The Hobbit Reconstructed (Part 2)

Continued from here

Warning contains spoilers, do not read if you haven't already read the book!

The travelers leave Rivendell.

They will have to go through the mountains (right inside! I'll remind you that in all Del Toro's works there is a little bit where they are in a series of underground passages, so it will be avery Del Toroesque moment)

Down in the caves they are brought before the king of the goblins (or Orcs), popularly rumored to be played by Ron Perlman (Hellboy).

The Party is split accidentally and Bilbo finds himself in Gollum's gloomy home (Gollum will be again played by Andy Serkis) and they start to play a game - a game of riddles. Perhaps this may sound like a boring part of the movie, but Del Toro seems to believe that it's going to be one of the best parts of the movie, so I can only wait and see how he brings that part to life.

While Bilbo is down there, he finds a mysterious golden ring which seems to make people disappear if they wear it on their finger... I think we might have heard about this ring in another movie (Ha ha) ! Yes it's the Ring of Power.

They make it through the mountains, but not without difficulties.

Before they get to their destination they encounter a strange creature called Beorn (possibly to be acted by Doug Jones, who plays The Faun in Pan's Labyrinth and Abe Sapien in Hellboy).

They will also to pass through the evil forest of Mirkwood, where some great evil dwells. There they will come across some very big spiders (this is the part where we'll have to look away because it's going to be super scary!), and they will meet with a band of Elves, and we will get to see Orlando Bloom again for a little while as he reprises his role as Legolas.

Then finally they will come to their destination... to the den of Smaug the Dragon! (voiced by either Christopher Lee or Ron Perlman)

And to top it all, we've got a huge battle at the end: The Battle of the Five Armies. I'm sure we'll have some nice battle action from Legolas and Gandalf. What I do know is, this battle sequence is going to be superb... so look forward to it!


There's my vision of what Del Toro and Jackson are to do with the movie, now lets have a few opinions on it! I'd love to hear what you think! The visuals are going to be superb, and I'm sure that there will be a lot of fantasy creatures for us to look at. It seems as this movie will be like Lord of the Rings crossed with Pan's Labyrinth, two of the most popular fantasy films ever, now this has got to be good!


These events are not necessarily going to be what happens in the film, but is what I believe to be likely from info that has been given and from studying of the talents Directing and producing the films!

The Hobbit Reconstructed (Part 1)

Warning: Contains lots of spoilers, don't bother reading if you haven't read the book!


I thought it might be quite interesting to see if I can construct the way in which I believe, at this moment in time, how the Hobbit movie is going to turn out.

My sources are taken from news, and understanding how Del Toro and Peter Jackson work, and also by what will really sell the movie, and obviously by reading the original source: the book.

So here it goes, I'd like to hear what you think... and I'm sure this movie will be 10 times better on screen than in writing.

A couple things to note before we start: The visuals will be very stunning, probably the best visuals to come out on screen, it'll be a beautiful film. The music will also be spectacular, as both Del Toro and Peter Jackson rate it as essential for the movie!

The movie will open with Ian Holm narrating about the way in which Illuvatar created middle earth, a pure world, but then in comes the rings, trying to take over, and he will again narrate the story of the great battle of the ring where Issildor defeated Sauron.

We see old Bilbo was telling the story to a few of the young hobbits at his 111th birthday party (as in the Lord of the Rings)

Ian Holm will not play the younger Bilbo though...

Gandalf (cofirmed to be played by Sir Ian McKellen) tells Bilbo that he's going to help them on an adventure.

In time Bilbo meets with the dwarves (it is my feeling that there will be a few less dwarves as too many dwarves would be hard to keep track of)

And the set off on their adventure.

By chance they are caught by Trolls, and if you have read the book you will know how they were rescued. (you can see an example of Del Toro's vision of a troll by looking in the Troll Market in Hellboy 2)

They come safe to Rivendell and we will again see cameo roles from Hugo Weaving and Liv Tyler, with perhaps a reference to Aragorn too.

Elrond presents them with weapons, this will be a good time the get all emotional and understand a bit about the characters, as these weapons will one day save their lives!


Continued here

John Noble won't return for the second Hobbit Movie

John Noble acted Denathor in The Lord of the Rings, but feels he will be far too old to act a younger Denathor seeing that he himself is older now... It's a pity, I thought he was a very good actor and was looking forward to seeing more of him as Denathor.

John Noble will be acting the the next big TV series: JJ Abram's Fringe

I'm sure Del Toro will find a good actor to replace him!

source

Hellboy 2 interview! (With Me)

Hey do you want to hear me talking about Hellboy 2?

Well a friend recently invited me onto his radio show to talk about Hellboy 2, you can hear me very shortly at the end!

Go on to http://www.fm1079.co.uk/ and click on Movie Minute and you will find one for Hellboy 2, listen to that and tell me what you think!

Movie Rating system explained

I thought it might be best just to qualify the meanings of my rating system (10/10, 8.25/10, 4.5/10 etc)

They are more than just a comparison between films.

I tend to be very top heavy in my ratings and most reviews will be above 5/10 unless unusually bad.

10/10 Are the best movies ever!

9/10 + means that it is a real classic

8/10 + it is a good movie

5/10 + means the company and director Etc. has made a good effort in creating what they hoped to be a good movie


I believe all movies have their own form of art and utilize it their own way, and thus ought to get some recognition for it

I thought it was well time for some explanation of my rating system.

Del Toro and Peter Jackson to script The Hobbit on their own.

People online are crazy about this "new" news... but it's been out for ages. If you look back at my previous post back in July, I gave a comprehensive list of all the people that were lined up to be working on The Hobbit movie... and there I specifically mentioned Del Toro and Peter Jackson as script writers... that list is still current, there has been no changes... My Blog Is Up-To-Date!

Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will be lending their aid in script-writing too!

Get Smart

I didn't think this film was the best... It's meant to be funny, but it doesn't come over as very funny to me.

It basically a spoof of Mission Impossible and similar spy movies, but unlike Superhero Movie and the other movies in it's series, it just doesn't seem to be able to grasp what people naturally find funny... nevertheless it did have it's funny moments and will keep you from getting bored... it's just not the kind of movie I would naturally spend my money to watch...

If you are into the comedy type films, I would recommend watching You Don't Mess With The Zohan instead.

The Story follows a relatively funny character who becomes a CIA Agent, and gets into a few mess ups...

Starring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway

Movie Rating 6.5/10


Further to my post yesterday on useful tools for keeping up-to-date in the Movie world I have been recently introduced to a new website which allows lots of people to give a very short review on films... it gives a very accurate idea of what people think. It's called Blippr, you can read the Blippr for Get Smart here: See what other people think!

Tips for keeping up-to-date in the Movie world!

I thought it might be a good idea to give all you readers a few tips on how to keep up-to-date in the Movie world.

1. Most important thing is to have a keen interest in films... This keeps your attention on your goal!
2. Keep watching movies, watch as many as you can!
3. Try to keep regular visiting Cinemas... It gives you a general idea of what's out there
4. When you hear about a film for the first time, check it up on IMDb, take special notice of the director and the cast, you will learn to recognise them after a while!
5. I'm sure there are films not yet come out that you are interested in, if so you can add your search term to Google Alerts and get updates every day... Be the first to know who's been cast and when the release date is!
6. Regularly read general movies blogs like this one!
7. It may be adviseable for you to write about the information that you gather, write a blog or something, gets it out of your system!
8. Join an online movie forum, talk to other people that have simular movie tastes to you, hear their views and tell them yours! I regularly go on Armory Digital Forums, it has a great movie section, and perfectly suited to my needs, you may prefer something different, you just have to find a place suited to your tastes

I hope these tips are useful, I'll keep you updated on new techniques!

Alias (2001-2006)

Courtesy of a friend, I was lent all 5 seasons of Alias (42 mins for each episode, 22 episodes to a season, that's a lot of viewing time!)

To say the least, I became addicted to Alias, and watches about 3 hours of it a night. That is an example of how engrossing the storyline is!

Excellent storyline, some really cool characters, and some really mysterious mysteries. Obsession, Love, Hate, Cruelty. Alias has it all!

Created by JJ Abrams, Starring Jennifer Garner, Ron Rifkin, Carl Lumbly, Kevin Weisman, and Victor Garber.

The story follows the life of a CIA agent called Sydney Bristow as she battles against the people that would let their obsession destroy the world. She will have to employ many different Aliases to keep herself anonymous, but always there's the old nemesis there to try to stop her in her tracks!

What I really like about Alias is: There is no two characters the same, there is a wealth of interesting characters, It's non-stop action all the way through.

You won't get bored I promise you.

(JJ Abrams is currently in talks to start creating another TV series called Fringe)

Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) Vs Clone Wars (2008)

By recommendation of a regular reader, I have just watched the old Cartoon Network version of The Clone Wars.

You can read my review of the new Star Wars: Clone Wars here.

The old one is all in Cartoon 3D animation, whereas the new one is created with modern CGI animation, which should mean that the new one is a lot better... but because the old one is made a lot cheaper, it has to be very good on the story-line (which it is) thus turning it's curse into a blessing.

The new Clone Wars' story-line is so weak in comparison to the old one.

The old Clone Wars much better deserves the right to bear the name "Star Wars". And I'd certainly recommend it as a better alternative to the new Clone Wars (which I rated very low).

The old Clone Wars seems to fit in much better with the Star Wars storyline, filling the gap between the 2nd and 3rd episodes. Characters are much better developed too!

Featured Actor: Doug Jones

Doug Jones

The famed American actor has acted in over 50 roles, and still holds much potential!

Well Known for his roles as Abe Sapien in Hellboy, El Fauno in Pan's Labyrinth, and as The Silver Surfer in Marvel's Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Distinguishing caracteristics are that he often acts under heavy make-up, and is very agile in his acting roles!

In Jones' most recent movie: Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, he played 3 characters (Abe Sapien, The Angel of Death, and The Chaimberlain).

Jones is currently anticipating reprising his role as The silver surfer in next year's Silver Surfer. So another movie for you marvel fans to keep in your diaries!

You Don't Mess With The Zohan

Real Jewish humor!





I thought Zohan was an excellent movie... I have spent quite a length of time in a Jewish community and Jews certainly have a woderful sense of Humor, as is easily noticeable from this movie!





The Zohan used to be Isreals best superhero counter terrorist, his greatest Nemesis being the Phantom... But Zohan has a dream! He wants to cut and style hair! He runs off to America to fulfil his dreams... and is immediately one of the most popular hairdressers of all time... But he meats with one or two problems down the road, coupled with quite some heavy laughs!





It is a comedy the you don't mess with!





Starring the famous Jewish comedian: Adam Sandler!





Movie rating: 9/10

parental guidance?

What have other reviewers said?





You’ll laugh, but you’ll laugh more if you’ve spent time in Israel, it seems.





Really cool movie!





It takes political incorrectness to a whole new level. The stereotyping alone makes it worth going to see, as it is sheer genius.





Now, this is a very amusing movie, and I highly recommend you guys to go watch it, if only once is enough.





Zohan was typical Happy Madison. Funny for what it is, but Portuguese subtitles are distracting.

Star Wars 2.5: The Clone Wars

What's all this nonsense?

This is the film to set off a new Star Wars television series... I've not got too much hope for it...

I watched this film last night and I was thoroughly shocked.... I was expecting quite a bit more from George Lucas.

This is a children's film and not for the major audience that the original Star Wars movies attracted...

This may satisfy part of the hunger of a Star Wars fan, but will thoroughly disappointed his true self!

My praise will go to a good script, although a little childish... story line was usual star wars material... in fact it could have been a great movie if it was done properly, like the other 6 movies!

So I'm entirely disappointed in Lucas at the moment.

If you are a big Star Wars fan, go watch it to satisfy your curiosity... but if you aren't a fan... just don't bother with this film.

Bad Points:

Silly
Childish
Not much happens
Animated
Missing the good acting talent of the original movies

(I'm sure I could come up with more but they are the main problems)

Good Points:

It's a Star Wars movie
Fairly good script

That's it!


Movie Rating 4.75/10


What have other reviewer said?

It looks like a promising series, especially with original creator George Lucas co-writing the series. The film, however, gets a… Grade: B

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Review (Verdict: The First Star Wars Movie You Will Truly Hate)

So is The Clone Wars a good film? Yes. And No.

George Lucas is turning into the enemy of fun.

The new Star Wars, umm, film "The Clone Wars" has opened to very negative reviews,

Coraline: Behind the Scenes Video

Ok, I've got a bit more for you Coraline and Neil Gaiman fans, there's a new behind the scenes video out, you can see a few shots from the film too, it looks really good!

you can view the video here!

For those of you who are not acquanted with Coraline, it is based on the book by Neil Gaiman bearing the same title. The Movie is filmed all in stop-motion by Henry Selick, who also did the acclaimed Nightmare Before Christmas.

Coraline is due to be released in cinemas in Feburary 2009.

Classic Film: Good Will Hunting

I saw this film last night, and I just absolutely loved it, it's got a wonderful feel good theme to it.

First impression you get from this film is a good one! You start by hearing a wonderful prelude musical score by the veteren composer Danny Elfman. As always Elfman didn't let us down at any point in this movie, and all credits go to a wonderful music score!

Acting is superb, Robbin Williams grabs an Oscar for his great performance, and Matt Damon acted wonderfully too.

Scripting is done absolutely wonderfully, and much praise goes to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for writing it.

Matt Damon plays the mathmatical genious Will Hunting, who has had a troubled youth. But when a maths Professor, realises the talents of the youth, he sets forth to turn those talents to the good of society.

Certainly a Shaka Movies recommend!

Enjoy the Movie!

Movie Rating: 9.5/10

What have other reviewers said?

it manages to caress the heart and provide fodder for the brain with equal ease and grace

Should have got best picture

This, after all, is a film worthy of its praises.

Rec

One of the scariest films you will ever see.

Directed by Jaume Baleguero and Paco Plaza, this is sheer classic horror.

As is quite typical with Baleguero's films, we have a beautiful girl as our main character, and we are led to feel some kind of bonding with her... Then the horrors begin.

If you don't get scared by the usual horror films, I'm challenging you to watch this... it will scare you. Guarenteed.

Excellent chills, alongside a fairly good storyline.

Out now on DVD in the UK!

What have other reviewers said?

I was thrilled watching "Rec"

scariest film ever

A work of genius in a genre which lacks it.

Actor of the year: John Hurt

I name John Hurt actor of the year for 3 exceptional performances this year.

Professor Seldom in The Oxford Murders

John Hurt plays an Oxford mastermind who helps his young student unravel a mysterious muder case. Brilliant acting, and a brilliant film, well worth the watch if you can get hold of the DVD.

Professor Oxley in Indiana Jones 4

Hurt plays a mad-man, you could almost believe Hurt was mad himself, certainly look this film up, your missing something if you don't.

Professor Broom in Hellboy 2

Hurt again comes back to play the beloved role of the professor in charge of the BPRD. This time he narrates his own story. Exceptional!

Now that I notice it, his characters have all been professors!

My top 10 acting talents

This is not a list of my favorite actors, nor is it a list of the best actors, but it's a list of actors that have the most talents, though talent is not all that makes a great actor, Johnny Depp has talent, but he's also kool, which makes a wonderful actor... some of the talents listed below do not have that special popularity, but yet show great talents in acting.

1. Anthony Hopkins
Hopkins has brought us some wonderful characters, the greatest of them being Dr Hannible Lecter, and a very talent provoking role in BBC's War and Peace along with many other great roles.

2. Ivana Baquero
An outstanding performance as the young Ofelia in Pan's Labyrinth brought fame to this young Spanish girl, she did really well in Pan's Labyrinth, and has shown talent in her earlier: The Christmas Tale.

3. Heath Ledger
Ledger's recent role as The Joker in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" brought great acclaim to him, and will stand out as one of the greatest villain roles for a long time to come: Excellent!

4. Hellena Bonham Carter
Bonham Carter has been in a number of classic movie roles and has shown her talents alongside the likes of Hopkins and Emma Thompson, her recnet role as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd was unbeatable, and she deserves acclaim for that.

5. Johnny Depp
Depp is a wonderful all-round actor and deserves his celebrity status. A large array of wonderful roles such as Edward Scissorhands and Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp remains one of the best actors of all time!

6. Christopher Lee
We all know that Christopher Lee is the scariest actor, and we like him for his roles as Saruman and as Count Douku

7. Ian Mckellen
Sir Ian McKellen is a real vetran in acting, excellent roles as Gandalf and Magneto in X-Men

8. Adrien Brody
Acted wonderfully in the Pianist and will ever be remembered for that role, excellent also in King Kong.

9. Charlie Chaplin
A very old actor but I thought right to mention him here as his choreographical movements have stunned people for almost a century, extremely funny in The Great Dictator

10. Emma Thompson
Another classic Brittish actress, done some marvelous roles.

X-Files: I Want to Believe

I really didn't think too much to this movie.... it had one or two cool ideas... but the rest seemed a bit slow and iritating, no cool action... perhaps that's just me?

I never watched any of the television series or the previous film, but this film wors as a standalone, though I think maybe a little more info on the characters may have been an advantage... I enjoyed parts of the film anyway, but can't compare to the previous as I've never seen it.

If you have seen this film, I'd love to hear your views!

Movie rating: 6.75/10

The Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

I never saw the first Mummy... but you really don't need to, Mummy 3 can act as a great stand-alone movie, you don't need to watch any previous movies and you don't need to watch any more to come to enjoy this movie.

Following in Hellboy 2's footsteps, to create a beutiful movie, this certainly makes a good try, perhaps not quite as spectacular as Hellboy 2, but still a cut above the rest...

Doesn't have a perfect story line, and doesn't delve into your emotions so much... but it doesn't particularly need that... Each film has it's specific qualities... with this film, just sit back and enjoy the ride... you'll really enjoy this... action packed and exciting!

For all you Mummy fans, I'm sure if you liked the second film, you will certainly love this one too, it is not a disgrace to the series!

Starring 2 great actors: Brendan Fraser and Jet Li, and with Rob Cohen at the helm, I'm sure you will have been expecting something good from this film... I'm sure you'll love it! I must say that I do miss Rachel Weisz as the heroine... not sure that the new girl quite reaches her standards...

Not quite as good as Indiana, but a nice alternative!

Movie rating: 8.75/10

Johnny Depp as Mad Hatter?

Alright, a few days a go we heard that Johnny Depp has been rumoured to play the Riddler in the next Batman film... But the amount of rumours that this guy gets is unbelievable...

But now I've got one just a bit more believable: Johnny Depp rumoured to play The Mad Hatter, in Tim Burton's new live action version of Alice in Wonderland, this I think is far more reasonable, as Johnny Depp has often worked with Tim Burton... but as I said before.... Depp gets far too many rumours!

I noticed that Alice has been cast now! And also they've sent me an email to tell me that they are now accepting applications for the minor roles... sounds like a nice start to an acting carreer! Obviously you will have to be able to do a convincing Brittish accent if you want a role in this film!

read more about it here

Coming soon Mummy 3 review!

Halo: Fall of Reach

So a while back Del Toro and Peter Jackson were in talks to create a movie based on the Halo video games... that didn't happen.

But Stuart Beattie has decided that it's a good idea for a movie, and has written a spec script hoping to get it properly adopted!

read on here

What do you think? Is Halo a good idea for a movie?

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

HELLBOY 2

I went to see Hellboy 2 last night, I left the cinema feeling as happy as anyone ever could be! I have been waiting all year for this film to come out, and it certainly didn't disappoint me!

We start the story with all our favorite characters from the first film... and lot's of great new characters! If you like characters, you won't be disappointed by Hellboy 2.

The story takes-off with a beautiful narration by John Hurt which truly sets the tone for the whole film.

The films sets out with a great start! wonderful fights and beautiful choreography, which will bring a sense of excitement over you, then there will be a turning point, where Del Toro will play on all your senses at once... then the story really starts!

Beautiful paintings of Love, Betrayal, and Hard Choices along with Sacrifice, as only Del Toro Knows how to do.

I can hardly do justice in reviewing this film, but I shall endeavor to bring parts out in future reviews.

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro. Starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt, Selma Blair, and Jeffrey Tambor.

There are some really funny bits, great expletives in Hellboy's own fashion, but yet we come to that great part where one has to make a choice between love or loyalty!

Wonderful score by Danny Elfman, some really funny songs too!

A worthy sequel to the first Hellboy!

For those of you not at all interested in the first film: this one takes on a totally different look on Hellboy and can work as a stand-alone film... that means you don't have to have watched the fist film to love the second!

Well that's enough for one review, but look out for more upcoming Hellboy reviews!

Movie Rating: 10/10

Hellboy

OK, tonight I go see Hellboy 2. So to get ready for it I watched the original Hellboy for about the 4th time... (It does deserve that many viewings)

I understand it didn't go down too well with the average cinema-goer, but they were all expecting for the usual Hollywood movie, with very little imagination. Take Hellboy for what it really is and you will learn to absolutely love this film!

Hellboy is a Cult Classic, and certainly does deserve the title "classic".

For you people that have already seen hellboy and don't like it, I will be writing a spoiler review in the coming days which will help you to better understand the values of Hellboy.

I will not accept negative comments until you have read this upcoming review!

Hellboy is a demon from the blackest darkness of ~Hell... but he wants to fit in and help humanity... join him as he facest the darkest of foes... wonderful fight scenes, and the emotional touch!

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro. Starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt, Selma Blair, and Jeffrey Tambor.

Movie Rating: 10/10


coming soon: Hellboy 2

The Shawshank Redemption

I need not write too much about this film, as any sane person will have watched it, but I am not a sane person, and have only recently watched it.... I AM GLAD I DID!

Before watching this film I was thinking "what can they possibly do that will make an interesting story in a prison camp?" I coudn't come up with any ideas, so I had little hopes for this being a good film.... BUT I was pleasantly suprised!

The Film had a great sense of emotion and you could really bond with the characters. And the ending.... GREAT.

This film will not let you down! If you haven't already seen it, Now is the time!

parental guidance?

Movie Rating: 9.5/10

Eastern Promises

I was recenly lent this film, courtesy of a friend, and watched it last night!

Eastern Promises stars Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) alongside Naomi Watts, that's a nice cast to start off with, isn't it?

A typical style BBC movie: superb story... and story telling that's not perfect but gets the job done!

Naimi Watts plays a midwife, who encounters a strange birth, which immediately thrusts her into the center of a major scandel!

Overall a very good single-time watch!

Parental guidance?

Movie Rating: 8.75/10