Ali (2001) 7/10

Starring : Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voigt
Director : Michael Mann
Running Time : 151 mins

Cassius Clay (Smith) finds himself pronounced the heavy weight champion of the world at a tender age, and quickly becomes and arrogant yet charismatic sports superstar. It isn't long before he turns to the Nation Of Islam, converting to become a Muslim and changing his name to Mohammed Ali, and his attitude towards conscription comes to the fore when, as a pacifist, he refuses to join the military.

Although this movie is a little over long, there are some good moments, usually revolving around the fights Ali took part in. His personality id perfectly replicated by Smith, who does a good job of immitating the sports star as he becomes increasingly ambitious in his bid to become and remain the heavy weight boxing champion of the world.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Hurricane

Walk All Over Me (2007) 9/10

Starring : Leelee Sobieski, Tricia Helfer, Lothaire Bluteau
Director : Robert Cuffley
Running Time : 100 mins

After running out on her hectic life, Alberta (Sobieski) travels to Vancouver to start a new one with her old babysitter Celene (Helfer), who now works as a Dominatrix. Alberta becomes increasingly interested in the life of a Dominatrix and decides that it might be a clever way of making money, something she desperately needs to turn her life around. Unfortunately she finds herself in a very similar situation to the one she'd just escaped from.

Sobieski manages to combine naivety with natural cunning in the way out there comedy which tackles a subject matter that has rarely if ever been touched upon. Mixing it with a natural plot twist involving stolen money, and what we have here is a very witty little criminal comedy that hits all the right notes.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Whole Nine Yards

Classic Friday : Grave Of The Fireflies (1988) 8/10

Starring : J Robert Spencer, Rhoda Chrosite
Director : Isao Takahata
Running Time : 91 mins

During the second world war, Seita (Spencer) and his little sister Setsuko (Chrosite)are sent to live with relatives as a temporary measure after their mother is killed in a bombing raid, but following an argument with their auntie, they leave their new home and decide to try to fend for themselves.

This is such a tragic tale and, much like American Beauty, we already know the destiny of the characters from the start of the movie. Although the characters are loveable and likeable, their inevitable doomed existence is always there, teasing the viewer as they continue to route for them in spite of it being obvious that they will not live to see the end of the film.

You’ll like this if you liked : Porco Rosso

Punisher : War Zone (2008) 8/10

Starring : Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz, Colin Salmon, Dash Mihok
Director : Lexi Alexander
Running Time : 103 mins

Frank Castle (Stevenson) has one mission in life : to rid the world of criminals who have managed to cheat the system and remain unpunished. In his guise as The Punisher, he sets out on a desperate killing spree, secretly receiving support from some members of the police force. But, when he kills an undercover FBI agent he believes to be a member of a mafia-style operation, FBI agent Paul Budiansky (Salmon) joins forces with the so-called Punisher task force - one cop named Martin Soap (Mihok) - to bring down the vigilante once and for all. To complicate matters, one of the surviving gangsters, now calling himself Jigsaw (West) has targeted Castle for destroying his face.

Filled with over the top violence, this is just what fans of The Punisher comic books will want to see. The action moves quickly and the death toll is high and, even though Stevenson's been given a difficult character to work with, he still manages to conveys the Punisher's mindful violence in a very credible manner.

You’ll like this if you liked : Rambo

Edison (2005) 7/10

Starring : Morgan Freeman, LL Cool J, Justin Timberlake, Kevin Spacey
Director : David J Burke
Running Time : 99 mins

An investigative reporter (Timberlake) tries to find out the truth behind the events that occurred when a police officer working in the Fast Response Assault & Tactical unit killed a criminal he was sent to arrest, and why the victims partner thanked the murderous cop. Soon it becomes apparent that a lot, if not all, of the FRAT squad have been working outside of the law.

Despite the fact that I did actually enjoy this, especially a stellar performance from Dylan McDermott, this really felt like it changed directors half way through. What begins as something of a political thriller slowly transforms into an over the top and slightly gory action movie, especially in the last ten minutes. Still, I'd definitely recommend this to fans of pulp action movies.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Departed

Coraline (2009) 9/10

Starring : Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French
Director : Henry Selick
Running Time : 101 mins

When Coraline (Fanning) finds a mysterious doorway in her house, she is transported to a parallel world where she meets strange versions of her parents - the only difference from the real thing being they have buttons for eyes - but the truth behind this strange world is far more sinister than it first appears and Coraline finds herself pitted against an evil creature that wants to keep her there forever!

This is such a refreshing movie with some great originality and sparkling characterisation. The voices are all spot on, and the plot itself will engage adults and children alike. Fans of the animation found in The Nightmare Before Christmas will certainly be thrilled by the visual effects that surround this movie, and the story itself will almost certainly become something of a modern fairytale.

You’ll like this if you liked : Monster House

The Deal (2006) 7/10

Starring : Penelope Ann Miller, Henry Thomas, Dean Stockwell
Director : Bryan Goeres
Running Time : 90 mins

Following the death of her husband and daughter, Laura Martin (Miller) is visited by Embassy worker Frank Keenan (Thomas), who informs her that their deaths were not accidents and that the police believe that her husband was responsible for the fire that killed them. But as the pair investigate the case further, they find out that they may not have died at all and that her husbands so called past was a complete fabrication.

This movie had a straight to TV feel to it - not only the subdued plotline but also the once-famous-but-no-more cast (including the kid from ET!). In spite of the low production values and forgettable cast members, this is still a pretty decent thriller which hits the mark most of the time, though does little to surprise the audience with its predictable attempts to be unpredictable.

You’ll like this if you liked :

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) 7/10

Starring : Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei, Albert Finney
Director : Sidney Lumet
Running Time : 117 mins

Andy Hansen (Hoffman) and his brother Hank (Hawke) are both short on money, one having to pay rent and child support, the other flittering away his money on drugs. Andy comes up with a plan for the brothers to rob their parents jewellery store, knowing that their parents are heavily insured and they can get away with the crime without hurting anyone. Unfortunately things don't go entirely according to plan.

I thought this was a pretty good movie, but I can imagine that a lot of people would think the multiple versions of how events transpire were pretty pointless. Most of the scenarios do easily merge together into one coherent narrative, and it probably would have been possible to make the film with a more linear approach.

You’ll like this if you liked : Go

Classic Friday : A Simple Plan (1998) 8/10

Starring : Bill Paxton, Bridget Fonda, Billy Bob Thornton, Brent Briscoe
Director : Sam Raimi
Running Time : 122 mins

Two brothers find a crashed plane filled with 4.4 million dollars in cash. Theorising that the cash belonged to a drug dealer and that keeping it would be a victimless crime, the trio decide to keep the money and wait for the plane to be discovered to see if any mention of the missing cash is made. But it isn't long before paranoia starts to set in, and the group begin to suspect the others of trying to diddle them out of their fair share.

Although not as good as the book, this is a pretty good movie that acts as a case study about how money can change the behaviour of people. The characters here get into all sorts of scrapes and commit numerous crimes that, if not for the money, they would otherwise have never thought twice about. Some good character acting, particularly from Thornton who is very weird in this.

You’ll like this if you liked : Fargo

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Hairspray (2007) 8/10

Starring : John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Brittany Snow, Nikki Blonsky
Director : Adam Shankman
Running Time : 117 mins

When Tracy Turnblad (Blonsky) gets the opportunity to join the coolest kids around, a musical dance group on television series The Corny Collins Show, she is thrilled. But soon she finds that those in charge of the show are unwilling to make changes to meet with the demands of the young people of the day, and sets out to bring about equality for all involved.

This was a surprisingly fun movie, filled with silly songs and energetic dance numbers. Travolta's makeup is hysterically amazing, and the plot itself is touchingly forward thinking whilst keeping its tongue firmly placed in its cheek. Anyone who likes light hearted comedy musicals like Little Shop Of Horrors or Grease will surely enjoy this little gem.

You’ll like this if you liked : Little Shop Of Horrors

The Italian Job (2003) 6/10

Starring : Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Jason Statham, Seth Green, Mos Def, Edward Norton
Director : F Gary Gray
Running Time : 111 mins

Charlie Croker (Wahlberg) leads a group of thieves as they try to steal back the 35 million dollars worth of gold bars from a heist in Italy where they were betrayed by one of their co-thieves. Their plan is to take control of the local traffic light system and use mini coopers to escape via the sidewalks, where normal cars will be unable to pursue them.

This was a confused remake in that it wasn’t exactly the same plot – there were similarities, but the main difference was that the major heist doesn’t even take place in Italy. The cast are amiable enough and work together well on the scream, but this isn’t anything more than and intriguing look at what the original would have been like if the Americans had got their hands on it.

You’ll like this if you liked : Ocean's Twelve

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (2008) 8/10

Starring : Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, David Hayman, Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon
Director : Mark Herman
Running Time : 91 mins

When his German father (Thewlis) gets promoted to be in charge of a concentration camp, young Bruno (Butterfield) wonders who all the farmers in pyjamas might be. As he starts to explore his new home, he journeys over to the camp and makes friends with Shmuel (Scanlon), one of the Jewish children imprisoned there, but then finds himself becoming confused when he is told that the Jews are his enemy and are evil.

Bruno's innocence is the key to this movie, and it makes for incredibly sad viewing. His lack of knowledge concerning what his father precisely does for a living makes this a movie that is both heart warming and devastating. Using this different angle on the idea of what life in a concentration camp may have been like is brave, and shows just how badly things can go when parents try to protect their children from the truth.

You’ll like this if you liked : Rabbit-Proof Fence

The Independent (2000) 7/10

Starring : Jerry Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Max Perlich, Ben Stiller, Andy Dick
Director : Stephen Kessler
Running Time : 81 mins

Independent movie maker Morty Fineman (Stiller) is stone broke and desperately needs money to fund his latest movie about a singing serial killer. With the help of his estranged daughter Pamona (Garofalo) and his assistant Ivan (Perlich), they attempt to get one of Morty's movies shown at the High Desert Film Festival.

There are some nice moments in this homage to the B-movie, and the cast generally bounce well off each other, but its homemade appearance, though fitting, may not be to everyone's liking. It's good to see Jerry Stiller in a lead role, and fans of his work on Seinfeld will really get a kick from this.

You’ll like this if you liked : Zack And Miri Make A Porno

Thick As Thieves (2009) 6/10

Starring : Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas, Radha Mitchell
Director : Mimi Leder
Running Time : 100 mins

Long time thief Keith Ripley (Freeman) recruits rookie thief Gabriel Martin (Banderas) for one final theft of two priceless Faberge eggs from a thief-proof vault in an attempt to pay off his debts to the Russian mob, but Martin has some secrets that he'd rather keep to himself - namely, he's a cop!

In spite of having a very recognisable cast, this was a pretty predictable heist movie. Freeman seemed oddly out of place as the master thief who employs Banderas to help him with his final professional theft, Banderas was weak as the rookie thief, and Mitchell showed little or no charisma as his love interest. On the whole it isn’t surprising that this went straight to video in the UK, but let’s hopes it doesn’t have a negative impact on the careers of the main cast members.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Italian Job

Classic Friday : Police Academy 4 : Citizens On Patrol (1987) 6/10

Starring : Steve Guttenburg, Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Marion Ramsey, Sharon Stone, George Gaynes, Bobcat Goldthwait
Director : Jim Drake
Running Time : 84 mins

Thanks to a new initiative introduced by Commandant Lassard (Gaynes), the Police Academy starts training ordinary members of the public in police methods for their Citizens On Patrol programme. As usual, those who choose to take part in the programme are hardly the cream of the crop, but when a jail break takes place they soon get to prove their worth.

By this stage in the franchise, the jokes were getting thin on the ground. Even Steve Guttenberg bowed out of the series at the end of this instalment. Still, there were some new characters introduced here who weren't just rehashes of existing characters, so that really did help in many way. Sadly this is the last time we see some of the more popular characters, such as Zed and Sweetchuck, and some of the worse characters are kept on for the next movie, one of the weakest of the lot.

You’ll like this if you liked : Armed And Dangerous

Fired Up (2009) 7/10

Starring : Nicholas D'Agosto, Eric Christian Olsen, Sarah Roemer, Molly Sims
Director : Will Gluck
Running Time : 91 mins

Shawn Colfax (D’Agosto) and Nick Brady (Olsen) are the most popular boys on their school football team, but when they find out football camp has been relocated from Daytona Beach to Texas they decide to join the cheerleading squad at cheer camp instead, but when Shawn falls for head cheerleader Carly (Roemer), the boys are forced to come up with some award winning cheers so that she doesn’t think they’re just there for the babes.

This harks back to the good old days of teen comedies like American Pie and Bring It on. The leads are likeable, although considerably older than they’re playing, but that doesn’t detract from the comedy. There’s the usual plotline you’d expect from a teen comedy, and there’s some in jokes in scenes where the cheerleaders watch Bring It On and chant the script together.

You’ll like this if you liked : Bring It On

Dominion : Prequel To The Exorcist (2005) 6/10

Starring : Stellan Skarsgard, Gabriel Mann, Clara Bellar, Ralph Brown
Director : Paul Schrader
Running Time : 112 mins

Following a massacre by the Nazis that he could do nothing about, Father Lankester Merrin (Starsgard) travels to East Africa to start a new life at the local parish, but soon he is faced with more evil when he comes into contact with the evil demon Pazuzu for the first time.

This is almost exactly the same as Exorcist : The Beginning, with some minor casting and character changes. Unlike the other version, the scary moments are completely hammy and have barely any relevance to the plot. There are some very unusual sequences with white faced people who I guess are meant to be scary but, in my opinion, this really didn't work as well as The Beginning, and some of the effects only look half done.

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

Training Day (2001) 8/10

Starring : Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Cliff Curtis
Director : Antoine Fuqua
Running Time : 123 mins

Jake Hoyt (Hawke), wanting to join up with an elite narcotics squad, finds himself teamed up for 24 hours with commander Alonzo Harris (Washington) in order to prove how worthy he is of the job. As the day progresses, Hoyt starts to realise that Harris tends to operate outside of the law with his own brand of vigilante justice that could just lose Hoyt his job.

This is a very clever thriller that paints Washington as the villain - a role he is brilliant at playing – with expert ease. From the get go he tries to mess up Hawke’s life by getting him to take drugs under the pretence that it’s all part of working in narcotics, but it’s when Washington turns completely on Hawke that things get really good.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Departed

Mad Money (2008) 7/10

Starring : Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes
Director : Callie Khouri
Running Time : 104 mins

A trio of women that work as cleaners at the Federal Reserve Bank soon come across a money making scam that could make them rich. All they have to do is steal all the old money that's being thrown away and replaced with clean bills without getting caught by their bosses, but things aren't as easy as they first thought they would be.

This was better than I expected and there were some solid performances from the main cast. The premise is a good one, but one that feels like it's been played out in many movies before. Thankfully Keaton and Latifah, and to a lesser extent Holmes, do a reasonable job of making this movie as unique as it can be.

You’ll like this if you liked : Bandits

I Heart Huckabees (2004) 8/10

Starring : Jason Schwartzman, Isabelle Huppert, Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts
Director : David O Russell
Running Time : 107 mins

Albert Markovski (Schwartzman) employs Vivian Jaffe (Tomlin) and her ex-husband Bernard (Hoffman), a pair of existential private investigators, to help him find out why he’s coincidentally seen the same stranger three times in a short space of time in three completely different places. Their method of spying on him 24 hours a day and watching how he leads his life brings them to the conclusion that corporate executive Brad Stand (Law), a man with an ever growing conflict with Albert, may be the key to cracking Albert’s case.

Some people consider this movie to be pretty pretentious, and in most ways they’d be right. There’s a distinct feel that the writers are trying to give across a message that only they understand, and this could anger some movie goers, but if you just take this as a madcap mockery of both private investigators and psychiatrists then you might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Royal Tenenbaums

Classic Friday : Army Of Darkness (1992) 9/10

Starring : Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Ian Abercrombie
Director : Sam Raimi
Running Time : 96 mins

Ashley Williams (Campbell), after being forced to decapitate his girlfriend after she became infected by the deadites let loose by The Necronomicon, The Book Of The Dead, is accidentally sent back in time to medieval England where he discovers the deadites are roaming the country with their army of the dead. Soon Ash is called upon to fight this army of darkness, and is forced to put all the skills he has acquired fighting the dead to good use.

Many consider this to be the best of The Evil Dead series, and in many ways it is. It has the best story and the best ending, and is probably the most accessible to the general public. There are two endings, one of which pretty neatly ties up the series to a close, but it is the other ending that is the most fun and leads to the most speculation about the future of this series.

You’ll like this if you liked : Shaun Of The Dead

My Bloody Valentine (2009) 8/10

Starring : Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith, Betsy Rue
Director : Patrick Lussier
Running Time : 102 mins

Ten years after a crazed miner goes on a killing spree, he seemingly returns from the dead and starts killing all over again, leaving bloody hearts and valentine messages at the scene of each crime.

It's pretty obvious that this movie was made simply so that the producers could cash in on the current surge in 3-D movies. Every killing seems to be focussed on how many things can be hurled towards the camera, and because of this I was reminded of the third Friday The 13th movie in which much the same methods were used. Despite the fact that there was little thought put into a plotline, this is still very watchable, and you'll be relieved that the 30-something cast don't play teenagers for the full duration of the movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Friday The 13th Part 3

5 Centimetres Per Second (2007) 7/10

Starring : Kenji Mizuhashi, Yoshimi Kondou, Satomi Hanamura, Ayaka Onoue
Director : Makoto Shinkai
Running Time : 63 mins

Two teenagers, best friends and first loves, find themselves separated when one of them is sent to school in a distant town. As they try to keep their friendship alive through letter writing and infrequent visits, they find their love for each other growing stronger as obstacles try to get in their way and keep them apart.

This was very slow paced, but was visually impressive and just sweet enough to be endearing. The song at the end was a little too sentimental, but the opening chapter of the poor boy trying to get to his destination whilst all the trains were completely against him was actually quite tensely set out.

You’ll like this if you liked : Whisper Of The Heart

Gladiatress (2004) 6/10

Starring : Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan, Sally Phillips
Director : Brian Grant
Running Time : 89 mins

When Caesar sends a messenger to the Dubonni, a small Celtic tribe, he is instantly set up with Worthaboutapig (Phillips), the youngest of three sisters who basically run the village, but when the Roman’s start invading the neighbouring villages and enslaving the Britons, the three sisters are forced to fight against the invading hordes.

This was an okay idea, but sadly the Smack The Pony girls have a habit of dragging out a joke until it isn’t funny anymore. I enjoyed the opening where the focus was largely on Sally Phillips, but after a while I lost interest in what was happening in the movie. Still, if you really concentrate on the plot, this is an Asterix-like movie that wants to be Monty Python but falls short as more of a Carry On Columbus style flick.

You’ll like this if you liked : Churchill : The Hollywood Years

Flashbacks Of A Fool (2008) 7/10

Starring : Daniel Craig, Eve, Harry Eden, Olivia Williams
Director : Baillie Walsh
Running Time : 110 mins

Fading movie star Joe Scot (Craig) has slowly become addicted to drugs over the course of his life, and his career is nearing its inevitable conclusion thanks to his bad attitude, but when he receives news that his closest childhood friend has died, he starts to think back on his childhood on the way to the funeral.

This is a slow paced movie that should really be called flashback singular as there is only one massive flashback through the middle of the film. The flashback in question is the most interesting part of the movie and is a real coming of age drama with some good performances. Sadly the Daniel Craig sequences do nothing to really improve the feel of the movie and it might have actually been better without them.

You’ll like this if you liked : December Boys

Harsh Times (2005) 8/10

Starring : Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez, Eva Longoria, Terry Crews
Director : David Ayer
Running Time : 117 mins

Gulf war veteran Jim Davis (Bale) spends most of his time getting drunk and driving around town with his best friend Mike Alvarez (Rodriguez) as they make half-hearted attempts to look for work, but soon all the trauma of the war starts to leak into Davis's everyday life as he goes on something of a killing spree.

Christian Bale is simply terrific in this movie about an ex-soldier trying to cope in the real world without resorting to the violence he's become used to. Rodriguez is strong as his best friend who finds himself becoming increasingly scared by Bale's manic behaviour and who eventually has to make a choice for him. Some funny moments, inevitably laced with some dark ones, this is well worth watching.

You’ll like this if you liked : Street Kings