At the Flix with @Timmy666

Greetings fellow cinema following brethren! 
Here’s the lowdown of what lays in store for you at the flix this weekend …. and as always mixed bag. The forecast might even be cloudy.
Let’s have a cinematic rummage …. celluloid at the ready …. and action!

Ender’s Game (12A)

I was watching Graham Norton’s show the other day and listening to Benedict Cumberbatch admitting directly to Harrison Ford that he fantasised about him as a kid! Uncle Harrison was (and might still be) the biggest grossing star in movie history and as boy of the 80s and 90s, there were few things more exciting than watching Indiana Jones and Han Solo in action, well James Bond being a personal exception.

Ok, there’s a truly sad admission out the way! Moving quickly back on topic ….

As Ford’s ‘tenor’ has gone distinctly gruff over recent years, so has the quality of his recent output, a series of distinctly ‘meh’ efforts. Admittedly I didn’t get to see the generally well received baseball flick 42, which only got a limited release.
Perhaps signing up for The Expendables 3 will enable us to see some of the old Ford charm and humour … until then there’s Ender’s Game.

In this sci-fi adventure, with Planet Earth ravaged by an alien race apparently determined to destroy humanity, lots of folks band together to fight back. Young British Actor Asa Butterfield (most brilliant in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Hugo) stars as the boyish Luke Skywalker type-figure (sorry, I couldn’t resist it!) and potential saviour figure to come humanity’s rescue.

Expect lots of special effects, hopefully suitably hammy acting from Mr. Ford and Sir Ben Kingsley.
I am hoping this should be a lot of fun and not a dirge! Let’s hope it’s worth keeping the Ender’s Game up!

Closed Circuit (15)

Not be confused with Short Circuit, Closed Circuit is the latest film written by Who Wants to be a Millionaire creator (yes, really!) Steven Knight, who penned the excellent Dirty Pretty Things and Eastern Promises and recently the TV series Peaky Blinders.

According to imdb, the story is thus – “A high-profile terrorism case unexpectedly binds together two ex-lovers on the defense team – testing the limits of their loyalties and placing their lives in jeopardy.”
With a great cast and talented director John Crowley on board, you would expect a high-class intelligently written thriller although reviews Stateside have not really been that great citing a film which isn’t any particularly original alongside other political thrillers and which invests more in the plot and story than the characters.

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (15)

Jackass is back …. and watching Johnny Knoxville and his merry gang committing crazy acts is your thing then go for it. Actually, I probably do Knoxville a disservice, I think a lot of what he does is more about pointing out the absurdities of society but in a good natured way. Furthermore, he is very good not only at framing and shooting set-pieces but more importantly the human reaction to it. There’s a lot more than may meet the eye with what Knoxville does.

So, Bad Grandpa is wrapped up as a road movie of sorts, as an 80-something grandpa goes on a trip of a lifetime (well, speak for yourself!) encountering all sorts of ‘craziness’ on the way including bumping into the likes Knoxville and Nicoll.

The film hasn’t had many reviews yet and, who knows, this film will hopefully run counter to any Jackass stereotypes that may exist.

One Chance (12A)

One chance … that’s a bit extreme isn’t it? Anyhow, James Corden plays Paul Potts, the opera singer who went from South Wales nobody to Britain’s Got Talent legend via Venice, Pavarotti, a love story and a touching, human element.

If it sounds cheesy, it is because it probably is!

I have got to admit that this film really doesn’t appeal to me despite its intentions to be a feel good (romantic) comedy, clearly taking a lot of its influence from Billy Elliot and maybe a large slice of Richard Curtis-ish positivity. It’s because of who the film is about is his story. No doubt as it is the film adorning every bus (other than Captain Phillips), it is likely to do okay in the UK and good luck to it – and no doubt, it’s a great vehicle for James Corden.

Top tip – if you want to see a great comedy set in South Wales, watch Richard Ayoade‘s delightfully funny Submarine – one of the best films from 2010.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 (3D)(U)

At the time of writing, I admit I have never seen the original so I’m not the best person to judge but let’s hope it can follow precedence – sequels can often be better than the originals, references to Shrek 2, Toy Story 2 and Madagascar Escape 2 Africa being a few cases in point, or in the case of a few others like Monsters Inc University, less so. This is the half-term film! One for the kids and I’m sure it’s heart will be in the right place.

Question for this week – In the spirit of the captions, what’s your favourite Indiana Jones or Han Solo quote?

Ok, that it from me! As always, please add your comments below or tweet me your cinematic quibbles to @timmy666.