Model Citizen

Not been doing much in the model world for a while now. Well, actually it's been approx 2 years! That was the time I had my head down playing with 3D Modeling in Cinema 4D. Anyway, I recently got the board out again and finished the bust that was on it when I put it away in 2007.

It's such a long time ago I forgot what it's called even. So, because I'd been experimenting for so long with 3D, postwork and presentation I thought I'd bring these new skills into my modelling photos.

Result here:

 

 

 

I was quite pleased with this so one of my projects is to retake photo's of all my 'good' models and give them the treatment and make another photo book of them.

 

Other than that, the military bug has bitten again. There's just something about plastic! But this time I'm now looking at the big stuff! Tamiya, who seem to have cornered the market on these kits, produce a superb range of very expensive 1/16 tanks and other assorted vehicles at other scales, like a 1/12 Hummer! They're fully radio control too! Look at this YouTube vid of the King Tiger:

 

 

This is another of those movies I've watched recently that has so many bad reviews, but when I've actually watched it, can't really see what all the fuss is about.
I think the biggest problem seems to be Brendan Fraser, there's just too many critics out there who hate the guy. It seems any of Brendans latest movies have him as the first stumbling block (Journey to the Center of the Earth/Inkheart), but myself, he does what he does, an action light hero for kids/family viewing.

OK, so to the film.
The first thing you notice that does take some getting used to is that Rachel Weisz has been replaced by Maria Bello. It took me about half the movie to get used to her, but that's not her fault, more I think that Weisz had made such an impact with the character in the first 2 movies. Also, there son Alex is now grown (Luke Ford) and is a mix of his Dad's adventurous spirit and his Uncle Jonathon's ignorance. But again, I'm not sure it's his fault I took so long to get used to him or more to the point that you kind of expect all heroes these days to be perfect and making mistakes just should'nt happen.
There's no Arnold Vosslo this outing as other than him being finished off in Mummy 2, thuis film takes place in China, with the Mummy being played superbly by Jet Li, a Warlord who conquered all he saw until he was tricked conquering the last goal-immortality by a witch played by Michelle Yeoh.
Of course after the Warlord is imprisoned for millenia along with his now Terracotta Army, he's accidentally released and the fun starts.

I think for me and my family, we enjoyed it so much as we'd been watching old Ray Harryhausen movies, and after those this just seemed the modern day equivalent. Simple classical stories interspersed with great monsters (abominable snowmen, 3 headed dragons etc) and one sided bad guys that you just know will not make it to the final credits.
What more do you want from a family movie?

Picture and sound are excellent though not stretching the format much. It's nice to see al the fiery detail in Jet Li's body as it cracks and moves exposing the fiery substance beneath, but the scenery did'nt really 'pop'as it did in The Forbidden Kingdom, the previous Blu Ray I watched.

Rated 4 out of 5