BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT of 2009

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT of 2009

WINNER: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

I loved the first two X-Men films, and still really liked the third one. I know it had its problems, but it was nothing on this. How could a series fall so far so quickly. There are so many flaws, the main one being that there are a stupid amount of characters that each get about 3 minutes screen time each. The CG wasn't up to scratch, the music was poo. Everything about the film just feels a bit meh. What a disappointment.


RUNNER UP: Bruno

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy Bruno. It was disappointing however. It was nowhere near as funny as Borat, and he just felt sometimes like he was trying too hard. The other problem is that they showed all the best moments in the trailer. I just hoped for more, and didn't laugh as hard as I expected to. Shame really.


HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Transformers 2, Where the Wild Things Are

BEST ANIMATED FILM of 2009

BEST ANIMATED FILM of 2009

WINNER: Up

Of course this would win. Pixar always does. I have just done a whole dissertation on DreamWorks vs Pixar... and Pixar always come out on top. It's the way that the use characters, and that the story is always so rich yet so simple. Also, the opening montage is one of the best scenes of 2009. Really emotional stuff.


RUNNER UP: Monsters vs Aliens

I loved Kung Fu Panda last year, this wasn't quite as good but was still pretty brilliant at points. Not only did it look fantastic, but the characters were all great fun to watch. Kiefer Sutherland as the General was a stroke of genius. And the amount of sci-fi references were really fun to find. Bring on the sequel.


HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Bolt

BEST ACTRESS of 2009

BEST ACTRESS of 2009

WINNER: Zoe Saldana for Avatar

Ooooo. Now this is a controversial decision. How dare I put a motion capture performance as the best of 2009?! Well, I really do think she gave the best performance of the year. Motion capture is just a way of showing a character, it would be nothing without the actress behind it. Zoe Seldana blew me away with her character in this. I LOVED how she reacted when her home was destroyed and finding her Father. Brilliant. For me, the best of the year.


RUNNER UP: Zooey Deschanel for (500) Days of Summer

Okay, I admit it... I have a serious soft spot for Zooey Deschanel. However, I really do think she deserves this spot for her turn in 500 Days. She made all the male audiences feel exactly like Tom. She built us up, and then smashed us down. Yet at the end, you can't still help liking her a little... even though she has down such a horrible thing.


HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Emma Watson for Harry Potter 6, Cate Blanchett for Benjamin Button.

BEST ACTOR of 2009

BEST ACTOR of 2009

WINNER: Sam Rockwell for Moon

Moon was definately a one man show. And Sam Rockwell was that man - and he was AWESOME! Not only was he brilliant and giving a wide range of emotions, but he played two versions of the same character too, talking to himself all the time. I really want him to get an Oscar nod for this, but I doubt he will... which is a real shame.


RUNNER UP: Christoph Waltz for Inglorious Basterds

Everyone agrees that whilst Brad Pitt is great in Inglorious, Christoph Waltz steals the show. His "Jew Hunter" character is constantly unpredictable. You never know if he is going to jump across the table and kill the characters, or whether he will change into a raving homosexual as he often does. The performance is flawless.


HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Robin Williams for World's Greatest Dad, Brad Pitt for Inglorious Basterds, Robert Downey Jr for Sherlock Holmes.

BEST SCREENPLAY AWARD for 2009

BEST SCREENPLAY AWARD 2009

WINNER: Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman for Star Trek

I know that a blockbuster is a weird choice for best screenplay, as often they are about getting to the next big action scene. However, it is my belief that Star Trek is the best written film of the year. Not only have the writers given tribute to each of the characters, they have also given new life to a nearly dead franchise. Plus the whole concept of two realities for the reboot was a stroke of genius in my eyes.


RUNNER UP: Quentin Tarantino for Inglorious Basterds

Love it or hate it, the script for Inglorious Basterds was the true star of the picture. The amount of dialogue was bordering on ridiculous at times with its length, but people didn't complain because it was written so well and was always interesting. Tension is built so well, simply from words. Brilliant script.


HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Scott Neustader and Michael H. Weber for (500) Days of Summer, Bobcat Goldthwait for World's Greatest Dad.

BEST DIRECTOR AWARD for 2009

BEST DIRECTOR AWARD 2009

Normally, there is a stand out director per year. However, this year I have really struggled because of the high quality of a lot of the films. This is my personal opinion on which director has emerged at the top in my eyes this year.


WINNER: Marc Webb for (500) Days of Summer

I chose Marc Webb because not only did I love 500 Days, but it simply a fantastic debut film. I absolutely cannot wait to see what he gives us next. He gave 500 Days lots of touches which made it stand out from the crowd, no doubt because he is a music video director. Name me a scene better and more original than the Reality-Expectations scene. Genius.



RUNNER UP: J.J. Abrams for Star Trek

This was very hard to put as a runner up. Abrams gave Star Trek in my opinion the best reboot since Batman. He gave it a sense of fun, but also danger that was never felt in the original series. He blew this one out of the water, due to his fantastic direction and relentless pace that he gives the film. Also, he found the new cast - all of which were brilliant.



HONOURABLE MENTIONS: James Cameron for Avatar, Quentin Tarantino for Inglorious Basterds.

TOP SOUND DESIGN AWARD for 2009

TOP SOUND DESIGN AWARD 2009

I love sound design just as much as CG in the big blockbusters, and in a year dominated by sci-fi... it's been extremely difficult to decide which has the best! I would have said Avatar had amazing sound design, but to be honest I could tell a lot of it was recycled from Jurassic Park which annoyed me. So I looked at what sound design made a big impression on me, and didn't annoy me at all.


WINNER: Star Trek

Of course Ben Burtt's sound design would once again take the gong. It always does. It was the sound design in Star Trek though that made me fall in love with the film instantly. In the opening battle in space when the woman gets sucked out into space and instantly hits a wall of silence. That was some fantastic sound design and the film continued its great soundscape all the way through.


RUNNER UP: District 9

Another sci-fi, this one too had great (and a lot of very original) sound. Everything from the sound of the prawns, to the weapons to the actual ship was pretty much perfect. I remember the blast from the ship that nearly made me fill my pants. Awesome.


HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Transformers 2, Terminator Salvation, Watchmen, Avatar.

TOP SOUNDTRACK AWARD for 2009

TOP SOUNDTRACK AWARD 2009

Often my favourite part of a film, soundtrack is very important to me. I can't say there have been that many soundtracks that absolutely blew me away this year, but all these are definately worth a listen.


WINNER: (500) Days of Summer

I always expected a score to be my number one soundtrack of the year, but this year the record has been broken. The 500 Days of Summer soundtrack is a collection of brilliant songs, each one as good as the next. Some are great fun to listen to whilst others evoke a great sense of sadness when thinking about what it represents within the film. I can't stop listening to it, and if you haven't checked it out by now, you need to very soon!


RUNNER UP: Angels and Demons

Definately the best score of the year. Hans Zimmer does it again. The Da Vinci Code score was very good, but for the sequel he has turned everything up to 11. It's incredibly powerful stuff. Just the opening titles have such strong music that I knew I was going to be in for something good. Great themes and loud music, just the way film soundtracks should be.


HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Star Trek and Up.

TOP CG AWARD for 2009

TOP CG AWARD 2009

CG is getting really, really good now and therefore this category is getting much harder to judge. However, there is one clear winner this year.


WINNER: Avatar

Even though not the 100% photo realistic creatures we were promised, there is absolutely no denying that what James Cameron has done is create hyper believable characters. You truly believe that they exist. And as for the planet of Pandora, to think that the whole thing is CG just boggles my brain because it looks so real. This film kicked everyone's butts in this category this year.



RUNNER UP: Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

The film was a bit of a disappointment considering how much I did enjoy the first one but the CG is better in every way. I'm looking forward to seeing this on Blu-Ray soon, as I know it will probably melt my eyes. What this film lacks in story, it makes up for with its intense and amazing computer generated Transformers.


HONOURABLE MENTIONS: 2012, Star Trek and District 9.

MOVIE REVIEW : The Hurt Locker

THE HURT LOCKER

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Starring Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie

PLOT

Iraq. Forced to play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war, an elite Army bomb squad unit must come together in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb.

REVIEW

+ Brilliant sense of tension created throughout. +

+ All of the bomb defusals were some of the most nail biting scenes I'd seen in a long time. +

+ Jeremy Renner makes for a great leading man, very funny and watchable. +

+ Often shocking, and always surprises. +

+ I love how they killed off the main actors, so no one feels safe in the story at all. +

+ Brilliant use of slow motion often. +

+ Excellent script and great direction too. +

+ Really nice editing and shooting style, made it feel just like a documentary at times.. +

- The second half just wasn't as good as the first half. -

- It all seemed to slow down as the film progressed. -

BEST MOMENT

Any of the bomb defusals, but my favourite is when we see the main character in action for the first time, completely calm and collected.

MY RATING
++++++++--

MOVIE REVIEW : Sherlock Holmes

SHERLOCK HOLMES

Directed by Guy Ritchie

Starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law

PLOT

Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.

REVIEW

+ Some of the best use of slow motion I have ever seen in a film. +

+ Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are both absolutely fantastic. +

+ Great sense of fun throughout. +

+ I am pleased that a lot of detective work was actually done. +

+ Some really great action scenes on display here. +

+ Mark Strong made a fantastic bad guy, as ever. +

+ Victorian England was been captured perfectly, and looks brilliant. +

+ The chemistry between the two main characters is flawless, I can't wait to see more of them together. +

- It seemed to slow down a bit in the middle. -

- The music was quirky, but frankly felt a little "meh" to me. -

BEST MOMENT

The slow motion explosion, a truly brilliant moment in cinema that I know I could watch time and time again.

MY RATING
++++++++--

MOVIE REVIEW : Where the Wild Things Are

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

Directed by Spike Jonze

Starring Max Records and James Gandolifini

PLOT

An adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.

REVIEW

+ The Wild Things all looked great. +

+ Really makes you feel like a child again. +

+ I like the way that every creature seemed unique, but also represented one of Max's emotions. +

+ Had a lot of moments of greatness. +

+ Sucks you in, and often brings you to the edge of your seat. +

+ The story was wafer thin. +

- It all seemed a little... pointless. -

- Seemed to lack direction in some places, and actually got confusing with all the emotions and creatures bouncing off each other. -

- The music was a bit naff. -

- Unfortunately it had the problem of "I know this story already". -

BEST MOMENT

When Carol turns on Max, it actually had me on the edge of my seat. It would be terrifying for young kids.

MY RATING
++++++----

MOVIE REVIEW : Moon

MOON

Directed by Duncan Jones

Starring Sam Rockwell and Kevin Spacey

PLOT

Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet's power problems.

REVIEW

+ Sam Rockwell knocks out of the park with his performance. +

+ A very simple story, well told. +

+ Could get lost among all the sci-fi films this year, but comes out as an original piece of filmmaking. +

+ Some great, and truly hideous make up effects. +

+ Excellent use of miniatures and minimal CG. +

+ Very well written and intelligent script. +

+ Great direction from newcomer Duncan Jones, I'm looking forward to seeing what he does next. +

- It was very brief, and seemed to be over very quickly. -

- Could it be a bad point to say that I wanted more GERTY??. -

- There's no denying its a brilliant story, with an amazing performance... but wasn't quite as great as it was being built up to in my eyes. -

BEST MOMENT

It's gotta be the end. It all builds up to this pivotal moment and doesn't disappoint.

MY RATING
+++++++---

MOVIE REVIEW : A Christmas Carol

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Starring Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman

PLOT

An animated retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.

REVIEW

+ Along with Avatar, some of the best use of 3D I have seen so far. +

+ Jim Carrey is brilliant in all the roles he plays in this, though especially good at Scrooge. +

+ Even though its all mo-capped... you can really feel the emotions of the characters. +

+ A simple yet great, and very festive, score.. +

+ Because Jim Carrey played Scrooge throughout his whole life, there was really a connection between character and actor not achievable in the other adaptations.. +

+ I like how it portrays the story in all the ways you have never seen it from before. +

+ Often very scary, and is better for being so. +

+ The world looks brilliant, and the characters are all well designed. +

- The CG still isn't QUITE there, the characters still look a little "off". -

- Unfortunately it had the problem of "I know this story already". -

BEST MOMENT

Actually, the opening credits. I loved the effect of flying through Victorian England in 3D - it was brilliant.

MY RATING
++++++++--

Shalom!

Hey readers!

Sorry I've been away for a while. Been extremely busy at Uni... editing our film. It's coming along very nicely though. And we just filmed the final scene recently, which had its problems... but on the whole went very well!

Just had two of my wisdom teeth out, so have been feeling pretty poo these last few days. Luckily saw Avatar yesterday, which made me forgot about all that for 2 and a half hours. You can read the review below.

A lot of people have asked why Blessed-Topia 2 never came out this December. I can confirm now that a sequel is in the works but with my massive work load of the film and my dissertation, I just couldn't do it for this December. Keep looking however, as it will be out early next year.

Anyway, here's a couple of new movie reviews from you. I will be posting my top 10 films of the year soon so keep watching.

Bye for now!

MOVIE REVIEW : Avatar

AVATAR

Directed by James Cameron

Starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana

PLOT

A paraplegic marine dispatched to the planet Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.

REVIEW

+ After months of me worrying that it wouldn't be very good - it blew me away. +

+ The 3D is absolutely incredible and super immersive. +

+ Even though the CG characters weren't 100% photo realistic, after 10 minutes you just forget about it and believe every single one of them is there. +

+ The planet of Pandora is the true star here, and one of the most amazing locations ever put to film. +

+ A simple story, but great in that you don't get confused and can just enjoy it for what it is. +

+ The music by James Horner was similar once again to all his other stuff, but still perfectly suited the film. +

+ It's two and a half hours long, but I didn't feel it at all - I wanted more. +

+ Incredible performances from everyone, even the digital characters. Zoe Saldana needs to be recognised for her work in this film. +

+ Amazing direction from the master of sci-fi James Cameron. It draws you in, never lets go, and makes you just want more. +

+ The biggest compliment I can give is that it pure escapist entertainment. It may not be 100% perfect. But I knew I was watching something special, and I loved every single minute of it. +

BEST MOMENT

There are so many fantastic moments, and I can't actually say my favourite without giving away a massive spoiler. So instead I'm gonna say when Jake rides his banshee for the first time.

MY RATING
++++++++++

MOVIE REVIEW : 2012

2012

Directed by Ronald Emmerich

Starring John Cusack and Amanda Peet

PLOT

An epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.

REVIEW

+ Visually incredible. +

+ You felt like you were getting your money's worth - about 5 disaster films rolled into one. +

+ Very entertaining throughout. +

+ Brilliant destruction on a scale you've never seen before. +

+ Often very tense, edge of your seat stuff. +

+ Even though lines are often super cheesy, I still liked all the actors and the characters that they played. +

- It felt a little too long. -

- Sometimes the plot was just TOO stupid. -

- The score was pretty forgettable. -

- I saw it on the front row - so it was all a bit mish-mash... but I look forward to seeing it again on Blu-Ray. -

BEST MOMENT

When Yellowstone volcano explodes... WHOA!

MY RATING
++++++----

GAME REVIEW : Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)

HALO 3: ODST (Xbox 360)

Developed by Bungie
Published by Microsoft Game Studios

REVIEW

+ The music is absolutely incredible. +

+ Firefight is insanely addictive, and fantastically team based.+

+ The storyline is very good, and well presented. +

+ It adds many new elements to give it a fresh take on the Halo FPS. You really do feel smaller than the Master Chief. +

+ The sound design is as brilliant as ever. +

+ All the levels are action packed, memorable and fun to play through time and time again. +

+ Some of the cutscenes are absolutely awesome. +

+ It felt great to play alongside Nathan Fillion, Tricia Helfer and more.+

- Don't get me wrong, the storyline is fantastic, but it was nowhere near as good as the original trilogy. -

- The graphics are starting to show their age now. -

BEST MOMENT

There are loads of points that stand out. I'm gonna say an awesome cutscene where the ODST troops all team up to take out a massive Brute Chieftain and his hammer.

MY RATING
++++++++--

GAME REVIEW : Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)

UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES (PS3)

Developed by Naughty Dog
Published by SCEE

REVIEW

+ Absolutely fantastic story and characters. +

+ Probably the best graphics I have seen in a game so far.+

+ Amazing action that always keeps you on your toes. +

+ Some of the best platforming moments I have ever played. +

+ Some really good stealth sections too. +

+ Online co-op is extremely fun and addictive. +

+ The multiplayer is really good too - but still not as great as Halo for me. +

+ Brilliant sound design. The effects, dialogue, score and more are all done to perfection.+

+I really can't stress enough about how great the story is. The cutscenes are perfectly done thanks to brilliant mo-cap and acting work from everyone involved. I couldn't put the controller down, cos I always wanted to see what happened next. +

- Sometimes there are too many gunfights, and you can't help but want a break. -

BEST MOMENT

There are so many to choose from. I'm gonna say the train sequence though. There's nothing better than hanging off the side of the train, and managing to climb up just in time before you hit a signal. So good.

MY RATING
+++++++++-

MOVIE REVIEW : The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS

Directed by Terry Gilliam

Starring Heath Ledger and Christopher Plummer

PLOT

A traveling theater company gives its audience much more than they were expecting.

REVIEW

+ A film that most people assumed was doomed never to see the light of day, but it made it, and it was good! It was also very brave to keep an image of Heath Ledger being hung in there too. +

+ As most people are expecting, Heath Ledger is very good in his (sob) final ever role. He's actually in about 80% of the movie though. +

+ The way that the character keeps changing appearance actually does work perfectly. +

+ Absolutely brimming with originality and wonderful images. +

+ The story was good, though took a bit of a while to get going. But when you realise something about one of the characters, it does start to get a lot more interesting. +

+ Feels ultimately very British, and is better for it. +

+ All the supporting cast are excellent too. +

- The music was completely forgettable, which is a shame. -

- Towards the end, it did get a bit too weird. -

- The story got a bit muddled sometimes. -

BEST MOMENT

I think my favourite part was the Jude Law segment, just some really fantastic imagery.

MY RATING
++++++---