Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I am a big fan of the original Planet of the Apes and just about tolerated the Tim Burton version, but this however is an exceptional addition to the franchise.  The story is very good with some great characters and Andy Serkis once again excels as an ape.  There are some moments that were a bit ridiculous but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the film.  There was one moment I would have removed completely and that is where the immortal line, "Get your hands off of me you damn dirty ape!", was reused.  Whilst a nice nod to the original, it seemed completely out of context and was oddly funny when that's not really what the scene was going for.  Already looking forward to the next instalment, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes!

Film 265/365, Day 291/365 – X-Men 2

Easily the best of the X-Men films in my opinion.  It’s got lots of Wolverine being particularly angry and Magneto at his best.  The story is far stronger than the first film and don’t even get me started on the third one!  A good action film with more than just action.

Synopsis:  When a mutant attempts to assassinate the President of the United States of America the X-Men quickly track him down.  However once they find him he has no recollection of the incident or a significant period of time before that.  They must track down who is behind it before more damage can be done.

Film 93/365, Day 100/365 – The Bourne Supremacy

It kicks off not long after the first film and doesn’t hold back on the action or intrigue.  Matt Damon once again is excellent in the role of Jason Bourne and the cinematography is fantastic showing us enough of what Bourne is going through without laying it on a plate for us.  Also there is a brilliant car chase towards the end to look forward too.  As good as the first Bourne film.

Synopsis: Jason Bourne still hasn’t recovered his memory but is happy travelling the world with his girlfriend Marie.  But then he is framed for a double murder and then if that’s not enough they try to kill him but kill Marie instead.  So now, as you’d imagine, he is really pissed off and will stop at nothing to get some answers.

Film 92/365, Day 99/365 – The Bourne Identity

Plenty of action and intrigue from start to finish and beyond.  Matt Damon is excellent as Jason Bourne.  The film has such a brilliant feel of realism throughout, even in the fight scenes and especially the absence of dialog when other films would try to fill the silence.  Great start to the Bourne films.

Synopsis: A man is found at sea by a fishing trawler.  He has no memory of who he is and how he got there.  The only link to his past is a small implant that has a bank name and account number, in Switzerland.  Soon he will discover that whoever put him in the sea will want him to stay there.