Classic Friday : Bill And Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) 8/10

Starring : Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, William Sadler, Joss Ackland, Pam Grier, George Carlin
Director : Peter Hewitt
Running Time : 90 mins

The evil Chuck De Nomolos (Ackland) travels back in time from a utopian future to destroy Bill S Preston (Winter) and Ted Logan (Reeves) in order to create a future more to his liking. Having built two evil robot twins of our heroes, they set about murdering Bill and Ted and taking their place in order to lose at the pivotal Battle of the Bands, but the ghosts of Bill and Ted refuse to let a little thing like death stand in their way.

As far as sequels go, this pretty much took the concept from the original movie, took it to the next level and threw a big budget at it. This is just as good as the original movie, but in a different enough way to warrant it it’s own stand alone appreciation. Many people didn’t like this movie, but I thought it’s energy and love of all things fun and silly gave it the edge it needed to be really good.

You’ll like this if you liked : Wayne’s World

Terminator 3 : Rise Of The Machines (2003) 6/10

Starring : Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, Kristianna Loken
Director : Jonathan Mostow
Running Time : 105 mins

John Connor (Stahl) finds himself under attack from the comically named Terminatrix (Loken), another robot from the future who has been sent back with plans to kill him, but an original model Terminator (Schwarzenegger) has also been sent back to protect him from the evil robot and prevent SkyNet from causing the future Armageddon.

This movie was okay, but it wasn’t a patch on the original two movies. For some reason the writers decided to try to inject too much humour into a movie that’s subject matter is clearly death, destruction and general resignation to a terrible future, but there are some stupid scenes that are clearly aimed at children due to the movies rating having dramatically dropped to a 12, but compared to some of the desperate money-making sequels at the time this was pretty good.

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

The Ugly Duckling And Me (2006) 8/10

Starring : Morgan C Jones, Anna Olsen, Justin Gregg, Kim Larney, Aileen Mythen, Drew Lucas
Director : Michael Hegner & Karsten Kiilerich
Running Time : 85 mins

A city rat named Ratso (Jones) travels into the country in search of fame and fortune at a carnival in which his penpal Ernie (Lucas) lives, but along the way he finds himself on the run from a rat named Phyllis (Olsen) and her menacing brothers, and becomes trapped in a chicken coop where he mistakenly becomes the carer for a newborn duckling he names Ugly (Gregg & Larney).

This is a lovely little road movie, which brings all the characters on a journey of self discovery as they get to know each other. Granted, it’s predictable, simply because everyone knows most of the plot already, but the additional plot twists are fun and well conceived and make for an overall enjoyable film.

You’ll like this if you liked : Finding Nemo

Casanova (2005) 7/10

Starring : Heath Ledger, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Oliver Platt, Lena Olin, Omid Djalili
Director : Lasse Hallstrom
Running Time : 108 mins

Realising that he can’t always successfully seduce women following a failed attempt with a woman named Francesca (Miller), Casanova (Ledger) decides to investigate the true meaning of love, not realising that the Catholic church are after his head following a particular indiscretion at a nearby nunnery.

This was a nicely enjoyable movie, using French farce to the maximum with it’s constant comedy of mistaken identity. At points it does get a little confusing as to who is who, especially with the revelations at the end of the movie, but there were some nice moments throughout which I found fun, and Oliver Platt was very good in his role.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Importance Of Being Earnest

Shall We Dance (2004) 7/10

Starring : Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Susan Sarandon, Lisa Ann Walter, Stanley Tucci
Director : Peter Chelsom
Running Time : 101 mins

Middle-aged lawyer John Clark (Gere) decides to take up a dance class after spotting the attractive dance instructor (Lopez) on his way home from work, but as he spends more and more time at dance classes, his wife Beverly (Sarandon) becomes increasingly suspicious and hires a private investiagator to find out where he’s going every Wednesday night.

I wasn’t expecting much out of this movie, but it was better than I expected. Granted, the motivations of Gere’s character to take up dance classes in the first place are highly suspect, but once you ignore that and get into the film it does become an enjoyable little romantic romp.

You’ll like this if you liked : American Beauty

Slither (2006) 7/10

Starring : Nathan Fillion, Don Thompson, Elizabeth Banks, Gregg Henry, Xantha Radley, Michael Rooker, Tania Saulnier
Director : James Gunn
Running Time : 92 mins

When a meteor lands in the woods near the small town of Wheelsy, local resident Grant Grant (Rooker) finds himself playing host to an alien parasite who then sets about laying its eggs in another unfortunate host. With the parasite roaming around town, taking over people’s bodies, it isn’t long before the local police department find themselves faced with one hell of a challenge.

It’s hard to really describe this movie as a comedy-horror, as there isn’t any outright comedy involved. There are some silly moments, but there’s just not enough to boost this from being anything more than tongue in cheek. In any case, there were enough enjoyable moments to make this movie more than watchable, but if you’re expecting anything in the vein of Shaun Of The Dead you will probably be very disappointed.

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

Crossroads (2002) 3/10

Starring : Britney Spears, Anson Mount, Zoe Saldana, Taryn Manning, Dan Aykroyd, Kim Cattrall, Justin Long
Director : Tamra Davis
Running Time : 90 mins

Many years after they bury a box filled with their future hopes and dreams, three girls discover how much they’ve changed over the years and decide to go on a road trip together to Los Angeles to fulfil the ambition of Lucy Wagner (Spears) to become a famous singer.

This movie was really terrible. I was embarrassed to see Dan Aykroyd, star of my all-time favourite movie Ghostbusters, stooping to play Britney’s dad in this schmaltzy nonsense. Britney’s acting ability is barely present, and her two best friends in the movie are almost as bad. I’d advise steering clear of this one if you can help it.

You’ll like this if you liked : Coyote Ugly

Wrong Turn 2 : Dead End (2007) 7/10

Starring : Erica Leerhsen, Henry Rollins, Texas Battle, Daniella Alonso, Steve Braun, Aleksa Palladino
Director : Joe Lynch
Running Time : 93 mins

A group of young people are invited to take place in a new survival-style reality television show, and are sent out into the woods to see who will survive. Little do they or the makers of the show realise, but a family of inbred mountain folk are lurking in the woods, and they feed on human flesh…

Despite initial appearances, this is an enjoyable enough teen slasher movie. From the outset it feels slightly reminiscent of both Battle Royale and Halloween Resurrection, amongst other movies, and one of the actors even ironically wears a Battle Royale T-shirt as if to point out how similar this movie could have been. Still, despite it being a wholly unoriginal piece, it is still quite entertaining and has enough going for it to keep the viewer engrossed until the end.

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

Exorcist : The Beginning (2004) 8/10

Starring : Stellan Skargard, Izabella Scorupco, James D’Arcy, Remy Sweeney
Director : Renny Harlin
Running Time : 113 mins

Retired priest turned archaeologist Lankester Merrin (Skarsgard) travels to East Africa to investigate an ancient church which has been found buried in the sand. As he looks further into the mystery, he discovers that the village close to where the church is was once hit by an apparent plague 50 years earlier, and that the church itself has been desecrated by what appears to be satanic worshippers. It’s then that strange things start to happen around the village…

This was a surprisingly good movie, which doesn’t go over the top with the horror from the get go. Instead we are lured into an interesting tale which goes to every length to trick us into making assumptions about what has happened, and climaxes with a surprising conclusion which rivals the original.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Omen

Frailty (2001) 8/10

Starring : Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe, Matt O’Leary, Jeremy Sumpter
Director : Bill Paxton
Running Time : 100 mins

Fenton Meiks (McConaughey) turns up at the offices of the FBI to tell them that his brother Adam, who has recently committed suicide, was behind a series of grizzly murders that have taken place. As he tells the story of how his father (Paxton) had brought his sons up to believe that there were demons in human form roaming the earth and that they had been given a mission from God to get rid of them, it becomes increasingly evident that Fenton’s brother Adam may well have been driven insane by his father’s teachings.

This was a thought provoking movie which has both an obvious twists at the end and another less expected one. Paxton plays the crazy dad very well, and in his directorial debut he is excellent, but I can see why a lot of people were not happy with the ending as it kind of makes the murders seem justified.

You’ll like this if you liked : Raising Cain

Classic Friday : Ghostbusters II (1989) 8/10

Starring : Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Peter MacNicol
Director : Ivan Reitman
Running Time : 104 mins

The Ghostbusters have been forced into retirement since they saved New York five years earlier, but strange goings on around town, involving pink ooze and a painting of Viggo the Carpathian encourage them to reform and investigate what might be the end of the world as we know it.

In spite of the fact that Reitman’s movies are extremely formulaic, it’s a formula that works every time. The cast are a lot older, but they still play the characters with an enthusiasm that was present in the original. This is a worthy sequel, filled with great special effects and likeable characters that have truly stood the test of time.

You’ll like this if you liked : Evolution

Cheaper By The Dozen 2 (2005) 7/10

Starring : Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, Bonnie Hunt, Tom Welling, Piper Perabo, Carmen Electra, Jaime King
Director : Adam Shankman
Running Time : 91 mins

Tom Baker (Martin) decides to take his wife and dozen children on a nice family vacation, but when he runs into his old school mate Jimmy Murtaugh (Levy), who has eight kids of his own and has all of them overachieving to make him look good, Tom finds himself competing with Jimmy at every turn.

I was actually surprised to find that I enjoyed this more than the first instalment as it had a very 80s feel to it which was missing from the first one. Steve Martin still feels like he’s getting too old to make funny comedies (he’s about 60 in this movie!), but it is pleasantly surprising to actually laugh at one of his films, something I probably haven’t done since Bowfinger, possibly his last great movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Great Outdoors

Lady In The Water (2006) 6/10

Starring : Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bob Balaban, Jeffrey Wright, Sarita Choudhury, Freddy Rodriguez, Bill Irwin, Jared Harris
Director : M Night Shyamalan
Running Time : 106 mins

Cleveland Heep (Giamatti) works as a handyman at an apartment complex where he meets a woman named Story (Howard) who claims she is a water nymph and that she is being chased by strange wolflike creatures whose intentions are to prevent her from returning to her own world. With the help of Heep and the other tenants in the complex, she must fight against the creatures and return to her own world by solving a series of codes and riddles.

The characters in this movie are probably what save this from being incredibly boring and ultimately pointless. Thankfully, the acting skills of Paul Giamatti are put to their best use as he takes the ensemble cast of talent and turns this from a mediocre fairytale into something special. Although I wasn’t a fan of the hasty ending.

You’ll like this if you liked : Splash

Five Children And It (2004) 7/10

Starring : Tara Fitzgerald, Freddie Highmore, Alex Jennings, Jonathan Bailey, Jessica Claridge, Poppy Rogers, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Izzard
Director : John Stephenson
Running Time : 89 mins

A family of children who have been sent to live with relatives during World War II discover a Psammead (Izzard), a sand fairy, on the beach who grants them one wish a day, but every wish they make seems to have terrible repercussions, and they soon realise that any wish they make will not turn out how they expect.

I thoroughly enjoyed this adaptation of Edith Nesbit’s classic novel. The story is clearly there to show children that they should be careful what they wish for, but does it in a very subtle way that doesn’t make you feel like you’re being preached to, and Eddie Izzard is wonderfully fun as the Psammead, lending his inimitable comedy style to the character with great effect.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Chronicles Of Narnia : The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

30 Days Of Night (2007) 7/10

Starring : Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, Ben Foster, Mark Boone Junior
Director : David Slade
Running Time : 107 mins

A gang of ruthless vampires come up with the genius notion of attacking a small Alaskan town just as it enters into a month of darkness. As the town folk realise what’s in store for them, they turn to town Sheriff Eben Oleson (Hartnett) to try to save them from the seemingly inevitable fate that awaits them.

This isn’t the best horror film around, but it certainly has a nicely original plotline. Based on the comic book of the same name, this movie takes the idea of vampirism and moves it to the last place you’d want to face the blood sucking monsters. This is very claustrophobic throughout the movie, and delivers some unexpected moments as the film progresses to it’s surprising conclusion.

You’ll like this if you liked : Underworld

The Fast And The Furious (2001) 6/10

Starring : Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Rick Yune
Director : Rob Cohen
Running Time : 107 mins

Brian O’Connor (Walker) is a cop who is sent undercover to infiltrate a group of street racers who are involved in a series of car thefts in the city. As he grows closer to the groups inner circle, he finds himself questioning whether or not he really wants to see any of his new friends get punished for their crimes.

This is a simple enough movie with little plot to worry about, so nothing gets in the way of the action. The main problem, however, is that the lead actor, Walker, really isn’t a very good actor, and it’s only for the fact that his character doesn’t really need a personality that this doesn’t spoil the film. Worth watching if you like mindless action, but don’t expect to be dazzled by the script or the plotline.

You’ll like this if you liked : Point Break

Barnyard (2006) 7/10

Starring : Kevin James, Courteney Cox, Sam Elliott, Danny Glover, Wanda Sykes
Director : Steve Oedekerk
Running Time : 90 mins

When his adoptive father Ben (Elliott) is killed by attacking coyotes, Otis the Cow (James) is forced to take responsibility for once in his life and is voted to take over the protection of the farm. The problem is, he has no idea how to take charge, and finds things increasingly difficult as the coyotes plan their next attack.

This started off slow, and I was worried for a while that there wasn’t going to be a plotline, but once everything got going this was actually pretty entertaining. The characters weren’t the best conceived, and I know a lot of people were concerned about some of the cows being male, but this is a fun movie with a nice moral message and some pretty good looking animation.

You’ll like this if you liked : Home On The Range

Star Wars Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith (2005) 7/10

Starring : Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L Jackson
Director : George Lucas
Running Time : 135 mins

Anakin Skywalker (Christensen) is lead to believe by Ambassador Palpatine (McDiarmid) that the Jedi Council are against him, and Anakin becomes increasingly suspicious that the council are planning to overthrow the government. Plagued by visions of his secret wife Padma (Portman) dying in child birth, as well as doubts about his future as a Jedi Master, Anakin understandably turns to Palpatine to help him stop the Jedi from what he views as their desire to take over.

At last George Lucas has made a Star Wars movie that is almost on a par with the originals. Granted, we are thrown into battle far too soon for my liking, but things soon slow down and begin to make more sense. It’s hardly surprising, though, that Anakin turns to the dark side, as his treatment by the Jedi Council is beyond belief, and they should have known better than to practically force an impressionable and powerful mind to turn against them.

You’ll like this if you liked : Star Wars Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

Jeepers Creepers 2 (2002) 6/10

Starring : Ray Wise, Jonathan Breck, Garikayi Mutambirwa, Eric Nenninger, Nicki Aycox, Marieh Delfino
Director : Victor Salva
Running Time : 100 mins

A group of school kids on their way to a championship basketball competition find themselves trapped on their school bus by the Creeper, an ancient creature who kills people for their body parts in a vain attempt to improve himself. Their only possible line of defence is a local farmer who has something of a personal score to settle with the evil beast.

In my opinion this was in no way as good as the original, which had a certain charm and appeal to it, mainly due to the witter banter passed between the main characters. This just had too many people in it, and there wasn’t enough time given to getting to know them before they start getting picked off one by one.

You’ll like this if you liked : Freddy vs. Jason

National Treasure (2004) 8/10

Starring : Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel
Director :Jon Turteltaub
Running Time : 126 mins

Ben Gates (Cage) decided to follow in his father’s footsteps when he discovers that the mythical treasure of the Founding Fathers that he’s been told about since childhood may well be within his grasp, but as he begins his search, following a series of cryptic clues, he finds himself being hindered at every turning by his one time colleague Ian Howe (Bean) as well as the FBI who think he robbed a museum,

This was actually a surprisingly entertaining family adventure, much in the same vein as the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise. The audience are invited to follow the heroes of the piece and try to solve the clues with them, whilst being entertained along the way with plenty of chases and gun fights and general adventure. This is definitely a fun movie for all the family, and worth checking out if you haven’t already seen it.

You’ll like this if you liked : Lara Croft Tomb Raider

Classic Friday : The Jerk (1979) 7/10

Starring : Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Catlin Adams, Mabel King
Director : Carl Reiner
Running Time : 94 mins

Navin R Johnson (Martin) has spent most of his life living with his poor black family, until one day he decides to head into the city to make his fortune. When there he stumbles upon a brilliantly simple invention which will revolutionise the glasses industry, but it isn’t long before he finds himself exploited by society as everyone tries to take his money from him.

This is a great example of Steve Martin’s talent, and it’s just a shame he’s begun to slow down as he gets older. This is probably quite an over rated movie, it’s not the best comedy ever written, but it is still a nice silly movie which is just as fresh today as it was almost 30 years ago.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Man With Two Brains

Spy Kids 2 : Island Of Lost Dreams (2002) 7/10

Starring : Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Steve Buscemi, Mike Judge, Danny Trejo
Director : Robert Rodriguez
Running Time : 96 mins

Carmen (Vega) and Juni Cortez (Sabara) set off in search of a mysterious island where their parents are once again being held captive by a mysterious villain named Romero (Buscemi) who has created the island and all of its strange menagerie of creatures but, like many things in the lives of the Cortez family, things are not always as they appear.

This was a pretty descent sequel, although it felt as if it was pandering more to a childs audience than to grown ups, unlike the original. Despite this, there is still a sense of plot development throughout the movie, and at no point is there a dull moment to be seen.

You’ll like this if you liked : Sky High

Saw IV (2007) 7/10

Starring : Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Lyriq Bent, Athena Karkanis
Director : Darren Lynn Bousman
Running Time : 89 mins

Despite the fact that Jigsaw (Bell) and his loyal apprentice Amanda (Smith) are both dead, but their games have not yet come to an end. FBI agents Strahm (Patterson) and Perez (Karkanis) are brought in to investigate when it seems that Jigsaw has left one more puzzle to be solved, and he’s been sending the clues for SWAT commander Rigg (Bent) to try and solve.

Despite the fact that this series of movies has started to descend into the ridiculous, this is still a pretty decent thriller. It’s hard to say that this will be the last instalment, as I thought the third one would have to be the last, but if this franchise is continued, it clearly won’t get any better, and may even taint the originals. Worth watching, but don’t expect it all to make sense.

You’ll like this if you liked : Hostel

Identity (2003) 8/10

Starring : John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes, Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, John C McGinley
Director : James Mangold
Running Time : 90 mins

A group of strangers find themselves stranded at a Nevada motel during a terrible rainstorm. One of the group is a cop (Liotta) transporting a convict (Busey) to prison, but when the criminal escapes and people start to get killed off, the group of strangers find themselves wondering who is the killer and who will be next.

This was a very entertaining psychological thriller which keeps you guessing throughout. This boasts a wonderful cast, all of whom play their roles equally brilliantly, especially John Cusack in the lead role. This is definitely one you have to be prepared to watch, as there’s so much going on that you really have to be concentrating.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Usual Suspects

xXx (2002) 6/10

Starring : Vin Diesel, Asia Argento, Marton Csokas, Samuel L Jackson
Director : Rob Cohen
Running Time : 119 mins

Xander Cage (Diesel) is employed by the government to go undercover to investigate a criminal group they believe is trying to take over the world – the only problem is, will Cage’s bad attitude get in the way of him doing his job, or will it actually turn out to be his greatest asset?

This was a pretty mediocre action spy movie, with some pretty poor acting to boot. It’s embarrassing more than anything at the start of the film when we’re introduced to Cage and his street talking friends, who desperately sound like they all need a good slap, and the villains aren’t exactly intimidating, but this was okay to watch just to pass some time.

You’ll like this if you liked : True Lies

Miami Vice (2006) 6/10

Starring : Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Li Gong, Naomie Harris, Ciaran Hinds, Juston Theroux, Barry Shabaka Henley
Director : Michael Mann
Running Time : 133 mins

Sonny Crockett (Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Foxx) work for the Vice department in Miami, and are assigned to go undercover as drug smugglers in the hope of catching the ring leaders, but they find their worlds turned upside down when Crockett falls for Isabella (Gong), a banker for one of the crime bosses, and Tubbs’ girlfriend Trudy (Harris) is kidnapped and held hostage.

The main problem with this movie is that the action didn’t really get going until the last 5 or 10 minutes. Up until then it was pretty much just exposition throughout the movie. Farrell and Foxx are good enough in the lead roles, but they don’t really bring any personality to the parts, which makes for a rather stale action movie which otherwise could have been pretty good.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Punisher

Monster-In-Law (2005) 7/10

Starring : Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Michael Vartan, Wanda Sykes, Adam Scott, Monet Mazur
Director : Robert Luketic
Running Time : mins

Following a nervous breakdown which came as a result of losing her job, Viola Fields (Fonda) discovers that her only son Kevin (Vartan) is planning to get married to Charlie Cantilini (Lopez), a talented yet flighty young girl who doesn’t meet with Viola’s approval. So, with the help of her long-time assistant Ruby (Sykes), Viola sets about trying to destroy the relationship and get rid of Charlie once and for all.

This was unlikely to be nominated for any Oscars, but is still a very entertaining, over-the-top romantic comedy. Fonda plays the jealous mother brilliantly, although some of the scenarios border on being too over the top to be believable, and Lopez manages to give as good as she gets as the future daughter-in-law.

You’ll like this if you liked : Failure To Launch

Steamboy (2004) 8/10

Starring : Anna Paquin, Alfred Molina, Patrick Stewart, Kari Wahlgren
Director : Katsuhiro Otomo
Running Time : 127 mins

Set in Victorian England, a young boy named James Ray Steam (Paquin) finds himself pitted against the sinister Ohara Foundation who want to steal an invention called a Steam Ball, which can provide almost unlimited power and which, in the wrong hands, could destroy an entire city.

This is a very mature cartoon, with some very slow pacing and enough action to keep any viewer on the edge of their seats. This is also a lot more accessible than some of Otomo’s previous works, such as Akira, and makes for a nice family movie without having to talk down to the audience.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Incredibles

Mr Woodcock (2007) 8/10

Starring : Billy Bob Thornton, Seann William Scott, Susan Sarandon, Amy Poehler, Melissa Sagemiller, Ethan Suplee
Director : Craig Gillespie
Running Time : 88 mins

Following a successful self-help book launch, John Farley (Scott) returns to his home town to receive a prestigious award only to discover that his mother (Sarandon) is engaged to be married to his old high school gym teacher, Jasper Woodcock (Thornton), the man who made John’s childhood a living hell and inspired him to write his book in the first place.

This is a surprisingly good comedy, but only if you like the sort of humour that finds silliness in other peoples pain. Scott proves that he can play the straight man just as well as he plays the joker, and Thornton plays Mr Woodcock brilliantly. Definitely worth checking out if you like prat falls and general silliness.

You’ll like this if you liked : Meet The Fockers

Finding Neverland (2004) 8/10

Starring : Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell, Dustin Hoffman, Freddie Highmore
Director : Marc Forster
Running Time : 102 mins

Unsatisfied playwright JM Barrie (Depp) meets a widow named Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Winslet) and her sons and is inspired to write a new play for children revolving around a boy who never grows up named Peter Pan. Unfortunately his new found relationship with Sylvia upsets his wife (Mitchell), who becomes jealous of the time Barrie is spending with the children.

This is an entertaining yet very mellow story, which turns the life of JM Barrie into something magical whilst also showing just how sad it was. Depp plays Barrie with his usual finesse, with the supporting cast giving their all in this emotionally downbeat yet energetic movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Shadowlands

Classic Friday : Freeway (1996) 8/10

Starring : Kiefer Sutherland, Reese Witherspoon, Wolfgang Bodison, Dan Hedaya, Amanda Plummer, Brooke Shields
Director : Matthew Bright
Running Time : 96 mins

Vanessa Lutz (Witherspoon) goes off in search of her grandmother in an attempt to avoid getting put into foster care after her mother (Plummer) is arrested for soliciting. On her way she is picked up by a man named Bob Wolverton (Sutherland), who turns out to be a renowned serial killer who tries to murder her. In self defense she shoots him in the face, then finds herself being charged for attempted murder.

This modern day adaptation of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale is actually very entertaining. A young Reese Witherspoon shows just how talented an actress she will become in the lead role, while Sutherland moves from being genuinely frightening to being laugh out loud funny. Definitely one to check out.

You’ll like this if you liked : American Beauty

Planet Of The Apes (2001) 7/10

Starring : Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, Estella Warren
Director : Tim Burton
Running Time : 114 mins

Leo Davidson (Wahlberg) is an astronaut who is accidentally sucked into a wormhole when he attempts to rescue one of the chimps that work on his space station. When he crash lands he finds himself on a planet inhabited and ruled by talking apes who have overthrown the humans who lived there and treat them as slaves.

This wasn’t as bad as people made out. Depsite some hammy acting, this was nothing more than an action flick relying heavily on make-up effects to sell itself, and that’s exactly what it did. The plot was thin and, at points, confusing, but that didn’t detract from the action and the adventure which was the heart of this movie. Worth watching if you want something fun and mindless to watch.

You’ll like this if you liked : Star Wars Episode II – Attack Of The Clones

Ladder 49 (2004) 7/10

Starring : Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, Jacinda Barrett, Robert Patrick, Morris Chestnut
Director : Jay Russell
Running Time : 115 mins

As fire fighter Jack Morrison (Phoenix) lies brutally injured in a burning building, he thinks back on some of the decisions he and his colleagues have made over the years that have lead him to his current position, and starts to regret some of the mistakes he feels he’s made in his relationships.

This was a very melancholy movie, with a very downbeat ending. Most of the action takes place in Phoenix’s head, and spans a number of years, showing all the losses he’s been faced with both professionally and emotionally. In spite of this, there’s really just too much emotion in this very sad movie, which could have been a lot better if it had have underplayed the sadness and limited ti to when it was necessary.

You’ll like this if you liked : World Trade Centre

Ali G Indahouse (2002) 5/10

Starring : Sacha Baron Cohen, Michael Gambon, Charles Dance, Kellie Bright, Martin Freeman, Rhona Mitra
Director : Mark Mylod
Running Time : 88 mins

Ali G (Cohen) is tricked by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Carlton (Dance), into making the Prime Minister (Gambon) look bad, but the plot backfires when Ali is seen by the public as the voice of youth for the 21st Century.

This movie was embarrassing more than anything, with very little in the way of actual funny moments throughout, relying more on the one silly idea of Ali G helping the Prime Minister and running with it for 90 minutes. Fans of Borat who haven’t seen this will probably cringe when they see this poor offering, but huge fans of Ali G will no doubt find some redeeming features in this movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Kevin And Perry Go Large

Ocean's Thirteen (2007) 8/10

Starring : George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Ellen Barkin, Al Pacino, Carl Reiner, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan
Director : Steve Soderbergh
Running Time : 118 mins

Reuben Tishkoff (Gould) is double crossed when he builds a casino with a man named Willy Banks (Pacino), leaving him out of pocket and recovering from a heart attack, so Danny Ocean (Clooney) reforms his group of criminals in a personal vendetta against the casino owner, in the hope of bankrupting him and teaching him a lesson he’ll not soon forget.

Like the other Ocean’s movies, this does take a little while to get going, but once it does it’s actually better than the original. It’s nice to see the gang having a real reason for screwing someone over other than plain old jealousy or trying to show off, so this instalment's additional moral compass makes it probably the most enjoyable so far.

You’ll like this if you liked : Rush Hour

Raising Helen (2004) 7/10

Starring : Kate Hudson, John Corbett, Joan Cusack, Hayden Penettierre, Spencer Breslin, Abigail Breslin, Helen Mirren
Director : Garry Marshall
Running Time : 115 mins

Following the death of her sister and brother-in-law, career minded Helen Harris (Hudson) is left to look after her two nieces and nephew, much to the disappointment of her other sister Jenny (Cusack). As she tries to cope with her new life of parenthood, she finds herself faced with many new challenges, including a potential romance with the principal and pastor of the kid’s new school, Dan Parker (Corbett).

This was a pretty entertaining, though slightly moralistic, movie with some predictable moments, but this is acceptable in this kind of romantic comedy of discovery. Hudson plays her part reasonably well, though she could have been made out to be a lot worse as a mother than she initially is in the movie, and Cusack plays the domineering older sister to the hilt.

You’ll like this if you liked : Mr Mom

Everyone’s Hero (2006) 7/10

Starring : Jake T Austin, Rob Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, William H Macy, Brian Dennehy
Director : Colin Brady & Christopher Reeve
Running Time : 88 mins

A young boy named Yankee (Austin) thinks he’s responsible for the theft of a baseball bat belonging to Babe Ruth (Dennehy) so, with the help of a talking baseball called Screwie (Reiner), who travels across the country in search of the thief, in the hope of clearing his father’s name, who was blamed for the theft in the first place.

This animated feature marked the final movie for Christopher Reeve, who co-directed it before his death. As an epitaph, this isn’t that bad a movie, in spite of having little advertising or promotion in the UK. There’s enough action to keep the kids amused, and the story itself is well thought through and fun to follow

You’ll like this if you liked : Night At The Museum

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) 8/10

Starring : Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Danny Glover
Director : Wes Anderson
Running Time : 115 mins

When Royal Tenenbaum (Hackman), the father of three former child prodigies, announces to his family that he is dieing of cancer, the estranged group reunite in their childhood family home to try and reconcile their differences before he dies, but when they discover that his illness is just a ploy to stop his wife Etheline (Huston) from marrying her accountant Henry Sherman (Glover), everything blows up in Royal’s face.

Having seen The Life Aquatic before seeing this, I wasn’t expecting to see anything too brilliant, but this was far better than I expected it to be. The cast have been perfectly chosen for their roles, and they all give an amazing performance which makes this film even more energetic than it could have been with a mediocre cast.

You’ll like this if you liked : As Good As It Gets

Open Water (2003) 6/10

Starring : Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein
Director : Chris Kentis
Running Time : 79 mins

A couple who have decided to take a holiday in the Caribbean find themselves stranded at sea following a mix up on a scuba diving expedition. As the hours pass, they find themselves attracting sharks to their general location and slowly realise that there may be no hope for their survival.

Loosely based on a fictionalised account of two tourists who were lost at sea, this movie manages to be claustrophobic in one of the greatest expanses imaginable. Despite it’s best efforts, this movie felt too much like a documentary and failed to have the intended impact I would have expected from such an account.

You’ll like this if you liked : Titanic