So, as it’s our birthday today (thanks for all the cards, cakes and the 3 hookers) we’re going to lazily utilise the number 4 throughout the week as we celebrate 4 years of this here website. We kick off with 4 Great Movies From The Last 4 Years! Myself and head writer Tom have taken two each!
MOVIE: DREDD (2012)
Forget Sylvester Stallone's take on the character way back in 1995, this is how you do comic's toughest lawman. While the original was a sprawling mess of ideas taken directly from the pages of 2000AD, Dredd director Pete Travis and writer Alex Garland took the simple approach of letting the character do most of the talking. I mean that, purely in the metaphorical sense since he doesn't actually say that much. Karl Urban is perfect as the taciturn Dredd, everything we need to know about the character told to us in a clenched jaw or swift execution. The world of the comics was always presented as stripped down and raw, and that is exactly what the movie replicates. The claustrophobic setting of a run down tower block is perfect for the brutal, lo-fi action, and the movie's main talking point, the super saturated slow motion effects, are absolutely beautiful to behold.
Trivia: Similarities to The Raid abound, but Dredd in fact went into production long before The Raid was released. Due to a number of set backs in post production, Dredd came out after The Raid, leading to many calling it a rip-off.
Favourite scene: Dredd's sentencing of Lena Heady's Ma-Ma, complete with slow motion dive off the top of the tower block, and Dredd summing up the situation with a solitary 'Yeah'.
MOVIE: THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN (2011)
A long in development collaboration between Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg, this motion captured adaption of Herge's classic graphic novels is a visually stunning slice of old school adventure. It literally looks like the characters have stepped from the pages, with Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis showing tremendous chemistry as Tintin and Captain Haddock. It is the same type of chemistry Spielberg and Jackson display in their roles of director and producer respectively. The two creators are the same wavelength here, their shared vision pulled off without the hitch, creating a rollicking, beautiful adventure to life that delights children all over, both big and small.
Trivia: Spielberg first became aware of Tintin during press coverage of Raiders of the Lost Ark, when French journalist's compared it the Herge's famous creation. His interest piqued, he picked up on of the books, and realised he wanted to make a movie of it.
Favourite scene: The mad cap chase through Morocco, filmed in one long take without any cuts
MOVIE: KICK-ASS (2010)
Not only one of the great movies from the last 4 years, but certainly one of my favourite of the last decade. A mightily impressive adaptation of Mark Millar’s uber violent teenager becomes wannabe superhero. And with a few glaring exceptions, Matthew Vaughn more or less did a blow by literal blow version of the comic book. From the pacing, to the humour and the superb, albeit risque (for some) dialogue, Kick-Ass delivered on all fronts. Chris Mintz Plasse, Chloe Grace Moretz and Aaron Taylor Johnson gave incredibly likeable performances and Nic Cage just blew us all away.
Trivia: After being rejected by every studio they approached, Matthew Vaughn raised the budget at a dinner party and made the movie independently. Vaughn ultimately sold the movie to Universal for more than he had originally asked them for.
Favourite scene: “Okay you cunts... Let's see what you can do now!”
MOVIE: INCEPTION (2010)
Chrisopther Nolan proves that audiences don’t require dumbed down blockbusters by unleashing a gargantuan movie that demanded every nano second of your intention. Nigh on impossible to explain in one line, but Leonardo DiCaprio and company have to plant an idea (as opposed to stealing them) from the “subjects” inner most dream state! Amazing on all levels including mindbending visuals.
Trivia: Just like Christopher Nolan's previous movie The Dark Knight, no second unit team was hired for making the movie. All the shots were filmed by Nolan himself with his usual DPWally Pfister.
Favourite scene: Adrianne’s first experience of shared dreaming!
So there you have it! Feel free to drop us a comment with some movies you reckon are full of greatness from the last 4 years!
