1.3 IMAX visit and Despicable Me Review

IMAX Cinema visit

As a part of unit 1:7 of the diploma named scene I have paid a visit to the IMAX in the Southbank centre to watch the film Despicable Me. The IMAX has a screen that measures 20m x 26m which is the size of 5 double decker busses and plays film at the highest resolution of film in the world the IMAX truly gives the best cinema experience in the UK even possibly the world. The IMAX as a cinema is very stylish and professional with red carpets and lighted stairways. The service was very good as the staff were polite and welcoming. Charlie Robers who was the head of education at the IMAX also gave us general information about the IMAX itself. We were told that the IMAX was created and operated by the BFI and that the highest grossing film shown at the IMAX was Batman that grossed 2 million. She also predicted that the modern remaking of Tron is going to be a big hit in the Imax as the IMAX experience will be desired by many viewers especially those who are old enough to have seen the original Tron which was the most futuristic film of its day.

All IMAX screens at one point were flat however after an encounter with the San Deigo Hall of Science the fisheye projector was invented which allowed images and therefore film to be projected onto a curved screen which was suitable for the dome of the Science halls planetarium. This led to some other IMAX cinemas being built with the same style of curved screen and fish eye projection. Coupled with the latest 3D hi-definition technology the advantages of this technology are that the majority of your view is taken up by the image that you see on the screen; therefore creating the sense that you are in the image. This sensation is enhanced by massive 11,600 watt surround sound systems and even in some circumstances vibrating chairs which enhance the sensation even more. Over time this sensation has been coined the “IMAX experience.”

Many of us have seen a 3D film however it is not often that we actually think “what is the technology behind it?”

To create the illusion of being 3D; the IMAX 3D process uses two camera lenses to substitute the left and right eyes. The two lenses are separated by a distance of 64 mm (2.5 in), which is the average distance between a human's eyes. Images are recorded onto two separate lines of film one for the left eye and one for the right eye. By projecting them simultaneously, viewers see a 3D image on a 2D screen. The IMAX 3D camera is bulky, weighing over 113 kg (250 lb). This makes it difficult to film on-location documentaries.

The method which the IMAX uses to present 3D films involves polarisation. During projection, the left and right eye images are linearly polarized as they are projected onto the IMAX screen. By wearing special eyeglasses with lenses polarized in their respective directions to match the projection, each eye can only see the image intended for that eye since the lens's polarization will cancel out the other eye's image.

1.3 Despicable Me Review Help

Before actually doing a review of the film Despicable me I looked at many professional reviews and structures of them in order to get a general idea about how reviews are written and the sort of language that they use in the reviews. Some of the main websites that I looked at were;

• http://www.radiotimes.com/servlet_film/com.icl.beeb.rtfilms.client.simpleSearchServlet?searchTypeSelect=5&frn=49953 - Here is a sample of the review that I read - This wonderfully inventive animated yarn tells the story of ruthless baddie Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), who finds his position as the world's greatest villain threatened by up-and-coming youngster Vector (Jason Segel). To re-establish himself as top dog, Gru and his boffin sidekick Dr Nefario (Russell Brand) hatch a plot to steal the moon.
• http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/view/205371/Despicable-Me-film-review-and-trailer - STEVE Carell voices a tubby, spindly-legged super-villain, Gru, who finds his inner cutie in Despicable Me, a very likeable 3D animation that combines originality and charm with a pleasing, spiky humour. Spurred on by his belittling mother (Julie Andrews), Gru strives to be the world’s biggest villain but is outmanoeuvred by nerdy rival, Vector (Jason Segal), who has trumped Gru for a major loan from the Bank of Evil (“formerly Lehman Bros”) and stolen a shrink ray weapon that can reduce an elephant to the size of a mouse.

• http://movies.sky.com/despicable-me/review - From Bond to Batman, villains may not always win the day but they certainly conquer the audience. Despicable Me finally gives the bad guys the world domination they've been craving, in a witty, snappy and ludicrously slapstick family comedy that spends as much time poking fun at its audience as most family comedies do pandering to it. In a world refreshingly free of chisel-jawed, interfering superheroes, big-time uber-baddie Gru (Carell) is more content with spending his days taking candy from babies than reaffirming his reputation as the World's No. 1 Villain. But when an audacious pretender to the crown steals the Great Pyramid of Giza, it becomes apparent that Gru has maybe been spending a little too long lazing on his massively oversized throne, counting his bullions/minions.

After watching the film and I was meant to write my review I used these websites to help me. The thing that I got from them that I have used in my review is the bubble and very visual style of writing. This helped me realize the difference between a film analysis and a film review in that a film analysis is usually more boring than a review and is not there to advertise for the film however a review is meant to advertise for the film and make people want to see it. This is what I have tried to make my review feel like.

1.3 Despicable Me Review

MOVE OUT. Hiding behind pillars sneaking. Maximum stealth. Bound over the fence. Land on your feet. We were almost there. Underground tunnels and dark alleyways swept past. And then BANG it was there. Shrouded with poisonous creepers but none the less perfectly magnificent. There it was - the BFI IMAX- in all its glory. It seemed unreal almost like something out of a film; an IMAX 3D super HD film. Once inside we were royalty as satin red carpets stretched across the floor. The service was slightly poor however effective as the queue took ages to dissolve however that just boosted our impatience and also suspense. The ticket price was expensive however better value for money that any other cinema experience. Also the price of the usual cinema confectionary and other oddities was extortionately high and so the sting in my pocket as I took out money was great however it reminded me that it was absolutely necessary to “bring a credit card if you are going to climb a mountain”.

Despicable Me was truly amazing; 4 stars straight - a truly bright cluster of stars in the starry night sky of film ratings. It is a film that deserves respect. It included the voices for many famous actors and actresses such Gru (Steve Carell), Vector (Jason Segel) and Gru’s Mum (Julie Andrews). The film itself cost $69,000,000 (estimated) to make and it was released on the 15^th of October 2010. The plot was studded with humor, danger and adventure as the main protagonist (who starts off as a villain) battles against another newer, smarter, younger villain to be the most famous villain of all however his heart is melted by three small orphan girls who change him into a new person.

The film starts with a BANG as the Pyramids at Giza have been stolen and then we see Gru swaggering along the high street just knowing that he is the TOP DOG the one that the whole world respects or fears. He is so saturated with evil that he would go to the extent of making balloon animals in order to console a weeping child only to pop it in his face and push him to the side of the street. However even though Gru acts as though he hasn’t got a problem in the world he does as a newer, smarter, younger villain is on the move and it is up to Gru to show him who is boss and so armed with a massive arsenal of freeze rays, lasers and a massive army of super dangerous minions he tries with all his power to be the best villain and steal the all new prototype shrink ray but he has competition and it is strong.

The super tense and tightly gripping plot develops gradually gathering pace as it progresses but nearer to the end rears its legs and BAM the end power slides to a funky but slightly expected start.

The characters are individuals but cohesively worked together to build a plot and story line of true stature. First up is Gru; the protagonist big guy with the Russian accent and twig legs. He begins as just the average super bad villain however his character develops into a labyrinth of complex emotions and feelings as he finds things locked away in him that he never even knew were there. The three orphan girls Agnes, Edith and Margo are the manipulative force in Gru’s life as at first he tries to use them however it back fires on him. With their persistent threats of annoying behaviour and reading of baby books it is almost like he gets knocked out and then wakes up a different person. The antagonist Vector is Gru’s constant competitor and also the goofy maths geek that makes us think “ how did he get anywhere in life?” However we find out that he has strong links to the villains bank and so he has a constant supply of money.

The 3D animation way excellent as all of the shapes were smooth and the lips were perfectly synced with the sound. The faces and bodies of each character accurately reflect their personality and actions. Usually in cartoons the heroes are taller and more muscular than the normal people however the villains are the majority of the time mutated or just weird looking which automatically makes us reject them. The villains in this film are no different as Gru and Vector have partially deformed bodies. Vector has a huge saggy belly and Gru’s body is bulky and wide with miniscule twig legs. Also the younger girls have big heads like in cartoons, which make them look more cute and so therefore more vulnerable. This adds to the irony of the film in that

Also the music is a driving force that boosts the moments of emotion and danger. From the all new Despicable me rap at the beginning to the moment of emotionally saturated critical moment of decision the music is always there to put the cherry on the cake. It seemed like the film was set in somewhere like Los Angeles in America as the roads are extremely wide and the houses big. Gru’s house stood out from the row of detached houses but it was twice as big as the other houses and instead of being brown and white like the other houses it was dark brown and black whereas Vectors domain was huge surrounded by a high white wall and masses of security equipment (see what I mean about money and his dad).

Overall the amazing plot and the truly developed characters with the moments of pure humour and action make the film a must see for all families especially those with young children. However these moments of humour were in a way prematurely exposed by the adverts and so when seen for the second time are not as effective and so eventuly may leave some of those who have seen one of the many adverts or trailers to leave the cinema with a slightly disappointed taste in their mouth. Saying this still the film was truly enjoyable with the little yellow minions that I will never forget from the various trailers including the humour that they secrete. Despicable Me is truly unforgettable.