Hobbit a week goes by.

Well just a quick little post, the Hobbit machinery is starting to kick into gear and film ties are starting to appear. The Hobbit Almanac being the first I've seen out there in bookshops along with the book with the cover being the film poster image of Bilbo. But messing around on my IPAD this afternoon, I came across the Hobbit App on Itunes and for fans out there who need a pre film fix its not a bad little primer. I suspect there will be a few updates prior to the films December release and that this is an evolving little program but try it out. There are links to it on the official Hobbit Facebook page.
     Also in following the local Wellywood scene via news and social media there is a brilliant blog by Nolder. Seek him out, as his posts are always informative and interesting. In fact this week after one of the Guardians writers did a hack job on Peter Jackson questioning his film making talents Nolder had the opportunity to defend Jackson via a local radio item.
   Seek his blog out if and One Ring Net is a good place to start if you haven't visited their site already.
   

Find Nemo 3D

Well last Sundays plan to see Finding Nemo 3D did pan out as expected. I spent the first part of  Fathers day enyjoying a great family  meal at Wellington's Joes Garage (where they serve my favourite coffee).  Then  followed twenty minutes of waiting in line to enter the preview screening being run by one of our local Radio Stations.  Only  to be told that there had been an almighty screw up with the cinema and the screening had been pushed back two hours to four oclock.
     Well we had already been in town for two hours, and my 4 year old was now running out of steam.  We therefore decided it was best to head for  home. We were not alone with many other parents deciding the same.
      Well my cinema drought ended yesterday when I took my four year old boy to finally see Nemo up on the big screen with the added 3d element.  Now I'm not going to break into a review, this isn't a new release and I suspect it being Pixar many of you will have it on DVD but I will comment on the extra dimension.
     Animated titles suit 3D well, but Nemo is a mixed bag, there are scenes that shine in 3D and then there are scenes which don't. Basically anything that is just a blue expanse gains nothing from the extra dimension. Intimate scenes, or scenes where the screen is busy however do. If your exposing your child to the film for the first time, then Nemo is Nemo. Its a great movie well told and it rattles along at a cracking pace. But if your just wanting to see this in 3D I'd think carefully about it. It just didn't wow me in the way I thought it would. This is one film where 2D is best.

The Dark Knight Rises and other matters

Well my absence from the big screen ended last week. It wasn't a new release I chose to see, but The Dark Knight Rises which has been out for a while and which I'm sort of glad I waited to see. Negative reviews from Aint It Cool Readers and some critics I respected had dampened my enthusiasm. But last weekend It was the Dark Knight or Total Recall. Batman won.
And to be honest, I enjoyed it, it is the weaker of the series but not to such an extent that it spoiled the experience. To be honest I loved it, I'm not prissy and over protective about the treatment of comic book legends. By virtue of his being a comic book creation, his story , his origin has been revisited many times and so a re imagining is legitimate and just as this has been a successful franchise for Warner Brothers there have been at least two misfires.
Chaos has been the undercurrent of Nolans Trilogy and the more grounded interpretation of his more iconic foes has been a breath of fresh air. My only criticism with this third and final entry of the Nolan canon is his treatment of Bain. Come on, who decided that Tom Hardy (an excellent and watch-able actor) should voice his character like some poor Sean Connery imitator with cotton wool in his mouth. I didn't feel the menace, it diluted the threat for me to the point that in one or two moments I found myself stifling my desire to laugh.
Nolan's direction is stand-out, action scenes pop, set pieces shine. Hats off too the special effects guys because in this film I find it hard to differentiate between the practical and cgi.

Now who will reboot this franchise.

Lastly, tomorrow Fathers day, I'm off to Courtney Central to see Finding Nemo 3D with my boy. So a review will follow shortly after. I also will be looking at the Avengers blu ray and will post up what extra's are on the Australasia release of the film. But finally I have now in my possesion, Jaws!!!!. I have had a brief glimpse and the picture is stunning, my favourite film in a brilliant release. This is one viewing I am going to savour.

So back online soon, also might put up a post with films that I'm looking forward too.