Film Review Roundup 13th April 2013

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS

One for the Sci-Fi fans that is a prelude to the fleet of futuristic films landing soon, a kid's film that even the kids don't like and a real life gripping Norwegian adventure.  

(My movie Pick of the week)

Oblivion ★★★^½

Opens in Australia: 11th April 2013

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

All the trailers for Oblivion appear to give away the plot and that was annoying me in the lead up to this film.  Turns out, they weren't giving much away at all.  It goes in quite a different direction.  The film feels patched together from other films, like 2001 Space Odyssey, Aeon Flux, Moon, the original Planet of the Apes. There’s even a bit of Mad Max in there.  However, if you haven’t been sitting in a darkened cinema regularly like I have since I was six, you probably won’t notice. It’s big and ambitious but suffers from a very slow middle act.  But as I ponder it even now writing this, I’m sure sci-fi fans will enjoy.  The world building is quite stunning. There is a lot to like amidst a couple of gaping plot-holes and the strange pacing.  

And can everybody please stop telling me how much they hate Tom Cruise when I’m seeing one of his films.  I actually like most of the films he’s in.  You can’t judge a film by the actor I say.

STUDIO BLURB

Tom Cruise stars in Oblivion, an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the visionary director of TRON: Legacy and producers of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man's confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind. 2077: Jack Harper (Cruise) serves as a security repairmen stationed on an evacuated Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying alien threat who still scavenges what's left of our planet, Jack's mission is almost complete. In a matter of two weeks, he will join the remaining survivors on a lunar colony far from the war-torn world he has long called home. Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, Jack's soaring existence is brought crashing down after he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Drawn to Jack through a connection that transcends logic, her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he thought he knew. With a reality that is shattered as he discovers shocking truths that connect him to Earth of the past, Jack will be pushed to a heroism he didn't know he contained within. The fate of humanity now rests solely in the hands of a man who believed our world was soon to be lost forever. (c)Universal 

Adventures in Zambezia ★★

Opens in Australia: 11^th April 2013
Other Countries: Release Information   

OUR THOUGHTS

          I am going to let one of my Kidz Review Krew, Bri, review this one.  I agree with her wholeheartedly.  Go see ‘The Croods’ instead. That one is worthy of your $$$.  This one is no adventure.  Over to you Bri

Why I didn’t like ADVENTURES IN ZAMBEZIA by Bri (Aged 10)

I didn’t like ‘Adventures in Zambezia’ because the animation was very poor compared to other movies I’ve seen and it wasn’t based on a very good story. I think that the start of the story was very boring and I almost wanted to leave but then it got a little bit better near the end of the film.  But it still wasn’t good. The ending was better but it wasn’t what I was expecting. I also think that Triggerfish (the production company) maybe could do better with the story and animation because that’s what made it such a poor film.

STUDIO BLURB

Set in a bustling bird city on the edge of the majestic Victoria Falls, Zambezia (or Adventures in Zambezia) is the story of Kai - a naïve, but high-spirited young falcon who travels to the bird city of Zambezia where he discovers the truth about his origins and, in defending the city, learns how to be part of a community. Official Site.

Kon Tiki ★★★^½

Opens in Australia: 11^th April 2013
Other Countries: Release Information   
In Perth, Australia: See at Luna Cinemas

OUR THOUGHTS

Nominated for best Foreign Language Film for the 2012 Academy Awards, it’s a cross between INDIANA JONES and LIFE OF PI and any other against-all-odds films.  My twelve-year-old son and I found it entertaining but the husband was ho-hum on it.  There’s spectacular cinematography and a few really gripping scenes.  The Norwegian lead Pål Sverre Hagen (seriously how do you pronounce that?) gives a wonderful performance. An incredible true story brought to the screen with great style.  You will enjoy for sure.  All you folks who don’t like reading sub-titles, there is a fair bit of English in this.  Trust me you really get used to them and you’ll miss out on some gems if you say ‘No’ to foreign language.

STUDIO BLURB

Max Manus co-directors Espen Sanberg and Joachim Rønning reteam for this sweeping adventure detailing Thor Heyerdahl's daring attempt to prove that early settlers from South America once populated Polynesia by sailing across the Pacific on a simple balsa wood raft. Rejected by every publisher he approaches to print his unusual thesis, Heyerdahl (Pål Sverre Hagen) eventually decides that the only way to prove it is to make the journey himself as the entire world watches. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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