Tyson on DVD now

Mike Tyson retells the highs and lows of his career in this documentary. It begins with his tough Brooklyn upbringing, his discovery by his mentor Cus D’Amato. The film then documents his years at the top, his years of excess and his many falls from grace and his loss of boxing prowess – where he blatantly admits he was boxing ‘for the money’.

The film has some good archive footage, of the early Tyson and more importantly footage of his fights – so rarely seen due to copyright issues serve to remind the viewer of how menacing and unbeatable he was in his prime, which is made all the more poignant when looking at his later career.

Toback does have an annoying habit of splitting the screen up – as if to be an obvious analogy with Tyson’s own split persona. Tyson himself comes across as a man who has two distinct sides to his personality, physically hes one of the scariest (to me anyway) people on the planet and yet he has one of the softest girlie voices – not that I would tell him! He either views women as whores or something to be protected and kept safe, having said that I found the section when he is talking about what he wants from a woman quite disturbing – if I’m being honest he scares the hell out of me.

Tyson speaking about his old mentor is genuinely touching, hes realises the debt he has to Cus D’Amato who saved him from the street but didn’t live long enough to see his rise and fall in the world of boxing. Would Tyson’s story be any different if he had been there to steer his path?

Its an interesting documentary, Tyson comes across as a mass of contradictions and it also made me realise that boxing is now a corporate sport on pay per view, not seen on terrestrial television for the masses, which even though I don’t like the sport, is a shame for future generations.

Directed by James Toback

Cast

Mike Tyson – himself
The rest of the cast are seen in archive footage.

For the official website click here

Avatar 3D in cinemas now

Famously ten years in the making, follow up to Titan James Cameron’s baby Avatar in 3D the film he designed a whole new technology for.

Jake (Worthington) is brought in at the last minute to replace his brother in the Avatar programme. The programme is based on a planet called Pandora and its native inhabitants the Na'vi, a ten foot high humanoid race living in the forest of Pandora. Jake uses his Na’vi avatar to ingratiate himself in the culture which is fine until man and Na’vi clash.

So is it any good?

Well visually its great, its beautiful and the 3D isn’t too obvious or imposing (although I did feel a little queasy until I got used to it). The Na’vi look good, you can see the actors faces in the blue race, and their emotions are there – without the previous problem of dead eyes. Cameron has created his own world although to me a lot of it seems to be taken from his other passion – under the sea, some of the plants look like sea anemones or coral but visually was as far as this film worked for me.

The plot is so obvious you would have to be a small child not to see whats happening – why, like Titanic, has Cameron done this. Visually I would give it four stars – maybe even five for the technology but this is a film that is severely hampered by a cliché ridden script. Ferngully anyone?

Directed James Cameron

Cast

Sam Worthington – Jake Sully
Zoe Saldana – Neytiri
Sigourney Weaver – Dr Grace Augustine
Stephen Lang – Col Miles Quaritch

For the official website click here

The Hurt Locker - on DVD now

Set in post invasion Iraqi The Hurt Locker follows the bomb disposal squad as they are joined by SSG James (Renner) following the death of a previous squad member. James turns out to be an adrenaline junkie seemingly willing to ignore orders and endanger lives. James is cocky and confident and he relishes his work which is more than a little unsettling for the rest of his team.

Bigelow has created a great movie, a movie that like the soldiers in the bomb squads, doesn’t ask questions about what is right and wrong, it just does what it does. And what it does is put you in the centre of the action, and gives you the closest sense of the unknown and confusion that reigns in conflict areas available. You get the idea of how tough it must be for troops living on adrenaline, making snap decisions that can cause tragedy in a second.

This is one of the must see movies of the past twelve months and for a good reason, its tight, crisp and so well acted your swallowed up in events before the first 2 minutes have gone by. If there is any justice Bigelow will walk away with the Oscar for best director.

One of the best films I have seen in a long while – don’t miss it.

Directed Kathryn Bigelow

Cast

Jeremy Renner – SSG William James
Anthony Mackie – Sgt JT Sanborn
Brian Geraghty – Spc Owen Eldridge

For the official website click here

Where the Buffalo Roam on DVD

Bill Murray plays the madcap journalist Hunter S Thompson in this semi biographical tale of drugs, alcohol, attorneys and the occasional mention of journalism. Murray is instantly recognisable in ‘Hunter’ garb although he doesn’t go in for the full bald head unlike Johnny Depp in Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. That though is probably the main difference in these two Hunter based movies.

Hunter crashes a convertible, Hunter consumes lots of drugs, Hunter consumes lots of alcohol, Hunter is accompanied by his Attorney, Hunter trashes a hotel room, Hunter tries and fails to cover a major sporting event – theres even a weird hitchhiker and flying bats. Excuse me if you have heard this before but if you have seen Fear & Loathing you have also seen it before. I know its unfair of me – Where the Buffalo Roam was made in 1980 but I have only just seen it, although I feel that I have already seen it – watch one, either one but not both, its way too repetitive.

Directed by Art Linson

Bill Murray – Hunter S Thompson
Peter Boyle – Lazlo

Moon - On DVD now

Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell a Luna Industries employee coming to the end of a three year contract as the lone employee mining on the moon. His only companion in his lonely existence is the computer GERTY (voiced by Spacey), and sporadic messages from earth as there is no direct communication link available.

One day Sam is involved in an accident whilst mining and awakes after a few days to find GERTY caring for him. This leads to a discovery that will change Sam’s life and affect the chances of him returning to his wife and child on earth.

What starts as a low key si-fi movie with the base visually echoing the Nostromo from Alien, and with a sole occupant talking to his plants and looking forward to returning home turns into something completely else entirely. Rockwell is great as Sam, the man desperate to finish his contract and fulfill his duties. His performance is low key but powerful and more than holds the film together. What starts as a study of loneliness twists and turns to an unexpected conclusion. The disembodied computer voice has parallels with HAL from 2001, but that is where the comparison ends – you expect GERTY to become the sinister protagonist but there is something a lot more ominous threatening Sam’s existence.

Its very good film and well worth a look, there is a really slow build up and then after the accident you, as the audience, are left largely bewildered until the larger picture is revealed. It also keeps you thinking long after the end titles have rolled.

Director – Duncan Jones

Cast:
Sam Rockwell – Sam Bell
Kevin Spacey (voice only) - Gerty

For the official website click here