tonyjackie

Batman has always been my favourite superhero and I thought that the first two movies in this franchise were very good. It was almost a shock to me then that when I finished watching 'The Dark Knight Rises' I felt a sense of disappointment. All of the reviews I had read or heard rated this as a brilliant movie but unfortunately for me, it didn't impress me anywhere near as much as I thought it would and obviously I need to explain why;

THE BAD; Despite a pretty good opening section, the movie took too long to get going and I actually felt bored at some points. The movie is too long, definitely. At least twenty minutes could be trimmed from this. Catwoman. I love her character but I couldn't even see why she had to be in this movie and a couple of her scenes with Batman were cringe worthy. She should have had a Batman movie where she was the main villain and this felt like padding to me. I wasn't 100% convinced that Anne Hathaway was right for the part, she was OK but that's about all. I see that plenty of reviewer's here have singled her for praise but she isn't at the top of my Catwoman list, that's for sure. I also didn't think that the relationship between Batman and Catwoman worked particularly well, indeed it's the least convincing I have seen and I include the Adam West version in that statement! A couple of scenes featuring Alfred and Batman were cheesy to say the least and not that brilliantly acted.

THE GOOD; The closing forty minutes or so were very well done and quite gripping. The twist towards the end was good and I didn't see it coming. The acting is generally good especially from Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy and Christian Bale. Some of the settings look fabulous and the music fits the mood perfectly.

'The Dark Knight Rises' isn't a bad movie but it isn't a great one either. I fully expect to get ripped to pieces for this review but it is honest and I still think that 'Batman Begins' is the best of the three.

As a piece of film making,'Braveheart' is a fabulous piece of work.Mel Gibson deserves high praise for his performance as William Wallace,his direction, and his determination to get this film made.He should be proud of his efforts as this is an epic,sweeping tale that is gripping,emotional and involving from the very start.

This is the story of Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace.I am ashamed to admit that I had never heard of him until this movie but I can safely say that he is now world famous because of this film.Of course,many people have admired the man for many years,but 'Braveheart' has spread the word in a way that will ensure he will never be forgotten.There are several moments of historical inaccuracy on show here but it doesn't really matter as we are given an insight to the history of this character and we do learn quite a lot about him and the very harsh times he lived in.It is after all a movie and not a history lesson.

There is an excellent cast on show here.Brendan Gleeson(Hamish) and David O' Hara(Stephen)give solid support with a few comic moments thrown in.Sophie Marceau(Princess Isabelle)and Catherine McCormack(Murron)look fabulous and handle their roles perfectly.James Cosmo(Campbell) and Brian Cox(Argyle)are impressive and Ian Bannen(Robert the Bruce Sr)holds the attention brilliantly as a corrupt man that wants the best for his son no matter what the cost.As his son,Angus Macfadyen does a great job as a man torn between what is best for his family and his country.His obvious torment is well told and well handled.I do feel though that the standout performance comes from Patrick McGoohan as King Edward 1st.He is the personification of evil and spits out his lines with relish.He really should have received an Oscar nomination for this.

The cinematography is fantastic and the musical score by James Horner is worthy of the highest praise.The one thing about this movie that I was never too sure about is the romance between William Wallace and Princess Isabelle.It has always seemed a little contrived to me but it does ultimately lead to a great scene towards the end of the film concerning the dying King so in that sense it is perhaps justified.

This is a fine film and Mel Gibson truly deserved the praise that was lavished upon him.I very rarely mark anything as a ten as perfection is virtually impossible in film making.But this does score 9+ and is among my top 10 movies of all time.

This is one of those movies that so many people on this web site absolutely love.I have read many of the reviews posted about this movie and find myself in disagreement with most of them.It isn't all bad but I will try and explain just why I can only give this film a five out of ten score.

Firstly,I will admit that the cinematography here is fabulous.A really great job was done on the look of this movie.Also,the acting is pretty good throughout although I think that the praise that Casey Affleck(Robert Ford) has garnered has been overplayed.He is good but not brilliant.In his early appearances in the movie he tries too hard to be the naive and slightly odd youngster and his voice is grating.You can just tell he is acting.He is much better later on as he becomes a more cynical character.But it must be said that there are other actors here that are just as impressive especially Garret Dillahunt(Ed Miller) and Sam Rockwell(Charley Ford).Also impressive is Sam Shephard(Frank James),who is very much underused.Brad Pitt is fine as Jesse James.Not an award winning performance but he is OK.

Now I come to the two biggest problems.The film is way too long and also way too slow.There are just too many times when the pace drags almost to a stop and there doesn't appear to be anything going on at all.I have no problem at all with films almost three hours in length if they hold the attention.'Godfather 1 & 2','The Good,The Bad & The Ugly' and 'Once Upon A Time In The West' are all wonderful movies simply because the stories are so compelling.They are involving and the pace moves towards a gripping conclusion.With 'The Assassination Of Jesse James' the pace flags too often and by half way I was losing patience and interest.

I have read reviews where people have compared this to the films of Sergio Leone.Don't make me laugh!It comes nowhere near to the tension,the sheer drama his westerns can muster.Many people will think my review is a load of rubbish but I stick by it as this is a ponderous movie.Great to look at maybe but a journey that will most definitely make you saddle sore.