The Men in Black are back...again

2012 is a great year for film. In the upcoming months we get Snow White and the Huntsman, The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spiderman and The Bourne Legacy. And of course we are all still riding the wave that is The Avengers. The film has done spectacularly at the box office and has had the number one spot since opening...until now. Last week Men in Black III came out and has surprisingly managed to push The Avengers from it's perch.

To be honest I wasn't particularly excited about the release of MIB3. I'd seen the other two films when they came out years ago and neither left an impression. However the rating on IMDb was decent so I thought why the hell not? Yesterday my husband and I went to check it out. We went in with very little expectations, no memory of what had happened in the previous films and no idea what the plot would be. We just wanted to be entertained.

So here's the thing. I didn't hate the film, but I can't say I really liked it either. The plot is interesting enough. Boris the Animal (Jermaine Clement), a disgusting alien who a younger Agent K (Josh Brolin) put away fourty years earlier on a luna prison has escaped. Boris decides to go back in time to kill the young Agent K before said agent chops off Boris' arm. In the present Agent J (Will Smith) and the older Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) continue on MIB business until one day Agent K disappears, from the earth, from time and from everyone but Agent J's memory. Agent J then has to go back in time and save Agent K, and also catch Boris who is determined to destroy Earth.

Josh Brolin did a wonderful job at stepping into Agent K's shoes. He mimicked Tommy Lee Jones' K to perfection. He showed a new side to K, a more humorous, approachable side. This is slightly confusing for Agent J who doesn't understand how K could be so cold and detached in the future when he was so different in the past. You really don't need to have seen the other films in order to follow this story. Both Agent J and K have a bizarre relationship. They seem to care a lot about each other yet in some ways they barely know each other. J would love to know more but K is hesitant. Just before K disappears in the future he seems to want to tell J something but never gets the chance. We find out what this something is later in the film, which adds a nice twist to the story and to their relationship.

Unfortunately the other characters don't really get a chance to be explored. Smith's J is meant to be the driving force of the plot but appears to be more of a passenger. I had expected more humor in the story. Smith had some quirky moments but I noticed that the audience laughed more in The Avengers than in this film. I think this is partly because the script wasn't very entertaining and also because we didn't get a chance to get to know the characters. Clement's Boris was deliciously grotesque but lacked depth. I like when we get to know a villain, their goals, and the extent they will go to in order to reach those goals. In other words I like to know the stakes. We didn't get that in this film. Boris' reasons for going to the past to kill K were a little weak. He shows up throughout the film at random points but he almost feels like an after thought. This pains me to say because I really love Clement, he's a fellow kiwi and I daily sing songs from Flight of the Conchords. Unfortunately his character was written without depth, and although he gave all he could to it Boris somehow fell through the cracks.

Obviously this is not a film we are meant to take too seriously. It's a fluff film, there to distract, make you forget about work, the kids, that crack in the bathroom sink that needs fixing. This is not a painful film to watch by any means. It flows well, has a beginning, middle and a somewhat satisfying end. However I had expected it to pack a bit more of a punch considering the last in the series was ten years ago.

Perhaps if this film came out a couple of years after the last I would have enjoyed it more. Unfortunately for them, but luckily for us, directors like Chris Nolan and Joss Whedon have raised the bar. We don't just want to be distracted from the bathroom sink anymore. We want to be entertained.

The Vampire Diaries Season Three - A Review

It's no secret that The Vampire Diaries is my favourite show. The first two seasons of this show gripped me, leaving me wanting more. The writers of this series know how to fill a 41 minute episode with explosive detail, and they sure know how to pack a punch.

At the end of season two things had shifted. Stefan, in order to save his brother Damon drank a whole lot of human blood. When off human blood Stefan is a kind albeit brooding vampire. On the blood he's a ripper. He also became Klaus' puppet. Elena, who thought Damon was dying, kissed him. And he finally (although not for the first time) told her he loved her. Then Katherine walked in with the cure, thanks to Stefan's sacrifice, and things got a little awkward.

We started season three with Elena's 18th birthday. Stefan is gone, Elena is heartbroken, and Damon's there to pick up the pieces. Season three dedicates a lot of time bringing Elena and Damon closer, much to the joy of delena shippers. We get to learn about a friendship Stefan and Klaus enjoyed during the 1920s. We also learn a lot about the originals, their intentions, and the reason why killing them is not such a good idea.

This season felt as though there were more characters than usual, perhaps too many. Tyler was dealing with his hybrid issues and love for Caroline. Thanks to her father he was able to find a way to be around her without being under Klaus' control. Bonnie had to deal with her break up from Jeremy (cos he cheated on her with a ghost...), she then met her mother who left her as a child, and also a new potential love interest. We met a whole bunch of originals including their mother who, realising the monsters she'd created, decided to find a way to kill them all. There was an episode (arguably the worst in the series) that had dead characters return in the form of ghosts. We met Sage, an old friend of Damon's and a lover of one of the originals. It is through her that we find out that if you kill an original you kill the line of Vampires they created. Unfortunately for our favourites they were sired by Klaus. Therefore the two season long epic battle of killing him sort of lost its charm. We also got to meet Meredith, a doctor and new love interest for Alaric. Yes there were plenty of characters in this season.

We lost some too. Most notably the beloved Alaric. Turns out our sweet Alaric had a darker vampire killing alter ego. He killed Caroline's father along with many more. When he himself was turned into a vampire he made the noble choice of letting himself die. Unfortunately the witches wouldn't allow it and they used Bonnie to feed him human blood. For the last few episodes Alaric became a deadly vampire hunter (played magnificently by Matt Davis) . His life was also linked to Elena. As long as she stayed alive there was no way to kill him.

The main storyline was of course Elena's decision between Damon and Stefan. Once Stefan returned from Klaus' grasp and got back to being the kind albeit brooding vampire we love, he was back in the running for Elena's heart. By this point however she and Damon had gotten close. I found that this aspect of the plot dragged out a little too much for my liking. I'd hoped to see a relationship form between Elena and Damon, but it was obvious that she'd eventually pick Stefan even though Damon, according to Elena, consumed her. Up until the finale I had almost stopped caring about her choice altogether.

But then there was the finale. I had seen the promo, and having read the novels, when I saw Elena and Matt crash  into the river I knew exactly what that meant. Her days as a human were numbered. This series has hardly had any similarities to the novels but I'm glad they chose to play homage by having this be the way she turned. Having collapsed the previous episode Elena ended up in hospital with a brain hemorrhage. Meredith gave her vampire blood to save her life. Elena's drowning therefore was not the end, just the beginning. It also spelled the end of Alaric. By definition of the word Elena is now dead and so their tie is broken.

Just before they crashed Elena told Damon that she had finally made a decision, to turn back and go to Stefan. She had to let Damon go. He asked her if it could have been different. She said that Stefan had saved her that day in the river, he had in many ways brought her back to life. She added however that if perhaps she'd met him first it would have been different. We then see a scene of Damon lying on the road, it's the night of that first crash and Elena has had a fight with Matt. Her parents are on their way to pick her up. She and Damon have a brief conversation, she's questioning the whole concept of love. Damon tells her that she should have a love that consumes her. He then compels her to forget the conversation because he doesn't want anyone to know he's in town. We now know that she did meet Damon first. Stefan would see her moments later when he saves her from the river, but it was Damon who crossed her path first.

With Elena turning she will have to make the choice of whether or not she completes the transformation. Knowing her character this will take some soul searching When she does (because of course she will) she will then remember everything that happened to her that she was compelled to forget. This means that she'll remember that first time Damon told he loved her but that his brother deserved her. She'll also remember that she met him first. Who knows what it means for them but it's nice to know that the Damon and Elena card is not off the table.

Season three was the weakest of the three but still managed to bring in unique perspective, shocking revelations and hope for an exciting fourth season. The truth is that a weak season for this series is still a strong season for most. I hope that season four is more intimate. There were too many characters in this season, too many plots all over the place. I think it would be nice to go back to the characters we came to know and love in season one: Elena, Stefan, Damon, Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline and Tyler. I look forward to seeing Elena's transition into a vampire, it will be interesting to see whose feeding habits she takes on, Damon's or Stefan's. Then there's the case of Klaus now being in Tyler's body. What does this mean for Tyler? Will Klaus get a new body and will Tyler return? We'll have to wait till September to find out.

I don't know about you but I'll be counting down the days.

The Avengers Assemble

This post will be full of spoilers, because this post is written by an Avengers fan, for Avengers fans. And if you're an Avengers fan then you've seen this movie at least once by now. So for the rest of you, you need to stop what you're doing and go to your local cinema and watch this movie...now!

I have been a complete nerd in anticipation of this film. I have spent countless hours reading up all about the Avengers, trying to gain what knowledge I could. I have never read the comics before but came to know of them, like many, through film and TV. I've watched and re-watched all the films leading up to this one. If you haven't seen the others films before The Avengers then you need to do two things. 1. stop reading this because as I mentioned it's going to be full of spoilers. 2. Go and watch the others first. Trust me, it's better to know Bruce Banner before you know the Hulk. It's important to know why Captain America seems a little out of time, why Thor would risk all that he did to get back to Earth, why Iron Man ...dammit just watch the other films.

This is probably as good a time as any for me to say to Joss Whedon, I salute you! Thank you for breathing life and heart into this film, which could have gone any number of ways really. Not only is it highly enjoyable and full of wonderful fight scenes and stunning visual effects, it's also got a soul. I like how the film takes its time. Every character gets their own entrance, and so they should. This is an ensemble piece after all.

So who are our Avengers? Well first there's Captain America, aka Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), the brave, kind super soldier who has been asleep for 70+ years. He missed a date with the lovely Penny Carter. Then there's Iron Man, aka Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist (his words, not mine), he's back with his arrogance, his charm and his wicked suit. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) arrives with a bang, literally, in search of his brother who he wishes to take back to Asgard for sentencing. I had been wondering how he would return considering how Thor ended. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) mentions that the all father must have conjured up dark power to get him to Earth. It's obvious that Thor has one mission, get Loki, get the tesseract and go back to Asgard. His presence on Earth is costing Asgard something, and that's the reason he can't just run off in search of Jane. We will have to wait till Thor 2 for that reunion. The Hulk, aka Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), is the muscle of the group. He's a green, mean fighting machine. Hawkeye, aka Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), brings his excellent archery skills to the mix. Black Widow, aka Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) brings exceptional spy skills and some kick ass moves, as well as a little touch of femininity to the group.

They are quite the ensemble. To say they don't get along at the start is an understatement. Rogers can barely stand Stark. Rogers, a soldier who would jump on a grenade to save those around him can't really handle the arrogance that Stark exudes. He accuses Stark of working only for himself, never being capable of sacrificing himself for others. You can't really blame the guy for feeling this way. However there's a depth to Stark that we've come to know and love in the Iron Man films. I really loved the scene when Stark took the nuke and risked his own life for everyone else. He can be cocky as hell but he's a hero. There's also a great fight scene between Iron Man and Thor, who are arguably the two most arrogant members of the team.

However there is a friendship that comes out of this film which is really moving. Stark is not known for his subtlety and when he meets Bruce Banner he's eager to see him become the Hulk. However it becomes apparent that Stark wants Banner to embrace his true self. There's a similarity between them, an understanding even. They both became something they didn't really ask for. Where Stark has turned this into his advantage Banner has continually struggled. As the film progresses we get to see Banner embrace his whole true glorious self. After Stark has seemingly sacrificed himself for the others it's only fitting that it's Hulk who catches him falling from the sky.

I have to mention of course the wonderful Tom Hiddleston in his performance of Loki. I'm not always a fan of comic book villains, I find they can be overdone and lose all sense of reality. Loki however is a villain I truly love. I hope they never get rid of him. The character is deliciously villainous whilst also maintaing some sense of humanity (if you could call it that). He can play both menacing mastermind and spoilt obnoxious child at the same time. Every minute of him on screen is captivating.

Apart from Hiddleston, honorable mention has to go to Ruffolo who breathed new life into the Hulk. To be honest he's been my least favorite Avenger, until now. The scene where he kicks Loki's ass was so great, the whole cinema applauded. Before when there was talk about him having his own reboot I was skeptical, after seeing this film however I am all in.

And of course I have to mention the wonderful Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg). He's been our guide through the films leading to this one. Every time we saw him we were reminded that S.H.I.E.L.D has eyes everywhere. We got to know a little more about Coulson in this film. For instance he recently broke up with a gal, and he's a huge fan of Captain America. He also finally got to know what that gun does. So thanks Agent Coulson for your dedication and hard work.

The film ends with the Avengers going their separate ways but we know they will return when Earth needs them (or when The Avengers 2 starts filming). We also have Iron Man 3, Thor 2 and Captain America 2 to keep us happy until then.

Obviously reading this means you've watched the movie, which means I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. So let's just agree that this film was awesome, Joss Whedon is a legend and Loki was adopted.

The Lucky One

Before I begin this review I need to clarify a few things. Firstly, this is a review of a chick flick, and by that I mean a film that is made specifically for women aged 18-35. Secondly, I am a woman in that age bracket. Thirdly, this is a review of a chick flick.

I felt that I just needed to get that out there because so often films of this style are swept under the rug, deemed insignificant or just too 'girly'. One of the first things we're taught when creating films is to know our audience. This is a film that knows its audience.

The Lucky One centers around 25 year old Marine Logan (Zac Efron) who finds a photo of a girl whilst serving in Iraq. He then survives things that many of his fellow soldiers do not, things he believes he shouldn't have survived. He decides that if he ever makes it through he would find the woman in the photo and thank her. When he returns home he finds that he can't put the war behind him. So he and his dog Zeus make the walk to Louisiana where he's tracked the woman in the photo to.

When he arrives there he is able to find the woman, Beth (Taylor Schilling) a single mom. He takes a job at her family's dog kennel. At first Beth is suspicious of this man who's just walked from Colorado, but eventually she finds herself falling for him. However as they get closer the presence of her ex-husband, the local sheriff, and the secret Logan's hiding threatens their relationship.

I have read a few reviews of this film and most of them are not positive. I can understand why certain people wouldn't enjoy this film. It does not have a lot of depth, it's an obvious plot, the cast is your typical Nicholas Sparks creation, i.e white, heterosexual and American. If you are searching for something original then this is not the film for you.

I however found the film charming. Both Efron and Schilling created realistic characters that were true to the characters in the novel. They have great chemistry, which arguably is the most important apsect of any chick flick. There are no surprises in the plot but the film is entertaining and if you go in with 'chick flick' expectations then you'll be satisfied, and if you're a fan of Zac Efron shirtless then you won't be disappointed.

Happy Avengers Eve Everyone

May the 4th be with you