126 mins Archives - Big Gay Picture Show

Gods Of Egypt (Blu-ray Review)

October 30, 2016 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gerard Butler, Geoffrey Rush
Director: Alex Proyas
Running Time: 126 mins
Certificate: 12
Release Date: October 24th 2016 (UK)

When it was first announced, Gods Of Egypt sounded like it could be a fun and interesting movie, with the Egyptian Gods living alongside man in a pretty fantasy sci-fi way. However, it was rather stillborn at the cinema, with terrible reviews and just $31 at the US Box Office, despite costing $140 million to make. It also got a lot of bad PR for being a film about Egypt, where nearly all the major characters are white, except for Chadwick Boseman’s Thoth.

The film kicks off with Osiris (Bryan Brown) being about to hand the job of ruling Egypt to his son, Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). However, Osiris’ aggrieved brother, Set (Gerard Butler), has other ideas, interrupting the ceremony, killing his sibling and stealing Horus’ eyes. The power-hungry Set takes over, plunging the country into chaos as a result. [Read more…]

Terminator Genisys (DVD Review)

November 6, 2015 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jai Courtney, Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Dayo Okeniyi
Director: Alan Taylor
Running Time: 126 mins
Certificate: 12
Release Date: November 2nd 2015 (UK)

Having spent $10s of millions on buying the Terminator franchise, the backers of Genisys had a lot riding on the movie. The film was planned as the first part of a new trilogy, although it seemed that was in major doubt after it only made $89 million at the US box office. However worldwide it did much better, grossing $440 million overall. As a result we’re likely to see more Terminating, even if the original plans change.

It’s both a continuation and semi-reboot, with Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) sent back in time to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) from an evil Terminator (a CGI’d young Arnold Schwarzenegger), but once there it turns out events have changed since the first time we saw things, as Sarah is well aware of what’s going on, as she’s been protected by her own Terminator, which she calls Pops (a non CGI, aging Arnie), since she was a child. [Read more…]

The Wind Rises (Blu-ray Review)

September 29, 2014 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Martin Short, Stanley Tucci
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Running Time: 126 mins
Certificate: PG
Release Date: September 29th 2014 (UK)

While Japanese anime that covers weirdly sexual sci-fi, giant robots and horror has found its place in the West, what still seems like an anomaly to us are animated movies for grown-ups that don’t go that far into the fantastical. In fact for several reasons, and despite how good it is, it’s difficult to imagine The Wind Rises ever getting a release over here if it weren’t directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki (and it’s probably his last film).

The movie is a biopic of one of Miyazaki’s heroes, Jirô Horikoshi, starting with his youth as a young boy in the 1920s who dreams of being able to fly, but knowing that due to his bad eyesight he can never be a pilot. Once grown he heads off to university to become an engineer before getting a job helping to design planes. [Read more…]

The Wolverine (Cinema)

July 24, 2013 By Stephen Sclater Leave a Comment

Starring: Rila Fukushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Will Yun Lee, Hugh Jackman
Director: James Mangold
Running Time: 126 mins
Certificate: 12A
Release Date: 25 July 2013

Hugh Jackman returns from flexing his vocal chords in Les Miserables to more familiar territory of flexing his muscles in his sixth outing as Logan, AKA The Wolverine. Jackman stated he wanted to explore who the man was behind Logan – the mutant with Adamantium claws – and he manages to do so with James Mangold at the helm

So after five previous outings as Logan (we’re counting his brief appearance in X-Men: First Class), where can his new ‘vision’ take us? Well, based on an old and much Marvel comic book story arc, this time around Wolverine is enticed to visit Japan by Yukio and summoned to the deathbed of an old ‘friend’, Yashida, who states he can offer Wolverine mortality. Things being to take a dangerous turn when an attempt is made to kidnap Yashida’s daughter, Mariko. [Read more…]

Willow – 25th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)

March 6, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, Patricia Hayes
Director: Ron Howard
Running Time: 126 mins
Certificate: PG
Release Date: March 11th 2013

If you grew up in the 1980s, there’s probably a special place in your heart for Willow. Produced by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard, it sadly wasn’t a huge hit when it was first released. So while Lucas originally planned it as the first part of a trilogy, this is the only Willow movie we ever got (although two novels continued the story).

Watching it now, it’s interesting to see how it is essentially a sword & sorcery version of Star Wars. Even in 1987 the comparisons were easy to make in 1987 – the wizened evil ruler of an empire with magical powers and her black-clad henchman, a young man called to a journey he isn’t sure he’s ready for, an aged mentor who teaches the hero the true path, a wise-cracking loner who has to learn the value of being part of something bigger than himself. However there are even more parallels now we’ve had the Star Wars prequels, not least a child with a prophecy hanging over them. [Read more…]