Summer Catch (2001) 6/10

Starring : Freddie Prinze Jr, Jessica Biel, Fred Ward, Matthew Lillard, Brian Dennehy, Jason Gedrick, Brittany Murphy, Bruce Davidson
Director : Michael Tollin
Running Time : 102 mins

Whilst taking part in a baseball competition to further his ambition to become a professional player, Ryan Dunne (Prinze) falls for rich girl Tenley Parrish (Biel) who is spending the summer in his home town of Cape Cod, but things become complicated when her father shows his disapproval of their relationship, which has an adverse affect on his game.

This is a pretty average teen movie, with a very weak performance from Prinze. Biel manages to play the nervous and indecisive girl quite well, but her good looks kind of make it difficult for her to be believable in the role. This isn’t worth making an effort to see, so I’d recommend leaving it until it’s on television again.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Perfect Score

Timeline (2003) 6/10

Starring : Paul Walker, Frances O’Connor, Gerard Butler, Billy Connolly, David Thewlis, Anna Friel
Director : Richard Donner
Running Time : 115 mins

When Professor Edward Johnson (Connolly) goes missing on an archaeological dig, his colleagues believe that he may have been sent back in time, so follow him using the prototype for a transportation device which has inadvertently opened a wormhole in time and space which leads back to 14th Century France..

This is an enjoyable enough movie, but fans of the book will most likely be sorely disappointed. There is little effort made to capture the mood of the novel, but instead turns this into an action movie filled with heroes and villains and people meeting their deserved end. Worth watching if it’s on TV, but not worth making an effort to see.

You’ll like this if you liked : A Knight’s Tale

Happily N’Ever After (2007) 7/10

Starring : Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr, Sigourney Weaver, Patrick Warburton, Andy Dick, Wallace Shawn, George Carlin
Director : Paul Bolger & Yvetter Kaplan
Running Time : 88 mins

Two wizard’s assistants, Mambo (Dick) and Munk (Shawn), cause untold chaos when Cinderella’s wicked stepmother Frieda (Weaver) discovers that they are in possession of the scales of good and evil, and that she can tip them in her favour and take over fairy tale land forever.

This was actually a reasonably entertaining cartoon, taking an interesting premise and making it entertaining. The characters, however, were a little flat and really needed some more personality injected into them to make this a truly memorable movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Hoodwinked!

The Whole Ten Yards (2004) 6/10

Starring : Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Kevin Pollak, Natasha Henstridge
Director : Howard Deutch
Running Time : 95 mins

Nicholas Oseransky (Perry) is forced to get back in touch with retired hitman Jimmy Tudeski (Willis) when his wife Cynthia (Henstridge) is kidnapped by the Hungarian mob. To further complicate matters, Jimmy has an unusual connection with the head of the Hungarian mob, Lazlo Gogolak (Pollak), a connection he is reluctant to divulge.

Despite not being anywhere near as good as the original, this is still a passable gangster comedy. The acting is over the top, and Pollak has one of the most annoying accents ever, but this still has most of the elements that made The Whole Nine Yards watchable, it just feels old and unoriginal in this new setting.

You’ll like this if you liked : Analyze That

The Rules Of Attraction (2002) 6/10

Starring : James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Kip Pardue, Jessica Biel, Ian Somerhalder
Director : Roger Avary
Running Time : 107 mins

Sean Bateman (Van Der Beek) is a selfish man living in a selfish world, where he passes his time dealing drugs at college and generally using people, particularly women. When he meets Lauren Hynde (Sossamon), a fellow alumnus who is saving herself for her boyfriend who is off travelling, Bateman decides to make it his duty to make her his.

This is an interesting, albeit disturbing movie, with little or no redeeming qualities in any of its characters. With a lead character who is the brother of Patrick Bateman, the killer from American Psycho, it’s understandable that this is such a strange tale, which can prove entertaining if you allow it flow over you and forget how hateful the characters are.

You’ll like this if you liked : Igby Goes Down

The Cat In The Hat (2003) 5/10

Starring : Mike Myers, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning, Spencer Breslin, Amy Hill, Sean Hayes
Director : Bo Welch
Running Time : 78 mins

Sally (Fanning) and Conrad (Breslin) find themselves in quite a predicament when a giant talking cat comes to their house and starts causing chaos in their lives, and all on the same day that their mum (Preston) is supposed to be having the office party at her house for her neat-freak boss (Hayes).

This was really not that good a film, but I’ve taken into consideration the age group this was no doubt aimed at. Myers does his best to make this entertaining, but it’s reallt a case of too little too late when you see how flimsy the plotline truly is.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Grinch

Spy Kids (2001) 8/10

Starring : Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Alan Cumming, Tony Shalhoub
Director : Robert Rodriguez
Running Time : 86 mins

Two children discover that their parents used to be spies when they go missing, and they soon find out that the culprit is a children’s television presenter who has been turning secret agents into mutants for his children’s show. Realising that they might be their parents last hope, the two kids become spies themselves and travel in search of their missing folks.

This is a fun family movie, with plenty of action and suspense for both kids and adults alike. Cumming is a rather weak villain, but Shalhoub is nicely creepy in a subservient way and his character soon comes into his own as the movie progresses.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Incredibles

Little Black Book (2004) 9/10

Starring : Brittany Murphy, Holly Hunter, Kathy Bates, Ron Livingston, Julianne Nicholson, Stephen Tobolowsky, Kevin Sussman
Director : Nick Hurran
Running Time : 103 mins

When Stacy Holt (Murphy) discovers that her current boyfriend once went out with a supermodel and had never told her, she is encouraged by he workmate Barb (Hunter) to take a better look into his background by peeking in his palm pilot, only to discover that all of his so called loser ex-girlfriend’s are far more successful and glamourous than she could have imagined.

This is a nice little movie, and probably one of Murphy’s better efforts. In spite of an initially awkward beginning, this soon starts rolling towards its inevitable climax and doesn’t try to worm it's way back into our affections by giving it a happy ending.

You’ll like this if you liked : View From The Top

Classic Friday : 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) 7/10

Starring : Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz, Andrew Keegan
Director : Gil Junger
Running Time : 93 mins

Bianca Stratford (Oleynik) is mortified that her father won’t let her start dating until her sister Kat (Stiles) does the same. When she informs her potential beau Joey (Keegan) of her predicament, he begs new kid Patrick Verona (Ledger) to start dating Kat so that he can take Bianca to the upcoming homecoming dance – the problem is, Kat has a nasty habit of putting guys off with her superior attitude.

Basically this takes the Shakespeare play The Taming Of The Shrew and sets it in a modern high school, with some of the usual teen comedy moments thrown in for good measure. This is one of Heath Ledger’s earliest starring roles, and it’s sad to see that he died this week, but thankfully he’s left behind a short-lived but pretty varied legacy which came to an end with the upcoming Batman instalment, in which he plays the Joker.

You’ll like this if you liked : Get Over It

Lucky Number Slevin (2006) 7/10

Starring : Josh Hartnett, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Lucy Liu, Stanley Tucci, Bruce Willis
Director : Paul McGuigan
Running Time : 110 mins

Slevin Kelevra (Hartnett) is mistaken for someone he’s visiting and finds himself caught up in a gang war that could cost him his life when one crime boss (Freeman) asks him to kill the son of another crime boss (Kingsley) or suffer the consequences, but Slevin has some secrets of his own, which he is reluctant to reveal.

This wasn’t the best crime movie ever made, but it’s fast pacing more than makes up for that and keeps you guessing to the very end. Despite being filled with clichés and expected twists and turns, this is still an appealing movie with some reasonable, though not spectacular, performances.

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

Down To Earth (2001) 6/10

Starring : Chris Rock, Regina King, Chazz Palminteri, Eugene Levy, Frankie Faison, Mark Addy, Greg Germann, Jennifer Coolidge, Wanda Sykes
Director : Chris & Paul Weitz
Running Time : 88 mins

Lance Barton (Rock) is a comedian who gets killed in a hit and run accident. When he gets to heaven he discovers he wasn’t supposed to die, so he is given the opportunity to go back to earth in another body, that of a wealthy businessman. Soon he finds life isn’t as easy as it once was, and that being a poor black man in a rich white man’s body can lead to all sorts of misuderstandings.

This movie is not Chris Rock's finest moment, but it's still bearable. If you look past the obvious racist attitudes of the majority of the characters, this is a watchable movie, mainly relying on one liners to delivery the humour home to the audience.

You’ll like this if you liked : Click

A Lot Like Love (2005) 6/10

Starring : Ashton Kutcher, Amanda Peet, Kathryn Hahn, Kal Penn, Ali Larter
Director : Nigel Cole
Running Time : 107 mins

Oliver Martin (Kutcher) and Emily Friehl (Peet) meet randomly on a flight and have sex in the toilets. For the rest of the day Oliver shares his plans for the future with Emily other and arranges for her to call seven years later to see if he succeeded. As the years part they start running into each other, and what started as a quick fling starts to develop into something more.

This isn’t a bad little romantic comedy, with Kutcher and Peet playing their characters pretty well, but it felt a little too stretched out, with the story line skipping ahead too quickly and not giving the viewer enough time to see how the characters have gradually changed over the years.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Last Kiss

Howl's Moving Castle (2004) 7/10

Starring : Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, Emily Mortimer, Josh Hutcherson, Billy Crystal
Director : Hayao Miyazaki
Running Time : 115 mins

When Sophie (Mortimer / Simmons) is cursed and turned into an old woman by the Witch Of The Waste (Bacall), so she flees into the countryside where she takes a job in a castle owned by the mysterious wizard Howl (Bale). There she makes a deal with a fire demon named Calcifer (Crystal) who vows to help her break the curse on her if she can help break the spell he’s under.

This is a visually spectacular movie, which mixes moments of romance with moments of adventure and peril. Miyazaki really knows how to direct a movie to make the most its pathos while still keeping it light and cheery.

You’ll like this if you liked : Spirited Away

Music And Lyrics (2007) 7/10

Starring : Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Brad Garrett, Kristen Johnston, Haley Bennett
Director : Marc Lawrence
Running Time : 105 mins

One time pop idol Alex Fletcher (Grant) is beginning to run out of the money made from his success twenty years earlier, so he jumps at the chance to write a new song for popular singer Cora Corman (Bennett). Now he’s faced with having to put lyrics to one of his melodies over the course of just a few days, so he eventually turns for inspiration to, of all people, Sophie Fisher (Barrymore), the woman who waters his plants.

This is a nice enough romantic comedy, which I was surprised to actually enjoy after hearing some very bad reviews about it. Granted, it’s nothing original, and doesn’t really push the boundaries in terms of surprising the viewer, but it’s still fun enough to watch on a Friday night if there’s nothing else on.

You’ll like this if you liked : Alex And Emma

Girl With A Pearl Earring (2003) 8/10

Starring : Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Judy Parfitt, Cillian Murphy, Essie Davis
Director : Peter Webber
Running Time : 92 mins

A young girl named Griet (Johansson) takes a job as a cleaner in the home of renowned painter Johannes Vermeer (Firth), where she finds herself in the position of having to pose for him on the order of Pieter Van Ruijven (Wilkinson), Vermeer’s sole patron, who plans on seducing Griet before the painting is complete.

In spite of being quite downbeat and having a very muted energy running throughout, this is still a very enjoyable movie with some nice performances from all involved, particularly Wilkinson whose underplayed sinister character is a wonder to behold.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Notebook

The Last Shot (2004) 8/10

Starring : Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin, Toni Collette, Tony Shalhoub, Calista Flockhart, Ray Liotta
Director : Jeff Nathanson
Running Time : 93 mins

Steven Schats (Broderick) finally gets the opportunity to make the movie he’s been trying to get produced for years, but what he doesn’t realise is that the producer, Joe Devine (Baldwin), is in fact an undercover FBI agent using the movie production to try and take down mob boss John Gotti (Shalhoub). The plan runs smoothly, until the guys involved at the FBI start to get carried away with making the movie.

This is actually a very enjoyable, much underrated little movie. Broderick and Baldwin handle their parts expertly, and it’s nice to see Toni Collette not having to dowdy herself down and actually looking pretty damn good.

You’ll like this if you liked : Bowfinger

The Queen (2006) 8/10

Starring : Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Alex Jennings, Sylvia Sims
Director : Stephen Frears
Running Time : 99 mins

Following the death of Princess Diana, The Queen (Mirren) is faced with the major problem of presenting a positive image to the public. With the media pressuring her to do what they think it right, she has to swallow her pride and make every effort not to appear uncaring about her former daughter-in-law’s untimely demise.

Not a bad little movie, which doesn’t go out of it’s way to show the Queen in a good light but still manages to make her seem sympathetic and human. Mirren does a wonderful job as the Queen, although Alex Jennings as Prince Charles seemed like an odd choice.

You’ll like this if you liked : Finding Neverland

Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow (2004) 6/10

Starring : Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Gambon
Director : Kerry Conran
Running Time : 102 mins

Ace reporter Polly Perkins (Paltrow) is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a large number of famous scientists, and connects this to recent attacks by giant robots on New York city. Enlisting the aid of her ex-boyfriend (Law), Polly sets off on an adventure in search of the missing scientists and the dastardly mind behind the kidnappings and the attacks.

This was a fun movie, just not particularly good. Despite looking very good, and having a very stylised look as well as an excellent cast, this was just a little too hammy for most people’s pallets and felt very strained and awkward in places.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Rocketeer

Classic Friday : Mannequin (1987) 8/10

Starring : Andrew McCarthy, Kim Cattrall, Estelle Getty, James Spader, G W Bailey
Director : Michael Gottlieb
Running Time : 96 mins

Jonathan Switcher (McCarthy) is an artist who has taken a temporary job in a factory that builds mannequins, but as a perfectionist he’s only made one in all his time there, and he’s fallen in love with it. So, when it becomes possessed by the spirit of a long dead Egyptian called Emmy (Cattrall), Switcher finds himself involved in a very peculiar romance, especially as everyone else sees the dummy as a dummy.

Although the plot is a little silly, this is still a very enjoyable 80s classic. The music alone makes it a cheesy memory which rekindles the youth of all 80s children just by watching it. It’s very difficult not to like this movie, as it’s so energetic and upbeat, so if you haven’t seen it check it out.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Woman In Red

The Heartbreak Kid (2007) 8/10

Starring : Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan, Jerry Stiller, Malin Akerman, Carlos Mencia
Director : Bobby & Peter Farrelly
Running Time : 116 mins

When Eddie Cantrow (Stiller) gets married to Lila (Akerman), a woman he’s only known for 6 weeks, he soon realises the mistake he’s made when he is faced by her strange habits and checkered past, but when he meets an attractive women on his honeymoon named Miranda (Monaghan), he begins a deceitful relationship with her behind his new brides back.

This is almost perfect French farce, with Stiller desperately trying to keep his wife from finding out about his secret woman, but after a while you stop feeling sorry for his character as he becomes somewhat worse than his terrible wife. The humour is slapstick, and if you like Ben Stiller then you’ll enjoy this comedy romp, but don’t expect to be on his side throughout the movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Good Luck Chuck

First Daughter (2004) 6/10

Starring : Katie Holmes, Michael Keaton, Marc Blucas, Margaret Colin
Director : Forest Whitaker
Running Time : 101 mins

Samantha Mackenzie (Holmes) is the daughter of the American president (Keaton) and decides to escape from her celebrity world by attending college as far away from her family as possible. Unfortunately, even when she's away from her powerful father, she can't seem to shake his influence or his intrusive ways, which manage to worm their way into every facet of her life.

This is watchable but not brilliant. Katie Holmes' performance isn't anything particularly special or exciting, but the simple story is interesting enough and flows reasonably well, with only a few moments that felt outright convoluted and forced.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Princess Diaries

Looney Tunes Back In Action (2003) 6/10

Starring : Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Timothy Dalton, Joan Cusack, Steve Martin
Director : Joe Dante
Running Time : 87 mins

Daffy Duck is fired from his job and decides to move in with one of the security guards (Fraser) at the Warner lot. Coincidentally, the guards father, a famous super spy (Dalton) is kidnapped and held hostage by the chairman of Acme Inc (Martin), who plans to take over the world by turning all of humankind into monkeys.

There are far worse childrens movies doing the rounds, but this one feels a little too forced at some points. Fraser seems at home among the cartoon world, having already made Monkeybone at this stage in his career, but despite the mix of live action and animation this is nowhere near being anything like a patch on Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

You’ll like this if you liked : Space Jam

Alex Rider : Stormbreaker (2006) 7/10

Starring : Alex Pettyfer, Mickey Rourke, Alicia Silverstone, Bill Nighy, Sophie Okonedo, Ewan McGregor, Missi Pyle, Andy Serkis
Director : Geoffrey Sax
Running Time : 94 mins

Following the death of his Uncle Ian (McGregor), Alex Rider (Pettyfer) discovers that he was in fact a spy working undercover for MI6, and that he himself is now being asked to follow in his uncle's footsteps in order to uncover the dastardly plot of international businessman Darrius Sayle (Rourke), who they believe plans to take over the world through the introduction of a new computer system named Stormbreaker.

Not a bad little movie, though primarily aimed as a children’s version of Bond, this is still a reasonably well thought through film. Some of the villains aren’t particularly convincing though, and it’s difficult to tell if Rourke is wearing a lot of makeup or just looks like that now.

You’ll like this if you liked : Casino Royale

Anything Else (2003) 7/10

Starring : Jason Biggs, Christina Ricci, Woody Allen, Stockard Channing
Director : Woody Allen
Running Time : 108 mins

Jerry Falk (Biggs) is a budding comedy writer who finds life difficult as he is one of those people who hates to end any sort of relationship, leading him to be involved with an agent who is laughing stock in the business, a therapist who won't talk to him, and a girlfriend who won't have sex with him, but when he meets another comedy writer, (Allen), he begins to become more assertive in his decision making, leading him take some life altering steps.

I'm not a big fan of Woody Allen, but this was actually quite entertaining. Ricci is a little annoying, but she’s supposed to be, and Biggs is clearly just a young Woody Allen. Worth having a look at if you like movies with a lot of dialogue, and this has mounds of it.

You’ll like this if you liked : Jersey Girl

Bridget Jones : The Edge Of Reason (2004) 8/10

Starring : Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Sally Phillips
Director : Beeban Kidron
Running Time : 103 mins

Bridget Jones (Zellweger) is now dating Mark Darcy (Firth), but things aren’t going as swimmingly for them as Bridget starts to pick at those things about Mark that she doesn’t like, which throws her back into the arms of Daniel Cleaver (Grant) and on a business trip to Thailand which leads to disaster!

This is easily on a par with the original movie, which is very unusual for a sequel. The concept is still fresh and appealing, and we as an audience still care for Bridget's unending plight. Granted the necessary fight scene between Darcy and Cleaver was no where near as entertaining as the original, this is still a very well made and funfilled movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Love Actually

Codename : The Cleaner (2007) 7/10

Starring : Cedric The Entertainer, Lucy Liu, Nicolette Sheridan, Mark Dacascos, Callum Keith Rennie, Niecy Nash
Director : Les Mayfield
Running Time : 83 mins

Jake Rodgers (Cedric) wakes up in a hotel room next to a dead body with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He soon meets a woman (Sheridan) who claims to be his wife, and a witress (Liu) who claims to be his mistress, and begins to believe that he is a superspy, but the truth is that the FBI and CIA are after him due some damaging information he may or may not know.

For what it's worth, this was a pretty good movie, which owes a lot to the Naked Gun movies amongst others. Cedric is likeable as the amnesiac Jake, and the supporting cast do their jobs well, making this an entertaining movie, though not a particularly special one.

You’ll like this if you liked : Spy Hard

The 51st State (2001) 7/10

Starring : Samuel L Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Sean Pertwee, Ricky Tomlinson, Rhys Ifans, Meat Loaf
Director : Ronny Yu
Running Time : 89 mins

Elmo McElroy (Jackson) travels to the UK in the hope of selling the new wonder drug he has created, but things don’t go according to plan when he gets involved with Felix DeSouza (Carlyle), who has been hired as his escort to meet crime boss Leopold Durant (Tomlinson). When Durant is accidentally killed, McElroy and DeSouza are forced to team up and look for a new buyer of the drug before they are both killed by another drug lord called The Lizard (Meatloaf) and his hired assassin Dakota (Mortimer).

Not a bad little action comedy, with some okay moments and a nice twist at the end, but some Americans may take offence at the films approach. Jackson plays the part with his tongue firmly in his cheek, and the supporting cast seem to be enjoying themselves throughout the movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels

The Longest Yard (2005) 7/10

Starring : Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds, William Fichtner, James Cromwell
Director : Peter Segal
Running Time : 114 mins

Former American football star Paul "Wrecking" Crewe (Sandler) is arrested for reckless driving and faces a stiff sentence in jail, but when he is requested by prison warden Hazen (Cromwell) to be placed in his prison he discovers that he finds himself having to form a football team made up from his fellow convincts.

This is an entertaining movie with some unexpected moments as well as some good old fashioned slapstick. Adam Sandler doesn’t overshadow any of his fellow cast mates, which gives everyone else a chance to show their stuff, unfortunately the characters are a little one-dimensional with little time given to their development.

You’ll like this if you liked : Let's Go To Prison

Classic Friday : Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984) 8/10

Starring : Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Amrish Puri
Director : Steven Spielberg
Running Time : 113 mins

Indiana Jones (Ford) finds himself in India with a lounge singer named Willie (Capshaw) and a little boy who calls himself Short Round (Quan). The village they arrive in has been plagued with disaster as all the children have been kidnapped and taken to work in a mysterious temple, under the control of the maniacal madman Mola Ram (Puri).

This lacks the Nazi intrigue of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, and seems to be more aimed at children than adults. Still, it’s a fun packed rollercoaster of a movie, which in many ways paved the way for other classics such as the Goonies with it’s natural feel of being on a ride rather than watching a film.

You’ll like this if you liked : Young Sherlock Holmes

Serendipity (2001) 8/10

Starring : John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Molly Shannon, Jeremy Piven, Eugene Levy
Director : Peter Chelsom
Running Time : 87 mins

When Jonathan (Cusack) and Sara (Beckinsale) meet whilst shopping at Chrismas time, but decide not to pursue a romance as all signs point to it's falure. Many years later, John is due to get married and decides to look for Sara again to discover if their relationship would have truly ben a mistake while, coinidentally, Sara is thinking the very same thing.

This was a fun romantic romp which takes the idea of fate and really stretches it to the limits. The cast don't seem to put a foot wrong in this movie about love and loss, and there's plenty of near misses to keep all true romantics on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the characters predictable union.

You’ll like this if you liked : Sliding Doors

Ice Princess (2005) 8/10

Starring : Michelle Trachtenberg, Joan Cusack, Kim Cattrall, Hayden Panettiere, Trevor Blumas
Director : Tim Fywell
Running Time : 95 mins

Casey Carlyle (Trachtenberg) decides to do a physics project revolving around ice skating as part of her Harvard entry application, but soon finds herself completely involved in the skating world, even going so far as to decide to compete in a regional competition, much to the shagrin of her mother (Cusack).

This is actually a very enjoyable children's movie, which is just as good for grownups as well. Despite the idea of forgiving everyone a little too easily in the movie, there is still substance to this flick which makes it well worth watching.

You’ll like this if you liked : 13 Going On 30

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004) 5/10

Starring : Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Cate Blanchett
Director : Wes Anderson
Running Time : 120 mins

Steve Zissou (Murray) embarks on a dangerous expedition to find and kill the mysterious Jaguar Shark which killed and ate one of his crew. Along the way he meets his apparently long-lost son Ned (Wilson) who asks to join the expedition, and Zissou soon finds himself under scrutiny from a reporter named Jane (Blanchett) who believes that the whole expedition is a sham. It isn't long into their voyage through unprotected waters that they find themselves under attack from pirates and the crew begin a rebellion against their captain.

This is a very slow movie, with little or no action or real development to keep it going. Murray is uncharacteristicly laid back and gives little or no emotion to his role, with much of the more interesting performances coming from the supporting cast. I would recommend giving this a miss, unless you are a fan of Wes Anderson's previous works.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Royal Tenenbaums

Over The Hedge (2006) 8/10

Starring : Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, William Shatner, Wanda Sykes, Nick Nolte
Director : Tim Johnson & Karey Kirkpatrick
Running Time : 80 mins

When a racoon named RJ (Willis) tries to steal food from a hibernating bear (Nolte), the bear threatens to kill him unless he can replace all of the food by the time he awakes from hibernation. Realising that this will be a near impossible task, RJ decides to trick a group of animals, led by a tortoise named Vern (Shandling), into collecting the food for him, which will involve them having to steal from the humans who live over the hedge on the outskirts of their woodland home.

This is a fun over the top romp with plenty of action, telling a nice moral tale for children without being too preachy. The characters are colourful and fun, and are brilliantly brought to life by the disparate cast of voice actors. Definitely worth checking out for anyone who liked movies like Monster House or Shrek.

You’ll like this if you liked : Toy Story

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (2005) 7/10

Starring : Martin Freeman, Mos Def, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel
Director : Garth Jennings
Running Time : 101 mins

Arthur Dent (Freeman) wakes up one morning to discover that his home is due to be demolished to make way for a bypass, but things go from bad to worse when it turns out the Earth is faced with a similar fate. Arthur's long time friend Ford Prefect (Def) rescues him at the last minute by hitchhiking aboard an alien space craft, run by the president of the universe (Rockwell) and a girl Arthur met at a party once named Tricia (Deschanel).

Considering that Hitchiker's Guide is a very English thing, and this version is filled with Americans in most of the lead roles, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It dosn't have the charm of the books or the early 80s BBC series, but it does manage to squeeze as much of the quirkiness of the books as possible into 90 minutes. Still, I didn't think much of the opening song.

You’ll like this if you liked : Galaxy Quest

Snow Dogs (2002) 6/10

Starring : Cuba Gooding Jr, James Coburn, Nichelle Nichols, Sisqo
Director : Brian Levant
Running Time : 91 mins

Ted Brooks (Gooding) is a dentist who discovers he was adopted when his birth mother dies and leaves him a cabin and some pack of sled dogs in her will. When he travels to Alaska to claim his inheritence, he meets his birth father, and angry dog sledder named Thunder Jack (Coburn) who wants nothing to do with him, claiming he never even knew he existed.

This is a reasonable slapstick romp, which sadly doesn't show off Gooding's talents in the best of lights. There's some okay comic moments, mainly revolving around Gooding falling over or being attacked by dogs, but there could have been a lot more done with this movie to improve upon it.

You’ll like this if you liked : Cool Runnings

I Am Legend (2007) 6/10

Starring : Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson
Director : Francis Lawrence
Running Time : 97 mins

Robert Neville (Smith) is one of the last human beings alive following a mass pandemic which resulted from an attempted cure for cancer. As he lives his life alone with no one but his pet dog for company, we soon discover that many of the humans have been transformed into night-walking vampiric zombies who's only wish is violence and murder.

I was sorely disappointed by this adaptation of the classic novel by Richard Matheson. Not only have the makers changed the ending, they've changed the entire feel of the story, making the creatures seem like mindlessly violent monsters rather than the simple rational zombies of the novel. This would appeal to fans of action movies, but real hardcore sci-fi fans will most likely groan throuhgout this poorly thought through movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : 28 Weeks Later

Catwoman (2004) 6/10

Starring : Halle Berry, Benjamin Bratt, Sharon Stone, Lambert Wilson, Frances Conroy
Director : Pitof
Running Time : 94 mins

Patience Phillips (Berry) is murdered by her bosses when she accidentally discovers that they are manufacturing a face cream which contains addictive chemicals which can also cause serious long-term damage to skin, but when she is revived from the dead by a cat, she becomes the acrobatic Catwoman and seeks revenge against her former bosses.

Not the best action comic book movie ever made, with a pretty feeble plot, but this still has enough in it to keep you watching. Berry is a little on the weak side in her performance, but with a plot line like this she doesn't need to act well, just look good.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Punisher

Cabin Fever (2002) 8/10

Starring : Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, James DeBello, Cerina Vincent, Joey Kern
Director : Eli Roth
Running Time : 93 mins

Five teenagers decide to spend the week in a cabin in the woods, but when a terribly ill man comes to them looking for help, they all start to contract a deadly virus which kills them off one by one. When they try to ask the local towns folk for help, they discover that they'd rather they were dead than infect any of them!

This is an excellent horror / thriller which, in spite of not giving any real explanation for the disease, still delivers some well paced horror moments and a wonderful over the top ending. Although not for the squemish, this is nowhere near as gory and gross out as some people have made it sound.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Evil Dead

Classic Friday : Jaws (1975) 8/10

Starring : Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
Director : Steven Spielberg
Running Time : 119 mins

Following a series of shark attacks, Police Chief Martin Brody (Scheider) suggests that closing the beach on the small island of Amity would be a wise idea, but the local people need to keep the beach open to make money off their fourth of July celebrations, but as the death toll rises, the community are forced to call in professionals to capture and kill the deadly menace.

An all time classic which made the big budget horror a reality, this has stood the test of time as a truely scary movie. The shark never looked that realistic at the best of times, but that doesn't matter when you consider how well crafted this movie truly is. It's just a shame about the terrible sequels really which have done nothing but sully this movies name.

You’ll like this if you liked : Moby Dick

Underworld : Evolution (2006) 6/10

Starring : Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Tony Curran, Shane Brolly, Derek Jacobi, Bill Nighy
Director : Len Wiseman
Running Time : 103 mins

Selene (Beckinsale) and Michael (Speedman) are on the run, having murdered Viktor (Nighy), the leader of Selene’s vampire clan. As they continue to look into the history of their clan’s long running feud, they discover that the clans may be more connected than they originally thought.

This simply took the ridiculous antics of the original movie and spread them out for another hour and a half. I still don't understand why there was such call for a sequel; the original was okay, but nothing special, and it would have been fine as a stand alone movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Van Helsing