IN THIS ISSUE

Anchorman: The Legend Continues Camp X-Ray Despicable Me 2 Fast & Furious 6 The Great Gatsby Grown Ups 2 The Hangover Part III Interstellar The Lone Ranger Man of Steel A Million Ways to Die in the West Muppets Most Wanted Now You See Me Pacific Rim R.I.P.D The Spongebob Squarepants Movie 2

JULY 2013

GET THE PODCAST!

It may be Summer, but that doesnt mean the official Movie Taco Podcast is going anywhere! In fact, its going to be released more frequently through July and August, as host Luke reviews the weeks releases and discusses the weekend box-office resultsevery Monday on BOX OFFICE BUZZ. He may be alone, but hell have lots of talk about- and you can let your voice be heard too, by e-mailing or tweeting your comments in to the show! Download the Movie Taco Podcast at buzzhub.wordpress.com For the latest news and reviews, visit buzzhub.wordpress.com

GRU AGAIN
Absolutely nobody, not least Illumination Entertainment, expected the 2010 animated comedy Despicable Me to be such a financial and critical success, and become as much of a cult classic amongst children and adults as it has. Unlike the studios (and most other animation studios) other films, it had original, genuinely funny characters, like Steve Carrell villainously charming Gru. Not surname: just Gru. Also, it had Jason Segals surprisingly unthreatening baddie, who nobody ever expects to win, but is still captivated by the appearances of, and Grus three adorable adopted young daughters, whose nave behavior and endlessly quotable lines have been sprawled across both the social network-verse and the minds of anyone whos seen the film since its release. So, how could we possibly be more excited about its extremely promising (both in terms of quality and financial dependence) sequel, released worldwide this month? We couldnt, as even when Al Pacino dropped out of the voice cast at the last minute, we still didnt lose an inch of faith. Kristen Wiig joins that awesome cast, alongside Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove and more! If you still need convincing, just look at this picture of Steve Carrell appearing as Gru on The Ellen DeGeneres Show:

Despicable Me 2 opens in the UK on June 28, and in the US on July 3. For the latest news and reviews, visit buzzhub.wordpress.com

APOCALYPSE WOW
Over the past few months, we havent been very positive in our anticipation of Guillermo Del Toros monsters-vs-robots blockbuster Pacific Rim. Weve called it a flop in the waiting and no better than Michael Bay, but now weve slightly changed our minds. This is because, in recent trailers and tv spots, weve been given a peek at the human characters and story arcs in Pacific Rim, and they look pretty darn interesting. Firstly, the third trailer has shown off a very Nolan-esque idea about the humans who control the robots being able to link their minds together, and see each others thoughts. Bet Mr. Bay never thought of that! Also, Idris Elbas character seems to have a bit more depth than just a big guy who shouts We are cancelling the apocalypse over and over and over again! God help us! PR cant be all that bad. After all, it is occupying the Warner Bros Nolan/Potter mid-July slot which hasnt been filled by a bad film for almost a decade. Unless you count Order of the Phonenix, which we dont.

Pacific Rim opens on July 12 For the latest news and reviews, visit buzzhub.wordpress.com

FIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

If the physics of R.I.P.D are to be believed, there is an alternative universe in which the first Men in Black film was a massive flop and was seen by few, let alone remembered by many. It never spawned any sequels, and so this new film, based on a little-known graphic novel and starring the too-perfect duo of Jeff Bridges and Ryan Gosling, would be considered extremely original, and probably be hailed as a masterpiece. It may be a masterpiece, and the trailer is promising. However, if both leads last ventures into sci-fi blockbusters are anything to go by (Tron: Legacy and Green Lantern, respectively the worst film of 2010 and 2011), it will be a massive, toxic pile of alien sh*t, which will require the wearing of top-level hazmat suits to go near. R.I.P.D opens in the US on July 19, and the UK in late August.

HOW THE WEST WAS FUN

For a full-throttle feature on Gore Verbinskis Pirateswith-Cowboys reboot/make/imagining blockbuster, you can catch up on our February issue. End, anyone?) This features Johnny Depp in an extremely different role to Captain Sparrow, but one that it appears he has made almost exactly the same through his sleepwalking acting method- the revolutionary technique of playing the same character in every film you star in for 2 decades.

This is looking certain to be the most loud, fun, flamboyant film of the summer- a feature that was always expected of the Pirates films, even when they The Lone Ranger opens in the US on July 3. got really moody and boring (two-thirds of At Worlds For the latest news and reviews, visit buzzhub.wordpress.com

MOVIE TACO PRESENTS.

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MOVIE TACOS PREVIEW OF COMEDY FILMS

WORDS: JERRY COLLINS

I wonder if Adam Sandler knew, when he began his long and illustrious film career back in the midNineties, that he would be so utterly hated by film critics (and some viewers) around the world in 2013. After the beloved Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer, the liked Big Daddy and Billy Madison and the tolerated 50 First Dates, Sandlers relationship with smart cinemagoers went out of control. He mocked the gays (lovingly) in Chuck and Larry, remade a classic in The Longest Yard, disgusted almost everyone with Click and Just Go With It, and, oh yeah, Jack and Jill. Personally, I love many of these films, especially Click and Jack and Jill, which I found to be two sweet and funny family comedies which were unfairly dismissed as trash merely because of their high concepts, and the fact that the man behind them has become a scapegoat. Whenever a poor comedy comes out, for example: Movie 43 or 21 & Over, the critics end their reviews with Its like something Adam Sandler would make. This is not true. Sandler never sets out to offend or horrify, the way filmmakers like Todd Phillips do. He sets out to make the audience laugh, and laugh they do. Its upon the release of a Sandler film that I think Who needs critics? I enjoy these films, and they cant tell me to do otherwise. 2010s Grown Ups is one of Sandlers most disliked films. It received horribly bad reviews upon release, and even many die-hard fans like myself will admit that its not his best work. However, its
For the latest news and reviews, visit buzzhub.wordpress.com

HAPPY MONEY: ADAMS BIGGEST HITS

Rank

Title (click to view)

Studio

Worldwide

Domestic / %

Overseas / %

Year

Hotel Transylvania

Sony

$346.9

$148.3

42.8%

$198.6

57.2%

2012

2 3 4 5

Grown Ups Click Big Daddy Just Go With It

Sony Sony Sony Sony

$271.4 $237.7 $234.8 $214.9

$162.0 $137.4 $163.5 $103.0

59.7% 57.8% 69.6% 47.9%

$109.4 $100.3 $71.3 $111.9

40.3% 42.2% 30.4% 52.1%

2010 2006 1999 2011

ideal mid-Summer release date and fun, family Summer holidays-theme made it Sandlers highest grossing film ever. Adults and kids alike went to see it, some of them enjoyed it, many of them did not. Why then would Sandler choose to use the template of the film to produce his first sequel: Grown Ups 2? Why? Because he expects people to go to see it anyway. Thats why hes gotten Taylor Lautner onboard, last seen (outside of Twilight) in the truly awful Abduction, a film that proved that no matter how good a cast you have on board, you cant guarantee a decent movie. Lautner will attract the teenage girls (the weekends other release is Pacific Rim, a film for teenage boys solely), Sandler will attract the Sandler fans, and everyone else will hopefully go along because they dont want to watch Guillermo Del Toros robots-vs-monsters epic! Anyway, Grown Ups 2 wont be the worst film in the world. Sandler knows his audience, and the trailer looks promising. Plus, weve come to fall in love with Mario Bello through FOXs sadly-cancelled Touch recently, so seeing her onscreen with Sandler and co will be nice. Finally, Rob Schneider is the one member of the cast to not return for 2, after his apparently major falling out with Sandler. He wont be darkening our doorstep again! Phew! P
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RONS BEST QUOTES

You're like a miniature Buddha, covered in hair. I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany. I'm in a glass case of emotion. Uh, I'll take a Manhattan, and kick the vermouth in the side with a pair of steel-toed boots.

LEGENDA RY
If one were to carry out a survey of the mostquoted, most-memed films of all time, 2004s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy would surely come in at Number 1, just ahead of Pulp Fiction, The Godfather and Die Hard. Its characters are so uniquely hilarious, its script so full of original humour and its heart so full of, well, heart, it has become the definition of cult classic. After ten years, a sequel is finally about to arrive in cinemas, and boy does it look great! The first full trailer, just released at time of writing, includes all the same wit and charm that made the first film so utterly beloved by millions, despite not being particularly financially successful upon original release (then again, what comedy is?) In this film, its the 1980s. The Channel 4 news team are no longer working at Channel 4, but have moved to New York to work for World Action News, a pioneering 24-hour cable news station. Will the team be able to tolerate staying up late every night? Harrison Ford, Kristen Wiig, Nicole Kidman and James Marsden are all new to the cast. Anchorman: The Legend Continues is released in December.

Which one of you convicts with the longest record can pass me the mashed potatoes?

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When Christoph Waltz, the extraordinary character actor and star of Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained, and quite unfortunately, Carnage and The Green Hornet, drops out of a major role in a major film, almost everyone is usually upset. For his Hollywood breakthrough came so late in his career that fans of Waltz (in other words, everyone on Earth) want him to stock up his resum of English roles very quickly, and every role missed out on is a joyous 2-hour experience missed-out on. However, when Waltz dropped out of James Bobins upcoming super-sequel, Muppets Most Wanted, he was replaced by Mr. Ty Burrell, the even-better character-actor who has needed a film breakthrough for years, despite his highly-paid role as Phil Dunphy on ABCs Modern Family. His performances in National Treasure: Book of Secrets, The Incredible Hulk and Fair Game won him our attention, and hopefully appearing in

MUPP ET MASTE RS

Again! Will introduce the great man to THE WORLD! He will be in the role of Jean Pierre Napoleon, a ruthless Interpol investigator. We already cant wait. The even better news, Waltz is back onboard in a different role. Know who else turns up? Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, Tom Hiddleston, Danny Trejo, and, oh yeah, some Muppets! Bobin is off to make Alice in Wonderland II after this, which hed better do a better job with than Tim Burton did! Grrrrrr!

Ty Burrell on Sesame Street. For the latest news and reviews, visit buzzhub.wordpress.com

BOTTOM S UP!
Why has it taken a decade for a second Spongebob Squarepants movie to be made? The first, released in 2004, was very successful (for a classically-animated adaptation of an, at the time, 5-year old cartoon). Since its release, the Nickelodeon show has gone from being a barely-noticed daytime slot-filler to one of the most critically-acclaimed and widely-watched programmes in the history of television. Its about time they made another movie! The sequel, announced this time last year and in production at time of writing, is set for a late 2014 release. Whether or not well be able to wait that long with digging out the old Spongebob boxset and Movie One DVD is the question on every fans lips. Especially exciting is the fact that the film will combine animation with live-action sequences, as the last-act of Movie One did. Will David Hasselhoff make another cameo? Who knows? What we do know is that our favourite Bikini Bottom-breeders, Squarepants and Star and Tentacles (who is, I have always argued, an octopus) and Cheeks and Krabs, will be traveling up to the surface and entering our world- for most of the film. Oh boy oh boy oh boy! For the latest news and reviews, visit buzzhub.wordpress.com

Man of Steel
The reason explained to Kal-El constantly throughout Zack Snyders highly-anticipated reboot of DCs Superman franchise, Man of Steel, for the fact his existence has not been revealed to the American public, is that they would not understand him, and hence be fearful of him. However, it makes one think, after a few more like him lived on Earth, would they still be scared? They would surely be so used to the presence of the Kryptonian immigrants amongst their society that they would care no more for them as they would for a regular human. Similarly, when so many CGI-filled, big loud blockbuster films are smashed in a cinema audiences face over a period of 10 or so years, will anything shown on a cinema screen impress an audience any more? Directors like Christopher Nolan, Joss Whedon and Brad Bird have proven through their use of intelligent stories, sympathetic characters and shiny visuals that actionadventure films can still surprise audiences with their brilliance, despite the fact that everyone watching knows that the director can show them ANYTHING. After all, its not what you CAN show, but what you CHOOSE to show that defines who you are as a filmmaker. Its not what Kal-El CAN do with his powers (eg. take over a country, kill his school bullies) but what he CHOOSES to do with them that makes him the man that he is. I refer to our protagonist as Kal-El for a few reasons. Firstly, it is the name by which is he referred to almost exclusively throughout Man of Steel. The S word is only used once, as part of a joke, and he is only known as Clark Kent to his parents and childhood acquaintances. Secondly, Kal-Els Kryptonian heritage plays a far more integral role in this film than it did in any of the Reeve films or Bryan Singers now boring-looking Superman Returns. The opening scene on Krypton is, for me, the visual and emotional high watermark of the film. It is slightly over the top, but feels like it would fit very well into a Star Wars story. The image of method-actor Russell Crowe riding on a dragons back is one of the funniest things ive ever seen on a cinema screen! At this point, the film feels about as epic in scope as nothing has since Inception or Avatar. Thats not to say its as superb as the former and as boring as the latter, but it feels really, really big. This atmosphere of awe never ceases, as the visuals never, even on the Kent farm, let the eyes rest, with the camera moving constantly (there isnt one single still shot in the film, even the Warner Bros logos). Surprisingly, this method of filmmaking isnt as headache-inducing as it was in The Hunger Games or 24, and it actually benefits the film. Trying to compare Man of Steel to Christopher Nolans Dark Knight trilogy is like trying to compare Harry Potter to The Breakfast Club: same scenery, different world. While Nolans films were all about humans doing evil, heroic and, generally, entertaining things, the Kal-El story told by Snyder is of an

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alien trying to be accepted by humans. Christian Bales moody Batman would probably shoot Kal-El on sight! Its much easier to compare this film to last years brilliant The Avengers, as they both share the presence of aliens, flying people, people who land on their fists after flying and a big, loud ending in a city. Although the threat facing Tony Starks superteam in The Avengers third-act was extremely big and knocked down many buildings, the final Metropolis-set (however, the city is never named) battle feels more frightening and realistic. The villain is still from another world, but he is more grounded, more of a human military leader, poisoned by hatred and violence, than Loki ever was. After all, Loki was only angry because he was a frost giant. Michael Shannons General Zod is angry because hes going through a very expensive existential crisis: I was born to fight to protect my planet, now there is no planet. What do I do? Its the most philosophically thought-provoking question since Jean-Paul Sartre explained nausea. Shannons great acting skills are never shown off, similar to Benedict Cumberbatch in Star Trek Into Darkness. These actors are brought on board the film to attract TV viewers who have come to love them over several years, but not given enough meaty dialogue or screen-time to prove themselves to the cinema-goer. While I have come to love Cumberbatch for his work on Sherlock, I am not a viewer of HBOs Boardwalk Empire, and so am not particularly familiar with Michael Shannons if-onlyit-were-passive aggressive performance style. Bryan Cranston transcended this problem in Argo, and was likable to all, nonBreaking Bad fans. Shannon at times looks practically ready to literally chew the films scenery apart, but gets punched in the face by Superman, and/or have his green laser-eyes turned on, before he gets the chance to say I will find him for the 12th time. Theres an episode (or two) or FOXs Family Guy where Peter Griffin fights a chicken for several minutes. It goes on and on and on, until they get bored. Zack Snyder clearly didnt get the joke, and thought that scene was designed as a serious, exciting action set-piece, as he recreates it in the final 10 minutes of Man of Steel, with a budget 9,000 times the size of the originals.

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Every single person in my screening was bored at this point, especially as it was about the 20th fake ending the film had had. There was a big scene in Smallville, then one on the city streets, then one in a field, then another, and another. Its worse than Breaking Dawn- Part 2! This doesnt feel like the opening film of an, obviously planned, series. The stakes are SO massive, will all of human existence at risk of extinction, that there is no possible threat Kal-El could face in a sequel or threequel that would make for good tension. Snyders only possible option of where to go with the story next is to pare it back, and focus on Kal-Els relationship with Amy Adams Lois Lane, his job at the Daily Planet and the strangely hypnotic, Terence Malick-reminiscent nature shots first displayed in last Summers teaser trailer. Amy Adams does look in this film like she was contractually obliged to turn up and doesnt actually want to do any acting. She does do good acting in the film, but she looks like shes been forced. Seriously, Russell Crowe came straight into this from filming a big musical, Cavill from starring in the awful Immortals. Adams last role was in Paul Thomas Andersons The Master! The film may be overly loud and overly flashy at points (lots of points), but at least Zack Snyders seems to be trying to make a decent film at the same time, unlike, say (and dont we always say), Michael Ben Bay, who just wants his movie made ASAP so he can get money, money, money, money! With Bay, everything is squeezed until it is no longer a solid. With Snyder, its squeezed until he loses his patience, and only then does he change his view. Its not as hateful or hatable a technique, but isnt what Chris Nolan would even dream of working with. Kevin Costner, Diane Lane and Laurence Fishburne all fill space on the screen, KC playing a man twenty years his younger. They do their best, and to be honest, were a nice balance to Henry Cavills pretty face but inexperienced-actor performance. Hes a very charismatic presence, like Ryan Reynolds, but does he fill the almighty Kal-El boots? Not too sure. This is blockbuster filmmaking at its most extreme: a film that expects to become the biggest film ever made. The mid-June release date is surprising for something Warner Bros, Snyder and Chris Nolan (oh yeah, did we mention he produced it) are betting such a massive amount on: not just the $200m+ budget, but the future of the potentially massive DC cinematic universe. Its a fun watch mostly, and feels shiny and new, unlike some other recent superhero fare. However, it reminds one why Nolans trilogy was so fantastic: subtlety. The trick ever director needs to have up their sleeve, but only a few can fit. Nolan, Whedon and Bird all have big sleeves. Snyder does not.

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Now You See Me

Films featuring ensemble casts of big Hollywood players often vary in quality. For every The Avengers and Les Misrables, there is a Valentines Day or Battleship. Now You See Me is the latest magician-thriller to hit the big screen, and the first decent attempt at a good film in the genre since 2006s double bill of The Illusionist and Christopher Nolans spectacular The Prestige. Sure there was the wonderful animation The Illusionist and this years comedy flop The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, but they presented the magician in very new, different ways to the traditional magician-thriller, making them brilliant and mediocre, respectively. Now You See Me comes from director Louis Leterrier, who has given us such utter tripe as Clash of the Titans, but also the fairly likable The Incredible Hulk and The Transporter. Since Mark Ruffalo is in this film (heres another Avengers reference), Leterrier recently joked that he has worked with three of the four living actors who have played Bruce Banner on screen, as Lou Ferrigno provided voice work for The Incredible Hulk! Now You See Me doesnt feel very fresh, but it tries very, very hard, and for that it must be praised. The opening montage highlights the four very different areas of magic the leads work in. Jesse Eisenberg does impressive card tricks (a craft I hope to master, in the style of Barney Stinson and Gob Bluth, myself), Dave Franco (brother of James) does sleight of hand theft, Woody Harrelson reads minds and Isla Fisher is a master of escape art. Its rare for one story to cover all these areas of the magic trade in equal light, and its a sign of Leterrier and the producers respect for magicians and their skills. All the leads to a very good job, although the repetitive scenes of them walking back and forth on their shows stage whilst talking endlessly to the crowd began to irritate me after a while. The tricks they perform whilst onstage are brilliantly thought-out and shown in such a way so that we see a little bit more than the live audience, but not enough the ruin the experience of watching the trick. Later on in the film, Morgan Freemans character explains all the tricks to Mark For the latest news and reviews, visit buzzhub.wordpress.com Ruffalos FBI detective (appearing on screen for just as much time as the magicians), and their explanations are far

Now You See Me begins like a slightly cheaper and more pulpy version of a film Chris Nolan would make, with beautiful visuals, a fast pace and a smart script. The performances are not awards-worthy in the least, but keep the story moving along quite nicely, and make the respective characters fairly sympathetic. However, the second-third descends into utter chaos for a temporary period, with an unnecessary car chase and an unengaging chase through the New Orleans streets. On the topic of Orleans, a side-plot involving Michael Caines insurance company boss corrupt refusal to pay victims of Hurricane Katrina is handled emotionally and proudly, the the film in general shows off an attractive side of the city not seen in a major film for yearsBeasts of the Southern Wild certainly didnt help its cause as a holiday destination! Towards the end, the story gets back on track, with an impressively executed twist and some fun magic tricks, which dont look as CGI as they could. The Prestige was a brilliant film about magic. Burt Wonderstone was a film about magic which wasnt very funny. Now You See Me is a film about crime that USES the tool of magic to amp up its set-pieces and make its characters more interesting and unique. It succeeds as a thriller, and succeeds as a solid, thought-provoking work. Louis Leterrier may have abracadabraded-up his best film yet.

OUT THIS MONTH

Pacific Rim The Lone Ranger Grown Ups 2 The Worlds End Despicable Me 2 The Wolverine R.I.P.D The Smurfs 2 RED 2 Only God Forgives

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Fast & Furious 6

Its only June, and Furious 6 (as the director intended it to be called) is already the fourth Dwayne Johnson film released in the US. Then again, how hard can it be to make that many films, when your idea of acting is shouting, walking really really fast and throwing people in the air? That said, Johnson is joyfully fun to watch on screen, and never lets his fans down with his work. He even managed to make G.I. Joe: Retaliation that much better! The same can be said for the acting skills of pretty much everyone in Furious 6. They shout, they run, they drive, and thats why we love them. When I say we, I mean we people who only discovered how enjoyable these films are when we saw Fast Five (2011), the groundbreaking turning point that turned the Fast and Furious franchise into something more than just a, lets face it, pretty much DVD-movie series of films. The reason for this shift was that Fast Five was completely different from the other films. The first four entirely consisted of underground street racing, which gets boring after a while, whilst the fifth (apart from bringing Johnson on board) was more of a heist thriller, and was much funnier.

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Furious 6 is even better than Five. Obviously, that doesnt mean its Citizen Kane. That doesnt even mean its Star Trek Into Darkness, but what it does mean is that, if you go to the cinema on a Friday night looking for some fun, light action with humour and sexy ladies thrown in for good luck, youll leave feeling content. Speaking of sexy ladies, the one real problem I did have with this film was the fact that it was a bit more misogynistic than the last entry. Although all the female characters get butt-kicking action bits to do, every shot of them starts at either their ass or breasts, and moves up. Also, do any women who spend their days running and driving need to wear thigh-high boots? Its not very practical. Losts Michelle Rodriguez turns up in the film (apparently she was in the first few), and is slightly less sexualized than, say, Gal Gadot, whose posterior should be credited on the poster, if screen time is anything to be credited for. One other problem: I was unaware that the British pop singer Rita Ora was involved in the vicious London street-racing scene (which is non-existent). The final action scene, which is brilliantly put together, is almost entirely in the trailer, so dont expect any twists until you see who turns up in the post-credits bit. (Hes really famous. And British).

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The Great Gatsby

It is written that F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, which millions believe to be the 'great American novel', will never be adapted into a good film. It is also written that camp (but, crucially, hetrosexual), middle-aged, Australian dance-instructors with very short attention spans should not be allowed to even attempt to make films of _The Great Gatsby. With these two cardinal rules in mind, I went into Baz Luhrmann's Gatsby with expectations of vomiting, cringing and walking-out. I actually quite enjoyed myself. You see, the last time Luhrmann tried to make his own version of a classic text, it was old Bill Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, which Mr. Baz (let's just call him that from now on, shall we) transformed from heartbreaking romance epic into ugly, loud crime thriller. The best thing about that film was Harold Perrineau's Mercutio, not Leonardo DiCaprio's arrogant Romeo. Hence, the prospect of another Mr Baz/ DiCaprio team-up involving a classic text didn't seem very appealing. The difference is, all the things Mr Baz changed for the worst in R+J, he left as they are in Gatsby. All the things he could have gotten away with changing in the former, he has changed for the better in the latter. For example, in this new film, the audience, as well as Nick, are under the impression that Gatsby was the one driving when you-know-what happened to you-know-who. Then again, maybe you don't know, as this film is clearly directed at people of younger generations. There is, of course, no reason why people of younger generations wouldn't have read Gatsby. It's on the US high-school curriculum, and I would be one happy teacher if I knew I could grab my students' attention by taking
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them to see a film starring Spider-Man, with music by Jay-Z and Lana Del Rey. Aaaaah, the soundtrack, certainly one of the film's strong points, it fits in surprisingly well with the party scenes. You see, just as many people argue that modern-day interpretations of The Bard's texts are better than true ones (Mr Baz's being an example of one gone terribly wrong), as the audience are relating to the setting more, the music in this film is as current and 'hip' to the teenage audience as the music used in other Gatsby films was to the 20s youngsters. Although the acting isn't particularly impressive, the casting is superb. The Great Gatsby is really a Tobey Maguire film, as he is in every single scene. DiCaprio doesn't show his face for half an hour, and when he does, it doesn't do much. He sleeps his way through this role, not because he isn't trying, but because the lack of any new qualities in the Gatsby character prevent him from, God forbid, trying any interesting. He is almost definitely the best actor around for the role, but that's not really saying much. Carey Mulligan, whom I have not been looking forward to seeing as Daisy, surprised me, and I was drawn in in the early scenes by her intriguing interpretation of the role. Joel Edgerton, Elizabeth Debicki and Isla Fisher were also in the film. Ah-huh. One new Gatsby-ism I noticed watching this was the similarity between Fitzgerald's story and that of Casablanca. Think about it. OK. The Great Gatsby is one of my favourite books, and the first time I read it, I read it twice. Mr Baz has made an interpretation, rather than an adaptation, but there's nothing wrong with that. I enjoyed myself for most of the ride, as the majority of the mainstream most likely will, and I came out feeling slightly, just slightly, more positive feelings towards Mr Baz. This is, after all, Baz Luhrmann's best film.

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The Hangover Part III

2009's The Hangover was called, at time of release, "one of the funniest comedies ever". It wasn't. Sure, it has its moments: Mr Chow jumping out of the trunk nude, the taser gun scene, but as a comedy film, I wasn't a big fan. Then came 2011's Part II, one of the most violently unfunny, homophobic and racist films ever released, and a work which I will never forgive Paul Giamatti for appearing in. Although both of those films had many, many problems, the one I always thought they could have easily fixed was that there wasn't enough Mr Chow! Ken Jeong's Leslie Chow, the constantly scheming, high-voiced criminal mastermind, is, along with Ron Burgundy, Barney Stinson and Sheldon Cooper, one of the absolute great comedy characters in TV or film from the past decade. His introduction in the first film was spectacular, but it all went downhill from there, with the writer(s) resorting to having him be unnecessarily homophobic and misogynistic in Part II. Basically, they created a character

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so great, they couldn't keep up with him. So, in Part III, they have finally gotten their act together and made Mr Chow a major character! Yaaay! He gets thrice as much screentime as, say, Justin Bartha's endlessly boring Doug (a disappointing role for an actor who was so great in the National Treasure films), and has the majority of the best lines, physical gags and memorable scenes to himself. The film begins with a prison riot in Chow's prison, a scene which concludes with a Shawshank-style 'hole-behind-the-poster' gag (of which we saw another in last year's Moonrise Kingdom), setting us up for the fact that he is the film's real star. Then, we get to see a giraffe decapitated under a bridge (a scene which even I, a lifelong vegetarian and lover of giraffes, laughed at) and Alan's funeral. Feel like you've seen all that? You probably do, especially if you've seen the bloody trailer. Just like it's main competition at the US box office, Fast and Furious 6, Part III's best bits are all in the trailers. Mind you, they were funny trailers, but it does make you feel a bit let down watching the actual film. To cut to the chase: The Hangover Part III is, in my opinion, the superior film of Todd Phillips' trilogy. It has enough Mr Chow, enough John Goodman and a nice lack of offensiveness to make it a very enjoyable romp. It's not extremely funny, but I don't think much of it was intended to be funny! The female characters are even worse than those in Fast Six (who at least had something to do). The nagging wives from Parts I and II aren't even mentioned, Heather Graham has about 30 seconds of screentime and Melissa McCarthy is, well, you know... There are attempts at emotion involving Alan and Carlos the baby (now 5), which I must admit I fell for. The postcredits scene is both the most grossly horrific thing I have ever seen, and the best ever mockery of what the first two films (particularly the second) were all about. SPOILER ALERT: It involves a boob-job, a wedding dress and Mr Chow completely naked, stating his famous catchphrase (or should that be 'drop before it explodes- phrase'):"We had a sick night, bitches!" Yes we did, but we sure learnt from our mistakes, Mr Phillips, and we'll never do it again. Promise.

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THE HOT LIST MONTHLY

Kristen Stewart is set to join the cast of Olivier Assayas' Sils Maria, Deadline reports. She'll shoot the drama back-toback with her long-indevelopment Guantanamo Bay drama Camp X-Ray, which begins a Los Angeles-based production next month. Already set to star Chloe Moretz, Juliette Binoche and Mia Wasikowska, the film is said to examine middle age. Moretz stars as Joann, a young actress who signs on to play a role that made Binoche's character famous when she herself was young. Stewart will play an assistant to the Binoche role. Best known for her role as Bella Swan in Summit Entertainment's The Twilight Saga, Stewart also recently starred in Rupert Sanders' Snow White and the Huntsman and Walter Salles' On the Road.

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THE HOT LIST MONTHLY

What kind of Hot List Monthly would this be without the two hottest actresses working in Hollywood this year (a 2013 Oscar winner and nominee, respiectively) being cast in the hottest sci-fi of next year, directed by the hottest director of the decade? Yes, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastaine will both appear alongside Matthew McConaughey, Bill Irwin and Michael Caine in Christopher Nolans next film, Interstellar. Directed and written by Nolan, Interstellar is based on a script by Jonathan Nolan. The film will be produced by Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan of Syncopy Films and Obst of Lynda Obst Productions. Kip Thorne will executive produce. Hathaway can be seen coming up in Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut Don Jon and will then provide a voice in the animated sequel Rio 2 Interstellar will depict a heroic interstellar voyage to the furthest reaches of our scientific understanding. The movie hits theaters on November 7, 2014. Also confirmed this month was the news that frequent Nolan composer Hans Zimmer will score the film. That is, once that hes finished working on The Lone Ranger and Man of Steel. Oh wait, thats out already!

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THIS MONTH IN 2012

Our July 2012 issue was a The Dark Knight Rises special, with fifteen pages of coverage and two awesome collectors covers featuring Catwoman and Batman. Also in the issue were features on The Watch, Brave and Seth McFarlanes Ted, and reviews of The Amazing Spider-Man and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

NEXT MONTH IN MOVIE TACO.

MASSIVE AUTUMN TV PREVIEW!

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: 2 COVERS TO COLLECT & AGENTS OF SHIELD FOLD-OUT Plus MODERN FAMILY, BIG BANG THEORY, ALMOST HUMAN, DADS, ARROW A CELEBRATION OF LOST
ALSO IN THE ISSUE: PACIFIC RIM, DESPICABLE ME 2 & THE WOLVERINE: REVIEWED THE BUTLER, ELYSIUM, PERCY JACKSON, CITY OF BONES & more!