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Posted: |
Apr 26, 2024 - 6:11 AM
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By: |
TominAtl
(Member)
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THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE (2024) – 8/10
It’s been 35 years since one of Alistair MacLean’s adventure novels has been adapted to the big screen. So, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Guy Ritchie have endeavored to fill the gap for that type of film with THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE, a film that can slide in right next to WHERE EAGLES DARE and THE GUNS OF NAVARONE when it comes to World War II action tales.
The main thing that the current film is missing is star power. In that department, we must content ourselves with the likes of Henry Cavill, Cary Elwes, and Henry Golding—a far cry from Burton, Eastwood, Peck, and Niven. But it doesn’t much matter that we have no stars, since the film doesn’t spend enough time with them for us to get to know them any more than their brief introductions to us.
The five-man team that takes on the mission of destroying the ship that supplies Hitler’s U-boats is made up of men of varying skills—a demolitions guy (natch), an archer (for taking out those sentries silently), a weapons expert, a navigational genius, etc. They must travel to the West African coast, to the Spanish-controlled island Fernando Po. There, a local club owner (Babs Olusanmokun) and his female confederate (Eiza González) must figure out a way to keep the local German garrison, led by an SS Commander (Til Schweiger), occupied during the raid.
In place of stars, there is plenty of combat action, some good pyrotechnics, and, despite a few hiccups, the sense that the mission comes off just a bit too easily. Perhaps that’s due to a short running time of 2 hours. It’s rare for me to complain that a film is too short, but at times, MINISTRY seems rushed. Interestingly, it is exactly 38 minutes shorter than both WHERE EAGLES DARE and the GUNS OF NAVARONE, both of which seem to have more substance, and suspense, to them. But, we are assured, MINISTRY is based on a true story—one that led a member of the British Naval Intelligence Division that organized the mission, Ian Fleming (played by Freddie Fox), to create the character of James Bond. So there’s that. Still, as these “stiff upper lip” British war films go, this is probably as good as we are going to see these days.
The film has a score with some real themes, and the infectious main title—a guitar and whistling-based theme—would fit right in to any Italian western. The score is by Christopher Benstead, who also does the guitar playing and whistling. So far, I haven’t found any score release, digital or otherwise.
The film came in at a reasonable $60 million. But unless you are Quentin Tarantino, a World War II-based film is not likely to be big box office, and MINISTRY had an opening week of just $11 million in the U.S. But it hasn’t opened in Britain yet, or elsewhere internationally, so maybe things will pick up. But that title is doing the film no favors.
Spot on review, totally agree with everything. And I also looked for a score release, which to me is the best I've heard as in film this year. Cool, thematic at times, rhythmic and infectious.
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Posted: |
May 1, 2024 - 3:12 AM
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By: |
Kentishsax
(Member)
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Something Wicked This Way Comes. 10/10.
I don't 'do' horror but the film is more a fantasy on childhood adventure, about growing up in one's hometown (a Bradbury staple) and a son's love for his father and a father for his son. Love winning and good conquering evil. And a great James Horner score (I have the original Intrada CD of it and also the Delerue one but I prefer James' score).
Initially, I only watched it years ago, taped on VHS from a TV broadcast, to hear James' score back in the day and watched it quite a lot but then had a huge gap. I found it on Youtube last year but that better print has gone, now there's a poor quality stretched print. So I decided to buy a copy via Ebay last week and arrived Monday, a region 1 Disney DVD, used but as new. It cost £19.99 (seller in the UK, where I am) but that's better than the Anchor Bay (admittedly the Anchor Bay has the better cover art) prices on the secondary market and the only other edition on Ebay and Amazon is a Spanish one.
I know of the film's troubled production history but I feel it captured the Ray Bradbury emotion and his voice, perfectly, despite the rewrites. It was a great inspiration to get Arthur Hill to do the opening voiceover narration of Bradbury's prose!
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I bought the Spanish DVD of SWTWC a while back for around £7.
It has English dialogue and sub-titles, so it's fine in that department.
I did hope to sit down and watch it with the two G-ids, but they got bored after about 15 minutes and asked for the CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS Movie instead. Traaa Laaa Laaaa!!!
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Yes, it is.
And I have to laugh every time our two boys leap up and do their own versions of I Love Saturday's when that song/bit comes on.
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DEADLY PASSION (1985)
3/10
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That's true...
Jay Ferguson's first film score...
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Vampire Over London(1952)2/10
With Bela Lugosi, Arthur Lucan, Dora Bryan, Richard Watiss, Lawrence Naismith, Alexander Gauge and Graham Moffatt.
Bela plays the 'vampire' who's kidnapping women to use their blood foe something naughty, not sure what. Through address labels being swapped he comes in contact with mother Riley. Much hilarity (not) and shenanigans ensue.
Billed as a comedy without being really fun. From what I remember I wasn't a fan of Arthur Lucan's mother Riley and after this I'm still not. Two points for a decent cast before they were more well known. I like Bela but he walked through this like an IKEA flat pack. The 'Robbie ' the robot like character stood more chance of a nom.
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Posted: |
May 6, 2024 - 2:11 AM
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By: |
Rameau
(Member)
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Vampire Over London(1952)2/10
With Bela Lugosi, Arthur Lucan, Dora Bryan, Richard Watiss, Lawrence Naismith, Alexander Gauge and Graham Moffatt.
Bela plays the 'vampire' who's kidnapping women to use their blood foe something naughty, not sure what. Through address labels being swapped he comes in contact with mother Riley. Much hilarity (not) and shenanigans ensue.
Billed as a comedy without being really fun. From what I remember I wasn't a fan of Arthur Lucan's mother Riley and after this I'm still not. Two points for a decent cast before they were more well known. I like Bela but he walked through this like an IKEA flat pack. The 'Robbie ' the robot like character stood more chance of a nom.
That's, Mother Riley Meets The Vampire, the last time I saw that was on TV in the fifties. I think the reason I remember it is that it has a vampire & robot (I was mad on all the stuff then...& still am) Bela Lugosi must have been on skid row by then. There was lots of Old Mother Riley comedy films, going back to the thirties, & showing up on TV back in the fifties. Mother Riley; soon to be totally forgotten. The director John Gilling went on to do some good films, quite a few for Hammer (& seven Department S episodes). I'll look out for Vampire Over London (probably on Talking Pictures*) & watch it for old times sake.
* Ah, I see it's on this Thursday  - & the film on after it looks like it's worth a watch; Midnight At Madame Tussaud's (1936).
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It had a few titles I think.
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THE FALL GUY (2024) – 8/10
“Colt Seavers” (Ryan Gosling) was the long-time stunt double for full-of-himself action star “Tom Ryder” (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). But after Colt is hurt in a fall, he leaves the stunt business—in the process, ghosting his former flame, camerawoman “Jody Moreno” (Emily Blunt). After a year and a half away from films, Colt is surprised to get a call from producer “Gail Meyer” (Hannah Waddingham) who tells him that he is needed on a set in Australia. The director has asked him to help out with some particularly difficult stunts. Colt isn’t interested until he hears that the film’s director is Jody, who is making her directorial debut, on a big action film in the “Cowboys vs. Aliens” genre.
Arriving on-set, Colt is nonplussed to find out that Jody hadn’t asked for him at all, and that Hannah’s real purpose in luring him to Australia is to help find Tom Ryder, who has gone missing. If he doesn’t turn up soon, the studio is going to pull the plug on the picture, sinking Jody’s budding directorial career. Hannah figures that since Colt knew Tom as well as anyone, he’d be the perfect person to find him, on the QT.
This is a fun picture, with plenty of stunts and fights, all bolstered by the romantic angle, which feels very organic to the plot. Director David Leitch (DEADPOOL 2, BULLET TRAIN) is a former stuntman himself, and as he and Gosling explain in a pre-film introduction, THE FALL GUY was made as a tribute to the unsung stuntmen. The film’s stunt crew make Gosling look great in the film, and his character returns the favor—Colt Seavers is a standup guy, and you can see why Blunt’s Moreno character is smitten with him.
Two of the best written and staged scenes in the film involve the relationship of Colt and Jody. In one, they air their differences over bullhorns in front of the film’s entire company. Another is a split-screen sequence that harkens back to one between Rock Hudson and Doris Day in PILLOW TALK.
The action sequences are generally inventive, and once we get a glimpse of Gosling’s ripped physique early in the film, it’s easy to believe that his character can do all the things we see happening. We also see just enough of the making of the film within a film to convince us that we’re watching real moviemakers at work. And even Emily Blunt gets a good fight scene.
Most of the music in the film comes from a slate of well-selected and placed songs. Dominic Lewis fills in the rest with his decent score. The $130 million production pulled in $66 million worldwide in its opening weekend—below expectations. Next weekend, it will be blown off the screens by the latest PLANET OF THE APES film, so see it while you can.
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Posted: |
May 9, 2024 - 5:28 AM
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By: |
TominAtl
(Member)
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THE FALL GUY (2024) – 8/10
“Colt Seavers” (Ryan Gosling) was the long-time stunt double for full-of-himself action star “Tom Ryder” (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). But after Colt is hurt in a fall, he leaves the stunt business—in the process, ghosting his former flame, camerawoman “Jody Moreno” (Emily Blunt). After a year and a half away from films, Colt is surprised to get a call from producer “Gail Meyer” (Hannah Waddingham) who tells him that he is needed on a set in Australia. The director has asked him to help out with some particularly difficult stunts. Colt isn’t interested until he hears that the film’s director is Jody, who is making her directorial debut, on a big action film in the “Cowboys vs. Aliens” genre.
Arriving on-set, Colt is nonplussed to find out that Jody hadn’t asked for him at all, and that Hannah’s real purpose in luring him to Australia is to help find Tom Ryder, who has gone missing. If he doesn’t turn up soon, the studio is going to pull the plug on the picture, sinking Jody’s budding directorial career. Hannah figures that since Colt knew Tom as well as anyone, he’d be the perfect person to find him, on the QT.
This is a fun picture, with plenty of stunts and fights, all bolstered by the romantic angle, which feels very organic to the plot. Director David Leitch (DEADPOOL 2, BULLET TRAIN) is a former stuntman himself, and as he and Gosling explain in a pre-film introduction, THE FALL GUY was made as a tribute to the unsung stuntmen. The film’s stunt crew make Gosling look great in the film, and his character returns the favor—Colt Seavers is a standup guy, and you can see why Blunt’s Moreno character is smitten with him.
Two of the best written and staged scenes in the film involve the relationship of Colt and Jody. In one, they air their differences over bullhorns in front of the film’s entire company. Another is a split-screen sequence that harkens back to one between Rock Hudson and Doris Day in PILLOW TALK.
The action sequences are generally inventive, and once we get a glimpse of Gosling’s ripped physique early in the film, it’s easy to believe that his character can do all the things we see happening. We also see just enough of the making of the film within a film to convince us that we’re watching real moviemakers at work. And even Emily Blunt gets a good fight scene.
Most of the music in the film comes from a slate of well-selected and placed songs. Dominic Lewis fills in the rest with his decent score. The $130 million production pulled in $66 million worldwide in its opening weekend—below expectations. Next weekend, it will be blown off the screens by the latest PLANET OF THE APES film, so see it while you can.
The movie was fun and there is real chemistry between Gosling and Blunt in this movie and there are some interesting nods to Lee Majors original series, including a sound effect from an even earlier famous series he was in, and a def nod to 80's action shows period. Not wildly inventive as it hoped it could be, but it is a great date movie, plenty of chuckles, and definitely is a love letter to the stunt department for sure, but it is about 20 mins too long.
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) is not for me. I do not know the name of his fellow composer, Valentine McCallum. 
