"Titanic" 2012 TV Mini-Series Review

"Titanic" movie poster.

"Follows the lives of the ship's passengers, from all walks of life, as they travel on the maiden voyage of the ill-fated Titanic. From the wealthy family of the Earl of Manton, the designers of the ship, to the stokers in the engine room - who will make it onto the lifeboats?" Written by Anonymous (Link below.)

Glen Blackhall (L) and
Jenna-Louise Coleman.

Meant to appear on the anniversary of the fateful ship's sinking (it did show, I just didn't see it until now), produced by Nigel Stafford-Clark (Warriors, The Way We Live Now), written by Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park, Vanity Fair, The Young Victoria), "it sets out to paint a portrait of a whole society, telling the stories of a wide range of characters, both real and imagined, from every social level. Their narratives are developed and gradually interwoven over the first three episodes, each of which ends in a cliffhanger as the ship begins to founder. The fourth and final episode draws all of the different stories together and reveals to the audience who survives." (Link below.)

Maria Doyle Kennedy (L) and Toby Jones.

The cast was pretty amazing: Linus Roache, Geraldine Somerville, Perdita Weeks, Toby Jones, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Peter McDonald, Steven Waddington, Glen Blackhall, Antonio Magro, Jenna-Louise Coleman, Noah Reid, David Calder, Sophie Winkleman, and Dragos Bucur (who has the coolest name ever and appeared nude in a movie so expect that review soon. ;D)

Perdita Weeks -
look at that beautiful hat!

I thought the pacing was good. Each episode ended with a cliffhanger, so you had to keep watching. It was interesting how they showed certain people's perspective. Even though the cast is quite large, it felt like the ship wasn't really that big. There was so much focus on certain people that you forgot how many people were on it, so it was not as dramatic a catastrophe as I think the tragedy actually was. I did cry a lot though, so maybe it is more of a hindsight thing. They could've added more people and made it a longer series. I would've watched the whole thing, it was beautifully done.

Dragos Bucur.

The clothes were very good. I loved the hats and the dresses Perdita Weeks character, Lady Georgiana Gregs, wore. They were beautiful.

I think the person in charge of the music may have had a harder time than most trying not to sound too dramatic because it would definitely have reminded me of the James Cameron flick. Even still, they probably could've made it a bit more rousing and tense.

I can't compare this to other TV series because I don't watch TV, but I might start watching that Downton Abbey and The Borgias. The only thing I have watched to compare this to is the Cameron movie. It isn't as stirring as that movie and it had a claustrophobic feel to it, but it was still good. 

Sources: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1869152/plotsummary, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic_(2012_TV_miniseries), and http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1869152/.

Peter McDonald.

"Snow White and the Huntsman" Movie Review

"Snow White and the Huntsman"
movie poster.

"Snow White (Kirsten Stewart), imprisoned daughter of the late king (Noah Huntley), escapes just as the Magic Mirror Man (Christopher Obi) declares her the source of the Evil Queen's immortality. The Queen (Charlize Theron) sends her men, led by a local huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to bring her back. But upon her capture, the huntsman finds he's being played and turns against the Queens men, saving Snow White in the process. Meanwhile, Snow's childhood friend, William (Sam Claflin), learns that she is alive and sets off to save her." Written by G.C. Bendixen (Link below.)

This movie was very well done artistically, although it did remind me of "The Lord of the Rings" film series. Specifically as Snow White, the huntsman, and the dwarfs travelled, more specifically, over a range of mountains. 

Now, acting! 

Kirsten Stewart.

Kirsten Stewart didn't have that many lines for a title character, which is probably for the best. She did alright, but I can see where people get the impression that she doesn't act that well, because she doesn't. But if she keeps making movies like this, she'll do fine. 

Chris Hemsworth was wonderful as a beef cake. He had more room to 'move' with his character. But when they just randomly fall in love, it was kind of contrived. Unless it was completely physical, which it was not meant to be. It was supposed to be truthful and honest and 'love's first kiss' and mushy bullshit like that. But I got the impression that they just annoyed each other.

Chris Hemsworth.

Charlize Theron was splendid as Ravenna, the Evil Queen, but may have gone a little overboard on some of her lines: "YOU will DO this FOR me HUNTSMANNNNN!!!!!" That may have gotten to cult quote status now. I'm dead serious - she says it exactly like that.

Sam Claflin, who played William, the son of the Duke of Mehhhhh? (didn't quite catch it), was cute and decent. He was also in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides", he played the guy who fell in love with the mermaid. Ironically, Ian McShane, who plays a dwarf in this movie, was also in "POTC:OST" (I'm not typing that again) as Blackbeard. Interesting....

Charlize Theron.

The dwarfs were some of the best cast people in this movie: Sam Spruell, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone,  Nick Frost, Eddie Marsen, Toby Jones, Johnny Harris, and Brian Gleeson. Unfortunately, they didn't have a lot to do, but they were funny and instrumental in the teaching of Snow White on how to fight and, apparently, dance. 

The clothes in this were amazing! Colleen Atwood once again proves that she's going to be a big contender for the Oscar on Costume Design. She's already got two: she won for "Chicago" and "Alice in Wonderland". She's probably gonna win again. I put my money on her.

I give this movie 4 stars.

Charlize Theron.

Favorite Lines:

Queen Ravenna: Lips red as blood. Hair black as night. Bring me your heart my dear, dear Snow White. 

Queen Ravenna: Do you hear that? It's the sound of battles fought and lives lost. It once pained me to know that I am the cause of such despair. But now their cries give me strength. Beauty is my power.

Mirror Man: My queen, you have defied nature and robbed it of its fairest root. But on this day there is one more beautiful than you. 

Queen Ravenna: Who is it? 

Mirror Man: Snow White.

Queen Ravenna: Come and avenge your father, who was too weak to life his sword.

Queen Ravenna: I shall give this wretched world the queen it deserves.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1735898/plotsummary.