I Frankenstein
2014 has already been a terrific film year, and there are still five and a half months of it left to go.
However, not all of the films have been terrific, and we take a look at the three films that have not impressed us here at FemaleFirst.
- I, Frankenstein
We all know the story of Frankenstein and Dracula, but I love it when films have the balls to put a new spin on a tale and characters that we already know so well.
That is exactly what I, Frankenstein tried to do at the beginning of the year... sadly, it didn't quite succeed.
I have to say, I, Frankenstein was one of the early 2014 films that I was looking forward to as it looked different to everything else that was set to hit the big screen.
From start to finish I, Frankenstein is a bit of a jumbled mess: you feel like the director is jumping from scene to scene rather than telling a coherent story.
The central character of Adam had the potential to be a complex and complicated one - a man who doesn't belong anywhere - and yet the script manage to make him a rather dull 2D sort of monster. Not even the talents of Aaron Eckhart could save him.
The special effects did look well and the action sequences were quite impressive, but that was the only redeeming feature of this film.
I was hoping for a dark and gothic tale, which showed the character of Frankenstein as more than just a monster... what a disappointment!!!
- 300: Rise of an Empire
I have to say, when I heard that they were doing a sequel to the fantastic 300 I was a little surprised - let’s face it, very few of the original characters survived.
I believe that if you are not making a sequel that is at least on par with the original, then it should not be made. Sadly, 300: Rise of an Empire was a huge step down from its predecessor.
There is no denying that the film looks fantastic - a more stylised film you will not see this year.
However, a film is than how it looks, it is about story and character development: needless to say, there is very little of either going on here.
While the naval collisions and the fierce fights are terrific, 300: Rise of an Empire does nothing more than try to recapture the glory and success of the first film: it really should have try to find an identity of its own.
And do not get me started on the worst and most pointless sex scene that I have seen on the big screen in quite some time - what were Eva Green and Sullivan Stapleton thinking?
Overall, 300: Rise of an Empire is one of those movies that you forget the moment that the credits rolled. Shame!!!
- American Hustle
For the life of me, I cannot understand what the fuss that surrounded American Hustle was all about.
American Hustle saw David O'Russell return to the director's chair, while Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, & Jeremy Renner make up a terrific cast.
It was one of the early 2014 films I was looking forward to, yet remains one of the biggest disappointments.
American Hustle may have been a film that had other critics raving and picking up Oscar nominations left, right, and centre, and yet it was a film that left me feeling really cold.
This is a story that is not as clever as it thinks it is, and soon spins out of control with all of the cons that are going on. It is nowhere near as slick as I imagined it to be, and there is a real lack of comedy in the screenplay.
Despite the fine performances from the entire cast, for me, these characters are just not compelling enough. They all have their interesting moments, but that interest is not built on or held by the script.
American Hustle really did not live up to the expectations that I had for it, and I never want to see this movie again!!!
Other films that have been a little less than great include Blended, Pompeii, and Winter's Tale.
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