Sherlock Holmes A game of Shadows

I'll keep this review short and sweet, I love Sherlock Holmes, I was brought up with Basil Rathbone, dabbled in Peter Cushing and Jeremy Brett was the perfect embodiment of Conan Doyles creation. But I loved the reimagining in the first Sherlock Holmes film. Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr were a spirited embodiment of the duo and Guy Ritchie brought his tool box of tricks to add an urgency and energy.
    Well now Holmes returns in another installment and this time he is taking on his greatest foe, Moriarty. But this film is all over the place. The first hour had me looking at my watch, as incident after setpeice after incident made for a badly paced  mess, once Jared Harris as Moriarty makes his presence felt then things pick up and some  momentum propells the film forward to its conclusion.
     Its not the acting that lets this film down, its the script. For the first half of the film you are forced to endure Holmes as an action man aimlessly trying to work out what Moriarty's plan is. Scenes come and go along with Jackie Chan moments of pugilism and martial arts.  Jude Laws Watson fairs better but the wedding subplot is just ill thought out and not as entertaining as the writer thinks.
    The last time I came out of a film feeling this underwhelmed was Shanghai Knights.  Holmes is intellect is what draws us into his tales be if film or literature. For the first forty five minutes this aspect of the character takes a backseat to the action man figure.
    So sadly for me an underwhelming effort where Ritchies love of slow mo actually becomes overused I think as far as reimaginings of the character go I will return to the BBC's Sherlock and await season 2 for a more satisfying and enjoyable less bloated reimagining of the hero.

Mission Impossible 4 Ghost Protocol

The Mission Impossible tv series was to me always about the team, everyone pulling together with their set special skills to achieve the mission objective. This to me was what was lacking in the movie incarnation with Tom Cruise firmly taking centre stage and very much a star veichle for his set of skills.
    However Brian De Palma's first movie and J J Abrahams third episode were until now the stand out episodes of the series with great action set pieces. The second was a John Woo orgy of all his stylistic cinematic traits, which left me bored.
    Brad Bird comes to this installment with fresh eyes and a new vision. His background in animation allowing for a smooth transition into live action. His previous films have been tight with story telling and character and his Pixar Movie The Incredibles was filled with story and great action moments.
    In this fourth and in my view the best of the series so far each character has an important role to play and each has their own standout moment in the film. Ethan Hunt still leads but Cruise is standout in a story that is both easy to follow with heart pounding action and stunt work that had my heart in my mouth. The stunt work really is standout especially knowing that alot of his was performed live without the benefit of CGI , and the pace doesn't let up for one second.
    In this episode the IMF team has been disavowed, after being set up by the films main protaganist. The stakes are high. Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Paula Patton all are given their moments and deliver.  This is up there with Fast and Furious Five as one of the best action films of the year and a brilliant new direction for the franchise. Brad Bird brilliantly keeps the film the film on course with an excellant mix of character development and action. I eagerly await his next film with keen anticipation.
   An excellant closure for 2011 and if there is one must see for the start of 2012 this film is it. If I'm honest I can't wait to see this film again. 

The Adventures of Tintin

I'm an unashamed Spielberg and Jackson Fan, when its a rainy day or I'm feeling Low its Jaws or Raiders that go into the DVD player. Of Jackson's films its The Frighteners, or Braindead. So to see a film that is a marriage of these two cinematic titans and to see it at the close of the old year I was excited to say the least.
     Tintin being European is part of my youth, summer holidays were marked by morning programming geared to entertain kids on those rainy days that prohibited playing outside. Herge's adventures of Tintin was s regular staple. For me as a kid it wasn't Tintin that kept me glued to the screen more it was the Thompson twins and Captain Haddock. With a Blistering barnacles you knew fun was on the cards.
     Prior to the films release back in October my wife had treated me to the purchase of the Art of book, yet another brilliant Weta publication which not only allows you in on the creative process but in such a way that does not give too much away about the films story.
     So I went in with high expectations and came away with one great big smile on my face. This film from the opening titles quickly propels you into the almost photo realistic world of Herge"s creation. Weta have once again thrown us a game changer, the play of light , their skillful character designs which capture Tintin's  essence and world without any sense of artificiality.
     Stephen Moffat, Joe Cornish and Edgar Wright bring a European sensibility to the tale, it starts off slowly quickly establishing the main plot then propels you at pace through action and plot. All this with an emphasis on fun and once Captain Haddock arrives on screen the real fun begins. This is a film with Spielberg firing on all cylinders and his joy comes across on the screen with infectious enthusiasm and outrageous action setpieces concluding with a breathtaking crane battle. This is a joy to watch and family friendly fare and I hope there are more tales to come.
      In closing a special mention for the excellant use of 3D, animation of course lends itself well to the medium and in this film its use just shines, so if you get the chanced this would be my preferred viewing option.