Ong-Bak (2003) 7/10

Starring : Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlao, Suchao Pongwilai
Director : Prachya Pinkaew
Running Time : 104 mins

A young man named Boonteng (Jaa) takes upon himself to leave his remote village in search of the thief who stole a sacred Buddhist statue named Ong-Bak from their temple. He soon discovers that life outside of his village is a lot less friendly, and that many people will do anything to make some quick money.

An amazingly well filmed movie which uses wires rather than CGI, making the effects all the more impressive. Anyone who likes kung fu or martial arts movies should definitely add this to their collection as it will no doubt become quite the classic.

You’ll like this if you liked : Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

Valentine (2001) 5/10

Starring : David Boreanaz, Denise Richards, Marley Shelton, Jessica Capshaw, Katherine Heigl
Director : Jamie Blanks
Running Time : 95 mins

A group of girls start to receive sinister Valentine cards following the death of one of their friends. As they try to think who could be doing this, they think back to a high school dance where one young man was beaten up and humiliated as a result of their actions, and begin to suspect that the boy may have had plastic surgery to alter his appearance and that one of their current boyfriends may in fact be him.

An unlikely scenario is the basis of this movie, with the girls hypothesising that the murderer could be someone they haven’t seen or even heard about in almost thirteen years. Still, if you like slasher movies, then this will keep you entertained, although it was clearly riding on the coat tails of success from the Scream trilogy.

You’ll like this if you liked : Cherry Falls

Classic Friday : Jingle All The Way (1996) 6/10

Starring : Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson
Director : Brian Levant
Running Time : 86 mins

Howard Langston (Schwarzenegger) is never there for his son, so when the young lad asks for a Turbo Man doll for Christmas, Howard vows to make an effort to get him one. Unfortunately Turbo Man is the big Christmas toy, and every where has sold out, so Howard finds himself on a madcap journey to try and locate the elusive item.

Not Arnie at his best, but as far as kids movies go this is pretty okay. The plotline is simple enough that even an idiot could follow it, and there’s lots of prat falls and silly humour which will keep most children amused.

You’ll like this if you liked : Home Alone

Bend It Like Beckham (2002) 6/10

Starring : Parminder Nagra, Keira Knighley, Jonathan Rhys Myers, Archie Panjabi, Shaznay Lewis
Director : Gurinder Chadha
Running Time : 113 mins

Jess Kaur Bahmra (Nagra) comes from a very strict Sikh family who believe that a woman’s place is in the home, but her dream of a future in women’s professional football causes friction in her family when an important tournament game clashes with her sister Pinky’s (Panjabi) wedding day.

An entertaining enough movie, with all the humour and pathos you’d expect in a British drama. The acting does feel a little stunted at points, but overall this is just a feel good movie so that doesn’t really matter too much.

You’ll like this if you liked : Bhaji On The Beach

You Kill Me (2007) 7/10

Starring : Ben Kingsley, Tea Leoni, Luke Wilson, Dennis Farini, Philip Baker Hall, Bill Pullman
Director : John Dahl
Running Time : 94 mins

Frank Falenczyk (Kingsley) is a hitman with a drinking problem and, realising that he might become more of a hindrance than a help, his bosses send him to San Francisco to start a temporary new life while attending AA meetings. As Frank starts to settle into his new life, even starting a relationship with a woman named Lauren (Leoni), his bosses find out just how much they needed him when they find their crime syndicate the subject of a hostile takeover.

This was a very enjoyable movie, with some nice ideas and some good understated acting. Kingsley is very laid back and mellow as the recovering alcoholic, and Leoni’s dry wit fits in perfectly to this world of murderers and criminals.

You’ll like this if you liked : Grosse Pointe Blank

Jurassic Park III (2001) 7/10

Starring : Sam Neill, William H Macy, Tea Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Laura Dern
Director : Joe Johnston
Running Time : 93 mins

Paul (Macy) and Amanda Kirby (Leoni) convince Dr Alan Grant (Neill) to return to one of the islands near Jurassic Park on what he believes is just a routine plane trip, but when he gets there he realises that they have an ulterior motive in choosing Dr Grant, and that they want a dinosaur expert to find their missing son.

I thought this was just as good as the second movie, although it felt a lot more tongue in check, thanks in part to the presence of Macy and Leoni. This felt much more like a family movie, with the first two movies having a lot more violent movies, and it’s safe to say that the whole family could happily sit down and watch this together.

You’ll like this if you liked : Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

Closer (2004) 6/10

Starring : Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen
Director : Mike Nichols
Running Time : 101 mins

The bizarre relationships between two couples living in London become increasingly strained when Dan (Law) and Anna (Roberts) start seeing each other behind their respective partner’s backs. It soon becomes apparent that, for most of those involved, the key to them is to make their other half jealous, which has some disastrous results.

This was an interesting film which had some nice scenes that did make me chuckle in places, but it didn’t really hold together very well. The movie does cover a long period of time, which makes it difficult for the director to select key moments,

You’ll like this if you liked : Notes On A Scandal

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) 8/10

Starring : Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker, Erica Leerhsen, Mike Vogel, Eric Balfour
Director : Marcus Nispel
Running Time : 98 mins

A group of teenagers on their way back from Mexico meet the sole survivor of a terrible massacre, who then kills herself. The kids subsequently find themselves running for their lives when they are chased by a strange man wearing human skin on his face.

Probably one of the better remakes of recent years, I actually found this to be a refreshing homage rather than a cheap attempt to make money. The acting doesn’t have to be good to keep the viewer interested, but I still think the cast did a sterling job, and it's just a shame that no-one has given Nispel a chance to direct anything original.

You’ll like this if you liked : Hatchet

The Polar Express (2004) 5/10

Starring : Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Eddie Deezen, Nona Gaye, Peter Scolari
Director : Robert Zemeckis
Running Time : 115 mins

A little boy finds himself a guest on the Polar Express, a train that travels directly to the North Pole, with a group of other lucky children – all of whom doubt the existence of Santa Claus. When they get there, they get to see all manner of magical sights, including elves, flying reindeer and Santa Claus himself.

This really wasn’t very good. The characters were either over the top or just boring as hell, the movie itself rewarding people for their doubts rather than their beliefs, and I can’t imagine many kids being that interested in watching this. Coupled with the fact it was almost two hours long, I can’t imagine anyone having the time or inclination to sit through this more than once.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Grinch

Elf (2003) 7/10

Starring : Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Edward Asner, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel
Director : Jon Favreau
Running Time : 93 mins

Santa (Asner) finds himself in quite the predicament when he finds a little boy has stowed away in his sack. With no ideas on how to get him home, the little boy is adopted by an elf (Newhart) and raised in the North Pole as one of their own, but as Buddy (Ferrell) grows up he starts to notice he’s different to the other elves and decides to go off in search of his real family.

This is a very silly movie, which would more likely appeal to children than adults, although there is still a lot going for it. Ferrell is ridiculously over the top as Buddy, and the supporting cast play off his silliness very well. Definitely a fun filled ride for the holidays, and kids will love it.

You’ll like this if you liked : Bad Santa

Bad Santa (2003) 6/10

Starring : Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Lauren Graham, Lauren Tom, Bernie Mac, John Ritter
Director : Terry Zwigoff
Running Time : 100 mins

Willie (Thornton) is an alcoholic who goes through life making money as a shopping mall Santa, while he is secretly using the cover to rob the shops with his assistant Marcus (Cox)when they close, but when he meets a little boy called Thurman (Kelly) and a woman with a Santa fetish named Sue (Graham), he slowly begins to think that maybe he should try to turn his life around.

This was an okay movie if you really like watching gross out comedies, but some of the jokes went a little too far. It was uncomfortable to watch Thornton wetting himself throughout the movie, but I did think that Kelly did a good job as the curious kid, and Graham is very much back to her roots as Sue.

You’ll like this if you liked : Clerks II

Jason X (2001) 5/10

Starring : Kane Hodder, Lexa Doig, Chuck Campbell, Lisa Ryder, Peter Mensah, Melyssa Ade, Derwin Jordan
Director : James Isaac
Running Time : 90 mins

Jason Voorhees (Hodder) has been cryogenically frozen and wakes up in the 25th Century where Earth is no longer inhabitable and his body has been taken back to a colony in space after being discovered o a field trip which led a group of marines to Camp Crystal Lake. Once Jason's thawed out, it isn’t long before he starts murdering people with a refreshed vigour.

The problem with this movie is it made no sense. In part eight Jason’s body was destroyed and he regressed back to childhood (or something like that), and in part nine his spirit was possessing people, so where did the new body come from? Still, if you enjoy slasher movies, there are a lot worse ones than this.

You’ll like this if you liked : Halloween

Classic Friday : Scrooged (1988) 9/10

Starring : Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe, John Glover, Bobcat Goldthwait, David Johansen, Carol Kane, Alfre Woodard
Director : Richard Donner
Running Time : 98 mins

Frank Cross (Murray) is a television executive who hates Christmas due to his perceived miserable childhood and he believes that the holidays are a waste of time and only good for making more money, but when he finds himself being visited by three spirits who want to show him the error of his ways, he discovers that perhaps there is more to life than just making money.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this movie almost 20 years ago, and it’s become something of a tradition in my household to watch this every Christmas. Murray is wonderfully drole in his role as Frank Cross, and Karen Allen is the perfect choice to play his love interest, Claire.

You’ll like this if you liked : Ghostbusters

The Nanny Diaries (2007) 8/10

Starring : Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Alicia Keys, Chris Evans, Paul Giamatti, Nicholas Reese Art, Donna Murphy
Director : Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini
Running Time : 105 mins

Annie Braddock (Johansson) decides to forgo her future career by taking on a job as a nanny as part of an anthropological study. She soon realises that she's taken on a lot more than she can chew when she finds herself faced with a woman she calls Mrs X (Linney) who cares very little for her child's welfare, and her husband (Giamatti) who cares more about money and sleeping around than he does for either his wife or his son.

This was a nice little movie with a moral message to give, though without going overboard and trying to ram it down your throat. Johansson is lovely as ever and very endearing as the nanny, with Linney playing the socialite to the hilt opposite her marvellously slimey husband Giamatti. Definitely worth going to see, and not just for Johansson.

You’ll like this if you liked : Daddy Day Care

The Ring (2002) 7/10

Starring : Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox
Director : Gore Verbinski
Running Time : 111 mins

Rachel Keller (Watts) is a journalist who, when her niece dies mysteriously, discovers an urban legend about a video tape that can kill within seven days of being watched. As she investigates further, she comes across the tape and watches it, only to receive a phone call from a mysterious young girl who tells her of her impending demise.

In spite of not being as good as the original Japanese movie, this is still a decent enough horror flick. A few things have been changed between movies, but this still works reasonably well, although this relies more heavily on attempting to make the audience jump rather than letting the general atmosphere take over.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Grudge

Whisper (2006) 6/10

Starring : Josh Holloway, Blake Woodruff, Joel Edgerton, Sarah Wayne Callies, Dule Hill, Teryl Rothery, Michael Rooker
Director : Stewart Hendler
Running Time : 91 mins

Max (Holloway) joins a group of criminals who are hired to kidnap a young boy named David (Woodruff), the son of a wealthy family, but David has a dark secret and strange abilities that lead the kidnappers to believe that they may have made a terrible mistake in agreeing to this particular crime.

Although this wasn’t the best thriller I’ve ever seen, it did have some redeeming qualities that made it at the very least watchable. A large number of the actors were more famous for their television work than for that in film, but they did an admirable job with the flimsy plot they’d been given. Worth watching if there’s nothing else on, but not worth going out of your way for.

You’ll like this if you liked : Godsend

Rise (2007) 5/10

Starring : Lucy Liu, Michael Chiklis, James D’Arcy, Carla Gugino, Elden Henson, Mako
Director : Sebastian Guitierrez
Running Time : 98 mins

Sadie Blake (Liu) is a reporter who unwittingly finds herself living in the world of the undead when she is turned into a blood sucker by a group of evil vampires. Once she wakes up in the morgue, she decides to exact her revenge against those who made her into a monster with the help of a cop (Chiklis) whose daughter has been kidnapped by the vampire gang.

This was pretty bad, even for a vampire movie. The plot line was shoddy and seemed very rushed, with nothing of any redeeming quality throughout. Basically this was a skin flick, with lots of gratuitous nudity and over the top bloody violence, and would really only appeal to the sort of people who like mindless movies filled with porn masked as action horror.

You’ll like this if you liked : Blade Trinity

Thunderpants (2002) 7/10

Starring : Bruce Cook, Rupert Grint, Simon Callow, Adam Godley, Stephen Fry, Celia Imrie, Paul Giamatti, Ned Beatty
Director : Peter Hewitt
Running Time : 84 mins

Patrick Smash (Cook) is an 11-year-old boy with a remarkable skill for farting. His amazing ability leads him to worldwide fame, and eventually enables him to fulfil his lifelong ambition to travel into space as a NASA astronaut with the help of his good friend Alan A Allen (Grint).

For what it is, I thought this was a very entertaining movie. It seems to get frowned upon, mainly because the hero basically breaks wind for an hour and a half, but I thought this was an all round perfect children’s movie with lots of ridiculous notions and whacky inventions which will keep kids entertained through the whole movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Nanny McPhee

Happy Feet (2006) 8/10

Starring : Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, EG Daily, Alyssa Shafer
Director : George Miller
Running Time : 109 mins

When two penguins named Memphis (Jackman) and Norma Jean (Kidman) have a baby named Mumble (Daily / Wood), they are concerned that he isn't able to sing like the rest of the penguins and has a habit of constantly dancing. As Mumble grows up, he finds himself increasingly ostracised by the rest of his penguin clan, but he finds the chance to prove himself when he discovers that strange aliens have been stealing their fish.

This was a very cute movie, which promotes the idea of stopping over fishing the seas without being too preachy. Muble loses some of his cuteness when he grows up, but it's still a very entertaining film with a simple plot and a lot of appealing characters.

You’ll like this if you liked : Finding Nemo

A Mighty Heart (2007) 7/10

Starring : Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman, Irfan Khan, Denis O’Hare, Archie Panjabi, Will Patton, Gary Wilmes
Director : Michael Winterbottom
Running Time : 108 mins

Mariane Pearl (Jolie) is devastated when her husband Daniel (Futterman) goes missing while on his way to interview a religious leader in Karachi. Mariane becomes afraid that people may have discovered his Jewish lineage, and that he may have been tortured or even killed by a fundamentalist group who are angry about American treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

This is quite a simple story, based on the true events surrounding the disappearance of journalist Daniel Pearl, showing how his pregnant wife Mariane coped with not knowing what had happened to him. Jolie plays the role well, with some good understated emotion, but towards the end her acting seems a bit hammy and doesn’t do justice to the sad tale she's trying to portray.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Last King Of Scotland

The Scorpion King (2002) 6/10

Starring : The Rock, Steven Brand, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kelly Hu, Bernard Hill
Director : Chuck Russell
Running Time : 87 mins

A hired assassin named Mathayus (The Rock) is called upon to help stop the evil King Memnon (Brand) from taking over the land in which they live, but on his journey to defeat the evil king, Mathayus discovers he has a destiny to fulfil in becoming the fabled Scorpion King.

This was better than I expected, but it didn’t really make much sense when thought of in respect to The Mummy movies. The Scorpion King seems to be quite a nice bloke here, doing what he thinks is right for the masses, when in the previous movie, The Mummy Returns, he seemed to be some sort of world conquering monster.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Mummy Returns

Shrooms (2006) 6/10

Starring : Lindsey Haun, Jack Huston, Max Kasch, Maya Hazen, Alice Greczyn, Robert Hoffman
Director : Paddy Breathnach
Running Time : 81 mins

A group of American tourists travel to Ireland to check out the local magic mushrooms. But when one of them, Tara (Haun), accidentally eats a deadly mushroom which can cause either precognition or instantaneous death, the group of kids find themselves being picked off one by one by the local legends who haunt the local woods.

This was a pretty predictable concept, which tries to appear as if it’s far cleverer than it really is. There is a bit of a feel of The Blair Witch about this movie, what with there not really being much in the way of actual fear or terror, but this isn’t as interesting, and the characters couldn’t have been more annoying!

You’ll like this if you liked : The Blair Witch Project

Classic Friday : The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) 7/10

Starring : Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens
Director : Henry Selick
Running Time : 73 mins

Jack Skellington (Sarandon / Elfman) is the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, but has become tired of his lot in life. Whilst walking through the woods one night, he discovers a doorway which leads him to Christmas Town, and he takes it upon himself to kidnap Santa Claus and take over his duties in order to bring some variety into his life.

This is a nice little musical, with some interesting songs and a very amusing concept. Tim Burton's influence is very clear throughout, and this is a true holiday movie, great to watch on both Halloween and Christmas. It might be a little scary for very young children, but the creepiness is underplayed and it truly is a fun film.

You’ll like this if you liked : Corpse Bride

Ocean's Twelve (2004) 8/10

Starring : George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Julia Roberts, Carl Reiner, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Vincent Cassel
Director : Steven Soderbergh
Running Time : 121 mins

It’s been three and a half years since Terry Benedict (Garcia) was robbed by criminal mastermind Danny Ocean (Clooney), but now Terry wants his money back. So Danny is forced to reform his group of cons to pull off a number of heist to reclaim Benedict’s fortune, but everything seems to go against him as they find themselves getting repeatedly set up to take a fall, and also meet some stiff competition from a French criminal known simply as The Night Fox (Cassel).

I actually thought this was marginally better than the previous instalment, with a lot more going on throughout and the characters seeming to have more drive than before. It did run a little long for my liking, but this wasn't too noticeable as the movie flowed a lot better than it's predecessor.

You’ll like this if you liked : Smokin' Aces

The Transporter (2002) 6/10

Starring : Jason Statham, Shu Qi, Matt Shulze, Francois Berleand, Ric Young
Director : Corey Yuen
Running Time : 88 mins

Frank Martin (Statham) operates a no questions asked delivery service, primarily dealing with criminals who want to get a job done professionally. But when he delivers a young Asian woman named Lai (Qi) to one of his clients, he finds himself running for his life as they try to kill him for knowing too much about the girl.

Although this is a pretty mindless romp, with little or no real explanation for Statham’s change of heart in regards to his job, this was still reasonably enjoyable. Definitely not a movie to think too hard about, but this can be good if you just switch off and accept things for what they are.

You’ll like this if you liked : Crank

Poseidon (2006) 5/10

Starring : Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Jacinda Barrett, Richard Dreyfuss, Emmy Rossum, Mia Maestro, Freddy Rodriquez
Director : Wolfgang Petersen
Running Time : 98 mins

A luxury liner named Poseidon is hit by a giant tidal wave on New Years Eve, and the ship capsizes. As the ship begins to sink, a small group of survivors find themselves battling for their lives as they attempt to escape from the sinking ship before they’re all killed.

In spite of some amazing special effects, and what looks like a gigantic set, this movie just didn’t really have much going for it. The script was weak, the characters were unsympathetic and did nothing to make the audience like them, and in many ways it felt like the writers and taken elements of Armageddon and just adapted the script to fit on board a cruise liner. This is definitely only worth watching if you’re easily impressed by big budget special effects.

You’ll like this if you liked : Deep Rising

The Perfect Score (2003) 7/10

Starring : Erika Christensen, Chris Evans, Bryan Greenberg, Scarlett Johansson, Darius Miles, Leonardo Nam, Tyra Ferrell, Matthew Lillard
Director : Brian Robbins
Running Time : 89 mins

Six teenagers on the verge of completing their high school education hatch a plan to break into an SAT testing centre and steal the upcoming exam results but, as they begin to act upon their plan, they soon realise that getting a good SAT result isn’t as important as being true to themselves.

I was actually surprised to see that I did enjoy this movie. This was an old school style of movie, slightly reminiscent of the John Hughes era, and about as moral. The kids eventually realise that what they are doing is wrong, but they really should have spotted this before they broke into the SAT building.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Breakfast Club

Curious George (2006) 8/10

Starring : Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, David Cross, Dick Van Dyke, Eugene Levy, Frank Welker
Director : Matthew O’Callaghan
Running Time : 88 mins

In an attempt to stop the museum he works in from closing down, Ted (Ferrell) travels to Africa looking for a long lost statue of a giant 40 foot monkey, but all he finds is a statue that’s barely 3 inches high. As he returns home with the bad news, a monkey (Welker) stows away on board his ship and starts to cause chaos in his everyday life.

A cute little tale with a good plot to go with it, this would no doubt keep children and adults alike amused for the duration. Ferrell does a fine job as Ted, not overplaying the role as he sometimes tends to, and George the monkey is cute, but not too cute, and keeps the movie light and fluffy without making it too sickly sweet.

You’ll like this if you liked : Madagascar

Eastern Promises (2007) 7/10

Starring : Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl
Director : David Cronenberg
Running Time : 98 mins

A midwife named Anna (Watts) finds a diary on the body of a young girl who dies under her care during child birth. She asks a man named Semyon (Mueller-Stahl) to help her translate the diary, only to later discover that he is the head of a crime family who were involved in the young girl’s pregnancy and eventual death.

This film bears the unmistakeable marks of a Cronenburg movie, with it’s over the top violence playing an important role. Sadly this wasn’t quite up to his usual standards, and became a little confusing about half way through. Still, this has some very nice performances from Mortensen who plays the tough mafia-style body guard to the hilt.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Departed

Equilibrium (2002) 8/10

Starring : Christian Bale, Emily Watson, Taye Diggs, Angus Macfadyen, Matthew Harbour, Sean Bean, Sean Pertwee, William Fichtner
Director : Kurt Wimmer
Running Time : 103 mins

In an Orwellian future where people are given drugs to stop them feeling emotions as a method of preventing conflict, a lone Cleric name John Preston (Bale) finds himself starting to sympathise with those criminals who won’t take their meds and makes the conscious decision of aiding the underground in destroying the totalitarian regime under which they live.

This was a surprisingly good movie, which for some unknown reason has been compared to The Matrix despite having little or no similarities. This was, in many ways, actually superior to The matrix, with a clear plotline and actual direction to the plot, and some nice unexpected twists. Bale plays the emotionless Cleric well, and the supporting cast did a great job on the whole.

You’ll like this if you liked : V For Vendetta

Cellular (2004) 8/10

Starring : Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, Jason Statham, William H Macy, Eric Christian Olsen, Jessica Biel
Director : David R Ellis
Running Time : 91 mins

Ryan (Evans) receives a phone call on his mobile phone from a woman (Basinger) who claims she’s being held hostage in her home. Believing the call to be a prank, he eventually reports the apparent crime to the police, only to discover that his own life may now be in danger as the police seem to be involved in the kidnapping themselves.

This was a surprisingly good action thriller, which takes a simple concept and extends it to the max. Evans plays the role with a slight whimsy which makes the seriousness of the situation almost laughable, and Macy performs a fine supporting role as the cop about to retire who gets dragged into the situation.

You’ll like this if you liked : Phone Booth

Blow (2001) 6/10

Starring : Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Franka Potente, Rachel Griffiths, Paul Reubens, Jordi Molla, Cliff Curtis
Director : Ted Demme
Running Time : 122 mins

George Jung (Depp) decides to become a drug dealer so that he doesn’t end up destitute like his father, so he starts dealing small time in marijuana. When he is eventually caught and sent to prison, he is introduced to the increasingly popular drug of cocaine, and sets about becoming the major importer of the drug to the USA.

Yet another fine example of Johnny Depp’s ability to take a mediocre script and turn it into something a bit more special, Blow takes us through the life of a drug dealer and actually has us empathising with him rather than attacking his actions. In spite of the generally good acting, there was still something missing from this movie, which inevitably let it down.

You’ll like this if you liked : American Gangster

Classic Friday : National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) 6/10

Starring : Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, Randy Quaid
Director : Jeremiah S Chechik
Running Time : 93 mins

Rather than going away for their Christmas holidays, Clark Griswold (Chase) and his family decide to hold a good old fashioned family Christmas at home, and invite Ellen 's(D'Angelo) parents over for the special day. But when their unwelcome cousins from Kansas turn up, things start going horribly wrong in the usual Griswold way.

Not the best of the Vacation movies, but easily superior to European Vacation, this was more of a family film than the preceding two, with little or no foul language and very little adult humour. Clearly a practice run for John Hughes who made Home Alone a year later, this movie is filled with enough prat falls and out and out assaults to keep even the most miserable of children amused.

You’ll like this if you liked : Home Alone

Year Of The Dog (2007) 7/10

Starring : Molly Shannon, Laura Dern, Regina King, Thomas McCarthy, Josh Pais, John C Reilly, Peter Sarsgaard
Director : Mike White
Running Time : 97 mins

When her beloved pet dog Pencil suddenly dies, Peggy (Shannon) finds herself increasingly lonely, and eventually she is persuaded to get a new pet. She then discovers the world of the unwanted dog and starts getting obsessively involved in animal rights, becoming a vegan and even going so far as to embezzle money from the company she works for.

This was an unusual comic drama, with Shannon’s character bordering on the insane as she becomes more and more detached from reality. Shannon’s performance is admirable, as is that of the supporting cast, and the story flowed surprisingly quickly, with Peggy’s instability creeping up on the viewer with what feels like very little warning.

You’ll like this if you liked : Sideways

A Knight's Tale (2001) 7/10

Starring : Heath Ledger, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamon, Paul Bettany, Laura Fraser, Mark Addy, Alan Tudyk
Director : Brian Helgeland
Running Time : 127 mins

When his master dies, William Thatcher (Ledger) takes on his identity and gets local writer Geoffrey Chaucer (Bettany) to forge him documents so he can pass as a knight. Now believed to be Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein of Gelderland, William sets about proving his metal as a knight in a jousting competition, and meets the girl of his dreams.

A nice, fun-filled, loose adaptation of one of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, this takes the story of the wannabe knight and turns it into a thoroughly enjoyable romp with lots of memorable characters to enjoy over and over. Despite being a little on the long side, this doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of such a guilty pleasure movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Robin Hood : Prince Of Thieves

Walk The Line (2005) 8/10

Starring : Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Dallas Roberts
Director : James Mangold
Running Time : 136 mins

Johnny Cash (Phoenix) is a good, God-fearing cotton farming man whose only wish is to sing Gospel music for a living, but when he’s offered a contract on the condition he sings something other than Gospel he takes it. Soon he finds himself addicted to drugs and cheating on his wife with singer and comedian June Carter (Witherspoon), and it isn’t long before his wife leaves him with their kids.

As biopics go, this was pretty entertaining, and didn’t try to squeeze too much into the time given. Phoenix and Witherspoon’s singing voices are actually pretty good, (as far as I know they did sing themselves) and they do light up the screen with their performances throughout the movie. Well worth watching for any fan of Country music as well as those who just like a nice drama.

You’ll like this if you liked : Ray

Spirited Away (2001) 8/10

Starring : Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Jason Marsden, Susan Egan, David Ogden Stiers, Lauren Holly, Michael Chiklis
Director : Hayao Miyazaki
Running Time : 125 mins

When Chihiro (Chase) and her family are moving to their new home, they take a wrong turn and find themselves in the spirit world. Chihiro’s parents are transformed into pigs, and Chihiro meets a young boy named Haku (Marsden) who tells her that the only way for her to save her parents is to take a job in the local spirit bathhouse, run by the manipulative Yubaba (Pleshette) who is holding her parents as food stock.

Visually speaking, this movie is very impressive. Each individual character appears to have been painstakingly thought through in terms of their look, and the story is fun and filled with fantasy. It’s hardly surprising that this was only the second animated movie to win a best picture Oscar as, even if only taken from an aesthetic view, this is a very fine piece.

You’ll like this if you liked : Alice In Wonderland

Jackass The Movie (2002) 6/10

Starring : Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Ryan Dunn, Jason "Wee Man" Acuna, Preston Lacy
Director : Jeff Tremaine
Running Time : 81 mins

The Jackass gang bring their popular MTV series to the big screen for the first time, performing many ridiculous stunts which include high speed races in golf carts, electrocuting their own genitals and allowing live baby alligators chew on their nipples.

Basically what you’d expect from the TV show, except longer. It’s hard to imagine that people would pay good money to watch something that is pretty much the same as on TV, but many of the stunts are more elaborate and look like they took a hell of a lot of planning and stupidity to perform. Not for the squeamish, and you really need to have been a fan of the show to enjoy this.

You’ll like this if you liked : Hot Rod

Danika (2006) 7/10

Starring : Marisa Tomei, Craig Bierko, Regina Hall, Nicki Prian, Ridge Canipe, Bailey Hughes
Director : Ariel Vromen
Running Time : 79 mins

Danika Merrick (Tomei) starts to get worried when she starts to suffer from a nervous breakdown, and begins having delusions and hallucinations, imagining entire situations are occurring around her when they aren’t. She starts to see a psychiatrist, Dr Evelyn (Hall), who discovers that the breakdown began when Danika’s husband Randy (Bierko) had an affair with their nanny, but the real question is what is real and what is fantasy?

This was a very thought provoking movie, and it’s difficult to know what the real message of the movie was without talking to the writer / director, but no matter what you think the message of the movie is this can still be enjoyable as well as a good talking point as people argue over what really happened.

You’ll like this if you liked : Raising Cain