Film Review: Brave

Pixar lands yet another arrow directly in the bullseye with Brave, a magical and dazzling movie that introduces the studio's first female protagonist, Merida.



Brave is Pixar's first completely original movie since 2009's Up. In between the two we've had two sequels of contrasting quality in Toy Story 3 and Cars 2. Despite not being as memorable or as lovable as Finding Nemo or The Incredibles, Brave is a great addition to the Pixar's growing pantheon of film.


The films central device is the relationship between parent and child. Like Nemo and Marlon before them, Merida (voiced by Kelly MacDonald) and Elinor (Emma Thompson) begin at each other throats over the former's pre-arranged marriage. It's a heart-warming tale that has a strong message at its heart, one that kids won't find hard to grasp and one that adults won't be bored stiff by. One thing that Pixar seems to consistently achieve throughout all of its film's is widespread appeal to people of all ages. Brave is no different in this respect to the studio's best and brightest, with big laughs and tender emotional moments alike.

The most impressive thing about Brave however, is the beautiful aesthetics and distinctive look. Pixar have brilliantly captured the wild, murky colours and shades of the cold Scottish highlands from twisted and tortured forests to crashing waterfalls and high cliffs. Visually, it's up there with Toy Story 3 as one of the best. It's not just with sprawling vistas that the film is impressive however. I found myself nearly hypnotized by the attention to detail given to just Merida's curly orange hair or the individual textures of a table or a tapestry; the fact that a lot of thought has been given into even the slightest of details the experience so much more impressive.

Brave tries to compensate for a lack of male protagonist by ensuring that the majority of its supporting cast will appeal to the male portion of the audience. Whilst Merida learns poise, precision and how to be a perfect princess, the rowdy rabble of Scots that compete to win her heart hold the interest of the boys. The above trio of Scottish lords, Dingwell, MacGuffin and Macintosh, played by Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd and Craig Ferguson sustain the laughs alongside my personal star of the show, Billy Connolly's King Fergus.

At its heart though, Brave isn't about the boys, but the relationship between Merida and Elinor. In a twist not hinted at in any of the preview material, their bond is put to the test and both are made to consider each other by Julie Walters' evil, hook-nosed witch. Like I mentioned earlier, it is a truly heart-warming and endearing tale told in a way appealing to those of all ages. This is the film's greatest selling point; that is a family film anyone can enjoy, from your Nan (who might remember King Fergus personally) to the tiniest tot.


Overall, I give Brave 8 out of 10.

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Formula 1: European GP Overview

Fernando Alonso crosses the finish line to win at home for a second time

Hamilton leads the Lotuses.

Fernando Alonso put in an impeccable performance in Valencia to become the first man to win two races in 2012. In a topsy turvy race that saw Alonso start 11th, Vettel, Grosjean and Hamilton all fail to finish and Schumacher finish on the podium, the circuit itself was the biggest surprise, delivering its first memorable race. 

Who would have pegged Alonso to win the race after qualifying? Failing to even make it through to the final session, it seemed as though Ferrari had made a gross error of judgement in not sending the Spaniard out for one last run. 

Starting from pole was, of course, Sebastian Vettel. Whilst it is important to laud Alonso with the plaudits of winning, it is even more important to note Vettel's performance in Valencia. The reigning champion was ominously dominant in the first half of the race; behind him, Grosjean, Hamilton and Raikkonen had nothing to answer with. 

Had the alternator on his Renault engine not given up the ghost, Vettel would have certainly won this race. He was untouchable. Alas, the pendulum did not swing in his favour in 2012 as did so often in 2011. Grosjean's Lotus had an identical ailment and also would have had a shot at victory without his technical difficulties.

Vettel's start was lightning fast.

Down at Mclaren, it was an afternoon to forget. JB had another mediocre race, only finishing in 8th; hardly championship winning pace. Hamilton on the other hand had a promising race. He was undone however by yet another pit-stop calamity; Hamilton's stop was a full 14 seconds long, dropping him behind both Raikkonen and Alonso. It cost him another shot at a win and worst of all, it left him fighting over the same piece of track with Maldonado by the penultimate lap.

With Lewis' tyres falling away rapidly, Maldonado dived around the outside of Turn 12 and hopped across the kerbs straight into the side of the Mclaren. It put Lewis out of the race and Pastor out of the points. The over-ambitiousness of Maldonado's move was a gross error of judgement and highlights his lack of experience. Whilst it cost Williams' a podium, it was even more costly for Hamilton. With the season as close as it is, Lewis lost important points to rivals like Alonso and Raikkonen. The only solace he can find is that he is in the same boat as Vettel and Grosjean.

With the ending to the race as chaotic as it was, there were many drivers surprised with their final placing. Schumacher, Webber and Rosberg all gained places as a result of the Hamilton/Maldonado incident. Both Force India's also added points to their tally; Hulkenberg was hugely impressive en route to finish fifth and Di Resta made a one-stop strategy work well to finish seventh.

Two teams that had a mixed bag this weekend was Toro Rosso and Caterham. Vergne and Kovalainen's crash was what brought out the safety car and Ricciardo and Petrov also came together late in the race. The Italian squad continue to have a unsatisfying season; with only six points overall, Toro Rosso sit in a lonely 9th place. They are a full 38 points behind Force India and have only the three new teams behind them.

The biggest winner of the day for me was the venue itself. Never having set itself apart as being a classic racetrack, the Valencia street circuit surprised everyone by putting on such a fantastic race full of overtaking, drama and action. 

Next stop, Silverstone, where Mclaren will be looking to step up their game and take a third win of the season on home soil. Expect Red Bull and Lotus to be leading the pack however, as well as Ferrari, Mercedes, Williams and Sauber all thrown into the mix. Add a dash of the inclement British weather and who knows what might happen!

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Formula 1: The Silly Season Gets Under Way

2008 World Champion, Lewis Hamilton

Barely a week goes by in Formula One without there being another news story relying speculation of a possible driver/team move - Hamilton to Mercedes, Webber to Ferrari and so on. With so much chatter surrounding these high profile names, how much truth is there to F1's self-proclaimed "silly season". With so many drivers supposedly up for grabs next season, who will land where when the wheel of fortune stops spinning?

How much longer will Massa reside
 in the stable of the Prancing Horse?

In my opinion, the epicentre of this year's driver market is Brazil's Felipe Massa. Massa has been hugely disappointing for the Scuderia since his return from injury in 2010 and has grossly failed to match Fernando Alonso. The chances of Massa being retained by Maranello in 2013 is, quite frankly, slim to say the least. 

Which of course, leaves a huge gaping hole in the ranks of our sport's most successful team. Where can Ferrari go for a replacement? Well first off, and the driver most widely tipped to fill the void is Australia's Mark Webber. Webber has been taking his season's one at a time at Red Bull Racing and has made it clear in the past he aims to end his career at the Milton Keynes based squad. 

But surely a contract from Ferrari would tempt him away? How could anyone refuse? In what would most likely be another one year contract, Mark would no doubt slot effortlessly into the role of second-driver to genuine friend, Fernando Alonso. It's a move that makes sense and would feel natural, in my eyes. What's more is, he deserves it. 

Whilst Sergio Perez looked the favourite for the seat at Ferrari back in March, it is thought that Ferrari are looking to keep him at Sauber for at least another season to gain experience. Don't rule him out however; another eye-catching drive like we saw in Sepang and Montreal would put him back in the picture for Massa's seat. He has been mightly impressive in comparison to the highly regarded Kobayashi.

Is Schumacher outstaying his welcome at the
Silver Arrows?

Meanwhile, over at Mercedes, the team bosses there are undoubtedly stressing over their 2013 driver line-up. With Michael Schumacher out of contract at the end of the year, the Silver Arrows have some thinking to do; do they keep on the seven-time World Champ and hope he rediscovers his form or do they opt for a more up and coming talent like, say, Paul di Resta or even Nico Hulkenberg?

Rosberg is locked in as thier 'lead' driver for the forseeable future so they have that seat filled. But 5 DNF's in 7 races for Schumacher is disastrous. Would he really want to extend his contract with Mercedes? He's not exactly getting younger and hasn't had the desired success in his comeback.

Finally, the biggest question mark hangs over the future of 2008 World Champion, Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton has rediscovered strong form so far this season and is one of the favourite's to win the title, but reliability issues, pitstop mishaps and silly blunders by his Mclaren team are costing him dear. So the question is, were would he go if, and it is a big if, he were to leave Mclaren. Well, there are a multitude of options open to Hamilton right now. We could see him replace Schumacher at Mercedes, Webber at Red Bull (if the Australian were to retire or move to Ferrari) or even replace Massa at Ferrari.

Whether any of these options will ever come to fruition, it is too soon to say. I think it would be unlikely that Hamilton would move to either Red Bull or Ferrari, teams that have such clearly defined lead drivers already in Vettel and Alonso respectively.  For Hamilton to thrive in a team, he needs one he can mould around himself in the same way Vettel and Alonso have done. For that to happen, I can only see him staying put at Mclaren. The faults and fumbles might cost him now, but in the long run, sticking at Mclaren and building a network of people around him is his best option. His recent win in Montreal also shows he still has the ability to win at Mclaren. Also, with Button's form plummeting of late, staying put at Mclaren and becoming a clear and defined leader would benefit Lewis to no end. 

Lewis Hamilton's future is wide open
Mclaren, Red Bull, Ferrari or Mercedes?

Other teams like Lotus seem to have a fairly stable future ahead of them driver-wise. Raikkonen and Grosjean are a talented pairing and one that will grow and improve as time goes on. Will we see the injured Robert Kubica ever step back in at the Enstone team? I doubt it. Will he ever race an F1 car again? I doubt that also. The more time passes, the more unlikely it is we will ever see the talented Pole back in the sport.

With so many options open at the "big four", who knows where everyone will land when the music stops? Karthikeyan to Ferrari? Stranger things have happened. Well, not really...

Let me know in the comments box what you think! Who'll be where in 2013?

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Film Review: Prometheus

Ridley Scott's Prometheus

This review contains spoilers. Don't say you weren't warned!

Part prequel, part stand-alone feature, Prometheus is part triumphant return and part missed opportunity by director, Ridley Scott. With an impressive cast, a multitude of iconic images and a genuinely scary host of squelchy extra-terrestrials, Prometheus is a solid and impressive film.

Whilst it isn't a tense and suspenseful as Alien, Prometheus has a lot going for it; it's sprawling vistas of the alien world the scientific expedition get drawn to, the towering head deep inside the alien ship, the dazzling holograms and technology. It all contributes to a film that feel authentically 'science-fiction' feel. Scott's talent for drawing the audience in with breathtaking cinematic's is as evident here as it was in Alien or Gladiator. Whereas other science-fiction blockbusters like Avatar were drenched in lush green and neon purples, Prometheus stands out because of its gloomy blacks and deep dark shadows.

Revolving around the age-old idea of where we come from and how we got here, Scott's latest epic is less about a giant acid-spitting space-bug stalking a bunch of scientists, and more about important stuff like mythology and origins. It only achieves this to a certain degree however; whilst the idea itself is solid, the plot can be quite loopy at times, leaving the audience scratching their heads. It is definitely one of those films that needs a recap on 'what actually just happened' afterwards.


Standing front and centre at the front of the show is Noomi Rapace as expedition leader, Elizabeth Shaw. Rapace's role in the second Sherlock Holmes film was sort of understated to say the least, so it is great to see her take the lead here. She gives a fantastic performance, especially in the movie's sickly stand-out scene involving some desperate impromptu surgery.

Likewise, Michael Fassbender's role as android, David, is equally as impressive. He is a chilling mix of passive and malicious intent, his moral compass and motives not being definite to those in the audience.

Charlize Theron's cold and calculating Meredith Vickers aside, the rest of the cast are relatively forgettable or not built upon. Primarily because they're all bug food but also because the film races along at a speed that leaves little time to catch a breath. There are some moments where the pacing is reined in for good effect (I've previously mentioned the surgery scene) but they come far too infrequently.

An aspect in which the film excels was the action set-pieces. Unlike actually being in space, it is unfortunate that in the cinema people can hear you scream. Because if your a scaredy-cat like myself, there are plenty of skin crawling, gore-splattering and tentacle slashing moments to keep you gripping the armrests until your hands drop off.

Something I felt that the film lacked was a memorable score. Thinking back to the film's promotional material and the tense but urgent soundtrack there, it was a little underwhelming for it to be absent in the final film.
Also, without going into too much detail, the film leaves the audience hanging too much when the credits roll. If you wanted one self-contained story that was tied up in a neat little bow, then you'll be left feeling a little let down.

Overall, Prometheus is solid visually and doesn't disappoint for fans of the Alien franchise, even if it isn't a direct prequel. It's genuinely terrifying and scary in places but the lack of resolution, score and a stop-start pace are downsides. I give it 7 out of 10.

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Formula 1: Canadian GP Overview

Seventh Heaven: Lewis Hamilton celebrates his third win in Montreal

Lewis Hamilton was in seventh heaven and back to his brilliant best in Canada, sealing his third win around the Circuit du Gilles Villeneuve in style. He finished ahead of an impressive Romain Grosjean Lotus and Sergio Perez's Sauber. 

From the start of the race three distinct drivers seemed to control proceedings; Vettel from Hamilton from Alonso. It was at the first round of pit-stops that the order reshuffled; Hamilton emerged the leader with Alonso between himself and Vettel. The Brit then set about a decisive middle-stint that gave him a comfortable-ish margin to Alonso.

After pitting a second time, it soon became clear that Hamilton's rivals would try to make it to the end having just stopped once. Gaining over a second a lap, Lewis carved past the Red Bull and the Ferrari and retook the lead with just six laps to go.

It was kind of fitting to see Lewis take his first win of the year in Montreal; a track at which he often excels and took his first win at back in 2007. His win puts his two points ahead of Alonso at the top of the leader board.

Whilst he drove flawlessly, Hamilton's win was challenged for 'drive of the day' by Mexico's Sergio Perez. Starting a distant 15th, the Sauber worked his way through the field to take 3rd, his second podium of the year. Likewise, Lotus' Romain Grosjean was impressive with his second podium of 2012. Whilst Vettel and Alonso struggled to make their strategy work, Romain was calm, cool and stayed out of trouble. His result was a career best second.

Behind them finished Vettel and Alonso in 4th and 5th. With ten laps to go the two of them were first and second. They had opted to run a one-stop strategy but unlike Grosjean, had failed to make it work. Vettel admitted defeat and pitted for fresh rubber just 8 laps from the end. As it turned out, he made the better call of the two; Alonso gritted his teeth and tried to reach the end dropping back to 5th. One more lap and he would have most likely been relegated to 8th or worse.

The shock of the day was Mclaren's Jenson Button. His turnaround from outright leader in Melbourne to 16th here is remarkable. Struggling to find any ounce of pace in the car, Jenson was made to look absolutely amateur by his team-mate. How quickly he can turn it around remains to be seen; 2 points in 4 races is disastrous and could have already blown his chances of a second championship win.

Whilst Hamilton's run of bad luck ended in Canada, Michael Schumacher's stretches on and on. 5 retirements in 7 races is a horrendous record for the 7-time World Champ. Here, a faulty DRS caused him to admit defeat. He also must doubt his chances of ever featuring in the title race. We may yet see Michael on the podium however; don't count him out, we learnt from that mistake in Monaco.

In comparison to Grosjean, Raikkonen had a disappointing race, only 8th at the chequered flag. Another man who never really managed to light it up was Mark Webber; a mediocre 7th was all the Australian could manage around Montreal.

A race completely devoid of stoppages and safety cars, this year's Canadian Grand Prix was a delight from start to finish regardless. Hamilton can now breath a sigh of relief and look to keeping his strong form going. The same can be said for Vettel and Alonso; their roll of the dice could have been a lot worse and they managed to salvage at least something.

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Film Review: Men In Black 3

Hitting screens back in 1997, the original Men in Black was big hit for Will Smith after the previous year's Independence Day. 15 years on, Men in Black 3 is a fun addition to a franchise that now has a whole new generation of children and families to entertain.

When franchises go on an extended hiatus, they can often reappear and feel tired and unnecessary. Think Die Hard or The Mummy; in both instances, the returnee film, Die Hard 4.0 and Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, really didn't manage to capture that essential spark that turned the originals into the popular films that they were.

Thankfully, Men in Black 3 manages to avoid joining amongst the ranks of unnecessary sequels. The latest adventure from Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) manages to go some way to being on par with it's predecessors'.

The story sees J forced to jump back in time to 1969, when his surly long-time partner, K, is mysteriously erased from the present having been killed 40 years previously by a nasty time-travelling alien by the name of Boris. With me so far? If it sounds Back-to-the-Future-Part-II complicated, that's because it kind of is; with a couple of versions of the same villain roaming around 60's New York at the same time, the film tries its best to keep the audience up to speed. Whilst it requires a bit of a think, it's by no means complicated in the same way Doctor Who or Lost can be. You don't really have to be a rocket scientist.

What is obvious from the outset is that this film is well and truly Will Smith's party. Smith is in his absolute element and doesn't seem to have aged a day since he first donned the black suit and tie back in 1997. His character traverses many emotional boundaries throughout the film's running time, but Smith handles the mix of hilarity and gravitas with seeming ease.

Another note worthy performance is that of Josh Brolin's Young Agent K. He manages to nail Lee Jones' demeanour absolutely spot on, and to such a degree, you'll think the producers have used some kind of Benjamin-Button style wizardry to reverse the age of the latter.

Jemaine Clement is a brutish and unnerving villain as Boris the Animal. He is possibly the trilogy's strongest villain to date and certainly the most 'hissable'. He wasn't overly gross-out disgusting (which is a good thing) and was threatening and creepy enough to be easy to dislike.

Here come the Men in Black: Jones and Smith (above)
and Brolin (below) 

Also, Emma Thompson and Alice Eve were good additions as older and younger versions of Agent O respectively. The way in which the film added new characters such as this, whilst retaining Smith and Jones, meant it felt fresh and new, whilst retaining the overall feel as the first two.

Lastly, the conclusion. Whilst the film is a little slow to get going at first, and the pacing is a little off, it kicks into gear once the two agents pick up the trail of Boris in the past. The final scenes are a real pay-off for fans of the franchise and heart-warming to say the least.

Overall, Men in Black 3 is a satisfying and entertaining entry into a franchise that is as fun and fresh as ever. I  give it 7 out of 10. It slots into the feel of the previous films perfectly and leaves us feeling like the series never really left.

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