Real Steel - Film Review

What truly shows the steel that a man is made of? Is it his successes in his career, or is it the successes in owning up to your past mistakes, in repairing or finding the relationships you have lost. In true Hollywood style, Hugh Jackman shows his real steel as Charlie Kenton when the son he never knew about is dropped onto his doorstep at a point in his life when he is down on his luck.

The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn - Film Review

Having been a lifelong fan of Herge’s series ‘The Adventures Of Tintin’ I followed closely the production of the first large scale Hollywood production of the Belgian reporter and his trusted companion Snowy. Believing that Spielberg’s talents were enough to do justice to a series which over recent years had begun to fall into the forgotten lands of the past, it was a chance for Tintin as a leading character to be reinvented and become the headlining lead of a franchise in a post Harry Potter world.

Fringe S4 Preview 3/3 - Where Is Peter Bishop & The Actual Big Mystery

Previously on Adam's S4 Preview -

December: "You were right. They don't remember Peter."
The Observer: "How could they? He never existed. He served his purpose."

If your jaws were not on the floor before, they were now. If your jaws were already on the floor, they should have detached from your body and been running around the room.

Peter is gone. He doesn't exist. What. The. Fuck. Happens. Now.

That is supposedly the all important question looking ahead to season 4. Where exactly are we going? Where is Peter Bishop? Is he alive, dead, gone, hidden or something else entirely? The season finale of Fringe threw up the largest of cliffhangers by seemingly wiping out the existence of the stories most important catalyst. Without Peter's illness all those years ago then Walter simply would not have had to break the wall between universes, meaning all the destruction that has happened from that point forward would not have happened. Correct?

Film Reviews Coming Soon...

Hey Guys,

I know the film reviews are a little behind at the moment, but over the next week I'll start catching up on the ones I've seen but not yet written about.

Stay tuned!

Fringe S4 Preview 2/3 -3.22 The Day We Died Review

Picking up where Fringe left us at the end of "The Last Sam Weiss, Peter entered the machine and found himself transported to the future. The year 2026 to be precise, where all shit is hitting all sorts of fans worldwide. The earth is being destroyed not only by the very fabric of nature collapsing, but also a rogue terrorist group known as the "End of Days" who are intent of bringing about the end of the world. It's a very bleak place, in utter chaos and hanging on by the slenderest of threads, and one thing which season finale "The Day We Died" manages is to perfectly visualise and create a new environment and world in its short forty minute lifespan. It's no easy feat to get so much into so little time, and the fact that the future reality we are presented with feels fully fleshed out is testament to the quality of the writing.

Fringe S4 Preview 1/3 - 3.21 The Last Sam Weiss Review

For any who have followed my reviews of Fringe over the past year, you will know that this has been a long time coming. A hectic schedule led to a delayed write-up and had me preparing this review of Fringe's final two episodes almost a month after they had aired. Instead of releasing the reviews at a time where Fringe fans would be happily lounging by the side of a pool or crying in a darkened room, (depending on how they choose to deal with a hiatus) I figured best to wait until just before the season four premiere before unleashing them. That way I could turn it into a bit of a preview of the up and coming season as well as looking back at where we last were. The first part of my three part review/preview of Fringe S3/S4 is focused on "The Last Sam Weiss," tomorrow will focus on "The Day We Died" and then on Wednesday I will preview S4. Time to start getting excited.

In/Sight - Movie Review

Dark, grisly, tense and focused, In/Sight is a film that manages to take a tale that has been told time and time again and cleverly twist it into a new direction. It is determined to find the personal story within the thriller and use it to pull together a story which manages to grab your attention and keep a hold on you until the mystery it is hiding comes to light.

Fright Night - Movie Review

Scary, hilarious, outrageous and well aware that its audience shouldn't know whether to jump in fear or laugh out loud, Fright Night feels like a horror film from the olden days that you watch purely to have fun. Well worth viewing in a full theatre to get the atmosphere that works best, Fright Night is also undeniably not everyone's cup of tea. It is jam packed with blood, cussing and violence but beneath its wicked cover lies a film that is almost child-like at heart. It may be a Vampire film, but this is no twilight. This is Blade with a sense of humour, Dracula for the modern times.

Cowboys & Aliens - Movie Review

If there is one thing you don't need to know about this film before you go into the cinema screen it is that it is about cowboys and it is also about aliens. With a title so literal and bizarrely unusual, it emerged early on in the advertising campaign that the cinema goers weren't totally sure what they would be paying for by watching a film called Cowboys & Aliens. It sounds much more humorous than serious yet was boasting an action packed trailer that sees Daniel Craig's mystery man finding himself in the mist of an assault on a cowboy settlement in 19th Century America. Perhaps it is such uncertainty that accounts for the films shake box office figures in the USA, but that is doing the film a disservice. Cowboys & Aliens deserves more attention than it has received.

Crazy, Stupid, Love - Movie Review

As you may have deduced from the title, Crazy, Stupid, Love is a film that focuses on every aspect there is revolving around the L word. Whether it is love for family, friends, peers, colleagues or acquaintances this film wraps them all together into a story that stretches and weaves in ways that are both expected and not. What does surprise is how grounded in reality and how seriously it tackles the subject matter at times. This isn't a dumbed down romantic comedy, the type you see on weekly basis littering DVD stores and cinema screens. This is the romantic comedy that you get once or twice a year; the one which really deserves the bigger audience and the critical praise.

The Help - Movie Review

The Help is an inspirational film. Set in the early 1960s the story follows two African-American maids who raise white children for families as well as tending to every other household chore. These maids are named "The Help" and deal with many issues revolving around the racial lines caused by their skin colour. The Help focuses very much on the female perspective, told from the viewpoints of the white housewives and the maids in an interweaving story set in Jackson, Mississippi.

Super 8 - Movie Review

If ever any film maker was to write a story of their love for what influence Steven Spielberg has had on the film industry it would look something like this. Super 8 is undoubtedly a tribute from one director to another; from the up-comer to master. J.J.Abrams grew up with movies such as E.T and The Goonies and it is fitting that he seals his place alongside colleagues such as Spielberg with this film.

SpoilerTV Article - The Future of Television

Hey Guys,

Consider this my sequel to my 'Where Has TV Gone Wrong' article from February this year.

We are approaching the time of year that we all get excited for. That moment is around mid-September when the television industry launches the next wave of ‘home’ entertainment- the hope to create a brand which becomes commercially successful. However times, they are a-changin'. It is still only in the very early seeds of development but I feel it is beginning to become more visible with each passing year. This is that television is no longer just about watching.

It is an experience.

Captain America: The First Avenger - Movie Review

The Caps' first big budget outing is a real hard one to take. It has a lot going for it; the chief amongst them being the beautiful cinematography and visual effects which perfectly capture a 1940's America and Europe that feels real yet slides beautifully in the Marvel Universe which also feels slightly separate from our own world. It also has a cast that most superhero films could only dream of, with on-the-rise action star Chris Evans supporting by a cast including Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving & Stanley Tucci to name but a few. The fact therefore that Captain America really doesn't hit the mark is even more disappointing; never has a comic-book hero felt so desperately close to being great yet then falling so drastically short of the mark. Its bitter sweet for certain, but it doesn't mean its all bad, and the future for the franchise is still as bright as it always was...

Horrible Bosses - Movie Review

Kevin Spacey is undoubtedly a horrible boss. His Dave Harkin is described on promotional material as "crazy & psycho" and there's no denying that he's both those qualities in their most extreme form. If I was ever to find myself in the business of 'management-disposal' then this is the sort of boss I'd expect to find myself dealing with on a weekly basis.

The Green Lantern - Movie Review

The ring of power is on planet earth ... this ring possesses the power of the will, the only means to stop fear from spreading throughout the entirety of space and time. However this is not 'Lord of the Rings' and there is a lot more rings of power than the solitary 'one ring' that Middle Earth fought over. A lot more... 3599 to be exact. Between them their owners are guardians over the entire universe, each monitoring a sector of space and guarding it from many foes; chief of them being the power of fear. You may have already guessed that 'The Green Lantern' is not a standard piece of superhero fare, stretching itself in terms of scope and size well beyond our own world and creating a universe of potential storylines. Consider this the 'DC Comics' version of Thor in terms of its scale and you should have a rough idea of what 'The Green Lantern' should be aiming to achieve. Sadly though, what it aims to achieve it falls way short of, the vast array of problems that face 'The Green Lantern' totally overpowering the highlights that flicker beneath the surface.

Things Coming Soon...

Hey folks,

Got a very busy few days so the reviews will slow down a little bit but some highlights of things I have coming up:

The Green Lantern - Movie Review
Game of Thrones - Complete Series One Review
Supernatural - Complete Series Two Review
Fringe - Final Two Episodes Review

Plus much more...

Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook.
Twitter: @AdDHarris
Facebook: Adam D.Harris

X-Men: First Class - Movie Review

If there's one thing that 'The Last Stand' taught us about X-Men movies it's that they can be poor. On a similar note, if there's one thing that 'Origins: Wolverine' taught us then it would be that X-Men movies can be really, really poor. There were too many under developed characters struggling to mesh together into a cohesive plot-line with far too little care and appreciation for the mutants who we had grown to love during the earlier sequels. In other words they were a failure on many levels, disrespecting their audience and leaving a bitter taste in the mouth...

Unknown - Movie Review

'Unknown' came around largely because of the huge success of 2009 thriller 'Taken;' here Liam Neeson's latest trip to Europe follows a very similar framework to it's older brother. Directed by a different European director in a slightly different European city (Berlin, not Paris) both movies feature a gritty character played by Neeson on the hunt for something of great value to him on a personal level. Whilst 'Taken' was the hunt for his daughter, here Neeson has to find 'himself' as his identity appears to have been taken from him following a suspicious crash inside a taxi.

Thor - Movie Review

You know how it is. You wait a hundred realms to get the superhero movie you always dreamed of, and then it finally arrives when you least expect it. That movie brings out a superhero that you love, the hero you will rout with for the rest of your days. Through the spiders, bats and iron, all undeniably great characters with great films already behind them (when the creative team gets there heads together), I still never really felt that I was a converted fan of the hero himself. For every Spiderman there was a Doc. Oc... For every Batman there was a Joker... For every Iron Man there was a Obadiah Stane... okay, so the last one isn't true but still I'm completely sold on Tony Stark.

The Lincoln Lawyer - Movie Review

Don't be fooled. 'The Lincoln Lawyer' is a deceptive movie from it's title all the way though to it's cast and plot-line. Matthew McConaughey is not someone you would usually associate with a movie such as this; a more typical placing would be alongside Kate Hudson in some average romantic comedy. Also the title 'The Lincoln Lawyer' evokes about as much excitement as a gone-off shard of cheese under your bed; it hardly appears to be of one of the strongest thrillers of the year.

The Hangover: Part Two - Movie Review

'The Hangover: Part Two' stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms & Zach Galifianakis as three guys who head out of town to a city where one of their friends is getting married, only to find themselves waking up with one killer hangover and a trail of disaster that they must follow to find a missing companion before the wedding begins. Yes, had I subtly removed the ': Part Two' from the opening paragraph the sentence would have still been a correct one and that is the simple truth about 2011's answer to the 2009's sleeper smash hit...

Source Code - Movie Review

Once in a blue moon a movie comes around that feels fresh and original on many levels. It isn't a sequel, an adaptation or a film that fits nicely next to it's brothers of a specific genre; it's something on it's own. Source Code is that movie, sneaking up out of no-where to give a fresh vision on film-making, storyline, characters and plot and becomes a movie that you can sit down and try to truly grasp its ideas long after you've left the theatre.

Rango - Movie Review

Before 2011 a movie starring Johnny Depp being directed by Gore Verbinski would mean only one thing; there is a new Pirates of the Caribbean in town. Ironically there is, 'On Stranger Tides' hitting cinema screens a couple of months after animated adventure 'Rango,' however this is 2011, and the Depp-Verbinski team has moved on from the Caribbean to the West of America to create one of the most unique animated movies to exit the Hollywood conveyor belt in many a year.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Movie Review

I've always thought that a pirate is very set in his ways. No matter how much he claims that he is quitting his quest for gold, no matter how changed a man he is, he will always feel the need to plunder, pillage and steal those shiny pieces of eight. In a sense they are very much men who have one path and one path only, for all eternity. It is these words that ring so ironically true in this, the fourth of the 'Caribbean' franchise starring Johnny Depp as drunkard and all round action-hero pirate Jack Sparrow (Shouldn't there be a captain in there, somewhere?)

Never Let Me Go - Movie Review

'Never Let Me Go' is a strange movie... Despite boasting the finest in young british acting talent with Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley & Andrew Garfield leading the way, it felt so much like a television drama from what I had seen and heard beforehand that as I sat down in my chair it baffled me to be watching it on a cinema screen rather than on my sofa at home.

Fringe - My Interview With John Noble

(Taken from SpoilerTV)
Hey Guys,

Just a few minutes ago I finished up a conference call with John Noble and a few of our Fringe friends from across the web, and I'm delighted to say that I managed to get some air-time with John and ask him a couple of questions.

Fringe - 3.20 6:02AM E.S.T Review

Talk about a set-up.
Everything about Fringe's three-to-go finale was there to send your tease-buds crazy but not give you anything juicy... yet. It had Sam Weiss, Machines turning operational, Peter's (not so successful) moment of heroism, Walternate reminding us he's evil and Walter's confession yet it was always throwing us bones and then not letting us fetch them. That's not to say I wasn't a fan of the episode, it certainly had me on the edge of my seat. (or at least the lying in bed equivalent)

Fringe - 3.19 Lysergic Acid Diethylamide Review

Continuing from yesterday on my Fringe review catchup, I turn my attention to last weeks episode, perhaps the most crazy and unique Fringe episode to air so far. And yes, I say that whilst also considering the musical, cult detective trip that was Brown Betty.

Fringe - 3.18 Bloodline Review

This has been a long time in the making, and I can only apologise for the tardiness of my review of Fringe's 18th episode of it's third season; Bloodline. The fantastic news of Fringe's renewal for season four around the time that the show took a trip over there to delve deeper into the mythology of Fauxlivia and her new baby bump saw all the fans take a huge sigh of relief and sit back and watch the action unfold fear-free.

The Adjustment Bureau - Movie Review

The Adjustment Bureau is an enigma to me. Made out by the trailers as a film that is Inception meets The Bourne Trilogy I had high hopes of an action thriller that had a certain level of intelligence and an exhilarating story that pulled the audience along at a frenetic pace and had me thinking once I had left the cinemas.

The Fighter - Movie Review

It seems like every year there is at least one sporting movie which makes the critics salivate and the awards organisers excited; it's been Wrestling and American Football the past two years and now has returned to boxing as the sporting movie event of the year.

Birthday Today! Met Matthew Fox Yesterday! New Content Is Coming Soon!

Hey Guys,

Been a busy month or so with a new job and planning out a few things, and my birthday is today, and I plan to catch up on every review I'm behind on in the next few weeks.

Thought the LOST fans would like to know that I went to see 'In A Forest Dark And Deep' last night and it was a brilliant play, and I even grabbed a quick chat and Autograph from Matthew Fox. You can see the moment below!



Hope everyone is well, I'll be back soon!

Adam

Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook.Twitter: @AdDHarris Facebook: Adam D.Harris

Fringe - 3.17 Stowaway Review

Once again, there are grumblings of Fringe not surviving past this May, probably prompted by the series' all time low ratings this Friday leading to a Twitter rumour that the show has already began packing up for good. The good news is that the show hasn't even begun filming the second half of this years finale so it is pretty much wrong that sets would be being disposed of at this point. I'm still of the belief that Fringe will get one more season, and so we all should have a few more Freaky Fridays before we say goodbye to Olivia and co. But for now, let's focus on what we do have; a very bizarre, not completely convincing episode and one that I'm sure will be viewed in a more positive light once the end of the season has played out.

Fringe - 3.16 Os Review

It's been a while since Fringe aired, two weeks is a lifetime to any Fringe fanatic and so to open the return of Freaky Fridays with Jorge Garcia on my TV screen in a mystery drama was perfection; based on the Fringe scale it's been an eternity since that happened.

A Confession...

I have been a little slow in getting my Movie Reviews out over the last week, but there are two in process.
The Fighter
Never Let Me Go
They will be up by the end of the week. Just in time for me to go watch True Grit (late I know), Unknown, The Adjustment Bureau & Rango. So many movies to see! :)

Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook.Twitter: @AdDHarris Facebook: Adam D.Harris

Fringe - 3.15 Subject 13 Review

As I didn't write a Fringe review for last seasons flashback bonanza episode 'Peter' I want to start by saying just how awesome the title credits are for the episodes where we head back into the past. It's a genius touch that really gets you into the mindset for the episode and definitely makes it feel more of an event than usual episodes are. Also, these episodes are very cleverly shot to appear quite hazy, almost as if the test of time has made some things a little unclear and distant.
As for the retro music, that adds classic 80's suspense to the scenes and is another touch of genius; It's music you just don't hear any more on screen and so the fact that Fringe is brave enough and smart enough to throw it at you is refreshing and a lot of fun.

Fringe - 3.14 6B Review

It was all a love story; for all of this weeks vortexes, world collisions, shattering glass and smashed up corpses at the heart of it was a couple of love stories, of two people who were separated after years of time together and of two people needing reminding of the fact that they have the chance to be something.

Paul - Movie Review

Shaun of the Dead, the movie of a man and his friend encountering a London that becomes over-run with Zombies; the result is a masterpiece which I recently studied in a Screen-writing class for a perfect example of many tools of the trade. Hot Fuzz, the movie of a man and his friend tackling the mysterious 'accidents' in a rural country English village; the result is a magnificent, hilarious and wickedly clever take on many classic British movies and one of my favourites of all time.
And now there is Paul, the movie of a man and his friend travelling to America to visit Comic-Con and embark on a road trip with an alien who wants to return home. The result had a lot to live up to, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's follow up to their fantastic double-act-double-movie mayhem that defined British cinema in the first decade of the century.

Black Swan - Movie Review

The Oscar nominations are out, the awards ceremony being only a few weeks away and in case you hadn't noticed, Black Swan is a big deal. Arriving towards the end of 2010, it snuck up and critics began throwing plaudits at it left, right and centre. It's the dark, beautifully disturbing story of a ballet dancer who wants nothing more than to play the Swan Queen in the NYC Ballet's performance of Swan Lake.

Oscar Prediction Game - Predict Correctly And Win A £20 DVD Voucher

Hey Guys,

With the Oscars now just under two weeks away, we have a new competition which could see you win a $30 DVD voucher (or equivalent amount for your country), just for simply guessing who you think will win what at this years Oscars.
The person who predicts the most correctly will win, it's that simple.
In the case of a tie for top spot, we'll do a draw out of a raffle.
The key I feel will be the smaller awards that less people know about, correctly finding which is the favourites there could be a trick for success.

Interview with SpoilerTV Creator/Owner DarkUFO

Hey SpoilerTV fans,

You all visit the website on a regular basis, you all head to the site to find out the things you want to know about TV. I believe SpoilerTV is the best website in the world and it is my biggest internet addiction.
But who is it that runs the show, the man behind the curtain, the secret behind the success? You know him as DarkUFO and he works tirelessly to bring everyone who loves television the chance to get involved, communicate and further enhance their TV experience.
I asked him if he would be okay taking part in an interview with me to find out everything about the man behind the name and give you all the chance to see exactly who it is that made SpoilerTV possible. From UFOs and poker to LOSTfan108, This is the SpoilerTV exclusive interview with Andy 'DarkUFO' Page.

Fringe - 3.13 Immortality Review

The week that people had been waiting for has come. After speculation began to mount a few weeks ago on the potentially head-scratching/mouth-watering (depending on your own personal opinion) plot that Fauxlivia may just be carrying Bishop Jr Jr. everyone was marking the return to Over There as the week that all would be revealed.
Aside from that particular plot point, I was really looking forward to heading over there as the last few weeks in our world had gotten a little disjointed and lacked the solid structure of the episodes we got before Christmas. A fresh change to let the definitive Sci-Fi of current TV re-adjust itself and begin to build some end-of-season momentum.

My SpoilerTV Article - Where has TV gone wrong?

Hey,

I have been soaking in the disappointing results that were the Friday Ratings for my current TV Craze 'Fringe' as well as other shows such as 'Supernatural' & 'CSI:NY' and I have to say that the TV industry in America, as much as I love some of its products is a very messed up place.
The networks want us to watch and love their shows but as someone who has gotten much more into TV I find a trepidation in starting anything new until I know I'm getting my time rewarded in watching. Herein lies the problem; if enough people think like me then every show is in danger. And people are beginning and will eventually follow this trend.

Fringe - 3.12 Concentrate & Ask Again Review

You may recall last week I said this in my review of the previous episode, Reciprocity: "I hope we get some time to let things develop in a character perspective for a couple of weeks before we throw ourselves back into the thick of it [The Main Mythology}. Over complication and too fast story progression is not always a good thing all the time, and I'm beginning to feel the drag and loose narrative cracking through."

Fringe - 3.11 - Reciprocity Review

Fringe is now two weeks into it's new home on FOX friday, and it's looking relatively stable for a return next season, two solid ratings which have led its timeslot are positive despite the lack of competition from CSI: New York & Supernatural which both return next week. That being said, if Fringe can maintain a strong challenge for CSI: New York I see it making it into a fourth season within the next month. However if the returning shows push the ratings down then it'll be a nail biter...
In terms of the eleventh episode of the season, Reciprocity, I have very mixed emotions. Since I watched it yesterday I've been swaying from loving it to thinking it was a little weak; Fringe has always been so strong in maintaining characters and I have to announce that Peter took a hit yesterday. I still feel I need more understanding on this 'Weaponisation' that Peter went through with the Doomsday Machine before I can calm the fluttering nerves that they may just be damaging Bishop Jr. a bit too much this season.

Fringe - 3.10 - The Firefly Review

It' been a long month for Fringe fans. Not only were we waiting with bated breath to find out exactly what was going to happen next, but the worries over the 'Fringe Friday' move and whether the show will last on it's new, and traditionally less successful timeslot. It is perhaps fitting that in our world and the world of the show, things look very dark, gloomy and foreboding; a nice and perhaps not unintended shout out to a previously Friday-Cancelled show 'Firefly' in the title of Fringe's returning episode.

127 Hours - Movie Review

Aron Ralston. If you don't know the name you've been living under a rock for 5 years. The pun of course is intended as that's exactly what he did, for 127 hours he was stuck in a canyon with a boulder crushing his right arm. Danny Boyle's latest masterpiece tells the story to an astonishing level of accuracy; I read that only a scene where James Franco's Ralston shows some hitch-hikers a drop into a pool beneath the rocks is not accurate to the event of the 6 days surrounding this astonishing tale.

The Green Hornet - Movie Review

2011 may only be a few weeks old, and so to comment on the quality of film we will see in 2011 is impossible. But I already can safely say one statement; it's a good year for any 'superheroes' clad in green garments or choosing to name themselves after the blue-yellow mix.

The King's Speech - Movie Review

Everyone said that Colin Firth should have won an academy award last year. To recap for those unaware, Firth played George Falconer in the 2009 Drama 'A Single Man.' and he just lost out to Jeff Bridges' Bad Blake from 'Crazy Heart'. Twelve months later and everyone is saying that Colin Firth should win an academy award this year for his role of King George in 'The King's Speech'; all in all it sounds like this may have been a very good twelve months for the 50 year old Brit.

Tron: Legacy Movie Review

I have never watched Tron. I never wanted to before I watched Tron: Legacy & I likely never will... That fact didn't stop me enjoying Tron: Legacy, and it definetely didn't stop my understanding of the story. In some regards, it's almost like Disney don't want you to see Tron; they did not even re-release the 1982 original on DVD before it's 2010 younger brother hit the big screens. In some regards then, Tron should be viewed more as a long lost cousin you could live without, rather than a vital piece of life support equipment.

The Cape: Pilot/Tarot Review. With Great Poncho Comes Great Responsibilities & Steadying The Schiff

I split up my viewing of NBC's latest bid to introduce new superheroes to our TV screens over two days, and I have to admit I'm glad I did as what one night was very disappointing was followed the next by what was a much more promising installation; the time to let the pilot settle in and my disappointment to fade gave me a more neutral ground to view the second episode, 'Tarot', which was by far the stronger of the two episodes.

Adam's Novel - Contraction Two - Prologue Now Available Online.

Hey Guys,

Now we're in 2011, I thought I'd let loose the prologue to my first novel, 'Contraction Two' to see what people make of it. Have a read and leave any feedback, all is appreciated!

The Tourist - Movie Review

Apologies for the tardiness of this review of Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's latest movie, 'The Tourist;' his first dabbling into the world of Hollywood movie stars and big budgets. With that in mind, he was given some star quality to work with; one hundred Million Dollars, Johnny Depp & Angelina Jolie. To be more precise, the two biggest stars in the world teaming up for a big budget thriller in the picturesque city of Venice. And it is because of what brilliant parts Donnersmarck had on paper, that you can't help but feel that 'The Tourist' did not add up the sum of its parts. Therefore in some ways, it feels fitting for such a delay in my review as it almost feels like the director himself may have been stuck in a traffic jam for the entirety of filming; surely such an upcoming master of his craft would not be happy with what is the final cut of the movie. To back-pedal slightly, 'The Tourist' was not a disaster by any means, but it was nowhere near the quality it should be.
I'll start with the bad, (as they seem to overshadow the good in many of the reviews I have read), in the hope that you do not forget the strengths of the movie, which incredibly was nominated for three of the biggest 'Golden Globes' this year; best film, actor & actress.