Aaron Sorkin seems to be going from strength to strength. Already greatly esteemed from his massively impressive and hugely influential writing work on The West Wing, he has since gone on to win an Oscar for The Social Network and further TV and film projects as varied as Studio 60, Charlie Wilson’s War and Moneyball. His cameo in Tina Fey’s excellent 30 Rock played on the “walk and talk” style he so deftly established for The West Wing and with all of this under his belt he is now working on a new series for HBO, recently re-titled “Newsroom”, from the earlier but slightly unwieldly working title “More As This Story Develops”.

Newsroom will see Jeff Daniels (Dumb and Dummer) as show host Will McCallister and Sam Waterston (Law and Order) as network President Charlie Skinner alongside Emily Mortimer and Olivia Munn, with Sorkin’s now distinctive intelligent dialogue no doubt running swiftly between all concerned.

Here is (apparently) a very brief snippet of Sorkin’s dialogue from the show:-

Will: Charlie, I can’t go after Halliburton and miss.

Charlie: Oh report the goddam news, Will.

Will: You remember a guy named Dan Rather?

Charlie: Dan got it right.

Will: He’s no longer on television.

It is hard to imagine Sorkin putting a foot wrong, though Studio 60 did not last long. Perhaps with his reputation even higher now than it was after The West Wing, his latest project will have better legs.

Source: Collider.

It’s been a long time since we threw our collective voices into the podcasting arena but the Mouth Off Podcast is back with a revised format, some very special guests and an excellent film to get us back on track as we talk about Martin Scorsese’s forthcoming 3D extravanganza Hugo.

We are joined by Cassam Looch from Movie Vortex, Simon Thompson from 5USA’s Inside Hollywood and Matthew Turner from View London  to discuss the merits of Scorsese’s foray into the third dimension and if the film, billed as a family friendly adventure, is as enchanting as we had hoped.

You can read my review of the film here and if you do then you’ll see where I’m coming from but there’s a good amount of discussion on the film’s successes and failures to be had; such a divisive film deserves to be delved into and delve we do.

We hope to do as many of these as possible in the future so if you listen and you like do let us know and we’ll tame this podcasting beast once and for all.

Listen below or subscribe in iTunes here.

 HeyUGuys Mouth Off Drop-In: Hugo by heyuguysblog

Hugo is an intriguing premise for a film, with Martin Scorsese’s love for the showmen and pioneers of early cinema aligning perfectly with one of the integral elements of Brian Selznick’s book The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Add to this the fact that this is a Martin Scorsese film ostensibly aimed at children and his first film shot in 3D and we have a project which we’ve had our eye on for some time and one which arrives with high expectations.

It arrives in cinemas on the 2nd of December and there are thrilling elements to this often charming adventure story, with a fine cast and a wonderfully evocative visual design, but there’s more beneath this impressive surface to bring to light.

There are spoilers here, but scroll down to the final paragraph for my final word which won’t spoil the plot details for you.

Asa Butterfield is Hugo Cabret, an orphan whose life lies within the walls of a Parisian train station as he hurries himself through the building winding the clocks and trying desperately to scavenge enough spare mechanical parts to complete the building of an automaton he was renovating with his father before his tragic death. Hugo’s belief is that when completed the mechanical man will go through the motions dictated by his clockwork mechanics and convey a message from beyond the grave. Struggling to survive without his father and determined to find some escape from this existence Hugo watches the station come to life every day and spies a toy shop, whose workshop may yield the essential parts his needs to complete his project and conjure the spirit of his father one last time.

Ben Kingsley is a triumphant presence as the cantankerous Toy shop owner Papa Georges whose identity is revealed to be the legendary, and now forgotten, cinematic master Georges Méliès and Kingsley teases out every nuance of the anger and sadness of the loss of his former life, his reason to be. Scorsese clearly revels in the chance to show his two young stars pouring over the newly discovered works of Méliès and there’s a real, and unexpected, treat for fans of the director towards the end of the film. For this is his story, and Hugo’s discovery which forms this initial part of the film fades quickly into the background and never engages us again, though there is some incredibly overt metaphors brought to life in his disturbed dreams and some jarring and unsubtle moments of dialogue which betray any trust for the audience to make connections and feel the narrative and emotional echoes on a visceral level.

Chloe Moretz continues to impress and she is given the best lines early on in the film, with a literate and precocious quality to her which means that she, thanks to her unwavering ability to breathe a fresh and charming air into her characters, is the one who draws us in to Hugo’s mystery as well as revealing the true identity of her Godfather, Papa Georges. Sacha Baron Cohen’s Station Inspector is a wildly uneven character only made bearable by the actor’s talent for grounding the more cartoonish and slapstick moments with a trace of pathos and he works very well as Hugo’s nemesis, the man who snatches vagrant children and sends them off to the orphanage. Note must be made here of Kevin Eldon’s far too brief cameo which was pitch perfect and far more effective than some of the other, more prominent members of the supporting cast who circle the film without ever being given the chance to engage the audience.

Howard Shore’s rich and jaunty score is given prominence in the first ten minutes of the film which introduces us to Hugo, the station and the clockwork labyrinth which constitutes his world in the walls of the Parisian station and yet there’s very little held back; it, like the emotional message of the entire film, is writ large and loud. What does work is the production design which renders Paris and the central station beautifully though a little anonymously but there are a few breathtaking sweeps across the snow covered cityscapes – though I could easily do without the crossfade of the mechanics of a watch overlaid onto the streets of Paris (which is a great image and works perfectly as just that – there was no need for the metaphor to be explained). Much of the film was made at Pinewood and something of the legendary studio’s history plays in well with the themes of the film and it has a sumptuous quality without ever looking ostentatious or like ‘Tourist Paris’.

The film has been hailed many, many times as Scorsese’s love letter to cinema, and there’s no doubt his genuine affection for the evolution of the artform and the feelings the most potent directors can conjure but Hugo lacks the vital component which inspires us. Despite a glorious opening scene the narrative runs wayward in the vital first half an hour and the story of Hugo’s discovery of the automaton’s purpose is drained of the emotional impact it needs to engage us in the ongoing adventure of the story and when the story finds its feet (or slots nicely into the rails to use an appropriate image) it’s a bumpy road rather than a smooth voyage of discovery.

The 3D worked very well in most parts, and was among the most impressive I’ve seen for a long time. Seeing the city of Paris miles below from the vantage we are given through the clock tower windows induced the requisite vertigo and awe in equal measure and there were moments, particularly during the scenes in Hugo’s ‘lair’ behind the walls which made great use of 3D to convey the space very well indeed. Rather surprisingly the 3D was among the more subtle of the elements in play here.

Thanks to a number of sledgehammered metaphors and emotions so aggressively conveyed it was as if a director’s commentary was used instead of a script and there was very little discovery to be had here. I remember discovering Méliès as a kid watching documentaries on Star Wars and the evolution of special effects and then later on from Terry Gilliam’s own long forgotten TV series The Last Machine and I was enthralled by the invention and the wit of the early masters. I would have liked to have seen that illumination and discovery present in Hugo and I believe that was the original spark of the project from both Brian Selznick and then Scorsese himself.

It’s a handsome film with Chloe Moretz’s charming performance standing out along with Ben Kingsley’s savage and vulnerable man recapturing the spirit of his life but ultimately the heart of the film is more mechanical than magical.

**½~~ (2.5/5)

Martin Scorsese’s next film, Hugo, is just a couple of weeks away from its highly anticipated release now, and if you’ve missed out on our coverage of the film so far, you can catch up on it all right here.

Based on the novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick, the film has been penned by the brilliant John Logan, with whom Scorsese has previously worked on The Aviator, earning both its writer and director an Academy Award nomination.

We’ve now got a new clip to share with you, courtesy of Yahoo Movies, entitled, ‘Big Machine’, as well as five great new international character posters from the film, via IMP Awards.

“Synopsis: Adapted from the Caldecott-winning Brian Selznick​ novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret​,” Hugo is the story of a resourceful boy who lives in a train station and teams up with a spirited young girl to solve a mystery that is based in his past and affects both of their futures.”

The film stars Asa Butterfield as the eponymous Hugo, with a terrific supporting cast that includes Chloë Grace Moretz, Sir Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Sacha Baron Cohen, Christopher Lee, Emily Mortimer, Ray Winstone, and Helen McCrory.

Hugo will be with us in just under two weeks, coming out on 2^nd December, and it’s expected to do fantastically. Early reviews have been singing its praises, so I’m naturally more than a little excited that it’s only a short time until it hits the big screen. Without further ado, here’s the new clip from the film, followed by the five character posters. As usual with the latter, click to enlarge.

And if you’re reading this before midday on Wednesday 23rd November, then you can click here to enter our competition to win a pair of tickets to the Royal Film Performance of Hugo in London on 28th November. Good luck!

A new clip and over 50 images of Martin Scorsese’s first 3D film, Hugo, have been released this week.

The images consist mainly of stills from leads Chloe Grace Moretz and Hugo himself, Asa Butterfield, but also some of the characters we are yet to see from the trailers, including Sacha Baron Cohen, Richard Griffiths, and Emily Mortimer as well. There is also an image of Scorsese directing and one of him on-camera in a cameo. These pictures bring a whole new understanding to the film, highlight the magical ‘30s Paris, some wonderful costumes, and a general care to details that Scorsese puts into his films.

Based on Brian Selznick‘s award-winning best-seller, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Hugo is a young orphan boy, living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station in the 1930s. The story follows him on a magical adventure involving his late father and an automaton to unlock a secret that will transform his life and reveal a place he can call home.

The film also stars Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, and Michael Stuhlbarg, and is set to be released in UK cinemas on 2nd December and next week (23rd November) in the US.

Here’s the new clip, courtesy of CinemaBlend:

And here are some of the images, and you cansee the entire gallery here:

To celebrate the release of Martin Scorsese’s HUGO, in cinemas December 2nd we have a pair of tickets to the Royal Film Performance™ to give away. The event is black tie and will be  taking place on Monday 28th November in Central London.

We’re truly excited about Martin Scorsese’s first foray into the third dimension and the trailers we’ve seen so far have looked spectacular.

Here’s a little more about the film and look below for your chance to win.

Throughout his extraordinary career, Academy Award-wining director Martin Scorsese has brought his unique vision and dazzling gifts to life in a series of unforgettable films. The legendary storyteller invites you to join him on a thrilling journey to a magical world with his first-ever 3D film, based on the award-winning New York Times best-seller, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret.”

HUGO is the astonishing adventure of a wily and resourceful orphan boy whose quest to unlock a secret left to him by his father will transform Hugo and all those around him.

The film’s amazing all-star cast includes Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer with Jude Law.

All you need to do is answer the following simple question in the form below,

Who wrote the book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, on which the film is based?

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Competition specific T&Cs follow:

•    Closing date is Wednesday 23rd November at midday.
•    This competition is not open to employees of, or writers for HeyUGuys, Entertainment Film Distributors, their agents or anyone else associated with this promotion.
•    The competition is open to UK residents.  If the winner is under 18 years of age they must take a parent or guardian as their guest.
•    Normal film certificate restrictions apply.
•    The first prize is 2 tickets (1 pair) to the Royal Film Performance™ on the evening of Monday 28th November 2011 in central London.
•    The event is black tie.
•    Travel and any accommodation is the responsibility of the winner.
•    The first prize winner will be notified by phone on Wednesday 23rd November to check their availability and if they cannot attend or be reached within 24 hours another name will be drawn. We will make all reasonable efforts to notify the winner. If the winner cannot be contacted within this time we reserve the right to draw an alternative winner.
•    The promoter reserves the right to substitute the prize for one of greater or equal value. The decision of the promoter in all matters is final and binding.
•    The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence shall be entered into. Entertainment Film Distributors (EFD) cannot be held responsible if the event is cancelled or details changed due to unforeseen circumstances which are beyond their control. In this event the winner will receive tickets to another EFD premiere happening in 2011/12 which will be specified by EFD.
•    Tickets are non-transferable.
•    All prizes are subject to availability.
•    Details are accurate at time of publication.

www.entertainmentfilms.co.uk

MOTION PICTURE © 2011 GK FILMS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

© 2011 Disney / Pixar

It’s time to enjoy a brand new adventure with best friends Lightning McQueen and Mater as Cars 2 pulls in to stores exclusively on Disney 3D Blu-ray, Blu-Ray and DVD from 21 November 2011. To celebrate the release, we are giving away a copy of the film on Blu-ray to 3 lucky winners!

Star race car Lightning McQueen and the incomparable tow truck Mater take their friendship to exciting new places in Cars 2 when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret spy mission, Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world.

Fast-paced, fun and full of new characters, Cars 2 is a globe-trotting animation treat that Disney Pixar fans won’t want to miss!

Cars 2 is available from 21 November 2011 on Disney 3D Blu-ray™, Blu-Ray™ & DVD, pre-order you copy today at Disney Store.

To be in with a chance of winning just answer the following simple question using the form below:

What is the name of Lightning McQueen’s best friend?

1. Buddy
2. Mater
3. Pally

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 21st November at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received
• No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

Here’s another new poster for Martin Scorsese’s new movie, Hugo. I do like this poster but it has to be said that it looks just like the Robert Zemeckis movies, The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol but it’s quite possible the same designer was responsible for all three.

I’ve just done a bit of research and it would actually that BLT & Associates were responsible for creating both the Christmas Carol and Hugo posters while The Cimarron Group were responsible for The Polar Express poster. I guess it’s the trademark of a company to create similar looking posters but when I look at this new Hugo poster, I really do just see the Christmas Carol marketing campaign. Check out all three posters below and see what you think.

Hugo stars Chloe Moretz​, Jude Law​, Richard Griffiths​, Ben Kingsley​, Christopher Lee​, Sacha Baron Cohen​, Emily Mortimer​, Helen McCrory, Ray Winstone​ and should be with us 2nd December this year.

Synopsis: Adapted from the Caldecott-winning Brian Selznick​ novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” Hugo is the story of a resourceful boy who lives in a train station and teams up with a spirited young girl to solve a mystery that is based in his past and affects both of their futures.

Source: IMPA

Entertainment Films have sent us this new 90 second UK trailer for Martin Scorsese’s new movie, Hugo which is set for release 2nd December 2011. I’ve called it a trailer but it’s more of a featurette with Scorsese giving information on what the story is about throughout it but it’s a really nice way in which they’ve done it. Scroll down to have a watch and I’ll get the HD version up here as soon as I can get it uploaded.

The movie stars Chloe Moretz​, Jude Law​, Richard Griffiths​, Ben Kingsley​, Christopher Lee​, Sacha Baron Cohen​, Emily Mortimer​, Helen McCrory, Ray Winstone​ and should be with us 2nd December this year.

Synopsis: Throughout his extraordinary career, Academy Award-wining director Martin Scorsese has brought his unique vision and dazzling gifts to life in a series of unforgettable films. The legendary storyteller invites you to join him on a thrilling journey to a magical world with his first-ever 3-D film, based on Brian Selznick’s award-winning, imaginative New York Times best-seller, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret.”

HUGO is the astonishing adventure of a wily and resourceful orphan boy whose quest to unlock a secret left to him by his father will transform Hugo and all those around him.

You can catch the rest of our Hugo coverage here.

In the past couple of weeks, we’ve had a few great pictures and a featurette for Martin Scorsese’s highly anticipated next feature film, Hugo.

The film is set to be a slightly different affair to his last two films, The Departed and last year’s Shutter Island, with more of a family adventure film feel expected in Hugo.

A new international poster for the film has arisen over at FilmoFilia, giving us a look at Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) as the young lead, Hugo Cabret.

“Based on the best-selling children’s historical fiction book by author Brian Selznick, Hugo tells the story of an orphan boy Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) living a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. With the help of an eccentric girl, he searches for the answer to a mystery linking the father he recently lost, the ill-tempered toy shop owner living below him and a heart shaped lock, seemingly without a key.”

The film, written by the awesome John Logan (The Last Samurai, Gladiator), has an absolutely terrific cast alongside Butterfield, including Chloë Grace Mortez (Kick-Ass), Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean), Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes), Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings), Emily Mortimer (Shutter Island), Sacha Baron Cohen (Brüno), Sir Ben Kingsley (Shutter Island), and Ray Winstone (The Departed).

A rough translation of the French text on the poster, via Google Translate, reads, ‘Unravel the mystery on 14^th December,’ or (roughly) literally, ‘Discover the key to the mystery on 14^th December,’ which fits in with the imagery of the key we’ve seen on the first official poster that came out back in the summer alongside the trailer.

Luckily for us, we’ll be getting this a little earlier than France, with a UK release date scheduled for 2^nd December, just a month and a half away. Without further ado, here’s the brand new poster to enjoy with a beautiful shot of wintertime Paris behind the young Hugo Cabret. As usual, click to enlarge.

If you were one of the lucky ones who took a chance on the secret screening at this year’s New York Film Festival then you can feel pretty pleased with yourselves as it was revealed yesterday that a ‘work-in-progress’ print of Martin Scorsese’s 3D adaptation of Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret, or Hugo to his mulitplex friends, would be that secret film.

To say I’m jealous would be a terrifying understateent, as I’ve followed the production with great enthusiasm since it was announced that Scorsese would be taking on the project,  a beautiful story wrapped up in a love of the magic of cinema, and everything I’ve seen so far has done nothing to dampen my spirits.

Today we see a new featurette from the film with Scorsese himself talking us through his take on the tale with some new footage spliced in there too. Also a couple of new pics have emerged which show off the wonderful production design.

A Thanksgiving release for a 3D kids film from Scorsese will be a new experience for director and audiences alike but if there’s as much magic in this film as in the lost world of silent cinema it celebrates then we’re in for something special.

Pics from Empire,

Video from The Playlist

I’m still a little miffed that it was decided to excise ‘The Invention of’ and then ‘Cabret’ from the title of Brian Selznick’s wonderful novel to leave us with the rather dull title of ‘Hugo’, yet I’m still very much looking forward to Martin Scorsese’s first dalliance with the third dimension as he tells the story of the titular orphan discovering the truth and legacy of the old toymaker whose shop sits in the Paris railway station in whose walls he lives.

There’s a cracking cast for this film with Asa Butterfield and Chloe Moretz leading  Jude Law, Richard Griffiths, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lee, Sacha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer, Helen McCrory and Ray Winstone in this 3D extravaganza which takes in everything from automatons to the magic of the silent cinema.

The only trailer we’ve seen was a lot of fun and given the period setting every new glimpse we get of the film is riddled with detail and essential for those looking forward to this one.

So, here are two images from the fine people at The Playlist which show off the toy shop of Uncle George (whose true identity cineastes will know) with Ben Kingsley looking appropriately severe and there’s also a look at Jude Law as Hugo’s Father building a robot which becomes very important to the whole shebang.

It’s a magical story, one which Scorsese has hopefully translated perfectly to the big screen. The 2nd of December is the date to mark in your diaries.

HBO have picked up Aaron Sorkin’s news drama, tentatively titled More as this Story Develops, to series.

Set behind the scenes at a cable news show, the HBO series will star Jeff Daniels (The Squid and the Whale), Emily Mortimer (Lars and the Real Girl), Alison Pill (Milk), Olivia Munn (Date Night), Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire), Sam Waterston (The Killing Fields) and Josh Pence (The Social Network).

Greg Mottola (Paul) has directed the pilot episode, with Scott Rudin, one of the minds behind The Social Network, on board as producer.

More as this Story Develops will air in 2012.

Source: Variety

Okay, so there is no shortage of material already out there for “Our Idiot Brother”, Paul Rudd’s latest lead role, as an Idiot Brother.

The trailers so far (you can catch up on everything so far right here) show that Paul Rudd is indeed an idiot and these latest two offerings do nothing to detract or dissuade from that.

The red band trailer and tv spot are NSFW due to a bit of swearing and drug reference, but otherwise they are very much along the lines of what we have already seen. It should be a lot of fun, what we don’t know is whether Rudd can elevate the material above the predictable and give us something a little more special.

Thanks to Film Filia.

Our Idiot Brother is a Paul Rudd comedy, so it’ll immediately have charmed many of you into submission and while I can’t find it easy to forgive the bass slapping dance thing out of I Love You Man* I’ll buy him as a likeable stoner who annoys his family when he arrives on the doorstep of his three sisters.

Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer are those sisters and are the focus of the new clip and it’s always a pleasure to see Mortimer on screen even when she’s being harangued by the other two. Steve Coogan turns up in this one too as husband to a sister and the trailer we saw recently made it look as if there’s a decent script to go with the so so premise.

The film played pretty well at Sundance and there’s just over three weeks until it turns up on America’s door with a blunt in one hand and a guitar in the other demanding to be let in. No news as to a UK release.

MovieWeb served this one up,

* This is what I mean…

While I now, of course, appreciate the full genius of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli – I’m only human – it wasn’t exactly love at first sight.

Having caught Spirited Away as a teenager, complete with pig parents and a rather spiritless American voice-over, I was clearly ill-equipped to take it in – distracted as I was by Pixar and their at that time peerless pixels. All that changed, however, when I discovered Howl and his absolutely enchanting moving castle.

For those of you who, like a younger me,  haven’t discovered Studio Ghibli yet (there’s always one), Howl’s Moving Castle follows the various misadventures of Sophie (Chieko Baishō/Emily Mortimer), a beautiful 18 year-old hat-maker with confidence issues. Unintentionally attracting the attention of Howl (Takuya Kimura/Christian Bale), Sophie invokes the jealous wrath of the Witch of the Waste (Akihiro Miwa/Lauren Bacall), who curses the young haberdasher with the body of an old woman. Magically prevented from speaking of her condition, Sophie abandons the shop and runs away.

Encountering a sentient scarecrow quickly dubbed Turnip Head (Yō Ōizumi/Crispin Freeman), the two soon find themselves in the shadow of Howl’s mysterious castle. Befriending the castle’s power source, a quick witted fire demon named Calcifer (Tatsuya Gashūin/Billy Crystal) who is able to see through the witch’s curse, Sophie successfully barters her freedom for that of Calcifer’s, requiring her to break the spell tying the demon to the castle. Assuming the role of cleaning lady, Sophie learns that Howl is being forced to participate in a war between her own world and its neighbour by the royal courts magician, Sulliman, who desires Howl’s heart for her own nefarious means.

Adapted from Diana Wynne Jones’ book of the same name, Howl’s Moving Castle isn’t your average children’s movie. In part a quasi-reaction to America’s war on Iraq, Miyazaki’s take on the narrative favours pacifism as motivation over the author’s own thematics and view of Howl as somewhat of a womaniser. It is a complex tale, not only propagating anti-war sentiments as well as discussion of destiny, duty and death, but a plot that takes in everything from witchcraft to time travel. It is resoundingly Ghibli, however, and as I have come to appreciate that means boundless creativity and a visual flair beyond even the reach of Pixar or Golden Age Disney.

What I love about Howl is its wild abandon, telling its tale with unwavering verve and vivacious characterisation. The similarities to 2007′s Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (another film I have all the time in the world for) are undeniable; from the multi-destination door-knob to the whispers of a possible bewitched bequest the echoes are many. However, what is most striking is how wonderless the Emporium comes off in comparison,  its bouncy-ball room paling in comparison to Miyazaki’s trademark depth and dimensions. Howl’s Moving Castle is utterly enthralling, the result far more fulfilling and – it must be said – far less trite.

While I have since fallen in love with Princess Mononoke, Ponyo and – with hindsight – Spirited Away too, only one thing continues to irk me with respect to Ghibli’s finest: the diabolical dubbing. Spared the annoyance with Arrietty, I fail to see the attraction of a Gillian Anderson voiced forest spirit, a Christian Bale voiced anything or, worst of all, Billy Crystal’s Calcifer. There is something wonderfully endearing about the original voice work, the enthusiastic exclamations of the Japanese voice cast adding something entirely authentic to the film. I’m sorry to say that this playfulness is somewhat lost in translation, though the stunning visuals and inspired storytelling of course compensate duly for the sound of Liam Neeson’s voice.

Don’t listen to the naysayers claiming Howl to be a weak link in the Ghibli canon, it is anything but. Spoilt by a succession of exceptional films, such people are keen to overlook the brilliance of a film Miyazaki was never himself supposed to direct. Majestic, compelling and an absolute delight, Howl is little short of a genuine masterpiece.

Arrietty is out now.

The last poster that we got for Our Idiot Brother, the upcoming comedy led by Paul Rudd, wasn’t exactly the best thing we’ve ever seen, to put it nicely. But now HitFix have got the new poster for the film, and it’s looking much better.

We now get to see Rudd’s co-stars, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, and Emily Mortimer, who play his sisters in the film, with Rudd clearly getting on their nerves just by being his laid-back self.

The film premiered at Sundance at the start of the year to some good reviews there and in case you missed it you can see a trailer here. To me, there aren’t that many comedians that have a great track record, but Rudd is certainly one of them. He’s been going from strength to strength over the past decade, following his break in Clueless, starring as Phoebe’s boyfriend and then husband in Friends, as well as taking supporting roles in a number of Judd Apatow-related movies, including Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and the upcoming Wanderlust opposite Jennifer Aniston and the next Apatow-directed feature, This Is Forty, a spin-off from Knocked Up.

In Our Idiot Brother, Rudd stars as Ned, an upbeat, laid-back guy that gets arrested when he sells cannabis to a police officer. After his release, he successively moves in with his sisters and manages to disrupt their lives and (hopefully) cause general comedic chaos for the family.

Banks, Deschanel, and Mortimer have of course all been rising to bigger and bigger recognition in recent years, and it’s great to see a comedy with such a good line-up like this. Also co-starring alongside them all will be Steve Coogan, who is a bit of a comedy genius, and Rashida Jones, who starred with Rudd in I Love You, Man and who played the junior lawyer defending Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network last year.

The film is directed by Jesse Peretz, who directed the Zach Braff-starrer, The Ex, a few years back, and who also has a number of great music video credits, including Foo Fighter’s Learn To Fly, which won him a Grammy Award in 2001. Currently scheduled to be released in the US on 26th August, and with no date scheduled for the UK, it looks like we may have to wait until its DVD/Blu-Ray release to catch this one, which is a shame. Without further ado though, here’s the new and improved poster. As usual, click to enlarge.

To say that Cars 2 is bigger than its predecessor is an understatement.  To say it is better than the first film would be robbing it blind. But if you said that Cars 2 is one of the biggest and best film of the year, you would be right on the money.

Let me start this review off with a dash of honesty before we get started.  I think the first Cars film is the weakest of the 12 films Pixar has pumped out over the last 16 years.  I liked the film overall, as I do with most of what that studio releases, but I just didn’t connect with it as I assumed I would.  The feeling of days gone by doesn’t connect all that well with my generation.  Sure, I spent most summers cramped in an RV with my two sisters traveling around the States and taking in the views.  A fact I hated when I was younger but thank my parents for now as often as I can.  So I figured the Route 66 theme would be a real treat to see. The film, like all Pixar films, is beautiful to watch, but I couldn’t get over the idea of a world populated by talking cars. Sure, the film starts off with a bang at that insanely cool Nascar race, but the second Lightning jumps over a crashed car with his tongue out, I was gone.

Call me a scrooge but I’ve already done bugs, toys and monsters. Also keep in mind that I was coming off the high of Pixar’s previous film, The Incredibles which truly lived up to its name. Something about visiting another world of anthropomorphized characters in Cars wasn’t something I was ready to do again. So when I heard Pixar was working on Cars 2 I was all set to let that film be the first one I would be skipping.

John Lasseter doesn’t like sequels, a fact he’s been very open about. So on the verge of a 3rd Toy Story film (Toy Story being my all-time favorite), Pixar announced a sequel to my least favorite of their films. I was already talking about how Pixar had lost its touch and they didn’t have any new stories to tell and they were scrapping projects (Newt) and DreamWorks was churning out winners.  It all looked pretty awful for a moment.  All this negativity had me believing Cars 2 would be the end of the streak for Pixar.  I could not have been more wrong and proves that I should never doubt Lasseter and his team of creative genius.

Besides this film being tonally very different from the first, which helps for me, it’s an incredibly enjoyable film on its own merits. Under the hood of the film is still the relationship between Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) and Lightning (Owen Wilson) that’s very stock when it comes to these types of films. However, everything else on the surface is totally custom.  Cars 2 is a spy caper wrapped up in shiny Pixar skin. Simply put, Cars 2 is the best action film I’ve seen all year and delivered in a package only Pixar can.

Cars 2 starts out with a very James Bond like action sequence. We are immediately introduced to our newest character Finn McMissle (Voiced by the great Michael Caine) as he is in full spy mode investigating this creepy oil rig in the middle of the ocean. This scene sets the tone for the entire film. It’s beautiful and full of action and I almost forgot that cars were talking.  When we finally meet back up with the old gang at Radiator Springs, which provides the only breath you’ll get in the film, we are given a nice touching tribute, which provides dual services to both Doc Hudson and the man who voiced the character, Paul Newman. The short time we spend in Radiator Springs is all that remains of the first film.  We are swept away as Cars 2 successfully navigates two different and sweeping storylines.

Our first story involves Lightning McQueen in his attempt to prove he is the fastest car in the newly created “World Grand Prix”.  Cars from all over the world are entered into a three-race series that takes them to Tokyo, Porto Corsa and London. The real race, however, is between McQueen and a Formula-1 car, voiced by the great John Turturro, named Francesco Bernoulli, a character more boisterous then Jean Girard from Talladega Nights. Their races are elaborate and the settings are beautiful in a way that you can only truly appreciate in 3D. However, all this is happening in the background, the real story rests on the shoulders of the witless tow-truck Mater.

In a conventional way, Mater is mistaken as an American spy and is swept up into this world of espionage and action.  What happens after is quite unconventional in Pixar films.  The film has strong political themes and actually depicts a lot of violence, including the death of several characters, something we haven’t seen on screen since The Incredibles.  The World Grand Prix is created by a wealthy alternative fuel car by the name of Miles Axelrod (voice by Eddie Izzard). He has created the alternative fuel Allinol he believes will reduce our dependence on fossil fuel and requires that all cars in the race use this as proof.  However, there is someone behind the curtain that isn’t too fond of that idea. It’s up to Mater, who is forced to team up with  Field Agent Finn and desk jockey Agent Holley Shiftwell, (Voiced by Emily Mortimer) to find the mastermind behind all the evil doings.  Both of these new characters add so much to the film I can only hope they return to do more in future installments.

The film is Mater centric, so if you didn’t like him in the first one, you may have a hard time with the amount of screen time he gets.  If you are one of those people though let me start by saying you’re not alone.  Mater was my least favorite character in the first film, but there is something about his journey that I really like. With the addition of Holley Shiftwell, we get to see two of these characters take very similar journeys alongside each other and eventually towards each other.  I also think the emergency brake-180 burnout this film does helps quell anything you may have disliked in the first.  Sure there are some plot devices that seem to make no sense whatsoever and some obvious humor that seems a bit over the top for Pixar. But overall this film brings back memorable characters in a totally new adventure that leaves the original in the dust.

I think Cars 2 is the standout film thus far in a very hectic summer movie season.  With the addition of great new characters and amazing locations you’ll also want to see it in 3D.  I was fortunate enough to see the film at its world premiere so the bulbs were amped up and the glasses didn’t darken the image all that much.  But I mention being at the World Premiere, thanks to Disney, only to stress the point that I would gladly pay to see this film again. At the end of the day isn’t that what we moviegoers expect from our films, to be worth every penny?

****~ (4/5)

“Cars 2” opens in the US on the June 24, 2011 an in the UK on the 22nd of July.

This Friday sees the release of Disney Pixar’s latest movie, Cars 2 and yesterday morning, the UK premiere was held with director John Lasseter, stars Sir Michael Caine, Jason Isaacs and producer Denise Ream all in attendance. Our friends from Upbeat were there to interview them all and have very kindly passed over their footage. Check out the interviews in the video below.

Cars 2 is directed by legendary John Lasseter and features a voice cast which includes Owen Wilson , Larry The Cable Guy, Michael Caine , Emily Mortimer , Bonnie Hunt , Tony Shalhoub , Cheech Marin , Jason Isaacs , Joe Mantegna , Peter Jacobson , Thomas Kretschmann , Guido Quaroni , Lloyd Sherr , Paul Dooley, John Ratzenberger , Jenifer Lewis, Michael Wallis , Katherine Helmond , John Turturro , Franco Nero , Vanessa Redgrave , Eddie Izzard , Bruce Campbell, Michel Michelis, Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip , Lewis Hamiltonand David Hobbs. Rather extensive eh!

You can keep up to date with all our Cars 2 coverage here and watch it when it hits UK cinemas 22nd July.

Synopsis: Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy ) take their friendship to exciting new places in “Cars 2″ when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret spy mission, Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. Adding to the fast-paced fun is a colorful new all-car cast that includes secret agents, menacing villains and international racing competitors.

This film has me intrigued. Not only is it Martin Scorsese’s first foray into the world of 3D but it is primarily a film for children, as well as the fan of the magical era of silent cinema.

I enjoyed Brian Selznick’s book The Invention of Hugo Cabret immensely, quite why the film has followed Disney’s nonsensical title shortening of its John Carter of Mars movie to become, first Hugo Cabret, and finally Hugo, is beyond me but the enchanting tale of the titular orphan living in a Paris train station is a captivating love letter to the magicians of early cinema.

With the help if a young girl and her grandfather, who is inextricably linked to the young world of moving pictures, Hugo struggles to cope with the loss of his father and help a reclusive man step back into the public spotlight.

We’ve kept a close eye on this film since it was announced that Scorsese was taking charge as the promise of the recreation of some of the famous silent films was too good to ignore, and you can see some set videos and images here.

Sir Ben Kingsley appears alongside Chloe Moretz and Asa Butterfield who lead the cast of Jude Law, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, Emily Mortimer, Michael Stuhlbarg and Christopher Lee.

Apple have the trailer in HD.