Just under 10 years after the last chapter of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was released in cinemas, audiences were catapulted back into the world of Middle Earth.
Originally penned by JRR Tolkien and visually embraced by Peter Jackson, Middle Earth is home to what we consider mystical or mythological creatures - elves, dwarves, and of course, the child-sized hobbits.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is based 60 years before the events of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings. The story focuses primarily on a younger Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman).
It mostly follows Tolkien's literary version of the story, with bits and pieces of the appendices from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King interwoven into the story.
Bilbo leads his normal life in the Shire when one day Gandalf the Grey (Sir Ian McKellen) tricks him into hosting a party for Thorin (Richard Armitage) and his company of dwarves.
There he is recruited as the company's "burglar", and they set off on a cross-world adventure to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch).
As you would expect from any adventure, the group have to overcome danger at every turn, with threats ranging from trolls, who they narrowly avoid, to orcs, who's chieftain Azog the Defiler beheaded Thror and has vowed to break the line of Durin, which includes Thorin.
The most familiar aspect in this film for those who have not read the original text is Bilbo's discovery the One Ring. He finds the ring when he comes across another familiar character in Gollum (Andy Serkis), overcoming his adversary in a game of wits and riddles before escaping with the tainted jewellery.
The biggest talking point with the film was the release of a high frame rate version - that is, shot at 48 frames per second rather than the industry standard 24. It is one of the first films with a wider release to be shot with the higher rate, and you can see why. It is supposed to make the film even more real than a regular 24 frames per second film does, and that genuinely detracts from the quality. It has been described as forcing a film to lose its "cinematic feel" and I have to agree. I'll talk a bit more about this in my review of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Apart from that obvious setback, my other criticism revolves around the first 30-40 minutes.
The whole thing stays in Bilbo's house?! I get that it is building the story and developing (presenting) the different characters' traits, but it just went WAY too long. What makes it so much more of an issue is arguably one of the best sequences in the film - a musical section involving the dwarves and flying cutlery - is buried in amongst the stay.
I can't complain about anything else.
As you come to expect from Peter Jackson's big screen epics, the visuals are simply stunning; the idyllic locations not only an outstanding advertisement for New Zealand (and by extension Middle Earth) but presented beautifully on screen. The action sequences are mind-blowing, the escape from the Great Goblin awe-inspiring despite pushing the limit of what we're happy to believe, and the integration of the interweaving stories sublime.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Ender's Game
ENDER’S Game is the latest novel to embrace the cinematic realm and the latest which was much better than I imagined.
I am usually critical of how much of a film’s plot is given away by trailers and how they use up all of their best material trying to hook us in without having anything extra to present.
Ender’s Game was not like this at all; instead it had so much more up its sleeve the trailers did not do it justice.
The film is an adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s 1985 novel of the same name, revolving around an intergalactic war left to child Andrew “Ender” Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) to fight.
Humans repel an invading species called the Formics in 2086, their attack brought to a halt by Mazer Rackham who sacrifices himself in a successful kamikaze run.
Fifty years following that attack, humans are still in search of the weapon that will repel the Formics when they attack again.
Instead of using brute strength, the military (led by Harrison Ford’s Colonel Hyrum Graff) exploit the inquisitive, intelligent minds of only the world’s smartest children.
Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) directs Ender’s Game, and his collaboration with Card and Australian cinematographer Donald McAlpine makes this one of the surprises of 2013.
Wiggin is another recent cinematic character to put up with bullying, and the “Wiggin v the world” motif is repeated throughout the film.
Bullying victims can relate to the way his loneliness is presented, regularly visualised with a lonesome Wiggin against a group – whether they be the first batch of bullies, military personnel, another batch of bullies, more military, or the Formics.
One of the take-home messages from these sequences is Wiggin rises above his opponents every time – but not without consequence.
There are other themes mixed in with the anti-bullying, with the limitless mind (the power to do whatever you set your mind to), and the depletion of natural resources just two.
In this film’s setting – which is about 120 yers from now – most battles are fought using the mind. Instead of manned craft, pilots can be on a completely different planet and control drones in battle.
That freedom, and lack of human loss, allows those in charge to make decisions that push the realms of reality.
Natural resource depletion is a running theme of recent films, with a dry, barren Earth usually the central figure to the story.
In Ender’s Game the shoe is on the other foot, with the Formics invading because they had exhausted their water supply due to overpopulation.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Draft NRRRL draw has Lower Clarence Magpies at home in season opener; grand final replay in round five
Published: The Daily Examiner
LOWER Clarence Magpies will open their season on home turf according to a draft Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League draw.
The draft draw, which has not yet been officially released, has the Magpies open their season against Kyogle Turkeys at Maclean Showground on the weekend of April 6.
They will then travel away to Byron Bay Red Devils, before returning home for a clash with the Troy McLean-coached Casino Cougars.
Read more here.
LOWER Clarence Magpies will open their season on home turf according to a draft Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League draw.
The draft draw, which has not yet been officially released, has the Magpies open their season against Kyogle Turkeys at Maclean Showground on the weekend of April 6.
They will then travel away to Byron Bay Red Devils, before returning home for a clash with the Troy McLean-coached Casino Cougars.
Read more here.
Delivery Man
I'm not going to write too much about Vince Vaughan's latest attempt to grow up.
Delivery Man centres around a delivery truck driver David Wozniak who used to donate sperm under the pseudonym Starbuck.
One day Wozniak, played by Vaughan, returns home to discover a lawyer in his house with some rather unsettling news: 533 children were conceived/born thanks to his donation, and 142 have joined a class action to reveal his identity.
There are quite a few laughs throughout - it is an above average film - but I can't exactly say I liked it.
Vaughan is solid in the role of Wozniak and plays the part exactly as you expect him to, which is exactly where the problem lies.
For too long now Vaughan has been pulling the same jokes, playing the same type of characters and delivering the same mediocre performances.
At what point does he grow up?
I loved Vaughan when he starred in Dodgeball - it ranks as one of my favourite Vaughan films - but he has been trying to do the same thing ever since.
The somewhat small starring cast have a few great appearances, and they do deliver a few laughs, but it is tough to leave much of an impression when it feels like you're watching a Vaughan comedy special for the full 104 minutes.
Now I think about it, Vaughan has grown up a little bit, and it is his scenes with wheelchair-bound Ryan (Sebastien Rene) and Kristen (Britt Robertson), who is walking the tightrope of life and death.
His interactions with both goes beyond of what he has ever shown; the compassionate, deep Vaughan replacing the childish high school humour-laden Vaughan we see for the rest of the film.
Adam Chandler-Berat's Viggo is an absolute crackup.
His physical appearance is that of your classic goth, but he is ultimately the one who questions Wozniak and forces him to change.
I wasn't moved by Delivery Man, nor do I think I will go out of my way to watch it again, but it is worth one look.
Delivery Man centres around a delivery truck driver David Wozniak who used to donate sperm under the pseudonym Starbuck.
One day Wozniak, played by Vaughan, returns home to discover a lawyer in his house with some rather unsettling news: 533 children were conceived/born thanks to his donation, and 142 have joined a class action to reveal his identity.
There are quite a few laughs throughout - it is an above average film - but I can't exactly say I liked it.
Vaughan is solid in the role of Wozniak and plays the part exactly as you expect him to, which is exactly where the problem lies.
For too long now Vaughan has been pulling the same jokes, playing the same type of characters and delivering the same mediocre performances.
At what point does he grow up?
I loved Vaughan when he starred in Dodgeball - it ranks as one of my favourite Vaughan films - but he has been trying to do the same thing ever since.
The somewhat small starring cast have a few great appearances, and they do deliver a few laughs, but it is tough to leave much of an impression when it feels like you're watching a Vaughan comedy special for the full 104 minutes.
Now I think about it, Vaughan has grown up a little bit, and it is his scenes with wheelchair-bound Ryan (Sebastien Rene) and Kristen (Britt Robertson), who is walking the tightrope of life and death.
His interactions with both goes beyond of what he has ever shown; the compassionate, deep Vaughan replacing the childish high school humour-laden Vaughan we see for the rest of the film.
Adam Chandler-Berat's Viggo is an absolute crackup.
His physical appearance is that of your classic goth, but he is ultimately the one who questions Wozniak and forces him to change.
I wasn't moved by Delivery Man, nor do I think I will go out of my way to watch it again, but it is worth one look.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Morgan Pilley set for bumper 2014
Published: The Daily Examiner
HE MAY be one of Australia's least recognised sporting champions but Morgan Pilley can barely cover a few hundred metres in his home town of Yamba without being noticed.
Pilley's been back in town for just over a month, enjoying a few months off following a tough season tackling some of the toughest environments in Europe.
The world-class endurance mountain-biker started the season late because of a few travel issues, making his transition from 24-hour races to marathons that little bit more difficult.
But that did not stop the 27-year-old from turning in a good season, chalking up several solid results in the marathons and winning the Rome 24 hour - and the accompanying Roman Legionnaire sword - for the second time.
Read more here.
HE MAY be one of Australia's least recognised sporting champions but Morgan Pilley can barely cover a few hundred metres in his home town of Yamba without being noticed.
Pilley's been back in town for just over a month, enjoying a few months off following a tough season tackling some of the toughest environments in Europe.
The world-class endurance mountain-biker started the season late because of a few travel issues, making his transition from 24-hour races to marathons that little bit more difficult.
But that did not stop the 27-year-old from turning in a good season, chalking up several solid results in the marathons and winning the Rome 24 hour - and the accompanying Roman Legionnaire sword - for the second time.
Read more here.
"That'll do Piggs" Westlawn pleads as father-son duo put them to sword
Published: The Daily Examiner
IF MI Organics Westlawn could have struck off one name from GI Hotel Tucabia-Copmanhurst's line-up, you would have to think they would go for Pigg.
Father-son duo Matt and Joey Pigg tormented Westlawn all day, leading Tucbia-Copmanhurst to a big win.
"It's great being able to play with him (Joey)," Matt Pigg said.
Read more here.
IF MI Organics Westlawn could have struck off one name from GI Hotel Tucabia-Copmanhurst's line-up, you would have to think they would go for Pigg.
Father-son duo Matt and Joey Pigg tormented Westlawn all day, leading Tucbia-Copmanhurst to a big win.
"It's great being able to play with him (Joey)," Matt Pigg said.
Read more here.
Nathan Pettit ready for new challenge as Lower Clarence Magpies coach
Published: The Daily Examiner
NATHAN Pettit is not one to shy away from a challenge.
The 35-year-old former halfback is a country boy through and through, born and bred in Cootamundra where he got his start as a footballer.
He moved to Sydney where he lived for 10 years, dividing his playing time between Cootamundra and new local club Moorebank Rams.
Read more here.
NATHAN Pettit is not one to shy away from a challenge.
The 35-year-old former halfback is a country boy through and through, born and bred in Cootamundra where he got his start as a footballer.
He moved to Sydney where he lived for 10 years, dividing his playing time between Cootamundra and new local club Moorebank Rams.
Read more here.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Carrie
I AM not sure I have the appropriate words to describe my wide array of thoughts on the latest remake to come out of Hollywood.
After digesting the trailers on multiple occasions, remembering the original flick and casting my eye over a series of previews, I decided Carrie was going to be a bore.
An unoriginal approach that merely follows the script of the first version to a tee, and was only released to milk a few more dollars from a franchise whose days had long passed.
While I was right in that it followed the 1976 original in terms of storyline - I was wrong about almost everything else.
I loved it.
Chloe Grace Moretz had massive shoes to fill in the title role, made famous by Academy Award-nominated Sissy Spacek. Spacek's rendition in the '76 original was sensational, but Moretz is not far behind.
There are times when Moretz is almost too creepy to be believable, especially during the climatic telekinetic outburst, but she nails the bullied victim.
Anyone who has ever been bullied knows how it feels - you can not forget the emotions that run through your head - and that helplessness is communicated by Moretz perfectly through her performance.
Judy Greer plays Miss Desjardin (Miss Collins in the original), who becomes one of the only people to stand up for and defend Carrie. Greer doesn't have too much to say or do in the film, but she is the one person who actively seeks to help the troubled Carrie.
Julianne Moore is hands-down the best part of this film.
Moore plays Carrie's mother Margaret, a self-harming deeply religious widow. She detests Carrie's existence, shown in the beginning of the film threatening to kill her child moments after birth.
Most of her dialogue revolves around the recitation of religious texts, prayers and rituals. The creepy room she locks Carrie in - under the stairs in true Harry Potter fashion - is terrifying; a solitary confinement in which Carrie's evil is restrained.
Less is more for Moore - she is not in every scene, but the ones she does appear in are stolen by her. Not even a few telekinetic actions and a crumbling house stop that.
Carrie doubles as one of the first horror films I've watched in a cinema for years, and I don't think I could've picked a better film of which to dip my toes back in the genre.
The special effects only makes Carrie's telekinetic revenge more intense, allowing her to things to fellow students the original could only have dreamed of. It is a welcome update of the first Stephen King novel to be turned into a film, and if you are going to see, take the 9.35pm timeslot at the Saraton Theatre on Friday and Saturday - the late night screening only amplifies its effect.
After digesting the trailers on multiple occasions, remembering the original flick and casting my eye over a series of previews, I decided Carrie was going to be a bore.
An unoriginal approach that merely follows the script of the first version to a tee, and was only released to milk a few more dollars from a franchise whose days had long passed.
While I was right in that it followed the 1976 original in terms of storyline - I was wrong about almost everything else.
I loved it.
Chloe Grace Moretz had massive shoes to fill in the title role, made famous by Academy Award-nominated Sissy Spacek. Spacek's rendition in the '76 original was sensational, but Moretz is not far behind.
There are times when Moretz is almost too creepy to be believable, especially during the climatic telekinetic outburst, but she nails the bullied victim.
Anyone who has ever been bullied knows how it feels - you can not forget the emotions that run through your head - and that helplessness is communicated by Moretz perfectly through her performance.
Judy Greer plays Miss Desjardin (Miss Collins in the original), who becomes one of the only people to stand up for and defend Carrie. Greer doesn't have too much to say or do in the film, but she is the one person who actively seeks to help the troubled Carrie.
Julianne Moore is hands-down the best part of this film.
Moore plays Carrie's mother Margaret, a self-harming deeply religious widow. She detests Carrie's existence, shown in the beginning of the film threatening to kill her child moments after birth.
Most of her dialogue revolves around the recitation of religious texts, prayers and rituals. The creepy room she locks Carrie in - under the stairs in true Harry Potter fashion - is terrifying; a solitary confinement in which Carrie's evil is restrained.
Less is more for Moore - she is not in every scene, but the ones she does appear in are stolen by her. Not even a few telekinetic actions and a crumbling house stop that.
Carrie doubles as one of the first horror films I've watched in a cinema for years, and I don't think I could've picked a better film of which to dip my toes back in the genre.
The special effects only makes Carrie's telekinetic revenge more intense, allowing her to things to fellow students the original could only have dreamed of. It is a welcome update of the first Stephen King novel to be turned into a film, and if you are going to see, take the 9.35pm timeslot at the Saraton Theatre on Friday and Saturday - the late night screening only amplifies its effect.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
North Coast New South Wales could support an elite sporting team
Published: The Daily Examiner
COULD an elite sporting team make its home on the New South Wales North Coast?
It may make me sound a little too fanatical about my sport, but it is a question I have considered on more than one occasion since I moved to the region.
The Clarence Valley, and by extension the NSW North Coast, has had a few visits from elite teams and athletes over the years but none of the major codes have ever set up shop in the region.
More here.
COULD an elite sporting team make its home on the New South Wales North Coast?
It may make me sound a little too fanatical about my sport, but it is a question I have considered on more than one occasion since I moved to the region.
The Clarence Valley, and by extension the NSW North Coast, has had a few visits from elite teams and athletes over the years but none of the major codes have ever set up shop in the region.
More here.
Mat Rogers and Nick Gates take on Big River Basketball
Published: The Daily Examiner
ONE HAS faced up to some of the best footballers in the world, playing for Australia in both rugby league and union.
The other has tackled the Tour de France on multiple occasions and was crowned Australian Road Race Champion in 1996.
But Mat Rogers and Nick Gates will tonight face up to one of their biggest challenges - Big River Basketball.
More here.
ONE HAS faced up to some of the best footballers in the world, playing for Australia in both rugby league and union.
The other has tackled the Tour de France on multiple occasions and was crowned Australian Road Race Champion in 1996.
But Mat Rogers and Nick Gates will tonight face up to one of their biggest challenges - Big River Basketball.
More here.
Exhibitionist may not have won the Puppy Classic, but it's been a ride for owner Darryl Chapman
Published: The Daily Examiner
AFTER 30-odd years training and judging showdogs, it makes sense Darryl Chapman's greyhound is the star of the show.
Chapman's aptly named Exhibitionist is preparing for the race of her life tonight, lining up in box two in the $75,000 Country Motor Company Puppy Classic (520m) final in Dapto.
Exhibitionist qualified fastest for the race and will likely start favourite after a thumping 14-length win in the semi-finals.
More here.
Lower Clarence Magpies to receive boost if Danny Wicks' ban overturned
Published: The Daily Examiner
FORMER Newcastle Knights prop Danny Wicks could be on his way back to the footy field next season.
A News Limited report suggests Wicks is considering applying to the NRL for clemency to have his ban lifted in time for the start of next year's Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League season.
Wicks is currently serving the final 12 months of a four-year ban following his conviction for drug offences in 2011, a ban that will end on September 20 next year.
More here.
FORMER Newcastle Knights prop Danny Wicks could be on his way back to the footy field next season.
A News Limited report suggests Wicks is considering applying to the NRL for clemency to have his ban lifted in time for the start of next year's Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League season.
Wicks is currently serving the final 12 months of a four-year ban following his conviction for drug offences in 2011, a ban that will end on September 20 next year.
More here.
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