Rurouni Kenshin ~ More than you Imagine.

I first discovered Rurouni Kenshin on Amazon Prime's film listing at a time when it was free to view. Noting it was (at the time) a trilogy, and being a lover of Asian subtitled films in general, I gave it a go. It did not disappoint. I was immersed in the visual quality, and thrilled by the amazing fight sequences and choreography. In short, I thought it was brilliant.

Since then I have acquired the trilogy on DVD, and consequently done a little more digging into the history that is Rurouni Kenshin, and this is what I discovered:

Originally written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the first chapter of which premiered in the 19th issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump on April 25, 1994, and serialised in the magazine until its 43rd issue on September 21st, 1999. Kenshin was created as a former assassin and the story, for its time, took a more serious tone as it progressed. The manga revolves around the themes of atonement, peace and romance.

The complete work consists of twenty-eight tankōbon volumes, though years later it was reprinted into twenty-two kanzenban volumes. Several Japanese studios adapted the manga into an anime television series which aired in Japan from 1996 to 1998 - but to discover the complete history of Rurouni Kenshin, click on this LINK to the wikipedia page.

As of December 2019, the manga had over 72 million copies in circulation, including digital releases.

There is no denying that Rurouni Kenshin has become a popular favourite and as such has been produced as an anime series, an anime film, a 4 episode Original Video Animation in 1999, followed by two 2 episode OVAs in 2001 and 2002, then in 2011 and 2012.
There have also been stage shows, soundtracks, art & guidebooks, light novels and video games.

But possibly the biggest attention grab has been from the live-action films, now totalling five (since I originally bought the first three), which can be seen currently - at time of writing this post - on Netflix.
The films in chronological viewing order are as follows:

1) Rurouni Kenshin (film).

2) Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno.

3) Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends.

4) Rurouni Kenshin: The Final.

5) Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning.

If you have yet to watch this great series of films, I urge you to do so. But for now, I'll leave you with the first official trailer. I was considering leaving the last film trailer as a bonus, but thought it might be filled with too many spoilers.  Enjoy.

Until next time.

Warcraft - A Film Review

I love a good film. I love even more a film in the fantasy genre done with brilliant CGI. Now, combine this with a game franchise that has spanned 12 years, with its release back in November 2004, and you have the potential for a fantastic film and some very orgasmically happy World of Warcraft fans drooling and grinning from ear-to-ear.

Unless of course they screwed it up.

Before I go any further this will not contain any spoilers - so chill. I have been a WoW player on the Darkmoon Faire world server for over several years, but have since ceased playing, but the fond memories are still fresh and the screen shots great keep sakes.
With this in mind I was both reluctant and curious about this film. I wanted to see how one of the most influential grandparents of MMORPGs (the other being that of 'Guild Wars' - the original game released in tandem with WoW and not that pile of garbage, GWs2) has been transferred to the big screen.

A-Z Day 22

Copyright ©2015 Mark Kelly.

V is for Villain.

No story is complete without a villain of some way, shape or form. From the most innocent of Disney films to the most terrifying of horrors, the villain carries things forward.

For today, I shall present to you some of my past and present all-time favourite villains, and hopefully, explain why.
Sadly, I can't include the taxman or my current boss. Too scary.
*Note: not listed in any particular order of importance.*

A-Z Day 17

Copyright ©2015 Mark Kelly.

Q is for Queen.

I'm dealing with two subjects here for today's post, both both are linked and directly related, so I think I'm in the clear :)

First off is my music selection of Queen's ' Who Wants to Live Forever ', as used in the film "Highlander". This is amongst my top 20 favourite films, 'but why only the top 20?' you might be asking yourself. When the film was first released it would have sat in my top 10, but as the years have rolled by and I now view films with different eyes I see things in it that, well, just let it down.

There is, for starters, Sean Connery - a Scot who is supposed to be playing a Spaniard, but that eternal bloody voice - no matter what film he's been in, no matter what nationality he's played, he always has the same damned voice. His role in Highlander was no different. Then there is Christopher Lambert's accent: A French actor trying to play a Scotsman. Then, and this was the biggest spoiler for me, was the finalé, where Connor becomes 'the one', and is lifted by mystical, energy into the air, with lightning flashes and explosions all around, but alas this only aids in illuminating the wires lifting Mr Lambert upwards. Scene ruined.

The film's saving grace though, for me, was the main villain: the Kurgan, as played by Clancey Brown, who to my mind brought the right amount of menace to the role, in both character and physical appearance, not to mention it was this role that launched his career. Nicely done.

*additional* - I've found this video combining scenes from the film and the song together. Very touching. Ihope you enjoy and it sparks within you the desire to watchthe film once more.


As for the song, this is an amazingly poignant piece by Queen, which I think shows them (and Freddy) at their peak, and firmly entrenched in the minds of people both film and band. Such a tragic loss when Freddy Mercury passed away on November 24th 1991 at the age of 45. The music world has been a sadder place for his leaving, something I feel the rest of the band never ever recovered from, and in a way, was the passing of the band Queen itself. Now enjoy the song as performed by the legends themselves.

A-Z Day 6

Copyright ©2015 Mark Kelly.

F is for Films.

Cinema for me, as a pleasurable experience, no longer factors into my thoughts as an entertainment format. Why?

1.) Cost is the main reason. Depending on where you are in the UK, it's not uncommon for a cinema ticket to cost anything from £10 upwards, depending on what seat you wish to have. Then there is the extortionate prices on all food, drink and sweets.

2.) Some films are 3D only, which again bumps up the price and in all honesty, 3D isn't always the experience it's cracked up to be - depending if the film was filmed with true 3D technology, or bits added into it post-production. Plus, as a person who (now) has to wear glasses in order to get a crisp, fuzzy-free image, wearing those blasted 3D specs over my glasses is an uncomfortable irritation in itself.

Film Promotion ~ ' Frenchy's World '

Copyright © Alexander De Senger 2014

Every now and then there comes along someone in your life for whom you can't help but have admiration for their grit and determination. Alexander De Senger is, for me, one such person.

Through the medium of Skype I've grown to like Alex's personality and zest for life. From our gaming days together I've found his approach to life is quite driven, yet tempered with a 'come what may' attitude. And he has a great sense of humour and warmth about him. So when he shared news about his getting involved with some Norwegian independent film makers and scriptwriters I was genuinely thrilled and excited for Alex, having done some TV work as an extra myself, I know how fun and exciting it can be, and if you network with the right people, it can become more than a mere temp thing. And this is what seems to have happened with Alex.

I've watched Alex's budding acting career with interest, and to be honest, I think he has got some true potential and talent. So, before I move you on to Alex's debut in this future mini-series concerning an up-and-coming small town gangster, I'll leave you with a synopsis in Alex's own words.

Thank you for reading (and watching) and please, spread the word about this indie production by 2 Apor Production Company - they really, REALLY need as much exposure and support as possible.

Over to Alex:

" The story evolves around Frenchy, a small-time gangster in a small Norwegian town. His guardian, 'The Greek', took Frenchy away from Marsielles when he was a kid, moving to Norway. The Greek is a 'retired' old-school gangster with connections to various syndicates. As a retirement bonus the Greek was allowed to settle down in Norway and run a small town.

When Greek found Frenchy the kid was in bad shape, living rough and homeless in Marseilles, but he impressed Greek with his toughness - the main reason Greek took him under his wing. Frenchy's mother had been killed under mysterious circumstances, something which has always haunted him, leaving him with a deep-rooted urge to find those responsible.

There are several other characters involved: Linda, the girl Frenchy loves but doesn't get - she reminds him of his mother and the purer side of life. His step-sister Liz, the daughter of Greek, and there are also various other members form different street gangs.

The story shows the day-to-day activities to get money for the gang, including collecting from other gangs. Frenchy has a tendency to mess things up, and they always seem to go wrong - some of the activities do have a comical feel about them.

It's basically a gangster comedy with some drama where you get to see the darker sides of Frenchy, and the pain his mother's death has left him with. "


Frenchy's World Intro... enjoy.

47 Ronin ~ A Short Review

Image from datapremiery.pl

Last night (Sunday 29th December), my nephew Luke, and old friend, Cat, went to see Keanu Reeves' latest film, '47 Ronin'.

Annoyingly the evening showings were only in 3D - of which, there was very little within the film itself - and I can't help but feel that cinemas and the film industry are taking advantage of cinema goers by restricting '2D' viewings to times which are not always watcher friendly, plus the evening films are much busier in terms of viewing figures. Great revenue for them, but what about us poor folks who rather not see a film in 3D and have to pay the extra money for the pleasure?

Anyway, to the film - beforehand there seems to be two camps of viewer having seen this film: those who hate it, and those who love it. No middle ground it appears?

For me, it was a little slow in the beginning, taking the slow build up that always seems to be associated with films concerning feudal Japan and the subject of the Samurai. It did lack the sweeping, glorious vistas of Japan's varied landscapes, and seemed to lack cohesion. And I think this is where the film divides its viewing audience. From the trailer you expect to be treated to an all-out fantasy, action-packed story, but no. The trailer shows all the 'best bits' in terms of fantasy-styled action - sorry.

www.digitalspy.co.uk

But if you loved 'The Last Samurai', or 'Seven Samurai' then you will most likely enjoy this film, as I did, though I was still a tad disappointed overall. As for Mr Reeves' performance, it was, I would say, a mix of his Constantine character and his Neo character from the last film in the Matrix trilogy. Not a bad performance. His fight scenes were fluid and very well choreographed, and his Matrix martial arts training has come to good use. The rest of the cast are equally good within their roles, but I would have liked to have seen the villains of the film put to more use, especially the main protagonist's 'go-to henchman'; a ripe baddie never used to their full potential. Shame.

Not a film for those who love the all-out-action-fest, but more towards the slow boil film fan.

*EDIT: After reconsidering my initial impressions and reading further 'reviews', I would have to suggest, save your money and wait for the DVD, as my good friend Jeremy has already stated below in the comments.*

What is interesting is that the film is loosely based on actual events within Japan's feudal history, where 47 masterless Samurai - referred to as 'ronin', took it upon themselves to avenge their Lord's death. Even today, people from all over the world travel to Japan to visit the graves of these 47 brave and valiant ronin.

If I had to score this film out of 10, I would have to give it a 5 - average/good, but could have been so much better.

Superman vs Batman

Copyright © DC Comics

Really? Seriously? Sorry, but Superman is way, way beyond the ability of Bruce Wayne.

If it were a 'who has the most money' contest, or 'who has the best gadgets' contest, then Batman would win hands down. But in a 1-on-1 confrontation, Superman wins every time.

Sorry Batman, I think you're an epic kind of superhero, but nowhere near being the equal of Superman.

How this will translate into a feature film (especially with Ben Affleck playing the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman) that works, I'm really not sure?

If anyone has other thoughts or disagrees, then I'd love to hear why :)

The Book Thief... from words to film

Copyright © MarkusZusak

The Book Thief is an amazingly written novel, released in 2005, by Australian author, Markus Zusak. I've read this book almost a year ago now, and it is still fresh in my mind, which says a lot for this author's powerful command of the written word and how he weaves it into this brilliant tale of a little orphaned girl, death and her love of books, all set against the backdrop of Germany during the throes of the second world war.

An award winning author, Markus Zusak's first novel, ' The Underdog ' was published in 1999 and since then Mr Z has gone from strength-to-strength. But undoubtedly, ' The Book Thief ' has been his most successful book to date.

This wonderful story has now been turned into a film, and the casting looks to be spot on, with the excellent Geoffery Rush as the adoptive father of the main character, Liesel. So, without giving away too much and spoiling things for you, here is the official trailer for your viewing pleasure. If you have not read the book, then I strongly urge you to do so before thinking about seeing the film on release. You really won't be disappointed, this I can promise.

Beautiful film, beautiful song

When it comes to films I find my increasing age does one of several things, or in some instances all of them at once:

1. Makes me very fussy/cynical/critical, more than I ought to be.
2. Makes me weep at the drop of a hat if it is the slightest bit emotionally absorbing.
3. Makes me wish I could write a film script of my own.

But one film that I adore, encapsulates a plethora of elements than makes my heart race, my soul soar and my spirit weep, if for no other reason but the sheer beauty of some of the set scenes. So imagine my joy at finding this brilliant video on YouTube, combined with a song that just makes me blub.

It's a story of adventure, love, betrayal and loss.

The film is, 'House of Flying Daggers' and the song is, 'Can't Cry Hard Enough ', by Bellefire. When combined as they are, the effect is profound (and if you haven't got the slightest hint of a moist eye at the end, then you're a hard bastard).

I hope you enjoy :)