Classic Friday : Friday The 13th Part 3 (1982) 5/10

Starring : Dana Kimmell, Paul Kratka, Nick Savage, Rachel Howard
Director : Steve Miner
Running Time : 91 mins

A group of teenagers stupidly decide to rent a house close to Camp Crystal Lake, the location of a series of brutal murders, and soon find themselves under attack from a disfigured maniac with a sack on his head.

This is probably the most laughable of the Friday The 13th franchise. Originally it was filmed in 3D, and if you pay careful attention you can see where the actors are pandering to this fact by moving objects directly into the camera. The only real memorable thing about this movie is that it’s the instalment where Jason first gets his hockey mask, making this perhaps the most iconic of the series even though it is the worst scripted.

You’ll like this if you liked : Freddy’s Dead The Final Nightmare

Layer Cake (2004) 9/10

Starring : Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney, George Harris, Michael Gambon, Sienna Miller
Director : Matthew Vaughn
Running Time : 100 mins

On the eve of his planned early retirement, a successful cocaine dealer (Craig) finds his world spiralling out of control when a planned shipment for a large quantity of ecstasy turns out to have been stolen by some big time gangster drug dealers, and they are not pleased with being swindled.

This is definitely one of the better British gangster movies of recent years. Craig is surprisingly suave and likeable as the nameless hero of the piece, and proves that he is a good choice to play Bond. Everyone puts in a sterling performance, and the direction is well thought through and gives us some great last minute twists to this tale of deception.

You’ll like this if you liked : Goodfellas

Bring It On (2000) 8/10

Starring : Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, Gabrielle Union, Clare Kramer, Nicole Bilderback
Director : Peyton Reed
Running Time : 96 mins

When Torrance Shipman (Dunst) becomes the new captain of her high school cheer leading squad, the Toros, she soon discovers that the old captain had been stealing their routines from the Clovers, another squad from East Compton. This revelation puts Torrance into direct competition with Isis (Union), the captain of the Clovers, and both teams are forced to start performing at 110% efficiency in order to save their reputations.

This is a nice little teen comedy, with some superb bitching and back stabbing which keeps the movie entertaining from beginning to end. Unlike many of the teen comedies of the time, this movie is more realistic, and doesn’t use outright slapstick to garner it’s laughs. This well thought out movie is well worth seeing if you haven’t already, and I recommend it highly.

You’ll like this if you liked : Drop Dead Gorgeous

Lions For Lambs (2007) 8/10

Starring : Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Michael Pena, Derek Luke, Andrew Garfield, Peter Berg
Director : Robert Redford
Running Time : 88 mins

Professor Stephen Malley (Redford) tells one of his disillusioned students, Todd Hayes (Garfield) the story of two of his students, Ernest (Pena) and Arian (Luke), combined decision to join the war against terrorism, in the hope of inspiring him to do something great with his life. Meanwhile, presidential hopeful Jasper Irving (Cruise) tells reporter Janine Roth (Streep) all about the government’s plans to secure victory in Afghanistan.

This was a very effective movie which uses words rather than action to describe the effect war can have on people, not just those directly involved but also those who have to stay on home soil and deal with it. We have a reported having to accept the words of a senator without judging them, a senator who is using the war to further his career, and a teacher who doesn’t want his students to waste their lives, but instead to stand up for something. There are some very underplayed, powerful performances here, and this is definitely one to go and see.

You’ll like this if you liked : Syriana

Righteous Kill (2008) 7/10

Starring : Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Curtis Jackson, Carla Gugino, John Leguizamo, Donnie Wahlberg, Brian Dennehy
Director : John Avnet
Running Time : 97 mins

Long time New York detectives Thomas "Turk" Cowan (De Niro) and David "Rooster" Fisk (Pacino) are called on to investigate the murder of a well-known pimp, and start to believe that it may be connected to another murder they investigated many years before when they discover a poem at the scene of the crime, similar if not the same as the one found at the original crime scene.

De Niro, as usual, is very effective here, but Pacino seemed a little hammy in my opinion. The movie itself was a little slow at the beginning, then suddenly speeds up half way through. The twist was a little obvious, but effective in some ways, although it did feel a little silly to so blatantly reveal the twist in the way that the director did.

You’ll like this if you liked : Zodiac

Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) 8/10

Starring : Everlyn Sampi, Tianna Sansbury, Laura Monaghan, David Gulpilil, Kenneth Branagh
Director : Phillip Noyce
Running Time : 91 mins

After being taken from their homes and sent to a camp where they are to be trained as domestic workers, Molly Craig (Sampi) escapes with her little sister and cousin, and they begin a journey across the Australian outback in order to find their way back home, all the while being chased by government officials who want to get them back so they won’t look so incompetent.

This is a very emotional movie, which I would have given perhaps a nine if the last half hour hadn’t have seemed so rushed. The tale is simple, but made ever more evocative by it being based on a true life story, and the three main girls do a nice job of making us feel for them and want them to succeed in getting away from the corrupt government which pretty much wants to enslave them.

You’ll like this if you liked : I Am David

Miss Congeniality (2000) 8/10

Starring : Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine, Benjamin Bratt, Candice Bergen, Ernie Hudson, William Shatner
Director : Donald Petrie
Running Time : 106 mins

In spite of her inability to appear even remotely feminine, FBI agent Gracie Hart (Bullock) is sent undercover to the Miss United States pageant as a contestant – Miss New Jersey - in the hope of finding a serial killer who has indicated that his intended next target will be one of the pageant members.

This movie sees Bullock probably at the top of her game, but is sadly marred by the terrible sequel. Bullock plays the bumbling and perpetually butch Gracie Hart brilliantly, and rarely steers from the characters direction, with Michael Caine playing the wonderfully camp Victor Melling with all of his heart.

You’ll like this if you liked : Legally Blonde

Kai Doh Maru (2001) 6/10

Starring : Mitsuki Saiga, Corinne Orr, Bruce Winant
Director : Kanji Wakabayashi
Running Time : 47 mins

Following the murder of her father by her uncle, young Kentoki (Saiga) is rescued by Lord Raiko (Winant), the leader of a faction known as the Four Horsemen, and raised as a boy to protect her identity from her uncle, whose daughter Ohni-Hime (Orr) has now become princess thanks to the treachery of her father.

This short animated movie was okay, but it didn’t really flesh out the story enough for my liking. The art work was interesting, giving the movie the feel of being animated on parchment, and the action was fine, but it really did need something extra to keep my interest, which began to wane in the first ten minutes.

You’ll like this if you liked : Blood : The Last Vampire

The Chronicles Of Riddick (2004) 5/10

Starring : Vin Diesel, Colm Feore, Thandie Newton, Judi Dench, Karl Urban, Alexa Davalos
Director : David Twohy
Running Time : 115 mins

Richard Riddick (Diesel) is a wanted criminal who finds himself on the planet of New Mecca, where he discovers who put the bounty on his head while getting involved in defending the planet against attack from a race known as the Necromongers, a warrior army who are intent on invading every planet in the cosmos by converting their inhabitants into Necromongers themselves.

This movie had some big name stars, but even that couldn’t rescue it from desperately cashing in on the name Pitch Black. Diesel doesn’t seem to be playing the same sinister character from the original, and there’s a distinct lack of emotion ot character from any of the other cast. Don’t bother watching this unless you really like sci-fi or Vin Diesel.

You’ll like this if you liked : Star Wars Episode I : The Phantom Menace

The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) 8/10

Starring : Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano, Yifei Liu
Director : Ron Minkoff
Running Time : 101 mins

Jason Tripitikis (Angarano), a teenager with an obsession with Kung Fu, finds himself transported back through time to ancient China where he is teamed up with a group of martial arts warriors with a mission to help free the long imprisoned Monkey King (Li), facing many dangers along the way whilst also learning some valuable lessons.

I enjoyed this movie immensely, from the drunken Jackie Chan to the seemingly miscast Jet Li as the Monkey King. Li manages to make the character of the Monkey King his own, and is barely recognisable as the sort of character he usually plays, being bouncey and full of life rather than completely morose. This is a great kids movie, and I recommend it to all.

You’ll like this if you liked : Bulletproof Monk

Classic Friday : Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) 8/10

Starring : Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones, Frank Oz
Director : Irvin Kershner
Running Time : 117 mins

Having fled their hideout on the planet Hoth, the rebels split into two groups, with Luke Skywalker (Hammill) on the planet Dagobah, receiving training from Jedi Master Yoda (Oz), whilst Han Solo (Ford), Princess Leia (Fisher) and the droids travel to the planet Bespin to seek sanctuary with Han’s old friend Lando Calrissian (Williams). Unfortunately there is betrayal in the cards, and it isn’t long before Lord Vadar (Jones) is back on the rebels tales.

This is almost certainly the strongest out of any of the Star Wars movies. It has the darkest plot, the best betrayals, the most memorable twists and the most downbeat ending. This is possibly due to the lesser involvement of George Lucas, who pretty much only came up with the basic story for this installment, but in any case it is still the best of the lot and well worth watching if you’re one of the few who haven’t seen it before.

You’ll like this if you liked : Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Zathura : A Space Adventure (2005) 7/10

Starring : Jonah Bobo, Josh Hutcherson, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart, Tim Robbins
Director : Jon Favreau
Running Time : mins

With their parents away and their sister Lisa (Stewart) left in charge, brothers Walter (Hutcherson) and Danny (Bobo) accidentally get drawn into a board game that launches their house into space. With the help of a nameless astronaut (Shepard), they are forced to play the game to its conclusion - with every move bringing new dangers - or be left trapped in space for the rest of their lives.

This was a fun filled addition to the Jumanji mythology, with the two main kids playing their roles perfectly. Obviously there are some annoying facts which don’t seem right about the concept, but it’s a kids adventure movie so it doesn’t really matter. Shepard brings some much needed adult supervision to the proceedings, and Stewart there as something for the teenaged boys to look at.

You’ll like this if you liked : Jumanji

The Whole Nine Yards (2000) 8/10

Starring : Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Rosanna Arquette, Michael Clarke Duncan, Natasha Henstridge, Amanda Peet, Kevin Pollak
Director : Jonathan Lynn
Running Time : 94 mins

When Nick “Oz” Oseransky (Perry) finds out that his new neighbour is none other than Jimmy “The Tulip” Tudeski (Willis), a well known mobster, Oz’s wife Sophie (Arquette) convinces him to turn the criminal in to his mob boss for a considerable reward. She then tells Jimmy what’s happening in the hope that he’ll kill Oz so she can cash in his life insurance, and a whole series of double crosses soon start getting out of control.

This is a great little movie, with a very unfortunate and unnecessary sequel. Here we have originality and some nice overplayed performances from the cast, which makes this the more superior mob comedy of the time. Willis plays his character very casually, a stark contrast to Perry’s manic protagonist, which makes for a great comedic teaming.

You’ll like this if you liked : Analyze This

Kidulthood (2006) 8/10

Starring : Aml Ameen, Red Madrell, Noel Clarke, Adam Deacon, Jaime Winstone
Director : Menhaj Huda
Running Time : 88mins

A group of troubled 15 year olds spend their day getting up to mischief when one of their schoolmates kills herself. As the day progresses, Trife (Ameen) discovers that his griflriend Alisa (Madrell) is pregnant by school bully Sam (Clarke), and becomes involved with his uncle’s dodgy business of selling guns.

This movie was scary in that it felt like I was back at school. All of the characters here were present in my childhood, at least to some degree, and the setting was actually where I grew up. It’s a shame that original director Menhaj Huda wasn’t involved in the sequel, but the fact that cast member Noel Clarke felt compelled to continue his character’s story just shows how much of an impact this movie could have.

You’ll like this if you liked : Kids

The Ruins (2008) 6/10

Starring : Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey, Shawn Ashmore, Joe Anderson
Director : Carter Smith
Running Time : 92 mins

A group of friends on holiday in Mexico find themselves trapped on a ruined temple by local villagers, not having any understanding why the villagers won’t let them go, but they soon discover that there’s something evil on the ruins, and it wants to kill them and eat them.

This movie was not a patch on the book. The director clearly went for the out and out horror motif when translating the book to the big screen, rather than taking it as a thriller. The characters felt wrong, and the actors were not the best, and the change of the ending was pointless and felt incredibly tacked on. I wouldn’t recommend this to fans of the book, but if you like horror movies in general then it wasn’t too bad.

You’ll like this if you liked : Venom

D-Tox (2002) 7/10

Starring : Sylvester Stallone, Charles S Dutton, Polly Walker, Kris Kristofferson
Director : Jim Gillespie
Running Time : 92 mins

Following the death of both his partner and his fiancé, FBI agent Jake Malloy (Stallone) turns to drink, and is eventually sent to a rehab clinic to recover. But when some of the other guests of the clinic turn up dead, Malloy starts to think that the killer may have tracked him down and is out to get him one final time.

This movie was pretty good. The setting made it feel like a thriller version of The Thing, and the slow paced action gave it a distinctive atmosphere. Stallone managed well in his role, with the rest of the cast playing caricatures if nothing else, but luckily this didn’t spoil the movie and in fact gave it greater characters as it made it harder to guess who the killer was.

You’ll like this if you liked : Striking Distance

Boys And Girls (2000) 7/10

Starring : Freddie Prinze Jr, Claire Forlani, Jason Biggs, Amanda Detmer
Director : Robert Iscove
Running Time : 91 mins

Ryan Walker (Prinze) and Jennifer Burrows (Forlani) have run into each other on a number of occasions over the years, so when they wind up at the same university they soon become close friends, consoling each other over the various failed relationships. It isn’t long however before sex gets in the way and soon threatens their otherwise perfect friendship.

This movie was surprisingly watchable, despite the required convoluted dance routine that all Freddie Prinze movies have. The acting wasn’t the best, and the story was very simple, but overall it did the job I expected of it and came to the obvious conclusion in the narrative.

You’ll like this if you liked : When Harry Met Sally

After The Sunset (2004) 8/10

Starring : Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek, Woody Harrelson, Don Cheadle, Naomie Harris
Director : Brett Ratner
Running Time : 94 mins

Max Burdett (Brosnan) is a master thief who has decided to retire to an island paradise with his fiancée and fellow thief Lola Cirillo (Hayek), but Stan Lloyd (Harrelson), the FBI agent who vowed to catch Burdett, has followed them there and plans on catchingt hem in the act of stealing a diamond which Burdett originally had no intention of stealing.

This movie was surprisingly enjoyable. I expected nothing form this movie but came out of it actually having laughed throughout. The acting was wonderfully executed, and the twists and turns of the plotline made for a great watch. This is definitely one to look out for, especially if you like crime capers.

You’ll like this if you liked : Oceans Twelve

Meet Dave (2008) 6/10

Starring : Eddie Murphy, Elizabeth Banks, Gabrielle Union, Scott Caan, Ed Helms, Kevin Hart
Director : Brian Robbins
Running Time : 87 mins

A group of tiny aliens travel to Earth inside a spaceship shaped like a human, which they name Dave Ming Cheng (Murphy) in order to find a meteor rock which has crashed to the planet, but the Captain of the ship (Murphy) soon falls in love with Gina Morrison (Banks), the mother of a little boy who has found the rock.

This movie wasn’t out to win any awards for complicated plotlines, but was actually quite enjoyable. Little kids will love the idea of a spaceship that looks like a human, and the characters on board the ship, as they succumb to human behaviour patterns, are quite entertaining at points in the film.

You’ll like this if you liked : Men In Black

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) 7/10

Starring : Robert Downey Jr, Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen
Director : Shane Black
Running Time : 99 mins

Harry Lockhart (Downey), a petty thief, finds himself caught up in a murder investigation when he poses as an actor to evade the police. To make things even more complicated, one of the actresses he’s working with is his childhood sweetheart, Harmony Faith Lane (Monaghan).

This movie wasn’t bad, but it was missing something. The acting was fine, the plot was good, but it needed something else to make it truly engrossing. As usual Downey put in a great performance, and there were some nice black comedy moments which made me smile, so I would recommend watching it and making your own judgement.

You’ll like this if you liked : Wanted

Classic Friday : Ace Ventura : Pet Detective (1994) 8/10

Starring : Jim Carrey, Courteney Cox, Sean Young, Tone Loc, Dan Marino
Director : Tom Shadyac
Running Time : 83 mins

Ace Ventura (Carrey), the worlds only pet detective, is called upon to help when the mascot for the Miami Dolphins, and one of their quarterbacks, Dan Marino (himself), go missing. Ace uses all of his expertise to locate the missing dolphin, along the way falling for the Dolphins new manager, Melissa Robinson (Cox), and uncovering a sinister connection between the disappearances and an old Dolphins player, Ray Finkel.

This was the high point of Jim Carrey’s up-to-this-point much overlooked career, and the start of a series of madcap characters that he would play for the next few years. This movie, at first glance, looks like frivolous nonsense, but once you’ve seen it you’ll realise that it is in fact a mystery thriller with a bit of toilet humour thrown in for good measure.

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

WALL-E (2008) 8/10

Starring : Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, Sigourney Weaver
Director : Andrew Stanton
Running Time : 99 mins

WALL-E (Burtt), an Earth Class Waste Allocation Lift Loader, fall in love with EVE (Knight), an Extra-Terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator who has been sent back to Earth to find if it can be re-inhabited, but when she shuts down after finding plant life, WALL-E finds himself being whisked into outer space on the adventure of his life time.

Although very slow going, and probably not something that kids will find amazing, this movie did have a certain charm which made it just as watchable as the next animated feature. It probably isn’t until WALL-E goes into space that the story gets moving, but the love story on Earth between WALL-E and EVE was so charming you couldn’t help but smile.

You’ll like this if you liked : Ratatouille

Reign Of Fire (2002) 6/10

Starring : Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Izabella Scorupco, Gerard Butler
Director : Rob Bowman
Running Time : 98 mins

Set in the near future, a group of fire breathing dragons has taken over the Earth, and only a small camp of humans are left to resist them. Quinn Abercromby (Bale), who as a boy witnessed one of the beasts kill his mother, has a particular interest in taking the dragons down, and hopes to do so with the help of a rag tag band of American’s, lead by Denton Van Zan (McConaughey).

This movie wasn’t too bad, with a very British feeling storyline rather than the usual kind of all American’s together against the enemy plot that so often graces our screens. Bale was reasonable as the sullen Abercromby, and McConaughey was suitably over the top as the brash American who turns up to help kill the dragons, but all in all there wasn’t really enough substance to make this a movie worthy of raving about.

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

Dungeons And Dragons (2000) 4/10

Starring : Justin Whalin, Marlon Wayans, Thora Birch, Jeremy Irons
Director : Courtney Solomon
Running Time : 107 mins

Two thieves, Ridley (Whalin) and Snails (Wayans), become involved in the search for the legendary Rod of Savrille, a mythical tool which can control dragons and that will consequently give whomsoever possesses it the power to rule the Empire of Izmer. This tool is being sought out by many people, but most worryingly by Profion, a tyrant with ambitions of world domination.

This movie was just terrible. From the hammy villainy of Jeremy Irons to the always annoying presence of Marlon Wayans, this movie had no redeeming features whatsoever. Even Thora Birch, who is usually pretty good in movies, was over shadowed by just how bad the plot and effects were, although it’s one saving grace was that Wayans dies at the end.

You’ll like this if you liked : Eragon

Miss Potter (2006) 7/10

Starring : Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Emily Watson, Barbara Flynn, Bill Paterson
Director : Chris Noonan
Running Time : 93 mins

Much to her family’s disgust, Beatrix Potter (Zellweger) decides to become a children’s author and get her stories of Peter Rabbit and friends published so she can share them with the world. On her journey to success, she meets book publisher Norman Warne (McGregor), and I doomed romance soon starts up between them.

This movie wasn’t that bad, but there was very little substance to it. Considering this is basically a biopic explaining how Beatrix Potter became an author, there was very little going on and not much really to be said. Zellweger was suitably unstable as the famous author, and came across as a bit of a loony at the beginning of the movie. Worth checking out if you like romantic melodramas, otherwise steer clear.

You’ll like this if you liked : Sylvia

The Water Horse (2007) 7/10

Starring : Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, Emily Watson, Brian Cox
Director : Jay Russell
Running Time : 112 mins

In war time Britain, Angus MacMorrow (Etel) finds a strange egg which hatches and reveals a mysterious mythical beast known as a Water Horse, akin to The Loch Ness Monster. Angus forms a friendship with the beast and watches as it grows into a giant sea monster, but disaster strikes when the army turn up and want to test their latest weapons on the Water Horses new home in the Loch.

Although this started off slow, it did have some good moments of both humour and drama. Etel, who was brilliantly kooky in Millions, isn’t quite as good here but, thanks to an interesting and intelligent plot that doesn’t talk down to kids, this made for an entertaining watch.

You’ll like this if you liked : Five Children And It

Bounce (2000) 6/10

Starring : Ben Affleck, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natasha Henstridge, Edward Edwards, Jennifer Grey
Director : Don Roos
Running Time : 102 mins

When Buddy Amaral (Affleck) switches plane tickets with a fellow passenger, and the plane crashes, he feels responsible for his death so journeys to visit the man’s family to explain what happens and beg their forgiveness, but when he falls in love with the man’s widow, Abby Janello (Paltrow), things get a little complicated and he decides not to tell anyone what happened.

I wasn’t a big fan of this movie, mainly because it was Ben Affleck in a serious role, something he rarely excels at. Usually I quite enjoy Gwyneth Paltrow movies, what with her range being such that she could be in anything, but in this she felt a little wooden at times, perhaps because of the role she was playing, and the movie suffered a bit because of this. Still, it did have its moments, and the overall feel to the movie was consistent.

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

Hart's War (2002) 6/10

Starring : Bruce Willis, Colin Farrell, Terrence Howard, Cole Hauser
Director : Gregory Hoblit
Running Time : 120 mins

During the Second World War, Lieutenant William Hart (Farrell) finds himself in a German prisoner of war camp, where he is requested to put into practice his limited knowledge of the law to defend a black prisoner, Lieutenant Lincoln Scott (Howard), who has been accused of murdering a fellow prisoner.

This movie took ages to get going. When I heard it was a wartime courtroom drama, and had been watching it for nearly an hour with nary a courtroom in sight, I thought they’d got the plot wrong in the paper. Still, once it did get going it did improve, unfortunately it was a case of too little too late.

You’ll like this if you liked : Tigerland

The Quiet (2005) 7/10

Starring : Elisha Cuthbert, Camilla Belle, Edie Falco, Martin Donovan, Shawn Ashmore, Katy Mixon
Director : Jamie Babbit
Running Time : 97 mins

Deaf orphan Dot (Belle) is sent to live with her god parents and her one time friend Nina (Cuthbert). On arriving in the household, Dot starts to realise that the family’s seemingly perfect life is not as perfect as it appears on the surface, and that both Dot and Nina harbour secrets both dark and disturbing in nature.

This was better than I expected. The dark edge to the movie, combined with making the lead character deaf, gave it an interesting quality which felt unique, even though the story has been told over and over again. Cuthbert was actually quite well suited to this movie, playing a bitch of a cheerleader with a dark secret. This is well worth watching, but the overall storyline may upset some people.

You’ll like this if you liked : American Beauty

Mutant Chronicles (2008) 5/10

Starring : Thomas Jane, Ron Perlman, Devon Aoki, Sean Pertwee, Benno Furmann, John Malkovich, Anna Walton
Director : Simon Hunter
Running Time : 107 mins

A Machine from outer space comes to Earth with the soul goal of turning mankind into mutants. This leads to a natural decrease in the Earth’s population and a battle for survival between those still not transformed. Eventually it is decided that a small suicide group, lead by the devout Brother Samuel (Perlman) and made up of soldiers and those brave enough to face death, should be sent into the Machine to destroy it once and for all.

I actually thought this movie was ridiculous. There was too much explanation at the beginning of the movie about things that had already happened, which is never a good sign for any movie, and it ended so abruptly I was left with a disatisfied feeling in my stomach. I’d personally avoid this, as it’s yet another computer-game-style movie that has no place in modern cinema.

You’ll like this if you liked : Doomsday

Classic Friday : Star Trek The Motion Picture (1979) 6/10

Starring : William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols
Director : Robert Wise
Running Time : 136 mins

Admiral James T Kirk (Shatner) and the rest of his crew are called back into active duty on board the USS Enterprise when a highly dangerous alien spacecraft is spotted heading for Earth, and the crew must discover what it is and how much of a danger it could pose to the Earth and it’s inhabitants.

Of all the Star Trek movies, this one was the most similar to the original series. Unfortunately this was made a good 13 years after the series ended, which sadly dated it in my books almost immediately. Still, it’s a nice concept and an interesting plot, which unfortunately takes far too long to tell. This is only really worth watching if you’re a real fan of Star Trek or hard core science fiction, otherwise steer clear.

You’ll like this if you liked : 2001 A Space Odyssey

Little Nicky (2000) 8/10

Starring : Adam Sandler, Patricia Arquette, Harvey Keitel, Rhys Ifans, Tommy 'Tiny' Lister
Director : Steven Brill
Running Time : 84 mins

Nicky (Sandler) is the youngest son of Satan (Keitel) who is sent to Earth on a mission to capture his brothers, Adrian (Ifans) and Cassius (Lister), who have escaped from hell, before their father dies of starvation as their exodus has closed up the entrance to hell and Satan has no souls to devour. If Nicky fails, one of his brothers will take over the role of Satan and, as neither is suitable for the job, all Hell will literally be let lose.

This is one of Sandler’s better movies, and for once he has the support of a big name cast. The plot is silly but effective, and it actually goes somewhere, which makes for a pleasant change. This probably marked a drastic change in Sandler’s movies, as many of his movies since have achieved a more grown up level of humour without losing the child-like charm we can find here.

You’ll like this if you liked : Idle Hands

Lords Of Dogtown (2005) 6/10

Starring : Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, John Robinson, Michael Angarano, Nikki Reed, Heath Ledger, Johnny Knoxville
Director : Catherine Hardwick
Running Time : 107 mins

Surf shop owner Skip (Ledger) form a skateboarding group from a bunch of local Venice Beach surfers in the hope of making more money and keeping his business afloat. The skateboarding group, the "Z-Boys", soon become famous and start to turn from Skip in the pursuit of fame and money.

This is an interesting biopic which tells the story of the advent of modern skateboarding, its origins, and the people who helped create it as a sport and past time. All of the actors put in a fine performance, unfortunately there isn’t really enough material in my opinion to sustain this for a full movie, even though the makers have made a pretty good job of it.

You’ll like this if you liked : Wonderland

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) 8/10

Starring : Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Erica Bana, Jim Sturgess, Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas
Director : Justin Chadwick
Running Time : 115 mins

Ann Boleyn (Portman) and her sister Mary (Johansson) are both forced at different points in their lives to start relationships with King Henry VIII (Bana) by their power hungry family, but both soon realise that getting involved in royal affairs can be a deadly and an emotionally disturbing endeavour.

This is an intriguing and thought provoking tale which gives a new spin on how the royals worked in the age of Henry VIII. Although Bana is an unusual choice to play the king, Johansson and Portman put in some great performances as the Boleyn sisters, both being about as different from each other as they possibly could be.

You’ll like this if you liked : Elizabeth

88 Minutes (2007) 7/10

Starring : Al Pacino, Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski, Amy Brenneman
Director : Jon Avnet
Running Time : 107 mins

Dr Jack Gramm (Pacino) finds his life at risk on the eve of a murderer’s execution when he is given less that 90 minutes to live by a copycat killer who wants Gramm to pay for influencing the jury to convict in the killers court case. With the help of his assistant Kim Cummings (Witt), Gramm finds himself in a race to save his life before the copycat killer murders him for his indiscretions.

This movie was slow going, with the 88 minutes running closer to two hours, but in spite of Pacino’s lacklustre performance this movie was pretty good. Not wanting to spoil the ending, I can’t really point out the outstanding members of the cast, but needless to say if you give this a chance you may be pleasantly surprised.

You’ll like this if you liked : Red Dragon

Hollow Man (2000) 7/10

Starring : Elisabeth Shue, Kevin Bacon, Josh Brolin, Kim Dickens, Greg Grunberg
Director : Paul Verhoeven
Running Time : 108 mins

Sebastian Caine (Bacon) tests a new formula on himself which can turn humans completely invisible, but side effects soon become evident as his damaged brain turns him from a mild mannered scientist into a maniacal killer and he begins to stalk his colleagues and his neighbours!

This is such an over the top nonsense film that it slowly draws the viewer in, wanting to know exactly what crazy antics Kevin Bacon will get up to next. Bacon has little screen time, what with him being invisible and all, but Shue and Brolin make up for this with some very interesting performances which are clearly the product of Verhoeven’s campy directorial skills.

You’ll like this if you liked : Species

Half Nelson (2006) 8/10

Starring : Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony Mackie, Nathan Corbett
Director : Ryan Fleck
Running Time : 107 mins

Inner city school teacher Dan Dunne (Gosling) is a drug addict who forms an unusual relationship with one of his pupils, a girl named Drey (Epps), when she catches him using in the toilets. Soon they become kindred spirits, Drey coming from a single parent household and being largely self-reliant, and Dan who finds drugs are the only way he can deal with everyday life.

This drama was a breath of fresh air. It doesn’t stereotype its characters by putting them into fixed roles, and it doesn’t try to make us believe that there’s a clear differential between good and evil. Gosling plays the drug addicted teacher perfectly, not going over the top at any point and clearly appearing to be controlling his anger and frustration throughout the film, and Epps role as Drey is performed with near perfection.

You’ll like this if you liked : Coach Carter

The Incredible Hulk (2008) 7/10

Starring : Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson
Director : Louis Leterrier
Running Time : 112 mins

After five years in hiding, Bruce Banner (Norton) finds a cure to the infection that turns him into a monster and returns to the United States, only to discover that the government have been using similar gamma radiation to infect their soldiers, leading him to face off against a most deadly enemy.

In many ways this was an improvement on the original Hulk movie from 2003. Norton is much better suited to the role of Bruce Banner than Eric Bana was, having a far more suitable build to play a weedy scientist, and there was an actual villain on this instalment! Unfortunately I think they should have kept Jennifer Connelly as Liv Tyler seemed too young for the role of Betty Ross.

You’ll like this if you liked : Batman Begins

I’ll Be There (2003) 6/10

Starring : Craig Ferguson, Jemma Redgrave, Charlotte Church, Joss Ackland, Ralph Brown, Ian McNiece, Imelda Staunton
Director : Craig Ferguson
Running Time : 102 mins

Former 80s pop star Paul Kerr (Ferguson) discovers he has a teenage daughter named Olivia (Church) from a weekend romance 16 years earlier with her mother, Rebecca (Redgrave). His unexpected reaction to the news is that he wants to become involved in her life, and that he had always been in love with Rebecca but had never been informed of her pregnancy.

This movie wasn’t that bad. I was expecting an annoyingly pointless vehicle for Church to transfer from pre-teen choir girl to grown up actress stroke pop star. Thankfully this movie had a little more going for it than that and gives us a nice enjoyable tale that ends exactly how you’d expect it to with little or no surprises.

You’ll like this if you liked : Music And Lyrics

X-Men (2000) 8/10

Starring : Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin
Director : Bryan Singer
Running Time : 100 mins

With the introduction to the gene pool of powerful mutants, the inevitable evil super villains emerge, particularly one named Magneto (McKellen). In contrast, Professor Charles Xavier (Stewart), a man who hopes mutants and humans can live together in peace, opens up a school to train mutants to use their powers for good, but Magneto has his eye on one particular student who he wants to use in one of his deadly plans to further mutant recognition as a force to be reckoned with.

I wasn’t expecting much from this movie as most superhero movies based on comic books of the time had been something of a let down, but this proves that comic book movies can be just as good as regular movies by not talking down to the audience and by giving it a darker tone akin to Tim Burton’s Batman franchise. Definitely one for the DVD collection, so check it out.

You’ll like this if you liked : Batman Returns