A Weekend in Brum

Now with pictures (seeing as my memory card decided to have a fit when I tried to post this on efx)!

Two Fridays ago I went to Birmingham to visit an old friend. I only ever get to see my friends on all-too-rare occasions, so it was, as ever, a big deal for me. We spent the evening having a quiet drink, catching up and playing some pool. No better way to spend an evening :)

Saturday we went into the centre of Birmingham. Other than a brief visit to the Bull Ring (the city’s big shopping complex) on a previous visit, I’d never seen Birmingham. It has a reputation for being a little rundown and somewhat backward, but the only evidence of this I saw was some dip-shit having a rant at a group of Amnesty International people protesting against China’s civil rights violations. I couldn’t hear exactly what his problem was, but the fact that he was so enraged by their humble little protest for what is, to me (and I suspect many others), a very noble cause can only lead me to the conclusion that he was a fucking idiot.

Sole douche aside, the central part of the city was surprisingly beautiful; spacious and clean , with tree-lined streets, new buildings and a grand town-hall in the heart of it...

...sporting a large, elegant fountain where people could meet and chat and enjoy their take-out. The fact that it was a sunny day would usually mar things for me, but it wasn’t too hot and it helped make the place look all the more pleasant.

In the afternoon we went to the cinema to see The Incredible Hulk. Now, unlike many, I was a big fan of Ang Lee’s Hulk. A lot of people found it plot-heavy and weren’t convinced by his elegant approach to the story telling, but I enjoyed the contrast between Lee’s style of direction and the brutality of the character, which I thought was well represented in the action sequences. Hulk’s flight from the military was particularly impressive. Yes, it was silly in places and yes, the climactic fight was just plain stupid, but overall it was enjoyable.

With The Incredible Hulk, things don’t start well, with an attempt to retell the back-story in the space of the opening credits. Because the characters are being approached differently and are played by different actors, there needed to be some kind of build up where we got to know a little about them and could actually feel something for them in the course of the movie. Because this doesn’t happen, all of the stuff between the action is very thin. Edward Norton is given nothing to do, there is zero chemistry between him and Liv Tyler, and William Hurt’s portrayal of General Ross isn’t a patch on Sam Elliot’s. The only actor to really shine in the film is Tim Roth, though he’s not very convincing as a hard-bitten marine; not because of his performance, but because of his physique. He just looks…odd.

Of course, given everything that was said by producers in pre-production, I knew everything between the action was going to be an after-thought, even with the high-calibre cast. The action itself was spectacular. The Hulk looks better than ever, if still a little cartoony (but then, what can you expect when watching a CGI green giant). There’s an attention to detail that was previously lacking that brings the Hulk to life; at least, as close to it as has ever been.
Hulk’s nemesis, however, is another story. If anything, Abomination was over designed, with random protrudences and weird skeletal details that make the thing look less realistic the more you look at it. That said, the climactic fight between the two is one of the great action set-pieces to so far come out of Marvel Studios.

After the film, we discussed its pros and cons over a quick drink, then sought food. Rinita took me to burger place on the canal. I’ve never paid £7 for a cheeseburger before, but then I’ve never eaten a cheeseburger that was worth £7. YUM!

We then hit the bars. I’m not big on cocktails, but the first place we went to called for the drinking of one and I actually managed to find one - The New Yorker - that appealed. Tasty it was, too.

We tried a few more places, including one that we were turned away from for being ‘too casual’ (snobs), but ended up going back to the first for a final cocktail. This time I had a Rob Roy. Not bad, but I preferred the New Yorker.

Sunday, we went to see Wanted. Although this also a comic-book film, it couldn’t be further removed from The Incredible Hulk. For one thing, the basic set-up - average Joe Nobody lives a dull and pointless existence until the day he finds out his father was some great hero - is the only thing taken from the comic. In the comic version (as I understand it), a bunch of super-villains have all-but wiped out a bunch of super-heroes and are taking over the world, and only this nobody, who is actually the son of one of these heroes, can save the day (N.B. I found out from birdy (anyone know where he is, by the way) after making this post originally that the main character actually hooks up with the villains). In the film, the band of super-heroes is replaced with a band of super-assassins, one of whom has gone rogue as bumping off his former comrades. Step up James McAvoy as the aforementioned nobody, who must learn the tricks of the trade and avenge his father, killed by the rogue. Cue a series of impressive, over-the-top gunfights and set-pieces that would have been laughably silly if they hadn’t been pulled off so well. There’s also enough character development and plot twists to add depth to what could’ve easily been an impressive, but shallow frag-fest.

A word of warning, however: The blood and gore is equally over-the-top. Personally I found much of it hilarious (an original take on the human shield I found particularly giggle-worthy), but Rinita had to cover her eyes once or twice, so it is not for the faint of heart. That said, she still enjoyed it so, if you can stomach it, give it a shot.

We finished the weekend with a quiet night in, watching TV over some take-out Chinese, mocking many of the selections on The Greatest Romantic Movies (whoever voted in 9½ Weeks watches too much soft porn).