The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

The Adventures of Tintin represents not only the first English film adaption of the classic Herge cartoon series, but also the very first version to have the backing power of Hollywood behind it. A luxury the French (or indeed the Belgians) could only dream of. Directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson, a dream team if ever there was one,

Tintin is an eager young reporter, always looking for an exciting new story. He may have found more than he bargains for when a simple model ship at a flea market becomes an item of considerable interest. Tintin is accosted by strangers for it, given enormous offers, and soon finds himself a target. He tracks the clues to an old family estate, and begins a dangerous adventure that will span the world...

For me, The Adventures of Tintin is a mixed film, and I'm not quite sure why. It's by no means bad. In fact it's very good. It translates the title character well to the screen, it looks gorgeous, and the story was good when told in the comics. But for some reason I just never quite gelled with it.

As adaptions go, this is very faithful to the source material. It predominately gets material from the two Tintin volumes Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure, and combines and streamlines them well. While this wasn't the first Tintin story, this version introduces us well to the characters, even if it does have to bend over backwards to accommodate certain changes (such as introducing Tintin to Captain Haddock, when they were already friends by this time in the comics).

The story moves along at a good pace, and trots all over the globe, from the streets of France, to fancy ancestral estates, the wide ocean expanse, and the desert wastes and port cities of Morocco. We have themes of golden age piracy, sunken treasure, and family curses, and the overall mystery is a good one, even if you've already read the comic.

Tintin is a likeable hero, clever and resourceful, and always noble. Snowy is a great sidekick too, and his share of the discoveries mustn't be underestimated! Captain Haddock is amusing, a bombastic and irritable boozehound, but a great ally to have in a pinch (when he's not actively causing problems, that is).

Bumbling detectives Thompson and Thomson are always a hoot, and get some of the best scenes. Butler Nestor gets some good moments too. The only character of the series missing is Professor Calculus, and that's strange considering Red Rackham's Treasure was actually the first Tintin book he appeared in! I do understand why he's not included, since you don't wanna overcrowd things, but he's still missed.

The villain of the piece is diabolical schemer Sakharine, and he is an effective antagonist, with an important link to Haddock's past. He natters on a lot about fate and destiny, but is never annoying or incompetent.

The cast all do good jobs in bringing these characters to life. Jamie Bell is a good lead, getting across Tintin's young adventurous spirit. While I'm not sure I was sold on the accent for Haddock, Andy Serkis does a neat job, and it's cool to see him get a vocal role like this. Nick Frost and Simon Pegg are perfect as the Thom(p)sons. And lastly, Daniel Craig does well in an against type villainous role.

The direction by Spielberg is very good. Scenes are framed well, and never boring. Many scenes are shot all in one take, and are good, though some are a bit dizzying. Intentionally so, but still. I wasn't a fan of the big action scenes. They are visually impressive, but equal parts annoying. They felt very modern and American, in how there's a loud and chaotic stream of things happening in a row, in a way that you only see in movies.

The animation in Tintin is slightly mixed. As far as movement and design go, it's flawless, with special praise going to the locations! Many setpieces look superb, and some scenes are straight from the comic. Where is the animation lacking, though? The characters themselves, namely their eyes! This kind of animation often has problems with dead-eyed characters, and while it's not quite that bad here, it can still look a bit weird, and the characters themselves can look uncanny at times.

The soundtrack is full of enjoyable tunes. Nothing astounding, but it all does its job well, and pulls you into the action. There's also a touch of opera too, which may leave you pleased, or reacting like Captain Haddock. The film's opening credits were a treat too, done in a neat 60s Parisian art deco style, which I just adore.

While I'm not the biggest fan of The Adventures of Tintin, I still recognise it as a fun movie, and definitely worth checking out. Not that I need to do that, when it was a popular blockbuster, but still, it's the thought that counts. Now if only this could get a sequel someday!...

Hug the Sun (2021)

Australia has certainly given the world its fair share of entertainment, but you know what's often ignored? The western states!...Or state, rather, we only have one. It's to the point where seeing Perth in a movie is a rare surprise. What the heck am I getting at, you ask? Today's series, Hug the Sun...

Hey there kids, how's it going? It's another lovely day in Australia, and it's time for Hug the Sun, the country's favourite children's show. There's fun, games, and surprises galore, as our hosts BJ, Trent, Linda, and Trina teach us all about the great sun god Oxtos, and his prophet Gary. Why don't you stay and watch, and please donate any money you can to bail our prophet from those scum in the government...

Hug the Sun is a real treat, a great example of Australia's sometimes odd sense of humour. It's a 6-part webseries, in the style of old religious programs, with some Play School type sections. It's crafted in a deliberately 90s style, with VHS filters, static, and a taped-over feel, where we get snippets of ads, footie matches, and Christian stand-up comedy. Quite a mix!

It goes without saying that this is not suitable for children. It's mature, has many gross or foulmouthed moments, and the show gets creepier as it goes on. This contrasts very well with its kiddy exterior, and it's fun seeing what bizarre thing happens next.

The story here is fairly small, as it's only a short series, and the majority is made up of sketches (if that's the right word), but this doesn't mean it's an afterthought. Far from it, it's surprisingly well thought out! The events are quite ambiguous. Is this cult just a sham, is their god real, or is something else unknowable going on behind the scenes?

There's an admirable level of detail here, with some jokes flying by so fast (perhaps too fast!) it's easy to miss them. The show also experiments with different visual styles, as it will switch from a fuzzy VHS filter, to distorted vision and audio, to full HD! There's always an interesting in-universe reason for this to happen too, giving it extra legitimacy.

The characters are a colourful bunch. BJ seems like a typical zealot, but as his potential backstory is revealed and his sanity decreases, he becomes pretty sympathetic. Trent is somewhat opportunistic, while also suffering from crises of faith. Linda meanwhile is a pretty pathetic lady who's clearly caught up in the wrong crown, and has repeated bad luck as the series goes on. Final co-host Trina is perhaps the most malicious, often rewriting the show's history to suit her.

Guests include the perpetually suffering Neighbour George, a shabby magician, and 'clean comedian' Frankie Yabbiebait, who uses only the most timely humour imagineable (after all, we know Charles is gonna be the king by the 2000s, right?). We also have an appearance by Oxtos's enemy the Shädowmän, when the show's hosts teach the kiddies some dark rituals.

The cast in Hug the Sun are great! Ben Russell and Xavier Michelides not only created the show (and wrote it alongside their other mates), but star as BJ and Trent. Russell gets the lion's share of development as his character grows ever more insane and disfigured, while Michelides does well as the straight man. Andrea Gibbs is funny and cute as Linda, and Bonnie Davis also entertains as the smarmy Trina. Greg Larsen has a small but important role as the prophet Gary, getting some laughs. Also appearing are the Aunty Donna boys, as hilarious and crazy as you'd expect! A surreal and anarchic sketch comedy group, they also helped produced the series, as part of their 'Haven't You Done Well?' company.

There are only two areas where I'd have criticisms for Hug the Sun, and both are relatively minor. First, there were a couple of moments here and there that may have gone too far in terms of grossness. And secondly, the show is so short! Each episode is under 10 minutes, which I like and appreciate, but I also thought some of the elements like Frankie Yabbiebait's comedy routines could've maybe gotten more airtime if the episodes were longer. But I don't begrudge the episodes for being so short. After all, look at some shows, on tv or on the internet. They get get downright bloated! So it takes moxie to know when to end a thing while it's good.

That brings us of course to Hug the Sun's future. It seems like a done-in-one deal, having wrapped up the story and its characters pretty well. Will we see more of this wackadoo bunch? Perhaps. I suppose anything's possible, and I'm sure they'd be able to think of a creative way to do that. Although if it ended here, that would also be good, finishing on a high note rather than unnecessarily prolonging it.

Overall, Hug the Sun is a unique and creative show, and well worth a watch. And since it's government funded, you could consider it your patriotic duty to Australia to check it out! If not, maybe the jealous sun god Oxtos will be watching you...

Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun (2020-)

Australia has a long history of fantastic comedy no-one outside our borders have ever heard of. Some people like to act like it's our fault for being isolated, but really it's their fault for being lazy. If we get all of your crap, why can't you lazy Americans watch ours? You don't even need subtitles for us! Anyway, now that the internet has revolutionised media, comedians/entertainers no longer need worry themselves about borders ever again, as a single video can travel around the world as fast as light.

Mark, Broden, and Zack are three Aussie housemates who get up to all kinds of mischief. Whether they're trying to have a nice night in, organising for a date, training for the 'Lympics, or expecting the Queen of England over for dinner,

Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun is the latest work to come from Aussie comedy trio Aunty Donna. For years they've been working hard on their Youtube channel, and doing live shows. Their content ranges from sketches, to songs, and abstract theatre, all with a very surreal and often dark tone. Big Ol' House of Fun represents a graduation to a TV format, after the boys were picked up Netflix.  Thankfully the show keeps to its roots, and still has a delightfully anarchic atmosphere, while still making the most of its new trappings.

Right out of the bat, this show makes itself quite clear. Its comedy style is definitely niche, and some might be put off by the more gross, nonsensical, or random elements. Even I wasn't entirely sold on it at first, but it quickly grew on me, and those sketches that I wasn't so sure about ended up being some of my favourites. It's an often hilarious series, and all too brief at just 6 episodes. I did respect its brevity though, with some episodes being as short as 17 minutes!

There's a nice mix of standalone sketches and recurring gags. There are also many familiar Aunty Donna touches, like the sometimes loopy editing, filming, continuity, and all those other little things. What I feel the show really nails is scene progression. We move from one sketch to another so fluidly, which is really saying something considering how suddenly they can end, or how many of them take place just in the trio's house.

If I were to describe what this show is like, to give you an idea of what to expect, or what inspired it, think something along the lines of Spike Milligan's Q, Monty Python, and of course The Aunty Jack Show! I've no doubt that these boys have seen that Aussie classic.

Another thing I really liked is the show's overall tone. The characters can act mean, angry, or violent, but there's a good balance, and the show never feels mean-spirited. There are enough moments of positive moments of goofing around to make it a pleasant watch.

A big change is the move to America, but thankfully this doesn't negatively affect the show. It highlights the best of both worlds. It takes advantage of all that America has to offer, but also never forgets its roots. Aside from the three leads being proud Aussies, and speaking lots of local words or slang, many of the supporting actors are Aussie too. It makes one feel proud!

The three leads, Broden Kelly, Mark Bonanno, and Zachary Ruane, are a hilarious bunch. Throughout their various characters, they share great chemistry, and manage to pull of manic moments, rubber-faced insanity, as well as amusing deadpan or straight-faced moments. What I especially enjoyed was how quickly they can shift from goofy to serious. One moment they're all smiles, then suddenly "Broden, what the fuck?!" like a pin dropping.

The show is full of small appearances and cameos by various people, including American actors and comedians, to performers as high profile as Weird Al Yankovic! These are often funny, and never feel obnoxious or really in-your-face. It also never feels like the Donna boys have sold out just because they now have a celebrity in their show. Far from it, I gained a new respect for Ed Helms for his involvement in this (not only does he act, but executive produces too!).   It was also a delight seeing classic Aunty Donna collaborators like Michelle Brasier and Ben Russell!

The music in House of Fun is a highlight. There's a great variety, with musical numbers aplenty, short and long. Everything's a Drum is an arresting way of grabbing the audience's attention, and showing that these boys aren't afraid of a good tune. Some can come completely out of nowhere, so you never know when to expect the characters to suddenly burst into song. The ending theme is fun too. Sung by what I presume is a female electronic voice, it's tailored to match each individual episode, and is fun to hear each time, made all the better by the familiar Aunty Donna refrain.

Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun won't appeal to everyone, nor is it meant to. What's important is that it appeals to its longstanding fans, and has entertained many new viewers. I'm looking forward to a next season, and whatever else the Aunty Donna troupe brings to us. All in all, I'd say I'm fairly chuffed by this show...

Giant from the Unknown (1958)

The rural Californian town of Pine Ridge is on edge after a series of animal mutilations, which have culminated in murder. The sheriff suspects local geologist Wayne Brooks, who's just started helping the old professor Cleveland and his daughter Janet with their expedition. Cleveland is searching for evidence of the giant Vargas, a conquistador renowned for his cruelty. After a chaotic storm exposes a hidden rock, it turns out that Vargas is more alive than anyone dares realise...

Giant from the Unknown comes to us from director Richard E. Cunha, known for such b-grade 'classics' as She Devils, Frankenstein's Daughter, and Missile to the Moon (as well as some work on the minor gem Bloodlust). I was also under the impression that he directed The Neanderthal Man too (another mid-western indie horror film, about science gone amuck), but nope, that was someone else. Out of all of Cunha's movies, Giant is perhaps the best, or at least the best made. It's got a good concept, just the right level of craziness, while taking itself seriously.

The movie's setup isn't too bad, although it does take its sweet ass time. And the first act does raise a few plot holes, with the discovery of mutilated animals. I find this especially strange considering the monster hasn't actually come to life at this point! It's my theory that this was inserted at a late stage, to try and smooth over the fact that it takes 35 minutes before anything actually happens. If so it doesn't work, but oh well.

Once the film gets going it's entertaining enough, with a good climax. Although characters will often act stupid, usually to prolong the film to an acceptable runtime. Like when Wayne stealing a police car gives the sheriff all the evidence he needs to conclude the man who was with him this whole time is the murderer. But by far the worst example is when a posse has successfully surrounded Vargas, and all seems lost for the giant...until one absolute moron decides to sneak up behind him, and hit him with his gun! Did using it escape your attention?!

Wayne is your typical hero. Good looking, clever, and the only sane man in a town of skeptics. Janet is a fine love interest and sidekick, while her father is a likeable guy. He's a bit of a dope though. This search for Vargas is his life's work, yet after the course of a single uneventful day he decides that enough is enough, and that he should give up chasing this foolish dream. Jeez, you guys, at least give it another day or two! And naturally Janet immediately finds this evidence after 5 minutes of pissing about with the metal detector. The importance given to a plaster cast is also amusing.

The film's villain is a decent one, though him not being able to speak (through an awfully convenient excuse) does feel a bit weird, since he may be an asshole, but he is just a normal bloke! Speak Spanish and you'll be able to chat up a storm with him! His appearance and size are effective, and he even manages to be intimidating despite the movie's best attempts to make us laugh, with howlers like "Why do they refer to this Vargas as a giant?"-"Well, fragmentary accounts of the period relate that he was a man of extraordinary size.".

The local sheriff is a real piece of work! He's mistrustful of Wayne to the point of obsession, even though it should be plainly obvious this average geologist hardly beat a man to death. The guy even has the balls to threaten a Native American with vagrancy charges! Nevermind that that's a bullshit charge anyway, with no real basis in law, he's an Indian! He was here when your great grandpappy was still chasing maidens in the old country.

Indian Joe is a somewhat enigmatic character. He knows something bad is up, and warns the townsfolk, but doesn't trust them. He is however friendly with Wayne, and they share some good scenes. Unfortunately Joe dies offscreen halfway through. Not a bad decision, but it does deprive us of one of the more interesting characters. At least the discovery of his body does serve to suitably shame the angry mob. The fuckers were all set to lynch Joe, thinking he's the killer just because he knew enough to warn them!

There's a resident young couple in town, who face bad luck during their date. I felt bad for the girl, riiight up until I saw her run towards the giant to escape from him, then just stands there and does nothing but scream as he advances. Run, you dumbass, run! He weighs like 500 pounds, and is covered in armour, I'm sure you're faster! Her brother doesn't far much better during the climax, with his famous last words of "A man's job, huh? Well I'll show 'em".

Ed Kemmer and Sally Fraser are decent leads, while Morris Ankrum delivers a reliable enough performance as the kindly old professor. Buddy Baer makes for a pretty imposing villain, all without saying a word. As hard as it is to take a man decked out in old fashioned Spanish armour seriously, he does well!

The make-up effects for the giant are done by industry legend Jack Pierce (the man behind creations such as Frankenstein, and The Mummy), and it looks good, though quite subtle. He basically just looks like a regular guy who's been covered in a lot of dirt. Sill, it's convincing for what it is.

The direction here is pretty neat! The California wilderness works well, and there are moments both close-up and distant that look great, namely the final encounter. It's brief, and not entirely convincing (watch out for the reappearing railing!), but great nonetheless.

Giant from the Unknown has its sillier and unbelievable moments, but is a decently fun time, and worth watching for fans of b-movies...

The Giant Claw (1957)

Mitch MacAfee is a wisecracking electrical engineer and pilot, who creates a stir when he sees a strange object when flying. It was as big as a battleship, yet showed up on no radars. Mitch is chewed out, but his story is soon backed up when planes begin disappearing. The culprit is soon found to be a giant bird like monster, from a faraway galaxy. Conventional weapons are useless against it, and Mitch and friends will have to find an our of the box method of destroying it, before the world lies in ruins...

The Giant Claw is a quintessential b-movie. It has all the cliches, delivered in a fun way, and a monster sure to cause cheers whenever it appears.

The film begins with some ponderous narration, bringing us up to speed on the development of radars, and the inner workings of government. Thankfully this only affects the first act of the film, though it does return every now and then, and has an amusingly dramatic name for the monster-A feathered nightmare on wings. The movie is also in love with calling the monster as big as a battleship, as it makes that comparison what feels like 20 times, from at least 4 different characters! It gets to the point of ridiculousness!

The set-up and mystery in The Giant Claw is effective, and the monster's appearance is built up gradually, before a spectacular entrance. The titular creature has about three big scenes, and each are different. Some surprising moments include some people attempting to parachute away, only to be gobbled up by the swooping monster, one by one.

The Giant Claw has a somewhat unconventional hero, in that the older  who I figured would be a supporting comic relief player ends up being the lead! He's a likeable guy, with a good sense of humour. His sidekick Sally is just as neat, and the two have a good romance. Their best scene together is their aeroplane, which includes eye-rolling lines like "The kiss you take is better than you give.".

The interplay and banter comes so quick it doesn't feel like how people would really talk, but it is fun! They make such a din with their conversation to the point where a fellow passenger actually pipes up in objection. It's always nice when a movie acknowledges things like this.

Another funny moment was the appearance of some 'hip' teenagers, who frequently say 'Daddy-o', and get the hilarious line "Dig you later, gator!". Many viewers will probably cheer when they are attacked by the giant bird.

The science in The Giant Claw is fun, silly, and probably inaccurate. The alien bird is explained to be an antimatter creature from another galaxy (before the scientist backpedals and says it simply has an anti matter shield). How it doesn't explode in contact with regular matter is handwaved away. How a mere big bird is such a threat is explained well though. This force field makes it impervious to damage, unless the enterprising heroes are able to find a means of stripping it away.

One little thing I found interesting is how this film comes from a day when U.F.O. meant just that, before it became ubiquitously associated with spaceships. To us now, the idea of describing a giant bird as a U.F.O. sounds weird, but it must've made sense to them.

Now we come to the effects, the most famous (or rather infamous) aspect to The Giant Claw. The titular monster is hilarious! It looks like a Sesame Street character, and is bound to make you laugh every time it's onscreen. However, while it may look like a puppet, and the strings are sometimes noticeable, it's a damn good puppet! I genuinely applaud the level of effort that went into designing this. Ask anyone to make a puppet and see if it looks half as good as this.

The cast do fine jobs. Jeff Morrow is a good lead, and I liked how against type he was by not being a young slim hunk. Mara Corday is gorgeous, and delivers the emotion of the part, the humour, and the technobabble well. Morris Ankrum and Robert Shayne are nice additions, and I liked how positive and chummy they were with the heroes, despite their high ranking characters. The rest of the cast do well, with nothing bad. Although the teens do verge on cheesy!

The Giant Claw is not only cheesy by today's standards, but even made people back in the 50s laugh. But despite this it's still a very enjoyable picture, and well worth a watch! It's only an hour or so, and is sure not to waste you time...

The Deadly Mantis (1957)

After a volcanic eruption, a prehistoric mantis of unfathomable size is thawed out, and begins wreaking havoc as it migrates south to a warmer climate. As effortlessly as it can demolish human settlements, it can evade the military and its attempts to destroy the beast. Can it be stopped before it reaches a major city?...

Science really is typical. You set off a nuke in the Atlantic ocean, and a giant praying mantis attacks Antarctica. What's to be done?

The Deadly Mantis doesn't exactly get off to the most exciting of beginnings. Starting off with an abundance of stock footage, and bland voice-over telling us about government function, it wears on one's patience. I was thinking 'Bloody hell, cut out the damn telephone guide and begin the movie already!'. Eventually things do get rolling, as it's all fairly passable, especially in the climax, where things get more exciting.

If The Deadly Mantis has one big issue, is that it's hard to buy. We're supposed to just accept that a 50 foot tall praying mantis is hard to find. Call me crazy, but I think it's the kind of thing people tend to notice. You don't really see many of them about, after all.

Another problem is that it's a bit dull and listless for the first leg. To compare this with Beginning of the End, that film spent its first act gradually building up the threat, and neither the title nor the events suggests an obvious culprit. But when you put on a movie called The Deadly Mantis, it does feel a little frustrating to see the characters waddling about for 30 minutes wondering what could be going on. We know what's going on!

The film's location is a neat one. Of all the places to feature a giant mantis, the Arctic is fairly unique. And while its constant disappearances are still a surprise, at least an inhospitable wilderness is an easier spot for it to hide in. Which is why it's a shame the action moves south to Washington, where it's comparatively boring (except for the landmark action, of course). I think if the movie had've stuck with the Arctic, it could've made for a more claustrophobic setting, especially if the heroes only have limited resources.

It's a bit hard to get attached to the characters here, because it takes so long before we're introduced to the heroes. Before then we get a few people who could be the leads, who are then unceremoniously eaten. When they finally show up, they're a bit milquetoast. I was surprised who the plucky female sidekick ended up with though. I just assumed she'd shack up with the hunky scientist, but nope. Lastly, the ice station personnel are amusingly sex-starved-"He's with a woman! A female woman!".

The actors all do well with the material they're given. Nothing super impressive, but nothing bad either.

The effects in The Deadly Mantis are a high point. Many b-movies fail to live up to their titles, but this does. There's never a moment where the mantis is unconvincing. It meshes very well with its surroundings, and is suitably menacing.

Overall, if you're a fan of b-movies like I am, you're honour-bound to check The Deadly Mantis out! There are certainly ones bad enough to avoid outright, even if you are devoted to the genre, but this is hardly that bad. But if you're just a casual moviegoer, there are better ones to watch...