FILM: Iron Man III

Recap

In Iron Man we see Tony Stark kidnapped and turned into a man depending on a car battery to keep him alive. Eventually he put his amazing knowledge to work and finds a way to get rid of the car battery and remodel Stark Enterprises beyond weaponry.

Following that, Iron Man 2 in essentially about leaving legacies. We see a maniac attempt to kill Tony, who is already dying from the thing that’s ironically keeping him alive. We also see the initial formations of The Avengers in this film. 

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Have you ever looked back at your past to only have it catch-up with you? Well this is what Iron Man 3 is about. With the events of The Avengers still fresh in his mind, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is finding it hard to catch a breath. Aliens blowing up the earth; Demi-gods trying to take over or save the earth; psycho experiments gone wrong, but in the right way; and then his own creation: the Iron Man are all rolled into one catastrophic memory causing his insomnia. If that isn’t bad enough, there’s another psycho on the loose blowing everything up for the sake of teaching the US President a lesson. For some reason, everywhere Tony turns something is blowing up and it’s adding to his own anxiety episodes.

The Story

So practically, Tony Stark is trying to settle back into his life of being a billionaire philanthropist, but since The Avengers Initiative, he is finding it hard to wrap his head around the fact that there are more worlds to be safe from (or to save) than one. Spending his sleeping time in his cave, Stark decides to make and remake multiple models of his Iron Man suit. And then comes the issue of unexplained airtime discrepancies from a terrorist named, The Mandarin, and suddenly Iron Man has something better to do with his suits, but as luck would have it, he’s stuck with a prototype.

Overall, I thought the story was well crafted to suit the internal workings of Stark’s mind. Watching it, you wouldn’t realise that it’s jaded and fragmented, you just think there’s a lot of things blowing up and going wrong. It’s definitely one of those movies with bits and pieces that are predictable, but the nooks and crannies that twist in this film as typically hilarious and surprising. I’ve always found that Marvel has a lot of room for quirky one liners, and after seeing all three Iron Man movies in a row, I have to say that the Iron Man franchise has the most quirky lines (obviously due to the nature of Tony Stark). My only issue I had was that there was no clear opponent in this movie – if I spell it out it would be a spoiler so I’m not going to go through the details. At the same time though, I liked the fact that there wasn’t. I also love that Stark really gets back to basics in this film and you realise that he really is Iron Man regardless of the suit – think about that as you watch the film.

The Cast

Robert Downey Jr. – Who doesn’t love Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man? He was hilarious (as always) in delivering his one-liners, as well as his sharp comebacks. But he has this incredible way of bringing you to a point where you also care for Stark during his down times. Overall, there are no negatives from me on his performance.

Gwyneth Paltrow – I love Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper. She has this incredible way of matching Downey Jr. during their dialogue acrobatics as well as creating a strong character of her own. I love that she’s more than a damsel in distress in this movie. She’s been the accidental target in the previous films, but this time I love that its intentional and she gets as much say in it as she has in the previous films.

Don Cheadle – Reprising his role as James Rhodes, I like that Cheadle gets to be in the suit as well as out of the suit just as much as Downey Jr. Although his role is to be the patriotic hero in this franchise, I enjoy the fact that he is also Stark’s bestfriend.

Guy Pearce – I’m a little disappointed with the fact that Pearce’s character was a little too obvious. If it weren’t for the pinnacle combat scenes, then I really would have discarded Aldrich Killian as a Marvel villain. I just felt like they could’ve have done more with his character, but at the same time, I understand that if they did then it would’ve been more obvious – I’m really in two minds with Killian.

Ty Simpkins – Stole the show, easily. Harley ideally is Stark’s unexpected sidekick in this film. A random kid in Tennessee who comes across Iron Man in his shed. Simpkins is almost as feisty as Paltrow when it comes to the dialogue banters. My favourite character in the film.

Special Effects

Things blow up like every five minutes. Seriously. I have never seen so many shards of whatever being spayed across the screen in my life. But besides that firepower in this film, I have to say the incredible amount of times that Stark shifts from being in and out of suit was incredible work. With the armour occasionally flying everywhere, it was great to see that everything came together (somewhat) nicely to save the day. Kudos to the special effects team – seriously, I have no words to describe the amount of work they put into this film.

Overall

Out of the three films in this franchise, I definitely like this film the best. I thought the story mirrored Stark’s psychological framework perfectly (whether or not I was supposed to pick that up or I just read it in that way – who knows? – it was well crafted); the characters were well rounded and supported the storyline soundly; you got a kick out of the humour embedded into the film; and you thoroughly enjoyed the progression of how Stark saves the day. I think everyone will enjoy seeing this film so go see it today!

Star Rating: 3.5 Stars

Next on sL: TBA

FILM: Warm Bodies

It’s the apocalypse and the dead are roaming around thestreets trying to find someone alive to pick their brains on what it means tofeel alive. While that’s happening, the living are trying to either re-kill thedead or find a cure for…being dead – either way, if things don’t end well,someone ends up dead – bullet to the head or guts spread across the road, it’sa no-brainer. Then there are the “Bonies” who seem to take everything seriouslyand fully accept that their living-dead situation is much better than beingrecognisable, so they shed their skin and go on feeding their bare bones. Yetin this world, they all want one thing: connection.

The Story

One of the best amalgamations of comedy, romance and action,there’s enough for everyone to love. It’s scary enough to believe, yet thecomic relief is just so freaking hilarious that you completely forget yourfear. There are moments when you want to say, “awww,” but end up saying,“ewwww,” instead because, well it isa Zombie movie.

I seriously was amazed by how well the literature referencein this film was prolonged before we understood the gist of the storyline theywere going for – I don’t want to spoil it for you guys so I’ll let you figureit out (but it’s one of those, “Oh, I get it!” moments). I also loved themetaphors of “you’re dead in life if you have no connection” and “you’re reallyonly dead without love in your life” – it really makes you think about what wedo live for in life.

I think the story was simple, yet jam-packed with referencesand philosophies that are well embedded in the events of trying to find a curefor being dead.

The Cast

Nicholas Hoult – I’veonly every seen Hoult in X-Men: FirstClass, but I have to say, for a guy who had more lines off-screen than onscreen, he was phenomenal. His deliberately awkward chemistry with Teresa Palmerwas hilarious to watch, yet was the most endearing quality of his character,“R”. I thought Hoult played the role well and delivered a performance that willbe remembered for a long time.

Teresa Palmer – Ihave to say, I’m so glad she’s badass in this movie just like I Am Number Four. I mean badass enoughto be a damsel in distress, but badass to the core to handle a gun andfire-at-will. Palmer delivered a great performance as the daughter trying tofind the father she lost in the war between the living and the dead, and thegirl trying to understand the dead.

Rob Corddry –Comic relief came from Corddry with his fantastic one-liners (between grunts)and zombie movements. I think he was more alive than he was dead from themoment we met him – there was a real element of attachment to his characterthat makes you trust him from the of-set.

Analeigh Tipton –Another brilliant role for Tipton. She was an added source of comic relief likeCorddry, but at the same time, she was able to deliver some heartfelt memoriesin explaining the loss that the world had suffered because of the disease.

Makeup

Ok, you cannot talk about a Zombie movie and not talk aboutmakeup. One word: believable. They were freaky enough to be dead, yet appealingenough to be likeable. Does that make sense? Like they were obviously thewalking dead, but it’s not like ZombieLand where you want to hit the rough and run. It’s more like, you yell, butonly long enough to just get over the initial fear and then you can shoot themor run. Think Goth on a really attractive person – like they somehow can pullthis look off no matter how much mascara or black lipstick they’ve packed on.

Overall

I loved it. I laughed so hard and if there was a point thatwas long enough to be sad, I think I would have cried…well depends really. Butpoint is: IT IS WORTH SEEING. I will warn young kids that there’s a bit of gorein there, so it’s not your typical family movie – it’ll be one for the teensthough. Boys, you’ll love it just as much as the girls – don’t worry, there’smore guns than kissing. Seriously though, go see it.

sL Star Rating 5 Stars

Next on sL: Iron Man 3

FILM: Oz the Great and Powerful

Oscar only wanted one thing in life: to be great. A master illusionist in a traveling circus, he dazzles audiences with tricks that leave you breathless and make you jump out of your seat. But when a storm of doubt fills a crowd in Kansas, Oscar takes his bag of tricks and trusty hat into a hot-air-balloon and escapes their grasp leading him into the eye of the storm, crashing into the realm of a wonderful new land – the magical land of ‘Oz’, where everything is what it seems.

The Story

Based on L. Frank Baum’s novels, it obviously has to follow the plot of the original story. Nevertheless for those of you who haven’t seen it, it bears a resemblance to the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, minus the Dorothy, Toto, The Lion, The Scarecrow and The Tinman. (Seeing as I did not see Wicked, nor read the novel, I’m not sure how close this is to Gregory McGuire’s portrayal of the story.) Pretty much, Oscar (pseudonym: ‘Oz’) is caught in a tornado, like Dorothy, and after saying a desperate prayer to God, he finds himself in a mystical land called (conveniently), Oz. After landing in Oz, he finds himself in the middle of a witch war where he is suddenly told that he would be Oz’s saviour from the Wicked Witch.

Now, for any of you who have ever seen The Wizard of Oz, this storyline is pretty much the same. They took out the singing and dancing along with the main characters and replaced them with great special effects and the original supporting characters became the main characters. I’m serious – they even have Oz characters resembling Kansas characters like the 1939 film. I can’t really say too much about the story without telling you guys too much or comparing it to the 1939 film.

Special Effects

I will commend the special effects team for creating a beautiful Oz. The colours were so vibrant and the images were so sharp that Oz really was a land that crossed reality and imagination. I can see how some scenes in the beginning would be perfect in 3D, but I’m still not convinced with whether or not the rest of the film would have been any different in 3D. But kudos to the team!

The Cast

James Franco – I have to be honest and say that this hasn’t been is best performance, but that doesn’t mean he was terrible. I thought he was brilliant in making the clear distinction when he was acting like Oz and when he was just Oscar. Obviously, it was clear that Michelle Williams’ characters were suppose to trigger truth in him, but it was nice to see that Franco made it clear that when Oz was performing he was not very convincing – dazzling, but not completely convincing, while Oscar wasn’t performing, he was actually greater that he saw himself to be, or strived to be.

Mila Kunis – Was a brilliant Theodora. Out of everyone in the film, she was the most convincing. Battling between two natures, Kunis’ performance allowed the audience to ask whether or not she was the Wicked Witch or whether she was who she said she was, and believes she is – a Good Witch. Kudos to Mila for a brilliant performance.

Michelle Williams – Playing a blast from Oz’s alternate universe of the girl who got away, it’s inevitable that the chemistry between Williams and Franco was flawless. She was an excellent Glinda / Annie and was a great supporting role to Franco as she took on board the role of the only person who saw through Oscar both as Annie and as Glinda.

Rachel Weisz – Much like Kunis, I thought Weiz was a brilliant Evanora. You were constantly questioning whether or not she was good or evil. Being the King’s right-hand-woman, you instinctively believe that she is good, but at the same time, something makes you doubt her. I think she was a brilliant support to Kunis and opposition to both Williams and Franco.

Overall

There’s nothing really new in this film, story wise, but it is a beautiful film that leaves you thinking about the deception of life and whether or not you’ve every been fooled by fancy gifts, kind words or even dazzling tricks that leave you empty. It also makes you think of your own reasons in doing and saying things, reminding you that though you may fool the world, even those who truly love you, the only person you’re really fooling through and through is yourself.

sL Star Rating: 3 Stars

Next: Warm Bodies

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: Ed Sheeran - +our

Although the rain came in small dosages, it was not enough to dampen the crowd that had been waiting to see the beloved ginger live in concert. Rachel and I got to the Sydney Entertainment Centre and the line for the floor area was already arching its way towards Hay Street. But the night was not about the wet weather, it was simply about a different kind of rain – the pouring down of cheers, (at times) tears and ultimately, incredible music.

Guest Reviewer – Getting to Know Rachel

 Moi and the Lovely, Rachel

I've been an Ed Sheeran fan for two marvelous years. I love all of his songs, but I think my absolute favourites are: Wake Me Up, Kiss Me and Lego House. I can't choose between the three there is something about each song that I find extremely beautiful. If I met him in real life, I would tell him how much I truly love his music.

The Venue – Sydney Entertainment Centre

I mentioned in my video that I was a little shocked that Ed was playing at such a large-scale arena rather than an intimated theatre setting that I had imagined. Regardless of my thoughts, Sheeran blew my expectations and showed everyone in the arena that it didn’t matter the scale of the venue, the music and the atmosphere is just as good – maybe even better.

I have to say, ‘Kudos!’ to the security at the centre for their vigilance in keeping everyone on the floor hydrated, safe and well controlled.

(NB: Guys, if the centre security is telling to move back and stop being silly please listen and obey them. They’re doing it for your safety, rather than ruining the fun.)

* Rachel’s Thoughts: I thought the venue was relatively okay. It would of been better if it was smaller – more intimate – but he brought the album to life and involved the audience. *

The Support Acts – Gabrielle Aplin and Passenger (aka. Mike Rosenberg)

The support acts undoubtedly set the mood for the show, and for Ed’s chosen acts, I have to say, they definitely set an incredible vibe for everyone in the lead up to Ed’s set.

Gabrielle Aplin started the night beautifully with her simple acoustic set that left the crowd speechless at times. Unfortunately, she had to stop mid-song to remind the crowd to calm down a bit so that their fellow gig-goers would stop ‘passing out in front of her’. Nevertheless, she continued her song and finished her set with a humble thanks and a beautiful exit that left the crowd itching for more.

Passenger, unlike Aplin, decided to test our participation by allowing us to sing along with him and even commanding us to listen to the Sound of Silence. We were all excited to hear that he was once a Sydney-sider and actually used to busk a few streets away a while back, so the set felt more like meeting an old friend. There was without a doubt a surge of expectation as Rosenberg came to the end of his set, yet we enjoyed the high that he left us before Ed hit the stage.

Overall, both Gabrielle Aplin and Passenger were perfect support acts for the night. I enjoyed both sets and thought they complimented Ed’s set brilliantly.

* Rachel’s Thoughts: His supporting acts, Gabrielle Aplin and Mike Rosenberg, were amazing. Gabrielle had very sweet beautiful voice. Mike was very humorous with his songs he played which entertained and hyped the audience for Ed. *

The Show – One Man Band

If anyone has seen Ed Sheeran perform, then we all know that it’s not just about his signature guitar with a ‘+’ drawn unto it, it’s also about his trusty loop-pedal. Explaining that he ‘hadn’t come around to making a band’ for his tours, he told us that he was – ideally – his own band.

Hitting the stage with his current single, Give Me Love, the stage resounded with the epic genius of the musician and lyricist, Ed Sheeran. The moment the first few strokes of his guitar vibrated throughout the centre the crowd roared in recognition and excitement, raising their voices in time with the lights that revealed the beloved ginger-haired artist.

Proceeding with his third single from his debut album, Drunk filled the arena with melodies that came from both the microphone and the crowd. By the time Ed settled into, U.N.I. the whole arena had their vocal cords warmed and challenged by the rapping that we were all attempting to keep up with. My mood was a little dampened by the lady behind me who asked Rachel and I to sit down because she (was the only one sitting down in her row and) ‘couldn’t see,’ nevertheless, I complied and sat for the rest of the set. Grade 8 demonstrated the amazing connection between music and graphics as Ed showed us how everything he did with his guitar made a ripple effect that projected jagged lines on the Tetris-like screens behind him.

Taking the volume down, Ed requested us to be quiet for the next song with a story about how a guy was punched at the back of his head at one of his shows for not complying to the request – just to clarify a fan hit another fan, Ed didn’t hit his fan. Although there were a few people who almost got to that point after three ‘universal “shhh’s”’, Wayfaring Stranger captured the silence and turned it into brilliance, so much so, Ed was able to sing without a the mic and reach the very back of the arena like an ancient bard reciting his poem to the masses.

Small Bump had us back singing along which launched an incredible high by the time Ed played his Nina Simone cover, Be My Husband, having us joining in at the chorus, regardless of our gender. The excitement went up a notch, even if the silence was once again requested, and we chanted for Gabrielle to come back on stage and join Ed for Kiss Me. The duet was beautiful and gave the song a deeper meaning as the male and female vocals danced around the arena in the hush of the crowd.

Setting us up for more fun, Ed said he was ‘so excited that he was just going to keep adding songs to the set list’ and so with no complaint for us, he went into Goldrush with a little addition of Bob Marley’s, Don’t Worry, Be Happy, just to highlight how much he was enjoying the show. With a koala thrown unto the stage, Ed decided it was time to take things down again and serenaded his new friend, Nathan (‘named after the Angry Boys character’), with Wake Me Up.

But as the set was coming close to its end, we were again chanting, but this time, it was for Mike. With the crowd still buzzing for more, we were told to turn the excitement down a little for another duet, this time one of Mike song’s, My Heart’s On Fire. Incredible mix of voices left the crowd in awe until, a kangaroo was thrown on stage and Lego House came to close the set with voices once again resounding throughout the arena.

The Encore – More Than Enough

I was waiting for You Need Me, I Don’t Need You all night. I couldn’t wait to see him tear up the speakers with his incredible loops and  his lyrics passionately resonating throughout the arena. I expect this song to go off due to the scale of the centre and was so excited to be part of the dramatics that I had seen at the iTunes Festival. After he ended this song I thought that was it, but when the crowd had settled after the applause that rose at the end of You Need Me, I Don’t Need You, we were all gob-smacked in silence as Ed played The Parting Glass that he attached to Give Me Love on his album. At the end of that song, our applause became roars again as The A Team filled the speakers. The night ended with a unified melody and a general satisfaction that we had seen greatness that night.

Overall and Rachel’s Final Thoughts:

* My highlight of the entire concert was when he sang the end of Wayfaring Stranger without a microphone; the audience panicked at the shock but quickly fell silent again. It was very intimate; it felt like a private concert just for you. For him to sing without a microphone with an audience of 12,000 to hear him loud and clear was incredible. There was nothing I didn't like about the show. It was absolutely perfect. The concert was purely about the music. It wasn't fancy it was just about bringing music to life and giving the audience simple, but perfect show. If I could re-live the concert, I would absolutely love to see Ed preform Wayfaring Stranger again. It was phenomenal. Hearing his voice without it being amplified through out the arena was unbelievable. It felt as if he was singing it to you and only you. It gave me goose bumps! *

I enjoyed the night and was glad to have shared it with Rachel. She’s a big fan and the excitement leading up and afterwards was priceless. One thing I really enjoyed about the show was the fact it was the first show that made me realise what concerts are about – the music. Not fancy sets, high-wiring acts or confetti and fireworks – although those great elements of a great show too, but sitting there, watching one man or woman with their guitar or piano commanding the attention of a whole arena with their nothing but their music – phenomenal.

sL Star Rating: 5 Stars

Next: The Great and Powerful Oz

FILM: Silver Linings Playbook

Rehabilitation. It’s one word that many people associate with ‘troubled’, ‘addicted’, ‘out of control’ and overall ‘defeated’. But for Pat (Bradley Cooper), rehabilitation is about sorting out the problems; breaking through the rut that comes with the thrill; taking control of every situation and excelsior – staying positive and finding the silver lining.

The Story

It’s about a guy who comes out of his eight-month rehabilitation plea with the courts and is attempting to find a way to mend his marriage before it’s too late. Little does he know that everyone, including his estranged wife, already believes it’s too late. Regardless of what anyone says, Pat continues his self-made routine to ‘better himself’ to get back into the good books with everyone he’s done wrong by. He’s find a silver lining in past situations by doing things in the present for the ultimate silver lining of a perfect and whole future.

Silver Linings Playbook is ideally about meeting your goals and proving to those around you that they can be achieved. It’s also about realising that no matter how far or how much you run away from the past, the things that got you to the point of losing control will always come back unless you don’t find a way to deal with it. Sure, it takes often takes the most unexpected person to see it in you to show you, but why not take hold of that insight and wake up to the reality that sometimes, it’s just a case of moving on that matters rather than trying to go backwards to go forwards.

Overall, as simple and predictable as the movie was, I enjoyed the process that got them there. In a movie about ‘getting better’ and ‘being better’ you need to appreciate the process of getting to the silver lining, rather than the problem that stumps you from seeing any hope in the first place.

The Cast

Bradley Cooper – Although Mr Cooper did not walk away with an Oscar on Sunday night, I must say his portrayal of a determined, rehabilitated overcomer was inspiring. I loved that he showed the symptoms of someone with bipolar but stayed true to his character’s goal of seeing the better things in life. There was never a point at which he was over the top in raging-out, but you always saw him attempting to really take control of the anger. His portrayal really did coincide with overall message of the film.

Jennifer Lawrence – Well deserving of her Oscar, Lawrence shows us that same feisty nature that we saw in X-Men. This time around we see her stripped and bear emotionally as her character, Tiffany, is both the rage that Cooper’s character is attempting to control and the relief that they’re both looking for. As the leading lady, she commands every scene as well as beautifully balance the leadership with Cooper in order to depict both their individual diagnosis and the cure that binds them together.

Robert De Niro – Unlike Lawrence’s character, De Niro’s character, Pat Sr., is the portrayal of simply the diagnosis or a patient that doesn’t want to be cured. Pat Sr. rages when he wants; fusses over the little things when he wants; is irrational when he wants; and ideally, is all about wants. He’s the perfect contrast between the two. If Cooper is control and Lawrence is both equilibrium and unevenness, then De Niro is rampant.

Overall, the characters in this film are a display of the collision between control, equilibrium and rampancy. It really showcases that no person is any more sane or insane than the other. Point is, there’s a silver lining, and there’s always a game plan on how to get there; it’s hard work, but in the end, it’s worth it.

Overall

It’s a simple movie about simple people living hard lives. The only negative aspect that I found was the swearing in it – I mean I saw that point in it, but they could’ve done without the excessive use of the ‘f-word’. Pre-warning (I mean the rating says it all, but anyway…), this film does have the characters talking very bluntly about sexual encounters that their characters have been involved with. Now I say this because some people walk in and either think nothing of it or freak out about it, so I wanted to give you guys a heads-up if you’re thinking of seeing it. Mind you, the film makes it as vague as possible, but it there’s enough description to create an awkward silence – legit, even in the film – if it wasn’t important for the story development then I would be bagging it out, but I can see why it’s important, and like I said, it’s as vague as it can be. Nevertheless, it was a good film. Not sure if I’d see it again, but I can see why it received it’s nominations and achievements at last Sunday’s Oscars.

sL Star Rating: 3 Stars

Next: ED SHEERAN

BLOG: Valentine's Day Groove

Valentine's Day is here again!

If you're in a relationship or if you're single, everyone has a playlist to herald in the special day. And I hope if you're single your playlist should ISN'T titled, "Forever Alone", it should be titled, "I Am Loved".

So no matter if you're in a relationship or single, I hope this playlist will pump up your Valentines Day!

YOUR LOVE IS A MYSTERY

Hawk Nelson

CRAZY LOVE

Hawk Nelson

ALL FOR LOVE

Hillsong United

THE WONDER OF YOUR LOVE

Hillsong

OUR GOD

Chris Tomlin

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GIVE ME LOVE

Ed Sheeran

SHE WILL BE LOVED

Maroon 5

FALLING IN LOVE

McFly

LAST FIRST KISS

One Direction

LOVE IS EASY

McFly

And that's it! I hope no matter where you are in the world you're having an awesome Valentine's Day and celebrating it with people that you love the most. Remember, loving someone isn't just for a single day - you should love them the same EVERYday.

God bless and much love,

sL xxx