HOT FROM HOLLYWOOD
Hollywood is hotting up. As National Cinema Day approaches Jo Caruana takes a look at the hottest summer films to get us through this scorching season.
When the heat is on outdoors, sometimes nothing could seem better than a calming trip to the cinema. And if blockbusters are your thing you're in for a treat on Saturday, National Cinema Day, when all shows can be seen for just Lm1.30 a seat.
One of the most eagerly anticipated films of the season is sure to be Shrek 3 which grossed a whopping $121million in its first weekend alone, making it the best-ever opening for an animated film. It opened in Malta yesterday.
Following the lives of green ogre Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) and his equally emerald- coloured wife Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz), this completely computer-animated comedy has won the hearts of children and adults alike through the series' two predecessors, Shrek and Shrek 2. Largely based on fairy tales, the Shrek set has succeeded in putting millions of bums-on-seats thanks to its producers' ability to mix magic with hilarious cultural references where anything from fast-food outlets to people and places are humourously picked on and spoofed.
This time around, just as Shrek and Fiona prepare to enjoy their "happily ever after", the death of Fiona's father, Kind Harold (John Cleese), finds the throne of Far Far Away unfilled and the pair are forced to stand in as rulers. In order to return home to their swamp, it is up to the usual merry gang made up of Shrek, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) to find the true heir. Meanwhile, Princess Fiona finds herself faced with a coup attempt by Prince Charming.
So far the reviews for this film have been lukewarm in comparison to its arms-wide-open welcome and critics the world over have been unsure whether it lives up to the previous two Shrek films. Nevertheless, it is still expected to be one of the biggest hits this year when it comes to box-office takings.
Two other family films that are also promising to fill cinemas are: Spiderman 3 and Fantastic Four - The Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Spiderman 3 is another "third" film - this time part of the series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spiderman. The film begins with Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) basking in his recent success, while Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) begins her Broadway theatre career. Harry Osborn (James Franco) still seeks vengeance for his father's death, and an escaped convict, Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), falls into a particle accelerator and is transformed into a shape-shifting sand manipulator. An alien symbiote crashes to earth and bonds with Peter, influencing his behaviour for the worse. When the symbiote is abandoned, it finds refuge in Eddie Brock Jr (Topher Grace), a rival photographer, thus ultimately causing Peter to face his greatest challenge.
As you can see it's not the easiest plot to follow, and so far the film has received mixed reviews and been criticised by some for having too many storylines; nevertheless, its intricate plot twists and new characters will please fans who have enjoyed the series so far.
The film Fantastic Four - The Rise of the Silver Surfer is yet another sequel proving that the summer of 2007 really is the summer of sequels. It is also another "superhero" film.
This one follows on from the 2005 film Fantastic Four and is based on the comic book series of the same name.
In this sequel everything seems to be going great for the Fantastic Four. Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) and Sue Storm (Jessica Alba) are finally getting married, and things couldn't seem better. However, when the mysterious Silver Surfer (voiced by Laurence Fishburne) crashes the party, they learn that they will have to deal with an old foe: the powerful planet eating "Gah Lak Tus".
Most critics of this film in America have agreed that it is superior to the first one. It has been praised for remaining faithful to the original comic's light tone as well as to the portrayal of the villain, the Silver Surfer. This will be a must-see for fans and promises to be an entertaining trip out for all who go to see it.
Less high-tech and not quite everyone's cup of tea is the second film based on television's Mr Bean series. Mr Bean's Holiday (which was originally going to be called French Bean) follows the 1997 movie Bean; this latest film is tipped to be the last in the set.
Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson) is heading to the south of France for a simple holiday in the sun. His voyage from London to the Riviera soon transcends into one of mischief and mayhem as he inadvertently creates havoc wherever he goes, culminating in an unscheduled and riotous screening of his own video diary at the Cannes Film Festival.
While the film has generated some very negative reviews from critics, fans of the film have praised its directors for giving it a distinctly less Americanised feel this time around and sent it back to its very British roots.
Sticking with the sequels theme comes yet another, this time the very much anticipated third helping of Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his life on the high seas.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is an adventure film, the third following the previous two hits The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and Dead Man's Chest (2006).
This time round it's a dark time as the Age of Piracy nears to a close. Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) of the East India Company has gained control of the terrifying ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman, and its malevolent, vengeful captain, Davy Jones (Bill Nighy). The Dutchman now roams the seven seas, unstoppable, destroying pirate ships without mercy under the command of Admiral Norrington (Jack Davenport).
Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) embark on a desperate quest to gather the Nine Lords of the Brethren Court, their only hope to defeat Beckett, the Flying Dutchman, and his Armada.
Once again this would-be hit has been given a tepid reception following the hearty success of the previous two films. It has already been criticised for its complicated and convoluted plots; it has been likened to past trilogies such as Star Wars. Of course it does offer the rousing attitude and thrilling moments that originally made the first film famous, so many fans will not be disappointed.
Of all the follow-up films this season, the most popular to reach our screens so far has definitely been Ocean's 13, the sequel to Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 12 which is once again directed by Stephen Soderbergh. The original was itself a remake of the Rat Pack film of the same name.
The last time we saw Danny Ocean's (played by George Clooney) crew, they were paying back ruthless casino mogul Terry Benedict after stealing millions from him. However, it's been a while since they've come back together, but that is all about to change. When one of their own, Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould) builds a hotel with known casino owner Willy Banks (Al Pacino), the last thing he ever wanted was to get cut out of the deal personally by the loathsome Banks. Uniting with their old enemy Benedict, who himself has a vendetta against Banks, the crew is out to pull off a major plan: One that will unfold on the night Banks's newest hot spot opens up, when the crew is out to bankrupt One of the city's most despised businessmen. But this time they're not in this for the money, but for revenge.
Following on from the success of it predecessors this promises to be another fine brick in the Ocean's wall and will please fans of the previous two films.
Finally, the last blockbuster we'll all be clambering to watch during National Cinema Day is something a little bit different: the film adaptation of the graphic novel by Frank Miller called 300 - a fictionalised retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae.
Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fight to the last man against Persian King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his army of over one million soldiers, while in Sparta, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) attempts to rally support for her husband.
The story is framed by a voice-over narrative by the Spartan soldier Dilios (David Wenham). Through this narrative technique, various fantastical creatures are introduced, also placing 300 within the genre of historical fantasy.
After receiving a standing ovation at its première in Berlin, this film has gone on to secure mixed reviews from both critics and viewers alike. It is definitely one for those who love violence, so grab your spear and head on over to watch it.
In a nutshell the cinema's got a blockbuster to offer most people on Saturday at National Cinema Day and is especially great if you have a love of fantasy, animation and a good villain. At such a bargain price it would be daft to miss out on the comedy, romance and action that only a great movie blockbuster can offer.
Blockbuster trivia
• It took a million man-hours to complete Shrek 3 with a crew size of 150. 1,373 characters are present in the theatre scene with Prince Charming. This is recorded as the largest crowd scene of all three Shrek movies.
• In Fantastic Four - The Rise of the Silver Surfer, when The Torch falls into the sand in the Middle East and rolls over to his back, in close-up shots you can see the "4" logo in the sand next to his head.
• In Mr Bean's Holiday Mr Bean's first name is revealed to be Rowan as seen in a quick glance of his passport.
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is the only one of the three movies to portray that common pirate stereotype; the eye patch. There's a bonus scene at the end of the credits. The world premiere of At World's End was held on May 19, 2007, at Disneyland, US, home of the theme park ride that inspired the movie and where the first two films in the trilogy debuted.
• Twice in the film Ocean's Thirteen, the protagonists criticise Bank for betraying the trust they have in people old enough to have shaken Frank Sinatra's hand. This is a tribute to the 1960 Ocean's Eleven film starring Frank Sinatra.
• Some weapons used in 300 are actually weapons from previous war epics like Alexander and Troy. They were used in this film to cut costs.
Other films to watch on National Cinema Day
• Are We Done Yet? - a hilarious family comedy starring Ice Cube and Nia Long. • Black Snake Moan - a drama starring Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci. • 28 Weeks Later - a sci-fi horror film starring Robert Carlyle and Harold Perrineau. • The Messengers - a thrilling horror movie starring Kristen Stewart and Dylan McDermott. • Fracture - the perfect murder? A thriller starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling. • Next - an edge-of-your-seat thriller starring Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore. • Bridge to Terabithia - a magical fantasy adventure starring Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb. • Shooter - an action thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and Danny Glover. • Zodiac - a thriller staring Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo.
One of the most eagerly anticipated films of the season is sure to be Shrek 3 which grossed a whopping $121million in its first weekend alone, making it the best-ever opening for an animated film. It opened in Malta yesterday.
Following the lives of green ogre Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) and his equally emerald- coloured wife Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz), this completely computer-animated comedy has won the hearts of children and adults alike through the series' two predecessors, Shrek and Shrek 2. Largely based on fairy tales, the Shrek set has succeeded in putting millions of bums-on-seats thanks to its producers' ability to mix magic with hilarious cultural references where anything from fast-food outlets to people and places are humourously picked on and spoofed.
This time around, just as Shrek and Fiona prepare to enjoy their "happily ever after", the death of Fiona's father, Kind Harold (John Cleese), finds the throne of Far Far Away unfilled and the pair are forced to stand in as rulers. In order to return home to their swamp, it is up to the usual merry gang made up of Shrek, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) to find the true heir. Meanwhile, Princess Fiona finds herself faced with a coup attempt by Prince Charming.
So far the reviews for this film have been lukewarm in comparison to its arms-wide-open welcome and critics the world over have been unsure whether it lives up to the previous two Shrek films. Nevertheless, it is still expected to be one of the biggest hits this year when it comes to box-office takings.
Two other family films that are also promising to fill cinemas are: Spiderman 3 and Fantastic Four - The Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Spiderman 3 is another "third" film - this time part of the series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spiderman. The film begins with Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) basking in his recent success, while Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) begins her Broadway theatre career. Harry Osborn (James Franco) still seeks vengeance for his father's death, and an escaped convict, Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), falls into a particle accelerator and is transformed into a shape-shifting sand manipulator. An alien symbiote crashes to earth and bonds with Peter, influencing his behaviour for the worse. When the symbiote is abandoned, it finds refuge in Eddie Brock Jr (Topher Grace), a rival photographer, thus ultimately causing Peter to face his greatest challenge.
As you can see it's not the easiest plot to follow, and so far the film has received mixed reviews and been criticised by some for having too many storylines; nevertheless, its intricate plot twists and new characters will please fans who have enjoyed the series so far.
The film Fantastic Four - The Rise of the Silver Surfer is yet another sequel proving that the summer of 2007 really is the summer of sequels. It is also another "superhero" film.
This one follows on from the 2005 film Fantastic Four and is based on the comic book series of the same name.
In this sequel everything seems to be going great for the Fantastic Four. Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) and Sue Storm (Jessica Alba) are finally getting married, and things couldn't seem better. However, when the mysterious Silver Surfer (voiced by Laurence Fishburne) crashes the party, they learn that they will have to deal with an old foe: the powerful planet eating "Gah Lak Tus".
Most critics of this film in America have agreed that it is superior to the first one. It has been praised for remaining faithful to the original comic's light tone as well as to the portrayal of the villain, the Silver Surfer. This will be a must-see for fans and promises to be an entertaining trip out for all who go to see it.
Less high-tech and not quite everyone's cup of tea is the second film based on television's Mr Bean series. Mr Bean's Holiday (which was originally going to be called French Bean) follows the 1997 movie Bean; this latest film is tipped to be the last in the set.
Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson) is heading to the south of France for a simple holiday in the sun. His voyage from London to the Riviera soon transcends into one of mischief and mayhem as he inadvertently creates havoc wherever he goes, culminating in an unscheduled and riotous screening of his own video diary at the Cannes Film Festival.
While the film has generated some very negative reviews from critics, fans of the film have praised its directors for giving it a distinctly less Americanised feel this time around and sent it back to its very British roots.
Sticking with the sequels theme comes yet another, this time the very much anticipated third helping of Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his life on the high seas.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is an adventure film, the third following the previous two hits The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and Dead Man's Chest (2006).
This time round it's a dark time as the Age of Piracy nears to a close. Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) of the East India Company has gained control of the terrifying ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman, and its malevolent, vengeful captain, Davy Jones (Bill Nighy). The Dutchman now roams the seven seas, unstoppable, destroying pirate ships without mercy under the command of Admiral Norrington (Jack Davenport).
Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) embark on a desperate quest to gather the Nine Lords of the Brethren Court, their only hope to defeat Beckett, the Flying Dutchman, and his Armada.
Once again this would-be hit has been given a tepid reception following the hearty success of the previous two films. It has already been criticised for its complicated and convoluted plots; it has been likened to past trilogies such as Star Wars. Of course it does offer the rousing attitude and thrilling moments that originally made the first film famous, so many fans will not be disappointed.
Of all the follow-up films this season, the most popular to reach our screens so far has definitely been Ocean's 13, the sequel to Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 12 which is once again directed by Stephen Soderbergh. The original was itself a remake of the Rat Pack film of the same name.
The last time we saw Danny Ocean's (played by George Clooney) crew, they were paying back ruthless casino mogul Terry Benedict after stealing millions from him. However, it's been a while since they've come back together, but that is all about to change. When one of their own, Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould) builds a hotel with known casino owner Willy Banks (Al Pacino), the last thing he ever wanted was to get cut out of the deal personally by the loathsome Banks. Uniting with their old enemy Benedict, who himself has a vendetta against Banks, the crew is out to pull off a major plan: One that will unfold on the night Banks's newest hot spot opens up, when the crew is out to bankrupt One of the city's most despised businessmen. But this time they're not in this for the money, but for revenge.
Following on from the success of it predecessors this promises to be another fine brick in the Ocean's wall and will please fans of the previous two films.
Finally, the last blockbuster we'll all be clambering to watch during National Cinema Day is something a little bit different: the film adaptation of the graphic novel by Frank Miller called 300 - a fictionalised retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae.
Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fight to the last man against Persian King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his army of over one million soldiers, while in Sparta, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) attempts to rally support for her husband.
The story is framed by a voice-over narrative by the Spartan soldier Dilios (David Wenham). Through this narrative technique, various fantastical creatures are introduced, also placing 300 within the genre of historical fantasy.
After receiving a standing ovation at its première in Berlin, this film has gone on to secure mixed reviews from both critics and viewers alike. It is definitely one for those who love violence, so grab your spear and head on over to watch it.
In a nutshell the cinema's got a blockbuster to offer most people on Saturday at National Cinema Day and is especially great if you have a love of fantasy, animation and a good villain. At such a bargain price it would be daft to miss out on the comedy, romance and action that only a great movie blockbuster can offer.
Blockbuster trivia
• It took a million man-hours to complete Shrek 3 with a crew size of 150. 1,373 characters are present in the theatre scene with Prince Charming. This is recorded as the largest crowd scene of all three Shrek movies.
• In Fantastic Four - The Rise of the Silver Surfer, when The Torch falls into the sand in the Middle East and rolls over to his back, in close-up shots you can see the "4" logo in the sand next to his head.
• In Mr Bean's Holiday Mr Bean's first name is revealed to be Rowan as seen in a quick glance of his passport.
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is the only one of the three movies to portray that common pirate stereotype; the eye patch. There's a bonus scene at the end of the credits. The world premiere of At World's End was held on May 19, 2007, at Disneyland, US, home of the theme park ride that inspired the movie and where the first two films in the trilogy debuted.
• Twice in the film Ocean's Thirteen, the protagonists criticise Bank for betraying the trust they have in people old enough to have shaken Frank Sinatra's hand. This is a tribute to the 1960 Ocean's Eleven film starring Frank Sinatra.
• Some weapons used in 300 are actually weapons from previous war epics like Alexander and Troy. They were used in this film to cut costs.
Other films to watch on National Cinema Day
• Are We Done Yet? - a hilarious family comedy starring Ice Cube and Nia Long. • Black Snake Moan - a drama starring Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci. • 28 Weeks Later - a sci-fi horror film starring Robert Carlyle and Harold Perrineau. • The Messengers - a thrilling horror movie starring Kristen Stewart and Dylan McDermott. • Fracture - the perfect murder? A thriller starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling. • Next - an edge-of-your-seat thriller starring Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore. • Bridge to Terabithia - a magical fantasy adventure starring Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb. • Shooter - an action thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and Danny Glover. • Zodiac - a thriller staring Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo.