Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Actor Scores

Robert Downey Jr. 61/100

Jude Law 61/100

Noomi Rapace 75/100

Jared Harris 56/100

Rachel McAdams 62/100

Stephen Fry 45/100

Kelly Reilly 70/100

See the review below

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (12A)

The rebranding of the famous detective sees its second outing in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows with, the now increasing popular, Robert Downey Jr. (Ironman) playing the lead and ever present Jude Law as Watson. Both abound with charisma as we are taken on a globetrotting duel against the remodelled Professor Moriarty played by the miss cast Jared Harris, who seems more cobbler than academic, rough than expectantly sophisticated. The story is held up by the mysterious gypsy Madam Simza Heron, acted by the subtly powerful Noomi Rapace (Girl with a Dragon Tattoo), who introduces some relieving unpredictability to a round of samey action sequences, which have been replicated from the first film.

The director, Guy Ritchie, is a surprising choice for the film and spells out the direction this franchise is careering in. Action is top of the bill suffused with the token mathematical slow motion and lack of plot. As the film progresses we are treated to a more and more ridiculous Sherlock Holmes and belligerent Watson. At one point Holmes pushes Watson’s wife out of a moving train into a river tens of metres below who is then rescued by the poorly envisioned Mycroft Holmes, played by a disappointingly bumbling Stephen Fry. There is very little of reality here which is what made Holmes such a master in the original story; a detective who controlled and saw through reality to understand the secrets of the criminal mind. Instead we are taken on a cheap ride and the film ends up being a mere parody of something great.

62/100

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (12A)

When the Mission Impossible Team is implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, Ethan Hunt, and the return of Tom Cruise to the role, goes deeper undercover with his team to prevent an all out nuclear war. It is a surprise to see the happily married agent, after the third Mission Impossible film ended in apparent bliss, and it soon becomes obvious that something dramatic has happened to drag him back as the super efficient employee of the month.  This storyline runs through the film and adds some depth behind the dynamic action. With the aid of IT wizard and now field agent Benji Dunn, played by geeky Simon Pegg (Shawn of the Dead) and vengeful Jane Carter, aptly crafted by a beautiful Paula Patton (Deja Vu), Cruise strives to save the world.The Mission Impossible franchise is all about futuristic equipment and bewildering assignments and this fourth installment does not fail to deliver.  The human body is flipped and thrown in all manner of ways, and at one point Cruise swings himself around the tallest building in the world by a cord and slams in through an open window.  The action is clinical and entertaining, edged with humour and the reason why the film is at times breath taking. Michael Nyqvist, now riding high after his role in the original Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, plays the Nuclear Purist who believes that blowing up the world will bring a new peaceful dawn, a dubious motivation if there ever was one, although being a villain doesn't necessarily guarantee sensible life pursuits. But this is a role far from the measured Magazine Editor that has made him famous and he struggles to deliver.  This does not detract too much though from a very entertaining episode of MI action.

80/100

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) Actor Scores

Daniel Craig 70/100

Rooney Mara 89/100

Christopher Plummer 74/100

Stellan Skarsgård 45/100

Joely Richardson 65/100

(See Review Below)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) (18)

Uncompromising and brutally frank this remake of the much acclaimed Swedish original throws the viewer into the cold wastes of Northern Europe where two characters from very different backgrounds, each caught up in an out of control storyline, unexpectedly come together to solve the mystery of a missing girl. The female lead, Lisbeth Salander is played by Rooney Mara, her performance powerful and grim, loaded with the baggage of a damaged childhood. She helps out Daniel Craig, a magazine editor called Mikael Blomkvist, who has been enlisted as the investigator during an enforced sabbatical. The film is about these two entrenched central characters and their suffering and only the notable stalwart presence of Christopher Plummer and the emotional Joely Richardson, adds much to the mix. The film therefore hinges on Mara and Craig and both achieve a dispassionately savage approach to the problems they face that keeps the viewer following in their wake. But much of what we see here is the same as the original, the Director David Fincher (Se7en, Alien 3) adding little originality, just not as good and even the shocking violence fails to shock as much as the parent film does. In many ways this 2011 remake of the 2009 film has not had enough time to breathe, the original actors Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist still iconically linked to the roles. Rapace is also fast becoming a super star with her role in the new aliens film Prometheus much banded and secured no doubt after her success in the original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It is plain though that this film is gripping and a frank engagement with a hard tortured reality, a worthy watch. No doubt Rooney Mara will also soon benefit from taking on such a demanding role. 

78/100

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The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (PG)

Steven Spielberg, arguably the biggest name in cinema, has apparently wanted to make this film for a long time and it isn’t wrong to expect a gallivanting master piece. Visually The Adventures of Tintin draws you in immediately and the Computer Generated Graphics are amazing to behold. The slick animation moves you from one set piece to the next as the famous young journalist voiced by the competent Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) tries to wrestle free the villain’s pursuit, voiced by Daniel Craig. The James Bond star plays Red Rackham but falls flat as his normal moody self, when some evil flourish could enhance the amazing graphics. Andy Serkis, brilliantly playing Captain Haddock, rolls drunk in the story and Tintin, along with his incredibly talented dog Snowy endeavour to solve the mystery of the sunken Ship, the Unicorn, and its enormous treasure.  At times the action has a continuous momentum and almost becomes overwhelming, but the story and characters are loyal to the original creation and the atmosphere is punctuated by cleverly placed humour and smartly dealt statements of hope. It is a boy’s story, there are no female characters, and there are planes, trains and cars, explosions, birds of prey and guns. It is a highly entertaining international adventure including quiff.

80/100

Hugo (PG)

When the Director Martin Scorsese announces a film there are great expectations and Hugo is no exception especially when it’s a family tale with a huge budget. The stunning sets greet us and we meet Hugo, played by the convincing Asa Butterfield, in the first scene of the film as he navigates the walls of the station, this being his home and where he winds the clocks. A past film master, George Melies, played by the eminent Ben Kingsley, who is dejected and now owns the toy shop soon runs into Hugo and we are led through a story of historical tragedy, post war Paris and the origins of film. Sacha Baron Cohen appears as the strange station bobby and the hunter of homeless children, a potential threat for the orphaned Hugo and the adopted Isabelle, Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass) acts as Hugo’s companion on his voyage of discovery. But the pace stutters as Scorsese attempts to weave into the plot the history of film rather than focusing on developing the characters. There are too many silences and moments of grief, too many questioning looks and the doors remain closed on what is a magical world. Hugo has all the ingredients you could want in a memorable family film and at times is exhilarating and mysterious, but disappointingly the picture that it draws is incomplete.

71/100

Choosing a Family Film for the Weekend

There has been a flurry of much anticipated Family Film DVD releases recently. Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo and Shrek’s friend Puss in Boots have all come to your local Blockbusters or are available to stream. All three are packed full of adventure but which one too chose for Sunday afternoon viewing? Although Shrek’s appeal is universal this companion film, with Puss in Boots going up against Humpty Dumpty, is perhaps aimed at the younger family viewing with children under ten. Whereas Hugo, telling the story of the young clock winder, weaves the history of film into the plot and needs more patience. Tintin ticks both age group boxes.

If you prefer a swashbuckling adventure Puss in Boots provides and then throws in bits of fairy tales on top, never intending on telling the original story. Antonio Banderas as Puss and Slama Hayek as Soft Paw are both excellent. International exploits, set in a world of astounding computer graphics, brings a loyal adaption of Tintin alive and we are thrown from one continent to another while pitched against the evil Red Rakum played by a stern Daniel Craig. Andy Serkis is brilliant as the often drunk Captain Haddock. In Hugo we are taken around a magic mechanical world that delves into the tragic past of the lead, played by the starlet Asa Butterfield, and through misfortune discover a wonderful secret past, ideal if you like mystery.

If you’re inclined towards Puss in Boots because of its Shrek roots then you’ll be disappointed, because it does not come up to the green ogre’s standards and if you opt for Hugo then expect a to be confronted with some grim story lines. But Tintin shows the master at work, Spielberg revealing in his ability to take you on one big frolic, the adventure of a life time. Yet arguably it’s more for boys as there is little feminine influence in the film and no female characters.

Puss in Boots deals with fairytales and feline capers, Hugo is about cogs, loss and rediscovery, Tintin presents a quest made up of puzzles and fun characters. All three are visually amazing and story rich.