Every Sunday, Gill delves into his archive of over 800 movie reviews and randomly selects three for your enjoyment! Here are this week’s…
Immortals
Tarsem’s unique visual style saves this movie from being another Clash of the Titans remake, and in fact elevates it into the “above average” category of sword and sandal films. The story told in Immortals is nothing new – just another rehash of the hero’s journey, and with the inclusion of gods and titans, the plot is actually very close to that of Clash of the Titans. Thankfully, the acting in Immortals ranges from good to great (Mickey Rourke is pretty badass), and never sinks to Sam Worthington levels. But the plot and acting aren’t the point of Immortals, the point is the visuals, and director Tarsem delivers awesome visuals in spades. Any fight where the gods are involved is terrific to look at, and it should be noted that many of the fight scenes are very well-staged. I was never confused about who was fighting who or where the action was transpiring, and while that might not seem like much of a compliment, when you compare it to most shakey-camera action movies being released these days, Immortals’ action sequences are a breath of fresh air.
3.25 out of 5
Mighty Peking Man
This King Kong knock-off from the legendary Shaw Bros. studios is so charming in its low-budget effects and absurd script that you can’t help but enjoy it! There really isn’t anything more to say about Mighty Peking Man, since that short description will indicate whether this movie is for you or not, but when it comes to my tastes, well…I loved it. Every minute. It’s so ridiculous that it’s hard not to love it. Watching a man in an ape suit destroy models of cities hasn’t been this satisfying in quite some time.
4 out of 5
The Muppets Take Manhattan
Everyone’s favourite puppets head for Broadway in this, their third movie. While I don’t feel like The Muppets Take Manhattan is necessarily the Muppets’ strongest film, it’s still jam-packed with charm, whimsy and celebrity cameos. The music is catchy, the innocent joy of the Muppets is all over the screen, and this is the first Muppet movie to push Rizzo the Rat into a more prominent role! What’s not to like? You can’t go wrong with the Muppets.
4 out of 5
See you next Sunday for three more thrilling short reviews!