Top 5 best films of 2012!

So another year is ending - how quick it has flown by! It seems only yesterday we were welcoming 2012 now here we are, on the verge of saying goodbye to a wonderful 2012 (particularly if your a Brit) and hello to 2013.

It has also been a fantastic year for the film industry - so many big films have been released this year and all of them superb in their own ways. So I thought that I just had to do this: here is my list of the top five films of 2012!

1). Skyfall
Starting with no other than 007 himself; starring Daniel Craig in his third outing as MI6 operative James Bond, this film excelled. It was the perfect mix of grittiness, action and British humour, with a splash of emotion involved. It really stood out for me as my top film of this year; I had been waiting for 5 or so years for this film to be released after the rather disappointing Quantum of Solace and it exceeded even my opinion of it - I just loved every moment of it. Daniel Craig was utterly superb, he has really put forward a strong case to possibly being one of the best Bonds ever, if not the best. Judi Dench as M was brilliant as always, and one of the main aspects of the film that I loved was her relationship with Bond, but also with the villian Silva - played by the wonderful Javier Bardem. I just loved how the whole story came together at the end of the film; you just felt all loose ends were tied up and the story-line was so cleverly written. For me, this is definitely my film of the way.

2). The Dark Knight Rises
For me to pick second place was incredibly tough - I loved both this film and the following film but I decided that The Dark Knight Rises deserved this honour. The final installment in the Batman trilogy was arguably the best, and director Christopher Nolan did not disappoint; Christian Bale as always in this role was fantastic, but Tom Hardy as Bane really stole the show for me. A superb villian, who was frightful and ruthless yet had a sense of humour about him. The whole film was gritty and fantastically made - it was dark yet there was the odd bits of humour, which I believe makes the film all the more 'believeable'. A mention must also go to Anne Hathaway - I really don't like her that much but she was brilliant as Catwoman in this film. Epic story-line and equally as epically made and produced. Bravo DC.

3). Avengers Assemble
This film is easily one of my favourites by far - I just love Marvel superheroes and I cannot tell you how excited I was for this film after watching the films following up to this such as the Iron Man franchise. That's one of the things I loved most about this film; how cleverly written it is with all of the films before. All of those films are linked to the events of Avengers Assemble and also linked to one another, it's brilliant! With a stellar cast, with actors such as Robert Downey JR and Chris Evans, you get the feeling that this film was just never going to be a flop. Marvel have a massive fanbase, and this film broke numerous box-office records; it's funny but with all of the seriousness and grittiness you'd expect in a superhero genre film - I bet you all laughed until your side's ache like I did when The Hulk pummels the villian Loki to a plump! The effects were brilliant, the story-line and script was clever and witty, the cast was brilliant (in particular RDJ stood out for me) and I love the fact there is going to be a sequel. Yippee!

4). The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey
One of the most eagerly anticipated films of 2012 and it certainly disappoint - the prequel to the Lord of The Rings trilogy finally arrived on the big screen and boy, wasn't it good! Taken from the book of the same name by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit is split into a trilogy itself, with Martin Freeman in the lead, portraying Hobbit Bilbo Baggins - and it was a fantastic performance from Freeman. Peter Jackson moved the entire filming schedule just to fit around Freeman, who's excellent performances as Watson in the series Sherlock are warranting a big blockbuster film, and he was definitely the best person to play Bilbo. It was witty in parts with the legion of dwarfs but it was just like the Lord of The Rings films; it just absorbs you into a wonderful world of fantasy full of elves, dwarfs and the great Gandalf the Grey. The effects were fantastic and the whole setting of the film is just beautiful. A mention must also go to Richard Armitage, who put in a great performance of Thorin Oakenshield - his great acting over the years in shows such as Spooks certainly earned him this big part and he did not disappoint. Roll on the next film in the trilogy already!

5). The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games is the first installment in yet another trilogy from the book series - the film tells the story of a nation divided into 'districts' by war, and every year, each district must send two tributes (teenagers/children) to compete in a fight to the death which is broadcasted live on television... it's basically children killing one another, but so much more than that. I hadn't red the books before I went to see this movie but now I've red the trilogy, I can tell you it really does the book justice. The books are more violent than the film but I think that was just about right. I really loved this film; the action was great and the setting was superb. I was really impressed with the performances of the two tributes that the story follows the most - Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. Lawrence in particular was fantastic in this film as 'Katniss', and I just loved the whole story-line, as much as I loved the books when I got round to reading them. It's incredibly gritty but that's the nature of the story, and it captures the imagination. I really did love this film, and I believe the rest of the trilogy will be just as good.

So that's my top five - but there are a few other films which do deserve a quick mention...

The Bourne Legacy - starring break-out actor Jeremy Renner, it is the next installment in the Bourne Series but without Matt Damon... yes a entirely new character Aaron Cross, an agent on the CIA programme Outcome who takes 'chems' that enhance his physical being and his intelligence, who is attempting to evade death from the people who created his programme, led by Eric Byers (Ed Norton). Along with a stellar performance from Rachel Weisz as Dr Marta Shearing, Renner puts in an action-packed performance, and really states his claim to be the new action star in Hollywood.

Ted - Crude yet hiliarious, this film is different to other comedies; it follows grown man Josh Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) who, as a kid, wished for his teddy bear to come alive and low behold, it did by the name of Ted! (Seth MacFarlane) The story follows the two trying to balance their unusual yet immature friendship with the demands of commitment from Josh's long-term partner Lori (Mila Kunis) - which leads to a hiliarious journey. If your a fan of Family Guy, or just in need of a good laugh, this is for you!

The Amazing Spiderman - The relaunch of the Spiderman franchise proved to be an successful one, with British actor Andrew Garfield taking the reins as Peter Parker/Spiderman. This film shows the origin of Spiderman - the original comic story - with Parker still in high school and facing his past demands, whilst battling with Curt Connors - a scientist who transforms into 'Lizard' when a serum test goes wrong. Garfield really did a fantastic job as Spiderman; some actually believe that this one film is better than all of the Spiderman films with Tobey Maguire in them put together. His portrayal is brilliant, and the action in the film is great - there's wit and humour but that's to be expected in Marvel films! All in all, a great return for the Spiderman franchise.


So there you have it - my top films! As always I'd love to know what guys think so, if you could leave a comment below with your top five films of 2012, that'd be great. Also please accept my apologises for not writing sooner; I've been extremely busy with going to New York then heading back home for Christmas from university.

Hope you all had a great Christmas, and hope everyone has a happy 2013! 

Is Daniel Craig the best Bond ever?

The third outing of Daniel Craig as British MI6 operative James Bond has just been released in the UK, soon to be worldwide. Everyone is asking it so... is Daniel Craig the best Bond ever?

There's been plenty of debate on this topic ever since Craig's first outing in the wonderful Casino Royale, and this has been reinforced with the quite frankly brilliant Skyfall, with a stellar performance worthy of all the awards. And even though Quantum of Solace was a disappointment, Craig did attempt to salvage the poor script with a good performance. But is he really potentially the best Bond there has ever been?

Potentially and if he carries on as he has been doing, yes. I watched Skyfall last night and I thought it was brilliant (read my review of it here:http://glipho.com/camchappers/skyfall-verdict). So what is good about Daniel Craig? Firstly his grittiness - let's be honest, as good as past Bonds have been, some have been a little unrealistic. Yet Craig makes his Bond seem very realistic indeed, making the role his own Bond with his grit and no-nonsense attitude in his role. It's like he was born an Action Man - he's made to be Bond. What I also like he is versatile; he is able to make his Bond gritty and stuck in the action, yet he can portray the emotive side very well indeed, as seen in this latest installment and in Casino Royale.  Despite this attitude he has adapted for his Bond, he does have wit and humor, particularly in Skyfall. It's just typical British humor that all know and love, and he does that brilliantly.  And come on ladies, he's pretty easy on the eyes...

But then are some downsides to what would be this God. He drew a lot of criticism when he was first cast as the new 007, as he was the first 'blond' Bond. Die-hard fans threatened to boycott his films, hate websites were created... because of the colour of his hair?! (I know right...) But I guess in a way, I see what all of these fans meant. The creator of 007, Ian Fleming, created a dark-haired, handsome and tall James Bond - the criteria which other actors before Craig had filled. Craig on the other hand was blond-haired and only 5'10 in height (certainly not lacking in the looks department though). Then you have the public's opinion; many see Sean Connery as the best, and I agree to sum degree of that. Connery was the first original Bond and as such, set the tone for how Bond should be; all of the 'swagger' Bond should have when killing villains, or seducing pretty woman or even drinking a Martini shaken or stirred. He also was in some of the best Bond films to date, such as Goldfinger and From Russia With Love - many people believe he is the best Bond.

Yet, public opinion is changing. I recently did an audio piece for my course about the song for Skyfall by ADELE - also named Skyfall - and me and my colleagues also asked the public what their favourite Bond was. Low and behold, the two top names were Daniel Craig and Sean Connery. But then you have other former Bond actors such as Roger Moore labelling Craig as the "best Bond ever". One woman I interviewed even said she didn't think much of Connery as a person so she preferred Pierce Bronson as Bond. Hmm.

So in conclusion, is Daniel Craig the best Bond? Potentially, yes; but Craig's Bond is very much different to Sean Connery's, they have made their Bonds their own and just as spectacular as one other. If Daniel Craig carries on putting in the wonderful performances he has done in his first three Bond films, then I have no doubt he will eclipse Connery to be the best Bond.

Would love to hear your opinions - so please, feel free to discuss! 

Go see Skyfall now in UK cinemas and out in US cinemas from 9th of November.

Skyfall verdict!

This evening was the opening night in the UK of the new installment of the James Bond franchise "Skyfall", so naturally I had to go see it. And boy, was it worth the £6 ticket.

For those who need a reminder, here's the trailer for the highly anticipated return of 007. 

CAUTION - POSSIBLE SPOILERS AFTER THE TRAILER, DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM!

I had been waiting for this film to come out for FOUR years, ever since it had been announced. I stuck by and waited during the financial trouble and whatnot with the production company but at last, it was here. I think everyone else in the cinema felt the same as me - when the adverts finally finished and the opening appeared, there was literally a buzz around the place. Some critics had labelled this the "best Bond ever" - I tell you what, it was certainly that!

Firstly the leading man Daniel Craig (swoon). We all know he received a lot of criticism when he first got the role, but he has turned out to be a fantastic Bond. His performance in this film was outstanding, particularly at the beginning of the film. We see a Bond bored, almost fed up of life as a MI6 operative yet he is there. He portrays as almost deluded by being a spy, acting a little rusty at the start but then comes along the grittiness and the stellar action, and it truly is wonderful acting. It's as if he was made for this role almost, he really was that good. He also injected a lot of wit and humor into the role, just typical British 'banter'. Look out for his relationship with the new "Q" (Ben Whishaw) and also remarks about a rather distasteful Bulldog ornament. But Craig also shows an emotive and more personal side of Bond, particularly in the latter part of the film and that really stole the part for me - wonderful acted and if I say so myself, he can easily be the best Bond actor, not far of Sean Connery.

Then there's the villain - Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem). He is a fantastic villain; one with humor yet all of the ruthlessness you'd expect from a Bond villain. It's not all blowing up buildings and shooting people with this villain however; it's more to do with cyber terrorism and I liked that. But what really fascinated me was the relationship between Silva and Bond's boss "M" - played by the wonderful Judi Dench. Dench's character was brash in this film, more so than others - particularly when barking at Bond and her operatives. What I liked about this relationship which made it pretty much the core of the film - it wasn't so much Bond chasing the villain. It was more the villain chasing M, and it was a very interesting twist and different to other Bond films. The film becomes quite personal - with this developing relationship between the antagonist and one of the main characters, but also with the ending. We find out more about Bond's past and also what Skyfall really is. How important M's relationship with 007 is also shown, mostly towards the end of the film and I loved the little exchanges between Dench and Craig. The ending I found was incredible, and really is not expected; it'll have you gasping your seat! Fantastic acting all round!

What really did impress me though was how cleverly written the plot is - Quantum of Solace severely lacked in this in my opinion, with the writer's strike at the time of filming. This time however, they got it right and it really struck me (and I think the majority of the audience) how everything is tied together at the end of the film and truly how wonderful it is written. Even the new agent introduced "Eve" (Naomie Harris) is cleverly resolved by the end of the film, leaving everyone who knows past Bonds to go "ahhhh right!" Absolutely brilliant script and very well directed by British Sam Mendes; why he hasn't directed a Bond movie, I shall never know. It brings out the grittiness of a Bond movie and all the action you'd expect, yet it has the emotive and personal side; I think that is what makes the film, along with being just so British. Together with the wonderful performances from all of the cast, it really is a cracking film.  

Is it the best Bond film ever? In my opinion, yes. It's certainly the best outing from Daniel Craig yet, just shaving Casino Royale and I think it really is a fantastic film, one of the best this year. Go now... yes NOW to your local cinema and see it! I know I'll be seeing it again for sure. 

Keep a look out for my follow up blog - where I'll be answering the question on everyone's lips; is Daniel Craig potentially the best Bond ever?

ADELE's Skyfall - a Bond classic?

A song is always needed for every James Bond film. With the release of Daniel Craig's third film as the MI6 spy and 23rd installment of the franchise 'Skyfall', who and what would it be?

It first leaked on the internet before being officially released. She tweeted the world a picture of the score, after months of speculation. But here it is - the new Bond theme song "Skyfall" by none other than ADELE.

It has taken the world by storm - everyone seems to be talking about this one song (this and Gangnam Style). But the question that needs answering - is this a Bond classic?

Earlier this week, I conducted an audio vox bop in the streets of Southampton, asking the members of the public what their opinion was on this song. The majority was mainly positive - this coupled with how it rocked to the top of the charts whether hours of officially releasing suggested just as much. Adele is also seen as the country's sweetheart - one passerby even said that Adele could do "no wrong in her eyes." A popular choice it seems for the artist. And for the song?

Well it's typically Bond. If you ignore the dire "Another Way to Die" by American musicians Alicia Keys and Jack White, you get a sense that the song really goes back to how Bond used to be. The powerful instrumental just reminds of the old classic Bond song that used to be produced; I believe this has particularly captured the minds of the British public. We haven't really had a Bond song like this for a while - past Bond songs such as "You Know My Name" by Chris Cornell did work with Casino Royale with the rock edge in his voice with guitars. Then you have "Die Another Day"  by Madonna - a typically modern song which didn't quite feel like a James Bond song.

Then you have Adele. Wonderful Adele. She is loved throughout the world, and we are proud to say she is British - who else better to have for a Bond song? Her distinctive yet strong voice goes well with the instrumental, really providing a strong song. You get a sense the lyrics (as always with Adele) portray the meaning of the song so well. It's different to her other songs in a way but it's good - it's a great combination.

Whether it's a classic or not? Only time will tell I believe. It has potential - I think it depends on the success of the actual film itself too. If it's an excellent Bond film and one people will remember then I think the song will stick; it definitely can become a classic over time. It's too early now to say if it'll be on the same par as "Goldfinger" or "Live and Let Die", but maybe one day. It is definitely a very good James Bond song, and if the film as good as the song, then boy, we are in for a treat!


'Skyfall' starring Daniel Craig is out in UK cinemas from the 26th of October and US cinemas from the 9th of November.