March Releases

Cinema Releases

Alice in Wonderland

Release Date: March 5th

Once again the unbeatable duet of actor Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton is upon us, they’ve collaborated together before this project, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Edward Scissorhands to name a few, and their back in this sequel to a classic “Alice in Wonderland” we are also again taken into this 3D concept which nowadays is indeed nothing new, but always a pleasant touch.

Lewis Carroll’s 1951 original continues as we now see Alice at the age of 19, she is again taken back into the magical world where she once was when she was a kid, why is she back there again? Well she soon finds out as she must end the evil Red Queens reign over the land.

This film will indeed be interesting to watch kind of like watching the re-make of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in which we find the original was happy and just your average kids movie, but when Tim Burton got his hands on to re inventing it he added his own talent making it feel kind of out of this world and a bit more darker, I am more than certain that this will occur again in Alice in Wonderland as he takes it one step further and makes a sequel to a film made nearly sixty years ago.

Comedy, Adventure, and a whole bunch of enchanting characters have all been chucked into this film, as well as a 250 million budget, making it sure to be a dazzling watch, its been hyped up since at least November last year, so make sure you don’t miss it.

Clash of the Titans

Release Date: March 26th

As if Sam Worthington couldn’t have a better start to the year, the last film he appeared in was Avatar which is nominated for 9 Oscar awards, there is actually no stopping him as he comes blasting back onto our cinema screens in a remake of the 1981 classic.

The mortal son of Zeus (Liam Neeson) Perseus (Sam Worthington) is sent on a quest to the dark underworld to stop the evil Hades ruling the world. Yes the story line may well just seem like your standard good vs. evil plot and I guess to some extent it is, but at the same time it looks like it will really hit new heights for being imaginative and spectacular.

Director Louis Leterrier is behind this one so really anything could happen, his last project was the supreme Incredible Hulk which did indeed surpass the terrible efforts of the first one. So with that being said maybe this Clash of the Titans re birth with all its CGI packaging could be more superior to the original one which has no CGI at all? We will just have to wait and see!

How to Train Your Dragon

Release Date: March 31st

From the creators of the 2001 masterpiece “Shrek” we are again thrown into the another 3D animated world, with actors Jonah Hill and Gerard Butler doing the voices this certainly is a package that guarantees a good watch without even needing to see the trailers.

Based on the 2003 book with the same title as the film “How to Train Your Dragon” tells the story of Hiccup who Is a young and adventurous Viking teenager always struggling to fit in with his friends and family who are mostly dragon slayers, one day he encounters a dragon that isn’t quite as deadly as the others, as this occurs life rapidly changes for Hiccup as the dragon shows him the true side to the mythical creature.

This looks to be something mainly for the kids, but with such a varied cast and a some what unique storyline compared to all the other animation films released recently this may well fit more than just one type of audience.

DVD Releases

2012

Release Date: March 29th

Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, are just two prime examples of Roland Emmerichs previous accomplishments. Its been a couple of years now since we have observed the director putting an abrupt and apocalyptic final ending to our world and current way of life.

This has been more than worth the anticipation in my opinion, 2012 basically allows us to visualize what maybe the end of the world would be like. The initial reason to why this doomsday type phenomenon has occurred is because of the foretold date 21st of December 2012, which collides with the Mayan Calendars current cycle, meaning the end of the earth will commence once it has come to its final day. Earthquakes, asteroids, and suicides are just the beginning and now a normality to what failed researcher and now limo driver Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) will have to encounter and deal with again and again as he leads a group of people into hopeful survival amongst all this chaos and turbulence.

Nearly approaching the three hour time scale 2012 is defiantly a well lengthened production time to establish such an important theory and concept, you will find yourself jumping out of your seat as the picture that beholds you on the screen is completely crammed full of action, adventure, and hope. This is amazingly a step up to the bulk of already classic motion pictures Roland Emmerich has indulged us with formerly.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Release Date: March 29th

As soon as I laid my eyes on the trailer for this colorful, fresh film, the first thing I thought was how this is going to be the last time I ever see Heath Ledger on the big screen. That fact alone pulled me in to see it but this film was actually so much more than I believed it would be.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus tells the tale of a touring theatre show which is financially out of pocket. On their travels they pick up Tony (Heath Ledger) who causes the first mystery in this story. At each stop they ask the general public to enter the mind of the spectacular and graceful Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) by stepping through a custom made mirror. The twist is that Doctor Parnassus is seeking five souls to obtain as after many pacts with the devil (played by Tom Waits) he has to either give his daughter away or get the souls before he does.

Director Terry Gilliam, who I should remind you brought us classics like Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Brazil and the Monty Python series, has brushed away the dust from his director’s chair after four long years to take on the challenge again. His presence is most defiantly noticed with a strong balance between comedy and some delightful scripting. All these factors piled on top of each other and the absolutely outstanding special effects make this a ride you just don’t want to miss.

Twilight: New Moon

Release Date: March 22nd

Vampire tales these days seem to be as natural as romantic comedy’s so Twilight: New Moon is going to be welcomed into the cinema with open arms and an exceptionally high expectation to reach. Its been just over a year since we have viewed the primary Twilight adaptation, which has given birth to a colossal fan base achieving countless awards and accelerating Robert Patterson airborne into a global poster boy superstar.

In an act to safeguard Bella (Kristen Stewart) from the perils of the vampire world the Cullen family desert town, she is left heart broken cold and slightly isolated. As this commences we see the relationship develop between her and her childhood friend Jacob, who features a lot more in this sequel helping Bella through her emotions. Dangerous moments as always lie around the corner in the twilight world but I am confident that special someone will be there to save the day.

Strap your seatbelt on and get ready to fly into the eerie dark atmosphere that is Twilight, as I am certain this will be a firm and tenacious addition to a saga that will no doubt be a teen cult success.

Andrew Dex