Jedd builds the movies: LEGO creations

Before I became interested in action figures, my "toy passion" so to speak was for LEGO. I've been collecting and building LEGO sets since I was nine, and the main themes that interested and still interest me are Star Wars, Batman and Indiana Jones. However, the state of the Batman and Indy licenses looks a little uncertain at this point, and the Star Wars LEGO license expires by the end of this year. (EDIT: It got renewed after all, and the Batman line was revived in the shape of the Super Heroes theme)

The beauty of LEGO is that it's designed to be modified, to be changed around. I'm usually not content leaving my sets built according to the instructions, and often modify them and build my own creations (known to the LEGO customs community as MOCs) out of spare parts.

I think it's a big pity that LEGO looks like it's selling out now - boxes are far larger than the unbuilt sets contained within, and some of their newer licenses are very hit-and-miss: I suspect the LEGO company is still recovering from the losses incurred with their unpopular Prince of Persia movie LEGO sets. As my Dad says, the spirit of LEGO shouldn't be this commercial. It's about making things from components, creating something from a pile of "nothing". "Scratch-built" means that the MOCs are created from spare parts, not from an official set.

Wampa Cave from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Built from scratch.

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader's lightsaber duel, also from Empire Strikes Back. Built from scratch.

Ewok Ambush. Many of the custom creations I build aren't direct representations of actual scenes or vehicles in the movies. Scratch Built.

Attack on Snowspeeder Bay. Snowspeeder modified from official LEGO set, maintenance bay scratch-built.

Naboo garden battle. Scratch-built but includes components from official sets. This is the one I'm the proudest of, actually.

Venice Catacombs diorama from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Scratch-built

 

Indiana Jones ravine swing. Scratch-built

 

the Batpod from The Dark Knight. Scratch-built

The Tumbler Batmobile from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Scratch-built

Thanks for looking, and you can hop on over to my Brickshelf gallery for more, including several other Batman creations not directly inspired from the film versions. Jedd's Brickshelf gallery
New folders may take some time to become "public", ie approved by the Brickshelf staff.

Batman on Screen: Musings 2

On something of a Batman high after reading the exciting news of the confirmed villains for "The Dark Knight Rises". Here are more thoughts on Batman's on-screen portrayals.

Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn in "Harlequinade"

 While I enjoyed the animated series adaptations to varying degrees, I won't go so far as to say that they were better than all the films-The Dark Knight still takes that number one spot for me. However, I thought Batman: The Animated Series was groundbreaking. You could so easily forget that you were watching a cartoon, it was wonderful. Despite keeping to the limits of Saturday morning animation, it was still brutal in parts. I loved the surrealism of "Perchance to Dream" and "Over the Edge", the latter showing Batgirl's death before the first commercials go on. The characterisation was profound and the voice acting just spectacular. Kevin Conroy totally puts Christian Bale's insipid growling to shame, and Mark Hamill is the best the Joker has sounded. He practically perfected the menacing laugh, and not once did it sound silly. There's also another big reason why the Batman universe is forever indebted to Batman TAS: Harley Quinn. The idea that the Joker's fawning gun moll was actually his psychiatrist mentally manipulated into a dependent and abusive relationship is pure genius. I also like how she and Poison Ivy team up, Harley a foil to Ivy's perpetual seriousness. Plus, the lesbian undertones are very sexy.

Bruce Wayne and Diana of Themyscira

I loved Batman's portrayal in the Justice League animated TV series. I think he served the purpose Batman was always supposed to serve in the Justice League, the dark loner who is still an invaluable member. The dynamics between the famously anti-social Batman and the other League members were very well portrayed, particularly between him and Superman. I also liked that there was a palpable romantic connection between Wonder Woman and Batman. He could be the warrior knight to her princess, and perhaps he showed her the place men occupy in the world.

Batman and Superman animated series crossover episode

Batman has served as a stoic foil to Superman ever since the two teamed up, and I especially liked Jeph Loeb's treatment of this in the Hush storyline. However, something like that would've been difficult to translate onto film. A three-part crossover between the Batman and Superman animated series and among my favourite episodes is the "Batman/Superman story" aka "World's Finest", a marvellous tale in which the Joker gets his hands on a dragon carved entirely out of Kryptonite and tries to sell his Kryptonian-killing services to Lex Luthor, while Bruce Wayne travels to Gotham to embark on a partnership between Lexcorp and Wayne Industries to develop space exploration robotics, which Lex of course uses for weapons. One can actually watch it on YouTube in separate parts.

Speaking of YouTube, there is also a fair amount of very good Batman fanfilms out there on YouTube, which shows that even with no budget dedication and sheer fanboyness can produce some awesome results. My favourites are linked below:

Batman: Dead End fanfilm

Batman: Dead End Definitely one of the best-produced fanfilms around, Batman dukes it out with Predators and Aliens. Nice!

World's Finest Done by the same production team as Batman Dead End headed by Sandy Corolla, the plot of this fan trailer pretty much mirrors that of various Batman/Superman stories but is very well acted and filmed.

Grayson I'd suffer hell if I didn't mention this groundbreaking fan film. It looks like a vanity project, but one can see all the work (and money) put into this fan trailer for a film where Dick Grayson avenges the death for Batman, returning to his Robin persona.

And lastly, Batman Legends Poorer production quality than the previous films, but very good characterization of a myriad of villains, plus one of the few fanfilms out there to show the Bat family in action together. 

Batman/Superman: Public Enemies

The new Warner Premiere "DC Universe" animated films are very interesting territory, and so far a good deal of them have been good, if not downright brilliant. Some of the team from the DC Animated Universe have returned, and the studio has been turning out a steady stream of one-two animated films a year. Most of these movies have a different art style from that of the DCAU, and some boast interesting celebrity voice casts: take a gander at Keri Russell as Wonder Woman, Victor Garber as Sinestro and Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing.
 

Batman: Under the Red Hood

Joker and Robin in Batman: Under the Red Hood

Batman and the Red Hood

That last one is in Batman: Under The Red Hood, which was released in 2010 and is actually my favourite Batman film of all time. In terms of tone, it is dark and mature, harking back to Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. It has a strong comic-book style look and benefits from gorgeous, gorgeous animation. The movie is an adaptation of the "Under the Hood" story arc in the Batman comics, that introduced a mysterious villain calling himsef the "Red Hood", and with a disturbing knowledge of Batman and the man behind the mask. Under the Hood basically has everything going for it, from a smartly streamlined adaptational narrative, brilliant voice-acting to its gutsy, adult take on the Batman universe. The film also takes full advantage of the medium, and a good deal of the spectacular action sequences would have been all but impossible in a live-action film. The opening scene is of the Joker beating the second Robin, Jason Todd, to death. And it gets grimmer from there - however the film is always absorbing, immensely watchable and actually good fun as well. What it has that The Dark Knight lacked is a comic book aesthetic. It accepts that the story takes place in a heightened realm, and plays with that - something The Dark Knight didn't do, taking a much more grounded and realistic route with the mythos. 

Christian Bale and Morgan Freeman, Batman Begins

For the record, I think Christian Bale was brilliant. George Clooney knew it was a joke, so I'll forgive him slightly there. Sure, the lung cancer thing didn't go on too well, but Bale invested so much emotional energy into the role and took it very seriously. Most actors can only pull off either Batman (Michael Keaton) or Bruce Wayne (Val Kilmer). Christian Bale does both beautifully. He's also an impressive fighter and did some stunts and most of the martial arts work himself.

Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face

Personally, I don't quite like the Penguin as a villain enough. In the Nolan films, the villains have been spectacular and not entirely plausible but very, very grounded in reality. Oswald Cobblepot liking birds is perhaps not significant enough a quirk to justifiy him being in a Nolan Batman film. I do wish Harvey Dent was kept alive, before I saw the film I was under the impression that Two-Face would undoubtedly be the villain of a third film.

On a separate note, my best friend lent me the comic book adaptation of Batman (1989) by Dennis O'Neil and with art by Jerry Ordway and colours by Steve Oliff. It's the best comic book adaptation of a film I have read bar none. The art is amazing and the story is actually a teensy bit better than the film itself, with some very dramatic and well-drawn panels. Of course, by now this volume is very rare but it is worth searching for. Ordway also pulls off the likenesses of Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger incredibly well.

I didn't enjoy the film itself that much (mostly because the Joker killed Batman's parents, Alfred let Vicki Vale into the Batcave and Batman goes around happily killing people) but I did enjoy the comic adaptation. I have mentioned my love-hate affair with the Burton movies in part 1.

I think Christian Bale is doing most solid work and I'm very content for him to stay in Batman's cape and cowl. However, I have contemplated Keanu Reeves as Batman, and a local movie magazine did choose him when the writing staff tried to cast Justice League. Speaking of which, Armie Hammer, who has now fame as the twins in The Social Network, was been cast as Batman in the stuck-in-development-hell Justice League live-action movie which has now been cancelled.

The heroes (and anti-heroes plus one villain) of Batman: Hush

Batman: The Long Halloween

With regards to straight adaptations of existing comic book story arcs, I would stay as far away from filming an adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns as possible. To be completely honest, I am nowhere near a fan of most of Frank Miller's work. A grumpy retired Batman pummelling mutant rebels with a female, redheaded bespectacled Robin by his side would sound very far out to the average popcorn-munching audience, who make up the target audience as much or perhaps even more than your average fanboy. I don't think it's wise to adapt graphic novels wholesale, just take the choice parts as inspiration (which was exactly what Batman Begins and The Dark Knight did with great success). Graphic novels tend to carry a lot of baggage story-wise, which requires some background knowledge to get into. Also, being such a rich medium, things getting lost in translation are inevitable. However, my choice for big-screen treatment would be The Long Halloween and Hush, two sweeping, dramatic and exciting story arcs. Still, practicality and marketability rule out both, which consist of "everyone and their mother"-type kitchen sinks of lots and lots of characters.

Official Batman Casting News!

The word is out, and straight from the horse's mouth, confirming the two major villains who will appear in The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan's hotly anticipated sequel to The Dark Knight. A happy coincidence, considering I was just writing up my thoughts on the Batman movies thus far.

Official Press Statement:

"Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Christopher Nolan stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.”

In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.” Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven. “The Dark Knight Rises” is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company."

Wow, I was completely not expecting that at all. I really have wanted to see how Chris Nolan would interpret Bane, and I'm glad that we're getting a Catwoman - it isn't really Batman unless his relationship with Catwoman is explored. Tom Hardy is a good actor, but I've always thought of Bane as Hispanic, and I'm not so sure how they are going to achieved the "pumped-full-of-steroids" look for Bane - a CGI effect ala the Incredible Hulk is probably how they'll go, if not Hardy will be a more realistically-proportioned Bane.

Tom Hardy is...

...Bane

Anne Hathaway certainly isn't the name that immediately comes to mind when someone says "Catwoman"  - I've always been rooting for Stana Katic, Moon Bloodgood, Rhona Mitra - maybe even Marion Cotillard, after her performance in Inception as Mal. Hathaway really looks a good deal too sweet to play the dangerously seductive femme fatale, but she's proven she has a much wider range beyond a modern-day Disney princess.

Anne Hathaway is...

...Catwoman

I've gotta say, I'm really excited to see how both characters will look in-costume. The expectations are piling higher than ever now, but I'm confident Chris Nolan will pull through!

I think I speak for many when I say that for all the strengths of the Chris Nolan Batman films, Rachel Dawes was an awful, flat character - especially when there are so many interesting women in the Batman comics to choose from to adapt to the screen. I'm very interested to see how Nolan, the other writers and conceptual artists change the backstory for Selina Kyle. They merged Ra's Al Ghul and Henri Ducard into one composite character, gave the Joker a deliberately ambiguous past, and set up Harvey Dent for his fall to becoming Two-Face - all done very well. Nolan has been able to pretty much walk a delicate balance between adding fresh and original twists to well-known characters, and also pleasing the fanbase. Heath Ledger's Joker is very different from what we have in the comics, and even from earlier portrayals by Ceaser Romero, Jack Nicholson and Mark Hamill. Is it better? Don't know. Did it work in the context of the film universe? Yes, it sure did. So, I'm hoping something like that materialises for Hathaway's Catwoman, and just as much for Hardy's Bane.

It's quite interesting how all the controversy and speculation is mainly tied to Anne Hathaway's casting. Tom Hardy as Bane is actually just as intriguing if not even more so, and it does raise a few more questions than Hathaway as Catwoman. Will they change Bane's backstory from a genius Hispanic young man jailed in a prison island? How will they handle the issue of the "venom", and of Bane's superhuman strength and appearance? Once again, really itching to see concept art and photos of the actors in costume.

Batman On Screen - musings 1

I was going through some of my old posts on a forum, and I started a thread to discuss Batman's appearances on the big and small screen. These were forum posts and some are in response to other posts, which explains their randomness. I've compiled them into somewhat coherent musings on the many movie and TV incarnations of the Dark Knight. Warning: several spoilers follow.

Batman is one of pop culture’s enduring icons. Over seven or so decades, the man with the ears and the cape has been relevant to every generation. I decided it would be interesting to hear discussion about the many iterations of Batman on the small and big screen, from the 40's serials and Adam West in the 60's to Batman: The Animated Series and The Dark Knight. Michael Keaton, Kevin Conroy, Christian Bale, Val Kilmer and even (ugh) George Clooney have inhabited the role of the Caped Crusader. All versions, no matter how cheesy or gaudy, have formed cornerstones of superhero media and popular culture at large.

Tumbler - Christopher Nolan films

The New Batman Adventures/Justice League

Tim Burton films

The Batman cartoon

Personally, I love the Tumbler. It has a functional military design and the concept of a Lamborghini/Hummer is fantastic, exactly what Nolan's Batman would drive. I think that the Batmobile of the Burton films was a little too showy, its turbo engine blazing even at 20 miles an hour. The sleek look was nice, but I would have loved some angular touches. The wings at the back were far too rounded. I do have to say, however, that the Bat-coccoon with the armour plating coming out from nowhere was a stylish if impractical touch. I quite like the Batmobile from the New Batman Adventures and Justice League. The newer Batmobile in The Batman is basically a souped-up, stretched-out Lamborghini with fins, and I love that design. Whenever I see a Lamborghini on the street I just imagine what it'd look like painted matte black and with two fins out the back and then get chills.

Batman Begins

Batman Forever

Batman 1989

As for the appearance of Gotham City, I do have to agree that there is something oddly appealing about Anton Furst’s neo-gothic, New York-on-steroids look. However, this aesthetic was carried too far and marred beyond repair by the Schumacher era's exaggerated spires and oversized statues of naked men. I think The Batman, with its perpetually green or red night sky, perfected the neo-gothic look. I also loved the design of the slums and narrows in Batman Begins. The Gotham of The Dark Knight was possibly a little too clean and bright for me.

Michelle Pfeiffer

Julie Newmar

As for the hottest Catwoman, I think Julie Newmar and Michelle Pfeiffer kinda tie. Michelle Pfeiffer was slinky, sexy and so into character it was spellbinding. Lee Meriwether was no pushover either, but in the Adam West series nobody could beat Julie Newmar at the part. However, I really like Adrienne Barbeau's voice acting as Catwoman in Batman: TAS. She effortlessly dripped sex appeal just using her voice. I believe Gina Gershon, who voiced Catwoman in The Batman, tried to hard to follow in Barbeau's footsteps, but was still a decent version of Catwoman. And no, I'm not going to discuss Halle Berry as "Catwoman" (notice the quotation marks) at all.

Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne and Batman

Honestly, I'm not the biggest fan of the Burton movies. I liked the first one quite a bit and there were many things that they got right, but equally many things that I can't get over. For one, the Joker's death was awfully anti-climatic. The Joker's death in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker was a far better moment and had me on the edge of my seat. By the way, I'd love if this discussion moved towards the animated series and films and away from the Burton era, but that's just me. I also couldn't stand how Vicki Vale was just let into the Batcave. Everyone loves Michael Keaton and I'll give him credit for the performance, but when he was out of the suit I just didn't buy it. Bruce Wayne has never been a skinny nerd or socially-inept geek, always a charming, handsome, debonair playboy, so that's one aspect I didn't like.

Danny DeVito as the Penguin

Batman Returns I thought was far too stylised and was more of a horror film and quite a pointless exercise in Burtonese. The villains, especially the Penguin and Max Shreck, were far too over-the-top and it sounded like the filmmakers were unsure whether to make it cartoonish or dark and gothic. The best thing of the film, however, was certainly Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. I loved the slinky sexiness that dripped even from her words, and the crazy bits like the eyes fluttering and the bird-in-mouth sequence.

The Batcave from Batman Begins

Batman, Robin and Poison Ivy: Batman and Robin

I have a love-hate sorta relationship with the Burton movies. Batman 89 was magnificent and dark, but it was nowhere as epic a treatment as I thought Batman deserved. There were many good moments, but on the whole the story wasn't solid enough for me. Over-the-top is good to an extent, but the design of Gotham and the look of the films slowly but surely degenerated into the garish, neon, naked-statue-filled cityscape of the Schumacher era. I liked how the Nolan films grounded Batman in reality. However, I prefer the look of Batman Begins to that of The Dark Knight, as the Dark Knight was just...Chicago. I enjoyed the griminess of the Docks and Narrows in Begins, and those were actually sets built in a massive soundstage. It was difficult for me not to believe that the Batcave was an actual environment, it was actually a soundstage that was partially flooded, which I found amazing. I like the look of Batman's tech in the Nolan movies as well. Lindy Hemming is a costume design goddess, having worked on James Bond and Tomb Raider. Both Batsuits were fairly realistic yet interesting to look at, and the belt, grappling gun and Batarangs were different, realistic yet stylish.

Stay tuned for Part II!

Fair Game

FAIR GAME

2011

Starring: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn

Directed by: Doug Liman

Doug Liman redeems himself after Jumper, with a film about a very different husband-and-wife team from the titular couple of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Fair depicts the "Plame Affair”, when the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame was leaked by government elements to the press, and her husband former Ambassador Joseph Wilson labelled a fraud for challenging the "facts" as presented by the Bush Administration. The film is based on books that Wilson and Plame had written in the aftermath of the fiasco. 

The film is as much weighty political thriller as it is a biopic. Tension is very effectively generated, and the conversations never become mundane or sedate. The film's greatest strength is its uncompromisingly bleak authenticity, it's willingness to present everyday life at its frightening worst. 

Everyone loves a good underdog story, and Fair Game is centred on the "David" of Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson and the "Goliath" of the Bush administration. I'm sure that the couple were made to unnecessarily endure a good deal of trauma, but sometimes it does get hard to buy the White House as the "big bad wolf", and only as that. However, credit is due for the decision to stay away from engineered melodrama and blatant shows of emotion. When Plame does have a breakdown, it feels real and heartwrenching.

This leads me on to a good part of why the film works as a political thriller with a documentary slant: the performances. Naomi Watts' portrayal of Plame is unflinchingly intense, and without much effort the actress shows Plames' struggles to balance being a wife, mother and CIA operative all at once, with the world bearing down on her for something that was not her fault. Sean Penn, who also starred alongside Watts in "21 Grams" and "The Assassination of Richard Nixon", is excellent as usual. It can be said that Joe Wilson is more "normal" than post Penn characters, but by no means less interesting. 

While Plame and Wilson are the focus of the film, it never feels like they hog the limelight. Liraz Chari portrays Dr Zahraa, used by the CIA to get access to her nuclear physicist brother, with a genuine frailness and justified caution. David Andrews is delectably - but never overtly - slimy as real-life Vice-Presidential advisor Scooter Libby. He is one of those villains you love to hate, and what makes his performance all the more scary is that this guy exists in real life.

Director Liman gets in the thick of it and shoots the dialogue scenes as if they were action sequences, which is a good way to pump up the suspense. It is to his credit that while most of the film consists of people talking, it is always riveting and never boring. After a while, his penchant for handheld closeup shots does border on the excessive, but it's never anything to worry about.

The movie globe-trots a fair bit, opening in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and hopping about Washington D.C., Niger, Egypt and Iraq. The locations are all pictured convincingly and never glamourised or exoticised. They function merely as backdrops for the plot to unfold, and it is rare that such movies don't veer into "scenery porn".  There is a great shot where a US Army helicopter scatters leaflets onto the ground – it’s poignant, effective and almost artistic. 

In the end, the film does make for a good, thought-provoking watch. It is nothing too intellectual and is still good entertainment, and Plame and Wilson should be proud that director Liman, stars Watts and Penn and the others involved in making "Fair Game" have done them much justice. However, it does get bogged down by its fist-shaking anger and political message. 

3.5/5 STARS 

Jedd Jong

OMM Concert Review Published as Letter!

Hey everyone, at this point I'd like to thank you guys for your continued support, especially those who found this blog when looking for something else, but stayed to read on.

The Straits Times Life! has published a letter I sent them - it's basically an abridged version of the review I wrote after attending the OMM movie music concert, and then the editors abridged it a little more, until it was abridged too far.

 

It would be really cool if, one day, something that I wrote appears in the newspapers, and I got paid for it to boot! But for now, I couldn't ask for more. 

Thanks everyone, keep watching movies, and keep humouring the poor sod with no social life! 

Bite-sized reviews

Hey everyone, I'm sure it can get quite annoying to be faced with a great wall of text when reading my reviews. I'll still write reviews of that length, but in the meantime I'll suplement them with these one-paragraph, "bite-sized" reviews. These also demonstrate my extreme leniency: I get a little upset whenever someone says I'm too harsh on a film, because here I giving ever movie 4/5 stars. Here's the first of the series.

LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER

A decent videogame adaptation, this is a pure guilty pleasure and the perfect popcorn movie. Angelina Jolie is great in her career-defining role and fits the role of the adventurous, fearless Croft perfectly. The father-daughter subplot is largely cheesy and forced but sufficiently touching, especially considering Jolie's real-life father Jon Voight played Croft's dad.

3/5 STARS

INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE

A rollicking good adventure, the best of all the Indy films in my opinion. A stirring hunt for the Holy Grail coupled with amusing father-son dynamics, plus a typically fantastic performance from the inimitable Sean Connery. Great action and a lovely period feel, even more so than the first two. There's nothing like a good old-fashioned Nazi-bashing! From the Venice boat chase and the dogfight to the flashback opening and the magical leap of faith, this film is filled with winning moments.

4/5 STARS

RAIN MAN

A touching film that explores the dynamics between two brothers, one an autistic savant. Extraordinary performances from Cruise and Hoffman carry this film, elevating it from sweet little drama to filmmaking achievement. Does a good job of exploring the challenges it takes to be the caretaker to a special needs individual, as well as showcasing the impressive skills of an autistic savant. This film inspired me to write my own original play where I transplanted it to a teenaged context and focused on two sisters - but that's beside the point. What's not is that Rain Man is an excellent film.

4/5 STARS

MR. & MRS. SMITH

This is basically just fun. It's an action-adventure romantic comedy, and how often are those two genres put together in one film? Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's palpable chemistry on and offscreen carries the film as fun action sequences fill out the rest. This movie also contains one of my favourite Hollywood car chase scenes ever! It doesn’t quite matter that it’s reasonably uninspired or thinks it is far cleverer than it actually is – it’s entertaining, and that’s all the movie needs to be.

 3.5/5 STARS

THE INCREDIBLES

Yet another Pixar gem, this animated satire on superhero films is just great family fun. The animation is superb and the story is original (bringing to mind Alan Moore’s graphic novel The Watchmen), it's fun to watch on the whole. The Incredibles also offers up some of the best animated action sequences ever put onscreen and features good voice-acting from Craig T Nelson, Holly Hunter and the inimitable Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone.

4/5 STARS

THE QUEEN

Helen Mirren is at her most dignified best in a stirring biopic that examines the Queen at a human level, during one of the UK's darkest hours in the wake of the death of Princess Diana. This film showed how the Royal Family is like any other family with its dynamics and hardships. The film could have been incredibly dull and taken a documentary-like route, but not once was I bored when I saw this.

4/5 STARS

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

The little movie that could, this is a classic rags to riches tale retold with a modern twist. Owing both to Dickens and Bollywood but creating something entirely original, this is one of the best coming-of-age films I've seen-what better place to come of age than on the mean streets of the slums of India? Great performances, especially Anil Kapoor's villainous and slimy TV show host, Prem Kumar. The "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" angle also holds significance for me as I was on the show as a kid.

4/5 STARS

 Stay tuned for more bite-sized reviews, for when I'm too lazy to write up a full one!