Fiery Lunacy

Every once in a while a movie comes along and makes you scratch your head speechless. Despite Nicholas Cage’s amusing portrayal of Marvel’s cursed fiery-haired anti-hero, the first Ghost Rider movie didn’t exactly receive rave reviews. So when news of a sequel surfaced, people started exclaiming “why?” but you also start wondering if second time’s the charm, or would it annihilate the movie franchise beyond rescue.

The story of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance has our hero Johnny Blaze (Nicholas Cage hiding out in a remote part of Eastern Europe until out of the blue, a secret sect of the church wants him to protect a young boy from the Devil (Ciarán Hinds) – of course with the help of the ‘Rider’. What’s in it for him is that he may finally rid of his curse forever and need not become an unholy chain-wielding motorcyclist any longer.

The mundane plot is jam-packed with clichés and the effects were mostly hit or miss. However, Cage’s insane (literally) portrayal of the new, darker Rider is worth mention and is often the most entertaining part of the movie. Idris Elba also did a nice job as Moreau, a drunken French priest (don’t ask).

 

There is still humor scattered around and also a creepy villain in Blackout (Johnny Whitworth). A few notable over-the-top action sequences brings the excitement up a little (anything the rider rides bursts to flames!), although you may give the 3D-version a miss, as it was barely anything worth mentioning.

The movie isn’t bad; it’s just that with such a talented team behind the film, it could have been much more. Ghost Rider’s still ‘hell’-uva cool, but seeing him reduced to a babysitter job was simply depressing.

3 out of 5 Stars

Tale as Old as Time

Despite being as old as time, some tales are simply timeless. Often regarded as one of Disney's finest, it's no wonder they picked Beauty and the Beast for a 3D re-release.



Watching this classic again brings back fond memories, and also reminded of how much I have forgotten. The story of a mighty beast who seeks true love in order to break the curse set upon him stays true to the original, but seeing it in HD-like digital clarity was truly refreshing.



The three-dimensional conversion worked rather well, and it's true what they say about 3D letting you notice things in the background, resulting in a rather unique experience. Some scenes might look slightly awkward due to the nature of hand-drawn animation, but perhaps I'm just nitpicking.




The money shot of course was as always, the ballroom scene.



Being a CGI set, it was the scene that lent itself best to 3D and  it was truly a sight to behold. With Disney's staple of memorable songs and excellent storytelling, Beauty and the Beast is just as enjoyable as it was the day it hit theaters.



For many, this will be a chance to relive old memories and to the rest, a chance to catch a classic back on the big screen. Be sure to enter the hall early, as there is a neat little surprise before the movie starts.

5 out of 5 Stars

The Saga Returns... in 3D!

It’s time to re-visit a tale set long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away; only this time we get to experience it in the third dimension.



The story’s the same as before – taking place decades before the original trilogy, we are introduced to Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), young Jedi-to-be who will eventually grow up to become the deadliest Sith lord in the galaxy – Darth Vader. The visual effects (when it works) lent themselves rather well to a film that was never meant to be in Digital-3D.




While you’d be hard-pressed to spot the difference in certain areas, the selling point would undeniably be the pod-racing scene.



Fans would be pleased to know that George Lucas has decided to use an enhanced extended version, which in addition to the adrenalin-pumping speed and sound, features stuff like extra debris flying into the camera.



Lucas has exercised certain restraint in converting The Phantom Menace into 3D, resulting in an experience that is rather organic and unobtrusive, rather than ‘in-your-face’. Starships were especially effective and so were lightsaber duels and landscape like the Gungan underwater city.





I believe this would work better in future sequels, especially Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. For those new to the saga, what better way to dive into the rich world of Star Wars than on the big screen?



It was also fun seeing familiar faces like Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Keira Kinghtley and Natalie Portman twelve years younger.



And to fans, trust me you don’t want to miss Darth Maul wielding his wicked double-bladed lightsaber in magnificent 3D!



4 Stars