Antitrust (2001) 5/10

Starring : Ryan Phillippe, Rachael Leigh Cook, Claire Forlani, Tim Robbins
Director : Peter Howitt
Running Time : 104 mins

Computing genius Milo Hoffman (Phillippe) is contacted by IT magnate Gary Winston (Robbins) and offered a job with his company, NURV, but Milo soon becomes suspicious of the company he’s working for when one of his friends who turned down the job offers dies in mysterious circumstances…

This was a pretty mediocre thriller to say the least. The main cast didn’t seem that bothered about their performances, and this almost seemed as if it was intended as a TV movie. The plot wasn’t particularly original, but it was still interesting enough to watch, and the fact that it wasn't too long stopped it from getting too boring.

You’ll like this if you liked : War Games

Resident Evil : Extinction (2007) 6/10

Starring : Milla Jovovich, Oded Fehr, Ali Larter, Iain Glen, Ashanti
Director : Russell Mulcahy
Running Time : 92 mins

Alice (Jovovich) reunites with the survivors of the Racoon City disaster after a lengthy departure, and discovers that things have gone from bad to worse as birds have been feeding on the infected corpses and have become infected with the T virus, whilst Dr Isaacs (Glen) continues his experiments into the virus and discovers he may be able to control the infected and turn them into his own personal zombie army.

This was okay, considering it was the third in the series, and had some funny horror moments, but it just felt like the makers were flogging a dead horse and desperately trying to extend the franchise to another movie by taking ideas from the Alien franchise. The action however was non-stop, so action fanatics will enjoy this movie with gusto.

You’ll like this if you liked : Alien : Resurrection

Valiant (2005) 6/10

Starring : Ewan McGregor, Ricky Gervais, Tim Curry, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Laurie, John Cleese
Director : Gary Chapman
Running Time : 73 mins

A young pigeon named Valiant (McGregor) tricks his way past the height restrictions to join the Royal Air Force Homing Pigeon Service during the second world war, but when the elite pigeon groups are lost in action, Valiant and his Z squad team find themselves on a life and death mission to deliver important documents to the allied forces.

This was in no way the best animated movie I’ve seen in a long time, mainly due to the fact it doesn’t appear to be aimed at children. A lot of the concepts, in my opinion, were a lot more directed at adults, what with the themes of death and torture throughout, but there was still a light hearted side to the film which brought it back up onto more of a comedy level.

You’ll like this if you liked : Chicken Run

From Hell (2001) 7/10

Starring : Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane
Director : Albert Hughes
Running Time : 117 mins

Scotland Yard Inspector Frederick Abberline (Depp) is set with the task of investigating a series of prostitute murders, perpetrated by the mysterious and infamous figure known only as Jack The Ripper, but as his investigation develops, he starts to see links between Jack and a highly regarded member of the aristocracy…

Probably not the most memorable of movies, this is still a pretty good effort, most notably due to Johnny Depp putting in another sterling performance. The additional cast do a good job of supporting Depp, and Holm is his usual slightly sinister self. Definitely worth watching if you like Sherlock Holmes-like Victorian thrillers.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Prestige

Star Wars Episode II – Attack Of The Clones (2002) 6/10

Starring : Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lee, Samuel L Jackson, Ian McDiarmid
Director : George Lucas
Running Time : 134 mins

When Padme Amidala (Portman), now a major senator, finds herself the victim of an assassination attempt, Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Christensen) are sent to investigate and find out who was behind the attempted assassination. As Obi-Wan investigates, he discovers that Chancellor Palpatine (McDiarmid) is creating a clone army to protect the empire, and has used the attempted assassination as a selling point!

Despite being a vast improvement on The Phantom Menace, this still didn’t have any of the charm of the original trilogy. It’s not a simple story, and we’re thrown into the action far too soon with little explaination, followed by over two hours of exposition. Only worth watching if you’re a huge fan!

You’ll like this if you liked : The Fifth Element

Premonition (2007) 6/10

Starring : Sandra Bullock, Julian McMahon, Nia Long, Kate Nelligan, Peter Stormare
Director : Mennan Yappo
Running Time : 93 mins

When Linda Quinn Hanson (Bullock) wakes up one morning to hear the bad news that her husband Jim (McMahon) dies the night before, she finds herself skipping back and forth through time to the days before and following his death, and is faced with the possibility of being able to save him from dieing.

This was an interesting, if puzzling, movie to understand. No reason is given as to why Sandra Bullock’s character is moving about in time, except perhaps a combination of shock and grief, but a tleast it didn’t have an awful Hollywood ending like so many similar films seem to have.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Lake House

Classic Friday : The Thing (1982) 9/10

Starring : Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, TK Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart
Director : John Carpenter
Running Time : 103 mins

A group of American scientists in the Antarctic take in a stray dog that was being pursued a group of Norwegians in a helicopter, which crashes. But the dog isn’t a dog, it’s a shape-shifting alien which had destroyed the Norwegian base and now plans on killing every on the American base as well!

In my opinion this is one of the best science fiction horrors of all time, only surpassed by the Alien movies. The special effects are absolutely fantastic, and though it’s a pretty basic plot the effects more than make up for it. This is probably the highlight of John Carpenter’s career, and it’s a shame that nothing of his has really been as good since.

You’ll like this if you liked : Alien

Hostel Part II (2007) 7/10

Starring : Lauren German, Roger Bart, Heather Matarazzo, Bijou Phillips, Richard Burgi, Vera Jordanova, Jay Hernandez, Jordan Ladd
Director : Eli Roth
Running Time : 93 mins

When three American art students are persuaded to visit Slovakia, they find themselves staying at a sinister hostel through which they are sold to a group called Elite Hunting for the express purpose of being tortured and killed for the highest bidders’ pleasure. Meanwhile, two American men travel to Slovakia as the winners who get to torture the girls…

I wasn’t expecting much from this, after all it’s a rushed sequel, but it wasn’t that bad. Granted, at first it feels like they’re just rehashing the original movie with female victims instead of male, but by giving us a perspective from the murderers points of view this becomes a much more individual movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Saw III

Stranger Than Fiction (2006) 8/10

Starring : Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, Emma Thompson
Director : Marc Forster
Running Time : 113 mins

Harold Crick (Ferrell) is an IRS auditor who leads an incredibly boring life, until one day he starts hearing a voice narrating his life. As he starts to get more and more worried that he is going insane, the voice announces that he is going to die! So Harold decides to try to find out who the voice belongs to so he can convince them to change his story.

This wasn’t Ferrell’s usual kind of over the top comedy role, and he actually comes across quite well as the morose Crick, but it’s Thompson who seems to get all the funny lines as the permanently depressed author who likes to kill off all her main characters. As it reaches its conclusion, it does get a little depressing, but stick with it because it works out well in the end.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Truman Show

Punch-Drunk Love (2002) 7/10

Starring : Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luiz Guzman
Director : Paul Thomas Anderson
Running Time : 92 mins

Barry Egan (Sandler) is permanently on the verge of a breakdown, thanks in part to his seven domineering sisters, but also due to his general bad luck in life, but when he meets Lena Leonard (Watson), a woman who is in many ways as much the emotional cripple he is, he decides to try to control his anger and his frustration and finally sums up the courage to stand up to his sisters thanks to his love of Lena.

This was quite the departure for Adam Sandler, being his first movie not to be out-and-out slapstick comedy. In spite of the fact this is a new direction for him, he manages it extremely well, and handles the pathos of the piece with a vigour up until then unseen in his acting ability.

You’ll like this if you liked : Sideways

Black Knight (2001) 6/10

Starring : Martin Lawrence, Marsha Thomason, Tom Wilkinson, Vincent Regan, Daryl Mitchell
Director : Gil Junger
Running Time : 92 mins

Jamal Walker (Lawrence) is a low paid worker at a theme park called Medieval World, but one day he falls into the moat at the park and finds himself sent back in time to the year 1328 where he is accused of being part of a French plot to kill the king of England.

Although this wasn’t the worst film I’ve ever seen – not by a long shot – this was still not a particularly original piece, with Disney having made similar films on more than one occasion. Lawrence is capable enough in the lead role, but the supporting cast don’t seem to have their heart set on performing to the best of their abilities. I’d only recommend this to people who are big Martin Lawrence fans, everyone else, steer clear.

You’ll like this if you liked : Blue Streak

Shrek The Third (2007) 7/10

Starring : Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Julie Andrews, Antonio Banderas, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, Justin Timberlake, Eric Idle
Director : Chris Miller & Raman Hui
Running Time : 93 mins

When King Harold (Cleese) becomes ill and dies, his last wish is for Shrek (Myers) to take over the throne as king of Far Far Away. Shrek is reluctant to do this, so goes in search of the king’s only living male relative, Arthur Pendragon (Timberlake) but, while he’s away, Prince Charming (Everett) attacks the kingdom with a host of evil fairytale characters in tow.

Although not quite as good as the first two instalments, this is still a very entertaining children’s movie. There wasn’t enough donkey time for my liking, which was a shame, but overall this still had the markings of a superb movie, with lots of celebrity guest voices to boot.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Sword In The Stone

Phone Booth (2002) 8/10

Starring : Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell, Katie Holmes
Director : Joel Schumacher
Running Time : 77 mins

A New York Publicist named Stu Shepard (Farrell) finds himself in a sticky situation when he answers a ringing phone in a phone booth and is told by the person on the other end (Sutherland) that if he hangs up he’ll be shot! As the sniper progresses, Stu learns that he seems to know a lot about his private life, and that the situation he is in is anything but coincidental…

One of the better action thrillers of recent years, this just goes to show that a film doesn’t have to be two and a half hours long to be a blockbuster. In spite of being made quickly and having just one major locale, this was a terrific thriller with lots of tension and some great performances.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Negotiator

Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2004) 7/10

Starring : Jim Carrey, Liam Aiken, Emily Browning, Jude Law, Timothy Spall, Billy Connolly, Meryl Streep
Director : Brad Silberling
Running Time : 108 mins

The Baudelaire children find themselves orphaned and homeless, and are sent to live with their evil uncle, Count Olaf (Carrey), who wants to kill them off and steal their inheritance money. When he fails to kill them, they are sent away to live with a succession of odd relatives, but Olaf disguises himself in the hope of murdering the other relatives until he is the only one still remaining.

This was a thoroughly entertaining children’s film, with a very dark undertone which kids seem to enjoy these days. Carrey is nice and creepy as Count Olaf, almost reminiscent of the Childcatcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and gives the exact right level of being sinister while still being a little over the top so as not to outright terrify children.

You’ll like this if you liked : Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone

Monster (2003) 7/10

Starring : Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen
Director : Patty Jenkins
Running Time : 106 mins

Aileen Wuornos (Theron) is a highway prostitute who, after starting a lesbian relationship with a woman named Selby (Ricci), decides she no longer wants to have to use sex to earn her keep, so turns to killing her clients and taking their money without first servicing them.

This movie contained some brilliant performances from a barely recognisable Charlize Theron, who plays Wuornos excellently. This was well written and well performed for the most part but, unfortunately, I found Christina Ricci’s performance a little wooden, which kind of let down the rest of the movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Ed Gein

Norbit (2007) 7/10

Starring : Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Terry Crews, Clifton Powell, Mighty Rasta, Cuba Gooding Jr, Eddie Griffin
Director : Brian Robbins
Running Time : 98 mins

Norbit Rice (Murphy) is a quiet, nerdy guy who was brought up in an orphanage where he eventually meets and marries the domineering Rasputia Latimore (Murphy) but, as the years go by, he starts to regret his decision and, when his childhood sweetheart Kate Thomas (Newton) comes back on the scene, he decides that maybe he should think about leaving Rasputia. Unfortunately, Rasputia and her brothers have other ideas, including turning Norbit’s orphanage into a strip joint!

After hearing all the negative reviews of this movie, I was expecting something truly awful. Thankfully, this wasn’t that bad. Although not very original, with Murphy playing a similar role to that in Bowfinger, this was still a highly enjoyable movie with a simple yet effective plotline.

You’ll like this if you liked : Big Momma’s House

Classic Friday : Mystery Men (1999) 8/10

Starring : Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, William H Macy, Janeane Garofalo, Paul Reubens, Geoffrey Rush, Greg Kinnear, Eddie Izzard, Kel Mitchell, Wes Studi, Claire Forlani
Director : Kinka Usher
Running Time : 116 mins

In order to boost his popularity, Captain Amazing (Kinnear) organises for the evil Casanova Frankenstein (Rush) to be released from prison so that he can be given an actual challenge. Unfortunately, Casanova decides to capture Amazing, so a group of inept superheroes band together in order to save him.

This is one of the best comedy super hero movies ever made, without going too over the top with the humour, and was surprisingly based on a little known comic book. Despite featuring a lot of silly characters with silly powers, at no point does the film meander into slapstick for no good reason.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Incredibles

Stuck On You (2003) 6/10

Starring : Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Eva Mendes, Wen Yahn Shih
Director : Bobby & Peter Farrelly
Running Time : 114 mins

Conjoined twin Bob (Damon) and Walt (Kinnear) are as different as two people can be, but their shared liver forces them to combine their efforts to lead as normal lives as possible, so when Walt wants to pursue his career as an actor, Bob reluctantly agrees to move with him to LA to follow his dream.

This sort of marked the end of the Farrelly Brothers popularity. They seen to have moves away from out and out slapstick, and instead have gone for more of an emotional and touching movie, celebrating the differences of the central characters rather than simply making jokes out of them. Despite this, people who liked other Farrelly Brothers efforts will still find this entertaining.

You’ll like this if you liked : Shallow Hal

The Hot Chick (2002) 7/10

Starring : Rob Schneider, Rachel McAdams, Anna Faris, Matthew Lawrence, Eric Christian Olsen
Director : Tom Brady
Running Time : 105 mins

Jessica Spencer (McAdams) is a mean spirited teenager who wakes up one morning to find she has fallen under an ancient Egyptian curse, contained in a pair of magical earrings, which makes her swap bodies with Clive Maxtone (Schneider), a thirty something loser and habitual criminal.

Despite starring Rob Schneider, and having a bit of a strange undertone throughout, this was still a pretty entertaining movie, though primarily thanks to the supporting cast. It’s refreshing to see a Hollywood movie that doesn’t really have too much of a moral message, and this movie is just that – pure entertainment.

You’ll like this if you liked : Freaky Friday

White Noise : The Light (2006) 7/10

Starring : Nathan Fillion, Katee Sackhoff, Craig Fairbrass, Adrian Holmes
Director : Patrick Lussier
Running Time : 95 mins

Following the murder of his wife and son, Abe Dale (Fillion) decides to attempt to commit suicide. When he is brought back from the brink of death, he discovers that he is able to sense people who are going to die, and sets about trying to save them. Unfortunately, by saving their lives, he might actually be endangering others in the process…

This was actually a surprisingly good sequel, while also being a good standalone thriller, with some nice imaginative plotlines. Despite a few factual errors, which didn’t really hamper the story, this flowed very well and was only slightly spoiled by the sappy ending which the movie could have easily done without.

You’ll like this if you liked : Flatliners

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Films For Theatres (2007) 6/10

Starring : Dana Snyder, Carey Means, Dave Willis, Andy Merrill
Director : Matt Maiellaro & Dave Willis
Running Time : 85 mins

Master Shake (Snyder), Frylock (Means) and Meatwad (Willis) find an exercise machine called the Insanoflex and set about assembling it. Little do they know that the machine was designed to destroy mankind, and they find themselves pitted in a life or death battle against the machine and it’s offspring.

This was an incredibly stupid movie, just like the TV show, but eventually it started to develop a plotline. There were one or two moments that did make me chuckled, but mostly it was just confusing. Although this wasn’t terrible, I’d recommend this only to fans of Adult Swim.

You’ll like this if you liked : South Park : Bigger, Longer And Uncut

The Importance Of Being Earnest (2002) 7/10

Starring : Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O’Connor, Reese Witherspoon, Judy Dench
Director : Oliver Parker
Running Time : 94 mins

Two friends, Algernon Moncrieff (Everett) and Jack Worthing (Firth) both lead double lives so that they can enjoy themselves to the fullest, but their lies soon lead to complications in their romantic lives when they are discovered by the two women that they are courting.

This was actually a very entertaining adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s play, with some very good performances from Firth and Everett. Witherspoon was a little subdues in her role, as was O’Connor who can usually do some pretty good turns, but Dench was excellent as the overbearing and judgemental Lady Bracknell.

You’ll like this if you liked : Emma

Mr Brooks (2007) 7/10

Starring : Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, William Hurt
Director : Bruce A Evans
Running Time : 116 mins

Earl Brooks (Costner) is a seemingly everyday man who has one deadly secret – he is a serial killer controlled by his alter-ego, Marshall (Hurt), but when he makes a slip-up at his latest crime scene, a neighbour of the victims, calling himself Mr Smith (Cook), asks Brooks to teach him how to be a serial killer too!

This was a reasonably good thriller, although it did tend at times to veer into the predictable. Costner plays his role to the best of his abilities and comes across surprisingly well, and Hurt plays the ghostly Marshall with a sinister undertone that is very well underplayed.

You’ll like this if you liked : Raising Cain

S.W.A.T (2003) 7/10

Starring : Samuel L Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J
Director : Clark Johnson
Running Time : 117 mins

Dan Harrelson (Jackson) forms a new SWAT team, using who he thinks is the best of the best in the police force, but they soon find themselves under pressure when they are ordered to deliver to prison a drug baron who has offered a $100 million reward to anyone who can break him out of jail.

This wasn’t a bad movie, with a lot of action in the second half. The only problem I had was that it was a little slow to get going, although this type of pacing was filtered with the eventual plotline involving the drug baron.

You’ll like this if you liked : Inside Man

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) 6/10

Starring : Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis, Ella Joyce, Bob Ivy
Director : Don Coscarelli
Running Time : 89 mins

Elvis Presley (Campbell) is alive and well and living in an old people’s home in East Texas, but he finds his peaceful retirement disturbed when he discovers and evil mummy (Ivey) is killing his fellow residents in their sleep. With the help of John F Kennedy (Davis), Presley plans to stop the monster before he can strike again!

This is one of those films which sounds like a really good comedy concept on the outside, but once you sit down to watch it you can’t help but be disappointed. Campbell puts in a good performance as Elvis, and Davis plays his part just as well, but unfortunately my expectations were not met be this movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Jeepers Creepers 2

Black Sheep (2006) 9/10

Starring : Nathan Meister, Danielle Mason, Peter Feeney, Tammy Davis
Director : Jonathan King
Running Time : 84 mins

Henry Oldfield (Meister) finds his lifelong fear of sheep justified when he returns to his family farm to find that his brother (Feeney) has been experimenting on the flock to create a new breed of sheep for improved wool. Unfortunately there are still some side effects to the formula…

This was a really good movie, with lots of tongue in cheek humour and silly moments combined with the gross out morphing that wouldn’t look out of place in An American Werewolf In London. The acting was solid throughout, and I really liked the way the director paced the action, keeping it fast yet still tense.

You’ll like this if you liked : Dog Soldiers

Classic Friday : The Terminator (1984) 9/10

Starring : Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen
Director : James Cameron
Running Time : 108 mins

A cyborg assassin called The Terminator (Schwarzenegger) is sent back through time to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Hamilton), whose unborn son will lead the human race in a war with a race of machines. Sarah find herself running for her life with only the help of a man named Kyle Reese (Beihn), who has also travelled back to protect her.

This is an all-time classic, and made James Cameron a household name overnight. Having Arnie play a villain would sound unusual now, but he was only known for a few small parts at the time, and plays the emotionless killer to the hilt. Hamilton is brilliant as Sarah Connor, but Biehn is a little one-dimensional, and it’s little wonder that few directors other than Cameron will give him lead roles.

You’ll like this if you liked : Robocop

The Pumpkin Karver (2006) 5/10

Starring : Amy Weber, Michael Zara, Minka Kelly, Terrence Evans
Director : Robert Mann
Running Time : 88 mins

A young man named Jonathan Starks (Zara) mistakenly kills his sister’s boyfriend on Halloween, believing he is trying to kill her. A year later he goes to a party in the desert with his sister, Lynn (Weber), and as all the party guests start to die one by one, Jonathan begins to think that his victim may have come back from the dead!

Apparently based on a true story, this has been given the Hollywood treatment but on a shoestring budget. The acting is hammy, but that doesn’t really matter in this sort of film. The opening was actually quite original, and I really thought it was going to be really good, but it just went downhill from there, and the ending was beyond belief!

You’ll like this if you liked : Valentine

Old School (2002) 7/10

Starring : Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Jeremy Piven
Director : Todd Phillips
Running Time : 88 mins

When Mitch Martin (Wilson) and his close friends decide they are unhappy with the direction their lives are taking, they decide to set up a fraternity house to try and relive their wasted youth. But, just as the fraternity becomes a success, they have to deal with Dean Pritchard (Piven), who still holds a grudge against them since their college days.

This comedy had some very funny moments, and felt very old fashioned in an Animal House sort of way. The performances were solid and continuously funny, with Luke Wilson playing a surprisingly good lead without having to rely on a strong female support.

You’ll like this if you liked : Accepted

Aeon Flux (2005) 4/10

Starring : Charlize Theron, Marton Csokas, Jonny Lee Miller, Sophie Okenedo
Director : Katyn Kusama
Running Time : 89 mins

Following a devastating epidemic which has wiped 99% of the human race, mankind has turned to cloning available genetic material to continue its existence. In this dismal future, Aeon Flux (Theron), a hired assassin, is given the task of assassinating Trevor Goodchild (Csokas), a member of the council that controls Bragna City, but Aeon finds herself running for her life when she disobeys her directiveand decides to protect Goodchild.

This film had practically no plot to it, and considering the amount of award-winning actors, had very little character development. The effects, though at times impressive, seems to simply be there to impress rather than to further the storyline. I’d give this a miss if I were you!

You’ll like this if you liked : The Matrix Reloaded

Duplex (2003) 7/10

Starring : Ben Stiller, Drew Barrymore, Eileen Essell, Harvey Fierstein, James Remar, Robert Wisdom
Director : Danny DeVito
Running Time : 85 mins

Alex Rose (Stiller) and Nancy Kendricks (Barrymore) are a young couple who find the bargain of a lifetime when they buy a duplex apartment in New York, but when they discover that their upstairs tenant, Mrs Connelly (Essell), is a nightmare to live with, they plot a way to get rid of her.

This wasn’t too bad, but Drew Barrymore doesn’t really suit slapstick. The plot was quite old fashioned and ran quite well, with some nice set pieces, but I hated the ending and couldn’t understand why they didn’t just report the old lady to environmental health!

You’ll like this if you liked : The’Burbs

The Wild (2006) 6/10

Starring : Kiefer Sutherland, James Belushi, Eddie Izzard, Janeane Garofalo, William Shatner, Richard Kind, Greg Cipes
Director : Steve 'Spaz' Williams
Running Time : 79 mins

In Disney's 46th Animated Classic, the son of a lion named Samson (Sutherland) accidentally escapes from the zoo and winds up on a ship to Afrcia. Sampson and a group of his zoo friends follow the young cub, Ryan (Cipes), but find themselves on an island inhabited by carnivorous wildebeest!

This wasn’t particularly original, feeling more like a sequel to Madagascar than anything else. The characters were a little one dimensional, and the animation was poor. All in all this was far from being Disney’s best effort, and I look forward to the day they return to traditional animation.

You’ll like this if you liked : Madagascar

House Of Flying Daggers (2004) 6/10

Starring : Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Zhang Ziyi, Dandan Song
Director : Yimou Zhang
Running Time : 112 mins

A police officer named Jin (Kaneshiro) goes undercover to investigate a young blind girl named Mei (Ziyi) who may have links to the mysterious rebel group The House Of Flying Daggers. When his superior Leo (Lau) arrests Mei, Jin breaks her out of her prison and they go on the run together.

This film was really over hyped on its release, with the main selling point being it was a bit like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. The only real connection I could see was that they were both Chinese and both featured Zhang Ziyi. Any other similarities are purely superficial. This is a simple enough story of love and betrayal, with some nice visual effect, but the language barrier may confuse some viewers as to who is who and what is going on.

You’ll like this if you liked : Hero

The Sentinel (2006) 6/10

Starring : Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Eva Longoria, Martin Donovan, Kim Basinger, David Rasche
Director : Clark Johnson
Running Time : 106 mins

Legendary Secret Service operative Pete Garrison (Douglas) is framed for treason against the president of the United States (Rasche) but, due to his having an affair with the First Lady (Basinger), he is forced to go into hiding to protect her from the publicicity. Now on the run, he finds himself being tracked down by his friend and colleague David Breckinridge (Sutherland).

This wasn’t too bad a movie, but it did take a good while to actually get going. There were some odd choices of plotline, like the people framing Garrison also trying to kill him whilst trying to kill the President – surely this would have given him a great alibi! All in all this is only worth watching if you are really into your political thrillers, but even then this is quite predictable.

You’ll like this if you liked : Shooter

The Illusionist (2005) 5/10

Starring : Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell
Director : Neil Burger
Running Time : 109 mins

A magician by the name of Eisenheim (Norton) possesses the strange ability to conure up the ghosts of the dead, or so the public believe, but when Crown Prince Leopold (Sewell) witnesses Eisenheim’s tricks he demands to know how they are done. This brings Eisenheim back in contact with his childhood sweetheart Sophie (Biel) who is now engaged to be married to the prince.

This film wasn’t that good. The performances were fine, no question about that, but the story was flimsy and felt rushed. Although often compared to The Prestige, this was more like a 19th Century version of The Usual Suspects, mainly due to the films major twists and turns.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Prestige

Hatchet (2006) 10/10

Starring : Joel Moore, Tamara Feldman, Deon Richmond, Mercedes McNab, Kane Hodder, Parry Shen, Joleigh Fioreavanti, Joel Murray
Director : Adam Green
Running Time : 81 mins

Good friends Ben (Moore) and Marcus (Richmond) go on a haunted swamp tour whilst on holiday in New Orleans, and meet a girl named Marybeth (Feldman) who is out in search of her missing father nad brother. When the boat accidentally sinks in the middle of nowehere, the tourists discover that there’s a crazy murderer out in the swamp who plans on killing anyone who crosses his path!

I thought this film was simply brilliant. It had the perfect level of humour and over the top violence that I expect in horror films, and the characters on the whole were likeable and I found myself routing for them rather than just waiting for them to die! Definitely worth watching if you love horror films, this is the best one I’ve seen in a long time.

You’ll like this if you liked : Hostel

Classic Friday : Aliens (1986) 10/10

Starring : Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reiser, Bill Paxton
Director : James Cameron
Running Time : 154 mins

Ellen Ripley (Weaver), the last survivor of the mining ship Nostromo, wakes up to find that decades have passed and that the planet that her crew discovered the xenomorphs on has now been colonised. Subsequently, all contact has been lost with the colony, and a troop of hardened marines is being sent in to investigate.

One of the best sci-fi movies ever, and a rarity as it’s as good as the original, this marked quite the turning point in the advent of real action horror! The film takes a long time to build up to the action, and really holds off showing the aliens themselves for quite a while, which only intensifies the overall feeling of dread throughout the movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Terminator

The Ex (2007) 8/10

Starring : Zach Braff, Amanda Peet, Jason Bateman, Charles Grodin, Mia Farrow
Director : Jesse Peretz
Running Time : 88 mins

When Tom Reilly (Braff) is fired from his job, he is forced by his wife Sofia (Peet) to take a job with his father-in-law (Grodin). Unfortunately this involves working with Chip Sanders (Bateman), an old flame of his wife’s who also happens to be disabled. Tom tries to be nice to Chip, but he finds it more and more difficult working with him, and starts to believe that Chip is out to get him.

This is an incredibly underrated movie which didn’t even get a cinema release in the UK for some reason I can’t quite fathom. Despite having little or no support, I found this movie both entertaining and hilarious, with Bateman delivering once of his most evil performances to date!

You’ll like this if you liked : Envy

Donnie Darko (2001) 7/10

Starring : Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore
Director : Richard Kelly
Running Time : 126 mins

Eighties teenager Donnie Darko (Gyllenhaal) narrowly escapes being killed when a plane engine falls from the sky straight through his bedroom. Following the accident, he is informed by a six-foot bunny that only he can see that the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds!

This is an incredibly weird film, filled with strange concepts that ultimately lead to a highly bizarre and surreal conclusion. Despite this fact, the movies content is genuinely interesting, almost tricking people into thinking this movie is not a fantasy piece when it clearly is.

You’ll like this if you liked : Brick

Cars (2006) 8/10

Starring : Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry The Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub
Director : John Lasseter
Running Time : 117 mins

Arrogant race car Lightning McQueen (Wilson) gets lost on his way to a very important race and ends up in Radiator Springs, a middle of nowhere town filled with cars who have no idea who he is, and gets sentenced to community service mending the roads he accidentally destroyed. But when he discovers that the town’s judge, Doc Hudson (Newman) is a famous race car that went missing decades before, he decides to try and turn over a new leaf.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie with it’s simple tale of good and bad without going over the top into outright villainy. Wilson was a good choice as Lightning McQueen as he always sounds a little arrogant and sure of himself, and the in jokes about the use of the same character actors in the Pixar movies brought a smile to my face.

You’ll like this if you liked : Finding Nemo

See Spot Run (2001) 8/10

Starring : David Arquette, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Joe Viterelli, Angus T Jones, Anthony Anderson, Paul Sorvino
Director : John Whitesell
Running Time : 96 mins

Gordon (Arquette) is a mailman who finds himself taking care of a dog, not realising that it is in fact an FBI sniffer dog that has escaped from the witness protection programme after becoming the target of an assassination.

I really liked this film. I didn’t think I would when I sat down to watch it, based on the rather mediocre advertising campaign, but I actually found it to be very entertaining. Arquette is amiable enough as mailman Gordon, Bibb is stunning as the love interest, and of course Angus T Jones seems to be preparing for his future role in Two And A Half Men with much energy.

You’ll like this if you liked : Home Alone