Classic Friday : Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) 7/10

Starring : Kirsten Dunst, Janeane Garofalo, Phil Hartman, Matthew Lawrence
Director : Hayao Miyazaki
Running Time : 105 mins

Kiki (Dunst) has just turned thirteen, and as part of an ancient rite of passage she moves into a new town to practice her craft with only her cat Jiji (Hartman) for company, but soon realises that she can't get by on magic alone. So she decides to take a job at a shop as a delivery girl, using her broomstick as her mode of transportation and promising to deliver anything imaginable.

This is not at all like any of Miyazaki's previous movies - it doesn't have a moral message like Nausicaa or Grave Of The Fireflies, and it isn't as imaginative or spectacular as My Neighbour Totoro or Laputa, but it still has a winning charm, and the animation is just as detailed, particularly the flying sequences. The story itself is sweet, with Kiki gradually being accepted by her adopted town, but don't expect to be dazzled by any spectacular sequences as they are few and far between.

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

Cougar Club (2007) 5/10

Starring : Jason Jurman, Warren Kole, Joe Mantegna, Kaley Cuoco, Izabella Scorupco
Director : Christopher Duddy
Running Time : 98 mins

Spencer Holmes (Jurman) and Marshall Hogan (Kole) have been friends through thick and thin, and now that they've graduated high school they're working together at a law firm over the summer, but Marshall's obsession with older women leads him to come up with a money making idea - to create a club and charge their friends money to sleep with the sex hungry cougars - an idea that gets them into increasingly unlikely situations.

Very low on actual jokes, and the performances are pretty weak, so the only thing this movie had going for it was the premise which was like a low grade version of Van Wilder. Fans of silly teen movies might find something to like in this movie, but even in that genre this is pretty weak, relying almost entirely on French farce.

You’ll like this if you liked : Grandma's Boy

Paycheck (2003) 8/10

Starring : Ben Affleck, Aaron Eckhart, Uma Thurman, Paul Giamatti, Colm Feore, Joe Morton, Michael C Hall
Director : John Woo
Running Time : 119 mins

Michael Jennings (Affleck) is the worlds foremost reverse engineer, and he is hired by large companies to copy existing technology so the companies don’t have to pay for it. Part of the deal is, once he’s finished the work, his memory of the work he’s done is erased, but his latest assignment leaves him on the run from the FBI who think he has been stealing government secrets and want him locked away, whilst the people he was working for just want him dead, and all he has to rely on is an envelope full of seemingly useless items!

This was considerably better than I expected it to be, especially with Affleck in the lead. Granted, like most films based on the work of Philip K Dick, this is smartly thought through story that builds action sequences on top of intelligent futuristic storylines. And although the ending is pure Hollywood, it does admittedly have a good set up.

You’ll like this if you liked : Minority Report

The Hangover (2009) 9/10

Starring : Bradley Copper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham
Director : Todd Phillips
Running Time : 101 mins

When Doug Billings (Bartha) goes to Las Vegas with his best friends to celebrate his up coming marriage, they wake up the next day with no recollection of the night before and realise that Doug has disappeared. As they try to retrace their steps, using clues left around their hotel room, they start to realise what a truly depraved night they had.

This movie is absolutely hysterical. For those who love gross out movies and utter silliness, this will be perfect for you. From beginning to end this movie is filled with visual nonsense and clever set ups, and the clues to the whereabouts of the groom are actually quite cleverly thought through. Definitely well worth watching.

You’ll like this if you liked : Dude, Where’s My Car?

Kicking And Screaming (2005) 6/10

Starring : Will Ferrell, Robert Duvall, Kate Walsh, Mike Ditka
Director : Jesse Dylan
Running Time : 90 mins

Phil Preston (Ferrell) sets out to prove himself to his son and his overbearing father Buck (Duvall) - who puts sporting ability ahead of family - by coaching a Little League football team who have been permanently struggling at the bottom of the league. Unfortunately his hopes for the team don't start out as well as he hoped, and his coaching abilities have a lot to be desired.

This is definitely one of those movies that have such a basic plot that anyone could have taken the lead role. It actually feels at times that this movie was intended for someone else, as Ferrell seems a little ill at ease as the lead in such a family comedy. In spite of a weak plot and a basic outline, there are still a couple of chucklesome moments which manage to save this from being completely mediocre.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Benchwarmers

The Spirit (2008) 6/10

Starring : Gabriel Macht, Eva Mendes, Samuel L Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Sarah Paulson, Jaime King
Director : Frank Miller
Running Time : 103 mins

One time cop Denny Colt (Macht) returns from the dead to fight crime as The Spirit, but his arch nemesis The Octopus (Jackson) has other ideas about The Spirit’s immortality and seeks to make himself live forever at the expense of the city The Spirit vows to protect. On his quest to prevent his city from being wiped out, The Spirit runs into Sand Saref (Mendes), a jewel thief who was once the love of Colt’s life.

Despite being visually appealing, mixing film noir with the inimitable Frank Miller look of film, this really feels like it is mocking itself at times. I’m not sure if this was supposed to be satirical of pulp fiction books and films, but its hammy acting and over the top visuals – although fascinating – really made it difficult to understand what the film makers were setting out to do.

You’ll like this if you liked : Sin City

Classic Friday : Rabid (1977) 8/10

Starring : Marilyn Chambers, Frank Moore, Joe Silver
Director : David Cronenberg
Running Time : 91 mins

When Rose (Chambers) undergoes experimental plastic surgery following a motor cycle accident, the result is it causes her to develop a taste for blood and she becomes the carrier for a deadly virus that turns people into mindless zombie-like killers.

Cronenberg’s second feature film is everything you could expect from him. It’s violent, mindless, a little bit complicated, and features enough nudity to satisfy any teenage boy’s wet dreams. In spite the schlock quality of this, it still doesn’t fail to amuse while it tries to preach how, when society tries to make drastic changes, it can only lead to disaster.

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

The Great Debaters (2007) 8/10

Starring : Denzel Washington, Forrest Whitaker, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, Denzel Whitaker
Director : Denzel Washington
Running Time : 128 mins

Melvin B Tolson (Washington) is a professor at Wiley college in Texas in 1935, where he inspires some of his students to form a debate team, and in turn they become the first black college to challenge Harvard to debate in the national championships, but Tolson controversial political views threaten to overshadow any successes his debate team may be able to achieve.

This is a well executed drama that takes a group of disparate characters and draws them together through one man, Melvin B Tolson. Washington acts and directs well in this political drama which shows how prejudice could be overcome even as far back as the 1930s, and the supporting cast, including Forest Whitaker, are mostly likeable as they follow Washington and prove their worth through political debate.

You’ll like this if you liked : Half Nelson

Kevin And Perry Go Large (2000) 7/10

Starring : Harry Enfield, Kathy Burke, Rhys Ifans, Laura Fraser
Director : Ed Bye
Running Time : 79 mins

Sexually obsessed teenagers Kevin (Enfield) and Perry (Burke) travel to Ibiza where they aspire to become top DJs and, once they're famous, score with the ladies. As they desperately try to improve their career, they try their best to pull the ladies they meet along their journey.

This big screen version of Harry Enfield's popular sketch character actually works pretty well, in spite of being completely gross almost from the opening scene. Enfield isn't brilliant, but Burke is spot on as teenage Perry and kept me chuckling throughout with her leering quality and her ability to pick up on the behaviour of a teenage boy and mimic it so well.

You’ll like this if you liked : Guest House Paradiso

Terminator Salvation (2009) 7/10

Starring : Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Anton Yelchin
Director : McG
Running Time : 112 mins

It’s 2018, and a rag-tag group of survivors from Skynet’s nuclear holocaust, lead by John Connor (Bale), find themselves fighting against the destructive machines in a vain attempt to stop them from finishing off the job they once started. However, when Connor meets a man named Marcus Wright (Worthington), he becomes confused about the destiny he’d been brought up to believe in, and tries to discover if Wright has been sent to him from the future or from the past.

This felt more like a Transformers movie than one from the Terminator series. With giant robots roaming the set and a cast that feel more in place in one of the Resident Evil sequels, this suffered a lot from not following the same formula as the earlier movies. By setting it in the future we are forced to watch what would have previously been a prologue for almost two hours, and because there is little or no character development, this can get a little boring. Still, the effects in the middle of the film are pretty impressive…

You’ll like this if you liked : Transformers

Little Fish (2005) 7/10

Starring : Cate Blanchett, Sam Neill, Hugo Weaving, Martin Henderson
Director : Rowan Woods
Running Time : 114 mins

Ex-heroin addict Tracy Heart (Blanchett) is trying to make something of her life by going into business with her boss and expanding their video store to incorporate an internet café, but things have a way of coming back to haunt Tracy as she is faced with her tainted past when her ex-boyfriend Jonny (Nguyen) shows up and he and her brother Ray (Henderson) convince her to use drug money to raise the funds for her new shop.

This isn’t a bad little film, which starts off strong and has strong actors in the lead roles, but it does start to get a little confused towards the end. The story is intriguing and will keep you engrossed, but it really needed more substance in the last half hour to keep its momentum going.

You’ll like this if you liked : Candy

Sunshine Cleaning (2008) 6/10

Starring : Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Jason Spevack, Steve Zahn, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Clifton Collins Jr
Director : Christine Jeffs
Running Time : 88 mins

In an attempt to raise the funds to send her son to private school, Rose Lorkowski (Adams) decides to start a new business - a crime scene clean-up service. With the assistance of her less than reliable flaky sister Norah (Blunt), the two start to develop their business, but find the job less than rewarding and incredibly time consuming, as well as incredibly messy.

This wasn’t anywhere near as good as I was hoping. The humour is far too black and deadpan to raise more than a smile for the duration, and although there are some slapstick moments they aren’t as well orchestrated as they were in Little Miss Sunshine, the maker’s previous film. Adams and Blunt keep the moving going with their great characterizations, but unfortunately that isn’t really enough to keep this from being anything more than just mediocre.

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

Classic Friday : Pretty In Pink (1986) 7/10

Starring : Molly Ringwald, Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, James Spader, Andrew McCarthy
Director : Howard Deutch
Running Time : 93 mins

High school girl Andie Walsh (Ringwald) comes from the wrong side of town, and lives with her alcoholic father. She can't believe her luck when the school heart throb, rich kid Blane McDonough (McCarthy), asks her to the prom, but she finds it difficult to choose between their blossoming romance and her existing life with her friends, particularly her disapproving friend Duckie Dale (Cryer).

Like all movies written by John Hughes, this had a lot of entertaining elements that work for the most part, but the ending really spoils a lot. Molly Ringwald's home-made dress is the ugliest thing I have ever seen, and really looks home-made, whereas Andie is meant to be a talented fashion designer in the making. Sadly she doesn't get together with Duckie, which is what everyone wants, but that doesn't matter - he seems happy enough at the end.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Breakfast Club

Push (2009) 8/10

Starring : Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis, Djimon Hounsou
Director : Paul McGuigan
Running Time : 112 mins

Nick Gant (Evans), who has the ability to move things with his mind, meets Cassie Holmes (Fanning), who can see into the future. Together they must find a girl named Kira Hudson (Belle) who is being hunted down by a government agency that wants to find out how she is able to withstand a dangerous procedure that can enhance the powers of those with special abilities.

This is basically a reworked – and far superior – version of Jumper. The characters are far more likeable and the powers aren't limited by one solitary power. The plot is very basic, but the effects help to keep it engaging and visually stunning while not detracting from the story as it slowly unravels.

You’ll like this if you liked : Jumper

Confetti (2006) 8/10

Starring : Martin Freeman, Jessica Stevenson, Stephen Mangan, Meredith MacNeill, Robert Webb, Olivia Colman
Director : Debbie Isitt
Running Time : 99 mins

Three couples compete to appear on the front cover of wedding magazine Confetti be holding the most originally themed wedding. Matt (Freeman) and Sam (Stevenson) have a theme of Hollywood musicals, Josef (Mangan) and Isabelle (MacNeill) want a tennis themed wedding, and Michael (Webb) and Joanna (Colman) want to get married as nature intended - in the nude.

This mockumentary is at times very funny but also quite moving. I actually wanted Mangan and MacNeill to win the cover shoot and house based on the fact that the whole contest was rigged, but also wanted Webb and Colman to win because they'd basically been told they couldn't if they performed the wedding naked. Some very good insights into the world of the reality contest, this is a must see for any fan of traditional British comedy in the vein of Four Weddings And A Funeral.

You’ll like this if you liked : A Cock And Bull Story

Anita And Me (2002) 8/10

Starring : Chandeep Uppal, Anna Brewster, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Ayesha Dharker
Director : Metin Huseyin
Running Time : 89 mins

Meena Kumar (Uppal) lives in a small Midlands town with her Punjabi parent, but her friendship with Anita (Brewster), and new girl who's moved into town, causes alarm for Meena's parents who find that her rebellious nature and sexual maturity might have a worrying effect on their daughter.

This is pretty much a one trick pony, showing how racist white people were in the 60s whilst also showing how un-Indian Meena tended to be, but despite the basic storyline this is filled with great performances - particularly from Kathy Burke and Chandeep Uppal in a very fine lead role - and funny one-liners that keep the movie upbeat and witty while also showing the sadder side of life in those times.

You’ll like this if you liked : East Is East

Pride And Glory (2008) 7/10

Starring : Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, John Voigt, Noah Emmerich
Director : Gavin O'Connor
Running Time : 131 mins

When four cops get killed by drug dealers, some other dodgy cops from their precinct, lead by Jimmy Egan (Farrell), set out to avenge them by finding the head dealer and killing him but, when an investigation comes into play and good cop Ray Tierney (Norton)
starts looking into things, the cops are forced to try and cover their tracks over the crimes they themselves have committed.

This standard thriller plays all the expected tunes and presses all the usual buttons as Norton investigates the death of a group of crooked cops whilst Farrell tries to avenge them. There are some great moments, but also some weak ones, but particularly fine is Farrell's final scene, one of the saddest moments in the whole movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Departed

National Lampoon's Barely Legal (2003) 7/10

Starring : Erik Von Detten, Tony Denman, Daniel Farber, Sarah Jane Potts, Amy Smart
Director : David M Evans
Running Time : 85 mins

Three high school kids, Deacon (Von Detten), Fred (Denman) and Matt (Farber) - who make their money by duplicating porn films and selling them to the kids at school, whilst spending the rest of their time masturbating over the unobtainable girls - decide to make a movie of their own to really rake in some cash.

This is a typical run of the mill teen movie, but that isn't a bad thing. In spite of an obvious storyline and some plot twists that you can see coming a mile off, this is still a mildly entertaining movie that truly pokes fun at teenage boys and their over enthusiasm for pornography while simultaneously turning the loser geeks into heroes.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Girl Next Door

Classic Friday : Galaxy Quest (1999) 8/10

Starring : Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell
Director : Dean Parisot
Running Time : 102 mins

The cast of a long-cancelled science fiction series are begrudgingly reunited at a sci-fi convention in order to make some extra cash now that their acting careers have dwindled, but they are mistaken for their on screen characters by an alien race that seeks their help in defending their race from an intergalactic attack.

This is a wonderfully knowing and incredibly inspired movie that manages not only to parody sci-fi shows such as Star Trek but also manages to create its own self-contained little world that is both intriguing and enjoyable to watch. Rickman is fantastic as the actor that despises his half-reptilian characters, Weaver is perfect as the slightly over the hill sex object of the show, and Allen leads the crew of actors with his own interpretation of the Kirk-like character.

You’ll like this if you liked : Spaceballs

The Last House On The Left (2009) 7/10

Starring : Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, Garret Dillahunt
Director : Dennis Iliadis
Running Time : 113 mins

After viciously assaulting two young girls, a gang of thugs led by escaped criminal Krug (Dillahunt) seek refuge in a holiday home in the woods, only to discover that the house is owned by the parents of one of the girls, a mother and father who will stop at nothing to exact their revenge on the evil gang.

This is a surprisingly effective remake of the 70s video nasty that helped make Wes Craven a household name. The violence isn't too over the top, and the pacing is slow and believable which made for interesting viewing. Unfortunately this all gets spoiled in the last few minutes with the microwave scene If not for that this would have been a damn fine thriller.

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

Into The Wild (2007) 6/10

Starring : Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone
Director : Sean Penn
Running Time : 149 mins

After graduating from university, Christopher McCandless (Hirsch) gives away all of his worldly possessions and decides to hitch-hike across America to the Yukon, where he hopes to attempt to survive in the wild on his own with nothing but a rifle, the clothes on his back and a few meagre supplies, but when he disappears his family become increasingly worried for his safety.

Although this is a touching true story that starts with hope and ends in disaster, and has some light moments in between, this was just too long to keep my interest for the full duration. The direction is good and gives the viewer some great views of the American landscape, and Hirsch is likeably naive in his own ability to survive. Worth watching, but it's just too long!

You’ll like this if you liked : A Home At The End Of The World

Hostage (2005) 8/10

Starring : Bruce Willis, Kevin Pollak, Jimmy Bennett, Ben Foster, Jonathan Tucker
Director : Florent Siri
Running Time : 109 mins

Hostage negotiator Jeff Talley (Willis) has been retired from his particular job for a year following a hostage situation that went horribly wrong. Now working as a simple police chief, he finds himself dragged back into the negotiation business when a trio of teenagers decide to break into the house of local criminal businessman Walter Smith (Pollak) to steal his car and things escalate out of control.

This is a pretty standard thriller plotline, but still manages to give us some good performances, specifically from Foster, who is creepy without even trying, and Willis who is basically playing John McClane from the Die Hard movies. Granted, what at first seems to be a simple premise soon transforms into something far more complicated with some unexpected twists and turns.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Negotiator

Returner (2002) 8/10

Starring : Takeshi Kaneshiro, Anne Suzuki
Director : Takashi Yamazaki
Running Time : 117 mins

A time traveller from the future named Milly (Suzuki) finds herself in present day Japan, where she is accidentally shot by a criminal named Miyamoto (Kaneshiro) who has gotten himself caught up in some trouble with the Triads. When she wakes up in his hideout, she seeks his help to find an alien creature that has faked a crash landing on Earth and is attempting to take over the planet.

This has got a pretty basic plot, but the characters make it a likeable enough romp. The special effects aren't brilliant, and the story is basically a reworking of The Terminator, but this still manages to be entertaining in a live-action Manga-esque style that makes the story both enjoyable and engaging.

You’ll like this if you liked : Blade Runner

Outpost (2008) 6/10

Starring : Ray Stevenson, Julian Wadham, Richard Brake
Director : Steve Barker
Running Time : 91 mins

A group of ex-soldiers are hired to travel into no man’s land and check over an old abandoned military outpost, but soon discover that this was the head quarters for a series of bizarre experiments carried out by the Nazis on their own soldiers. To make matters worse, they find that one of these soldiers has survived all these years as a genetically engineered killing machine!

This is an intriguing, if not original idea, that doesn’t quite work. It has something of the feel of a Neil Marshall movie, but doesn’t quite match up with Marshall’s ability to combine action with character development. People who like their horror-thriller-action movies will enjoy this; others might struggle with this as the narrative is so basic and gives little in the way of plot development.

You’ll like this if you liked : Mutant Chronicles

Classic Friday : Star Trek III The Search For Spock (1984) 7/10

Starring : William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols
Director : Leonard Nimoy
Running Time : 101 mins

With the death of Khan and Spock (Nimoy), and the creation of the Genesis planet, Admiral James T Kirk (Shatner) is faced with more problems when he thinks that his good friend Dr Leonard McCoy (Kelley) is going insane, but when Spock's father turns up and informs them that McCoy is harbouring Spock's spirit, Kirk decides to steal the Enterprise and travel to the Genesis planet to look for Spock's dead body and see if he can stop McCoy from going mental, but what he discovers is more than he could ever have hoped for.

Although not the best in the series, what with it suffering from the curse of being an odd numbered instalment, this is still a memorable one which features the rebirth of Spock and some naughty behaviour from Kirk. This nicely takes away Kirk's position as an Admiral, and returns him to his Captaincy by the fourth. Well worth watching, but not brilliant.

You’ll like this if you liked : Star Trek V : The Final Frontier

Angels And Demons (2009) 6/10

Starring : Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard
Director : Ron Howard
Running Time : 133 mins

Robert Langdon (Hanks) is called in to investigate when the Catholic church is threatened by a group claiming to be the ancient secret society known as the Illuminati, a group who plan on murdering a number of high ranking priests in the church before setting off an anti-matter device in the middle of Vatican City which will destroy everything and everyone inside.

This tries desperately to keep some sort of action going throughout, but all it succeeds in doing is looking like a version of National Treasure that takes itself too seriously. Hanks is likeable enough as he reprises his role as Robert Langdon, and the highly necessary villains keep him on his toes, but all the convoluted clues and ensuing nonsense just makes this feel like it's trying too hard.

You’ll like this if you liked : National Treasure Book Of Secrets

Cursed (2005) 7/10

Starring : Christina Ricci, Joshua Jackson, Jesse Eisenberg, Judy Greer, Michael Rosenbaum
Director : Wes Craven
Running Time : 95 mins

When Ellie (Ricci) and her brother Jimmy (Eisenberg) are attacked by a wolf, they start to exhibit some very strange symptoms, and when a series of animal attacks occur in close proximity to each other they start to fear that they might actually be responsible in some way for the fatalities and that they may have been turned into werewolves.

Although not as good as the Scream series, which had the same writer and director, this tongue in cheek scary movie still has some good things going for it. The humour isn't in your face, so its subtlety really helps it appeal to hard core horror fans as well as fans of teen comedies, and the acting, though not brilliant, still helps to keep the surprises coming thick and fast.

You’ll like this if you liked : An American Werewolf In London

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) 8/10

Starring : Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johannson, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz
Director : Woody Allen
Running Time : 97 mins

Close friends Vicky (Hall) and Cristina (Johannson) decide to spend their holidays in Barcelona, each trying to escape various elements of their lives. There they meet an artist who tries to get the two of them into bed, but they initially shun his attentions, yet it isn't long before they seperately engage in whirlwind romances with the man. Unfortunately Vicky is engaged to be married, and find things difficult to cope with after the short but elicite affair.

Thankfully Woody Allen's script isn't as pretentiously witty as they sometimes can be, which makes this much more pallatable for the every day movie goer. Hall is especially good as the lead in this romantic farce, and Johannson, though almost secondary, gives her usual effervescent performance.

You’ll like this if you liked : Feast Of Love