The Brothers Grimm (2005) 7/10

Starring : Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Peter Stormare, Lena Headey, Jonathan Price, Monica Bellucci
Director : Terry Gilliam
Running Time : 113 mins

Professional conmen Jacob (Ledger) and Wilhelm Grimm (Damon) claim to the public to be paranormal investigators, but they soon find themselves caught up in a mystery surrounding an apparently haunted forest, from which children have been disappearing so, with the aid of their guide Angelika (Headey), the two are forced to travel into the woods to try and find out what has been happening to the children.

In spite of having heard some pretty dire stories about this movie, I thought it was actually quite an enjoyable romp. Ledger and, surprisingly, Damon do some very convincing English accents as they trawl through Gilliam's obscure mindscape. Stormare puts in a nice comic turn as the comedy Frenchman, while Headey makes a good tough woman for the piece.

You’ll like this if you liked : Van Helsing

Eagle Vs Shark (2007) 7/10

Starring : Loren Horsley, Jemaine Clement, Joel Tobeck, Brian Sergent
Director : Taika Waititi
Running Time : 88 mins

Shy fast food worker Lily (Horsley) finds herself falling for computer nerd Jarrod (Clement), who comes into her restaurant every lunch time. When she's fired from her job, she finally plucks up the courage to talk to him and wangles her way to his Favourite Animal fancy dress contest where she manages to impress him with her gaming skills.

Aside from the character of Lily, pretty much all of the characters here are hateful. Jarrod is probably the least likeable characters I've ever seen in a movie, but his distinctly dislikeable nature really does help with the film. It's hard to tell why Lily likes Jarrod in the first place but, as in real life, their attraction doesn't need explaining, it just is. This is a fun little movie which, although without direction, tells a sad yet uplifting tale.

You’ll like this if you liked : Napoleon Dynamite

It's A Boy Girl Thing (2006) 8/10

Starring : Kevin Zegers, Samaire Armstrong, Mpho Koaho, Sharon Osbourne, Brooke D'Orsay
Director : Nick Hurran
Running Time : 91 mins

Woody Dean (Zegers) and Nell Bedworth (Armstrong) are as different as two people can get, but when an ancient Aztec statue curses them, they exchange bodies and find themselves living each others lives, but instead of trying to find a resolution to their problem they set about trying to destroy each others social lives.

This is an enjoyable installment of the popular body swap movie franchise, with the selling point being that the people swapping bodies are of a different gender. There are lots of genital related jokes and some obvious toilet humour, but the acting quality of Zegers and Armstrong, who pull off each other with expert ease, is a sight to behold.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Hot Chick

Freddy Got Fingered (2001) 1/10

Starring : Tom Green, Rip Torn, Marisa Coughlan, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Julie Hagarty, Anthony Michael Hall
Director : Tom Green
Running Time : 83 mins

Wannabe animator and mildly retarded Gord Brody (Green) is in his thirties and still lives with his parents. His dream is to become a Hollywood animator, but when he is told that his characters aren't good enough and he needs to get "inside the animals", he sets off on a journey of gross out disgusting antics that go beyond the measures of bad taste.

I've seen some pretty awful movies in my time, but this one takes the biscuit. Green seems to be mildly retarded and manages to get himself into situations that just simply aren't funny, from wearing animal carcasses to ripping children from their mother's womb to accusing his dad of molesting his brother. There is little or no plot, with scenes that really don't lead on from one to the other. It seems that Tom Green simply had some ideas he thought were funny and didn't know how to connect them into a coherent sequence.

You’ll like this if you liked : Scary Movie 2

Smart People (2008) 7/10

Starring : Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Ellen Page
Director : Noam Murro
Running Time : 91 mins

Following an almost fatal seizure, widowed father of two Professor Lawrence Wetherhold (Quaid) is forced to ask his lazy adopted brother Chuck (Church) to stay with him and help drive him around for six months after he's banned from driving due to the seizure. The uncle soon develops an unusual relationship with Lawrence's talented daughter Vanessa (Page), whilst Lawrence himself starts up a relationship with his doctor, Janet Hartigan (Parker).

The performances in this movie aren't that impressive, with Page and Church putting in the best performances. Quaid and Parker had little or no chemistry, though it could be seen that this is intentional as they are both quite emotionally detached characters. This is worth watching, but it's not brilliant.

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

London (2005) 6/10

Starring : Chris Evans, Jessica Biel, Joy Bryant, Jason Statham, Kelli Garner, Isla Fisher
Director : Hunter Richards
Running Time : 93 mins

Syd (Evans) is a typical New Yorker who thinks more about snorting coke than treating his girlfriend London (Biel) right, which is one of the reasons they broke up, but when she decides to move across the country, he goes to her leaving party to confront her about it and try to win her back, but spends most of the night hiding in the bathroom.

This is another movie where the simple scenario could have been so much more. Evans isn't a very likeable characters, and at know point do you route for him - except perhaps when he gets into an argument with Isla Fisher - and Biel is far from innocent in their relationship but, as they are two such unlikeable characters, their dynamic does work to some extent.

You’ll like this if you liked : Me Without You

Classic Friday : Gremlins (1984) 8/10

Starring : Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Frances Lee McCain
Director : Joe Dante
Running Time : 102 mins

When Billy Peltzer (Galligan) is given a sweet cuddly little pet for Christmas from his father Rand (Axton), he soon realises that the animal isn't as sweet as it first appears. When he spills water on little Gizmo, he multiplies into even more of the creatures, but then when they eat after midnight they turn into something far less cuddly and far more deadly.

This is so over the top and silly, it's simply brilliant. The little Gremlins and their havoc causing is a sight to behold, and the reactions of the townsfolk at times are very surprising, with McCain's mild mannered mother characters causing most of the death toll against the evil little creatures. A great tongue in cheek romp, which takes the settings from classic Christmas movies and destroys them.

You’ll like this if you liked : Small Soldiers

Fred Claus (2007) 6/10

Starring : Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, John Michael Higgins, Miranda Richardson, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Trevor Peacock, Elizabeth Banks, Kevin Spacey
Director : David Dobkin
Running Time : 112 mins

Fred Claus (Vaughn) grew up in the shadow of his little brother Nicholas (Giamatti). In spite of his efforts to impress his parents, Fred always fell short of Nicholas's example, but after years of not speaking with his brother Fred finally gets back in touch with him to try and borrow some money to start up a new business.

The story is an interesting idea, but unfortunately this falls short of being that which it could have been. Vaughn is his usual slightly uppity and mildly annoying self, with Spacey playing the usual villainous role he's so good at. There are some odd comedy moments which might garner a chuckle, but overall this is childlike mush which only little children will find entertaining.

You’ll like this if you liked : Elf

Surviving Christmas (2004) 6/10

Starring : Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, Christina Applegate, Catherine O'Hara
Director : Mike Mitchell
Running Time : 86 mins

When none of his friends and family have room for him to stay at Christmas, advertising executive Drew Latham (Affleck) pays the couple who now live in his childhood home to let him stay for the holidays under the pretence of being their son, but things get complicated when the rest of the family turn up as well.

This movie had potential, unfortunately Affleck's habit of mugging to the camera when he's in comedies really shows here. There are some funny moments, mostly towards the end, but the first have drags on too slowly wth little or nothing actually happening until Affleck's ex-girlfriend shows up with her family.

You’ll like this if you liked : Christmas With The Kranks

The Grinch (2000) 8/10

Starring : Jim Carrey, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Molly Shannon, Anthony Hopkins
Director : Ron Howard
Running Time : 101 mins

The Grinch (Carrey) lives on the top of Mount Crumpit, overlooking Whoville, and is the most miserable creature alive, so when he sees the Whos of Whoville preparing for their Christmas celebrations he decides to put an end to Christmas once and for all by spoiling the festivities for everyone.

This is a visually spectacular movie which gives Ron Howard the chance to create an entire world based on the popular Dr Seuss story. Carrey is fantastic as the Grinch, providing a visually stunning performance that really makes this movie, and the supporting cast are suitably cheery as the Whos, but be warned, some of the antics might actually frighten smaller children.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Cat In The Hat

Eight Crazy Nights (2002) 7/10

Starring : Adam Sandler, Jackie Titone, Austin Stout, Kevin Nealon, Rob Schneider
Director : Seth Kearsley
Running Time : 77 mins

Davey Stone (Sandler) despises Christmas for reasons all his own, so when he goes on a crazed rampage through town he is sentenced to community service helping referee the local youth basketball team. When his home then burns to the ground, the referee he's assisting, Whitey (Sandler), takes him in and does his level best to turn Davey's opinion of the holiday season around.

What this loses in plot this more than makes up for with its stunning animation which would put Disney to shame and day. Sandler manages to give us a unique Scrooge-style Christmas comedy which is filled with good humour and crude songs with a reasonable storyline that gives everyone a happy ending. This movie is perfect for the holiday season.

You’ll like this if you liked : Bad Santa

Noel (2004) 5/10

Starring : Penelope Cruz, Susan Sarandon, Paul Walker, Alan Arkin, Marcus Thomas, Chazz Palminteri, Robin Williams
Director : Chazz Palminteri
Running Time : 93 mins

A group of New Yorkers, all of whom are disappointed with the current Christmas holidays, find their lives connecting with each other in a hospital where it seems minor miracles can happen.

This was a disappointing mish mash of a movie, which tries to focus on its famous cast rather than proper storylines. Sadly the celebrities are a little thin on the ground, with Susan Sarandon and Penelope Cruz being the most prominent names. There are some reasonable moments here but, with Robin Williams trying to play a sickly sweet role and Paul Walker desperately still incapable of acting, you can just bet that no matter what good moments there might be are going to be spoiled

You’ll like this if you liked : Crash

P2 (2007) 8/10

Starring : Wes Bentley, Rachel Nichols, Simon Reynolds, Philip Akin
Director : Franck Khalfoun
Running Time : 98 mins

When businesswoman Angela Bridges (Nichols) gets stranded in her office building on Christmas Eve, she finds herself being abducted by Tom (Bentley), the night shift security guard in the underground car park, but as the night progresses Tom's infatuation takes a decidedly homicidal turn and he starts to kill anyone who might try to interfere with his perfect Christmas date...

This is such a simple story, but its execution and pacing were pretty good. This gets extra points for managing to dress Rachel Nichols up like Sissy Spacek in Carrie and still make her look hot, and it's nice to see Wes Bentley get a chance to play an interesting lead role for a change. This is definitely worth watching if you like tense thrillers with a lot of gore - there are some particular scenes that might make some viewers a little queasy.

You’ll like this if you liked : Red Eye

The Chronicles Of Narnia : Prince Caspian (2008) 6/10

Starring : Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell
Director : Andrew Adamson
Running Time : 150 mins

The Pevensie children find themselves whisked back into the world of Narnia, but since their last visit over a millenia has passed. The kingdom of Narnia has once again come under attack, and all of the magical creatures have all but been driven out by the evil Telmarines. The children are soon called upon by Prince Caspian (Barnes), the rightful heir to the throne, who requires their help in putting the kingdom to rights.

This was quite a disappointmet in comparison to the first outing, but that's always the case with the Narnia series. The children have suspiciously barely aged in the three year gap, and the fantasy level is considerably reduced in favour of old fashioned swords and sorcery. The Telmarines seem to have strange Eastern European accents for some reason, which starts to get distracting after a while, and the expected departure of some of the characters from the series was no real surprise, having read the books many times as a child. If only they'd make The Magician's Nephew - that was always my favourite and I don't think it's ever been made!

You’ll like this if you liked : The Lord Of The Rings : The Return Of The King

Millennium Actress (2001) 9/10

Starring : Regina Reagan, John Vernon, Stuart Milligan, Jo Lee
Director : Satoshi Kon
Running Time : 84 mins

Aging actress Chiyoko Fujiyawa (Reagan) tells the story of her rise to fame, and the reasons behind her wanting to become an actress in the first place. As her story progresses, it becomes difficult to tell what really happened to her and what was simply the plot in one of her movies, but all through her career she continues her search for a nameless man who inspired her to act and who she finds herself in love with despite hardly knowing him.

This is a beautifully animated Japanese cartoon, which manages to take a very basic plot and make it into an epic masterpiece. The characters are likeable, especially the reporter and camera man who work their way into Chiyoko's memories along the way. This was very worth while watching and I highly recommend it to all.

You’ll like this if you liked : Perfect Blue

Living High (2006) 6/10

Starring : Ronnie Warner, Danny Masterson, Mekhi Phifer, Ashley Scott, Terry Crews, John C McGinley
Director : Mekhi Phifer
Running Time : 95 mins

Two stoners, Ricco (Waner) and Larry (Masterson) try to come up with various ideas so they can get themselves some money to either pay off their landlord or get themselves some drugs, heir ideas ranging from going into rehab to get free board and hopefully some drugs, to doing shady deals for local criminal Big Daddy (Phifer) and his beautiful girlfriend Elise (Scott).

Although not as good as other stoner movies of recent years, such as Half Baked or the Harold and Kumar series, there are still a few little laughs to be garnered from this movie. Warner and Masterson don't quite meshas the lead buddies in the movie, but there are still some nice jokey moments such as their escapades in the rehab clinic. Maybe not the best movie, but worth checking out if you enjoy druggy movies.

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

Classic Friday : Big Business (1929) 8/10

Starring : Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, James Finlayson
Director : James W Horne
Running Time : 18 mins

Door-to-door Christmas tree salesmen Stan (Laurel) and Ollie (Hardy) are finding it difficult to sell any of their goods, what with it be blazingly sunny in California but, when one of their potential clients (Finlayson) chops up one of their trees, the duo see red and decide to wreck the man's house in revenge. That's when their customer gets the same idea about wrecking their car...

This is one of the most over the top and silly Laurel and Hardy movies ever. The very idea that, just because someone chopped up a Christmas tree, you'd set about destroying their house is so far out there it's beyond a joke. The action is beautifully executed as usual by the comedy pair, and I'm sure most people will agree that this is probably one of their best silent movies ever.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Fixer-Uppers

Adulthood (2008) 6/10

Starring : Noel Clarke, Adam Deacon, Scarlett Alice Johnson, Jacob Anderson, Danny Dyer
Director : Noel Clake
Running Time : 96 mins

After serving six years in prison for murder, Sam (Clarke) comes out of jail and chooses to turn against his old violent lifestyle, but the friends of his victim Trife are a lot more reluctant to turn the other cheek and decide to exact revenge against the ex-con.

When you look at the fact that this was written and directed by Noel Clarke, who played Sam in this and Kidulthood, it becomes clear that Clarke is using the popularity of the first movie to try to expand on his character and make him a little more sympathetic. The problem is I didn't sympathise with him, I just thought he was an idiot. Add to this the fact that the characters aren't as rich and realistic as they were in the first movie, and appear more as weak stereotypes, and you'll probably find yourself not enjoying this as much.

You’ll like this if you liked : Dead Man's Shoes

Poolhall Junkies (2002) 7/10

Starring : Mars Callahan, Chazz Palminteri, Rod Steiger, Michael Rosenbaum, Rick Schroder, Alison Eastwood, Christopher Walken
Director : Mars Callahan
Running Time : 91 mins

Johnny (Callahan) is obsessed with pool and has the potential to be one of the best, but he is being held back by his manager and professional hustler Joe (Palminteri). When he discovers that Joe kept him out of a tournament worth $100,000, Johnny gets him beaten up by throwing a game worth $20,000, but as he tries to get on the straight and narrow and play pool professionally, Joe comes after Johnny and his friends with a vengeance.

This wasn't a bad movie, although the plot was a little far-fetched. Callahan isn't the most charismatic lead, and Eastwood is a little too unforgiving as girlfriend Tara, but the additional casting of Palminteri and Walken is what really made the movie, as did Callahan's circle of friends in the film.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Hustler

The Last Legion (2007) 7/10

Starring : Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya Rai, Peter Mullan, Kevin McKidd, John Hannah, Thomas Sangster
Director : Doug Lefler
Running Time : 98 mins

When young Roman emperor Romulus Augustus (Sangster) is imprisoned by the invading Goths, General Aurelius (Firth) and his small band of warrior followers make it their duty to rescue the young boy and get him back to Britannia before Wulfilla (McKidd), Romulus’s prison guard, can capture and kill them all.

Compared to some recent historical action movies, this was pretty good. Firth puts in a good performance as Aurelius, proving he's not just suitable for tongue in cheek movies, with Sangster's portayal of Romulus Augustus being a worthy one, but it's McKidd who steals the show as Wulfilla, the maniacal Goth out to kill them. Plus Aishwarya Rai makes for the perfect action heroine.

You’ll like this if you liked : Troy

Crash (2004) 8/10

Starring : Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Thandie Newton, Michael Pena, Ryan Phillippe, Larenz Tate
Director : Paul Haggis
Running Time : 113 mins

A disparate group of locals from Los Angeles find their lives brought together by pure chance and coincidence, discovering for themselves the racist underbelly that lies beneath the otherwise glamorous facade of the city.

There are some lovely performances in this movie, and even a little humour from some of the scenes. The characters are believable, but none of them are really likeable which helped me as a viewer to not side with any particular character in any given confrontation. A performance that's particularly worthy of note comes from Terrence Howard, who manages to play both a put upon husband and an angry, wronged citizen without losing his way.

You’ll like this if you liked : Road To Perdition

Scream 3 (2000) 7/10

Starring : Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox Arquette, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, Lance Henricksen, Matt Keeslar, Jenny McCarthy, Emily Mortimer, Parker Posey, Deon Richmond, Patrick Warburton
Director : Wes Craven
Running Time : 112 mins

Sidney Prescott (Campbell) has been living her life in seclusion, but she finds that her life may still be in danger when production on the hit movie sequel, Stab 3, is hindered as cast members start to get killed off. Coming out of hiding, Sydney teams up with fellow Woodsboro survivors Gail Weathers (Cox Arquette) and Dewey (Arquette) to try to get to the bottom of the killings before they find themselves the next intended targets.

This takes the tongue in cheek feeling of the first two movies and takes it a step further, with the action taking place on a film set, with new cast members playing the characters from the original movies. There's a lot more action than the previous instalments, which does at times weaken the effect, but overall this is still a nice way to tie up this popular trilogy.

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

Coffee And Cigarettes (2003) 8/10

Starring : Steve Buscemi, Cate Blanchett, Alfred Molina, Steve Coogan, Bill Murray
Director : Jim Jarmusch
Running Time : 92 mins

Celebrities from the worlds of cinema, music and beyond meet up over coffee to discuss various topics, ranging from evil twins, their respective careers and the evil of smoking.

There's some nice moments in this series of short films connected loosely by the subjects of cigarettes and coffee. Iggy Pop and Tom Waits are surprisingly good in their section, where neither one of them is willing to admit that they are having difficulties giving up smoking, whilst Cate Blanchett puts in a nice performance as herself and her own cousin, and Steve Coogan and Alfred Molina play perfectly off each other, with Coogan being a little up himself and Molina being a little sycophantic. Some of the low points include a poorly executed set piece with the White Stripes, but thankfully there are more high points than low.

You’ll like this if you liked : Night On Earth

Saw V (2008) 7/10

Starring : Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Julie Benz, Meagan Good
Director : David Hackl
Running Time : 89 mins

Another five less-than-innocent individuals find themselves the latest victims of Jigsaw (Bell) and his complicated traps. This time, though, it can't be Jigsaw that's behind the traps as he's dead, so the FBI find themselves having to figure out who Jigsaw's latest student might be, and stop him before all five victims wind up dead.

Although not as good as the first two films, this is still and interesting instalment which will hopefully be the last. Any more expansion on this franchise is really going to water it down until there's little left, and rumour has it that the sixth instalment is due out next year. This has all the ingredients of the originals, filled with clues as to what is really going on, but without Tobin Bell in the driving seat, the sympathy and respect we had for Jigsaw is quickly dissipating.

You’ll like this if you liked : Saw IV

Revolver (2005) 5/10

Starring : Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Vincent Pastore, Andre Benjamin
Director : Guy Ritchie
Running Time : 107 mins

After serving a considerable prison sentence, apparently covering for his gangster boss Dorothy Macha (Liotta), Jake Green (Statham) decides to take revenge on him for his ill treatment, but as soon as Macha finds out what Green is up to he sends his own men on something of a killing spree.

This is a confusing film to say the least, using flashback sequences to little effect in a vain attempt to explain the plotline and the reasons behind Statham's actions. The result is a confusing mix of action and too much narrative which feels like Ritchie is trying to recapture the originality of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels but fails miserably, instead giving us a visually confusing mish-mash of nonsense.

You’ll like this if you liked : Snatch

Catch And Release (2006) 7/10

Starring : Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant, Sam Jaeger, Kevin Smith, Juliette Lewis
Director : Susannah Grant
Running Time : 112 mins

When her fiancé dies in a boating accident just before their wedding, Gray Wheeler (Garner) is shocked to discover that, not only did her fiancé have a whole heap of money she didn't know about, but he also had a kid he was paying maintenance to. When she goes looking for the boy and his mother, Maureen (Lewis), she discovers that the child is only four years old and must have been conceived while they were still together.

The premise for this movie is an interesting one, but unfortunately it isn't brilliantly executed. Garner manages to cope with both the comic and dramatic moments of the movie, but overall the transition for her between her dead fiancé and his best friend is a little on the fast side for my tastes. Worth watching if you like romantic comedy dramas, but only if you are huge on them.

You’ll like this if you liked : Jersey Girl

Classic Friday : Police Academy 2 : Their First Assignment (1985) 8/10

Starring : Steve Guttenburg, Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Bruce Mahler, Colleen Camp, Art Metrano, Marion Ramsey, Howard Hesseman, George Gaynes, Bob Goldthwait
Director : Jerry Paris
Running Time : 84 mins

When Pete Lassard (Hesseman) finds his precinct's performance is well below par, he calls on his older brother Eric (Gaynes) to loan him six of his best recruits to deal with the gang problems in the area. Unfortunately Lieutenant Mauser (Metrano) has his eye on Lassard's Captain job and will do everything he can to scupper his plans.

People really slate the first of the sequels in the police academy series, largely because it paved the way for some truly awful comedies, but personally I think that in many ways this is better than the original. It suffers a little from replacing G W Bailey with Art Metrano, but Metrano brings a new kind of slapstick to the movie which was missing from the first. Jerry Paris directs this as out and out slapstick, rather than Hugh Wilson's attempts at injecting some serious aspects into the first. So check it out, it's one of the best of the sequels.

You’ll like this if you liked : Weekend At Bernie's

The House Bunny (2008) 6/10

Starring : Anna Faris, Colin Hanks, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Katharine McPhee
Director : Fred Wolf
Running Time : 94 mins

When Shelley (Faris) finds herself turfed out on the street after spending many years living in the Playboy mansion but never fulfilling her dream of being a centrefold, she winds up at a sorority house where she sets about transforming the girls who live there into sex bombs in an attempt to prevent their sorority from being disbanded.

This is a pretty cringeworthy comedy with very little humour going for it. Faris tries her best to make something out of the weak script, but unfortunately there's very little to go on. The acting is fine, and the idea isn't terrible, but the execution just doesn't really work and feels a little rushed and unrealistic.

You’ll like this if you liked : Sydney White

Cashback (2006) 6/10

Starring : Sean Biggerstaff, Emilia Fox, Shaun Evans, Michelle Ryan
Director : Sean Ellis
Running Time : 98 mins

When art student Ben Willis (Biggerstaff) suffers a terrible break-up with his long term girlfriend Suzy (Ryan), he begins to suufer from insomnia so takes a job in the night shift at Sainsbury's in the hope of making some money out of his predicament. There he spends most of his time living in his own little dream world, reminiscing about his past and desperately trying to affect his present whilst mooning over his new colleague, Sharon (Fox).

I had high hopes as this movie began, with its imaginative use of camera and interesting approach to narrative, but as soon as the lead actor starts to point out how interesting his outlook is the camera work loses all of its affect. The story - what there is of it - drags on with very little happening for the duration of the movie. This is really not worth watching unless you're an art student or if you just fancy seeing lots of naked women, which is as good a reason to watch it as any.

You’ll like this if you liked : Things To Do Before You're 30

S1m0ne (2002) 8/10

Starring : Al Pacino, Catherine Keener, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jay Mohr, Jason Schwartzman, Winona Ryder, Rachel Roberts
Director : Andrew Niccol
Running Time : 112 mins

When director Viktor Taransky (Pacino) is let down by actress Nicola Anders (Ryder), he resorts to using a simulated actress, named Simone (Roberts), to refilm his movie, but when the computerised actress becomes an overnight star, Taransky is forced to continually make excuses for her absence.

This was a surprisingly good movie, which takes a twisted look at how Hollywood treats its stars as commodities rather than human beings. Pacino puts in a nice comic turn in the lead role, with new comer Rachel Roberts giving a very seductive and warming perfomrance as Simone. Look out for a number of cameos, and enjoy the immense stupidity of Hollywood celebrities.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Truman Show

The Game Plan (2007) 7/10

Starring : Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Madison Pettis, Kyra Sedgwick, Roselyn Sanchez
Director : Andy Fickman
Running Time : 111 mins

Boston Rebels quarterback Joe Kingman (Johnson) is horrified to discover that his ex-wife had a daughter, Madison (Pettis), and that she's come to stay with him. The eight-year-old soon encroaches on Kingman's bachelor lifestyle, causing him all sorts of trouble in his pursuit of fame, women and money.

This is a typically slapstick Disney movie, with The Rock proving that he isn't just about action. He portrays the money mad jock perfectly, as well as when he devolves into childishness, and his performance opposite screen daughter Pettis is fun to watch. The plot developments are obvious, but it's still a fun movie to watch, and kids will love watching Pettis win over The Rock.

You’ll like this if you liked : Curly Sue

Fools Gold (2008) 8/10

Starring : Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland, Alexis Dziena, Ewen Bremner, Ray Winstone, Kevin Hart
Director : Andy Tennant
Running Time : 113 mins

Ben Finnegan (McConaughey) and his soon-to-be ex-wife Tess (Hudson) find themselves thrown together again when Finn discovers evidence that the Queens Dowry, a treasure he's been in search of for many years, may finally be in reach. Making use of Tess's boss Nigel Honeycutt (Sutherland) and his vast fortune, the two set off in search of the treasure, all the while trying to avoid rapper Bigg Bunny (Hart) who is after Finn who owes him a lot of money.

As far as romantic adventure movies go this wasn't that bad. The performances weren't brilliant, but they were consistent and made for appealing viewing. Some of the characters were a little too stereotypical, but if you look past that and just try to enjoy the movie you'll find it's a n intriguing though not a thought provoking watch.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Jewel Of The Nile

Assault On Precinct 13 (2005) 7/10

Starring : Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, John Leguizamo, Maria Bello, Jeffrey "Ja Rule" Atkins, Drea de Matteo, Brian Dennehy
Director : Jean-Francois Richet
Running Time : 104 mins

On New Year's Eve, also the eve of it's closing, Precinct 13 and it's skeleton crew of cops finds itself under attack when a bunch of crooked cops try to take criminal Marion Bishop (Fishburne) from his cell before he can testify against them. The resulting onslaught of gun fire and mayhem forces the cops of Precinct 13 to form a temproary alliace with the criminals they have under lock and key.

In no way is this as controversial as the original John Carpenter version, but this still has something going for it. I was surprised by some of the characters getting killed off half way through, and Fishburne plays the calm criminal perfectly, but Hawke really seems to be ill at ease and doesn't seem to be sure of how to play his characters.

You’ll like this if you liked : D-Tox

Snow Day (2000) 7/10

Starring : Chris Elliott, Mark Webber, Jean Smart, Schuyler Fisk, Iggy Pop, Pam Grier, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Chevy Chase
Director : Chris Koch
Running Time : 85 mins

Due to major weather conditions, the school board call for a Snow Day, so no-one has to go into school. Hal Branston (Webber) takes advantage of the day off to get closer to the girl of his dreams, Claire (Chriqui), little realising that his best friend Lane (Fisk) wants to be more than friends. Meanwhile Hal's little sister Natalie (Zena Grey) tries to stop the Snow-plowman (Elliott) from clearing the streets before the next day or else everyone will have to go back to school!

This is a nice family comedy which has enough simultaneous story lines to keep viewers of all ages engrossed. Fans of Home Alone will enjoy the Snow-plowman story line, which gives us a nice slapstick element to the movie, while teen comedy romance fans will like the main plot the most.

You’ll like this if you liked : Home Alone

Troy (2004) 7/10

Starring : Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Brendan Gleeson, Brian Cox, Peter O'Toole, Sean Bean
Director : Wolfgang Petersen
Running Time : 163 mins

When Helen of Troy (Kruger) runs off with Prince Paris (Bloom), her husband Menelaus (Gleeson) demands retribution and, with the aid of Agamemnon (Cox) and his legion of Greek soldiers, they lay siege on Troy in what at first appears an attempt to retrieve Queen Helen but is in fact an attempt on Agamemnon's part to spread his empire further afield.

In spite of some of the bad things I'd heard about this movie, it was pretty good. Pitt was a little wooden and really didn't look like he wanted to be where he was, and Bloom was annoying as usual, but Cox and Gleeson really make the piece with their greedy performances. Well worth watching, but be warned the runtime is almost unmanageable.

You’ll like this if you liked : Gladiator

Breach (2007) 8/10

Starring : Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Laura Linney, Dennis Haysbert, Caroline Dhavernas, Gary Cole
Director : Billy Ray
Running Time : 110mins

FBI agent in training Eric O'Neill (Phillippe) is set up as part of a sting operation to try to gain information on FBI veteran Robert Hanssen (Cooper), who the agency believe may be a KGB mole and suspect has been giving away American secrets for the past 22 years. As O'Neill begins his investigation, he begins to form a certain respect for Hanssen, and begins to regret the line of work he has gotten in to.

This is an excellent political thriller which gives Chris Cooper a much need opportunity to shine in a role he is perfect for. Phillippe plays his role in a calm fashion which suits the role, with Linney and Haysbert giving off feelings of suspicion from the get go. An excellent adaptation of a true story, which surprisingly doesn't try to make Cooper's character appear to be a villain.

You’ll like this if you liked : Lions For Lambs

Classic Friday : Dumb And Dumber (1994) 8/10

Starring : Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly, Victoria Rowell, Mike Starr, Charles Rocket
Director : Peter Farrelly
Running Time : 101 mins

Harry (Daniels) and Lloyd (Carrey) are two complete idiots who have been bosom buddies since school. When Lloyd finds a briefcase in the back of his limo belonging to one of his clients - a client he finds himself instantly attracted to - he convinces Harry to go on a cross-country trip to return the case to its rightful owner. Little do they know, but the briefcase contained ransom money, and now they're being chased by the kidnappers as well as the police.

Despite outward appearances, this is a very intelligent comedy road movie - a sort of Midnight Run with idiots. This movie made the Farrelly Brothers a household name, and lead on to other classics such as Kingpin and There's Something About Mary. This is one of those movies which you have to see - you can't simply go by what people say, watch it for yourself.

You’ll like this if you liked : Midnight Run