Man of Steel

"People are afraid of what they don't understand."

Across an ocean of stars, a planet named Krypton faces extinction.  In a final act of desperation and hope, a newborn boy is sent from it to seek refuge on Earth, where he grows up as Clark Kent.  Forbidden from betraying his true self, he finds himself torn between two worlds as vengeful forces pursue him.

Man of Steel is a new, modernised take on the story of the first and most iconic superhero, told with staggering scope and rich stylistic detail.  The film is at once a heightened science-fiction, with the opening sequences set on a far away apocalyptic planet among the stars; and is yet authentically realistic, with the plot subsequently grounded in an identifiable contemporary society.  The extraordinary is practically rationalised and accounted for throughout the narrative; allowing a previously untouchable hero to feel both authentic and relevant.  The non-linear narrative also allows the film to subvert many of the genre's cliches.  The stunning effects and cinematography are set to a subtle yet powerful score by Hans Zimmer; producing a most epic tone to the film.

Henry Cavill is divine as Clark Kent.  He plays the role perfectly, with hopeful blue eyes that betray the loneliness and depth of responsibility that hangs over him.  Just as the plot is conflicted between the agendas of two worlds, so is Clark torn between his inexplicable ties to humanity and his extraordinary heritage.  Amy Adams also delivers a strong and beautiful Lois Lane, driven by courage and curiosity.

The film poses the dangerous consequences of the denial and acceptance of identity, as the protagonist struggles with secrecy.  In particular, it delves into the implications that would be had upon modern society's perception of reality.  This is intricately linked with the theme of choice, and the deadly tension between a dictated destiny and free-will.   The villain of the plot subsequently poses an intense and intriguing threat, due to the justification behind his decisions.

Man of Steel is stunning and epic: the perfect blend of heightened science-fiction and realistic contemporary relevance.  The film ends on the most perfect note; teasing and creating great anticipation for the next chapter.

Iron Man III

"Heroes? There is no such thing."

The past creeps up on Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), a la Iron Man, as he returns to reality following  the Avengers Assemble and is confronted by a dangerous terrorist intent on tormenting the United States.

Robert Downey Jr. thrives as Tony Stark.  He perfectly captures the trauma that Tony is haunted with following the extravagent events of the Avengers, who are suddenly and curiously absent throughout this third chapter.  The film subsequently places greater emphasis on the man opposed to the hero, with Tony spending considerable more time out of his suit than in his preceding films; exposing a previously unseen vulnerability to the hero.  This allows the plot to channel an exploration of the relationship between man and technology in the twenty-first century.

The plot is further strewn with contemporary themes of terrorism, with Ben Kingsley delivering a great performance as the threatening and allusive terrorist known as 'The Mandarin'.  There is also a brilliantly hilarious twist to the plot, moments of absolutely stunning cinematography and a great repartee between Tony and Harley, a boy that he indadvertedly befriends.  However, the resolution and final sequences of the film fell short and were frustrating; lacking emotional resonance or plausibility.

Robert Downey Jr.'s natural affinity with Stark and the moments of divine cinematography carry the film smoothly, but the too easy conclusion to the final action sequences felt disappointing.

Jack Reacher

"Look at the people. You tell me which ones are free?"

Based on the novel series by Lee Child, Jack Reacher is the story of an untraceable man who has no ties and knows no bounds.  When evidence indisputably pins James Barr as a serial-murderer, he calls upon the untraceable Reacher.  As Reacher is drawn into the investigation, he finds himself pulled deeply into a dangerous world of deceit.  The storyline plays out confidently by balancing action with conspiracy, which produces suspense and intrigue.  The use of altering flashbacks allow the plot, and our perceptions, to be continuously manipulated and twisted.  

Tom Cruise stars as the title character, who is ironically famous for his tall and imposing presence throughout the novels.  It is therefore difficult to overlook the incorrectness of Cruise's physicality for the role.  However, he delivers the character well: perfectly capturing the mannerisms and character of Reacher, so that by the end he has constructed a character whose presence is imposing, regardless of his stature.  Rosamund Pike co-stars alongside him as the female lead, Helen, whose character is flawed by inconsistencies.  Representing the contemporary strong woman, a beautiful and intelligent defence attorney striving to achieve success, she finds herself suddenly torn back into the archetype of a damsel in distress, who is helplessly lost the presence of Reacher and ineffective.  The other fleeting, yet perhaps more intriguing, female character is Sandy, who becomes an ironic symbol of fragility and manipulation within a corrupted world.

With a clever story, the film makes for a good action-thriller.  The undoubtable ambition of it spawning a new franchise of film, however, is a less than promising prospect.

Skyfall

Skyfall, the film that has captivated the country, delivers a stylish Bond film that is visually thrilling and soars with its expectations.

When the top secret names of their undercover agents are stolen, MI6 desperately attempt to recover them while being thrust into a deadly spotlight.  When they fall subject to a vengeful terror attack,  a haunting past must be confronted in order to secure the future.

The plot is engaging and thrilling, as it examines the tensions between holding onto tradition and the necessity of embracing change.  Both the heroes and the villains of the narrative find themselves haunted inescapably by the events of their pasts, as they are faced with the possibility of a second chance: a resurrection.  From the challenging of M's outdated methods through to a damaged Bond, the film fittingly celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of Bond by questioning the notions of development and decay.  The theme of change is furthermore presented through the film's exploration of technology and it's relationship with terror, as the dangers of globalization are illustrated through the villain's cunning manipulation of technology.

Dame Judi Dench is magnificent as M, who has a pivotal role throughout the plot, as she faces the devastating consequences of her choices.  Ben Whishaw presents a refreshing addition to the secret service as the new Q: physically embodying the concept of change and representing a new, more advanced generation through his sharp mastery of computer technology.  Javier Bardem stars as the villain, a rogue agent who perfectly oozes with charisma and danger.

With a dashing of humour and an identifiable twenty-first century London landscape, Skyfall not only transports audiences to the exotic reaches of Bond's world, but constructs a familiar and plausible British backdrop.  The film subsequently strikes the perfect balance between dramatisation and realism.  From the stunning opening credits through to a dramatic fight upon a neon-edged skyscraper, the highly stylised cinematography of the film is perhaps one of the strongest attributes of Skyfall.  With fight sequences told through silhouettes, the threatening narrative theme of shadows is stunningly visualised.  The further use of Bond's signatures, from the classic Aston Martin through to the subtly shaken martini and the notes of the classic theme tune, stir iconic chills.

With thrilling action sequences, engaging themes, a stunning use of landscape and the cool demeanour of Daniel Craig, Skyfall is the perfect Bond film.

The Dark Knight Rises

Dark and thrilling, the final instalment of Christopher Nolan's trilogy delivers a most outstanding and epic conclusion.

Set eight years on from the last film, The Dark Knight Rises follows Bruce Wayne, billionaire and cloaked hero, as he struggles to move on from the harrowing events of The Dark Knight.  Bruce's life as a recluse within his grand mansion is portrayed as meaningless; dust sheets pulled over the furniture in vast, almost empty rooms.  As he slowly loses grasp on the city of Gotham, our hero is faced with a crisis of identity.  Haunted by his past that he cannot move on from, but unable to embrace the masked man that he once was, Bruce Wayne is a man without an identity.  This is constructed through the symbol of the anonymous mask, which the script returns to explore several times, challenging whether the Batman was the hero of the people or a symbol of the everyman himself.  The film's marxist themes were furthermore an unexpected and interesting spin to the storyline, as Gotham is confronted with the perils of revolution and terrorism.

There were several truly excellent additions to the cast, with a significant portion of the cast of Inception reuniting under Nolan's incredible direction.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt shone as Blake, the hard-working, heroic cop who never loses faith in the Batman nor sight of his own difficult past.  But by far my favourite character had to Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle!  Stiletto heels, red lipstick and pearl necklaces, Selina is the definition of style, seduction and deadliness.  The cat burglar, whose intentions are often unpredictable, is the woman that men dream of and women dream of being.  Strong and independent, Nolan successfully delivers a confident female lead who is never once lost amidst the equally strong male characters of the plot.

While Tom Hardy gave a confident and effective performance as the plot's villain, a sinister force not to be reckoned with, he is notably restricted by the mask that consumes his face and distorts his voice.  The absence of Heath Ledger's ever charismatic Joker was therefore hard to miss.  However, where the film perhaps most fell down, at least initially, was within the bleak and ever so slightly depressing tones that surround the film's portrait of Bruce Wayne for the first half or so of the film.  While the storyline of a man unable to move on in a world that has was interesting, it was explored for far too long and made the plot feel slow and wary at times.

It was therefore the truly excellent twists at the end which really led me to be suddenly and completely hooked to every moment of the film's exciting, grand finale.  Two dimensional characters suddenly become rich with deep, intriguing histories and their motives were challenged and rewritten.  Set to the ever-incredible work of Hans Zimmer, the soundtrack perfectly captured the final film's dark and epic tone.  The Inception-esque ending is far from simple, and Nolan will leave you wondering whether it is indeed intended to be literal or metaphorical.

Christopher Nolan's filmmaking has redefined the superhero genre, making it dark, seductive and of an outstandingly high-quality.  It will be both hard and interesting to see how others attempt to follow....