THIS WEEK'S FILMS ON DVD REVIEWED
Thor : The Dark World
UK certificate 12
108 mins
Genre : Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Directed by : Allan Taylor
Starring : Chris Hemsworth/Natalie Portman/Tom Hiddleston
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Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos… but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.
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Another outing in this franchise and not bad....As one might expect awsome special effects, perhaps style over substance.
Enjoyable ...yes, good performances ...of course
Recommended
7.5/10
Emperor
UK certificate 12
102 mins
Genre : Drama/History/War
Directed by : Peter Webber
Starring : Matthew Fox/Tommy Lee Jones/Eriko Hatsune
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On the staff of General Douglas MacArthur (Jones), the de facto ruler of Japan as Supreme Commander of the occupying forces, a leading Japanese expert, General Bonner Fellers (Fox) is charged with reaching a decision of historical importance: should Emperor Hirohito be tried and hanged as a war criminal? Interwoven is the story of Fellers' love affair with Aya, a Japanese exchange student he had met years previously in the U.S. Memories of Aya and his quest to find her in the ravaged post-war landscape help Fellers to discover both his wisdom and his humanity and enable him to come to the momentous decision that changed the course of history and the future of two nations.
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An absorbing drama of this period and well acted with some very fine performances from the lead actors.
Haunting at times and thought provoking, a truly atmospheric journey well told.
Recommended
7.5/10
Vikings : Season 1
UK certificate 18
390 mins (9 episodes)
Genre : Action/Drama/History/War
Directed : Ciaran Donnelly/Ken Girotti/Johan Renck
Starring : Travis Fimmel/Katheryn Winnick/Clive Standen
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Vikings follows the adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok (Fimmel): the greatest hero of his age. The series tells the saga of Ragnar's band of Viking brothers and his family as he rises to become King of the Viking tribes. As well as being a fearless warrior, Ragnar embodies the Norse traditions of devotion to the gods: legend has it that he was a direct descendant of Odin, the god of war and warriors.
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Another hard hitting, often brutal & bloody series ..This time the Vikings.
Not as convoluted as "Game of Thrones", much more straight forwarded in Storyline & perhaps better for it.
So far so good...gripping tales of the period..and yes majestic cinematography compliments strong performances.
Highly Recommended
9/10