IN THIS ISSUE

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 The Bling Ring Despicable Me 2 Epic Fast and Furious 6 G.I. Joe: Retaliation The Great Gatsby The Hangover Part III The Host The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Iron Man 3 Kick-Ass 2 Man of Steel Monsters University National Treasure Now You See Me Oblivion The Smurfs 2 Snow White and the Huntsman 2 Star Trek Into Darkness Turbo

MAY 2013

READ THE MAGAZINE, LISTEN TO THE PODCAST!

FROM THE AWARD-WINNING HOSTS OF THE JIMMY AND LUKE SHOW COMES THE OFFICIAL MOVIE TACO PODCAST, RELEASED EVERY MONTH EXCLUSIVELY ON BUZZHUB.TK AND FEATURING EXCLUSIVE REVIEWS OF ALL THE BIGGEST MOVIES, AS WELL AS DISCUSSION OF UPCOMING RELEASES AND THE BIGGEST NEWS STORIES! EPISODE 4 IS OUT NOW AND FEATURES REVIEWS OF OBLIVION, SCARY MOVIE 5 AND G.I. JOE 2.

GREAT SCOTT!
Baz Luhrmann is a director that likes to make films that are big, loud and covered in glitter. In 1997, he took William Shakespeares classic tale of a first love lost, Romeo and Juliet and turned it into a camp, annoying display of frivolity. He hopes to do the same of F Scott Fitzgeralds masterpiece The Great Gatsby this month, as he releases his much-delayed adaptation (or should it be, ruining) starring frequent collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio, in the first of several Oscar-baiting roles this year, as well as Baz newcomers Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire and Joel Edgerton. Maguire is making his first appearance in a major film since Spider-Man 3 after being replaced by Rafe Spall in Life of Pi. Mulligan, who has somewhat failed to live up to her Best Newcomer status, must try to overwrite the image of Mia Farrow as Daisy Bucannan that everyone has in their minds, just as DiCaprio must do with Robert Redfords image.

The Great Gatsby will open the Cannes Film Festival and be released worldwide on May 10.

FOREST ROMP

Blue Sky Animation, a studio once as promising as Pixar and Dreamworks who have, apart from Robotsa nd Horton Hears A Who, stuck pretty close to their winning but tired Ice Age formula, are the people behind this new adventure that promises to mix Avatar with Fern Gully. The trailers use of spectacle and Coldplay music doesnt give a good impression, but well have to give it a chance! EPIC opens Memorial Day weekend.

PICK A CARD, ANY CARD

At the start of 2013, it looked like the Similar Movie Faceoff of the Year would be between The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and this, Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk)s Now You See Me. Fortunately for everyone involved in this film, Burt was a massive critical and financial flop, and it looks like this quirky thriller starring Jessie Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Mark Ruffalo and Michael Caine will be a much better and more moneymaking film. Now you see the audiences in their seats! Now, theyre still there! Now You See Me opens on May 31

Whether you like, or even tolerate, Todd Phillips Hangover films, theres no denying that they have changed comedy cinema in the modern age. Since the first film was released in Summer 2009, grossing hundreds of millions of dollars at the international box office, more comedies have been occupying billboard space, crossing the $100m mark and rivaling special-effects blockbusters at the Summer box office. The Hangover Part III is set to open this Memorial Day weekend in the United States, opposite both Fast and Furious 6 and animated fantasy Epic. Now, its not uncommon for a comedy to open opposite one or two blockbusters, but it is rare for anyone to expect the comedy to come in at least at #2 in the box office! Personally, I wasnt a huge fan of either of the previous movies. The first, which was declared unbelievable hilarious by straight-faced critics and audiences alike, was a moderately entertaining action caper, but not at all funny. The sequel was slightly funnier, but far more offensive and painful to watch (not a good thing). This third film is being set up as completely different and to be honest, the trailer is pretty good. John Goodman also has a fairly major role as a new villain. Could he become comedys equivalent of Dwayne Johnson, an experienced star brought in to save a dying franchise? The Hangover Part III is released Memorial Day weekend.

MOVIE TACOS SUMMER 2013

The year was 1933. The US, and the world, was an extraordinarily different place from what it is today. Comic-books were enjoyed for the most part because they offered a rest from the stress and pain of the violent and tragic wars that had befallen the worlds nations (and the arguably even more tragic war that was to come). A writer of these comic books, Jerry Siegel, and an artist, Joe Shuster, created a hero who, if he existed, would be able to cure the stress of people, the fear of the outbreak of war, as he would be able to defend every man, woman and child from whatever enemy may wish to harm them. That hero was Superman. The man of steel first appeared on the page in the June 1938 issue of Action Comics, but it wasnt until 1978 that he flew onto the silver screen, portrayed by Christopher Reeve, a handsome and athletic young actor who took the world by storm. That film, directed by Richard Donner and heralded as a masterpiece of blockbuster cinema by audiences and critics alike, a decision the latter were helped to make by appearances from proper actors Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman. Three sequels followed, the first as beloved as the original 1978 film, the second and third disdained. In 2006, Bryan Singer attempted to recreate the magic he brought to the

X-Men films with his Donner homage Superman Returns, which was enjoyed by fans and critics, but only by those who actually went to see it! Now, 35 years after the original film and 80 years after the character was created, Zack Snyders updated big screen version of the hero is about to arrive in cinemas, complete with the more realistic, darker tone that made Chrstopher Nolans spectacular Dark Knight trilogy such a worldwide success. Speaking of Christopher Nolan, the great man himself is credited as producer and script supervisor on Man of Steel, a fact that is making the film look a whole lot more attractive to people who are Bat-fans, but not Supe-fans. Will Man of Steel top the Donner films, or fly off peoples memories in days. Well have to wait and see! An extended review of Man of Steel will be printed in next months issue.

CAST OF STEEL
HENRY CAVILLs biggest role to date is certainly in Tarsem Singhs 2011 epic Immortals, which was fairly successful at the box office, considering its Rrating and lack of major stars. He also had the lead in tiny thriller The Cold Light of Day alongside Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver, which was released in the UK this time last year!

RUSSELL CROWE is an Oscar-winner and threetime Best Actor nominee, and has starred in such beloved films as Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind and, most recently, as Javert in the hit musical Les Misrables.

AMY ADAMS is another actor familiar with 21stcentury musicals, as she came to fame as the star of Disneys 2007 Enchamted. She is a multiOscar nominee, for roles in films like The Master, The Fighter and Doubt.

In 2010, Matthew Vaughn released Kick-Ass. That sentence would change superhero films, comedy films, action films and British films for the next three years. The standard was set so high by Vaughns superbly funny, charming and entertaining reality-superhero film that, not only did he fail to meet the high bar with his goodbut-not-amazing X-Men First Class, but every genre-crossover film released since hasnt either (were talking Cowboys and Aliens.) Vaughn isnt directing this sequel, due out in the Summer, as he was supposed to be making X-Men: Days of Future Past instead. However, he mysteriously dropped out of that project at the last moment, leading to some untrue Star Wars rumours, and was replaced by X-Men veteran Bryan Singer, to everyones delight. Directing instead is Jeff Wadlow, who isnt particularly experienced, but is apparently in with the graphic novels on which these films are based. The green-band trailer for the film showcases a lot of scenes about Chloe Moretzs Hit-Girls starting high-school, and how she uses her alter-ego to overcome bullies and sports! This film could be like the superhero-action-sweary version of Mean Girls (or, to a lesser extent, Hannah Montana!).

For near to ten years, the Fast and Furious films came and went every few years, and surprised critics and most audiences with their stability: who was watching these, who was enjoying these? Then, in Summer of 2011, something extraordinary occurred. A good, fun, extremely successful and brilliantly casted Fast and Furious film was released! Fast Five, or Fast and Furious 5: Rio Heist added action hero extraordinaire Dwayne Johnson to the cast, and boy did he deliver. Hes back in the sixth film, which hits cinemas worldwide on May 24, the same date as both The Hangover Part III and Epic. Will the success of Five be repeated, or will Vin Diesel and his drivers be overtaken by The Wolfpack or the residents of BlueSkys 3D forest? Justin Lin, who directs this film, has already pulled out of future installments- not a good sign for the film. However, Dwayne Johnson has said that, rather than Fast 7, the next films to be released could be a spin-off for his character, supercop Luke Hobbs. That might be

JJ Abrams is the director of Star Trek Into Darkness, one of the years biggest movies. He is currently the most famous working director in Hollywood, par maybe Spielberg and Tarantino, and he is setting off next month to write and direct Star Wars Episode 7, the most eagerly anticipated film of all time. He has only made 4 films. But you see, it doesnt matter these days how many films youve directed. What matters is how many youve written script drafts of, produced and how much TV experience you have. If one man has a lot of experience in TV, its JJ. He was one-half of the power team behind Lost (see below), the biggest TV drama of the 21st century, and also created

Fringe, Alias and Felicity. Being behind so many huge shows gains you attention in Hollywood, and so Abrams was invited by Tom Cruise and his coproducers to helm 2006s Mission: Impossible III, the follow-up to what was at the time the highest-grossing spy film of all time (now its Skyfall). The film was superb, and propelled Abrams to being chosen to make a Star Trek reboot. This film, starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto was a massive success among critics and Trekkies, and at the box office. A sequel was sure to be made, but first, Abrams had to make his dream project. After all, Christopher Nolan got to make Inception after The Dark Knight, so Abrams got

LOST BEGINNINGS: OUR TOP 5 CHARACTERS FROM SEASON 1

FROM LEFT: HURLEY WALT CHARLIE CLAIRE JOHN You can read a special feature on Lost in the August 2013 issue of Movie Taco.

to make Super 8 after Trek. The majority of critics and audiences loved Super 8, a warm homage to Steven Spielberg. Movie Taco wasnt a huge fan of Abrams directing style that was on show in the film, but recognised the passion that was behind its creation. Abrams returned to Starfleet, and his second film about the Enterprise crew is due to hit cinemas on May 9th in the UK, and May 16th in the Uinted States. However, Abrams has already started work on an even bigger, more highly anticipated scifi adventure blockbuster: the aforementioned Star Wars Episode 7. The original SW cast members are due to reappear and George Lucas has taken a step back, and will not be directing or writing the film. What could possibly go wrong? The official synopsis for STID is as follows: After being called back home, the crew of the USS Enterprise find a seemingly unstoppable force which has attacked Starfleet and left Earth in chaos. Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise are tasked with leading the deadly manhunt to capture the party responsible and settle an old score. For the films villain, Abrams has hired Benedict Cumberbatch, star of BBCs massive drama series Sherlock and fanboy favourite. After all, his Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman managed to pull off the leading role in The Hobbit, and its looking like Cumberbatchs STID character John Harrison (or Kahn as fans are predicting) will take a fairly leading role alongside Chris Pines Kirk in the film. We have Star Wars to look forward to in 2015, but some fans will be more excited about this. It should be a nice break from the usual ugly, unstylish and stupidly written films released over the summer.

HONEST POSTERS: STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

Star Trek Into Darkness is released in the UK on May 9 and the US on May 17. It will be reviewed in next months Movie Taco.

ALSO OUT THIS SUMMER

THE LONE RANGER This looked set to be one of the coolest films of the year some time ago, but has started to lose fan engagement over time. Still, the people behind it are fairly reliable, so it cant be that bad!

THE WOLVERINE Hugh Jackman is back in what has turned into the Summers least anticipated movie. A lack of posters and trailers until a few weeks ago failed to create knowledge of the films existence, and the trailer was pretty bad. We still have hope, however, as Hugh Jackmans Logan never fails to entertain and could make even the worst film OK.

THIS IS THE END Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (the writers of Superbad)s directorial debut looks set to be at least the cleverest comedy idea of the Summer, if not the funniest overall. It features Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Michael Cera and Emma Watson playing themselves, making fun of each others career ups and downs as the apocalypse tears apart Francos house and the party they are all attending.

WHITE HOUSE DOWN The second terrorists-invade-the-White-House film released in 2013 (after the mediocre Olympus has Fallen), this is Roland Emmerichs most realistic film yet, after showing us the possibilities of an alien invasion (Independence Day), and modern ice-age (The Day After Tomorrow) and a lot of simultaneous earthquakes (2012). Channing Tatums biggest starring role to date, this should be great!

R.I.P.D Basically Men in Black with two white guys (one of whom is actually relatable), this sci-fi comedy looks fun (watch trailer here) and who doesnt love watching Jeff Bridges enjoy himself on screen? Anyone?

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING THE WORLDS END A very different film with a very similar title to the RogenGoldberg project is Edgar Wrights bar-adventure apocalyptic comedy, starring Simon Pegg, Martin Freeman and Nick Frost.

How does Joss Whedon follow up directing the third biggest movie in history? By making a small movie that no-one but his fans will care about and with no major actors starring (except for maybe Nathan Fillion and Clark Gregg). It should be an interesting watch!

BEST OF THE REST

MOVIE TACOS ANIMATION PREVIEW

Despicable Me 2, our most anticipated animated film of the year, is sure to be superb, with the original voice cast and directors returning, as well as new stars Kristen Wiig and Al Pacino! Yes, Al Pacino! The first film was close to perfect, and felt more like high water-mark Pixar than Universal, and this will probably be better than the prequel/sequel that Pixar are releasing this Summer (see below). Read more about DM2 in the July 2013 issue. Ryan Reynolds is the king of animated film this year, providing voices for both Dreamworks smash-hit The Croods and Turbo, this original adventure featuring a talking snail (Reynolds) who enters a race! Whaaaaat you say! A snail? Racing? How could that be? Leave that to the magic of animation! Read more about Turbo in the July 2013 issue.

Monsters University comes at a point when Pixar, formerly the kings of animated cinema in Hollywood, havent released a good film in 3 years, and havent released a good original film in 4. Thats a very long period for a studio who once made Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and Wall.E back to back! We all love Monsters Inc, but a prequel to it isnt really what we need from Pixar right now! Read more about Monsters University in the June 2013 issue. The Smurfs 2 isnt technically an animated film, seeing as it featured such fantastic and experienced live-action comedy actors as Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays and Sofia Vergara. The first film was surprisingly good and a surprise hit, following in the steps of its distant cousin Alvin and the Chipmunks, and this one will probably be better, unlike Alvin, as it has even better actors joining the cast, and an even more original plot. Read more about The Smurfs 2 in the July 2013 issue.

Iron Man 3
Iron Man 3 is the first ever season-specific superhero movie. The whole story is set at Christmas, and popular Christmas songs are played several times throughout the film. Im unsure as to whether the film was intended for a December 2012 or 2013 release, but it was almost certainly one of the two. Then again, maybe Shane Black just wanted to make another film set at Christmas. Almost all the films written by Black feature Christmas, along with a hilarious voiceover by the main character. Iron Man 3 is no different, and Robert Downey Jrs voiceover begins before the red Marvel logo even appears on screen. Its a wonderfully wellwritten voiceover, featuring all the usual stutters and corrections we have come to expect and love from Downeys Tony Stark. Despite these familiar vocal features, Stark is a very different man when the film begins (or, ten minutes in, after a 1999 prologue). His relationship with Pepper Potts is more intense, he has far more free time (no longer being the CEO of Stark Industries) and he is unknowingly suffering from PTSD following the events of last years The Avengers (Assemble). Speaking of that film, nobody expected Iron Man 3 to top it, or even match its brilliance, wit, visual beauty and charm. Therefore, I shouldnt have felt, whilst watching Iron Man 3, that I was being let down. I have become so used to going to see a Disney/Marvel film that is purely a trailer for Avengers (Thor, Iron Man II, Captain

America), that when I see one with zero Easter eggs, hidden plot hints or props and only 1, short, and irrelevant appearance by another Avenger (Nick Fury isnt even in this film), I feel let down as a fan. Considering Shane Black had written the script before Avengers was finished filming, the humour in the film couldnt be more different to what Whedon gave us. In Avengers, all the best jokes were related to the already-known characters personality traits, and their relationships with one another. The jokes in this are far less specific to the series, and are mostly based upon current popular culture or just generic old fun! Many critics have stated that this doesnt feel like a step back down the ladder from Avengers, but rather a film on an equally epic level. I disagree strongly, and unlike Avengers, which felt like the height of last years Summer movie season, this feels like an introduction, on only a slightly larger scale than Iron Man 2 and Thor. Unfortunately, I dont think any bigger-feeling films will be released this Summer, and this really was my (and Tacos) most anticipated film of 2013. The reason for this lack of Avengers-level awesomeness isnt the lack of other heroes, but the lack of a large threat for Tony. Its like watching Earths Mightiest Hero save a kitten from a tree. From the start of the film, when Ben Kingsleys The Mandarin starts broadcasting terrifying propaganda videos on US television, its clear he is simply a crazed madman who wants to get his way, not the threat to human existence posed by Loki and the Chitauri. Hes still a far more sinister villain than Mickey Rourkes Whiplash and his canary, but his Earthly origins cause him to not be particularly threatening.

The messages explored in the film in relation to The Mandarin are unexpectedly interesting and relevant. His thrillingly-shot TV appearances feature discussion of the USs constant theft of Chinese images and ideas (Graumanns Theatre, which he destroys in an early bombing scene, and Fortune Cookies) and transformation of them into gaudy, ugly, vain creations. This isnt something you would expect to see in a Disney-distributed film featuring a heroic character called Iron Patriot, and comes as a pleasantly intellectual surprise. Another intelligent scene comes when Tony is in Tennessee, abandoned by his friends and robot butler Jarvis after his house is attacked by The Mandarin. He has teamed up with a young boy (played wonderfully by soon-to-be-a-star Ty Simpkins) and, at Christmas, together they visit the site of a suicide bomb attack that occurred in the quaint town years before. The atomic shadows left as a result of the bombing astound Tony, and the boy explains the spiritual reason given by the townsfolk for the absence of the bombers shadow. This is by far the most poetic scene in any Marvel film I have seen (thats to say, all of them made after 1999), and gives the film a much-needed boost of emotion. An unspoken significance of these shadows relates to Tonys reliance on his suits for an exterior personality, due to his fathers ignorance of him as a child, and his constant feeling of being hollow inside. These shadows possess only an exterior personality,

and the people whos bodies were responsible for their creation are no longer living. Speaking of Ty Simpkins, im surprised he didnt get his own character poster, as he features just as prominently and is just as important to the story as Don Cheadles Rhodey (and even The Mandarin). Cheadle shouldnt be blamed for his uninteresting role in the film, After all, he played an important part in Iron Man 2, and his character was one of a small group who didnt appear in Avengers. People may have just forgotten about Rhodes: people meaning Marvel. However, the few minutes of screen time allotted to Cheadle give him some great comic moments, such as when he tells Tony his password. James Badge Dale gives a terrifying performance as Mandarins senior henchman, and his resemblance to Matthew Fox (ive been on a Lost marathon recently) gave me the creeps. Coincidentally, he and Fox both appear in the upcoming World War Z. Throughout the film, Tony Stark appears to be very alone. Even when he is still in his massive house, living with his hot gir lfriend (oh yeah, we havent mentioned Gwyneth Paltrows Pepper Potts yet), his friends, Rhodes and Happy (former Iron Man director Jon Favreau, featuring heavily in the opening third but becoming incapacitated later, as we predicted) are too busy to hang out with him, and his suits are his only friends. Luckily, when he arrives in Tennessee later on, he meets his kid-friend almost immediately- in a wood-shed. Isnt that original? Despite Mandarin, and Guy Pearces BIG bad Killian being a continuous threat throughout the film, the more active baddies who actually participate in fights and shoot-outs are the Extremis experiment guinea-pigs. I found no enjoyment watching these characters in action, and they look and act like a a group of mutants from one of the bad X-Men flicks, not IRON MAN! Badge Dale was the one exception to this bunch of bad actors, and luckily he didnt do much Extremis -y stuff. This was not the extraordinary Avengers follow-up we could have gotten, but it also wasnt the massive failure we could have gotten. Fans of action, comedy, Christmas and the like will gobble this up, as have the critics. I, for one, stopped gobbling after the first eight-tenths, but only because I was full of decent food. Does that metaphor work? Who cares! Its Christmas! Oh, wait

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Roger Ebert, the legendary film critic who passed away this month, always said that when he wrote reviews, he wrote from the point of view of whom the film was directed at. If he was watching Terrence Malick, he would think Would an intelligent professor of film psychology like this. If he was watching The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, he would think would an excitable, easily-entertained seven-year old enjoy this film. He did get to review G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the much-delayed sequel to the awful 2009 action film The Rise of Cobra before he died, and despite watching it from the point of view of a target audience member as he always did, he gave it 1.5/4 stars- a fairly low rating. When it was announced last year, just weeks before the films release, that it would be postponed by almost a year, almost everyone presumed the reason was to go back and add more Channing Tatum, given his string of successful released in early 2012. As it turns out, that wasnt the reason, as Tatum is (Spoiler, but in the trailer) killed off within 20 minutes of the film! After his demise, its up to his best friend and co-Joe Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson) to take over as both the lead of the GIs and of the film. Johnso is probably the best actor working in stupid, entertaining action movies today, and its always a pro to see his name pop up on posters fo what would otherwise be totally unbearable films, ie. Fast Five and Journey 2 The Mysterious Island. Most of his best stuff in this comes in his interaction with Tatum, which of course ends after 20 minutes. He quotes Jay-Z like a poet and talks a lot about his young daughters (who would ever imagine Dwayne Johnson with daughters!) He is decent for the rest of the film, but not amazing. Bruce Willi turns up. Enough said. Willis made us think he was getting back on top of his game with his award-worthy performance in Moonrise Kingdom last year, but with Looper, The Expendables 2, A Good Die To Die Hard and this, he has proven once again that hes a terrible action star nowadays. Red 2 cannot come and go fast enough! Jonathan Pryce has fun on screen as both the US president and his infiltrator, and there is some great Snake Eyes action. A major set-piece with ninjas on a cliff is sure to have 8-year old boys jumping up and down in their seats. This looks like Citizen Kane compared with the first film, which makes sense considering that any sign of relation to that film is wiped ou as soon as Tatums character dies. There is fun to be had here, and thats in some ways what movies are for. However, Fast and Furious 6 and in particular Iron Man 3 are going to provide, cleverer and more original actions scenes and witty jibes, so hold onto your money for just a few more weeks!

Oblivion

Watching Oblivion, I figured out some stuff that Joseph Kosinski likes to put in his films. Thats to say, the two films he has directed: both major Hollywood tentpole science-fiction blockbusters. The first was, of course, 2010s disappointing Tron: Legacy, the main fault of which was the lack of a major star and the casting of the spectacularly uncharismatic Garret Hedlund in the lead role. Oblivion, luckily, does not follow this fate, thanks to the fact that Tom Cruise, unarguably one of the most charming and charismatic actors working in Hollywood today, is the star (and producer), playing Jack Harper, the last man on Earth, who wanders around fixing drones in a funny suit that looks like what Ted and Barney wore in The Time Travellers episode of How I Met Your Mother. However, he isnt actually the last man on Earth. Firstly, he is accompanied by Andrea Riseborough (50% Kate Winslet, 50% Bonnie Wright), his coworker/ girlfriend, and together they share a hilariously bad swimming pool love scene early on in the film. Secondly, as shown in the trailers, Jack discovers Morgan Freeman and a gang of rebels underground, and they start to reveal to him the secrets of what is happening to the Earths citizens now that they are living in a giant pyramid -shaped space station. Aaaah Morgan Freeman. what has he done to his career. He hasnt had a memorable role in over a decade, and all he does now is turn up in small roles as either a carbon copy of his performance in the Batman films as Lucius Fox, or his role as God in Bruce and Evan Almighty. He appears on screen in Oblivion for less than 5 minutes, depsite appearing on the poster! Another actor giving a lot of time to the promotion of the film that isnt in it that much is Olga Kurylenko, who has toured the world giving interviews, each of which is twice the length of her Oblivion screen-time. The film starts off with some truly spectacular money-shots, featuring beautiful CGI images of the Washington Monument collapsing into the ground, amongst other dystopian sites. These images set the scene for the rest of the film: a lot of spectacle, not so much heart, charm or engagement. Oblivion may as well be a nature documentary, it is so low on characterisation. Sure, Tom Cruise is believable as Jack (at least more so than he was in his last film, the disgraceful Jack Reacher), but his character is nothing new or interesting. The same can be said for the rest of the film. Not one frame of imagery, line of dialogue or piece of costume in Oblivion hasnt been taken from an older, far superior film. The whole premise is a rip-off of Wall.E, and ill be counting the days from now on until Pixar file a lawsuit against Universal. The segments

featuring Jack tending to plants and robots simultaneously whilst cheesy 70s music plays on a phonograph are carbon copied from the wonderful Silent Running. The music is a mix of Tron: Legacy and, along with every science fiction film released since 2010, Inception. There are a few other things taken from Christopher Nolans masterpiece, including Jack and Olga Kurylenkos characters relationship, which the viewer only realises the full extent of late in the plot. After 90+ minutes of not-particularly-interesting effects and no plot, some interesting twists and turns arrive which pulled me back into the world of the film and made me warm towards it a little bit more. There is one superbly entertaining scene like nothing you will ever have seen or even imagined before, and you will not forget it (if you have seen the film you will know of what I speak) until the day you die! The final reveal is OK, but has been done recently enough in various sci-fi reboots, remakes and rip-offs, namely Total Recall, The Hunger Games, and even if you go back far enough, The Matrixfilms. There is fun to be had here, but there could have been more. Its as good an accompaniment for your popcorn-munching that youll find in cinemas this year, but if you want something with a little bit more depth, youre going to have to look at the upcoming projects of more experienced directors than Kosinski. After all, he has only directed two films!

The Host
It is widely considered that Roger Cormans The Man With The X-Ray Eyes (or X, as it was called on release) is the best film of the 1960s B-movie heyday. The films extraordinarily entertaining combination of gore, romance and adventure make it a very enjoyable watch, even if one has only started watching it so as to be able to laugh at it. In X, Ray Millands lead character takes a drug designed to expand the human mind, but ends up with two black, bulging eyes that can see through any surface. Another film that features unusually exaggerated eyes is The Host, the new teen-oriented sci-fi/romance/action/drama/adventure from Twilight author Stephenie Meyer and director Andrew Niccol. What??? Surely thats not the Andrew Niccol who directed superb 1997 sci-fi Gattaca and 2005 drama Lord of War, or even the decent 2011 futuristic thriller In Time? How could he stoop so low as to direct this apparently awful pile of rubbish? Honestly, I cant answer that question. Whilst I watched (0r, attempted to watch), this spectacularly bad film, I couldnt help but wonder what extremely ambitious and expensive project Niccol is planning that he needed to fund using his payment for this. It must be something on the scale of Cloud Atlas, something no studio is willing to fund. Hopefully, it will be something so brilliant, we will be able to forgive Niccol for directing (and writing!) The Host. Regular readers of my reviews will know that im a big fan of Stephenie Meyers Twilight books, and the subsequent series of films, which featured superb casts, original stories and extremely moving romance. I attempted to read The Host several years ago as I awaited the release of the final Twilight book, but I lost the

plot after 50 or so pages. That books complicated plot and cast of characters turned many potential readers away, and so the film and Niccols script have dumbed down the story by about 700%. Gone are the confusing flashbacks and sideplots and in is the continuing and unengaging narrative involving Saoirse Ronans characters Melanie (human, Texan, sarcastic and apparently hilarious) and Wanderer (alien, possessed Melanies body, Californian [they are alien after all], and very serious indeed). We dont see much of Melanie, but we do get a strong sense of her character through the infuriating internal monologues that feature from the beginning of the film to near the end. How the author of some of my favourite books of the past decade, and the director of some of my favourite sci-fi films of the past century managed to pull of such a failure in both their respective genres that I wanted to stand up and run out of the cinema screaming is a mystery to be, but it must be partially the fault of the studio. Oh wait, was a studio even involved? The films budget of $44m was only half that of recent teen sci-fi hit The Hunger Games (a film that looks twice as good as Citizen Kane when compared with The Host), and was clearly entirely spent on Niccols fee and some shitty helicopter shots of the desert. Oh yeah, and William Hurt and Diane Kruger, two fantastic actors who let themselves down severely in this film. Diane Kruger is barely in the film, and is only there to make an angry face and stomp around the desert in some ill-judged high-heel boots. Saoirse Ronan is a decent actress, and a lovely girl, but doesnt have the realistic sexual emotions or basic acting skills to pull off playing, not one, but two characters! The film looks boring and awful, with its orange and white colour scheme and unoriginal setting. One last thing about The Host: Emily Browning makes a cameo near the end. Why? Basically, everything good about X is bad about this. Get a DVD of that, and dont be fooled into thinking that just because you like Twilight, youll like this. Its all lies! What this film needs isnt an alien possession, its an exorcism!

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

At time of writing, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is probably the biggest flop of 2013 so far, and has sent the future careers of its stars Steve Carell and Jim Carrey into a vortex of uncertainty. Whos to blame anyone for not going to see it, considering the almost non-existent publicity campaign and the impossibly tedious title (Alan Arkin couldnt even remember what it was called in a recent interview). The terrible thing is is that its not actually that bad. The negative reviews would have you think its a terribly unfunny, heartless bag of rubbish, like its recent cousin Identity Thief, but its far more than that. Yes, it could be much funnier, especially considering how the long that script has been bouncing around, and all the people who have had the chance to alter it. Yes, all the actors are just doing what they always do and nothing new. Yes, it has probably the most unethical, outrageous ending of any comedy film for the past 5 years. But at the centre of all this is a sweet, enjoyable and fairly well-made film about a bunch of losers playing with magic and trying to figure out whos the best. How I Met Your Mothers Barney Stinsons fascination with slight-of-hand tricks has prompted a new interest in the methods in recent years, a fact that both Wonderstone and upcoming thriller Now You See Me are cashing in on. This film does use many of the jokes featured in that show amongst other things, but adds expensive CG effects and the use of a big screen to add to the illusion. Unfortunately, it is just an illusion. Almost every trick in Wonderstone has been altered using CG, and its pretty easy to tell, especially with tricks like Arkin turning sand into a bird! Most of the illusions featured in the film are explained to the audience, and

the grand final act, which I wont give away, could easily be pulled off by any member of the films audience (I pray there wont be a copycat incident) if they had the time and money to go through the necessary steps. Due to this lack of actual magic on screen, its down to the script and actors to pull of the trick of making the audience enjoy the film. The script is pretty terrible, clearly written with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson instead of Carell and Steve Buscemi (criminally underused, but still hillarious) in mind, and the purely verbal jokes fall miserably on the floor. It is the actors who eventually save the film, with the unbelievably likeable Carell pulling every scene along with his bare hands, and Jim Carrey getting the funniest physical gags as always. Olivia Wilde is fine in her usual role (she has still yet to match the brilliance of her performance in Butter) and Arkin and Buscemi are fun to watch having fun. This may not be a film with a good story or script, or any genuine magic on screen, but it does have heart, and heart is something thats hard to find in films today.

FORGOTTEN CLASSIC: NATIONAL TREASURE (2004)

The fact that Nicholas Cage hasnt made any good films since he won his Oscar has become a running joke in film critic and Hollywood circles. I couldnt disagree more, as both of John Turtletaubs National Treasure films are on my list of favourite films of all time. In them, Cage portrays Benjamin Gates, an explorer who, in this first film, steals the Declaration of Independence with the help of his friend Riley (Justin Bartha of The Hangover films) in order to read a treasure map on the back and be lead to a hidden treasure under Londons streets. The film has one of the best casts of any 2000s actioner, including Harvey Kietel, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Chrstopher Plummer and Sean Bean, and a brilliant story based around both accurate and inaccurate US history, but was passed off by critics as Pirates of a Caribbeans more realistic younger brother. This couldnt be more untrue, as the film is far more original and entertaining than any of the Pirates films have ever been. Helen Mirren, Ed Harris and other award-winning, well respected actors presence in the sequel prove the cred that some people gave the film. It truly is a forgotten classic!

THE HOT LIST MONTHLY

The Great Gatsby is opening Cannes 2013, but another highly anticipated film screening at the festival will be Sofia Coppolas THE BLING RING. Starring Emma Watson, in her most adult role yet, and Leslie Mann. The Bling Ring tells the real-life story of a group of fameobsessed teenagers who break into the houses of Hollywood celebrities. Other highlights from the Cannes schedule include Only God Forgives by Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn; Steven Soderbergh's Liberace biopic, Behind The Candelabra; The Immigrant starring Joaquin Phoenix and Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard; and the Coen brothers' latest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, with Carey Mulligan and Justin Timberlake playing the leading roles.

THE HOT LIST MONTHLY

Kristen Stewart will reprise her lead role in the Snow White and the Huntsman sequel, the head of Universal Pictures confirmed. Stewart plays the lead role of Snow White in the film. Though few details are known about the latest project, it will be in theaters in 2015. The first movie received two Oscar nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Costume Design at the 85th Academy Awards.

The first images of Shailene Woodley and Emma Stone as Mary-Jane and Gwen on the Amazing Spider-Man 2 set have made their way online. We saw Stone in action in Mark Webbs 2012 film, but Woodley (also starring in upcoming teen-flicks Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars) is a newcomer to the Spidey series!

COMING NEXT MONTH..

THE GREATEST SUPERHERO MOVIES

THE DARK KNIGHT, AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, X2, SPIDER-MAN 2, BATMAN AND ROBIN? WHO WILL WIN?

PLUS. THE WOLVERINE: WORLD EXCLUSIVE WORLD WAR Z MONSTERS UNIVERSITY THIS IS THE END MAN OF STEEL, THE GREAT GATSBY + STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS REVIEWED
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