Category: Media

‘Snakes On A Plane‘ – The title says everything you needed to know and even though it sounds really silly, the movie is actually quite entertaining and good fun.

I’m amazed in how much free publicity was made by fans and interest over the Internet. The studio should be pleased by the attention and despite releasing the movie without any critics reviewing it, I’m sure the fans love every minute of it. As for me, I found it very amusing when the slippery reptiles began slithering all over the place onboard the Boeing 747… Killing people by biting and attack in all sort of humorous ways (in one scene, a young couple performing the ‘Mile High Club’ was attacked by two snakes. While in the other, a man was in the toilet, when the snake bit his front ‘end’).

The main star of course, is Samuel L. Jackson and his performance in this cult movie was outstanding. I reckon he had great fun making this and to hear him say: “Enough is enough! I’ve had it with these motherf**kin’ snakes on this motherf**kin’ plane!” was the highlight.

The plot is quite thin to be honest, something generic about a young lad (Nathan Phillips) who witnessed a mob murder and has to be transported to Los Angeles to testify in court. But we all know the main story. 😉

There is a plane in the air that has both venomous snakes and Mr. Jackson on board – enough said! Samuel L. Jackson (FBI Agent Neville Flynn) defeats the snakes in a number of thoroughly cool ways, while simultaneously deals with whiny, stereotypical frightened passengers fearing for their lives.

Seeing the slippery reptiles (all computer generated) rampaging through the plane and wreaking havoc on said stereotypical passengers is great. Okay, it’s gory at times but the death scenes are really funny.

Sure, the critics will lambaste it left, right and centre as it has no plot and is utterly ridiculous. But if you are looking for a motion picture that will entertain you for around 100 minutes, then you can do no wrong when watching Snakes On A Plane. Pure, light-hearted amusement. Perhaps the most unlikely blockbuster of this summer. Can’t wait for the sequel!

Just returned from the cinema after watching Pixar’s latest movie, Cars and I have to be honest, it’s not that great… Sure, the visuals and the CGI work by the talented Pixar’s animators are super impressive. In some scenes, it looked photo-realistic. The car models based on well-known, everyday cars like a Fiat 500, Porsche 911 and Ferraris look like the real deal. The landscape around the famous Route 66 (the road that goes across North America) is breathtaking and the atmosphere is just perfect.

But it’s let down by the story. You would have expected high standards from Pixar (especially after Toy Story and The Incredibles), but you end up feeling disappointed. It starts off with excitement and speed when we see the arrogant race car ‘Lightning McQueen’ (voiced by Owen Wilson) racing in a NASCAR-type race on the verge of super stardom. Then we get the middle part of the movie when the pace grinds to a halt… The story now focuses on the slow life at Radiator Springs, where McQueen is stranded after being left behind on the highway.

The red race car is sentenced to community service by Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman) in order to fix the damaged road. During his time at Radiator Springs, McQueen discovers that racing is not important and that there are other significant issues in life – that of true friendship and helping out each other.

McQueen then returns back to the race track to win the Piston Cup in a three-race duel for the championship. At this point, the story returns back to the exciting and entertaining racing action.

In terms of the characters, the personality gives out as eccentric, loyal, friendly and charming. But I feel there is a sense of stereotyping. For example, the Fiat 500 is a typical Italian who loves Ferrari. The VW camper van seems to be a 1960s hippie. And as for Mater, he was quite amusing (in a disoriented state) but was slightly irritating.

The best performers were Owen Wilson in the lead character role and Paul Newman. It’s nice to hear the legendary actor providing advice to the young hotshot during the final race just like what Newman does in the real Champ Cars! (Paul Newman is a co-owner of the Newman/Haas racing team)

However, ultimately, the cast is somewhat unmemorable and lacking in diversity. Despite some guest voices from motor racing legends like Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Schumacher and Mario Andretti. The UK version of the film features Jeremy Clarkson, leading motoring journalist and Top Gear presenter as McQueen’s manager, Harv.

Overall, I would say Cars is a visual masterpiece but lack the sophisticated comedy we’ve come to expect from John Lasseter and his team. In terms of comparing other Pixar films, this is better than A Bug’s Life but could not match the wonders of Toy Story. A good film, but not fantastic.

No, I don’t mean that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is a bad film. It’s a quote from Jack Davenport’s character Norrington, when meeting Captain Jack Sparrow for the first time in the original movie.

The second film I have to say is great. It’s quite entertaining and it is nice to see Johnny Depp playing Captain Jack Sparrow once again. His performance as the ‘worst pirate’ with his slurred speech, swaying swagger and slack, waving arms still keep you amused. In fact, he based this characteristic on Rolling Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards (who is rumoured to play Jack Sparrow’s father in the third film).

Even though the film is around 150 minutes, there are plenty of action sequences to keep you captivated. And as for the ending, very interesting… We will find out what happened to Jack Sparrow in the third film next year.

I actually prefer the first movie as I watched this on DVD last weekend. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was more satisfying and fun to watch. The second movie lack that certain ‘heart/charm’ that the first film had, which I believe came because the first film was something very different (at that time), which of course this film couldn’t contend with. Still, this movie has a great story, featuring fantastic performances from the stars (Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Bill Nighy), superb visuals and plenty of laughs. Looking forward to the next movie!