The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Rest assured that Eclipse continues the franchise’s horrendous record of setting feminism back several decades. Bella Swan has no ambition whatsoever, and is only interested in being with the man/men she loves. She’s fragile and passive, and frequently needs protection from Big Strong Men.
Rating: 2.0 starsHoopla Factor: 3.0 stars


A single speech made by the pitiful ‘heroine’ of this piece near the end of the film can’t make up for almost three full feature-length films worth of moping and passivity. If only the most phenomenally successful text of its time could have featured a female lead worth bothering to cross the street to avoid.
Rating: 1.0 starsHoopla Factor: 0.5 stars Continue reading The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Daybreakers

Hawke is unremarkable in the lead role, perhaps uncertain as to why he is surrounded by unknown-to-American-audiences Australian (and occasionally New Zealand-born) actors sporting moderately successful American accents in a film funded by the Film Finance Corporation Australia (now Screen Australia) and shot in Australia by Australian writer/directors.
Rating: 3.0 starsHoopla Factor: 3.5 stars


There are half a dozen fantastic moments – ones that show just how inventive the Spierigs are and how strange it is that Hollywood haven’t plonked them at the helm of a bit, fat juicy budget – the boys certainly get their money’s worth here.
Rating: 3.5 starsHoopla Factor: 3.0 stars Continue reading Daybreakers

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

New Moon manages at least to get by with some nifty action sequences. Actually, the film has a couple of top moments, assisted by great cinematography, perfect editing and a great soundtrack – it’s a slicker flick for sure. No one could deny that the first instalment had a great soundtrack, and this one is even better.
Rating: 2.5 starsHoopla Factor: 3.0 stars


What kind of message is being sent to young women here? The film barely stands up to scrutiny, and perhaps isn’t meant to be considered in depth, but as it takes itself so damn seriously it demands the audience does as well. Perhaps the only positive message its audience will receive is the SunSmart concept that it’s okay to be pale.
Rating: 0.5 starsHoopla Factor: 0.0 stars Continue reading The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Twilight

Bella and Edward fight ever-so-hard against their lesser urges, in a less-than-subtle message about youth sex, while girls dress to maximise their cleavage and then are morally outraged when any male dares notice. This world feels more like fantasy than those of many more obviously fantastical films.
Rating: 1.0 starsHoopla Factor: 1.5 stars


Seeing Twilight with a cinema full of lovestruck teenage girls is probably the only way you’ll really ‘get’ a film like this. It’s a long time since I’ve seen a film that induced such vocal appreciation.
Rating: 2.5 starsHoopla Factor: 3.5 stars Continue reading Twilight