Classic Friday : The Breakfast Club (1985) 8/10

Starring : Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Paul Gleason
Director : John Hughes
Running Time : 93 mins

Five school kids from different backgrounds are given Saturday detention together, where they discover not only do they have a lot more in common than they thought, but that despite their initial differences they have a mutual enemy in the form of Principal Richard Vernon (Gleason). As the day progresses, they start to confide in each other and become good friends, but find it difficult to think that their friendships will last passed Sunday.

When I was younger, I thought this movie was great, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve started to notice some of the problems with this movie, specifically towards the end. The moral of the movie seems to be that looks mean everything, which is made clear by the fact that Andy (Estevez) seems to start a relationship with Allison (Sheedy) only after Claire (Ringwald) gives her a makeover. This is a fun movie, but the ending kind of brought my overall rating down from what could have been a nine or a ten.

You’ll like this if you liked : St Elmo’s Fire

Transporter 2 (2005) 7/10

Starring : Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Kate Nauta, Matthew Modine
Director : Louis Leterrier
Running Time : 88 mins

Frank Martin (Statham) finds himself working as a driver for the incredibly rich Billings family when their son is kidnapped and held to ransom. But when the child is returned without any problems at all, Frank realises that the kidnapping may have been a cover for a far more deadly plan on the part of the kidnappers.

This wasn’t that bad a movie, although it is definitely the sort of movie where you really don’t need to have your brain switched on. The action comes thick and fast, with Statham proving once again that, despite his incredibly annoying voice, he can churn out a high octane action movie with the best of them.

You’ll like this if you liked : Bad Boys 2

Buffalo Soldiers (2001) 9/10

Starring : Joaquin Phoenix, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Anna Paquin, Elizabeth McGovern, Gabriel Mann
Director : Gregor Jordan
Running Time : 94 mins

Army Specialist Ray Elwood (Phoenix) finds his life turned into a living hell when Sergeant Lee (Glenn) is introduced to his army base with the express duty of cleaning the place up. Elwood’s plans to sell on some stolen weapons to a Russian conglomerate seem to be at an end, and his hopes to make money from brewing drugs for his fellow soldiers may be under threat when his base of operations is compromised.

Set against the fall of the Berlin Wall, this movie is incredibly funny whilst not going too over the top with slapstick, which it could quite easily have slipped into. Scott Glenn’s Sergeant Lee is possibly the best movie villain of all time, and some of the scenarios are both so silly and yet worryingly scary that you can’t help but sit glued to the screen.

You’ll like this if you liked : Tigerland

Candy (2006) 8/10

Starring : Abbie Cornish, Heath Ledger, Geoffrey Rush, Tom Budge
Director : Neil Armfield
Running Time : 103 mins

Candy Wyatt (Cornish) falls in love with marries Dan (Ledger), a poet with a heroin addiction. As she too becomes an addict, the two resort to theft and prostitution to make ends meet, but when Candy gets pregnant they desperately try to go cold turkey and kick their habit.

This is a very powerful movie which moves between comedy and high drama with effortless ease. Both Cornish and Ledger perform wonderfully, and it’s hard not to think they were high on drugs when they filmed because they look so out of it. There are some lovely scene of comedy, specifically when Dan steals a cottagers wallet and manages to get his pin number out of him, and the scene wehre Candy has a miscarriage is genuinely upsetting.

You’ll like this if you liked : 28 Days

The Twins Effect (2003) 7/10

Starring : Ekin Cheng, Charlene Choi, Gillian Chung, Edison Chen, Mickey Hardt, Jackie Chan
Director : Dante Lam & Donnie Chen
Running Time : 102 mins

Vampire hunter Reeve (Cheng) is tasked with the job of hunting down and killing Duke Dekotes (Hardt), a vampire who wished to bring about a new age of darkness to the world. Reeve’s only help in this pursuit is a magical potion that can temporarily give him vampiric powers, and his little sister Helen (Choi), who a royal vampire named Kazaf (Chen) has taken a shine to, and his latest assistant from the Anti-Vampire League, Gypsy (Chung).

This was an enjoyable enough action romp, which would be enjoyed by people who enjoyed the Blade Trilogy of movies. Unlike Blade, there is far more character in this movie, not just with the heroes but with some of the so-called villains such as Kazaf. Definitely one for fans of Jackie Chan style martial arts and vampire flicks alike.

You’ll like this if you liked : Blade Trinity

Lars And The Real Girl (2007) 7/10

Starring : Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, Patricia Clarkson
Director : Craig Gillespie
Running Time : 107 mins

Lars Lindstrom (Gosling) is something of a loner, living in the garage belonging to his brother Gus (Schneider) and sister-in-law Karin (Mortimer) in a small American town. In an attempt to battle his loneliness, Lars buys a sex doll and, rather than using it for sex, begins treating it as if it’s a real person who he is in a real relationship with. This unusual behaviour is in fact humoured by his community who make every effort to bow to Lars’ beliefs as they love him so much.

This was a really odd movie. Billed as a comedy, this is more of a light-hearted drama which takes the issue of childhood abandonment and fear of relationships and twists it into a slightly comical situation. There are some very funny moments, but the drama keeps the movie grounded in reality and makes for an interesting, though quite peculiar, movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Year Of The Dog

Crocodile Dundee In Los Angeles (2001) 5/10

Starring : Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, Jere Burns, Jonathan Banks
Director : Simon Wincer
Running Time : 92 mins

Sue Charlton (Kozlowski) is offered a job at a newspaper in Los Angeles, where her other half , Mick Dundee (Hogan), decides to investigate the mysterious death of her predecessor. When he discovers that the dead reporter was investigating a movie set where the sequel to Lethal Agent is being filmed, he soon discovers that the movie may be connected to some missing pieces of art.

It’s hard to believe how much this movie cost to make – the sets are shoddy, and there really aren’t any celebrities to speak of, perhaps apart from Mike Tyson. There were some okay moments, but this felt too much like a TV movie to be taken with any seriousness. If you really enjoyed the first two instalments, then this might be worth checking out, otherwise just don’t bother.

You’ll like this if you liked : Bean : The Ultimate Disaster Movie

The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005) 7/10

Starring : Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Campbell Scott, Jennifer Carpenter, Colm Feore
Director : Scott Derrickson
Running Time : 122 mins

Defence lawyer Erin Bruner (Linney) takes on the case of priest Father Moore (Wilkinson) who is accused of the murder of a young girl named Emily Rose (Carpenter) who dies under his care. His argument is that Emily was killed by the six demons who had taken up residence inside of her, whereas the prosecution claim that she dies as a direct result of not taking her anti epilepsy medication.

This was an interesting horror film in the sense that it didn’t rely heavily on special effects to progress the story line. Instead the director has taken the interesting idea of suffering the repercussions of an exorcism, with the priest in question being accused of murder by the powers that be. There are some good performances here, but some of the court action did get in the way of the story, and some of it could have been easily cut down in parts.

You’ll like this if you liked : Exorcist : The Beginning

Suburban Girl (2007) 6/10

Starring : Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alec Baldwin, Maggie Grace, James Naughton, Chris Carmack, Vanessa Branch
Director : Marc Klein
Running Time : 98 mins

Assistant book editor Brett Eisenberg (Gellar) starts a relationship with influential older man Archie Knox (Baldwin) who helps her in her attempts to further her career with her new boss, but soon the age gap between them, coupled with Archie’s alcoholism, start to get in the way of their relationship and things start to go wrong for the couple.

This wasn’t that bad a movie. I can see why it didn’t get a cinema release in the UK as it isn’t great, but it’s better than some of the rubbish Hollywood sometimes churns out. Gellar is likeable as Brett, and brings a distinct warmth to an otherwise plat and boring character, while Baldwin gives the one dimensional Archie a breath of life that’s much needed for the flat and lifeless script.

You’ll like this if you liked : Working Girl

National Lampoon's Blackball (2003) 8/10

Starring : Paul Kaye, James Cromwell, Alice Evans, Johnny Vegas, Vince Vaughn, Imelda Staunton
Director : Mel Smith
Running Time : 93 mins

Cliff Starkey (Kaye) desperately wants to play for England in the national bowls team, but when he is banned from the sport for 15 years, all of his dreams seem to be shattered – that is until his so-called bad boy image inspires bowls aficionados to set him up as the poster boy for the sport in order to get it televised again after many years of being ignored.

I actually enjoyed this movie immensely. Paul Kaye was very over the top, and James Cromwell played the crotchety stick in the mud to the hilt. There are some similarities between this and Dodgeball – strangely enough both featuring Vince Vaughn – but even so this is a very good easy to watch movie which the whole family will find has something for them to smile at.

You’ll like this if you liked : Kingpin

Classic Friday : The Lost Boys (1987) 7/10

Starring : Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Jami Gertz, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman
Director : Joel Schumacher
Running Time : 93 mins

The Emerson family move to a new town only to discover that it’s over run with teenaged vampires. As youngest son Sam (Haim) gets involved with the Frog brothers, who claim to be vampire hunters, the eldest son Michael (Patric) finds himself being lured into a motorcycle gang who spend most of their days sleeping and most of their nights partying.

This is an all time 80s classic, but pretty much for all the wrong reasons. It’s hard to put your finger on what exactly is so appealing about this vampire version of Peter Pan, but whatever it is it certainly has inspired a generation with it’s tongue in cheek horror and it’s kitschy rock star like appearance. This is definitely one for the DVD collection, if you don’t already own it.

You’ll like this if you liked : Fright Night

Just My Luck (2006) 7/10

Starring : Lindsay Lohan, Chris Pine, Samaire Armstrong, Bree Turner, Faizon Love, Missi Pyle
Director : Donald Petrie
Running Time : 103 mins

Ashley Albright (Lohan) is potentially the luckiest person alive, but when she meets Jake Hardin (Pine), the worlds biggest loser, she finds her entire world turned around as their luck is switched and Ashely becomes incredibly unlucky while Jake finds his life taking a peculiar turn for the better.

This movie was better than I thought it would be, I have to admit. Although the story line was mostly predictable, coupled with the noxious presence of McFly, I still liked this movie enough to watch it from start to finish. It’s an old idea with a new twist, and makes for a reasonably entertaining teen comedy.

You’ll like this if you liked : Freaky Friday

Texas Rangers (2001) 6/10

Starring : James Van Der Beek, Dylan McDermott, Usher Raymond, Ashton Kutcher, Robert Patrick, Alfred Molina
Director : Steve Miner
Running Time : 83 mins

Having witnessed the murder of his entire family by bandits, Lincoln Rogers Dunnison (Van Der Beek) decides to join the Texas Rangers to exact revenge upon his parent’s killers. This ragtag group of misfits, under the guidance of Leander McNelly (McDermott) set out in search of the bandits to bring them to justice, but find along the way that justice isn’t always served best through the proper channels.

This was a pretty mediocre Western, but it still had some interesting points to keep the viewer engrossed. It was nice to watch the somewhat speedy transformation of many of the characters, specifically those of Van Der Beek and McDermott, but it was a shame to see Kutcher wasted once again as the comic effect character.

You’ll like this if you liked : Young Guns

Bewitched (2005) 6/10

Starring : Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, Jason Schwartzman, Kristin Chenoweth, Heather Burns
Director : Nora Ephron
Running Time : 102 mins

When actor Jack Wyatt (Ferrell) tries to rejuvenate his acting career by remaking hit 60’s TV show Bewitched, his first choice for the role of Samantha is unknown and untrained actress Isabel Bigelow (Kidman), but little does Jack know that Isabel is in fact a real witch who has tried to give up witchcraft to lead a normal human life.

This wasn’t a bad movie, I think it was just a case of bad casting. Ferrell was a little too over the top to play Darrin, which is saying a lot, and Kidman just didn’t have any charisma in the role of Samantha. If this had have had different actors in the role, it might have made a nice twist on the original series, but unfortunately it was too hammy to say the least.

You’ll like this if you liked : Over Her Dead Body

Underdog (2007) 7/10

Starring : Jason Lee, Peter Dinklage, James Belushi, Patrick Warburton, Alex Neuberger
Director : Frederik Du Chau
Running Time : 82 mins

A failed police dog (Lee) is involved in a bizarre accident which not only gives him super powers such as super speed, strength and flight but also gives him the ability to communicate with humans. Unfortunately mad scientist Dr Simon Barsinister (Dinklage) knows about the dog’s powers and wants to capture him so he can steal his powers and use them for his own nefarious schemes.

This was actually an oddly enjoyable kids movie, with lots of over the top slapstick, mostly from Dinklage and Warburton. Lee voices Shoeshine the dog with his usual laid back approach, which works pretty well in the setting of the movie. Definitely one the kids will enjoy, and most adults will find something to chuckle at throughout the movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Garfield

The Aviator (2004) 8/10

Starring : Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda
Director : Martin Scorsese
Running Time : 165 mins

Budding film director Howard Hughes (DiCaprio) becomes so obsessed with perfecting his aerial shots in his movie Hells Angels that he goes so far as to buy out TWA. As the years pass, his obsessive compulsive disorder slowly takes over his life, and he finds himself on trial for defrauding the US government when none of his commissioned planes for the Second World War are ever produced for the war effort.

In spite of being extraordinarily long, this was actually a pretty entertaining biopic of the life of Howard Hughes. Di Caprio manages to play the OCD ridden Hughes with a both likeable and detestable quality which is hard to find, and the supporting cast of celebrities do their part to ground the movie in its own imaginative world.

You’ll like this if you liked : We’re Here To Help

Scoop (2006) 8/10

Starring : Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Woody Allen, Ian McShane
Director : Woody Allen
Running Time : 96 mins

Journalism student Sondra Pransky (Johansson) is given some vital information during a magic act from the ghost of famed journalist Joe Strombel (McShane) about a serial killer known as the Tarot Card Murderer, so with the help of magician Sid Waterman (Allen), and using the assumed name of Jade Spence, Sondra starts to investigate the suspect – rich playboy Peter Lyman (Jackman) – but finds herself falling in love with him.

This was actually a decent comedy for Allen, of whom I am not a big fan. There’s an actual plotline to follow, and Johansson’s character is charmingly likeable in her naiveté, plus you get to see her in a swim suit, so overall this is a nice little comedy thriller with some nice twists and turns and a runtime that is more than bearable.

You’ll like this if you liked : Clue

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) 5/10

Starring : Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser
Director : John Singleton
Running Time : 108 mins

Ex-cop Brian O’Conner (Walker) is called on by the FBI to go under cover to try an catch a drug smuggler who has thus far given the Feds the slip, so Brian calls upon his childhood friend Roman Pierce (Gibson) to help him as a driver for the dealer who is planning on shipping out a consignment of drug money.

This movie was utter nonsense, Why the FBI thought they could trust an ex-cop who let criminals get away and his criminal buddy who, even when not in prison, was under house arrest, I’ll never know. Even in the closing sequence Walker and Gobson prove that the police should never have trusted them, and if the scenario for The Fast And The Furious 4 is the same I’ll not be pleased – or surprised.

You’ll like this if you liked : Step Up

Dan In Real Life (2007) 8/10

Starring : Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill, Brittany Robertson, Marlene Lawston, Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney
Director : Peter Hedges
Running Time : 98 mins

Dan Burns (Carell) is a widower who finally meets a woman named Marie (Binoche) who he thinks is comparable to his dead wife, only to discover she is going out with his younger brother Mitch (Cook). To make matters worse, Dan then has to spend his family vacation pretending not to be bothered about the relationship.

I actually didn’t know what the plot was when I sat down to watch this movie, and despite it not being the most original movie this was still very entertaining. Some of the motives of some of the characters were questionable to say the least, but at least there was a lot of humour in this, unlike a similar movie called Margot At The Wedding which was humourless nonsense.

You’ll like this if you liked : Little Miss Sunshine

Signs (2002) 8/10

Starring : Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin, Cherry Jones, M Night Shyamalan
Director :M Night Shyamalan
Running Time : 107 mins

A retired Reverend (Gibson) and his family find mysterious crop circles in the fields of their farm, then start hearing about other similar incidents around the world. As the news of crop circles grows, they start to hear information which indicates that an alien invasion may be happening even as they speak.

In spite of having an unoriginal story line, this movie is handled in quite a witty manner. There’s plenty of humour, mainly from Joaquin Phoenix’s character, and the story flows along nicely with little extraneous rubbish getting in the way. Unfortunately the ending was so unrealistic that it almost spoiled the whole thing. Thankfully, it didn't!

You’ll like this if you liked : The Village

Classic Friday : Blade Runner (1982) 7/10

Starring : Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, M Emmet Walsh, Daryl Hannah, William Sanderson, Brion James
Director : Ridley Scott
Running Time : 112 mins

In the year 2019, bounty hunter Rick Deckard (Ford) is given the assignment to round up four rogue replicants, one of the most advanced creatures designed to date, but he finds himself questioning his choice of retiring the supposed criminals when he meets and falls for a young woman named Rachel (Young), who turns out to be a replicant as well.

Having not seen this futuristic film noir for many years, I revisited it recently and found myself slightly disappointed. There’s a great sense of Ridley Scott about this, mainly due to the lighting and the set models, and granted it’s been very influential over the years, but there’s a certain soullessness which resonates throughout the movie. Perhaps the point was to show just how bleak the future could potentially be, but if so this has been wasted on me and I much preferred the novel.

You’ll like this if you liked : Alien

Welcome To Collinwood (2002) 6/10

Starring : William H Macy, Isaiah Washington, Sam Rockwell, Michael Jeter, Luis Guzman, Patricia Clarkson, George Clooney
Director : Anthony & Joe Russo
Running Time : 83 mins

Cosimo (Guzman) hears about the perfect theft by a fellow criminal in jail, but he has to rely on his girlfriend Rosalind (Clarkson) to find a fall guy to take the wrap for the crime, but although everyone she speaks to is unwilling to spend time in jail for the money, they all claim they know someone who will do it for them in return for a cut of the money.

This movie was okay, but it wasn’t the best crime comedy ever made, which surprised me because I usually enjoy anything with William H Macy. The movie plods along for quite a while, and considering how short it is it felt a whole lot longer. There are a few funny moments, but they are all quite predictable and seem almost dated to the extent that they wouldn’t have looked out of lace in an old Laurel & Hardy short, which might have been the intent.

You’ll like this if you liked : Disorganised Crime

The Assassination Of Richard Nixon (2004) 7/10

Starring : Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Don Cheadle, Jack Thompson
Director : Niels Mueller
Running Time : 92 mins

Samuel J Bicke (Penn) is a furniture salesman who is not happy with his lot in life. His bosses badger him to conform to their idea of the perfect salesman and his ex-wife Marie (Watts) tells him how useless he is. Finally deciding that the blame for his predicament lies firmly in the hands of the US President at the time, Richard Nixon, Bicke sets about planning to hijack a plane and crash it into the White House.

Although this was quite a slow movie, it did keep my interest throughout. Penn plays the role in a very depressing way which I thought was impressive, and manages to make us feel sympathy for him despite his stupid actions. Definitely worth watching, but only if you enjoy downbeat endings.

You’ll like this if you liked : Taxi Driver

The Orphanage (2007) 8/10

Starring : Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Princep, Mabel Rivera
Director : Jaun Antonio Bayona
Running Time : 102 mins

Laura (Rueda) buys her childhood orphanage and moves her family in to live in the hope of reopening it as a home for children with special needs, but her own son Simon (Princep) starts acting strangely and spends more and more time with his invisible friends. When Simon goes missing, Laura decides to call in a team of parapsychologists as she believes the home may be haunted and that the ghosts might be responsible for her son’s disappearance.

This was a good, yet strangely disturbing movie. The overall conclusion is so downbeat it beggars belief, yet Bayona directs it in such a way as to make it as uplifting as possible. Though in many ways this is similar to both The Devil’s Backbone and Poltergeist, this is still a very strong stand alone movie which is well worth going to see.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Devil’s Backbone

Monkeybone (2001) 8/10

Starring : Brendan Fraser, Bridget Fonda, John Turturro, Chris Kattan, Giancarlo Esposito, Rose McGowan, David Foley, Megan Mullally, Whoopi Goldberg
Director : Henry Selick
Running Time : 89 mins

Cartoonist Stu Miley (Fraser) is involved in a car accident and finds himself in Limbo where he meets his most famous creation, Monkey Bone (Turturro). Together they plot with Hypnos (Esposito), the god of sleep, to steal an exit card from Death (Goldberg) so that Stu can awaken from his coma, but Stu is double crossed by Monkey Bone who steals the card and takes over Stu’s body in the real world.

This is actually a pretty good family movie, and Chris Kattan is probably at his best here with an acrobatic performance that is out of this world. Fraser plays both Stu and Monkey Bone in Stu’s body with expert ease, and there are lots of great little jokes to look out for throughout the movie. Plus the make-up effects are pretty amazing.

You’ll like this if you liked : Who Framed Roger Rabbit

One Missed Call (2008) 6/10

Starring : Shannyn Sossamon, Edward Burns, Ana Claudia Talancon, Ray Wise, Azura Skye, Johnny Lewis, Jason Beghe, Margaret Cho, Meagan Good
Director : Eric Vallette
Running Time : 88 mins

When Beth Raymond (Sossamon) realises that all of her friends recent deaths are connected by the fact that they each received a voice message from their future selves foretelling the moment of their death, she sets about trying to insure that there’s no possible chance of her being next, whilst investigating the origin of the message – which leads her back to a hospital fire and the death of a young girl who was trapped in the building.

This was pretty bad. I wasn’t expecting much because most films with Shannyn Sossamon in aren’t that good. Edward Burns was pretty weak in this too, but thankfully I liked the whole idea of the movie – which sadly wasn’t an original idea – so that got one or two brownie points in my rating. Word of advice – just watch the Japanese original, it’s probably ten times better.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Grudge

The Matrix Revolutions (2003) 5/10

Starring : Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving, Carrie-Anne Moss
Director : The Wachowski Brothers
Running Time : 122 mins

As the inhabitants of Zion prepare for the final attack by the machines, Neo (Reevs) discovers that he can use his amazing powers outside of the Matrix and in turn prepares for the final showdown with an ever increasing number of Agent Smiths (Weaving).

This was a marginal improvement on the second instalment – well, it could hardly be any worse. Probably the main reason for it being better is that it didn’t focus on Neo; instead it sort of moved from character to character, not spending enough time developing any one person to make us feel any sense of commitment to their course. Personally the only character I liked before was Agent Smith, and even here he’s one dimensional and boring. Still, if you like fight scenes with more CGI than substance, go check it out.

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

The Nines (2007) 7/10

Starring : Ryan Reynolds, Melissa McCarthy, Hope Davis, Elle Fanning
Director : John August
Running Time : 100 mins

When Gary (Reynolds), a television actor, accidentally sets his ex-girlfriend’s house on fire then crashes his car, he is placed under house arrest. He is moved into the home of a writer who is away on business and meets Sarah (Davis), a mysterious woman who lives next door, but as the days go by, Gary starts finding himself seeing things and imagining strange noise in the house, the explanation to which is far more unusual than he could ever have imagined.

This movie starts off pretty normally, but about 40 minutes in things turn really strange. Like a cross between The Number 13 and The Forgotten, this movie tries to explain what’s happening as it goes along, but the truth is it might just be too clever for it’s own good. This is definitely only worth watching if you are willing to spend an hour and a half concentrating completely, otherwise you may find yourself getting lost, but I think it’s worth the time to give it a go.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Forgotten

Hero (2002) 7/10

Starring : Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, Chen Dao Ming, Donnie Yen
Director : Yimou Zhang
Running Time : 96 mins

A man known simply as Nameless (Li) is summoned to the palace of feudal China’s most powerful ruler, Qin (Yen), and tells him the story of how he managed to defeat the most powerful warriors of the Six Kingdoms, but as the story progresses, Qin starts to suspect that the whole situation may have been a ploy to get Nameless close enough to him to kill him.

This wasn’t a bad movie, with an interesting story which, because told in flash back, sometimes proved a little confusing. Stylistically, this a beautiful film, and the fight scenes are amazing to watch, but the story itself is still there to keep the intellectuals engrossed from start to finish.

You’ll like this if you liked : House Of Flying Daggers

Things To Do Before You’re 30 (2004) 6/10

Starring : Dougray Scott, Jimi Mistry, Emilia Fox, Shaun Parkes, Billie Piper
Director : Simon Shore
Running Time : 97 mins

A group of twenty-somethings, who all know each other through their Sunday afternoon football team, realise how close they are to thirty and write up lists of things they’d like to do before then. When their long time football couch dies, some of them realise how short life is and look at the mistakes and decisions they have made and try to wither rectify them or end up making things worse.

This has that distinct British feel to it of taking a large group of people and examining their lives in relation to a universal connection. The movie itself isn’t that bad and has some pretty funny situations, but more than anything this is a drama which takes the problems of all of the characters and either fixes them or makes them ten times worse.

You’ll like this if you liked : Four Weddings And A Funeral

Classic Friday : The Deer Hunter (1978) 7/10

Starring : Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep
Director : Michael Cimino
Running Time : 179 mins

Following a wedding celebration, a trio of factory workers go off to fight in the Vietnam War. Their experiences there in a prisoner of war camp result in some drastic changes in their personalities, most notably in Nick (Walken) who, so scarred by how his life has changed him, stays on in Vietnam where he takes part in some back alley games of Russian Roulette.

Despite a very slow opening sequence and some dubious historical facts, this isn’t a bad movie, with some good acting and some pivotal cinematic moments. It’s a little over hyped, mainly because of the time at which it was made, but over the years I really think it’s lost some of its edge. Still, it’s got some interesting ideas and some great stark contrasts between the wedding party and Vietnam.

You’ll like this if you liked : Apocalypse Now

The Long Weekend (2005) 8/10

Starring : Chris Klein, Brendan Fehr, Cobie Smulders, Chandra West, Craig Fairbrass, Paul Campbell
Director : Pat Holden
Running Time : 87 mins

Cooper (Klein) and Ed Waxman (Fehr) are two very different brothers, one focusing on work while the other focuses on play. One weekend Cooper decides to make it his duty to get his brother laid so he can get over his ex. Uunfortunately this is the same weekend that Ed has to complete an advertising presentation or face losing his job.

This was one of the most gross out comedies I’ve seen in a while, All of the jokes revolve around sex and falling over, which is always good. It’s nice to see Klein playing an out and out comedy character, as he manages to do this with some skill, and even Fehr plays the put upon brother with exceptional ease. Definitely worth investigating, despite some bad reviews.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Heartbreak Kid

Wedding Daze (2006) 9/10

Starring : Jason Biggs, Isla Fisher, Joe Pantoliano, Joanna Gleason, Matt Malloy, Edward Herrmann, Margo Martindale, Michael Weston, Chris Diamantopoulos
Director : Michael Ian Black
Running Time : 92 mins

Following the death of his girlfriend, Anderson (Biggs) goes into seclusion and refuses to date again. But when his best friend Ted (Weston) convinces him to move on, Anderson proposes to waitress Katie (Fisher) on a dare and she accepts. As their relationship develops, Anderson realises Katie only accepted his proposal because she didn’t want to get married to her boring long time boyfriend William (Diamantopoulos), and that’s when things get interesting.

This is both a sweet and a gross out movie, which mixes the two with expert ease. It’s not just the two main characters, Anderson and Katie, who are appealing – each character has their own story going on which makes for a comedy that never has a dull moment nad is enjoyable from start to end.

You’ll like this if you liked : The 40 Year-Old Virgin

St Trinian's (2007) 7/10

Starring : Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Talulah Riley, Gemma Arterton, Russell Brand
Director : Oliver Parker & Barnaby Thompson
Running Time : 97 mins

When the unruly students of St Trinians Girls School discover that the school is facing bankruptcy which would mean they would all be transferred to normal schools where the freedom of expression would be suppressed, they set about coming up with a plan to steal a priceless Vermeer portrait, Girl With A Pearl Earring, during the final of televison’s School Challenge, which they then intend to sell to the brother of head mistress Miss Fritton (Everett).

Although not as good as the originals, and in spite of stealing a number of routines from other movies such as Mean Girls and Starter For 10, this was better than I suspected it would be. Granted, most of the humour involved various degrees of falling over and being humiliated, but that worked reasonably well, and thankfully Russell Brand wasn’t it in too much because he was a little annoying in this.

You’ll like this if you liked : Mean Girls

Swordfish (2001) 6/10

Starring : John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Sam Shepard, Vinnie Jones
Director : Dominic Sena
Running Time : 99 mins

Stanley Jobson (Jackman) is hired by Gabriel Shear (Travolta) to hack into a government computer system and access a long forgotten government account codenamed Swordfish so that he can take the 15 years worth of accumulated money and use it to fund his secret anti-terrorism group, but Jobson soon starts to suspect that the man he’s working for may not have such humanitarian interests at heart.

Simply put, this movie was over the top nonsense which left a lot of plot points unexplained and leaves the viewer a little confused when it reaches it’s conclusion. In spite of these tiny facts, this was still a reasonably enjoyable action romp, and any movie in which you get to see Halle Berry topless can’t be all that bad now, can it?

You’ll like this if you liked : Bad Boys 2

Garfield : A Tail Of Two Kitties (2006) 7/10

Starring : Bill Murray, Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Billy Connolly, Ian Abercrombie, Tim Curry, Lucy Davis
Director : Tim Hill
Running Time : 82 mins

Garfield’s owner Jon Arbuckle (Meyer) travels to England, and Garifeld (Murray) and Odie hitch hike along for the journey, but trouble soon looms when Garfield is mistaken for a wealthy cat named Prince (Curry) who owns his own castle, and whose murder is being planned by the evil Lord Dargis (Connolly) who wants to turn the castle into a series a condominiums.

Much like the original movie, this was truly aimed at the young, which means it’s difficult to judge. There’s plenty of slapstick and toilet humour hear for the kids. But it’s still possible for adults to find this amusing in parts. It’s just a little sad to see Billy Connolly in such an obviously hammy role.

You’ll like this if you liked : Cats And Dogs

27 Dresses (2008) 8/10

Starring : Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Edward Burns, Malin Akerman, Judy Greer
Director : Anne Fletcher
Running Time : 108 mins

Jane Nichols (Heigl) has an unusual habit – she tends to enjoy being bridesmaid to people she barely knows, but when her sister Tess (Akerman) gets engaged to Jane’s boss George (Burns), she finds herself in the difficult position of playing bridesmaid to the man she’s secretly loved for years.

This was actually a very entertaining chick flick. Heigl plays the role of Jane well, and Akerman once again proves she’s an actress to keep an eye on as Jane’s sister Tess There were however a few moments that it felt like the movie could have done without, like the dress changing montage, but overall the feel of the movie was fun and uplifting, with a nice turnaround at the end that did make me smile.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Wedding Singer

Run Fat Boy Run (2007) 8/10

Starring : Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria, Dylan Moran, Harish Patel, India de Beaufort, Matthew Fenton
Director : David Schwimmer
Running Time : 97 mins

Five years after he left his pregnant girlfriend Libby (Newton) at the alter, Dennis Doyle (Pegg) discovers that she has a new boyfriend called Whit (Azaria) who is the pure antithesis of Dennis, so Dennis decides to try to win back Libby’s respect by running a marathon – the only problem being he is scarily unfit.

Despite being worried that Simon Pegg might go downhill when he gets involved with Hollywood, this is actually a very good movie. Pegg is likeable without being perfect, and it’s good that, at first, we as an audience don’t sympathise with him but as the film progresses we start to. This is also a very well written movie, and Michael Ian Black is definitely a writer to keep your eye on

You’ll like this if you liked :

Darkness Falls (2003) 5/10

Starring : Chaney Kley, Emma Caulfield, Lee Cormie, Grant Piro
Director : Johnathan Liebesman
Running Time : 82 mins

It is said that the ghost of a woman who was wrongly murdered by the townsfolk of Darkness Falls comes back to exact her revenge on the descendents of the town, now going by the name of The Tooth Fairy. A young mother named Caitlin (Caulfield) remembers this tale when her son is haunted by The Tooth Fairy, and turns to her childhood friend Kyle (Kley) for help.

Having now seen this, it’s amazing how similar this is to the movie Dead Silence. In that you can’t scream or the ghost will steal your voice, in this you can’t look at the ghost or she’ll get you, and also there’s the back story of a woman accused of a crime she seemingly didn’t commit and being killed without trial! Despite the similarites, this movie didn’t really cut it in my opinion, and probably isn’t worth bothering with.

You’ll like this if you liked : Dead Silence