Wreck-It Ralph Film Review

By Samuel Peace

It’s a rare occurrence when the film and game industry cross paths, one which usually doesn’t bode well for either side. Surely it would be easy to turn a game into a film? Just take the script, hire some good actors/actresses to play the characters, and use CGI for the environments and any other unrealistic feature. Unfortunately it’s not as simple as that because games focus on what makes their entertainment so popular – the gameplay – thus leaving the story to play second fiddle (or sometimes no fiddle at all). While some games might make for good films (BioShock, Uncharted, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare etc), these have never come to pass. Instead producers chose more recognisable franchises some of which have little to no story at all (for example the recent Battleship movie based on the board game, or the infamous Super Mario Bros film in 1993 which was nothing like the games). Disaster after disaster has led to very few game to film adaptations as movie makers become less willing to put their reputation on the line. However, this has not deterred Walt Disney, which is famed around the world for its animated classics. They wanted to build bridges with the games industry, write them a love letter so to speak. So the concept of Wreck-It Ralph was born.

The idea for the motion picture actually goes all the way back to the late 1980s when arcade gaming was in its prime. However many redesigns saw it pushed further and further away from release until plans were finalised in the mid-2000s. During the production stages, director Rich Moore (best known for his directing roles in a number of The Simpsons and Futurama episodes), said in an interview with MCV that he didn’t want to base the movie around an existing character. He said: “There’s so much mythology and baggage attached to pre-existing titles that I feel someone would be disappointed.” He believed this was a reason why so many movies based on video game franchises typically failed. Instead his vision was to create a fake gaming icon so that he could have the ultimate freedom without the worry of tainting another gaming property.

The plot revolves around the main character Wreck-It Ralph (voiced by John C Reilly). But instead of being a generic game plot (where the main character is a hero and has to save the world from the bad guy), Ralph is actually the bad guy from the start! He plays the main villain in a fictional arcade game called Fix-It Felix Jr. which as you might have guessed has a hero called Fix-It Felix (voiced by Jack McBrayer). The game pays homage to the original Donkey Kong, an arcade classic which saw Mario (known then as Jumpman) try to ascend a series of platforms in order to rescue a woman named Pauline from the grasps of the giant gorilla. Donkey Kong’s role was to stop Mario by rolling barrels down to try and knock him off. In Fix-It Felix Jr. Ralph stands atop a skyscraper and chucks debris down to try and knock off Felix whose aim is to fix all the broken windows while ascending the building.

The problem is Ralph is fed up of being the bad guy and not getting any recognition. He is finally pushed over the edge when Felix is given all the credit for the game’s success and has a party thrown for him (Ralph not invited) to celebrate the game’s 30^th anniversary. When he crashes it, he is quite simply told that bad guys do not deserve recognition and he would need a medal to be a good guy and a winner. Determined to get a medal and prove his worth, Ralph decides to ‘game jump’ – which is to enter another arcade game via the hub where all the games connect (the power supply). His quest to find a medal is, as you would expect, not straight forward and there is plenty of entertainment right until the end.

The first half of Wreck-it Ralph is by far the best. With real life game cameos galore and an interesting plot, there really is something for everyone. One of the more memorable scenes (which was in the trailer) saw Ralph in a ‘bad guy’ support group which was attended by some of gaming’s most iconic villains such as Bowser (Super Mario games), Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog games) and Clyde (Pac-Man games). There are so many other subtler references too which help bring the world to life. With all these famous faces it was important that the main fictional characters were made to feel authentic too so they wouldn’t be outshone. Both Ralph and Felix deliver on this part with mannerisms and abilities akin to the classic characters we all know and love. They are later joined by other fictional cast members including the fantastic Calhoun (Jane Lynch) and Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman).

Unfortunately the second half of the film falls into the stereotypical Disney ‘be yourself’ trap with predictable results. There are not many game cameos or references that have not already been seen either, as the story focuses more on the development of our main fictional heroes and villains. However, it’s the chemistry between them, which manages to save the film from drowning in mediocrity. Each persona is vastly different from one another and makes for some interesting combinations. While the plot contains some foreseeable twists and turns it still manages to round off nicely with a Mario Kart like race mixed with an alien invasion.

Despite some shortcomings, Wreck-It Ralph manages to capture the real essence of the classic arcade era. It has some truly wonderful references which will appeal to both young and old audiences. The main cast of fictional characters are the stars of the show however, and would not be out of place in the real world of gaming. Moore’s experience with The Simpsons is exhibited with a great range of humorous gags and along with the art style makes the film feel more like a Pixar production than a Disney studios film, which is for the best. While not perfect it is definitely the best film/game crossover ever made, and that alone is worth seeing.

Rating: 8/10

MCV Interview: http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/interview-wreck-it-ralph-director-talks-bringing-games-to-film/0110639

The work of a cameraman at Pinewood studios

By Anna Hayward

Jeff Paynter on the set of Voyage of the Damned in 1976 with Faye Dunaway

British film has been thrust into the spotlight this week with the news that Pinewood studios are broadening their horizons to America. Pinewood studios announced today that they would be building their first film and TV studio in the US in Atlanta, Georgia. This exciting endeavour aims to expand Pinewood’s global name and target US audiences. Pinewood is teaming up with RiverRock which is owned by fast food company, Cathy’s, but will be run under the name of Pinewood Atlanta. Brighton Lite speaks to Jeff Paynter about his experiences at Pinewood and about his career as a British cameraman.

Jeff, 60, of Shaveswood Lane, Devil’s Dyke, has had a long career in film spanning thirty-five years. He has worked on blockbuster films such as Voyage of the Damned, American Werewolf in London, Blade Runner and Superman 2 and 3. He left school at eighteen to build his career as a cameraman. He joined the film rental company, Rank, in 1971 which supplied camera equipment for Pinewood studios. Jeff had no college training and has learnt everything he knows while working on films. He said: “There weren’t a lot of film classes or courses at colleges in those days. So most people in the film industry started at the bottom making tea and worked their way up. It was a great way of doing it.”

Much like Jeff’s start in film work the road to building Pinewood studios was not an easy one. The origin of British film in 1888 was when the first moving picture was shot in Leeds by Louis Le Prince. The success of British film rests on Pinewood which was built by Charles Boot in and brought talking films to the British masses. After years of struggling to find financial backing Boot eventually bought a distinguished bankrupt’s estate to build the studios in 1936. James Sloan was brought in to design the studios and together they turned the hundreds of acres of land Boot had bought into one large and small stage, several dressing rooms, offices and anything you can imagine a films studio would require. Pinewood was built with the philosophy that the studio should be self-contained and that the workers should live next door to their work. Pinewood’s first completed production was Talk of the Devil, made in 1936. This cemented the roots of Pinewood as a film studio.

Exactly thirty years later Jeff started his very first job as a freelance clapper boy on Voyage of the Damned starring Faye Dunaway. It was directed by Stuart Rosenburg and Jeff describes it as a ‘fantastic’ experience. The story was inspired by true events concerning the fate of the MS St. Louis ocean liner carrying Jewish refugees from Germany to Cuba in 1939. Jeff described going freelance as ‘tough’ but it helped him build up a reputation in film. A camera crew consists of four people and for each film Pinewood would use a crew like this. The basic crew starts with the camera man, then the camera operator, then the focus puller (the man who focuses the camera while it’s shooting and moving) and finally the clapper loader (the man who maintains the film equipment and loads the film into the camera). He said: “Those are the people that when you watch a movie, they are responsible for the visual look of that film. If a film is well made and the photography is good quality, you shouldn’t be aware of the camera because you become involved in it.” A typical camera crew shooting at Pinewood would shoot with a 35mm film. However this is now ‘dying out’ because of the expense and the invasion of video which is cheaper and more versatile. Jeff said: “It has had a big effect on film production. It’s becoming more CGI.”

 

Jeff’s big break came when he worked as a focus puller on Superman 2 which was directed by British director Richard Lester. The Superman films were one of the most important productions for Pinewood studios as they were among the top grossing box office successes of all time. Jeff has fond memories of playing darts with Christopher Reeve in between filming. He said: “He was a great guy to work with. He used to do most of his own stunts and sometimes he could be 50 to 75 ft off the ground. The wires were gossamer thin and he was lifted by a huge crane. He worked very hard to get the shots. They were very convincing.” In the late 70’s and early 80’s CGI was an unheard of concept and so Pinewood had to shoot stunts for real. Explosions were shot using dynamite and cranes were used to lift Christopher Reeve in the flying shots. Jeff found it was a ‘pleasure to go to work’ at Pinewood and thought the producers were very good. His favourite moments on Superman 2 were the night shots at Pinewood where the whole New York metropolis was replicated. He said: “It was just like walking down a normal high street. There were real products in the store, very authentic.”

Jeff’s cameraman career is long behind him after leaving the industry ten years ago to set up his own Hi-Fi company. He felt he left at the right time because the magic of films is “not what it used to be”. Jeff added: “It’s lost a bit of the sparkle than when you had to do it all for real. Seeing an actor or an actress do a really good performance is still the most wonderful aspect of a film I think.”

The future of Pinewood seems to be looking across the seas to America. In the past Pinewood resembled a shepherd among sheep in the film industry. However in recent times it has tragically followed other film studios which invest in U.S films to keep their financial heads above water. In 1980 only 31 British films were made because American backing was withdrawn proving that the crux of the British film industry is fuelled by U.S funding.  In the same way that video killed the ‘radio star’; CGI seems to be killing the magic of ‘real’ film as more directors turn to 3D to enhance the viewer experience. In the face of financial and technological adversity, the one thing that is certain is that Pinewood will adapt and its legacy as one of the greatest film studios in history will live on.

 

Top 3 Anticipated Films 2013

HMV: Where It All Went Wrong

OVERVIEW

from Planetary Collective Plus

Malcolm Cook

On the 40th anniversary of the famous ‘Blue Marble’ photograph taken of Earth from space, Planetary Collective presents a short film documenting astronauts’ life-changing stories of seeing the Earth from the outside – a perspective-altering experience often described as the Overview Effect.

The Overview Effect, first described by author Frank White in 1987, is an experience that transforms astronauts’ perspective of the planet and mankind’s place upon it. Common features of the experience are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

‘Overview’ is a short film that explores this phenomenon through interviews with five astronauts who have experienced the Overview Effect. The film also features insights from commentators and thinkers on the wider implications and importance of this understanding for society, and our relationship to the environment.

CAST
• EDGAR MITCHELL – Apollo 14 astronaut and founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences
• RON GARAN – ISS astronaut and founder of humanitarian organization Fragile Oasis
• NICOLE STOTT – Shuttle and ISS astronaut and member of Fragile Oasis
• JEFF HOFFMAN – Shuttle astronaut and senior lecturer at MIT
• SHANE KIMBROUGH – Shuttle/ISS astronaut and Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army
• FRANK WHITE – space theorist and author of the book ‘The Overview Effect’
• DAVID LOY- philosopher and author
• DAVID BEAVER – philosopher and co-founder of The Overview Institute
———-
CREW
Produced by: GUY REID, STEVE KENNEDY, CHRISTOPHER FERSTAD
Director: GUY REID
Editor: STEVE KENNEDY
Director of Photography: CHRISTOPHER FERSTAD
Original Score: HUMAN SUITS
Dubbing Mixer: PATCH MORRISON
———-
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Filmed with Canon 5D Mk ii.
Additional footage from NASA / ESA archives
Duration: 19 minutes
———-

Planetary Collective: planetarycollective.com/
Overview Microsite: overviewthemovie.com/
Human Suits (original score): humansuits.com/

For more information:
The Overview Institute: overviewinstitute.org/
Fragile Oasis: fragileoasis.org/

Film Review for Life of PI

By Robert Dean

Life of Pi is a triumphant return for Taiwanese-born  American director Ang Lee and once again confirms him as one of Hollywood’s most creative and versatile directors. The Academy Award winner, whose previous work includes Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain, masterfully adapts Yann Martel’s Booker Prize-winning novel, of the same name, for the big screen in one of the year’s most memorable films.

The story starts with an unnamed writer (Rafe Spall), presumably intended to be Yann Martel himself, going to meet a man to discuss a story which he was told would make him “believe in god”. This is the first time we are introduced to Piscine Molitor Patel in his adult guise, played by Irrfan Khan.

The story then focuses on Piscine as a young Indian boy battling with issues of religion and faith. After classmates tease him by changing his name to “Pissing” he develops an obsession for the mathematical  concept of Pi, and this becomes his new nickname. Pi’s childhood is played by 3 different actors, Gautam Belur as a five year old, Ayush Tandon as an 11 year old and Suraj Sharma, who takes the lead role in the film as a 16 year old.

His Father, Santosh (Adil Hussain), is a zoo owner who is forced to move his family and his business to Canada. The boat they were on has a fatal accident, which causes it to sink and only he and four of his father’s zoo animals – a Bengal tiger, a zebra, an orang-utan and a hyena – make it onto a life boat.

The movie then becomes an epic story of survival with Pi spending 227 days battling against rough waters, lack of supplies and, of course, finding a way to cohabit with a Bengal tiger on a small dinghy. During these scenes Pi finds comfort in his hybrid religion of Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. As a young child he could never decide which religion to settle on so instead drew on the teachings he liked from each.

Whilst at sea the viewers are treated to some spectacular visual displays which are complimented beautifully by the use of 3D technology. Scenes such as a whale jumping out of the water or a sea that is completely illuminated by jellyfish are really awe inspiring. With 3D at the risk of becoming a gimmick, this film really shows how it can enhance a story when used properly.

The film, rather frustratingly, ends with an alternative account of what he has just described, which leaves  audiences questioning the reality of the tale. I am sure for some this added to the sense of mystery, but for me it just left a frustrating, niggling doubt over what was a wonderful piece of escapism.

Star Trek Into Darkness Trailer

Malcolm Cook

In this extra length Japanese teaser trailer we have the extra scene we see a shadowy hand against glass and probably Spock’s just like in the Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan.

But is this a red herring and is the all pervasive Benedict Cumberbatch playing Fleet Captain Garth of Izar,  one of Kirk’s personal heroes. Garth’s crew mutinied against him when he had gone insane, the result of injuries in a rescue mission.

Giving a nod to an episode in the third series of the original Star Trek called; “Whom gods destroy” whose title has often been misquoted from Euripides; “Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad.”

Whoever he is, he’s a kick ass baddie who wears a hoodie in what looks to be a cracking fight scene.

Has anyone ever seen the Starship Enterprise or one of any other name in or underwater before? That silhouette of the ship  looks quite impressive as it is predatory as shifts through the water like an orca whale going after a seal.

Hey, does the screaming blonde die first like in all the classic horror movies? Is she the mutual love interest that falls and dies oh-so-horribly for her sins?

We can only hope for such deep joy.

The opening 9 minutes, which will be shown at IMAX cinemas before The Hobbit from Friday 14 December.

Official Site: http://www.StarTrekMovie.com

Director: J.J. Abrams

Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Weller

Writers: Alex Kurtzman , Roberto Orci , Damon Lindelof

In theaters: May 17th, 2013

Copyright © 2013 Paramount Pictures

The Hobbit goes outside for a bit…

by Malcolm Cook

Here we go back to Middle earth once more many of the favourite characters are back again including Frodo, Bilbo (the young and the old), Saruman, Gladriel, Gandalf, Legolas, and Gollum of course…

There are some notable new ones which are mostly Dwarves called Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Thorin Oakenshield, Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, and Ori. If my memory serves me well there is a big fight in the Fellowship of the Ring after they hear drumming in the deep and almost forgotten devilry awakens.

When asked do we get to see The Hobbit’s deadly dragon Smaug the actor (Benedict Cumberbatch of the BBC’s Sherlock Holmes fame) said: “I think my eye will open at the end of the first film, and then you’ll get the rest of me in the second.” The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, opens in December of 2013.

Stephen Fry describes his role as the Master of Lake-town as “an opportunity for sheer grossness. Peter Jackson had me eating testicles! I’ve got a bald cap and then on top of that a really bad comb-over wig, and this wispy moustache and beard and horrible blotchy skin and disgusting fingernails… generally speaking, a really unappetizing piece of work.”

An Unexpected Journey, the first in Jackson’s trilogy of The Hobbit films, gets its worldwide première in Wellington, New Zealand on November 28. It then opens in cinemas across the UK on December 13.

Shaun Ryder pulls out of Brighton Film Festival

By Paul Lacey

Shaun Ryder has cancelled his headline event in the See: Brighton Documentary Film Festival 2012 due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’.

The live event, In Conversation with Shaun Ryder, was to take place at the Brighton Dome’s Corn Exchange on Friday 30^th and Ryder was to discuss his music career and recent documentary series on UFOs.

The nine-day event, 24^th March – 1^st April, will still feature live talks from the creative teams behind Senna and The Only Way is Essex in the BAFTA ‘masterclasses’.

Other headline events include the highly acclaimed Oxford-based music documentary Anyone Can Play Guitar and the Oscar shortlisted Under Fire: Journalists in Combat.

Major festival themes include contemporary global issues of ‘conflict’ and ‘revolution’, alongside a variety of other topics such as HBO’s real life vigilante documentary Superheroes and QPR football documentary Four Year Plan.

The festival, now entering its seventh year, has previously invited figures such as Louis Theroux and Nick Broomfield and organisers hope that this year’s festival will be “bigger and better event than ever before”.

Film Review: Chronicle

By Julia Thompson

The found-footage genre certainly had its place in the likes of The Blair Witch Project, where the shaky camera and blank screens, accompanied by heavy breathing added to the terror of the film. But that was a horror film. Has it worked for the newly released sci-fi/superhero movie, Chronicle?

What’s On?

By Elizabeth Hughes

Looking for something fun, cultural, energetic or scary to do?

Elizabeth Hughes picks the best events across the South East in the next two weeks.

Troll Hunter: Childhood nightmares become missed eco-tourism opportunities

Alex Oxborough

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons by Zermie

Duke of York’s Cinema: The Duke’s after Dark

By Jamie Stilgoe

Duke of York’s cinema opened on 22nd September 1910. It has survived two world wars (and one world cup) to officially become the oldest purpose built cinema in the UK, as verified by the Cinema Theatres Association.

Photo used under Creative Commons from: Subtleblade

Escape to the cinema this christmas

By Abby Rugg

CHRISTMAS is a time for film-makers to create escapism as people need ‘get lost’ in a story that holds a feel-good factor. 

Preview: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

By Jamie Stilgoe

It has nothing to do with global warming but Sweden is hot right now – at least in cinema anyway.

Photo used under creative commons by ToriVT

Brighton Lite Film Review: The Help

By Julia Thompson

Tate Taylor’s film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel The Help is an inspiring tale of one woman’s attempt to break the cycle of racism suffered by black maids in 1960s America.