Big Momma's House (2000) 6/10

Starring : Martin Lawrence, Nia Long, Paul Giamatti, Terrence Howard
Director : Raja Gosnell
Running Time : 95 mins

Federal Agent Malcolm Turner (Lawrence) goes undercover as an overweight southern granny, known as Big Momma, in the hope of getting information on the whereabouts of an escaped criminal by getting in contact with Sherry (Long), the ex-con’s ex-grilfriend who has gone to lay low at Big Momma’s house.

This movie was okay, but in no way did it deserve a sequel. The slapstick was generally spot on, even though Lawrence wasn’t very liekable which made it hard to find most of the moments amusing, and Long was so wooden it beggared belief. Worth watching if you want to see some nice prosthetic effects, but not worth rushing to see.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Nutty Profeesor II : The Klumps

Cradle 2 The Grave (2003) 7/10

Starring : Jet Li, DMX, Kelly Hu, Anthony Anderson, Tom Arnold, Mark Dacascos, Gabrielle Union
Director : Andrzej Bartowiak
Running Time : 97 mins

A group of small time crooks find themselves drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse when they still some diamonds that turn out to hold the key to immense power, and which are sought after by all the nations of the world, who want to use them as a means of powering the ultimate weapon.

This was actually a very entertaining movie. I was worried at first that it might be the kind of movie you’d expect Steven Seagal or Jean-Claude Van Damme to be in, expecially as the director directed Exit Wounds, but this was actaully a well thought out no-brainer of a movie. Ganted some of the acting was ropey, but Anthony Anderson and Tom Arnold’s little skit in the end credits more than made up for anything Mark Dacascos could have done to spoil my viewing.

You’ll like this if you liked : Lethal Weapon 3

Smiley Face (2007) 8/10

Starring : Anna Faris, John Krasinski, Danny Masterson, Adam Brody
Director : Gregg Araki
Running Time : 85 mins

A young stoner actress named Jane (Faris) finds herself on the biggest trip of her life when she accidentally eats her flamates cupcakes, not realising that they have a very secret ingredient. As she tries to live through the rest of her day, the effect of the cupcakes lead her into a series of increasingly disastrous situations.

I actually enjoyed this movie, although it did feel like three was an underlying message of anti-drug propaganda going on pretty much from the get go. Faris plays the perpetually high Jane beautifully, and the set pieces were good without being too over the top. Well worth checking out.

You’ll like this if you liked : Harold And Kumar Get The Munchies

The Dark Knight (2008) 7/10

Starring : Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman
Director :
Running Time : 152 mins

Bruce Wayne (Bale) is faced with trying to protect candidate for senate Harvey Dent (Eckhart) from the mysterious criminal known only as The Joker (Ledger), but there is method in The Joker’s madness as Wayne discovers that his interests in Dent are far more sinister than the musings of a maniac they originally appeared to be.

Although I thought this was better than Batman Begins, it was just too long. There was a lot going on , and it was paced well, but the two and a half hour run time was just too much for me. Ledger plays The Joker beautifully, with Jack Nicholson’s influence clear for the offset, and Eckhart manages to portray the conflicted Dent with ease, but Bale’s gravelly voice as Batman did begin to grate on me after a while.

You’ll like this if you liked : Sin City

Classic Friday : Stripes (1981) 8/10

Starring : Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P J Soles, Sean Young, John Candy
Director : Ivan Reitman
Running Time : 118 mins

Having grown tired of his job and his life in general, John Winger (Murray) convinces his friend Russell Ziskey (Ramis) that they should join the army, under the belief that it’ll be like joining a gym only for free. Although they soon find that the army isn’t the easiest place to be, John quickly manages to become something of a leader to the other troops, and is soon challenged to prove his worth when they find themselves trapped behind the Iron Curtain!

This is a great movie, filled with the kind of dry wit you’d expect from a Murray performance. There’s a solid plot running throughout, which is always a plus, and some very early appearances from some soon to be big celebrities, such as Sean Young and John Candy. I highly recommend this movie to anyone with a sense of humour.

You’ll like this if you liked : Buffalo Soldiers

Three And Out (2008) 7/10

Starring : Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney, Imelda Staunton, Gemma Arterton
Director : Jonathan Gershfield
Running Time : 96 mins

When tube driver Paul Callow (Crook) hears that, if he accidentally hits three people in a month he’ll get laid off with ten years pay, he decides to seek out a willing victim who wants to die and is willing to jump under his train to guarantee his pay out, but once he gets his intended victim, Tommy Cassidy (Meaney), he starts to rethink the situation.

Although not the slapstick comedy I was expecting, this was actually an entertaining light hearted drama which takes the notion of suicide and makes it accessible to the masses without mocking the situation. Meaney plays his usual loveable rogue, with Crook providing the straight man role for the most part, and Arterton is thrown in for basic sex appeal. Worth checking out, just so you can make your own judgement without listening to the general populous ranting about how inaccurate the movie is.

You’ll like this if you liked : In Bruges

There Will Be Blood (2007) 6/10

Starring : Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Ciaran Hinds, Russell Harvard, Kevin J O’Connor
Director : Paul Thomas Anderson
Running Time : 158 mins

Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis) is a silver miner who, upon discovering oil in one of his mines, changes tack and travels to California where he learns he can buy oil rich land on the cheap. Using the false image of being a devout family man, Plainview convinces the locals to allow him to dig their land in return for the false promise of building schools and improving the community, but meets competition in the form of reverend Eli Sunday (Dano).

Although this was an intriguing movie, with Day-Lewis playing one of the best anti-heroes of all time, I really found it difficult to get into. The pacing was extraordinarily slow, and the story line took a very long time to reach the point. This is probably only worth watching if you are very patient and can deal with waiting nearly two and a half hours for something exciting to happen.

You’ll like this if you liked : No Country For Old Men

The Machinist (2004) 8/10

Starring : Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, John Sharian, Michael Ironside
Director : Brad Anderson
Running Time : 102 mins

Trevor Reznik (Bale) is a deathly thin industrial worker who hasn’t been able to sleep in over a year, so he immediately starts to suspect he may be going crazy when, following an accident at work, he is told that one of his co-workers – a deformed weirdo named Ivan (Sharian) – doesn’t actually exist.

Man, Christian Bale was skinny in this movie! It was really distracting just how ill he looked, and it’s shocking that he managed to get his weight back up so quickly for Batman Begins. Despite that fact, this was actually a surprisingly entertaining movie which is filled with both dark moments of distinct creepiness and also a nice level of humour. I highly recommend checking it out at least once.

You’ll like this if you liked : Fight Club

The Tigger Movie (2000) 7/10

Starring : Jim Cummings, Nikita Hopkins, Ken Sansom, John Fiedler, Peter Cullen
Director : Jun Falkenstein & Nick Bates
Running Time : 78 mins

When Tigger (Cummings) is left alone to play by himself because his friends are too busy helping Eeyore (Cullen) find a new home after his is demolished, Rabbit (Sansom) suggests that Tigger travel through the 100 Acre Woods in order to track down other creatures like himself who might have more time to play.

Okay, so the plot is simple – Tigger looks for Tiggers - but it’s so cute and well played out that you just have to enjoy it. Tigger is probably everyone’s favourite A A Milne character, and it was great that he finally gets a movie pretty much all to himself. Granted the story could have played out in half the time, but there isn’t a moment in the movie that is dull and it manages to keep upbeat even at the sad moments.

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

Wanted (2008) 8/10

Starring : James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann
Director : Timur Bekmambetov
Running Time : 106 mins

Wesley Gibson (McAvoy) works in an office and is something of a loser in life, but when he discovers that he is the son of a successful assassin and shares his father’s incredible abilities, he finds himself being whisked away into a life of espionage and assassinations amongst a group known as The Fraternity.

It’s always a risk when you make an action movie that tries to be tongue in cheek, but I think the guys who made Wanted got it spot on. The effects are so ridiculously OTT. Amd McAvoy plays his character so cluelessly, that the mixture makes for a funny yet violently satisfying action flick. Well worth watching, not just for the ridiculous effects but also for the ridiculous plot points.

You’ll like this if you liked : Shoot 'Em Up

Down With Love (2003) 8/10

Starring : Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Sarah Paulson, David Hyde Pierce, Rachel Dratch
Director : Peyton Reed
Running Time : 97 mins

Thanks to the new book sensation Down With Love by Barbara Novack (Zellweger), journalist Catcher Block (McGregor) finds that women aren’t responding to his playboy personality as well as they used to, so he sets about trying to discredit the author by pretending to be an All-American astronaut by the name of Buzz and make her fall in love with him.

I thought this movie was actually really good, and much underrated. The way in which it was filmed was a stroke of genius, and there’s some very satisfying and imaginative camera work used throughout. Also the chemistry between the main characters is flawless, even if their accents weren’t, and the 60s kitsch of the whole piece is perfect.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Producers

What Lies Beneath (2000) 7/10

Starring : Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Diana Scarwid, Joe Morton, James Remar, Miranda Otto
Director : Robert Zemeckis
Running Time : 125 mins

Claire Spencer (Pfeiffer) starts to think that her home may be haunted, and begins to suspect that it has something to do with her neighbours and that the ghost may be her neighbours missing wife. Her husband Norman (Ford), a research scientist, suggests that Claire see a therapist, a decision that leads her to try and make contact with the spirit to find out what they want.

Although very well directed, this movie was too long and quite slow paced. The pacing does however give the movie a nice sense of foreboding which draws us into the story line and gives very few hints as to the true outcome of the movie. Worth checking out, although not the best of Zemeckis’s work by a long shot.

You’ll like this if you liked : Gothika

The Jacket (2005) 6/10

Starring : Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Kris Kristofferson, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Director : John Maybury
Running Time : 104 mins

After being wrongly accused of murder, Gulf War veteran Jack Starks (Brody) end up in an insane asylum where he discovers he can travel into the future through the use of a straight jacket and a morgue drawer. In his future travels he discovers he is going to die in four days time, and he tries desperately to find out how so that he can prevent his own death.

This is a very unusual and quite confusing movie which leads us to believe that Adrian Brody is able to travel through time through the use of a straight jacket. More likely his character actually is insane and is just attention seeking, There are some interesting moments, and the concept of time travel itself is always intriguing when approached from a unique standpoint, so it might be worth checking out if you like slow paced science fiction.

You'll like this if you liked : The Butterfly Effect

The Mummy : Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (2008) 8/10

Starring : Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello, John Hannah, Michelle Yeoh, Luke Ford, Isabella Leong
Director : Rob Cohen
Running Time : 106 mins

It’s 1946, and the son of Rick (Fraser) and Evelyn O’Connell (Bello), Alex O’Connell (Ford), has discovered the tomb of Emperor Han (Li), a powerful man who was cursed by a witch (Yeoh) to spend the rest of eternity in a frozen state. Unfortunately the curse is broken, and now the millennia old mummy is on the rampage, and Alex must call on his parents expertise in the field of rampaging mummy’s to stop the man before he enslaves the human race.

I actually enjoyed this long awaited sequel, and found the storyline a lot more refreshing than The Mummy Returns. Here we are introduced to a series of new characters, rather than recycling the one’s from the original movie, and we actually get to see a very new and very different mummy. It was a shame that Rachel Weisz wasn’t in this edition, but the movie still managed to survive without her. Well worth watching for Mummy fans.

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

Classic Friday : Raising Cain (1992) 8/10

Starring : John Lithgow, Lolita Davidovich, Steven Bauer, Frances Sternhagen
Director : Brian De Palma
Running Time : 88 mins

Child psychologist Carter Nix (Lithgow) has begun to exhibit some very disconcerting behaviour in regards to the upbringing of his child, and his wife Jenny (Davidovich) has begun to suspect that her husband may be turning into his father, also a doctor who drove his son to the brink of insanity. The question is, does Carter really have a split personality or is something far more sinister going on…

John Lithgow really makes this movie what it is. He manages to deliver a frightening yet comical performance in a role that many would find difficult to handle. The remaining cast are pretty forgettable, but Lithgow alone makes this a classic which should be a must in everyone’s DVD collection.

You’ll like this if you liked : Fight Club

Out Cold (2001) 5/10

Starring : Jason London, Lee Majors, Willie Garson, Zach Galifianakis, David Koechner, Flex Alexander, A J Cook
Director : The Malloys
Running Time : 90 mins

When Ted Muntz (Garson) decides to sell his father’s ski resort to entrepreneur John Majors (Majors), who plans to sack all the staff and turn it into a theme park, employee Rick Rambis (London) and his friends must find a way to save their jobs and, more importantly, their way of life.

This was one of those movies that tried to cash in on the whole gross out teen comedy following, but was a little too late. The humour is a little stunted, although there are a few good jokes that could have been expanded upon, and it was sad to see that Lee Majors is having to resort to guest appearances in second rate teen movies to pay the bills.

You’ll like this if you liked : Ski Patrol

Down To You (2000) 6/10

Starring : Freddie Prinze Jr, Julia Stiles, Selma Blair, Shawn Hatosy, Zak Orth, Ashton Kutcher, Rosario Dawson, Henry Winkler
Director : Kris Isacsson
Running Time : 88 mins

Wannabe chef Al Connelly (Prinze) meets the girl of his dreams, Imogen (Stiles), but after a short romance Imogen decides that things are moving too fast and that she wants to live her youth before she loses it. So, when she cheats on Al, the relationship falls apart and he becomes depresses, fearing that he may be becoming obsessed by his memory of her.

Yet another late blooming teen romantic comedy, with the much maligned and little employed Freddie Prinze Jr. There are some good moments, but someone other than Prinze – perhaps Jason Biggs – could have done a far superior job, and Julia Stiles was still in her period of looking like she didn’t want to be in the movie that lasted a good few years.

You’ll like this if you liked : He Said She Said

The Weather Man (2005) 5/10

Starring : Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine, Hope Davis, Gemmenne de la Pena, Nicholas Hoult
Director : Gore Verbinski
Running Time : 107 mins

Weather man David Spritz (Cage) has a successful career, being both loved and hated by the general public, but his private life is a little more complicated, with his ex-wife Noreen (Davis) making his life a misery and his father Robert (Caine) never thinking anything he does is good enough, so when David is offered a lucrative job in New York, he must decide between his family life and his future career.

This is one of those movies that critics love, but I didn’t enjoy. This desperately wants to be more than it is, but falls just short of the mark. It’s not any one thing in particular that makes this movie weak, it just doesn’t hold together as well as it could have. There’s lots of potential, but no follow through, like a poor man’s American Beauty.

You’ll like this if you liked : About Schmidt

Hollywood Homicide (2003) 6/10

Starring : Harrison Ford, Josh Hartnett, Lena Olin, Bruce Greenwood, Isaiah Washington, Keith David
Director : Ron Shelton
Running Time : 112 mins

Joe Gavilan (Ford) and K C Halden (Hartnett) are Hollywood detectives, both of whom dream of working in completely different fields. When they are assigned to investigate the brutal murders of the members of an up and coming rap group, they find themselves not only using the opportunity to make connections for their respective other fields, but also having to deal with an internal affairs investigation which coul cost them their jobs as police detectives.

This movie took too long to get going, but the last half hour or so was actually really good, with a chase taking up most of the action. Ford looks a little shakey in this movie, with Hartnett looking completely out of place as a cop, but overall their chemistry worked, and it wasn’t so bad that it unwatchable, just a little forced in places.

You’ll like this if you liked : Lethal Weapon 4

Unbreakable (2000) 6/10

Starring : Bruce Willis, Samuel L Jackson, Robin Wright Penn, Spencer Treat Clark
Director : M Night Shyamalan
Running Time : 102 mins

Following a terrible train crash which leaver 131 people dead, David Dunn (Willis) finds himself the sole survivor, getting away without so much as a scratch. He is soon approached by a wheelchair bound man named Elijah Price (Jackson), who has come up with a far fetched theory about why Dunn survived, a theory connected to Price’s own current predicament.

Although this was a pretty interesting concept for a movie, and both Willis and Jackson play their respective roles well, there’s something a little less than satisfying about this science fiction based thriller. Shyamalan seems to be trying too hard to repeat the success of The Sixth Sense by filling the movie with twists and turns, but none of them work as well as those in his movie debut, a comparison which Shyamalan will have to live with for the rest of his career.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Fan

Get Smart (2008) 8/10

Starring : Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp, Terry Crewes, David Koechner
Director : Peter Segal
Running Time : 106 mins

When CONTROL is infiltrated by KAOS agents, Maxwell Smart (Carell) is given special agent status and teamed up with Agent 99 (Hathaway) as their identities are unknown to the enemy. As they attempt to discover the latest KAOS plans for world domination, Smart finds himself getting into increasingly stupid situations.

To be fair, I actually enjoyed this remake. Granted it wasn’t as good as the 60s show with Don Adams, but it was still pretty interesting to watch. Carell manages to pull off the basic nuances of Maxwell Smart without doing a direct imitation of Adams, and Hathaway creates an entirely different version of 99 to the one I’m used to.

You’ll like this if you liked : Johnny English

Eragon (2006) 5/10

Starring : Ed Speleers, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Guillory, Robert Carlyle, John Malkovich, Rachel Weisz
Director : Stefan Fangmeier
Running Time : 104 mins

A young farm boy named Eragon (Speleers) finds a dragons egg and, when it hatches, finds himself psychically linked to the creature, named Saphira (Weisz). Together Eragon and Saphira, with the help of Eragon’s mysterious mentor Brom (Irons), travel in search of the evil King Galbatorix (Malkovich) who destroyed the fabled dragon-riders of old and find themselves in a battle to the death with the King and his head wizard Durza (Carlyle).

This movie was pretty basic, and I found myself pretty bored early on. When I realised that Jeremy Irons was in it I immediately suspected a repeat of his performance in Dungeons & Dragons, but thankfully there was little opportunity for him to ham it up in this weak adventure. Not worth bothering with unless you want to see how the CGI dragon looks, but it doesn’t look that good to be honest.

You’ll like this if you liked : Dungeons & Dragons

Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind (2002) 7/10

Starring : Sam Rockwell, George Clooney, Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, Rutger Hauer
Director : George Clooney
Running Time : 109 mins

Television genius Chuck Barris (Rockwell) is probably most famous for having created a number of well-known game shows, mainly The Dating Game and The Gong Show, but this movie tells the allegedly true story of how, under the pretence of chaperoning the show’s winning contestants on their holidays, he was secretly working as a hit man for the CIA.

This was a reasonably entertaining biographical movie, although whether or not any of it is true is debateable. Rockwell was well suited to playing the manic game show host, and Clooney once again gives himself a small role in his own movie, but the general disbelief at the apparent factual account made it a little hard to swallow.

You’ll like this if you liked : Buffalo Soldiers

Chicken Run (2000) 8/10

Starring : Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Miranda Richardson, Tony Haygarth, Jane Horrocks
Director : Peter Lord & Nick Park
Running Time : 81 mins

Inspired by the arrival of Rocky (Gibson), a rooster who tells stories of many a daring do, Ginger (Sawalha) and her fellow chickens are inspired to attempt an escape from the oppressive farm on which they live, hoping to avoid their inevitable future as the contents of a chicken pie. The only problem is that most, if not all, of Rocky’s stories are entirely not true.

This is a lovely little comedy, though I think adults will like it more than children, as there are plenty of nods to famous prisoner of war movies, particularly The Great Escape. The characters are rich and each one is clearly distinctive from the next despite mostly being chickens. This is a definite must see, so check it out.

You’ll like this if you liked : Wallace And Gromit In The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit

Classic Friday : Child's Play 2 (1990) 7/10

Starring : Alex Vincent, Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham, Christine Elise, Brad Dourif
Director : John Lafia
Running Time : 81 mins

The manufacturers of the Good Guy dolls decide to repair the Chucky doll in an attempt to rebuild their reputation by proving there’s nothing wrong with it. Unfortunately they also bring back the spirit of Charles Lee Ray (Dourif), who is still intent on finding Andy Barclay (Vincent), his original owner, and taking over his body so that he might live again.

Although not the best in the series, this is nevertheless a pretty decent sequel. The plot is a little tenuous, with the toy company rebuilding a killer doll as a PR stunt, but at least it had the same actor playing Andy, not like the third instalment which kind of skipped a number of years out of the story.

You’ll like this if you liked : Army Of Darkness

The Perfect Storm (2000) 6/10

Starring : George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, John C Reilly, Diane Lane, William Fichtner
Director : Wolfgang Petersen
Running Time : 129 mins

A fishing boat, out working in the North Atlantic, finds itself faced with a particularly intense storm. The crew, lead by Captain Billy Tyne (Clooney), are faced with a life or death decision : should they wait out the storm and risk their catch going bad, or head home through the stormy weather. Ignoring severe weather warnings, they find themselves fighting for their lives as the increasingly bad weather conspires to destroy their vessel.

Unlike some disaster movies, such as the recent remake of Poseidon, this movie actually handles the idea of foreshadowing the disaster with expert ease. The characters are fleshed out and given personalities, which helps when faced with the inevitable deaths, and the effects are spectacular, but the movie ran a little too long for my liking, and it did start to get tedious towards the end.

You’ll like this if you liked : Poseidon

Keeping Mum (2005) 7/10

Starring : Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Patrick Swayze, Tamsin Egerton
Director : Niall Johnson
Running Time : 100 mins

Reverend Walter Goodfellow (Atkinson) is the vicar in a small village who has allowed his marriage to his wife Gloria (Scott Thomas) to take a back burner to his work. Gloria begins an affair with her golf instructor Lance (Swayze), and their married life begins to look as if it might be coming to an abrupt end, until their housekeeper Grace Hawkins (Smith) steps in with her own methods for sorting out the family’s problems.

This is a nice little movie, with an unusual twist which makes for good viewing. Smith underplays the seemingly innocent housekeeper brilliantly, although Atkinson does seem in parts to be unnaturally forcing his performance. Well worth watching, and it won’t be what you expect.

You’ll like this if you liked : Nanny McPhee

The X-Files I Want To Believe (2008) 6/10

Starring : David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, Alvin 'Xzibit' Joiner
Director : Chris Carter
Running Time : 100 mins

Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and Dr Dana Scully (Anderson) are asked by the FBI for their assistance when Father Joseph Crissman (Connolly), a paedophile priest, claims he is receiving psychic visions of a kidnapped agent which may be connected to a series of kidnappings which have been happening in Virginia.

This was better than the first movie, but then I didn’t like the first movie. It really didn’t feel worth while bringing back the cast just to make something that felt like a two part special, but if you don’t think of it in terms of the TV show this was an okay movie with some decent moments. Plus, anyone who ever wanted Mulder and Scully to get together, here’s the moment you’ve been waiting for.

You’ll like this if you liked : Along Came A Spider

Penelope (2006) 8/10

Starring : Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Catherine O’Hara, Reese Witherspoon, Peter Dinklage, Richard E Grant, Simon Woods, Ronni Ancona
Director : Mark Palansky
Running Time : 104 mins

Following an indiscretion involving a serving girl, the Wilhern family are cursed by a witch that their next born daughter will possess the face of a pig. Generations pass with only boys being born, but when Penelope Wilhern (Ricci) is born she has a snout and floppy ears. Her parents try to hide her from the outside world, but know that the only way to break the curse is for Penelope to be accepted by one of her own.

This was a cute movie, which reminded me of the TV series Pushing Daisies in many ways. Ricci’s character was likeable and the supporting cast were all perfectly chosen for the roles. I did find it funny however that all of Penelope’s suitors totally over reacted to her nose – it didn’t make her look scary at all!

You’ll like this if you liked : Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

Final Destination (2000) 8/10

Starring : Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Kristen Cloke, Seann William Scott
Director : James Wong
Running Time : 94 mins

When Alex Browning (Sawa) has a prophetic dream warning him that the plane he is on is going to crash, he panics and is excorted from the plane, along with a number of other school friends. So, when the plane explodes in mid air, the survivors find themselves feeling survivor’s guilt, that is until they find that death, feeling cheated, is coming after them in the order they should have died.

A great start to a strong trilogy, this series continued to impress me, particularly the second one which I thought was really good. Granted, there is going to be a stage when the writers run out of ideas, but so far they’ve done well, but perhaps now would be the time to stop before the formula becomes so diluted that no one wants to see them anymore.

You’ll like this if you liked : Scream

The Ringer (2005) 8/10

Starring : Johnny Knoxville, Brian Cox, Katherine Heigl, Jed Rees, Bill Chott, Edward Barbanell
Director : Barry W Blaustein
Running Time : 95 mins

Steve Barker (Knoxville) decides that the only way he can clear all of his massive debt is to pretend to be mentally handicapped and enter the Special Olympics, having a friend bet on him and thereby clearing up against the other less able bodied contestants. Unfortunately Steve soon realises that keeping up the pretence is going to be more difficult than he thought, especially when he falls for Lynn Sheridan (Heigl).

This movie was so un-pc that you just have to laugh. It’s good to know that this was checked on by the head of the Special Olympics, and that, like the Farrelly Brothers movies, the makers are actually embracing the differences rather than just mocking them for comedy value. Still, the concept is so wrong you just have to laugh from start to end.

You’ll like this if you liked : There’s Something About Mary

Jumper (2008) 6/10

Starring : Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Diane Lane, Samuel L Jackson
Director : Doug Liman
Running Time : 89 mins

When David Rice (Christensen) discovers he has the ability to teleport through space, he finds himself caught up in an ancient war between the so-called "Jumpers" and those who want to destroy them for being genetically flawed.

This movie wasn’t particularly good, probably because Hayden Christensen is a poor choice for a lead role. Rachel Bilson didn’t seem to be bothered about how she delivered her lines but, surprisingly, it was Jamie Bell who gave the best performance as the other Jumper, Griffin. But as for Samuel L Jackson, I really don’t know what he was thinking when he signed on to make this movie, toher than there were bills to be paid.

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

National Treasure Book Of Secrets (2007) 7/10

Starring : Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, Harvey Keitel
Director : John Turteltaub
Running Time : 125 mins

Ben Gates (Cage) finds himself having to prove his ancestors innocence in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by discovering the secrets of the John Wilkes Booth diary, which leads him on a round the world trip and the discovery of a secret book, passed onto successive Presidents, which could in turn lead him to the lost City of Gold.

This movie wasn’t too bad, although it pretty much repeated what the original did. The supporting cast are far more entertaining than Cage could ever hope to be, with Bartha and Kruger offering comic relief through both their own characters and the characters they bring to the story. Mirren and Voight are great as the bickering parents, and the storyline, though simple, is effective in parts.

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

Shanghai Noon (2000) 8/10

Starring : Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Lucy Liu
Director : Tom Dey
Running Time : 106 mins

Feeling responsible for the kidnapping of Princess Pei Pei (Liu), Chon Wong (Chan), an Imperial Guardsman for the Chinese Emperor, travels from China to the Wild West so that he can rescue her. Along the way he teams up with Roy O’Bannon (Wilson), a train robber who agrees to help Chon Wong find information on those who may be holding the princess hostage.

This is one of Jackie Chan’s better movies, in many ways superior to the Rush Hour series. Chan manages to keep the movie light and entertaining while continuing to impress us with his martial arts expertise. Wilson comes into his own with this movie, no longer appearing simply as a sidekick to Ben Stiller, and shows that his laid back approach to characters can be charming and engaging in a lead role as well as simply in support.

You’ll like this if you liked : Wild Wild West

Classic Friday : Scream (1996) 9/10

Starring : Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Rose McGowan, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, Drew Barrymore
Director : Wes Craven
Running Time : 106 mins

Following the brutal murder of Casey Becker (Barrymore) and her boyfriend, her classmate Sidney Prescott (Campbell) finds herself at the centre of a criminal case involving a relentless serial killer dressed in a Halloween costume, and begins to suspect that the killer might be the same person who killed her mother one year earlier.

This is the first in one of the best horror series in a long time, and made horror films a solid staple for cinema goers once again. The fact that characters you don’t expect to die are killed, and that every character has a personality, makes this a movie that will survive the test of time and still feel fresh many years from now. Rumour has it that Wes Craven has signed on for Scream 4, but let’s hope that that’s all it is – a rumour. Making another sequel would only cheapen the originals.

You’ll like this if you liked : I Know What You Did Last Summer

Sympathy For Mr Vengeance (2002) 8/10

Starring : Kang-ho Song, Ha-kyun Shin, Doona Bae, Ji-Eun Lim
Director : Chan-wook Park
Running Time : 121 mins

In the first of Chan-wook Park’s Vengeance Trilogy, a deaf mute named Ryu (Shin) is desperate to get his sister (Lim) a kidney transplant, but can’t afford it, so his girlfriend Yeong-mi (Bae) suggests they kidnap the daughter of Ryu’s old boss (Song) and hold her for ransom. Unfortunately things go from bad to worse, and revenge is soon on everyone’s mind.

In spite of being quite a tough subject to tackle Chan-wook Park manages to make some of the movie quite light and funny, with some nice visual gags as well as some well thought out set pieces. This sin’t really suitable for anyone with a weak stomach, although some of the death scenes did make me chuckle, but those who can cope will find this engrossing and very entertaining.

You’ll like this if you liked : Infernal Affairs

Me, Myself & Irene (2000) 8/10

Starring : Jim Carrey, Renee Zellweger, Chris Cooper, Robert Forster, Richard Jenkins
Director : Bobby & Peter Farrelly
Running Time : 111 mins

Charlie Baileygates (Carrey) is a mild mannered cop who, unfortunately, suffers from Split Personality Disorder and relies heavily upon his medication to keep himself under control. The only thing his two personalities have in common is that they are both in love Irene (Zellweger), a girl they’re escorting back to New York who is on the run from dodgy cops and her ex-boyfriend.

The Farrelly brothers manage to turn another otherwise simple Midnight Run style movie into something absolutely gross, once again enlisting Jim Carrey in the role. If you’re not a fan of disgusting gross out comedy, steer clear, but if that’s your thing then this movie will be perfect for you. As an added bonus, there is a plotline, so check it out if you haven’t already seen it.

You’ll like this if you liked : Dumb And Dumber

The Cottage (2008) 8/10

Starring : Andy Serkis, Reece Shearsmith, Jennifer Ellison, Steven O’Donnell, David Legeno
Director : Paul Andrew Williams
Running Time : 88 mins

Brothers David (Serkis) and Peter (Shearsmith) kidnap Tracey (Ellison), the daughter of a local gangster, and hold her to ransom in a cottage in the country, but when Tracey gets the better of them and leads them on a merry chase, they find out that there’s something living in the woods that might be worse than the wrath of Tracey or her dad.

This movie was odd in that it starts off, similarly to From Dusk Till Dawn, as a simple kidnapping gangster movie, with some comedy thrown in for good measure. But, after a good hour, the horror element is finally introduced and the over the top killing begins. Fans of comic horror are sure to enjoy this, but it does get a little predictable at parts.

You’ll like this if you liked : Hatchet

The Golden Compass (2007) 6/10

Starring : Dakota Blue Richards, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Freddie Highmore, Ian McKellan
Director : Chris Weitz
Running Time : 114 mins

In a parallel universe a young girl named Lyra (Richards) is caught up in a kidnapping plot, whereby she discovers some very unusual experiments, involving something known only as dust, are taking place in the hope of removing children’s animal-shaped souls from them, leaving them emotionless husks of their former selves.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this. I quite enjoyed the book, but had heard some terrible reviews of the movie. Thankfully it wasn’t that bad, with some interesting special effects and some nice takes on the story itself. Richards was pretty annoying as Lyra at first, but grew into the role as the movie progressed, and Craig and Kidman did their best, though Kidman did ham it up a little, feeling more like Cruella De Ville than anything else..

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