I’ve gone all American this week, mostly because the feature film versions of TV shows are usually sitcoms these days and I don’t see the point. Dad’s Army would have been here BUT I am yet to see it despite its bad reviews. And don’t get me started on the gad damn awful Inbetweeners Movies.
Don't forget to check out where it all started at Wandering Through the Shelves.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E
Unlike other Guy Ritchie films (he seems to be tamer these days) but still with a few signature moves, the film adaptation of the celebrated spy TV series didn’t seem to have the desired impact as it should have. A fabulous cast, beautiful scenery and the charm of the 60s, what went wrong? Nothing really, I loved this film. It didn’t help that it wasn’t really given a fanfare release in the middle of August. Not really the blockbuster film but still a sizable budget. During the cold war, America and Russia were not friends but when Italian Nazi supporters kidnap a famous German scientist to build a nuclear bomb, both sides have to play nice to stop the bomb and the crazy people who have it. The casting seemed odd on paper but my gad they got it right with Henry Cavill as CIA agent Napoleon Solo and Armie Hammer as KGB agent Illya Kuryakin. It’s fun, with a few laughs and enough to keep the action going. Just wish a second film was in the works…
Charlie's Angels
Three women, kicking ass and taking names but being told
what to do by a man. Ok I’ll stop now. Charlie’s Angels was very much needed,
the sequel is another thing – flying Demi Moores was not needed. An action film
with great female leads, characters who can take care of themselves and are not
distracted by men… oh wait….ok I’ll really stop now. I actually enjoyed this
film. Lucy Lui, Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz were pretty darn good. The
story was also quite good too, having Sam Rockwell as the bad guy who wants
revenge on Charlie for killing his dad was also fun to watch (love that guy).
It also helped a great deal that Bill Murray was there too, I think he could
have saved the sequel.
Dark Shadows
The more recent addition to these picks is Tim Burton’s
salute to Dark Shadows. Reading about the show it sounds pretty damn good and
before its time maybe (but it did last 6 seasons). The once prominent Collins
family are struggling along in business and with each other, but when Barnabus
Collins who was cursed by a witch and turned into a vampire is unearthed, the
family’s fortunes change but entirely for the better. Full of supernatural-ness
and melodrama, just the soap opera, but overall underwhelming.