SILVER SCREENWIPE; Man of Steel, World War Z & After Earth

Hi folks. In lieu of having a life, I spend a lot of time at the cinema. Lalita has therefore sent me on a mission to review some of this summer's most eagerly anticipated movies. 

Personally I don't need to be asked twice to sit on my arse in a darkened room and eat junk food, so naturally I jumped at the chance. 

So here you have it, my reviews of Man of Steel, World War Z and After Earth. Enjoy.

Man of Steel 

Man of Steel is the latest in the trend of superhero reboots, and this time it's Superman. So now Henry Cavill dons the cape in the latest mega-budget, mega-hyped Superman movie. What Superman needs is a Batman Begins- a movie to take the franchise in a different direction with a different interpretation of Supes' story. Superman Begins, if you like. 

This movie concentrates on Superman's origins from baby Kal-El, escapee of his dying planet Krypton, to childhood Clarke discovering his powers and fearing he will be shunned and ostracised by others, to adult Clarke Kent, a directionless wanderer having yet to discover his roots. So in many ways this IS Superman Begins. 

Russell Crowe

The supporting cast are impressive, with Russell Crowe playing Jor-El, Kal-El's biological father back on Krypton, Michael Shannon camping it up as chief baddie General Zod, Laurence Fishburne playing Perry White the Editor at the Daily Planet, and Amy Adams as Lois Lane. 

Laurence Fishburne and Amy Adams

The movie begins with Kent (unable to fit in anywhere he goes) drifting from place to place, hiding his powers until he finds humans whose lives are in peril, saving them, then moving on. The movie starts very strongly, being grittier and more realistic than some of it's predecessors. We also see a Clarke who is dark, angry and distrustful of people, yet still having the inescapable urge to help those in trouble. 

The movie regularly flashes back to Clarke's childhood, and the advice he received from his adopted father, adequately played by Kevin Costner, to explain adult Clarke's cynicism of the world. Cue baddie-in-chief General Zod to arrive at Earth with all kinds of evil machinations, forcing Clarke to accept his superpowers and come out of hiding to save the world etc. 

A Superman movie is seen by some as a poisoned chalice, due to iconic Superman actor Christopher Reeves' sad and untimely death. After Reeves, no actor was ever going to be able to measure up, and as a result any other Superman movie since will be harshly, and perhaps unfairly judged. Now, he may be no Christopher Reeves, but Henry Cavill still does an excellent turn, and should be credited accordingly. Not to mention you get to see his muscles at every possible opportunity. This will please fans of his, but after a while you're left thinking "OK congratulations son, you're built like a tank. Can we now just move on please?" 

Where the movie starts to falter is that the original gritty realistic start is soon forgotten, and it therefore quickly descends to glossy and generic summer blockbuster territory, as a result losing the originality the franchise desperately needs. On a positive note, there is enough action and spectacular special effects to gloss over astonishingly large holes in the plot making this a perfect popcorn movie. The action is prolonged and breathtaking, with numerous skyscrapers in Metropolis being demolished. Thankfully the story ended when it did, because Metropolis was starting to resemble Hiroshima after the atomic explosion. 

Man of Steel cast

Overall, this is a pretty good reboot attempt, and given that Warner Bros has already fast-tracked a  sequel, with rumours of a 2014 release, Man of Steel is on a solid footing to expand on this Superman story. Hopefully with the next installment the director will avoid the temptation of going down the mediocre blockbuster route, and will return to the grounded, grittier style Man of Steel began so promisingly with.

Rating: 7/10

World War Z

Next Up is the much hyped World War Z... 

Now a quick disclaimer. I haven't read the book by Max Brooks, and so I can only take the movie on it's own merits, which is perhaps a good thing, as there will be no book-reader bias. 

World War Z stars Brad Pitt as UN investigator Gerry Lane, tasked with travelling the World in search of the origins of a new rabies-type infection which very quickly ravages the entire planet. 

At the start of the movie Lane guides his family to safety from overrun Philadelphia City (Glasgow) and decides that the best course of action is to drive straight into overrun Newark (Glasgow), as you do in these situations. 

Most of the movie is spent in various locations, such as South Korea, Jerusalem and Cardiff. For some reason this seemed to get a huge laugh from the cinema audience, so I can only assume that people find the idea of the Welsh holding the key to curing the Zombie apocalypse laughable, which is slightly unfair. I'm sure there are plenty of
clever people in Wales. 

Pitt puts in a solid performance as usual, but there isn't much chemistry between him and the rest of his family. There is a scene where they are stuck in a traffic jam and they are playing a guessing game. It is more reminiscent of a man abducting a few total strangers in a car and threatening them to act like a family or he'll start cutting pieces off them. 

There is a lot of drama and incidental music, which is extremely effective as times, and at other times has completely the opposite effect. The action sequences are fantastic and enthralling, and overall the sight of a zombie plague bearing down on you is quite frightening. 

There is something fundamentally wrong with the zombies however. I'm not sure if it's the fact that every last one of them could outrun Usain Bolt, regardless of age and weight. Perhaps it's the fact that they all seem to be quite partial to mindlessly headbutting glass windows when they have perfectly adequate fists. Or perhaps it's the fact that there is something strangely un-scary and quite comical about them. You're left thinking, regardless of speed; "Yeah, one-on-one I'd fancy my chances with any of them. Bring it on". 

Overall the movie is definitely worth seeing, but due to the far-fetched nature of the film and certain plot holes, it all seems quite superficial with little time spent on character development. It doesn't quite live up to the hype. 

Paramount has confirmed that a sequel has been given the go ahead, and I for one can't wait to see where Gerry Lane goes next. May I be the first to suggest New York, Istanbul and Aberystwyth.

Rating: 6/10

After Earth

There is an urban legend that every single Will Smith movie must feature his son Jaden or else Holywood will burst into flames, and After Earth is no different. 

Smith Snr stars as living legend Ranger Corps General Cypher Raige (possibly the most contrived name since Pussy Galore) and Smith Jnr as his Ranger cadet son Kitai. 

The film is set over 1000 years in the future where man has expanded into new galaxies after finally knackering Earth beyond repair. The Smith's are on a routine space trip when their ship gets the shit kicked out of it by a meteor storm. It crash lands on a hostile planet teaming with wildlife which has evolved to kill humans. We join Jnr when he wakes amid the wreckage of the spaceship which has split in half, and finds Snr with 2 broken legs and a bump on the noggin. The only way to signal for rescue is to set off a beacon located in the tail part of the ship which landed 100 kilometres away. It is at this point Snr informs us that the hostile planet is in fact, Earth. 

Inexperienced cadet Jnr must therefore venture out into the wilds alone and somehow make it to the tail section whilst surviving attacks by all manner of nasty beasts, and enduring freakish weather patterns whilst being guided by Snr who is resting up and getting merry with the painkillers. 

This is a solid enough movie, with decent acting from father and son, because although they spend the majority of it talking to one another over a futuristic walkie-talkie, you still sense the chemistry between a judgmental and distant father and the son who is desperate to live up to his expectations. 

The CGI animals are at times a bit ropey looking, but on the whole they are passable. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the movie is that the original concept was a strong one, and the film could have been so much more, but after some truly terrible films (The Happening, for example) director M. Night Shyamalan can tuck this solid movie under his belt and move onto better things. 

There are of course plenty of points to ponder. If Earth has been completely stripped of it's natural resources and war/industrialisation ravaged the planet to the point of it being uninhabitable, then why do they crash land in a massive rain forest teeming with life, food etc? Isn't it handy that in a huge spaceship the only 2 survivors just happen to be a father/son combo? Is Jaden a beneficiary or ultimately a victim of Holywood nepotism? Perhaps one day these questions will be answered. Or perhaps we don't care. 

Rumour has it that Will Smith has signed on to star in a remake of Cast Away. He will reprise Tom Hanks' role, with 2 broken legs but lots of painkillers, and Jaden will feature as Wilson, the volleyball with the face painted on it...

Rating: 5/10 

So there you have it folks, my review of some of what's in the cinema right now. So go and see them. Or don't. Whatever. 

Kieran x

IT'S A MAN'S WORLD: LUSH REVIEW

Kieran O'Neill

Welcome back you bunch of sexy people!

Today I have a range of men's products available at Lush to review for Style & Sound...

Ocean Salt Facial Scrub, £6.95

When I opened this tub I expected to be slapped in the face by a fish and have a bucket of cold water throw over me. 

Thankfully I didn't get that. 

What I did get however was a blue-green cream with a very subtle slightly salty smell. This product isn't like most others on the market which consist of soft smooth creams with occasional little granules, which are usually quite useless at exfoliating skin. 

Ocean Salt Facial Scrub is thick and gritty and full of sea salt. There is a small amount of soothing cream containing avocado butter which aims to soften the skin whilst exfoliating, but you are given the feeling that it is only there to bind the salt together. 

when you apply it you are left with a lot of salt bits to exfoliate with. As always, how much you want to exfoliate depends on how strenuous you want to scrub with. Personally I like to scrub vigorously as if attempting to exfoliate down to my skull (I find that the amount I like to scrub is directly proportional to my level of self loathing). 

Results: Honestly, amazing. You never realise just how much dead skin and other krud is on your face, regardless of how often you wash it, until it's all gone. My skin felt fresh and invigorated and smoother than Marvin Gaye's voice. 

One thing I would say though, is that due to the amount of salt in the scrub, it will really dry out your face, so using a moisturiser after is a MUST, which is handy, because the next product I'm reviewing is just that.

Cosmetic Lad Facial Moisturiser, £11.50

This guy's moisturiser contains Lavender, Wheatgrass and Marigold and is pleasantly scented, although it is mild enough that you can still wear aftershave afterwards. 

This product goes perfectly with the facial scrub, as it is intensely moisturising. It isn't as light or as fast absorbing as other creams on the market, but you can forgive this, because of the level to which it re-hydrates your skin, and the fact that you need very little of it to do the job. 

Results: After a few minutes it will have completely absorbed and you'll get the benefits from it. My skin felt soft and smooth but still well-soothed. Lush state that the moisturiser can also be used as a shaving cream, which is great in a pinch. 

Dirty Shaving Cream, £5.25

I only shave every few days, and so when I do there is always a healthy amount of stubble on my general face area. 

I only shave every few days because I have very sensitive skin and shaving always inflames it, so when it comes time I must have a product which will soften the bristles, and soothe the skin as much as possible. That's why I was looking forward to reviewing Lush's Dirty Shaving Cream, because I need to have extremely high standards in shaving products. 

The product itself looks just like a moisturiser, a whitish pleasant smelling cream. Applying the cream caused it to sink deep into the bristles and my skin, leaving a translucent oily skin coating. Only a little is needed, although the first time I reapplied a second coat because I incorrectly thought I hadn't applied enough. 

During use: I was massively impressed, as it softened not only my skin, but especially the stubble, making the razor's job so much easier. As a result I got a much smoother and closer shave, with less tugging on the razor. 

Results: I was definitely impressed with the results, as my face was left soft, smooth and not irritated in the slightest, which is incredibly rare for me. Overall, top marks for the shaving cream! 

Devil's Nightcap, £35

The final product to review is Lush's very own men's fragrance, named Devil's Nightcap from their Gorilla Perfumes range of his and her's smelly stuff. 

This is a true  aromatherapist's fragrance, as it is made almost entirely of pure essential oils blended together. I love the packaging, because it comes in a square glass bottle with a metal screw cap and ye olde print "Devil's Nightcap" (It is inspired by the ancient Agglestone, a megalithic rock in England which is known as the devil's nightcap).  

It looks more like a bottle of moonshine than aftershave, thanks not only to the glass bottle, but also the fragrance's dark brown hue. The ingredients are Oakwood, Oakmoss, Orange Flower and Citronellol. The results are a heavy and musky fragrance which is probably best worn at night. 

When applied it is very strong and gradually dies down, but is still very noticable for many hours afterwards. Because it is so strong you need only use the slightest dab to get the same benefits from a few sprays of a contemporary fragrance. 

I absolutely love this fragrance because it suited me perfectly. The best advice I would give is that you MUST try it on your skin, because when sniffed straight from the bottle, or even on tester card it doesn't smell particularly pleasant or anything special, but as with all essential oil based fragrances, on the skin is when it develops and you get a true sense of the fragrance and if it will suit you, so go into a Lush store and ask to try for yourself. 

So there you have it. A little overview of some men's products at Lush. After trying all these products my skin looked much softer, smoother and younger. It was like many years had been taken off my face. If only it could do the same for the haunted, soulless look in my eyes. 

The Missus was startled at my new complexion, as I made her look like a craggy-faced, centuries-old, weather-beaten grotesque in comparison (note to self: Never let the Missus read this review. Ever.) so bravo Lush. The unfortunate thing about Lush is that it is generally thought of by men as a "girl's shop where you buy girly things like bath bombs etc", where only the most metrosexual guys dare to tread. This is really unfair, because they have an excellent mens range which may be going unnoticed by guys like me looking for good products who walk right past Lush in the high street. 

Perhaps if Lush were to advertise their men's section more, they would reap the rewards their products deserve. 

Kieran x

IT''S A MANS WORLD: AFTERSHAVE REVIEW - ARMANI & DIESEL

Welcome back. It's an absolute pleasure to be invited back on Lalita's very own site. 

Lalita asked me to review new fragrances; Armani's Eau de Nuit which is not long out on the market, and Diesel's shiny new fragrance;  Fuel for Life: Spirit. Before I begin in earnest, let me just offer a quick disclaimer: I was originally a trained aromatherapist and so I have fairly extensive experience in evaluating scents and fragrances. However, I have resolved to honestly assess each product at face value. 

 And so I proudly give to you my review of the following fragrances...

Giorgio Armani; Eau de Nuit Cologne, RRP £49 for 50ml:

My initial  impressions were excellent. It smelled fantastic and complimented my skin beautifully. 

Eau De Nuit is said to contain bergamot, pink pepper (no, I've never heard of it either) and ceder. The spicy aspect comes courtesy of ingredients cardamom and nutmeg (which I also had in last night's curry). 

Armani intended the scent to be worn at night (hence the name), although in my own opinion it is just light and citrusy enough to be worn in daytime too. 

Although strong when originally applied it quickly dies down to a nice background level which is still noticeable, yet not overpowering and that background level lasts the whole day without the need to reapply periodically, which is often the case with many other products. 

This durability was fantastic, meaning that it adds to the value for money aspect, so long as you don't shower in the stuff. Often the best indication of a truly exceptional fragrance is in the amount of genuinely unprovoked compliments you receive. This happened surprisingly often for me, something which I am neither used to, or expectant of. Even The Missus saw fit to compliment me on my choice of fragrance. 

In my humble opinion I can offer no higher praise than the fact that if it is good enough to impress The Missus, then it will impress most people. So for the gentlemen reading this, and the ladies who are looking to treat their man to something special, Armani's Eau De Nuit has the Kieran Seal of Approval.

Diesel Fuel for Life: Spirit, Available to buy from July 2013 in the UK:

The fragrance makers at Diesel have gone off the deep end with this one. I've never smelled any fragrance like it before. As a result, I have to say that it is one of the most original fragrances I've ever come across. 

It is said to contain grapefruit, incense, amber and orange blossom.  Despite it sounding all Mother Earthy, it is supposed to invoke the essence of masculinity, and act as an aphrodisiac on women, which if true makes this the most precious material on the planet. 

As with all things that push  boundaries, the reaction of the public can be divisive. I suspect that this will be no different. I think this will prove to be a bit of a "Marmite" product - you'll either go crazy for it, or you won't be much of a fan. It also may not suit all men, but for those who it does, it will smell spectacular. 

Unfortunately I am not one of those lucky men, and it didn't seem to suit me. The best advice I would give you for a fragrance like this, or any for that matter, is try before you buy. Find a retailer who offers tester bottles and try for yourself, you may be very pleasantly surprised at what you find. 

Credit must go to the bravery of Diesel for throwing away all convention and thinking not only outside the box, but also outside the planet, and indeed outside most traditional definitions of sanity. For only in trying something totally new can you find genius. Or a lovely aftershave. Whatever comes first.

Kieran x

Check out Kieran at his own blog, Thoroughly Modern Kieran,  here or at Twitter here

IT'S A MAN'S WORLD: Kiehl's Review

Guest blogger, comedian Kieran O'Neill will be appearing on Style & Sound from time to time to  give a guy's perspective on the hottest new products out there.  Here he is reviewing some of the skincare range from the lovely people at Kiehl's...

I HAVE been asked by Lalita to review a selection of Kiehl's grooming products for men. This was always going to be interesting as I view myself as a fairly low maintenance guy. However being in my 30's I need to start taking care of myself more, and that includes my face. 

Me really enjoying my holiday in Milan

 I was introduced to Kiehl's whilst on holiday in Milan, after I wandered into the shop looking for aftershave. 

The extremely helpful assistant was able to give me some insight into what sort of products I should be looking to buy, and after an ego crumbling session of looking at products which double as aftershaves and also a number of anti aging products, 

I get the feeling the lovely girl was trying to tell me something. So based on her sagely advice, I offer you my average Joe review of some of Kiehl's top grooming products for men.

Me scaring the pretty Kiehl's shop assistant in Milan

 

Facial Fuel Transformer Age Correcting Moisture Gel, RRP £27 for 75ml

The blurb on the packaging states that the product has a skin-optimising action which instantly transforms your appearance.

It also claims to conceal visible signs of aging by smoothing fine lines and unifying skin tone. The Transformer contains blue algae, which is a source of skin enriching proteins, amino acids and vitamin B. 

Evaluation post application: My initial impression of this product has been a very positive one.  The moisturiser was fairly light, absorbed quickly without leaving a greasy residue and smelled quite nice, but not overpowering. Even after just one application my face looks much smoother, with a brighter complexion, which adds weight to Kiehl's claims of it being age correcting. The most surprising aspect was that it worked so well as a moisturiser that it even made my stubble feel smoother, which I'm sure your better half will appreciate gentlemen!


Facial Fuel Energizing Moisturiser, RRP £21 for 75ml

This is another facial moisturiser in the Facial Fuel line of products. Rather than being age correcting, this product specialises in being energising. The blurb on the packaging states that it wakens and uplifs dull, fatigued skin and therefore acts as a 'facial recovery accelerator". Fair enough. Ingredients include vitamin C and E, chestnut extract and soy.

Evaluation post application: My initial reaction has been a very positive one. It feels incredibly light on my skin, absorbed quickly and left a strong scent. As a result, you wouldn't need to use an aftershave with this, as the smell is strong enough to act as one. 


It had a very cooling sensation and I only needed to use a surprisingly small amount to cover the whole face, which will result in value for money and it was still an effective moisturiser.

I wasn't sure if there would be any difference at all between the Transformer Age Correcting moisturiser and the Energising moisturiser, but surprisingly there was. Both work excellently, but it depends on what you need your product to specialise in. 

If you want a light, but deep moisturiser with a subtle smell which helps to smooth the look of the face and brighten the complexion, then the Transformer is the product for you. If you just need something to brighten a tired looking face, which is extremely light and can also be used as an aftershave then the Energiser is your best bet.

Facial Fuel Anti-Wrinkle Cream, RRP £30.50 for 50ml

The blurb on the tub states that it defends against the signs of aging, surface wrinkles and loss of firmness. Ingredients include extracts of chestnut and citrus fruits, soy and vitamins C and E. 

Evaluation post application:  It was very cooling, however it felt heavy and thick and tightened my face too much. Personally it felt more uncomfortable than anything, however for those who need it more for the skin tightening properties, it may fit the bill perfectly. Unfortunately just like my nature and personality, I suffer from very sensitive skin, and although cooling, it seemed to irritate it and leave my skin feeling even more sensitive after a while. This really upset me and made me want to cry a little. Of course those with different skin types will have different results, and I have spoken to some men who swear by it. Perhaps it's best to try before you buy and test it for yourself.

Cross-Terrain All-in-One Refuelling Wash, RRP £16 for 250ml

This product comes from the Kiehl's 'Cross-Terrain' range and is a shower gel for both the hair and the body. The blurb on the bottle states it can also be used as a shaving gel. The ingredients include aloe vera, menthol, vitamin E and wheat amino acids, all of which Kiehl's claim create a "refreshing and tingling sensation" whilst "scaling high mountain peaks, riding massive waves or free falling from the sky with grace". Which is nice. 

Evaluation post application: Honestly, brilliant. Whether you're Rambo in the jungle having a quick shower in-between causing massive explosions, or you're an adrenaline-junkie washing your overly-long hair then you'll love this product. With the menthol in the wash it was cooling and refreshing and did not dry my skin out at all. Where it really shone was as a shampoo. It was fresh, cleaned my hair thoroughly, did the job thoroughly without needing to rinse and repeat and left my skin and hair smelling fresh and lively.

So there you have it folks. Kiehl's isn't exactly the cheapest range on the market, however, their products are of exceptional quality which surprised me by actually doing what it says on the bottle unlike so many cheaper high street brands which can be hit and miss.. 

If you have the money to treat yourself to such a product then in my opinion you won't go wrong with these.

Kieran x

Check out Kieran at his own blog, Thoroughly Modern Kieran,  here or at Twitter here

Check out the full range at Kiehl's here