BOOM entertainment reviews

Film review: The Sweeney

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:19:14 +0100

Before John Thaw was listening to classical music and solving crimes in Inspector Morse and Dennis Waterman was minding George Cole (as well as writing the theme tune, singing the theme tune), the pair were keeping the streets of London safe in the seminal seventies TV show The Sweeney.

Director Nick Love, who has a penchant for directing tired, violent-for-violence’s-sake films (The Firm, The Football Factory), felt the need to take this much loved TV show and do what many characters in his films often do – knock it to the ground and kick the living daylights out of it. What a slag.

Within the Met police there’s a unit that runs by its own set of rules. It’s known as the Sweeney. Heading this tough bunch of nuts is Jack Regan (Ray Winstone). Regan is a no-nonsense copper who does what he needs to to get the job done. This often means bending the law all over the gaff. But as he and his team get results, they are more or less left to their own devices…

Click here for full review

Film review: The Dark Knight Rises

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 14:43:59 +0100

It’s amazing what a bit of hype can do for a film. It can turn ordinary, well-meaning folk into the most boorish and obnoxious of fanboys, who will swear allegiance to a film, regardless of whether it’s actually any good or not. The Dark Knight trilogy could be considered the Holy Grail for film zealots in recent years; Christopher Nolan’s two previous bat outings were subjected to almost religious fervour by its fanboy followers.

In fairness, director Nolan gave Bruce Wayne and his alter ego a thorough cinematic make-over, giving the series a contemporary feel over, say, Tim Burton’s more comic book approach with his 1989 Batman and its 1992 sequel Batman Returns.

For Nolan, this final part of his trilogy is his swansong to the franchise, and it will no doubt prove to be a satisfying conclusion for the loyalist of fans. But does it do enough for those who aren’t so emotionally attached to the material?…

For full review, click here.

Movie review: Juan of the Dead

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:02:09 +0100

Although we live in a digital age where anyone can make a film if they want, it’s still not easy to make a proper film: one where you actually get financed to produce it.

It’s easy to take the whole film-making process for granted; after all, there are still countries on this planet that aren’t exactly democratic.

One such place is Cuba. Sure it’s opened its doors in recent years to middle class tourists with money to spend on cheap booze and cigars, but Castro’s shadow still looms large over his people. But if this film is anything to go by, there’s definitely a thriving underground movement waiting to rise.

There aren’t that many opportunities to make a fast Cuban Peso on the island, but it doesn’t stop Juan (Alexis Díaz de Villegas ) and his friends from trying their luck. Juan is beginning to feel his age a bit now, and when he learns that his daughter has returned to the island, he’s keen to meet up and attempt to prove he’s a different man…

Full review here.

Film review: The Avengers

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:31:58 +0100

The problem with so many of these superhero films is the dreaded origins story. The worst nightmare for any fan is a film explaining how Spiderman, for example, became the web-slinger in the first place. Answer? He was bitten by a radioactive spider. That was easy enough, let’s move on. But that’s not how Hollywood works. The golden rule appears to be that if you’re going to introduce a superhero character to the masses, regardless of how familiar they may all be with said hero’s background, you must spend at least two hours on re-telling their origin story…

Full review here.

Game review: Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:27:27 +0000

The Olympic Games are just around the corner for old London Town, and it’s still getting difficult to summon up any excitement for them. That would change of course, if Mario and Sonic were to compete in the real games, but that, sadly, is unlikely to happen.

So instead, their attempts at taking part in this massive sportathon have been condensed down for the playing pleasure on the 3DS.

On the back of the box it declares “over 50 exhilarating events”, which sounds like a whole lot of gaming to be had. The reality is, is that there is and there isn’t.

For the most part, this title is an Olympic themed WarioWare title; many of the games are nothing more than micro games that feel like they’re over before they’ve even started. That’s not to say they’re not fun however. A large majority of the events are incredibly addictive…

Click here for full review.

Film review: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:23:11 +0000

The marketing people behind this new film want you to believe that this is a Tom Hanks/Sandra Bullock film; even the poster has the pair as equal top billing. And it’s true that they do appear in it, but the truth is that the real star of the film is the extremely young and incredibly talented Thomas Horn.

You probably haven’t heard of him before, as he makes his acting debut in this film. He did make a name for himself some other way however. Question: Who won $31,800 on the US quiz show Jeopardy! during Kids Week? Answer: Thomas Horn.

Legend has it that the film’s producer Scott Rudin was so impressed with the youngster, that his appearance on the show led to him being auditioned for the main role of Oskar…

Click here for full review.

Film review: The Muppets

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:16:28 +0000

It’s a sad sign of the times when the word ‘muppet’ is probably best known by today’s generation for being used as a derogatory term. But it shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise; after all, it’s been 12 years since the last theatrical outing (the somewhat obscure Muppets from Space) and the classic TV series ended in 1981, after a run of just five series.

In 2004 Disney decided to buy the Muppet brand, so presumably they believed that there was still life in the old gang yet. But how relevant can a frog, pig and bear be to modern audiences? It’s a canny question, and one that actually features at the heart of this new film…

Click here for full review.

Film review: Sherlock Holmes:a Game of Shadows

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:19:00 +0000

Business must be brisk in the murky world of detectiving, if Sherlock Holmes’ current workload is anything to go by. Not only is he back on the small screen with the return of the series Sherlock (starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman) on New Year’s Day, but he returns to the big screen too with Guy Ritchie’s blockbusting sequel, once again starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.

It appears that the long-running partnership between Sherlock Homes (Downey Jr.) and his faithful companion Dr Watson (Law) is finally coming to an end. Watson,ou see, is about to get married…

Click here for full review

Film review: The Thing (2011)

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:07:44 +0000

For most horror aficionados, 1982’s The Thing was the last great film from director John Carpenter. Sure, Big Trouble in Little China followed it, and although it was a lot of fun, tonally it was completely different.

Like many films now termed ‘modern classics’, the film didn’t do all that well at the box office on release. It wasn’t helped by going up against a film about a cute little alien landing on Earth and wanting to phone home, which dominated box offices worldwide.

However, the word soon spread when it was released on a format known as VHS that would play back films at home on tape, of all things. Talk about the crazy eighties.

Somehow it joined a very small group of films that are deemed somehow untouchable when it comes to being remade. Despite the same title, this is actually a prequel to the events that took place in the first film, so much so that its ending leads smoothly into the opening scene of the original…

For full review click here.

Film review: Hugo

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:04:04 +0000

Martin Scorsese is one of those directors that couldn’t really be considered child-friendly. Most of his features are, quite rightly, for adults only. Even when he does a film with a broader certificate rating (like Age of Innocence and Kundun, for example), it’s unlikely to appeal to the Harry Potter crowd.

Hugo, however, must be considered the first family film that Scorsese has made in his career. Unfortunately for him, it might not be as friendly for younger audiences as he might have hoped, or any other for that matter.

Railway stations are busy places, but even more so in a big metropolis like Paris. In one such station lives young Hugo (Asa Butterfield); since his father died (Jude Law), Hugo has been living behind the scenes in the station, maintaining the clocks that are so vital where trains are concerned…

For full review click here.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (film)

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:47:43 +0100

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (film):

It’s no secret that Steven Spielberg has been a long time fan of this smartly dressed teen’s adventures; the story goes that when a critic compared Raiders of the Lost Ark to Tintin, Spielberg’s…

Senna competition

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:14:52 +0100

To celebrate the release of the critically acclaimed documentary Senna on DVD/Blu-ray, we’ve got 2 copies to give away in our latest competition.

For your chance to win, enter here (UK only).

DVD review: Senna

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:09:36 +0100

Vroom Vroom.

Formula One motor-racing is probably one of the most Marmite sports of all time; people either love it or hate it. But even if you’re of the opinion that despite the speeds the cars reach, there’s nothing exciting about watching a bunch of vehicles drive round and round and round for a couple of hours, the story of Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna might win you over.

This documentary picks up Senna’s story as he made the transition from go-karting to Formula One in 1984. He quickly moved up the grid, proving himself to be a natural talent behind a wheel.

It then focuses on his relationship with fellow driver Alain Prost; the pair developed a remarkable competitive spirit between one another, one that would cause controversy both on and off the racing circuit..

For full review, click here.

Win a copy of Senna on Bluray (competitions)

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:45:42 +0100

Win a copy of Senna on Bluray (competitions):

To celebrate the release of the critically acclaimed documentary Senna, we’ve got 2 copies on Bluray to give away in our latest competition. Closing date: 22nd October 2011.

Visit…

Game review: Gears of War 3

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:41:33 +0100

And now the end is near, as the final bloody curtain comes down on this Epic trilogy.

Just under a year after the Xbox 360 was released, the first Gears of War game by Epic was released in Europe in 2006. It was universally hailed as a jaw-dropping game in terms of gameplay and visuals.

It was no surprise then that Marcus Fenix’s first battle against the Locust Horde sold over three million copies in ten weeks and was the fastest-selling game of the year.

Fast-forward to 2011 as the third and final part of this Gears trilogy comes to a mighty end.

All did not end well for Marcus and his fellow soldiers of COG (Coalition of Ordered Governments) in Gears of War 2, when they were forced to destroy the Jacinto plateau on the planet of Sera, so they could flood the tunnels of the pesky Locust and to slow down the spread of the Lambent.

A couple of years on and Marcus is aboard the Sovereign, preparing to batten down the hatches, as the Lambent begin to surface once again. Former COG big wig Chairman Prescott makes a surprising reappearance, with a data disc in hand. On it is the revelation that Marcus’ father, scientist Adam Fenix, isn’t quite as dead as Marcus was lead to believe. Apparently he is being held against in will within a secret base known as Azura…

For full review read here.

Win a copy of Chalet Girl on dvd (competitions)

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 01:19:37 +0100

Win a copy of Chalet Girl on dvd (competitions):

We have 5 copies of the romantic comedy Chalet Girl, starring Felicity Jones, Ed Westwick and Bill Nighy, on DVD (available to own 3rd October) to give away. Closing date: 15th October 2011.

…

DVD review: Thor

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:37:14 +0100

If we had a ham-mer, we’d hammer in the mor-ning…

Films based on comic books appear to be the latest cash cow trend in cinema. It’s a shame then that recent super-heroic outings have been less than super. And yes Iron Man, the finger of disappointment is being waved in front of your stupid masked face.

But as well as churning out mediocre sequels, production companies are also turning to some less familiar comic book heroes for success. Despite the likes of Captain America and The Avengers – both of whom are having their own features released shortly – having a legion of glass-rimmed fans, it will be interesting to see how mainstream audiences react to their adventures. A possible litmus test to their reaction could be in the bulky shape of Kenneth Branagh’s Thor…

For full review click here.

Arthur (dvd)

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:37:16 +0100

Arthur (dvd):

Although the term echoes with presumptions, there is still such a thing as a star vehicle for an actor with promise. When 10 was released in 1979, it was testing the waters as to the possibility…

Film review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:02:37 +0100

We spy with our little eye, something beginning with…

Five years after John le Carre’s novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was published, the BBC adapted it for television in 1979, with a seven-part series starring Alec Guinness as the elderly agent George Smiley. It not only soon became part of the Beeb’s canon of classic TV, but it even spawned a sequel Smiley’s People, with Sir Alec reprising his role.

Somewhat surprisingly, considering the current appetite that exists for remaking existing films and TV shows, it’s only now that the powers that be have decided to dust down old Smiley and his suspicious pals for a big screen outing. At the helm is Swedish director Tomas Alfredson, who is making his first English language film after the success of his debut feature Let the Right One In…

Full review here.

Film review: The Guard

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:12:48 +0100

The best Irish film of the year to be sure, to be sure.

One disappointing blockbuster after another. Thanks 2011. As if the weather wasn’t bad enough, audiences were subjected for the most part to dire Hollywood fare. But as luck might have it – Irish or otherwise – there may well be light in gloomy cinemas yet. And considering the lack of blockbusters actually worth seeing this year, this little Irish film may well get the kind of audience it so deserves.

In a sleepy part of West Ireland, Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) is a member of the police constabulary. The irony is however, that as a law enforcer, he’s far from being law-abiding himself. But despite his vices of drugs and prostitutes, he’s still pretty good at his job…

For full review click here.