Elizabeth: The Golden Age is the sequel to the 1998 award nomiated Elizabeth. The movie stars Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Jordi Mollà and Clive Owen and is directed by Shekhar Kapur.
Its the 16th-century and Elizabeth (played by Cate Blanchett) is still the Queen of England. England is mostly a Catholic country. King Phillip II of Spain (played by Jordi Mollà) is the largest power in the world and he shifts his eyes at England. He begins to build and invincible armada to sent to England in the name of God, and restore England who Catholicism.
Elizabeth have dedicated her life to her country and she must let nothing get in the way. While one day Sir Walter Raleigh (played by Clive Owen) comes into her court to giver her a gift of gold, gold that he stole from Spanish ships. Queen Elizabeth accepts the gift making the Spanish Ambassador outraged and he stomps of out the room. Elizabeth becomes intrigued with this Sir Walter Raleigh and later tells Lady-in-waiting, Bess (played by Abbie Cornish) to talk to Raleigh.
While this is going on Sir Francis Walsingham (played by the great Geoffrey Rush) discovers a plot to assassinate Elizabeth, when the plan does go into action it does not go to plan and Elizabeth was not harmed. Walsingham discovers that the one who issued the assassination was no other than Elizabeth cousin Mary Stuart (Samantha Morton), Queen of the Scots, so that she can take the throne. Elizabeth reluctant, but by the request of her advisers sends out her execution.
King Phillip of Spain uses this to call all armies under the banner of God to attack Elizabeth, because she killed God's anointed Queen (referring to Mary Stuart). So now Elizabeth must prepare her country, they way she defends is fighting them at sea. Queen Elizabeth all awhile tries to fight off feeling towards Walter Raleigh so that she can be dedicated to her country. Up till she reaches the shores where they would defend, she gives her men and aspiring speech, on the day before the armada arrives.
I absolutely loved the first Elizabeth and I wanted that movie to win the seven nominations so bad I thought it was that good. When I went to go see The Golden Age I was really excited, and by the time I exited the theater I was happy with the out come of Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
The acting I felt was on par with the first one, Cate Blanchett is true a wonderful actress. There was two scenes in particular which honestly gave me chills; the first one would have to be when the Spanish Ambassador tells Eilzabeth that their fleet will sweep away her pride and she responds my yelling forcefully, "I too can command the winds sir, I too have a hurricane in my that who strip Spain bare if you dare try." Another scene would be when Sir Francis Walsingham tell Elizabeth that he failed her the plan from phillip allowing him to have a just-cause to attack England. Then comes this over the head shot much like in the beginning of the first movie and we just see Elizabeth feel so depressed.
The costume this time around I thought were a little bit over the top. The costumes of Elizabeth in the first one I thought was perfect, but in this one it seedmed what she was wearing a little bit much. Everyone else were fine for me just Elizabeth. As much like the first film the sets where amazing.
I really Elizabeth: The Golden Age, while its not quite better than the first its still good and entertaining. I Strongly Recommend Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
Showing posts with label Clive Owen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clive Owen. Show all posts
Friday, January 04, 2008
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
DVD: Shoot 'Em Up
Shoot 'Em Up stars Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti and Monica Bellucci and is written and directed by Michael Davis.
Clive Owen plays a man named Smith who at the start of the movie is waiting at a bus stop. Then along comes with pregnant woman, who looks likes she's in trouble, Smith just shrugs her off. Then seconds later a car comes crash into another parked car just a little way down the street. Coming out of the car a guy comes stumbling out yelling down at the woman as she turns down a alleyway. As the man walks after her he pulls out a gun, getting ready to kill her. Smith too gets up and follows. What follows is a thrill ride of guns blazing and mindless fun. The woman has her baby and after the gun battle with a LOT of people. Smith takes the kid to keep its safe of the men trying to kill him. The person who is trying to kill him is a hit man, Hertz (played by Paul Giamatti). Smith gets away from him and tries to get help with the newborn baby from a prostitute named Donna Quintano (played by Monica Bellucci), at first she denies helping but Hertz finds out he came to her and she eventually helps Smith. The two of them go to a hideout of Smiths, Hertz through a series of clues finds out where they are at and sends fifty men and goes to ambush him to kill the two and get the kid. While Smith tries to find out why someone would want to kill the these kids, it all leads to an action pack of violence to this already fun thrill ride.
Shoot 'Em Up is, forgive the pun, a very fun and entertaining shoot 'em up movie. On a movie like this I would have never thought that actors Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti would ever do something like this. Now after I see the movie I could not think of anyone else who could do better than what those two do in this movie. Pual Giamatti was great in his character Hertz, they way he plays him so relaxed and laid back was somewhat refreshing, because most shoot 'em up movies mostly stick to the same cliche type of villain.
Another good aspect of this was that it does not take itself that seriously and has some great comedic moment in the movie. Like when Hertz talk to his wife over his phone while he is working. Clive Owen character Smith has some great remarks throughout the movie, and his character has a short temper for small things that bug people like chewing their gum loud or people sporting a ponytail even to people who do not use their blinker when driving. To all those he use force to stop them.
The movie is pretty just much mindless fun, don't look to much into the reality of the movie, like by say that would never happen in real like. Just sit back and enjoy the over the top gun battles. For me the movie seemed to be a mix between Bugs Bunny and John Woo's shoot 'em up movie Hardboiled. Throughout the movie Hertz and Smith have sort of a Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd quality, Hertz wants (and tries) to kill Smith, and Smith is always eating carrots is another thought of that. The way it resembles Hardboiled is from the guns blazing gun fights, much like any gun fight with Chow Yun Fat character and we rarely see Smith reloading.
If you want a mindless fun, awesome gun fights, and funny and quirky dialogue and not try to evaluate every part of the movie then you'll love this movie. Much like myself. This is a very fun and action-packed movie with a great look to the movie. I Highly Recommend Shoot 'Em Up.
DVD
The DVD Shoot 'Em Up is much liked its feature film, action packed with features. It contains a Feature Commentary with the Writer/Director Michael Davis, Deleted Scenes, "Ballet of Bullets: Making of Shoot 'Em Up", Writer/Director Michael Davis' original animatics, and some trailers and previews.
Everything within the DVD is good. The making of featurette is pretty good, in its full length its around 52 minutes long and is entertaining throughout. The deleted scenes are decent they too also have commentary by the writer/director. Even the animatic in which the writer/director showed to sell this movie was really good. Overall this is a very good DVD which sits along with a very entertaining movie. This is Highly Recommended as a Buy.
Clive Owen plays a man named Smith who at the start of the movie is waiting at a bus stop. Then along comes with pregnant woman, who looks likes she's in trouble, Smith just shrugs her off. Then seconds later a car comes crash into another parked car just a little way down the street. Coming out of the car a guy comes stumbling out yelling down at the woman as she turns down a alleyway. As the man walks after her he pulls out a gun, getting ready to kill her. Smith too gets up and follows. What follows is a thrill ride of guns blazing and mindless fun. The woman has her baby and after the gun battle with a LOT of people. Smith takes the kid to keep its safe of the men trying to kill him. The person who is trying to kill him is a hit man, Hertz (played by Paul Giamatti). Smith gets away from him and tries to get help with the newborn baby from a prostitute named Donna Quintano (played by Monica Bellucci), at first she denies helping but Hertz finds out he came to her and she eventually helps Smith. The two of them go to a hideout of Smiths, Hertz through a series of clues finds out where they are at and sends fifty men and goes to ambush him to kill the two and get the kid. While Smith tries to find out why someone would want to kill the these kids, it all leads to an action pack of violence to this already fun thrill ride.
Shoot 'Em Up is, forgive the pun, a very fun and entertaining shoot 'em up movie. On a movie like this I would have never thought that actors Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti would ever do something like this. Now after I see the movie I could not think of anyone else who could do better than what those two do in this movie. Pual Giamatti was great in his character Hertz, they way he plays him so relaxed and laid back was somewhat refreshing, because most shoot 'em up movies mostly stick to the same cliche type of villain.
Another good aspect of this was that it does not take itself that seriously and has some great comedic moment in the movie. Like when Hertz talk to his wife over his phone while he is working. Clive Owen character Smith has some great remarks throughout the movie, and his character has a short temper for small things that bug people like chewing their gum loud or people sporting a ponytail even to people who do not use their blinker when driving. To all those he use force to stop them.
The movie is pretty just much mindless fun, don't look to much into the reality of the movie, like by say that would never happen in real like. Just sit back and enjoy the over the top gun battles. For me the movie seemed to be a mix between Bugs Bunny and John Woo's shoot 'em up movie Hardboiled. Throughout the movie Hertz and Smith have sort of a Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd quality, Hertz wants (and tries) to kill Smith, and Smith is always eating carrots is another thought of that. The way it resembles Hardboiled is from the guns blazing gun fights, much like any gun fight with Chow Yun Fat character and we rarely see Smith reloading.
If you want a mindless fun, awesome gun fights, and funny and quirky dialogue and not try to evaluate every part of the movie then you'll love this movie. Much like myself. This is a very fun and action-packed movie with a great look to the movie. I Highly Recommend Shoot 'Em Up.
DVD
The DVD Shoot 'Em Up is much liked its feature film, action packed with features. It contains a Feature Commentary with the Writer/Director Michael Davis, Deleted Scenes, "Ballet of Bullets: Making of Shoot 'Em Up", Writer/Director Michael Davis' original animatics, and some trailers and previews.
Everything within the DVD is good. The making of featurette is pretty good, in its full length its around 52 minutes long and is entertaining throughout. The deleted scenes are decent they too also have commentary by the writer/director. Even the animatic in which the writer/director showed to sell this movie was really good. Overall this is a very good DVD which sits along with a very entertaining movie. This is Highly Recommended as a Buy.
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