It was the unexpected film that sneaked up on us in the early part of 2012. Little known until then, Looper promised to be an enthralling and intense sci-fi thriller, with plenty of action and plot twists. Applauded by (most) critics, it‘s been heralded as “the next Matrix”. As someone who is intimately familiar with that sci-fi epic, Looper isn’t particularly deserving of the title. I was expecting something akin to Christopher Nolan’s Inception, but what you get is a lot more like The Butterfly Effect. It’s certainly gritty and has copious moments of tension, but if you’re looking for something to work your grey matter, I’d think again.
Following the debut of new images and teaser poster, Walt Disney have premièred the new locomotive-packed trailer for The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer.
Founded in 2002, Warp Films have had a mighty busy ten years, shepherding such films as Dead Man's Shoes, Donkey Punch, This is England, Submarine and Four Lions to critical and commercial success. Now they're celebrating their tenth birthday with a number of special events and screenings. First up is a screening of Shane Meadow's This is England at the BFI Southbank, with the score by celebrated composer Ludovico Einaudi performed live.
The first Taken was one of 2008's surprise hits. Although derided by the majority of critics, something about it resonated with audiences. The action was gripping albeit nothing new and the plot was more or less a re-hash of Commando, so what was it that people responded to? Maybe it was Liam Neeson earning his title as a man's man, playing Bryan Mills, a father with a 'special set of skills' who turned up the badass-o-meter when he his daughter is kidnapped or that the film featured a script that wasn't afraid to go to some very dark places.
