FILM REVIEW: X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

Time travel can be awesome. Marty McFly did it in a frickin’ DeLorien, whilst some drunk American’s did it in a hot tub, of all things. What we have learned from time travel movies is that a) it’s fun, and b) it can get really confusing. Usually, A overcomes B, and as long as we’re having a good time we can overlook a little confusion, mainly because the whole thing is impossible anyway.

“X-Men: days Of Future Past” is inspired by/based on a two part comic story from the Eighties by Chris Claremont (who cameos as a senator here), often seen as one of the finest X-Men stories of all time, proving you don’t need fifty seven issue crossover bobbins with foil covers to get your point across. In the original, there’s a nasty future where mutants have been systematically wiped out by giant robot Sentinels, with the whole mess being traced to a single assassination of a senator in Magneto and his minions. Kitty Pryde (Shadowkat/Sprite/etc) has her mind sent back in time to her younger self so she can thwart Magneto’s plans and save the future. 

The new version is set some years after the events of “X Men: First Class”, with Vietnam a very pertinent part of the background. Xavier has not been at his best since Magneto crippled him, and with most of his students drafted he’s fallen into a bit of a blue funk. Meanwhile, genius and general mutant hater Bolivar Trask is trying to get congress to approve the funding for his mutant hunting Sentinel robots. Even more meanwhile, we see fifty years into the future, where the last few mutants are struggling to stop themselves being obliterated by, you guessed it, mutant hunting Sentinels. Holy time travel plot, Batman! 

The film takes this basic idea from the comics, expands on it, twists it several times and runs with it. Someone has to be sent back to try and change the pivotal point from the past, and only has a limited time to do it, but as to who (although I’m sure you already know) and what it is, I’ll remain spoiler free because I may be a bastard but I’m not a fucking bastard (name the film). 

There has been a few moans that this is a confusing time travel film, but I didn’t feel so, as long as you just go along with the rules as set out by the writers. Because there is no such thing as time travel, everyone has their own rules. What it is, is a strong, character driven film that is not afraid to have way more dialogue then action, although when the action comes it’s beautifully handled and often frenetic. There’s an expanded cast of future X-Men that will delight comic fans, whilst most of the alumni from “X-Men: First Class” are discarded in favour of a small group. Not surprisingly, Hugh Jackman stands out a mile as Wolverine. The performances are boosted by some incredibly good special effects and camerawork, with director Bryan Singer creating a well structured and well shot narrative throughout.

“X-Men: Days Of Future Past” is a definite success. The return to the franchise of Bryan Singer is a blessing, as he handles multiple character drama so well. Unlike the recent Woverine film there is a lot of respect given to the comics it is based on, even if they have been adapted to fit the cinematic universe, and the result is a smart, well made, interesting addition to the franchise. Like “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” it’s essentially a period piece, and whilst I prefer the former this will certainly sit in the upper ecelons of any list detailing the best Superhero films to date. 

Trailer:

 

GODZILLA (2014) Move Review

I remember watching, back in my youth, a cartoon Godzilla series. Amazingly, it had Godzilla on call to a bunch of scientists, and he would rise from the depths at the touch of a button to stomp on bad monsters. It also featured his “cousin”, a mini version called Godzooky, mainly there for comic effect and to be targeted by the bad monsters so Godzilla would have all the more reason to turn them into bad monster paste. At the time, this made perfect sense to me, and I was highly entertained. Believe me when I say that the Godzilla cartoon had a better plot than this horrendous movie.

I don’t generally like to spoiler much, but trust me when I say that there’s so little plot it’s kind of unavoidable, and in any case I won’t spoil anything that will alter your enjoyment of the movie. The whole thing starts off really well, with a neat title sequence and an opening piece set in a Japanese nuclear facility that is genuinely dramatic and moving. After that, though, everything goes shit shaped. Ken Watanabe is Captain Exposition, desperately trying to make us believe the absolutely fuckadoodly plot that makes no sense whatsoever.

Here’s the basics:  Because scientists are, apparently, stooped as cabbage soup, they grow a giant insect thing and are a bit surprised when everything goes tits up. When it goes on a rampage after nuclear stuff to chow down on (which takes it to America, surprise surprise), we learn that these might beasties walked the earth millions of years ago and fed on radioactivity. As the earth’s radioactivity reduced, the went to live deep in the ground/ocean/whogivesafuck to be closer to the radioactive core. When the one they hatch goes mental, Captain Exposition (who has known about Godzilla for years), says that he is the natural predator and as such will come and sort it all out. That’s like saying that if your town is attacked by an army of cats, and army of dogs will appear out of nowhere to save you! Anyway, that’s sort of it, really.

We also get, of course, the human element, as soldier Aaron Taylor Johnson blandly tries to get back to his bland family whilst trying not to get squished. Every time the movie threatens to get hot and heavy with monster on monster action it cuts to people doing people things, with the result that the I-Don’t-Care-Ometer goes into overdrive. 

The real, Godzilla sized problem with this movie is that it’s incredibly boring. The two hours drag by like watching someone trying to count the grains of sand on a beach. Even when the monster on monster stuff happens it’s terribly slow and dull, with Fatzilla waddling around like Eric Pickles after a heavy lunch, smacking the other lazily designed creature about for a while before suddenly realizing he has a electro zap type attack that is never explained nor acknowledged. The army and navy are portrayed as being led by retards throughout, constantly throwing logic out of the window like it’s a pile of flaming shit. Ordinary people don’t come off much better, as apparently they, too, haven’t got the sense they were born with and, quite frankly, deserve to be squished. 

I so wanted to just leave before the end, but sat there so you don’t have to. Do not see this film, as it’s shit. It makes the 1998 version look like Shakespeare, and falls so short of the bar set by Pacific Rim it can’t even see it. Go watch the cartoon instead. 

The 2000AD SCI-Fi SPECIAL 2014

Available in the shops from 28th May

“It was one of the staples of hazy childhood summers, an extra dose of Thrill-power for the holidays. But now the 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special is back and with a new mission - to unveil a new generation of comics creators!” So goes the promotional hoo-haa that came with my copy of this blast from my past, a bleedin’ Summer Special, no less. 

I have great memories of being a wee man and my mother buying a few Summer Special’s and saving them for us to read in the car on the way to some wretched caravan park or other. As a kid, it was nice to have an oversize comic, although as an adult you notice more the large panels designed to pad out the likes of The Beano and Dandy specials. 2000AD was, predictably, different. Not necessarily in a good way for, like the annuals of the time, the Summer Special was stuffed with rejected scripts, reprints and shoddy articles.

It’s 2014 now, and Tharg knows his readers are mostly grown men and woman who will not accept rejected scripts and reprints, so in a bold move the Sci Fi Special has been rejigged as a platform for new writers and artists, handling classic 2000AD characters. What a great idea… in theory.

A Summer Special, like any comic, is only as good as it’s contents, and this is where the 2014 version falls down like Oscar Pistorius’ defence. First up we have a Judge Dredd tale, “Jinxed”, which just happens to be from the first female Dredd writer, namely Emma Beeby. Let's be honest, though, this fact is pretty immaterial. Emma has written the lovely “Survival Geeks” 3riller with Gordon Rennie, which I really enjoyed, but “Jinxed” is just not very good. Basically it’s almost a carbon copy of the old Strontium Dog story “A Sorry Case”, but it’s Dredd having a ton of bad luck. The saving grace is the very nice, clear art by Eion Coveney. 

Next up we have Alec Worley, best known for “Age Of The Wolf” (which I thoroughly enjoyed) with a Robo-Hunter tale illustrated by newcomer to 2000AD Mark Simmons. Set in Sam Slade’s earlier days it has a pop at the likes of Ikea and design snobs to little effect. Basically, it’s quite a dull story with a few good lines and competent art. There’s really not much else to say, except I wanted better from Sam’s return.

It wouldn’t be a Sci Fi Special without a Future Shock, this time by Jody LeHeup, better known for his editing work with Marvel than as a writer. Also from the Marvel stable is Artist Jefte Palo, who has illustrated plenty of superhero stuff. His unusual, modernist style works very well with the story, which is a bit of a tried and tested tale that blows it’s “surprise” ending to anyone who has ever read this sort of thing before. Nonetheless, it’s well written and quirky enough to remain in the mind after the reading, making it the best one so far.

Fan favourite Durham Red (A vampiric bounty hunter) returns next, with a cute one off tale by relatively new scripter Robert Murphy. He’s aided and abetted by another new boy Duane Redhead, a very appropriate name for a Durham Red artist. The story itself is basic and pretty entertaining, with Red doing exactly what regular readers would expect her to, and Redhead’s art fits the story well, clear and nicely laid out. It will certainly be interesting to see what these two can contribute in the future.

There’s a nice little treat up next as veteran Future Shock scripter (amongst other things) Arthur Wyatt gives us a blast from the past with “Orlok, Agent Of East Meg 1”, which is set during Dredd’s time as moon marshall for those that like to know their continuity. Jake Lynch provides rough but effective black and white art that gives an appropriately gritty feel to a tale of espionage and betrayal in Brit Cit. A good, solid story as expected from Wyatt, and a good introduction to a new artist.

Finally, it’s time for Rogue Trooper, currently shining in his own U.S title from IDW. It’s written by Guy Adams, who entertained recently with the hilarious if overlong “Ulysses Sweet”, and for his Rogue debut he’s settled for a neat one off that provides plenty of action and jumping about whilst ensuring new readers aren’t too confused about who this blue bloke is and why is he talking to his gun. Art comes from newcomer Darren Douglas, who has done cover work before but not, I think, an internal story. In fairness he’s a great find, and his style is similar to that of Boo Cook, full of colour and action. Again, the story is a simple one, but it works well as a quick read.

Overall, then, this is an okay release. Although it starts off pretty poorly it certainly gets better, and if a few of the scripts are found wanting there’s certainly a great deal of great art to get your teeth into. Not quite a thrill power overload.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 - SPOILER FREE REVIEW

First up, let’s talk about 2012’a “The Amazing Spider-Man”. Whilst it looked good and had plenty of good moments (including one of the best Stan Lee cameos), it was definitely lacking a lot of the charm of what we know as “good” Spider-Man, plus the Jekyll & Hyde Lizard was rather hackneyed if well portrayed. What we need for the sequel is more bang for our bucks, more humour, more Gwen Stacey’s delectable smile. Looks like someone was listening…

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” does many, many things right. First up is a noticeable shift towards peter Parker and his alter ego being a complete wiseass. Right from the start as he tries to stop an armoured car heist, Spider-Man is in with the funnies before the fists, and it makes everything so much more enjoyable. Like in Brian Bendis’ “Ultimate Spider-Man” series, half the battle is in the dialogue. This movie has completely different writers to the last, and boy, does it show. 

How about a tragic but powerful villain? Oh yeah, we got one of those. Jamie Foxx is Max Dillon, a rather pathetic man who is walked all over by just about everyone. The problem is that he’s also a very smart man, and unappreciated smart people can be tricky if they, for example, get turned into living electrical generators. Anyone for a big dose of revenge? Foxx puts in a good performance as Dillon, both before and after his transformation into Electro, although the before is much better for actually sculpting a characterisation. 

The other notable figure in the film is Harry Osbourne, son of Oscorp head honcho Norman, who was also The Green Goblin in the original trilogy. Dane Dehann has a look about him of Leonardo DiCaprio after a visit to Slimy Evil Villain school, but he does at least invest Harry with a passable excuse to act like a total asshole.

Naturally, the whole thing revolves around Peter Parker and Gwen Stacey. Andrew Garfield seems more at home in the role this time round, and handles the snappy dialogue like a pro (which he is, natch), as well as the inevitable anguish that comes from being Spidey. Emma Stone is once again stunning as Gwen, with the Oscar for eye make up seemingly in the bag. True love never has run smoothly for Peter Parker, and so it’s no surprise when this relationship has it’s ups and downs, especially when peter is haunted by the presence of Gwen’s dead father, warning him to keep away from her or put her in ganger. Cute couple, though.

I’m not going to spoilerize the plot here, hence not mentioning anything that’s not in the trailer. The next film is neatly set up at the end, although unlike some I didn’t feel that this was just an elongated trailer. Mark Webb (yeah, we’ve done those jokes) directs with more style and panache then before, including some very effective uses of slow motion to show just how Spider-man’s enhanced senses and reflexes work. Some of the fight scenes are genuinely brilliant, and there’s a mini slapstick scene at Oscorp that is a one minute marvel. To be hinest, this all feels closer to what a Spider-man movie should be than any since Spider-Man 2, so let’s hope the next one is better than the shambles that was Spider-man 3. If they keep the writing team, it may well be the case. 

Final Trailer - Do NOT read the comments under it as they will ruin the movie!

 

FILM REVIEW - "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

Okay, this one was exciting to fans as soon as the title was released. Those who know the comics story of the Winter Soldier were no doubt salivating at the prospect of Ed Brubaker's first class story being committed to celluloid. Then again, we were led to believe that The Wolverine was based on Frank Miller and Chris Claremont's legendary Japan set book, but it really, really wasn't (although it WAS fun). What I'm saying is: Don't expect too much, fanboys.

In reality, the film borrows from the aforementioned Brubaker book pretty heftily as far as Cap's mystery protagonist is concerned, but it also borrows heavily from the 1989 story "Nick Fury Vs S.H.I.E.L.D". Squish the two together, add the ever sexy Black Widow plus regular comics partner The Falcon and you have what is a pretty damned good movie.

The second movie to headline the out of time hero sees the franchise dive straight into espionage territory, with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D deciding to protect the world by wielding the sort of kill power that encourages Cap to comment "That's not protection, that's fear". Shit hits the fan pretty quickly with the introduction of the titular Winter Soldier, a masked assassin with a robotic arm who seems to be Cap's equal. Cue layer on layer of mystery, resulting in an almighty mess for Captain America, Nick Fury and the whole of S.H.I.E.L.D that certainly should change the direction of the operation's TV series when it comes to season 2.

It's hard to say too much without spoiling things, as is often the case with plot driven thrillers, so I won't. The fact that this even is a plot driven thriller has elevated it above the usual "Super guy gets bwah ha haaa bad guy" comics film that people are becoming used to. This shit is smart, no doubt about it. Many character names have been pulled from the 1989 book, but with personalities and roles changed, so no clues there. They even mention Steven Strange very briefly, which may point to the fact that a Doctor Strange movie is a hot bet for a future project.

So this is a very, very strong film, with excellent fight scenes, mad car chases and a surprising amount of actual plot. Much ass is kicked, many lives taken and saved. Definitely less comic booky than the first one, mirroring the direction crime specialist Ed Brubaker took the Captain in. Two things remain: Does Stan Lee appear? of course he does! Try keeping that cameo whore out of a Marvel movie! Second: Should I stay for the credits? Oh yes. Marvel have realized by now that the way to go is a short sequence, followed by a massive set up for the next movie, before the loooong boring credits, and trust me, true believers, this one is fucking awesome for those who like comics.

Official trailer:

 

Album Review: STIFF LITTLE FINGERS – “No Going Back”

If you’ve never heard their stuff beyond a few old punk rock tracks, forget everything you thought you knew about Stiff Little Fingers. Firstly, they are not really a punk band, and secondly they have in their ranks one of the best lyricists in the business. Oh yeah… they also make fucking great music.

“No Going Back” is the 10^th SLF album, and I was amazed to realize it’s been eleven years since their last one, the powerful “Guitar & Drum”. As with many bands these days they’ve been funded through Pledge Music, surely one of the best ideas in music history. Go Pledge!

The band first came to my attention with their 1997 “Tinderbox” album, and I was amazed at how melodic they were, not even remotely like a punk band in the traditional sense. Vocalist Jake Burns, who had an angry growl when they started out in the late 1970’s, has quite a unique sound to his voice, a voice that spits pure venom when politicians and bankers come into the lyrics. When he’s not shouting at the powerful, however, he has a real melodic pitch that has defined the band’s sound for over 30 years now. 

“No Going Back” has twelve tracks and is seriously as good as anything the band have ever done. It’s got some powerful, killer guitar tracks, but that’s true of any album by SLF. The rwal selling point if that it’s also stuffed with killer hooks, plenty of melody and choruses that have you singing along on your first listen. It opens with “Liars Club”, a track about politicians that the band have played previously on tour, and this powerful track sets the tone for the album. Jake Burns has always written about things that, basically, piss him off, and “No Going Back” doesn’t sway from serious topics, including Burns’ own depression in “My Dark Places”. Final track “When We Were Young” has a real retro SLF feel to it, not only in the riff and structure but also because it includes a snippet of their old single “At The Edge” if you listen closely. It has the great line “They said that it’s all over, I said like hell it is, They say it’s self delusion, I say it’s self belief”, and that encapsulates the sheer determination of this band and their indomitable frontman to keep on making great music and telling it like it is.

I know I’m banging on a bit, but this is so far the best album of the year, it’s such a pure release or raw energy and talent. There’s nods to the band’s history, there’s politics and personal life in the lyrics, there’s some superb songwriting in general, and there’s music that just kicks ass and gets you fired up from the first listen. The crowds at the gigs may only want to hear the old songs, but I hope Jake Burns and co play as many of these songs as possible on the upcoming tour, because they’ve never sounded fresher and more determined. Absolutely brilliant. 

SLF Website

"Liars Club" Live in Bristol  2010

ALBUM REVIEW - H.E.A.T - "Tearing Down The Walls"

Exactly six years after their surprisingly excellent debut, Swedish sensations H.E.A.T are back with a fourth album that seems to be a massive “fuck you” to anyone who doesn’t play music for the sheer joy of it. Anyone who has seen them live will know that these lads bounce about like a hyperactive kid in a sugar factory, doing their best to transfer the smiles on their faces to the audience, and once again they’ve carried this attitude onto an album.

“Tearing Down The Walls” is absolutely stuffed full of first class AOR tracks, showing a band who really know how to put together a catchy tune. This may seem an obvious way to go about things, but there’s a hundred average AOR albums out there for every one that makes you play air guitar and sing along at embarrassing volume whilst walking your dog on the beach (like I did this morning).

Even on such a quality album there will be stand out tracks, and for me there’s a few. Lead single “A Shot At Redemption” is an absolute killer (and perfect single choice), that will blow many socks off live, as will the title track, which is a full on lighter waving anthem with a chorus that begs to be joined in with. I have to single out “We Will never Die” as well, as it would have fitted perfectly on the debut and will have you going “Woah woah!” by the second minute. I also love “Inferno”, a full on rock track that belts along like Usain Bolt with his arse on fire and has a cool, early TNT vibe about it. With that said, the tracks on offer are so pure in their AOR-ness (is that a word? Should be) that bits and pieces will constantly ring little bells in your mind, but as a whole they are pure H.E.A.T. Well, all except one…

Six tracks in, we get to “Mannequin Show”, a mid paced melodic chugger that totally, and I mean TOTALLY, steals the chorus tune from Britney “none more rock” Spears’ “Oops, I Did It Again”. From the first time I heard it to the last it totally ruins the track for me, and is an unfortunate blot on an otherwise pristine album. In fairness, I played it to several other people without saying what I thought, and every single one spotted the similarity within ten seconds. Even the totally guitar free ballad “All The Nights” is preferable to hearing Britney in my head. In fairness, the ballad is actually pretty good anyway.

So full marks to H.E.A.T on completing four albums without fucking up. The sound on “Tearing Down The Walls” is excellent thanks to producer Tobias Lindell, and every single band member gets their chance to shine through the mix. Special mention must go to guitarist Eric Rivers for some inspiring and uplifting solos, and I suppose it goes without saying that vocalist Erik Gronwall doesn’t put a foot wrong with a powerful performance. An almost perfect mix of old school AOR and modern teen friendly rock, “Tearing Down The Walls” is as good as, if not better, than anything H.E.A.T have done before. Except for the Britney Spears one, obviously…