Hello and a very warm welcome to July’s Library Film Blog. As we enter the Summer holidays and look to unwind after a long academic year, we seek to find fun activities for ourselves and our families. Well look no further than this month’s blog. For, in it I have details of four fantastical films full of adventure and intrigue that will keep you and your family glued to the screen for a couple of hours of the day.
Kicking things off with a bang, I begin with a film that transports you all the way to another planet, Andrew Stanton’s (Finding Nemo, Wall-E) John Carter (2012). Despite its slightly mundane name, its actually based on Edgar Rice Burroughs famous Barsoom series (fictional novels about the planet of Mars and its inhabitants); focusing in particular on the first book, A Princess of Mars (1912). With a strong cast that includes: Taylor Kitsch (American Assassin), Mark Strong (Kingsman series), Ciarán Hinds (Justice League), Samantha Morton (The Walking Dead), Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man) and Daryl Sabara (Spy Kids); this film was always destined to be a hit with audiences.
In a slightly convoluted timeline, the story begins in 1881 where a young Burroughs (Sabara) attends the funeral of his uncle (the titular character, a former Confederate Army Captain who fought in the US Civil War), who died suddenly and has been placed in a specialized tomb. After John Carter’s attorney gives Burroughs his journal to read (at John’s request), the period then flashes back to 1868 where Carter is arrested by enemy Colonel Powell who hopes to turn him to join the Union Army. Carter refuses and promptly escapes but fails to get far before running into Apaches (another antagonistic force to him), entering a cave full of gold to evade them.
A strange creature suddenly appears in the cave, and startled he attacks Carter (and Powell who had followed him), before being killed by John. When John does this the creature’s medallion is activated and he is transported to a dying planet… MARS (or Barsoom as the natives call it). In unfamiliar and dangerous territory, John must navigate this strange world, struggling to understand the native language or be trusted by the Barsoomians; all while being thrust into the middle of a brewing war across the planet. While praised for both its visuals and actions sequences, the film received some criticism for its marketing campaign and decision to differ its title from the book. Though a sometimes-confusing story and slightly lacking in character development, John Carter remains a fantastical adventure and a hell of a ride. It’s available to watch now through the Library on both DVD and e-stream. Experience John’s first moments on Mars in the taster clip by clicking the link below:
From a different planet we travel to an alternate dimension for our next adventure, with Brad Bird’s (The Incredibles, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) Tomorrowland: A World Beyond (2015). Headlined by George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven, Gravity), Britt Robertson (The Longest Ride) and Hugh Laurie (Stuart Little); this Disney film is aptly named after a futuristic themed land at one of its theme parks. Like its predecessor in this blog, this film also begins with a flashback, to the year 1964. It is in this year where a young boy named Frank Walker attends New York’s World’s Fair (a showcase of new technology and culture) to try and sell his prototype jet pack. Though rejected when it fails to work, he happens upon a young girl named Athena who hands him an orange pin and guides him to Tomorrowland, a futuristic cityscape situated in an alternate dimension.
In the present, teenager Casey Newton (Robertson) repeatedly sabotages the demolition of a NASA launch site in Florida in a vain effort to save her father’s job. After getting caught and arrested, she finds a pin (the same as Franks) in her returned belongings upon release and is transported to Tomorrowland herself after accidently activating it. Later on, she meets Athena who takes her to a much older Frank (Clooney), to ask for his assistance in saving the city and their own world; despite the fact Frank was banished from Tomorrowland long ago. A film about trying to succeed, it was praised for its original premise, performances, action and visual effects. Yet, it was criticized for not shining enough spotlight on the titular world. Watch it anytime, anywhere on only on e-stream. View the enticing trailer by clicking the link below:
Next, we turn to the much more niche flick, Mirrormask (2005). This movie’s premise was conceived by fantasy writer extraordinaire Neil Gaiman himself (we have plenty of his books available in the Library) and directed by Dave McKean. The intriguing story focuses on Helena Campbell (Stephanie Leonidas), a young woman who is part of a family circus alongside her parents (Rob Brydon and Gina McKee), but wishes to run away and have a real life. After their next performance, Helena engages in a heated argument with her mother about her desires, resulting in the latter’s collapse and fall into a coma.
Helena blaming herself and frantic with worry wakes up from her sleep that night in a dream-like state and encounters something quite strange. She discovers another world that mirrors her own and that may well be connected to her mother’s sudden illness. Upon learning that this other world is in danger, Helena embarks on quest to find a stolen charm; the ‘Mirrormask’; and must defeat her mirror self to retrieve it and save this new-found realm. Originally conceived as a direct-to-DVD release in most territories’, it was given a limited theatrical release in the US, and was once again highly praised for its visuals & creativity. Despite the story being a little elaborate, Gaiman’s creation is both original and fantastical enough to encapsulate anyone’s imagination for a while. This little known gem is available now only on DVD in the Library. Take a peek at one of the more humorous moments in this entry by clicking the link below:
Our last escapade see’s us return to New York for Shawn Levy’s (Cheaper by The Dozen, Stranger Things) comedy, Night at the Museum (2006). Based on a 1993 children’s book by Croatian illustrator Milan Trenc, it stars an ensemble cast of comedy and dramatic greats including: Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Robin Williams, Ricky Gervais, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan and Dick Van Dyke. The hero of this fantasy is divorced father Larry Daley (Stiller) who, struggling for employment accepts a job as the night watchman at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. On his first night in the job he makes an incredible discovery… at night the museums exhibit’s inexplicably come to life!
In the aftermath of unearthing the truth about his new workplace (which his predecessors clearly failed to notify him of), Larry must overcome his fears and learn to survive in his new occupation while trying to gain his son’s approval. To do this, he sets out on a journey to educate himself about his new friends and potential enemies within the confines of each exhibit, and the truth of just how they came to be alive (Again). His new potential friends and enemies include wax figures of; Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt (The 26th U.S. President), Sacagawea (a native guide for famous explorers Lewis & Clark), an Egyptian Pharaoh and Attila the Hun. He must endeavour to satisfy each figure’s wants and needs and keep them out of trouble, for fear of them exposing the museum’s secrets to the public.
Night at the Museum was a box-office smash becoming the 5th highest grossing film of 2006, and garnered mostly positive reviews with both the cast (especially Stiller and Williams) and the humour receiving high praise. It was so well liked it spawned not one but two sequels and was even responsible for a real-life rise in visitors for the same museum used as its setting at the time. Although not a perfect adaptation (nor was it meant to be), it remains a hugely funny and enjoyable family film (& franchise) perfect for a movie night. It also has the added bonus of being quite an educational film for the kids if you would rather they still be learning over the holidays, with plenty of real-life historical facts and figures alluded to throughout. This enthralling fantasy is available on both DVD & e-stream, and even better, so are its sequels! So why not watch all 3 in one go? Enjoy a clip of Larry’s first meeting with a playful T-Rex fossil by clicking the link below:
So, there you have plenty of adventures to experience from the comfort of your homes this summer. Be it to keep your kids satisfied for a while, for the whole family to enjoy, or even just yourself. These fantastical films will offer you all the humour, action and escape you need this holiday.
Not sure how to access e-stream? Then simply click on the link below….
Bradford College Planet Estream.
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