This is the first time I've bought a soundtrack before I've seen the film. I turned on Classic FM one night (yes I listen to Classic FM, I'm a music student, go figure!) and a wonderful piece of music was part way through. Although I was about to go to bed, I stayed up to listen to the end to find out what it was called. I had to wait about 10 minutes. It turned out to be The Might of Rome, one of the best tracks on the album. As soon as I heard it I knew I had to have it, and it was well worth it. The whole album is incredible, and despite not knowing much about the film I can visualise the kind of scenes would take place with each track. There are some passing similarities to other works, Titanic by James Horner being one, the Xena soundtrack by Joseph LoDuca being another, and faint traces of Mars the Bringer of War by Holst, but it is still a unique creation and specific to the setting of the film. I'm always impressed by composers who can combine Western musical influences, the full string orchestra etc, with more unusual sounds to create the right atmosphere, in this case conjuring images of Ancient Rome. This album won an Academy Award for best original score, and it's not surprising why. It was also in the running for Classic FM's album of the year. I would like to see the film as I expect the music elevates it to a spetactular movie, however, the music itself works fine on its own, and it is possibly better to listen to it first without preconceived images in your head which affect what you see when you hear it. I could do a whole music student type review of it, but I'll spare you that and just say it's brilliant, and gets 10 out of 10.
Disappointing. That's the best way to sum this one up. I was expecting a lot after the trailers and reviews I'd seen, so when someone who'd seen it told me it wasn't good, I dismissed it. They were right. It's a great film for kids, I went along with an 11 year old who loved it. For me though, I felt the plot could have done with fleshing out a bit more before jumping straight into the action. There were only two main cat characters when there could have been more, and the humans were bad. I absolutely love Jeff Goldblum, but this isn't his best film. Granted, the humans weren't the main point, but I still think they could have been done better. The first sequence is quite entertaining, and there are a few moments throughout where it perks up (karate cats!), but during the middle and end I was bored, and as a result ate far too many sweets. The redeeming feature is the main puppy called Leo, who is extremely cute. That aside, there's nothing to recommend about this one. It's not a bad film, and will probably be shown by BBC at Christmases and Easters for years to come. Ok for a rainy day maybe, and to keep kids occupied, but not worth forking out £5 for (can't wait to get my NUS card and get a discount!). If you want a kids film with in jokes for adults, this isn't it. Go see Shrek, I've heard it's really good. Verdict: 5 out of 10.
'What has it got in it's pocketsss?' I grew up listening to my Mum and brother saying this. Now I understand why. It's a well known line by just one of the fascinating characters that crop up in this marvellous book. Although this is primarily a childrens' story, I could never get into it as a kid and I think you can appreciate the history in it and the subsequent novels much more when older. This has all the elements of a fantasy adventure book, and the fact that it has such a well thought out history and geography adds to it, making it seem far more realistic. The central characters are very entertaining with their petty arguing and old songs, and the characterisation of the enemies is also very effective. I personally found it very difficult to get through the chapter about giant spiders, which is either because I have a vivid imagination or because Tolkien is a master at imagery. I think it is more the latter. When considering The Hobbit after having read some of The Fellowship of the Rings, it is remarkable to think that something in the first book which was essentially trivial, a way to get the characters out of a few scrapes, should evolve into the central theme of the subsequent works. I am greatly looking forward to the films of Lord of the Rings which will be released over the next few years, although I don't think they can do justice to the original books, but I hope they will have some mention of Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves. Overall, a thoroughly entertaining read, perfect as just an adventure tale, or for those who have more time, a detailed historical account of a fantasy world, complete with maps and runes and references. 9 out of 10.