The Oscars: Who Should Win

The Oscars: Who Should Win

In the occasionally shocking world of the movie industry, one night celebrates the best of the best. The 2013 Academy Awards (or Oscars as they are more commonly known) will be broadcast live tomorrow evening, so here is a round-up of the nominees, as well as some predictions of who will win each category.

Best Picture

Argo

Amour

Beasts Of The Southern Wild

Django Unchained

Les Miserables

Life Of Pi

Lincoln

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty

Who should win: Thanks to its brilliant cast and some fine directing from Ben Affleck, Argo should take home the gold for the Best Picture category.

Movies Under The Microscope Review: Argo

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook 

Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln

Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables 

Joaquin Phoenix - The Master

Denzel Washington - Flight

Who should win: While the movie itself was dull to a non-American like myself, Lincoln was the perfect chance for Daniel Day-Lewis to show off his superb acting (mutton)chops as the performer didn't just act out the part - he became Honest Abe.

Best Actress

Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty

Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook

Emmanuelle Riva - Amour

Quvenzhane Willis - Beasts Of The Southern Wild

Naomi Watts - The Impossible

Who should win: Silver Linings Playbook was a decent movie until the introduction of Jennifer Lawrence - where it became a great movie thanks to her effortlessly charismatic and eccentric performance.

Movies Under The Microscope Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Best Supporting Actor

Alan Arkin - Argo

Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook

Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master

Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln

Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained

Who should win: Christoph Waltz was the most enjoyable aspect of Tarantino's Django Unchained, a movie that turned out to be much weaker than the cast within it. An Oscar for him would be very well deserved.

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams - The Master

Sally Field - Lincoln

Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables

Helen Hunt - The Sessions

Jackie Weaver - Silver Linings Playbook

Who should win: Anne Hathaway for completely bringing the house down in Les Miserables. Superb.

Movies Under The Microscope Review: Les Miserables

Best Director

Michael Haneke - Amour

Benh Zeitlin - Beasts Of The Southern Wild

Ang Lee - Life Of Pi

Steven Spielberg - Lincoln

David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook

Who should win: The "unfilmable" adaptation of Life Of Pi came to extraordinarily colourful life thanks to Ang Lee's dazzling directorial vision.

Animated Feature Film

Brave

Frankenweenie

Paranorman

The Pirates! Band Of Misfits

Wreck-It Ralph

Who should win: Wreck-It Ralph is one of the most original, exciting and humorous animated movies of the last decade and, while it would be nice for Pixar to add another award to their collection thanks to Brave, Disney deserve this one.

Movies Under The Microscope Review: Wreck-It Ralph

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Chris Terrio - Argo

Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin - Beasts Of The Southern Wild

David Magee - Life Of Pi

Tony Kushner - Lincoln

David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook

Who should win: With such a vast story and such a large amount of source material, David Magee did well to condense Life Of Pi into a well paced whirlwind of a movie, and therefore deserves to take home the Oscar.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Michael Haneke - Amour

Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained

John Gatins - Flight

Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola - Moonrise Kingdom

Mark Boal - Zero Dark Thirty

Who should win: Amidst all the political chaos of Zero Dark Thirty and the bloody violence of Django Unchained, Moonrise Kingdom sticks out as the film based purely on its believable, sweet characters. Its witty, absorbing screenplay should give it the edge.

Cinematography

Anna Karenina

Django Unchained

Life Of Pi

Lincoln

Skyfall

Who should win: Say what you want about Django Unchained, but Tarantino certainly made the movie look just as authentic as the westerns of old.

Movies Under The Microscope Review: Django Unchained

Visual Effects

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Life Of Pi

The Avengers

Prometheus

Snow White And The Hunstman

Who should win: Life Of Pi: one movie worth seeing in 3D. Beautiful.

Music (Original Score)

Anna Karenina

Argo

Life Of Pi

Lincoln

Skyfall

Who should win: That iconic James Bond theme never gets old, and Thomas Newman's tense, exciting score found the perfect pitch for what is simply the best 007 movie yet.

Movies Under The Microscope Review: Skyfall

Make-Up And Hairstyling

Hitchcock

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Les Miserables

Who should win: The Hobbit. Those dwarf actors weren't born looking like that y'know.

Movies Under The Microscope Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Original Song

"Before My Time" - Chasing Ice

"Everybody Needs A Best Friend" - Ted

"Pi's Lullaby" - Life Of Pi

"Skyfall" - Skyfall

"Suddenly" - Les Miserables

Who should win: Skyfall, as Adele's original number opened the film in perfect style: shaken, not stirred.

Costume Design

Anna Karenina

Les Miserables

Lincoln

Mirror Mirror

Snow White And The Hunstman

Who should win: Les Miserables had a great narrative detailing the lives of these individuals living in revolutionist France - everything from the music to the outstandingly authentic costumes pulled us further into the story.

That's all of the major categories covered - until the Oscars are revealed tomorrow evening this is all speculation but for each one I get right, you owe me a beer. Done? Cheers!

Check out a round-up of all the Oscar winners right here at Movies Under The Microscope.

Review: This Is 40

Review: This Is 40

This Is 40 is a bad movie. 

Now, that's not to say it isn't at all funny or entertaining. As a Judd Apatow production, it is of course going to be a combination of the two. The problem is its lack of an end goal. A movie should work towards something - a resolution, a finale, a final struggle to defeat the conflict. This Is 40 has no such feature, and instead is simply a humongous script which plods along with no particular purpose. 

40 Year Old Virgin had a finish line (Steve Carrell attempting to pop his cherry); Knocked Up spent its running time excitingly leading up to the birth of Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl's baby; even Anchorman for all its insanity was consistently developing its characters towards its climax.

In short, This Is 40 would have fared much better as a sitcom with perhaps 5 or 6 episodes rather than a movie which outstays its welcome tremendously. 

I'm sure while writing his screenplay, Apatow was under the impression that he was highlighting the sweetly amusing arguments, denials and problems that come with reaching the mid-life crisis age of 40, but what we end up with is a long slog filled with sloppy comedy and precious little plot to speak of despite a brilliant lead performance from Paul Rudd and some inspired celebrity cameos. 

Set five years after the events of Knocked Up, we rejoin two of its supporting characters, Debbie (Leslie Mann) and Pete (Rudd), a married couple who are both about to "celebrate" their 40th birthdays in the same week. With the aid of their daughters (played by Judd Apatow's real-life daughters Maude and Iris) they prepare to throw their birthday parties, but with Pete's record label about to go into bankruptcy and Debbie's clothes store failing to make profit, hitting their latest milestone might be the least of their worries. 

There are also some other very loose plot strands regarding Pete's relationship with his money swindling father, as well as Debbie's distance from her own dad. The problem is that most of these excess storylines never really amount to anything more than a hurried conversation, and in fact most of the narrative (particularly regarding Pete's record label) is forgotten about come the film's conclusion.

In the film's favour, there are interesting characters aplenty and some fantastic performances to boot. Paul Rudd is outstanding as Pete, as likeable as always and absolutely hilarious. Chris O'Dowd and Jason Segel are also welcome additions to the cast, the latter reprising his role from Knocked Up to effectively bridge the gap between the two comedies, and Megan Fox, Albert Brooks and John Lithgow also ensure that familiar faces keep us interested. 

On the flip side though, Leslie Mann shouts and screams her way through the film as usual, providing nothing but headaches and annoyance in her role as Debbie; call it a fault with the script or with her performance, but perhaps Apatow is simply too scared to tell his real-life wife that shrieking and over exaggerating every word isn't good acting.

Some of the celebrity cameos are fantastic, however - Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day easily has the best one, insulting Chris O' Dowd with perfect comic timing, while Melissa McCarthy of Bridesmaids fame has her own brief moment in the spotlight.

Yet while the acting is good and there are some entertaining faces, the story (or lack thereof) begins to drag severely after the first hour. To be honest, This Is 40 feels much more like a director's cut than the theatrical edition, and it's easy to tell that most scenes were ad-libbed again and again purely for Apatow's pleasure. The whole project feels like a self indulgence trip for the director, almost like a Greatest Hits of his best styles and while it seems like an admirably personal film for him, at times it also feels as though he is simply filming a day-in-the-life feature rather than a movie. 

Still, there are some genuinely touching and funny moments and, despite the fact that it's overstuffed and overlong, there's something sweet about This Is 40 that will stay with you after you (finally) leave.

Summary

This Is 40 has all the ingredients to be a hilarious, hard-hitting journey into the truth and acceptance of middle age but unfortunately writer/director Judd Apatow has thrown too many of those ingredients into the mixing pot, resulting in a muddled narrative with no particular aim. Still, brilliant performances from the likes of Paul Rudd and the supporting cast ensure that the movie isn't totally boring but it definitely would have fared better with some more time in the editing room. It's okay, but suffers from typical indulgent Apatow syndrome - this is 40 minutes too long.

5/10 - Mediocre

See it if you liked: Knocked Up (2007), Funny People (2009), Friends With Kids (2012)

Review: A Good Day To Die Hard

Review: A Good Day To Die Hard

Mission: Impossible meets The Avengers in the most ridiculously over the top Die Hard movie yet. 

Spectacular stunts do not a movie make, and while Bruce Willis is as charismatic as ever during his portrayal of kick-ass detective John McClane, a weak narrative, poor comedy and the requirement to suspend disbelief makes A Good Day To Die Hard (or Die Hard 5) the weakest instalment in a franchise which has now become a shadow of its former self.

Whereas the original trilogy had McClane in believable, real peril facing off against deadly terrorists on his own, Die Hard 5 sees him teaming up with his estranged son Jack, portrayed with no particular enthusiasm by Jai Courtney. When Jack is arrested in Russia John departs New York and sets off to help his son, only to find that Jack is actually an undercover CIA Agent attempting to thwart a terrorist plot to unleash weapons-grade uranium on the world. Together the newly formed family team fight side by side to defeat the "scumbag bad guys." Sounds like an okay plot for a passable two-player video game, but the Die Hard series deserves better.

What follows is action scene after action scene, car chases galore and ridiculously unbelievable shots of Willis and Courtney dodging helicopter rotors making them seem more like superheroes rather than cops. Just when it seems as though it might finally be time to sit down and try some exposition or character development, the father-son duo get shot at again to keep them on the move. While it's good that the film is excitingly action packed, it can be frustrating as the script fails to delve into its potential regarding John and Jack McClane getting to know each other after so many years. 

Perhaps the fault is down to Jai Courtney's dull representation of Jack - it's hard to believe that someone as badass as John McClane could produce such a one-dimensional, boring offspring who can only pull off one facial expression. To cut a long story short, Courtney is no Samuel L.Jackson in Die Hard With A Vengeance - in fact, even Justin Long was a more enjoyable sidekick in Live Free Or Die Hard.

Even the usually witty comedy misses its mark this time around with lines regarding John's fish-out-of-water status in Russia resulting in some cringe-worthy jokes - and don't even get me started on the hideously inappropriate punchlines poking fun at a real-life Russian disaster which cost many lives.

There are a few nods to the original Die Hard flicks which raise a grin or two though, such as broken glass shots or building falls, but when they come at the end of a movie that has nothing on its predecessors, it's hard to wish you weren't watching one of them instead of this loud, pointless riot of a movie.

Summary

I wanted to love Die Hard 5 but it just didn't happen. A lot of the blame can be directed at the narrative,  with shoddy writing, a blatantly unintelligent plot and one-note villains failing to raise any interest. The action is exciting enough, but too much of a good thing quickly makes it tiresome and when it becomes as unbelievable as the film's climax one begins to question whether or not John McClane has turned into a superhero overnight. Still, equipped with trademark smirk Bruce Willis is always entertaining to watch especially when he is in full kick-ass mode. Overall though, A Good Day To Die Hard is a bad day for the Die Hard series.

3/10 - Yippee-Ki-Nay.

See it if you liked: Die Hard 4.0 (2007), Mission Impossible 4 (2011), Jack Reacher (2012)

Review: I Give It A Year

Review: I Give It A Year

Funny romantic comedies are often hard to come by. There are some (most of which star the likes of Jennifer Aniston or Gerard Butler) that unashamedly assume they are hilarious by throwing in a zany, unrelatable and clumsy character whose story involves lots of falling over; occasionally though, there are others like I Give It A Year. 

Director Dan Mazer's comedy shouldn't really be as funny as it is but there's something irresistible in the way his script throws a romantic cliche at the audience only to have it followed by a cheeky wink, as if he's saying "I know, right?"

Aside from the comic aspects though, I Give It A Year manages to push all the right buttons with its genuinely well written (if flawed) characters and although the story, in particular its ending, sends out a pretty negative message about the importance of marriage and the work it requires, the movie will surely satisfy its typical target audience - and may warm even the most stubborn heart.

The wedding of Josh (Rafe Spall) and Nat (Rose Byrne) goes without a hitch - despite the fact they've only been together for nine months. Unfortunately though, their parents, their friends and even the minister don't believe that they can make it for more than a year. Before long, they begin the usual squabbles that the average newlywed couple endure, but to make matters worse Josh's ex-girlfriend Chloe (Anna Faris) returns from her around the world travels and Guy (Simon Baker) appears as a handsome client in Nat's advertising firm, providing attractive alternatives for both sides of this mismatched marriage. Can they even make it to their first anniversary?

The story is solid enough, in particular the fact that the movie starts where most romantic comedies end - the wedding. The only thing that doesn't click is the idea that the film projects - the idea that marriage is like a contract that can be cancelled at any time. Why bother even getting married if you're just seeing it as a challenge?

This leads to a problem with the characters themselves as, although their moral ambiguity is the backbone of the film's narrative, it's hard to care whether or not they complete the running time with their relationships intact. Josh and Nat's marriage seems doomed to fail but neither wants to be the first to end it - so the only thing keeping them together is stubbornness, really. Add to that the fact that the other potential partners (Guy, a slimy businessman who seems determined to entice a married woman and Chloe, a nice but aimless charity worker) are as frustrating as the central couple in question, and what we end up with is a mismatch of infuriatingly selfish people who only seem to be in it for themselves.

Still, although the "rom" part of the film has some dodgy hiccups, the "com" section is flawless. Rafe Spall, who most will only know from the unfortunately dull sitcom Pete Vs. Life, is fantastic as Josh, managing to nail both the essential comic timing and the emotional punches, while Rose Byrne once again plays the female lead with elegant ease. The two have some brilliantly natural chemistry together, keeping us tied in to their story of forced love and temptation.

There's also some brilliant comedic support from the hilarious Stephen Merchant who steals every scene he's in, particularly for his hilariously awkward best man's speech ("For those of you who don't know me, and for those of you who'll meet me at the bar later my full name is Danny D'you Want A Pint.") as well as Jason Flemyng popping up as Nat's brother-in-law. We could have done without Anna "I'm funny, really, please give me a chance" Faris though.

Summary

I Give It A Year is a romantic comedy that doesn't really want to be a romantic comedy. To be fair, it's much more comedy than romance thanks to its ambiguous message regarding the importance of marriage (you'll see what I mean by the end - no spoilers here!) yet despite its narrative flaws regarding the characterisation, the spot on performances and some genuinely funny moments ensure that I Give It A Year will satisfy more than just the usual rom-com crowd. If not, it'll at least put you off buying a digital photo frame.

7/10 - Good

See it if you liked: Knocked Up (2007), 500 Days Of Summer (2009), Friends With Benefits (2011)

Review: Warm Bodies

Review: Warm Bodies

I'll be honest: I expected Warm Bodies to be dreadful. As the lights went down and the movie began with Nicholas Hoult's dry narration, I rolled my eyes and assumed a comfortable enough position to endure what I predicted would be a female-exclusive replacement for The Twilight Saga. 

Not for the first (or last) time, I was definitely wrong.

That's not to say that Warm Bodies is particularly brilliant or original. It certainly won't appeal to most fans of the zombie genre due to its slightly vague overview of the walking corpses, but the movie utilizes its interesting premise to provide a quirky, swift and humorous flick that thankfully seems to know and understand its status as brainless romantic fun.

Nicholas Hoult (formerly of E4's Skins) stars as "R", a zombified teen whose life now involves shuffling, grunting and moping awkwardly around an airport with his fellow undead. When he brutally eats the brain of her boyfriend and falls in love with Julie (Teresa Palmer), R begins to question whether there could be more to the world than simply eating human flesh; before long, his connection with Julie begins to restore life to both himself and the other zombies around him - but Julie's father, resistance fighter General Grigio (John Malkovich) may not be so keen on the idea of his daughter befriending the same creatures which killed his wife.

So, with some decent plotting and likeable protagonists who are actually strong enough to do things for themselves, this is not the Zombie-Twilight. Still, it's not quite as cool as it should be, failing to take advantage of the zombie genre it wants to be a part of and instead spending more time on the romantic aspects of the narrative. 

Certainly there's nothing wrong with the cast, though. Hoult, whose previous performances in the likes of Clash Of The Titans have been somewhat dim, is brilliantly understated as R; as the film applies plenty of voice over for the purposes of comedic exposition, Hoult's sarcasm and dry wit shines through as we watch him stagger around in classic zombie fashion. Meanwhile, Teresa Palmer is a perfectly amiable female lead, acting out the combination of Julie's fear, confusion and determination and proving that the girl doesn't always have to be the damsel in distress.

Shot with a gloriously grey tinge to highlight the bleak existence of humanity after this (unfortunately vague) apocalypse, Warm Bodies also bites its teeth into the indie genre with a killer soundtrack including the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Bon Iver and The Nationals as R and Julie initially connect over their love of music ("I prefer vinyl," grunts R slowly, "...better sound. More alive.").

Ultimately though, Warm Bodies succeeds mostly because it manages to touch base on several different styles in its relatively snappy running time. There's sci-fi, there's comedy (although admittedly not as much as it thinks it has), there's romance and last but not least, there's a satisfying level of action and gore at the film's climax that gives the story a decent send-off. 

Summary

Despite the abundance of zombies within Warm Bodies, there's a beating heart in this tale that holds our attention from beginning to end. Nicholas Hoult is brilliantly deadpan as R, while Teresa Palmer is a likeable co-star. A lack of focus on the zombie aspect of the narrative takes away some of its impact and most of the romantic scenes are cheesy, but overall Warm Bodies strikes one as the undead lovechild of 500 Days of Summer and Zombieland. Not bad for a film with no brrrrraaaains...(sorry).

7/10 - Good

See it if you liked: Zombieland (2009), 500 Days of Summer (2009), Dark Shadows (2012)

Review: Flight

Review: Flight

Denzel Washington stars in this Oscar-nominated drama about an alcoholic airline pilot who miraculously lands a diving plane against all the odds. Robert Zemeckis, who hasn't directed a live-action film since 2000's Cast Away, steers the film safely when it comes to the exhilarating crash sequence, however it almost feels as though Flight is a victim of its own success. The opening scenes are so exciting that everything afterwards feels dull, depressing and (as Marty McFly would say in Zemeckis' own Back To The Future series) "heavy."

Flight feels like it should actually be based on a true story, following in the vein of aeroplane disaster movies such as United 93; however, it is actually based around one extraordinary detail which emerged from a real-life plane crash in 2000 - the theory that a plane (apparently in fatal free fall) could actually be forced to level out into a safe glide. To give it a go, the pilot has to be either very desperate or very drunk.

That is the basis of Flight; Washington's substance abusing pilot, Captain William "Whip" Whitaker has two small bottles of vodka with his orange juice whilst at the wheel of the plane. Whether as a result of this or not, the plane suddenly descends into a straight dive towards a residential area; Whip makes the hasty decision to invert the aircraft and roll it, landing it relatively safely in an unoccupied field. He loses consciousness and awakes in a hospital room, only to find that his problems are just beginning: his blood was drawn on the day of the crash and alcohol was found in his system - a crime for any pilot. 

After this, the movie becomes dull and weighed down by the promise of more interesting plot developments - at the end of the day, this is the kind of story we've seen before. A man has a substance abuse problem and attempts to battle it, resulting in pain and misery for an abundance of painful and miserable characters when he inevitably fails. Oh but will he win in the end? 

Well, you'll have to wait about two and a half hours to find out, as Flight drags out its fairly simple premise over a very stretched running time. The film attempts to liven things up by throwing in Kelly Reilly as love interest Nicole, a woman who meets Whip in hospital after overdosing on heroin, but this only leads to more boredom as they go through the usual turmoil of dragging each other down. 

On the flip side Don Cheadle is excellent as Hugh Lang, an attorney who attempts to ensure that Whip does not end up going to prison on drink, drugs and manslaughter charges. Equally, John Goodman brings some much needed comic relief in the form of Whip's dealer Harling Mays, a man of little honesty in contrast to Cheadle's justice-seeking attorney.

Ultimately though, it's Denzel Washington who steals the show. Whip is a very unsympathetic character but thanks to a stunning performance by the Oscar nominee, we find ourselves routing for the alcoholic as it slowly becomes clear that no one else could have landed the plane like him. In the final scenes where Whip attends a hearing to determine his fate, the conflict and guilt is brilliantly acted in his words and face; it's clear that Washington deserves this Oscar nomination against some very stiff competition.

Still, at the end of the day excellent performances can't detract from a contrived narrative that soars sky high in its opening half hour yet crash lands harder than the Whip's plane for the rest of the movie. Zemeckis does have some brilliant shots and, despite his dabbling in CGI Animation like A Christmas Carol and The Polar Express, it's clear that he is still a pro with live action, but his spot on camera work hardly manages to lift the dull movie into the air.

Summary

Flight wants to be a hard-hitting investigation into the causes and stresses of addiction and substance abuse, but ultimately it's all been done before in ways that are much less time consuming and much more exciting. The opening scenes featuring the actual plane crash are heart pounding and expertly directed, but it seems as though this should actually be the climax of the film rather than having the most jaw-dropping moments at the start. After this, the remaining two hours drag to the point where its hard to stomach the contrived narrative. There are some astounding performances, particularly from Denzel Washington, but ultimately decent acting can't get a movie off the ground on its own.

5/10 - Mediocre

See it if you liked: Cast Away (2000), United 93 (2006), Crazy Heart (2011)

Review: Wreck-It Ralph

Review: Wreck-It Ralph

Disney has experienced a slightly unstable level of quality over the last few years, with efforts such as Cars 2,  Mars Needs Moms, John Carter and Brave failing to overwhelm the critics. 

That's all about to change.

Not since Toy Story 3 has there been an animation with as much wit, heart and colourful nostalgia as Wreck-It Ralph, the motion picture that will go down in history as the best video-game movie of all time. 

It's not surprising that most have mistaken Wreck-It Ralph for a Pixar effort, as both the computer animation and the storyline are superb. Sure, there are nods aplenty to the likes of Mario, Sonic, Pac-Man and Tomb Raider, but at the heart of the movie is a truly brilliant tale of acceptance and friendship - and a good story makes all the difference.

In the world of Wreck-It Ralph, video-game characters have a life outside their games. When the arcade lights go down and the machines are switched off, every protagonist and antagonist comes to life and heads home, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Bowser, Lara Croft and Zangief on their way to "Game Central", a sort of train station where the characters make their way to and from each game. Ralph's job is as a Donkey Kong-style villain in a decades-old arcade game known as "Fix It, Felix!" in which he attempts to destroy a building while his enemy, charming all-round good guy Felix, repairs the damage. 

The problem is, Ralph is actually a nice guy. After 30 years of being repeatedly humiliated and unloved inside his game, he attends "Bad-Anon", a therapy group for gaming bad guys such as Doctor Eggman and Zangief where the antagonists attempt to make sense of a world where being bad is never rewarded.

It's here where most of the gaming cameos come in; the script is smart and doesn't overdo the references, meaning that kids won't feel completely alienated by the consistent nods to retro games. Claiming that "it sure must be nice to be the good guy," Ralph decides that enough is enough and that he wants to prove to his colleagues that baddies can achieve hero status. Unwittingly threatening the existence of the games, Ralph departs his game and embarks on an adventure to obtain a medal - however, he soon finds that he is way out of his depth as he unleashes a cyber bug into the arcade.

The premise of characters coming alive when people leave has been done before (Toy Story), but even then it has never been done as cleverly as this. For example, when Ralph is at "Bad-Anon" it is revealed that the meeting is actually held inside the inky square within the game Pac-Man; later, as Ralph causes chaos within Game Central and accidentally bashes into Sonic the Hedgehog, golden rings are seen scattered around the floor. It's this sort of commitment to gaming references that ensures Wreck-It Ralph will appeal to adults of a certain age, while kids are sure to love the brilliantly performed colourful characters.

Ralph himself is voiced by John C. Reilly, whose effortless comic timing adds a heartfelt subtlety to our villain-turned-hero; on paper, we shouldn't be routing for him as he goes against all the rules, yet at the same time it's impossible not to keep our fingers crossed that he achieves his goal. Equally, Sarah Silverman is surprisingly decent as Vanellope, a character who befriends Ralph in the Mario-Kart inspired racing game "Sugar Rush." She initially comes on a little too strong, but Vanellope's fantastic story (she is a glitch, meaning she is considered a freak inside her own game) manages to give us someone to route for other than Ralph.

Not to be outdone, Jack McBrayer is fantastic as Felix, while Jane Lynch has some fantastic one-liners as Sergeant Calhoun, a commander inside the game "Hero's Duty." It's in this Halo-meets-Mass Effect shoot-em-up where Ralph realises what a mistake he's made in leaving the comfort of his happy, slow 80's game as (in one of the movie's best lines) he runs around screaming "When did video games become so violent and messy?" 

Cleverly, however, the movie doesn't spend much time making its own social commentary on the matters of video-game violence; at its heart, this is a story about acceptance. Ralph just wants to be appreciated because he feels that, quite rightly, the game would be nothing without him and he deserves as much recognition as Felix. Yet, even with the film's conclusion, the message should hopefully resonate with kids and adults alike as the bad guys at "Bad-Anon" repeatedly remind themselves: "there's nobody I'd rather be than me."

Summary

Wreck-It Ralph is a triumph of both film-making and storytelling. Colourful, exciting, brilliantly animated and excellently performed, the movie is perfect for a nostalgic look back at the past while also providing a fantastic tale of friendship and self-affirmation. With cameos aplenty from those 8-bit characters we all know and love, as well as exciting set pieces and a swift pace, Wreck-It Ralph is the ultimate gamers movie - and one of the best animated films of all time. Press Start.

10/10 - Amazing

See it if you liked: Toy Story 3 (2010), Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010), Tron: Legacy (2010)

Review: Movie 43

Review: Movie 43

"What are all these A-Listers doing in one movie?" asks the trailer for ensemble comedy Movie 43. The answer: being forced to perform excruciatingly laugh-free acts of grotesque immaturity for the purposes of a quick buck, presumably against their will.

It's just so undeniably ridiculous that one has to wonder why on Earth these often fantastic (in some cases Oscar-winning) actors read this script and thought "Yes. This sounds like a great idea."

Who knows, but at the end of the day it's horrific to see the likes of Emma Stone, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Terrence Howard, Gerard Butler, Stephen Merchant and countless others reduced to performing the kind of stupid comedy that would usually be reserved for the likes of a Z-List cast of stereotypes in one of those awful Epic Movie rip offs.

The ridiculous plot involves a group of three badly acted kids searching online for the fabled "Movie 43." Their search into the deepest, darkest corners of the internet uncovers (for some reason) a slew of sketches from various directors and stars. 

It's a set up for a really decent joke - except there is no punchline. From the first video the group encounter (Kate Winslet on a date with Hugh Jackman, a man who is seemingly unaware that he has a pair of testicles dangling from his neck) all the way to the final scenario (Elizabeth Banks dating Josh Duhamel with the result that the latter's cat tries to murder his new girlfriend), the comedy fails to raise any laughs save for one or two very brief moments. There is almost no redemption for the amount of times eyes are rolled, sighs are let loose and awkward silences are emitted from the audience after the point where we were apparently supposed to laugh. 

It wouldn't even be that bad, but Movie 43 feels more like a glory seeking little kid crying out for attention - when it feels as though we aren't paying enough attention to its garbage, it throws in more disgusting rubbish to wake us up and groan (Anna Faris desperate for her boyfriend to poo on her, for example).

Most of the film seems lazy and badly edited, too; it's so easy to tell that the scenes were shot in less than two or three takes - perhaps because the cast were too humiliated to go on or because the directors were just so desperate to get out of their living hell. 

There is only one sketch which is worth watching, yet unfortunately it's no longer than your average YouTube hit. Featuring Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Patrick Warburton and Chloe-Grace Moretz, it portrays the amusing possibility of a teenage girl experiencing her first period at her boyfriend's house - panic and terrified confusion ensues. Still, a decent 5 minutes out of the total 94 isn't exactly anything to scream and shout about. 

Summary

If you enjoyed the trailer, the chances are you'll probably be able to chuckle a little at Movie 43. Otherwise, trust your gut and avoid this movie at all costs. Perhaps I need to lighten up, but there's honestly nothing here to appreciate and it's certainly not worth the money it'll cost you for the ticket. At least Emma Stone looks pretty hot as per.

Please, restore my faith in humanity and do not go and see Movie 43.

1/10 - Barely Made It Out Alive

See it if you liked: Epic Movie (2007), Superhero Movie (2008), A Haunted House (2013)

5 Things To Know About Wreck-It Ralph

5 Things To Know About Wreck-It Ralph

Planning on taking a trip to see Wreck-It Ralph after its release this Friday but have no idea what it's about? Fear not, bluffer. Here are 5 things you should know before visiting Ralph's arcade...

1 - The Plot

Ralph is a wrecker by both name and nature. As the antagonist in a retro arcade game called "Fix It, Felix!" in which the gamer's main goal is to fix the structures that Ralph destroys by controlling the heroic builder named Felix, Ralph has felt unloved, unappreciated and unwanted within his own game. When he finds another way to achieve a "hero" medal, he travels through the different games in the arcade, inadvertently releasing a cyber bug that could infect and destroy all of the other games within the system. With the lives (or respawns) of all his fellow game characters threatened, Ralph decides to become the hero he always wanted to be and take on the conspirators behind the bug.

2 - The Production

The concept of Wreck-It Ralph was actually initiated in the late 1980's under the working title "High Score". Originally thought of as a hand-drawn animation (in the same category as the likes of The Fox and the Hound and 101 Dalmations etc), the film was then renamed Joe Jump in the early 90's, before Disney decided to focus on other projects. Put on the back burner for over 10 years, the movie finally underwent rewrites in the late noughties under the name "Reboot Ralph" and it was not until early 2012 that Disney finally settled upon "Wreck-It Ralph." Initially planned for a March 22nd, 2013 release in America, the movie was brought forward to November 2, 2012 (February 8th, 2013 in the UK) as it was ahead of schedule. 

3 - The Cast

Leading the fantastic cast is Step Brothers star John C. Reilly. When taking on the role of Ralph, Reilly said "I don't really have to change my voice a lot for this movie. Even though he's considered a bad guy, Ralph is still an honest guy. So they just wanted me to be really honest. I did enjoy watching some of the other guys having to change their voices though."

One of these voice changers is American comedian Sarah Silverman who plays Vanellope von Schweetz, one of the racers in a Mario Kart meets Barbie World style racing game called Sugar Rush. Also joining the movie is 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer as Felix, as well as Glee's Jane Lynch playing Sergeant Calhoun, the main protagonist of the Halo-esque shoot-em-up Hero's Duty.

4 - The Cameos

In addition to its main characters, Wreck-It Ralph also features a wealth of cameos from video game stars past and present. From Sonic the Hedgehog to the Pac-Man inks, Lara Croft to Super Mario and Zombie from House of the Dead, the movie is sprinkled with references and appearances from the game characters we know and love. Look out for the blink-and-you'll-miss-it nods to hundreds of games, as Wreck-It Ralph should prove to be the ultimate gamers movie.

5 - The Critics

Since its American release, Wreck-It Ralph has had an 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the general consensus stating: "Equally entertaining for both kids and parents old enough to catch the references, Wreck-It Ralph is a clever, colourful adventure built on familiar themes and joyful nostalgia."

Sounds good then, right? According to most, yes. The New York Times call it "a 93 minute blast of noise, fun, colour and ingenuity," while TotalFilm have cited it as "a Disney flick which feels like on-form Pixar. You'll want another go." Conversely, however, The Atlantic have called it "overplotted and underdeveloped, leaving it feeling like a franchise money maker with the promise of an inevitable sequel." Still, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Wreck-It Ralph is released this Friday (February 8th) and you can catch a review of it right here at Movies Under The Microscope.

Also on the way this week are reviews of Sylvester Stallone's new movie Bullet To The Head, as well as Lincoln and Flight. In the meantime, you can check out the review of Arnie's new flick The Last Stand by clicking right here, and you can take your pick of recent articles and reviews by using the sidebar on the right.

Review: The Last Stand

Review: The Last Stand

Let's not beat around the bush; The Last Stand is a film based purely around Arnold Schwarzenegger's make or break solo comeback (two cameos in the star-studded Expendables franchise not withstanding).

It's lucky for him then, that The Last Stand is an exciting adrenaline blast filled with some decent performances, humour in all the right places and a nod back to the old 80's and 90's action flicks, the likes of which the "Governator" starred in. There are a few glitches here and there, such as a one-dimensional villain and some pretty unbelievable set pieces, but overall The Last Stand entertains on almost every level.

After a botched mission as a narcotics officer in the LAPD leaves Arnie's Ray Owens wracked with regret, he moves into the quiet border town of Sommerton where, as sheriff, he enjoys a calm life dedicated to keeping the peace. Yet that peaceful existence is shattered when he is contacted by the FBI and informed that the most notorious drug kingpin in the United States has escaped custody and is now making a ridiculously fast break for the Mexican border - right through his town. Ray has two options: safely turn his back and declare the matter out of his hands, or risk the lives of his small town police force in order to bring the wanted criminal to justice.



Okay, so the film is hardly going to win any awards for most original screenplay. Still the somewhat silly story is exciting enough, featuring some contractually awesome one-liners from Arnie ("Put these cuffs on. Or I will."), and some great action, particularly from his own force in Sommerton. Thor's Jaime Alexander is great as his second in command while Johnny Knoxville, despite being the token idiot, manages to provide plenty of comic relief.

Arnie himself is a little stiff, and some back story for his character requires him to add some emotional punch to his performance - a punch which amounts to little more than a light slap. Yet the old Terminator has plenty of kick-ass action shots, firing on all cylinders as he takes out all the bad guys in classic shoot-em-up style and it's clear that he's enjoying taking centre stage once again.

Less enjoyable, however, is a ridiculous escape scene in which Cortez, the criminal in question escapes from the FBI - with the help of a giant magnet...I know, right? That's the kind of thing you'd see in a superhero movie. This set piece isn't helped by a very cartoon-esque Forrest Whitaker screaming and shouting left and right to "find him!" constantly.



Still, when Cortez gets on the road and drives off at a relentless speed, dodging cops in his race to the Mexican border, the action is breathtaking. The film even casts a shadow over the Fast and Furious movies, as the brilliant car chase stunts are sure to impress fans of that particular genre. Add to that some brilliantly chaotic edge-of-the-border disorder in Sommerton (involving some fantastic, stylish kills) and The Last Stand kicks in to top gear.

Unfortunately though, during the first half of the film those car chases highlight the boredom in Arnie's town. A subplot involving the death of a local farmer simply slows down the action, and while this time is used to develop the sherrif's team, all of them are "token" characters and their arcs are very predictable. Equally, as he sits up slowly and grunts "This should be a quiet weekend," the sherriff's age is consistently drilled into us. "I'm old," he blatantly announces later, just in case you missed it. If the movie stopped poking fun at itself and its star so much it could have been taken much more seriously.

Summary

While it's great to see Arnold Schwarzenegger back on the big screen (in a big way), The Last Stand does have an over reliance on self deprecatingly mocking its ageing hero. Yet there's something about his comeback that is just irresistible, whether it be the amusingly cartoon-ish action sequences, the breathless races through the desert or the tense fistfight finale on a bridge. The performances are decent enough, and the comedy is entertaining, particularly Luis Guzman and Johnny Knoxville who are surprisingly much less annoying than the trailers suggest. So if you can get through the silly plot, The Last Stand excellently kicks off 2013's love letter to the great action films of the 80's, with Stallone's Bullet To The Head and Willis's A Good Day To Die Hard still to come. 

7/10 - Good

See it if you liked: 3:10 To Yuma (2007), The Expendables 2 (2011), Django Unchained (2012)