period and not just show it in newspapers, TV, etc. People need to absorb the whole scenery and noise as if they were there. So, throw in a few more explosions here and there, possibly land Cap in with his Howling Commando's in a bit more missions and help out on the front lines. Cap has a gun, so make him use it. Editing was pretty standard, sound okay, music need to be a bit grittier and less campy.

Overall:

3D was a drag, but did not ruin the experience. Fantastic work Evans for your interpretation of Cap and a strong, collaborative, supporting cast. Thanks a lot Director Johnston for your vision of the earliest avenger, your flukes are forgivable. Great start, lazy writing by Markus and McFeely in the second act but excellent finish. To better capture the essence of your world's setting, it would have been gratifying if the director gave a deeper outlook of what life would have been like during World War II in Spring of 1942. Could do with a few more interconnections with the characters such as the Red Skull, Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) and Bucky Barnes but I can't complain. Nice treat at the post credits scene between Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Rogers setting the stage for The Avengers film next year in 2012. Flashy visuals, good touch and is worth buying tickets. It shows how fun and tough being a renowned protector is all about.

- Written by Kbon