Franchise actors!! Part 1

I have coined the term franchise actors due to my displeasure of "Big" actor Shia Lebeouf and his labelling of being to big to be in a mainstream movie any more. Now looking at his track history he has had very few hits when he headlines a movie Eagle Eye which just broke even if you include marketing costs and there was a lot of adverts for that and the film was awful and Distrubia which granted was quite a good teen film other that all his films have been pre-made blockbusters with a built in audience already there he has not had to generate any sort pull to go watch the movie. What i mean is do you go watch Transformers for the Robots or Shia... or go watch the Awful Indianna Jones movie for Ford or Shia... Yes that right again and then Wall street the long awaited sequel which was also awful everybody who watched it wish they had not. Now dont get me wrong the guy is a good actor but come pull the stick out of your arse and be thankful for what you have.

Another person in this Catergory but through no fault of his own becuase he seems like a really down to earth guy is Sam Worthington who is a great actor but not enough charisma to sell a blockbuster and yet he has been involved in the biggest grossing movie of all time and then stars when headlining a movie (Man on a ledge) one of the worst movies ever!!!

I guess my point is that , we are all saying there has not been a bone fide superstar for a while who can sell a movie with just his name think Will Smith or Bruce Willis or Brad Pitt etc, What we have now due to mass choice of movies is the berth of the movie being the biggest thing about a movie not the star and this is What Shia needs to learn and learn fast slagging off directors who put you in big movies and slagging off co-stars while and set will lead you into a wolrd of Steven Seagel and no one wants that.

Next week Twilight v Harry Potter which actors have picked the right movies to distance themselves from their former franchise best?

Barlington out!

The Dark Knight Rises - The Perfect Trilogy

                   THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

We have Seen in recent times and across cinema history that number three in a title might as well be 666 because they are always cursed and awful films that have no meaning and are there to make money or the vision has been lost because the director has left (The original Batman franchise) or the Matrix , Alien , Predator and even Star wars where the heart of the movies where just stripped out to make a lot of money selling toys to kids. Now the Dark Knight rises not for the kids its a deeply gritty and disturbing crime film with fantastic performances and that where i will start after a brief synopsis of the storyline **** WARNING SPOILERS*** 


"Eight years on, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy"  (IMDB)


Each Character portrayed in series of films has always had a meaning firstly Scarecrow was Fear ,   The Joker was Chaos and now Bane is punishment. Many when Tom Hardy was cast said who and how tall but trust me this man is a great actor i first noticed him a mini-series called The Take and my how he has flourished from that now being branded as 'The next Brando'. Now Tom Hardy has to take that with a  pinch of salt because i think he can be better and more consistent than him but an Oscar is on the cards for the actor in the future. The performance he gave was pure movie brilliance and originality and voice was some say stupid i say chilling and unnervingly Theatrical and is that not what Ra's al Ghul taught everyone in the league of shadows. His Speech on the steps of Gotham's City hall was pure dictator genius and his pure strength and bulk of his body made batman seem all so small when the fight i mean i had goosebumps i had not seen the brutality in movie...ever i really did try and think when i was actually fearful of a character and Tom Hardy you have done it and I am in awe of you when he breaks the mask i mean i felt sorry for Batman but also in awe of Bane he Broke the bat and did it with nothing but a casual beat down.  Only Problem was his death was disappointing in that he was shot by a bike haha. Now alot of people of said that ooooh he's just a henchman but remember he was calling the shots and making the plans but he was doing it for Tahlia not because Tahlia told him to. Plus Why is everyone calling him whipped i am sure he is just the modern day Darth Vader.


Hardy's Performance 9.9999999/10


Christian Bale's Batman is the shining light through Superhero movies and has spawned every superhero movie thus far in ever universe because he is strong not squeaky clean like Spiderman or superman that's why people like him and its something that was lost by Val Kilmer and George Clooney they saw it as being James Bond it is NOT!!! You could the Stress and toll being Batman had taken on Bruce Wayne's body is was a recluse and nothing else forgotten by the world and sheltered with his Dad Alfred the Butler. You can see the desire and Rage behind Bales eyes when he sees Bane in the Final battle he wants it he wants to win much like in Rocky 3!! Bane is Clubber lang.


Bale's Performance 9/10


Anne Hathaway where have you come from really, when i heard you was in the movie i winced a bit and though oh no what have you done. but my god changing in every scene to suit you situation was just amazing and jokes and zingers that caught batman off guard really. The Arc of her story was tied into Batman and her and Bale's Chemistry was amazing i mean palpable. Plus lets not forget she looked amazing in the suit really i mean WOW.


Hathaway's Performance 9.5/10








Joseph Gordon Levitt how i admire you , The Character of Blake could have been the most annoying character in the film because he seemed to know everything about Batman but JGL just pulls it off because he seems like a really nice person trying to do good things , i don't think he is the New Batman like everyone is saying he is obviously Robin and i hope he gets his own Franchise because he was magnetic every scene he was in case in point the "Seeing behind the mask scene."


JGL Performance 8.5/10

Marion Cotillard was at best a good twist but not the strongest performance in the film i know Nolan wanted her no matter what and so i guess it works but she is the damsel in distress until the last 10 minutes when he turns Psycho-bitch on everyone and tries to blow up Gotham fair play she is a good character but only good.


Cotillard Performance 7.5/10


Gary Oldman gives his best performance of the three in this for the mere fact its always easy to clean and good cop trying to keep Gotham Safe but as the same as you see behind Bale's eyes the emotional toll it has taken on the Commissioner is great and he looks worn and in need of peace and that what portrays well he may be beaten and bruised but as was batman and the same as Batman he gets up and fights because he a good cop first and foremost!


Oldman's Performance 9.5/10


Morgan Freeman is his usual Cheeky and comic relief 'Q' type self and his back and forth with Bruce Wayne is always funny he as he always does adds UMPH and POW!! to every scene he's in because as Nolan knows that man knows how to act the crap out of anything.


Freeman Performance 9/10

Anyone who has seen this movie knows why i have kept Michael Caine until last because his performance as Alfred the butler wad the most emotionally charged performance of his career and honestly brought a tear to my eye when he was at The Wayne's grave. He was in the movie the shortest time and yet left the most profound mark on the film. His performance better get him a supporting actors statue or will stop watching the Oscars forever, Michael Caine you are my legend fair play.


Caine's Performance 10/10






...Special mention to Cillian Murphy his performance in all three is why Nolan will keep using him in every movie he does from now on such a drawing presence as Scarecrow.




The storyline i don't need to explain was great because although it was new and original it followed the first to movies everything was interlinked from The league of shadows to leaving Gotham to decide whether to destroy itself. you can decide for yourself whether Batman died or not personally i think people are looking into it to much he survived and how often do you see a superhero retire...never great ending or is it a new beginning for JGL.


I did not thin it possible to beat the avengers this year and was hesitant going into to watch the dark knight rises fore the mere fact how can you top the dark knight well universe you win somehow this movie beats both the dark and the avengers hands down and becomes one the greatest trilogies of all time if not the greatest trilogy! 


Movie Rating 10/10 


A complete trilogy and a Barlington Recommendation!!!