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Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and Ratatouille are a few films that come to mind when Pixar are mentioned.

Wall-E is their latest endeavour and will be remembered as one of their best.

Set in the far future where earth is a desolate, polluted planet, to toxic for humans to inhabit, we find Wall-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth Class), our robot protagonist, cleaning up the world.

First thought up in 1995 as a kind of "R2D2 the movie", Wall-E, whilst a fun, family movie, does contain some more adult concepts.

The ideas of our planet being polluted beyond belief and society becoming so lazy that we rely on computers, for practically everything are both very real points in the modern world.

The first half hour of the movie is similar to the loneliness concepts of I Am Legend. Aldo during this time, there is little to no dialogue and this is pulled off very well.

The animation is intensively detailed- from the decaying rust on Wall-E to the shimmer of Eve, nothing is missed. Each of the non-human characters looks incredibly real and the backgrounds are also meticulously rendered.

Whilst the human characters are cartoon like, the film actually tries to explain the reasoning behind this- although hard to believe, it is a genuine attempt.

The themes of 'save the planet' and 'love conquers all' may seem difficult to fathom, but even the hardest, hearted cynic could be bubbling by the end of Wall-E.

Wall-E is out now in cinemas nationwide.

The Dark Knight is the best comic book movie ever made.

Set almost a year following the events of Batman Begins, we find Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) struggling between the mantle of Batman and his desire for a 'normal life', with Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal). And he's nearly there, but then a new homicidal maniac pops up by the name of the Joker (Heath Ledger). But that's not all to this very complex plot- there's the addition of Harvey Dent, Gotham's new District Attorney.

The new Gotham D.A., good cop Jim Gordon and the justice seeking Batman create for quite an interesting character relationship. What one does affects the other and in most instances, each choice each person makes fundamentally affects another.

The story is extremely well written- the Nolan brothers have done a great job of turning David S. Goyer's original story into a screenplay. Every character is played with, every relationship is messed with and every character's life is changed forever.

Chris Nolan has done an amazing job in directing the Dark Knight. Each scene is shot beautifully and each actor fits just fine with their character.

The IMAX scenes are breathtaking and tense. It's incredible that no movies have been shot like this before. The cinematography is also spot-on and Gotham is visually stunning.

You can have a huge budget, an all-star cast and a great story, but it's nothing without a dead right, resolute director. Mr. Nolan has not only created the best movie so far this year, he's created one of the greatest films of the past decade. An Oscar nod is an understatement of what he deserves with his work on The Dark Knight.

There is not one bad performance in this film, every actor plays their roles well. Bale is inspiring as a confused Batman, Eckhart portrays Harvey Dent's rise and fall very well and Gary Oldham puts in one of his finest performances yet as James Gordon. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a better Rachel Dawes than Katie Holmes ever was and Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine, both turn in their usual standards of excellence.

And then there's Heath Ledger.

Whilst Ledger's Joker is fantastically evil and unique, it is not the awe-inspiring, oscar winning performance than a lot of people seem to be making it out to be. Some of his more extreme scenes felt slightly forced, as if Heath was trying too hard.

He will no doubt at least be considered for an Oscar nomination, it may not be for the performance, but maybe for the tragic circumstances surrounding it.

So was he better than Jack Nicholson's Joker?

You can't actually compare them. They're two different characters, in two very different fictional worlds that are based on the same iconic villain. The only commonality both characters share is the name Joker, but other than that it's like comparing waking up to breathing air.

The Dark Knight (12A) is out in cinemas and IMAX nationwide.

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Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins will delve deeper than any film before into the Terminator universe and show the post apocalyptic wars between the machines and John Connor's human resistance.

Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, American Physco) stars as John Connor, humanity's final hope against the machines. Connor finds the future he was raised to believe in in question, following the appearance of the mysterious Marcus Wright, a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row.

Connor must find decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future or rescued from the past.

As Skynet prepares its final attack on humanity, Connor and Marcus set upon an adventure that will lead them to the very centre of Skynet's operations where they uncover the terrifying secret behind the possible extermination of mankind.

The trailer looks good, but I just don't understand why they've decided to set this in the future and not bring back the governator for a 4th round.

Infact! Imagine they got Stallone and Arnie to star in Terminator 4....walking sticks at dawn anyone?

Your Wednesday question of the day is, what would you rather have seen, the governator back with one more round...with Stallone possibly, or a whole new post apocalyptic, futuristic take on the franchise?

Hey guys,

Sorry about the lack of updates. We've been really busy. Anyway, below is reviews of the Hulk, Hancock, Wanted and Kung Fu Panda.

The Incredible Hulk

Ed Norton is, as predicted, flamin' fantastic as the big green machine. He's just what the franchise needed. This is a 'requel' to 2003's disastrous Hulk.

We find Bruce Banner on the run from the US Army, deep in South America. He seems to be in control of his rage, that is until one tough guy pushes him too far and it's all lean, green and mean from there. Terrible, terrible pun I know.

This is a well-done Superhero movie. The all-star cast does help and while it isn't by any means a master piece, it is fun for all the family.

Oh and the cameo from Robert Downey Jr. is ace.

Wanted

Coatbridge born Mark Millar will be delighted with this adaptation of his graphic novel.

Starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman, Wanted tells the story of Gibson, an average-joe who, as fate would have it, turns out to be the son of the world's greatest assassin.

Don't go into this trying to analyse or take some hidden meaning from it like you could the Matrix. There is none.

Enjoy it and marvel at the madly, overblown action scenes.

Hancock

I was really excited about this movie. Hancock is basically Superman without all the jazz- no cape, no slicked back hair and none of that boyscout attitude.

This is a very interesting concept- a Superman who doesn't give a crap.

Will Smith is great in the first of half of the film...but that is until the woeful second half unfolds and everything goes to shreds. The plot contradicts itself and there is no real climax to it all.

I was really disappointed with this movie, but if you're up for some seriously high budget laughs then you should definitely check this out.

Kung Fu Panda

This is the best of the four. Jack Black plays Po, a Kung Fu fan, who, through a series of mishaps, finds himself flung into the world of martial arts as the chosen Dragon Warrior.

Featruing an all star line-up with the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan and Angelina Jolie, this film will definitely not disappoint. What is surprising is that with cast like that, the marketing team for the movie didn't shout about them.

I had actually planned on seeing The Forbidden Kingdom but I decided to go for this instead and I have to say, this was one very good movie.

This has something for all the family and even Kung Fu fans will admire the well-put together fight scenes.

It is definitely the best family movie so far this summer.

Anyone who grew up the late 80s or the early 90s will surely remember this that theme song.

Speed Racer

Coming home after school and watching this was a treat I used to enjoy on a weekly basis. I used to wonder how Racer X could always show up in the nick of time and I always wondered if my dad's old Ford Fiesta could flip itself if it were racing.

The show, the characters, the style of animation and the story were some of the first anime I had experienced. It really cracked open my imagination. As I grew older I began to appreciate the original 60s series more as nothing could quite match what it essentially was: one of the primary reasons that anime and manga is so popular in western pop culture today.

So fast forward from the early 90s to 2008. What good driving movies have we had?

Or rather, since well put together driving scenes are such a rarity, which movies have we had that truly put pedal to the metal?

Fast and the Furious, Matrix Reloaded, The Italian Job, Deathproof, Ronin, Batman Begins, The Bourne trilogy, Casiona Royale and maybe a few more. Comment below if you disagree with my choices.

Speed Racer takes what these movies have done, rips them to shreds and blasts by them in a pace of colourful wonderness.

Produced by Wachowski Bros, this is one movie that strives to stay true too the original anime and it does it brilliantly. From the moody, post conversation style glares, to the delightfully mixed array of characters and all that lovely hi-def colour.

Emile Hirsch fits the bill perfectly as Speed. He looks just like Speed, seriously, from his hair too his mannerisms, Hirsch pulls of the act very well.

But it's not just Hirsch- the entire cast is fantastic. Notable perfomances by John Goodman and Susan Sarandon as Pops and Mom are a treat to watch. Matthew Fox is also a joy as Racer X.

While the story is simple, good versus evil and cheaters never win being the two main themes, it is carried well enough by the actors for the audience to really get behind Speed.

This is not the Matrix and this is definitely not V for Vendetta, it is a family movie for everyone to watch.

Extremely colourful, a feast to watch and great fun for all the family Speed Racer is out in cinemas nationwide.

Just don't try and flip your car after seeing it....


The latest Hulk movie looks set to destroy box offices nationwide.

Getting Fight Club star Ed Norton to play Bruce Banner was a stroke of genius on Marvel's part, as he has both the right amount of wit and trudging, self-redemption to pull of the man with Marvel's worst temper.

Some highlights of the new trailer include scenes of Bruce transforming into the Hulk and then taking on the military, some new shots of Abomination's origin and very radical footage of Hulk trashing the place....using car bonnets as boxing gloves.

With this we also see more of Bruce Banner's back story- there are several clips showing him moving to and from different environments in the world.

From the outset, little can be said about the plot however we do know that it's going to lead to a climactic, all-out, brawl between The Hulk and Abomination.

You can check out the full trailer below

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So your Thursday Question of the day is...who would win in a fight, Hulk or Iron Man?

Avengers

Remember the days when you could get away with making a wishy washy, sub-par super hero movie?

No neither do, I.

Long gone are the rubber nipple, camp days of Batman and Robin with the new millennium bringing along a plethora of, mostly, well done comic book adaptations.

Iron Man continues this trend and looks set to rival Spider-Man as Marvel's most successful comic-book-to-movie super hero. That's a huge statement I know, but before Spidey fan boys pull out their pitch forks and come for my head, let me explain.

Iron Man isn't the most popular super hero, the masses never really heard of him until the massive hype for the movie began. So how exactly do Marvel promote one of their generally unknown super hero franchises?

They do it themselves.

Marvel Studios reacquired the rights to the Iron Man movie franchise from 20th Century Fox in 2006. From here they poured $135 million into it and brought in an all-star cast to really bring the comic book alive.

Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark and is brilliant in the role. Tom Cruise was originally rumoured too play the billionaire industrialist but after Downey Jr. as Stark, you wouldn't be able to imagine anyone else.

He's cocky, enigmatic and determined in his performance. I cannot emphasise this enough, Downey Jr. makes this movie what it is, without him it would have probably flopped.

Terrence Howard plays Lieutenant James Rupert Rhodes, who comic book fans will know as Iron Man's ally War Machine. While he doesn't become War Machine in Iron Man, there is a very subtle hint that he will dawn the War Machine armour in the inevitable sequel.

What Iron Man begins is a universe of comic book movies that will all interlink. The Hulk follows next, with Robert Downey Jr. rumoured to make a cameo appearance as Tony Stark. Already linking between these is the existence of the agency SHIELD and with that we'll soon see a movie starring Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

Following this there will be a Captain America movie and then an Avengers movie, all set within the same universe and allowing huge potential for crossovers.

So why is the Iron Man more important than the Spider-Man franchise?

It has set the ball in motion for what could be the coolest super hero movies ever made.

And without giving too much away about Iron Man. The ending is superb, a definite thumbs up and I would tell anyone, comic book fan or otherwise to go see this movie.

Gokukidadult.jpgContrary to popular belief that Dragonball Z and everything that goes with it isn't important, too anime is quite frankly rubbish.


Without it there would be no Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Full Metal Alchemist or Naruto. And it could be said that without it there may have been no Matrix or various other anime-influenced Hollywood blockbusters.

The Dragonball franchise was an enormous factor in popularising anime in the west and is now set to get its own movie, aptly named Dragonball.

Due out in Spring 2009, the movie looks set to follow the King Piccolo saga. According to IMDB, the plot goes something like this:

"

The story begins with a young humanoid boy named Goku, who discovers that he was sent to Earth to blend in and destroy our population but instead elects to protect it from an oncoming alien onslaught bent on dominating the universe and controlling the mystical objects.

"He seeks out upon his adoptive grandfather Grandpa Gohan's dying request to find the great Master Roshi and gather all seven Dragon Balls.

"Of which he has one, in order to prevent the evil Lord Piccolo from succeeding in his desire to use the Dragon Balls to take over the world. And Goku's quest is to obtain the mystical Dragonballs before Piccolo does"

Goku's actual origin is almost identical to Superman's. Both are sent to Earth in a space pod as babies, both of their home planets are about to explode at this time and both have incredible, god-like powers. But other than that, both couldn't be further apart.

Justin Chatwin stars as Goku and if anything is to be right about this movie, he'll have to play him as Sean Schemmel played him in the animated series- funny, hungry, absent minded and underdog hero.

James Wong (Final Destination, The One, The X-Files) heads up the project as Director James Marsters, formerly of Buffy fame as Spike, is playing Piccolo and Chow Yun-Fat is playing Master Roshi, Goku's teacher.

While the initial reception from fans has been one of dismay and disgust, if done right, Dragonball could well be the long awaited breath of fresh air the franchise is waiting for.

Dragonball is set for a Spring 2009 release.

Mooneyverse authors

Richard Mooney

Richard Mooney

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