Category Archives: Film

by Martin Mulrooney | 26/08/2010 · 9:35 pm

FILM REVIEW – The Illusionist

By Marty Mulrooney

TheIllusionist

The Illusionist is a new British-French animated film from acclaimed director Sylvain Chomet (Belleville Rendez-vous). The film centres around a travelling entertainer who befriends a young girl named Alice whilst performing in a small Scottish village during the late 1950’s. When he travels to Edinburgh in search of work she follows him, unaware that his magic is in fact just an illusion. The gifts he bestows upon her seem to have been conjured from thin air, but behind the scenes he is constantly scraping together as much money as possible so he can keep up the ruse, unwilling to break the spell.

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FILM REVIEW – The Expendables

By Marty Mulrooney

TheExpendablesUkPoster

The Expendables is a blast from the past, a totally old school action film starring some of the biggest action stars of the 80’s and 90’s. Written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, the film tells the story of a group of elite mercenaries, sent on a mission to overthrow an South America dictator. But of course, not everything goes to plan…

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FILM REVIEW – The A-Team

By Marty Mulrooney

The-A-Team-Poster-Quad-UK

The A-Team is a 2010 cinematic remake of the hit 1980’s TV show of the same name, which of course famously starred Mr. T (Rocky 3). For those unfamiliar with the source material, the ‘A-Team’ were a group of ex-United States Army Special Forces, wanted for a crime they didn’t commit. Running for a total of 98 episodes, the original show was popular for its cartoon-like violence and formulaic tendencies. Hollywood film execs obviously thought this cult show would translate well to a modern audience with this high-gloss remake. They were wrong.

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FILM REVIEW – The Karate Kid

By Marty Mulrooney

The-Karate-Kid-Poster

The original The Karate Kid was a pure slice of 1980’s fun, celebrating the underdog for children in much the same way Rocky had done for adults. Three sequels followed but none of them could match the charm of the original. This 2010 remake certainly sounds no better on paper: Karate has been swapped for kung fu although the title remains the same. Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) is a 12-year-old from Detroit who has recently moved to China with his mother, taking centre stage as our new protagonist. Finally, the iconic role of Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita) has been reinvented as Mr Han, played by Jackie Chan. I really didn’t know what to expect from this remake, but positive word of mouth encouraged me to enter the cinema with an open mind at least…

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Tagged as Jackie Chan, Jayden Smith, Karate, Kung Fu, Mr Han, Mr Miyagi, Pat Morita, The Karate Kid, Will Smith