justkit

Apparently this film got a lot of good hype, and the result was that lots of people went to see it with high, or misguided, expectations and then immediately went online and accused it of being the most boring movie ever made.

I loathe people that say things like that! For starters, unless they've seen every movie ever made, their opinion is entirely specious and irrelevant. Second, they only think that because:-

A) They are morons who are unable to enjoy a film unless it includes chaotic action sequences, fast-cutting, explosions, and sex.

B) They went into it with expectations that were either too high, or primed for an entirely different type of film.

C) Both of the above!

This film is extraordinarily well made. By a crew of three people + two actors. On a budget of virtually nothing. Using off-the-shelf equipment and software that you may well have on your own PC. (I do!) Yet it looks and feels like a proper, full-scale movie.

The fact that it was shot entirely on location in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Texas adds considerably to the production values, and the visual effects (most of which you won't even know are there) again increase production values, and help sell the premise of the film.

Yes, the story is simple - but not pointless, and not too thin. The film moves at a good pace, with a clear narrative and satisfying conclusion. There is no real action, but this is not meant to be an action movie. You don't see many monsters, but you feel their presence and hear them throughout. When you do get to see the monsters, they are pretty good. Not the greatest, but certainly not bad. Nowhere near as bad as the monsters in a lot of much higher-budget, more "professional" Hollywood films. They don't disappoint, and they are actually quite beautiful, in my opinion!

Despite an arguably misleading title, this is essentially a road movie/romance, with sci-fi underpinnings. It's an adventure in exotic jungle locations. If you enjoy a good jungle adventure, then you'll probably like this movie.

The performances from the two leads are totally natural and easy to watch. The dialogue is natural too. (It was mostly improvised, but didn't feel like an improvised film. Before I watched the "making of" I just assumed that it was fantastically well-written!) There is nothing self-conscious about any aspect of this film, unlike most "improvised" movies.

Finally, and I can't stress this strongly enough - watch the film with an open mind. Then watch ALL of the documentary material on the DVD. The Making Of documentary has a longer running time than the film itself, but it is well worth it. And after seeing how the film got made, you will appreciate it so much more. As a movie, it stands up very well on its own, but viewed alongside the documentary material it is a master class in guerrilla filmmaking.

I challenge any TRUE movie buff not to come away from the experience with respect and admiration for this small team of talented young artists, who achieved so much with so little.

If you want to see Clash of the Titans with a compelling narrative, good creatures, good action sequences, and a SUPERB cast, watch the 1981 original. It may be a little dated, and some of the effects are certainly old-fashioned by today's standards, but it has something the remake doesn't even come close to achieving: - Class!

If you are brain-dead, have a limited attention span, are totally ignorant of (and have no interest in) ancient Greek mythology, and basically just want lots of standard quality CGI, one-dimensional characters, and a plot dumbed-down to the point that there is no longer anything there, then watch the remake; a mindless, soulless, travesty that insults the intelligence of the viewer, and does everything it can to destroy all that was good about the original.

The director has publicly claimed to be a fan of the original, but this seems very unlikely based on his so-called homage featuring the mechanical owl from the 1981 film. His treatment of that classic prop/character could not have been more dismissive and insulting. It clearly shows how little he respected the original film, as do pretty much all of his other directorial choices.

A terrible and entirely pointless film.

I understand that this film was made with a young audience in mind. A very, VERY young audience, I suspect. But that is no excuse for dumbing-down to the point of idiocy, poorly written dialogue that is so "child-friendly" that it actually has all the adults talking like children (dumb ones), and a sledge-hammer approach to the "message".

Children are not morons. Even young children. A skilled writer can produce a movie which is entirely palatable to an eight-year-old, yet still explores a variety of themes and ideas in a realistic and un-patronising way. Older characters don't have to behave like children in order to be liked/understood/accepted by children. They should be portrayed truthfully.

This film wastes many great opportunities. The scenery is beautiful, and well photographed by a competent crew. In fact, the whole film is competently made. It just suffers from TERRIBLE writing, which has a knock-on effect right down the line. The acting seems poor, but this is mainly due to the atrocious material that the talented cast is forced to work with. The story, though far from original, is worth another telling, and there's certainly nothing wrong with messages about loving and respecting wildlife. But even a very young audience doesn't need to be repeatedly whacked over the head with it.

This film can be compared with many others of its kind; all of which are superior, mainly because they are better written, better acted, and don't talk down to their audience. I recommend "Born Free: A New Adventure" and "Dumas" as both being very good examples of how very similar stories can be told in a less patronising way. (And of course the original "Born Free" is essential viewing, though admittedly very dated by modern standards.)

The script is the foundation of every film, TV show, or play. I should have LOVED this film. It has all the right ingredients. But sadly it was built on a very shaky foundation. And as a result, it fell down.

5/10

I first saw this inspirational film on TV by accident, and was moved to tears. I couldn't get it out of my mind, and phoned the TV channel to ask if it would ever be released on DVD. I was told that they'd had so many requests that it would indeed be released on DVD - and it was. I bought a copy for myself (which I've already re-watched 3 times) and a copy for each member of my family.

This is a film that never becomes dull, and can be used as a pick-me-up whenever you're feeling down. I cry every time I watch it, from the very first shot until the gloriously moving and uplifting conclusion. (The DVD also features fantastic extras which also reduce me to tears!) The story is well told, using interviews with all the surviving participants filmed in 2009, illustrated with the original footage and photographs of Christian the lion and his human friends back in the early 70's in London and Kenya.

It's an amazing story of good, loving people who fall in love with a captive lion and devote themselves to his rehabilitation into the wild. With the help of legendary lion expert George Adamson, and "Born Free" stars Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers, Christian's 'owners', Anthony Bourke and John Rendall successfully returned Christian to the wild, where he eventually became the head of his own pride.

The film includes that now world-famous scene of Christian's reunion with Bourke and Rendall when they returned to Africa to check on his progress. The scene caused a sensation when it was posted on YouTube in 2008, and was the impetus for this documentary being made. As a result of the renewed interest in the story, Bourke and Rendall have also updated their 1971 book "A Lion Called Christian".

I recommend buying the book and the DVD, and also making a donation to the Born Free Foundation to help them continue their commendable work.

I had no doubts that this would be intelligent and well written, penned as it is by Aaron Sorkin, who'd impressed me already with "A Few Good Men" and "The American President". But nothing could prepare me for such flawless and immaculately scripted work. It gripped me from the very first scene and hasn't let go since. It really is staggeringly good! Any top-notch drama begins with a great script, but "The West Wing" manages to maintain its excellence throughout ALL aspects of the production. From the sumptuous and exquisitely well-designed sets to the masterful and elegant cinematography, every frame is filled with craftsmanship of the highest quality. In an environment such as this, how could the actors not shine? And shine they do! An impressive ensemble cast brings Sorkin's delectable dialogue to life with conviction, expertise, poise, and genuine passion. Many of the performances left me deeply moved. The dynamic range of the actors is fully exploited with no loss of discipline or control. Many of the most dramatic and emotive scenes are gloriously under-played, yet all the more powerful for their subtlety. The darker scenes are beautifully juxtaposed with humour, varying from amusing one-liners, through dry wit and sarcasm, to outright slapstick. These moments of comedy never detract from the overall drama, but compliment it skilfully, without ever feeling like 'light relief'.

"The West Wing" is truly high quality; thought provoking, intelligent, moving, warm, witty, entertaining, challenging, and original. Groundbreaking, in fact. This show ticks every box!