Divergent Teaser Trailer & Character Posters

Check out a selection of character posters and the accompanying teaser trailer for the highly anticipated dystopian action-adventure based on the series of novels by Veronica Roth. Set in a future world where society is divided into distinct factions based on rigidly defined personality traits,  young heroine Tris Prior is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy to destroy all Divergents, she must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it’s too late.

Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James and Kate Winslet the film is set for a UK release on April 4 2014. The latest full length trailer below also helps further explain exactly what it means to be Divergent.

The new posters certainly set a dark and menacing tone, although they might also serve as very tasteful tattoo parlor adverts:

 

X-Men Days of Future Past Trailer

Here’s the first full length teaser for X-Men Days of Future Past, the sequel to superb franchise reboot X-Men First Class which ambitiously tries to integrate the new generation of X-men with the stars of the original trilogy. The film also marks the return of director Bryan Singer, following the regrettable departure of Matthew Vaughn.

Loosely based on one of the most iconic story arcs from the X-Men comic-books, the film sees Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine sent back in time to try and recruit the help of the young Magneto and Professor X to prevent a grim apocalyptic future from becoming a reality. It introduces new cast members and arguably the X-Men’s most iconic nemesis, the deadly robotic Sentinels. While this first trailer gives little away as far as plot and new faces, it does have an ominous soundtrack that implies it’s going to be a pretty emotional ride for our mutant heroes.

 

Only Lovers Left Alive Review

The Plot:

Adam and Eve are two centuries old vampire lovers reuniting after some time apart, in an effort to sooth reclusive musician Adam’s growing disdain for mankind and despair for the future. Their blissful domestic reunion in Adam’s dilapidated home and on the dark streets of Detroit is however, rudely interrupted by the arrival on Eve’s sassy little sister Ava.

The Good:

Tom Hiddleston has emerged from his role as mischievous comic book villain Loki as an undisputed global superstar. His soft spoken wit and piercing stare is a magnificent fit for melancholic vampire Adam. Hiddleston gives a sensitive and subtle performance as he prowls around Adam’s decaying home, brooding beneath tussled jet black hair. It’s a sharp reminder that his broad range stretches well beyond fan favourite Loki.

Tilda Swinton is an actress with a naturally ethereal and other worldly quality, rarely if ever has it been put to such effective use as in this performance. Beneath a flowing mane of bleached blonde hair she is the perfect visual and emotional counterpoint to Tom Hiddleston’s Adam. Eve’s enthusiastic optimism instantly balances out Adam’s sullen melancholy.

Swinton and Hiddleston create a remarkable chemistry together, depicting a fascinating portrait of a centuries old marriage. Eve and Adam share a convincing dynamic of casual understanding, tenderness, occasional lust and mutual obsessions. Their lethargic approach to existence seems entirely appropriate for creatures unconcerned with the pressures of human mortality.

Alongside the electrifying central paring, John Hurt and Mia Wasikowska add an extra dimension of colourful personality to the film. Wasikowska is effectively precious and irritating and Eve’s immature vampire sister. Meanwhile John Hurt adds some gravel voiced gravitas to proceedings as an immortal Christopher Marlowe.

Director Jim Jarmusch has a cult following based on his flair for charismatic slow paced storytelling and distinctive visual style. Only Lovers Left Alive echoes much of his finest work like Ghost Dog and Broken Flowers. The film has a languid pace, but it’s consistently thoughtful and packed with wry dark humour.

As with many of Jarmusch’s  films Only Lovers Left Alive embraces the full awesome power of music with a soundtrack that enhances the scenery and characterisation in a way dialogue and visuals alone never could. It’s an expertly deployed tool for setting a subtle tone for the film and uniting the radically different landscapes of Detroit and Tangiers.

Set entirely at night, for obvious reasons, the film has dark magical quality to its visual that lends an added air of gothic romance to proceedings. Even the decaying urban wasteland of an abandoned Detroit has a strange excitement about it in the dark corners of the night.

The Bad:

Those unaccustomed to Jarmusch’s unhurried style of storytelling may perhaps find the film a little slow moving. Likewise those searching for Twilight style romantic melodrama or hoping for genuinely scary Vampire horror may both be left disappointed. In truth Jarmusch panders to neither stereotype and his creatures of the night are very much full and complex characters in their own right.

The Ugly Truth:

Only Lovers Left Alive is a seductive gothic romance of the highest caliber; boasting magnetic performances, black comedy and a well-chosen soundtrack. Director Jim Jarmusch successfully reclaims Vampires from the clutches of young adult fiction and restores their brooding menace and lust.

Check out our interview with star Tom Hiddleston on the red carpet at the London Premiere as part of the BFI London Film festival 2013:

Ender’s Game Review

The Plot:

In the aftermath of a devastating alien attack that almost destroyed mankind, humanity places its hope in children, training them to be the next generation of ultimate warriors. Ender Wiggin is a brilliant cadet who just might prove to be the one leader capable of leading this new army into a battle to determine the future of the Earth.

The Good:

It’s taken many years for Orson Scott Card’s popular sci-fi novel to find its way onto the big screen, but it was definitely worth the wait. Ender’s Game is a well-crafted combination of storytelling and polished special effects. Director Gavin Hood manages to give the film a distinctive futuristic look and deserves special credit for finding inventive ways to bring computer based elements of the original story to life on screen.

The film’s greatest strength is undoubtedly its unique action sequences, in particular the zero gravity battle room where Ender and his fellow recruits train. Situated in a giant translucent sphere in the middle of a space station orbiting high above the Earth at the edge of space, it’s simply unlike anything you’ve seen before. It may sound like cliché praise, but in this case it’s actually true. There really is something beautiful and balletic about watching Ender lead his diminutive army in zero gravity war games. It’s the equivalent of watching Harry Potter first grab hold of a broom to start playing Quidditch.

Of course, action adventures with pubescent heroes often fail to capture the imaginations of more mature audiences because their protagonists are simply too irritating. Thankfully Ender’s Game boasts an impressive array of watchable young stars, led by Asa Butterfield and Hailee Steinfeld. Butterfield gives Ender a genuine spirit of ruthless cunning that commands much more respect than his lithe physique would suggest. Hailee Steinfeld also manages to give Ender a helpful training partner audiences will for once actually like not loath.

It’s a refreshing relief that the film has the confidence to take itself seriously and that Ender doesn’t at any time find himself unnecessarily stuck with any kind of bumbling comic relief sidekick. There are no infuriatingly pointless and painfully unfunny characters which so easily render film like this instantly unwatchable.

As for the adults, Harrison Ford seems reinvigorated in his role as Colonel Graff, the military commander determined to harden his young recruits into soldiers whatever the cost. It’s a role that harnesses Ford’s naturally gravel toned grit and gruff surliness well. Ford helps sets a serious tone for the film which makes it more accessible by far for grown up audiences. The background presence of award winning talents like Viola Davis and Sir Ben Kingsley also give the film a little more dramatic credibility.

The Bad:

Ender’s Game has many virtues but falls short of perfection in a number of obvious ways. Some of the obvious subtext about ‘child soldiers’ and the true cost of war is perhaps dealt with a little heavy handily. For example, Ender’s occasional flashes of self-doubt and anxiety over giving into his more violent impulses might be a necessary part of adding depth to the character but can feel a little obvious and superficial.

Likewise the film’s bug like alien adversaries are pretty much a faceless generic threat. They’re never developed as anything other than a swarming mass of evil spaceships. Although undoubtedly that is a deliberate decision and part of the film’s commentary about the ambiguous morality of warfare, nevertheless it does rob the film of certain opportunities as well.

The film builds up some exciting early momentum but in truth it doesn’t quite manage to fully deliver and falters a little at it’s very final stages, perhaps leaving it just a little too late to cram in some last minute plot complexities.

The Ugly Truth:

Ender’s Game avoids many of the obvious and most irritating pitfalls of a fantasy adventure built around a young boy coming to terms with his role as the ‘chosen one’. The film also has enough originality and unique visuals to set it instantly apart from countless other doomed franchises. Ender’s Game is worth seeing on the big screen for the zero gravity sequences and climatic space battles alone, it is also easily one of the best recent adaptations of classic science fiction.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Review

The Plot:

Crackpot inventor Flint Lockwood has finally landed his dream job working for his scientist idol Chester V, however when he learns that his infamous food making machine is still churning out dangerous animal-food monsters he must return to his island home and shut it down with the help of his faithful friends.

The Good:

The first Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs film proved to be a colourful fan favourite that did a fantastic job of animating a beloved children’s book. This new adventure is a welcome second helping of eye candy for those left hungry for more.

The film delivers a massive portion of fun and mouth-watering visual magic. The newly populated food jungle our heroes explore is packed full of tasty tongue in cheek creations; a tribe of precocious pickles, shrimpanzees, apple pie-thons and deadly tacodiles to name but a few.  It’s a wondrous world full of adorable animated sights and easy laughs. Happy faced marshmallows and a wide eyed talking strawberry are among the most endearingly adorable new characters. Even the most cynical parent will find it hard to stifle a satisfied exclamation of “awwwww”.

Of course all fans’ favourite characters from the first film return as well. This includes Steve the excitable monkey, Earl the macho security guard, Brent the Chicken suited mascot and perky weather girl Sam Sparks.  A capable voice cast and this eccentric array of supporting figures was a big part of the first film’s recipe for wacky charm. It’s what gave audiences an appetite for an unlikely sequel and it certainly makes a fairly thin plot far more fun to digest.

New vocal stars Kirsten Schaal, Terry Crews and Will Forte each do a great job alongside the returning cast of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan and Neil Patrick Harris. They lend creative character design even more quirky personality.

The Bad:

Of course not everyone will welcome outlandish Technicolor silliness and while the film undoubtedly has its own charms, it’s fair to say it lacks the poignant subtext that distinguishes the work of Pixar. Likewise the Sony Pictures animation is more unashamedly cartoonish than Pixar’s increasingly photo-realistic mastery. It’s undoubtedly a deliberate choice but it does instantly skew the film towards capturing the interest of a much younger audience.

The Ugly Truth:

Children and adults with an appetite for whimsy will all enjoy devouring the delicious visuals of a film that embraces the pure joy of silly puns and cute critters. As a sequel the film does surprisingly well equally and perhaps at times even surpassing, the memorable charm and imaginative fun of the original.