Paul

This is a Simon Pegg and Nick Frost co-written Sci Fi comedy that tells the tale of two lads visiting the US comic con and touring the US UFO hot-spots. On their travels they have their own close encounter of the 3rd Kind with an escapee of Area 51 the alien of the title Paul voiced by Seth Rogan. A prisoner for over 60 years they are persuaded to assist him in his attempts to reunite with his mother ship.
      As you can tell this is a love letter to Spielberg's ET and Close Encounters of the third Kind. Simon Peggs previous collaborations Sean of the Dead and Hot Fuzz have been with Edgar Wright. This time Greg Mottola directs with a more laid back less frenetic style which suits the tale being told. This gives the film a heart so don't be put off by the films trailers which highlight the more profane and crude elements which though present and lead to some of the best laughs this film  has a real heart. Paul comes cross as the perfect foil for Mr Pegg and Frost.
    I loved this movie, it seems a natural extension of their Spaced relationship and for once Nick Frost is the more intelligent of our heroes.
    This has a great cast, some inspired moments and though it starts off slow once on the road this film gathers pace leading to a great chase in the last third and laugh out ending.
   I saw this late in the game, but it made up for a lackluster two weeks of releases. Much of which has been spent catching up with my wishlist of missed cinema opportunities from last year courtesy of the Rialto channel so more to follow.

Thor 3D Review

This latest Marvel character to reach the big screen does so with an Epic and energetic debut which sets it apart from his predecessors.
     A powerful but arrogant warrior, Thor ( Chris Hemsworth)  is cast out from Asgard by his father Odin for reigniting an age old conflict with the Frost Giants. Banished to Earth stripped of his powers he must learn humility and what it is to be human with the assistance of Jane Foster (Natalie Portman)
     Employing Kenneth Branagh to direct is inspired, from Henry V, through to Pete's Friends and Hamlet this is an actor who has proved himself an excellant director and visual stylist. He has proved he can mix character and spectacle which this film calls for. Though some characters yearn for fleshing out such as the warriors 3 no doubt to keeping things at a fast pace there is so much that is right. Tom Hiddelston as Thor's brother Loki is well fleshed out and three dimensional. Anthony Hopkins brings a commanding performance to Odin conflicted by his roles of Father and leader. Also Stellan Skarsgard as Erik Selvig and Idris Elba's Heimdall warrant special mention. In fact the casting is what makes this film.
    Thor's abilities on the page could have translated to the big screen as ridiculous in lesser hands but in this they are eye candy.
    This film delivers, it has weight, spectacle and leave's you wanting more. My only critism is the use of 3D. In some scenes it is well used, but in the darker scenes is hardly noticeable. So its down to choice if you see the 3D version of 2D. You will not really be missing out. Roll on Captain America I eagerly await his arrival.

Rio

Well Saturday the household was bored, and I decided today was the day i would introduce my boy to the joys of the cinema. We decided we would go to see Rio, as our Local McDonalds had been giving out Rio toys with their kiddy meals and he was familiar with the blue parrot Blu who is the star of this fish out of water tale.
This is the latest Blue sky production and we chose to see the 2D version as I knew there was no chance my little man was going to keep a pair of 3D specs on his little face. The film is great, its a little slow in places and some of the action did skew for a older demographic but it was filled with enough eye candy to keep my boy entertained. He lasted the full hour before he got fidgity but as I was feeling the same way i could understand his discomfort.
Basically Blu its explained is the last of his kind or so he believes and as voiced by Jesse Eisenberg he is an endearing character. With his friend and owner Linda he ends up at a Rio bird sanctuary where he meets Jewel voiced by Ann Hathaway and after being kidnapped the fun and adventure kicks off. The colours and scenery are breathtaking.  Yes the story loses a little steam towards the end, but the final ten minutes quickly get it back on track. The musical numbers serve a function but aren't really memorable. But in all honesty I enjoyed it more than the last two pixar movies. Go see, for a happy 90 minutes of escapism that works on all ages.

Fast and Furious 5

Well Good Friday ment everything except for my local cinema was shut. After a morning enduring Toy Story's 1 and 2 with a dash of Thomas the Tank engine I decided that  once my little man was settled down for his afternoon siesta to sneek out of the domestic homestead and catch some Vin Diesel action. I will try to avoid spoilers but to start things off, the gang from Part 4 are all on the run, and end up in Rio. Through various plot twists and some adrenaline fueled action scenes they end up on the local Mr Big's hit list and with the Rock as a goverment bounty hunter on their backs. This is high octane action all the way and I am already planning a return trip to catch this movie again but with wifey at my side. She is a major Vin Diesel fan and the Rock for her is the icing on the cake.
This movie ticks all the boxes, Paul Waker is great and this very much plays out like a heist movie. I loved it more than 4 and its right up there with 1 and is now my new favourite of the series. As a heist movie it falls a little short in that the actual plan is not that involving and this is where the Rock comes into play. Dwayne Johnson is in full on hard ass mode and he delivers big time. If OTT action is your bag then this movie will not dissapoint. I loved it and so far 2011 is getting off to a good start. I cant wait for part 6 in the franchise it can only get better.

The Roxy , Wellington

Well Sunday was quiet in our household so drove to Mirimar from overcast Porirua to visit the California Garden centre. All went well and after a quick drive past the Weta Cave we decided to pop into the Roxy for a well deserved coffee. Wow what a stunning venue. We had a great coffee and my nearly three year old boy had a choclate fluffy and a complimentary mini chocolate egg.
The interior has a very art deco feel to it, with some stunning little touches such as the fish handles on the main door. The striking murial behind the main bar painted by the wonderful artists at Weta. We didnt get a chance to go upstairs, due to my boy being a little too energetic. But we did get to see the striking bronzed Gollum statue at the foot of the stairs. Here is a photo of the exterior

Little Darth Vader Volkswagon commecial

Little Thor