mjscarface

'A Good Day to Die Hard' has the dubious honour of not only having the worst title in a series full of dodgy subtitles, but of being the worst film in general. The best thing you could say about it is that it makes you forgive any flaws found in the previous four films.

The original 'Die Hard' is, for my money, the best action film ever made. It's a perfect marriage of performance, action and script. 'AGDTDH' on the other hand is more like a quickie in a darkened room with an overpriced hooker.

After some vague plot points in the opening sequence, we are reintroduced to Detective John McClane. His son Jack has got into some trouble in Russia and faces a long stretch in prison. So John flies to Moscow, his plan apparently consisting of wandering the streets until he bumps into his son. Anyway, it turns out that Jack is a CIA operative whose mission to rescue a political prisoner is cocked up by the arrival of his wisecracking dad.

A huge problem with this film is that the plot is so convoluted and poorly laid out that for about half the film, the audience have no clue as to what is going on. The biggest action sequence, the initial and lengthy car chase which reunites father and son, has no stakes and no regard for decent editing. It's just a big, dumb and uninteresting effects reel, much like the rest of film. Every 'Die Hard' up to this point has succeeded in delivering the action. The jet-surfing antics in 'Die Hard 4.0' may have been ludicrous, but it was memorable and exciting. This, on the other hand, can't even stage a decent gunfight and the helicopter finale is just a longer version of an earlier set-piece.

The worst thing about 'AGDTDH', though, is the script. It's awful - from the story itself, to the dull villains and inane dialogue. The banter between John and son just consists of the same three or so lines: "I'm your Dad!", "Shut up John!", "Damn you John!" Oh and let's not forget that comedy zinger that gets used a dozen times where McClane shouts "I'm on vacation!" Only, he's not on vacation because he's specifically travelled to Russia to find his son. It just goes to show that having Bruce Willis simply show up with a bunch of f-bombs is not the same as making a legitimate Die Hard film. There is zero tension, no imagination or wit and you know a film is going to be bad it can't even do opening titles right (location headings in one corner, actors names in another).

There is much more I could bring up such as stupid Chernobyl aspect whereby radiation is not an issue and a nuclear stockpile is left sitting there for anyone to collect. Or the way that McClane's character has gone from sympathetic everyman to unlikely superhero to the typical ugly American, knocking out innocent civilians for speaking THEIR OWN LANGUAGE.

Why four stars then? I guess I'm a sucker for seeing vehicular destruction on screen and the finale to that particular sequence did provide that. Also, this film gets a star purely for the cabbie who serenades McClane early on in the film.

In short, it's not just the worst in the series but a pretty poor action film in general and not recommended.

'It takes a little while to get back into the swing of things' explains loyal butler Alfred during one scene in 'The Dark Knight Rises'. He's right too, as anyone expecting Batman to fly straight back into action will be disappointed. However, if you're expecting a solid and emotional end to Christopher Nolan's trilogy, then you'll be very satisfied.

It's eight years since Harvey Dent's death in 'The Dark Knight'. Bruce Wayne has given up the role of Batman, due to the physical and personal toll which it has taken on him - not to mention that Dent's heroic legacy has resulted in organised crime being stamped out in Gotham altogether. So Bruce has become a recluse, his life an empty void without having Batman around. But a new villain, Bane, threatens to destroy Gotham and Batman needs to come back... but does he have the strength, or the spirit, to defeat him? 'The Dark Knight Rises' is not a perfect film by any means. The problems mainly lie in the lack of ideas compared to the last installment. At times, it feels like the most derivative film in the series, with various nods to other films like 'Die Hard With a Vengeance', 'The World is Not Enough' and especially 'Rocky III'. But also, especially towards the climax, it just feels like a bigger, louder rehash of 'Batman Begins', resorting to much more traditional plot devices (ticking time bomb anyone?).

That being said, the quality shines though in this film and everything that happens is executed with a flourish. The action sequences are impressively done, especially the fights between Bane and Batman and there are a couple of incredible set-pieces. As you'd expect, though, it's in the quieter, tender moments where the film succeeds. There are some heart-wrenching moments between Christian Bale and Michael Caine as Alfred, who really sells the role of surrogate father to Bruce.

There are a lot of new characters (and their subplots) in 'The Dark Knight Rises' which means that, for many, the lengthy first act will have audiences struggling to keep up. Anne Hathaway is very good as Selina Kyle (aka. Catwoman) in a role which I honestly did not expect to like. She adds an element of much-needed humour and playfulness, rather than the more sexualised version we saw in Tim Burton's film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gets quite a lot of screen time, but isn't quite as convincing, as a cop who catches the eye of Commissioner Gordon (the ever-reliable Gary Oldman).

Finally of course, there's Tom Hardy's crucial performance as Bane. After all, what is a Batman film without a decent villain performance? Well don't panic, because Hardy is wonderful and manages to exude more menace and charisma from behind a facemask than many actors can normally. Physically imposing as well as intelligent, it's safe to say that Bane's brutal encounters with Batman easily rank among the highlights of the trilogy.

One major problem people will have with 'TDKR' is that there's a severe lack of Batman on screen. This is true, but I think we've reached the stage where we can look on Bruce Wayne in the same light whether he's dressed in the cape and cowl or not. Remarkably, the film maintains the running theme of the trilogy and sees it through - the idea of Batman being a symbol of inspiration, not just a man.

Another flaw of 'TDKR' is how events are rushed as we reach the climax. Nolan manages to gather an impressive sea of extras for the film's final confrontation, which takes place after months of misery and oppression from Bane, but drops the ball when within seconds he takes us away from this epic scene in favour of the familiar runaway-vehicle chase sequence (taken straight from 'BB'). Also, a surprise twist is revealed way too late in the game to have any substantial impact on the film.

Technically of course, the film is astounding and maintains that level of excellence we've become used to from Nolan's work. The cinematography, special effects and production design all come together nicely. The Hans Zimmer soundtrack is powerful, almost too powerful actually, often drowning out dialogue but in the big scenes it really packs a punch.

Overall, I really enjoyed 'The Dark Knight Rises' but felt that I needed a second viewing to really appreciate it. There are more problems but the way the film expands on the backstory and mythos of Batman, along with it's huge emotional clout, easily make up for it's shortcomings.

Finally saw 'The Raid' tonight and despite a modest turnout at the cinema, everyone there lapped it up. Me included.

I always cite 'Die Hard' as the greatest action movie and while that still remains the case, there's no denying that 'The Raid' does a damn good job of coming close. It's a relentless thrill ride, with some truly pulse pounding action sequences and importantly... it's shot with competent camera-work, crisp editing and assured direction. THIS is how you make an action film.

The setup is beautifully simple; a vicious drug lord controls a huge apartment block in Jakarta, where he rents out the rooms to dealers, murderers and any other scumbag who needs to lay low. The block is considered a no-go area for police, until one morning, when a squad of 20 or so SWAT members infiltrate it. The plan is to work up to the fifteenth floor where Tama is hiding, and extract him. Sounds simple enough, until the cops are spotted and Tama orders the residents to take them out.

Our hero, Rama, is the rookie cop with a pregnant wife at home. Naturally he's also a martial arts master and capable of kicking serious a** while still showing a degree of vulnerability... he's John McClane meets Bruce Lee.

What works so well with 'The Raid' is the way that the action develops from shootouts, to knife fights and finally to bare fists. There's also a wonderfully eerie vibe which takes over during the first hour, when the cops split up and try to hide from the army of machete-wielding thugs chasing them down. There are siege elements of 'Assault on Precinct 13' and other John Carpenter films, while the blood flies like a John Woo classic.

The fisticuffs on display here are exhilarating and it's a wonder that the entire cast didn't end up in hospital after filming. The choreography is creative, smart, brutal and not since the arrival of Tony Jaa 10 years ago have I been so impressed by one man's athleticism. The final 3-way duel is undoubtedly the high point, although a hair-raising machete fight earlier on is particularly good.

If you're here looking for a plot or deep characters, then you may be disappointed. Having said that, because the film is so efficient and well paced, what character and plot we DO get is done well enough to engage and fill in between the action. Once the action is finished, the climactic scenes don't quite have the same impact but really that's a minor quibble. The soundtrack is surprisingly good too, gradually building and adding layers, fitting the action beat for beat.

I will definitely see this again before it ends it's run at the cinema. It's destined to be one of those films you can put on late at night when you've had a hard day and just need to be entertained. GO SEE IT!