Shutter (2008) 7/10

Starring : Joshua Jackson, Rachael Taylor, Megumi Okina, David Denman, John Hensley
Director : Masayuki Ochiai
Running Time : 81 mins

Benajmin Shaw (Jackson) and his new bride Jane (Taylor) move to Japan where Benjamin has just been awarded a very well paying photography job, but after they are involved in a car accident they start to see images of the girl they ran over in photographs they have taken, and Jane makes a terrifying discovery about the girl and her history with her husband.

Well, at least it wasn’t long! This was a pretty mediocre thriller masquerading as a horror, with a reasonable though not unobvious twist in the tale. The acting isn’t anything special, but it’s quite well paced and marginally engrossing. Fans of Japanese horror films might enjoy this, though they might also find it irritating

You’ll like this if you liked : The Grudge

The Invisible (2002) 8/10

Starring : Gustaf Skarsgard, Tuna Novotny
Director : Joel Bargvall & Simon Sandquist
Running Time : 97 mins

Niklas (Skarsgard) is accused by the a gang of grassing them up at school for keeping contraband in their lockers, and is subsequently badly beaten, but he wakes up to discover that no one can see him and presumes he is dead. Now unable to do anything to interfere with the police investigation into his disappearance, Niklas is forced to stand idly by and watch as the law tries to piece together what has happened to him.

This was a pretty good movie that has now been reproduced by Hollywood into a sub par English speaking version. The action is fun to watch, and as a viewer you will be drawn into the mystery of whether or not Niklas actually is dead. A good thriller, but don’t expect any horror in this movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Ghost

The Invention Of Lying (2009) 8/10

Starring : Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey
Director : Ricky Gervais & Matthew Robinson
Running Time : 100 mins

Mark Bellison (Gervais) lives in a wolrd where everyone is compelled to tell the truth about everything, so when he tells a white lie at the bank, he opens up a whole new world of opportunity for himself, ranging from getting the girl of his dreams, Anna McDoogles (Garner), to convincing the world that there is an afterlife.

I thought this was a great little idea – the compulsions of the characters to tell the truth was original, although it did start to grate a little towards the middle. Gervais plays the same character he always does, which is annoying, but he manages to be at least marginally likable in this role, although his relationship with Garner is very unlikely.

You’ll like this if you liked : Ghost Town

Classic Friday : Superman III (1983) 7/10

Starring : Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Robert Vaughn, Margot Kidder
Director : Richard Lester
Running Time : 125 mins

Megalomaniac Ross Webster (Vaughn) employs the aid of computer hacker Gus Gorman (Pryor) in his bid to control the worlds economy. Meanwhile Superman (Reeve) becomes exposed to a new form of Kryptonite that makes him incredibly depressed and eventually splits him in two, producing a mild mannered Clark Kent with no powers and an evil Superman who only wants to put an end to Kent.

Definitely not the best of the series, but by no means this worst, this is far more of a comedy than a superhero movie, with Pryor almost spoiling the movie – not through his own fault, but because of the plot. There are some nice memorial moments such as the Superman Versus Superman fight, but it’s something of a let down compared to the first two.

You’ll like this if you liked : Supergirl

The Education Of Charlie Banks (2007) 7/10

Starring : Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Eva Amurri, Chris Marquette
Director : Fred Durst
Running Time : 95 mins

After witnessing a brutal assault, Charlie Banks (Eisenberg) reports the culprit, Mick (Ritter), to the police and Mick ends up doing time for his crime. Years later, Charlie is shocked to run into Mick again, this time when he turns up at his college campus, and he begins to worry that Mick will find out what he did, whilst slowly becoming something of a friend to him.

This wasn’t a bad little coming of age drama, and it’s focus on what can happen if you do what you think is right was both thought provoking and engrossing. Fans of teen dramas will like this, but don’t expect any of the usual comedy moments from Eisenberg who is stern as stern can be in this role.

You’ll like this if you liked : Charlie Bartlett

The Eye (2002) 8/10

Starring : Anjelica Lee, Lawrence Chou, Candy Lo, Edmund Chen
Director : Oxide & Danny Pang
Running Time : 95 mins

A young blind musician called Wun (Lee) undergoes groundbreaking surgery to regain her eyesight, but soon starts to see things that she shouldn’t. Realising that she is seeing ghost images, she decides to find out as much as she can about the donor of her new eyes and find out why she is now able to see into the spirit world.

This was another interesting horror offering from the far east, and I was surprised that the remake is so similar, what with Hollywood trying to butcher everything they can get their hands on. The pacing is slow, but not so slow that the viewer will get easily bored, and any fans of Asian horror will lap this up.

You’ll like this if you liked : Ring

Daybreakers (2009) 8/10

Starring : Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Isabel Lucas
Director : Michael & Peter Spierig
Running Time : 95 mins

In the near future vampires are the norm and mankind is being hunted down for food, but one vampire, Edward Dalton (Hawke), isn’t happy with his life and has turned away from drinking human blood. So, when he meets a former vampire, Lionel Cormac (Dafoe) who has discovered a cure for his situation, he decides to join forces with him and attempt to rid the world of vampires once and for all.

I actually thought this was really good. With the major influx of vampire movies knocking about the place, it’s surprising that one with a reasonable plot has found its way onto our screens. Filled with plenty of bloody action, and actual moments of plot development, as well as some great ideas such as the video camera for a rear view mirror in vampire cars, I reckon this will soon become something of a classic.

You’ll like this if you liked : Blade

Battlefield Earth (2000) 6/10

Starring : John Travolta, Barry Pepper, Forest Whitaker, Kim Coates
Director : Roger Christian
Running Time : 114 mins

A race of aliens known as the Psychlo’s has enslaved the human race and is using them to mine the Earth for its resources of gold, but a lone human called Jonnie Goodboy Tyler (Pepper) sets about to discover a way of stopping the aliens and fighting back in a desperate bid to reclaim Earth for mankind.

This wasn’t as awful as I imagined, but it was still pretty bad. I’m shocked that any scientologist can take themselves seriously after watching this movie, based on the most popular of founder L Ron Hubbard’s many novels. It probably didn’t help having Travolta hamming things up, and the special effects were pretty mediocre to say the least.

You’ll like this if you liked : 10,000 BC

Couples Retreat (2009) 8/10

Starring : Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Faizon Love, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis, John Reno
Director : Peter Billingsley
Running Time : 113 mins

When Jason (Bateman) and Cynthia (Bell) announce that they want to get a divorce, they convince their friends to go to a couples retreat to help them fix their marriage, but the other couples don’t realise that, rather than being left to enjoy the beauty of East Eden Island, they will also be forced into taking part in the islands couples counseling.

This was a surprisingly likeable movie that, in spite of its Hollywood ending, is very surprising and enjoyable. Fans of Vaughn and Favreau in their comedy team ups will definitely enjoy this movie, and even those that dislike them will find someone to empathise with in the comedy masterpiece.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Holiday

Classic Friday : Toy Story (1995) 9/10

Starring : Tom Hanks, Tim Allen
Director : John Lassrter
Running Time : 79 mins

Woody (Hanks) has always been the most popular toy in Andy’s bedroom, but when Andy gets a new toy, Buzz Lightyear (Allen), a space adventuring and action figure, Woody becomes incredibly jealous and begins to plot how he can get rid of Buzz so that he can once again be considered number one in Andy’s affections.

The first full length feature film from Disney Pixar is also possibly one of the greatest – it has such a simple plot that somehow brings a series of toys to life and makes their every situation something that we can all relate to. Hanks and Allen make a formidable pair in this first instalment of the popular movie series, and even fifteen years later this still looks just as fresh and forward thinking as the day it was first released.

You’ll like this if you liked : Finding Nemo

The Spy Next Door (2010) 7/10

Starring : Jackie Chan, Amber Valletta, Magnus Scheving
Director : Brian Levant
Running Time : 91 mins

CIA agent Bob Ho (Chan) has decided to give up his job after finally capturing the notorious Poldark (Scheving) so that he can spend more time with his girlfriend Gillian (Valletta), but when she has to go out of town he is left to take care of her three children, none of whom are that fond of him. But when Poldark escapes, he comes after Ho who now has to protect the three youngsters from the life of an international spy.

This wasn't that bad, but it's nowhere near one of Chan's best movies. The plot is not original in any way, and the whole secret agent having to take care of kids plot line has been as recently as 2005 with Vin Diesel in The Pacifier. Still, there are a few nice fight scenes - it just a shame the villains are so kiddie orientated and kitschy.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Pacifier

Intolerable Cruelty (2003) 7/10

Starring : George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffrey Rush, Cedric The Entertainer, Billy Bob Thornton
Director : Joel Cohen
Running Time : 100 mins

Well known and wealthy lawyer Miles Massey (Clooney) bites off more than he can chew when he gets married to recently divorced Marylin Rexroth(Zeta-Jones), thinking that she is rich, only to discover that she has no money and plans on divorcing him for a massive cash settlement.

This was actually pretty entertaining, in spite of a weak middle section of the film. People who enjoyed movie like Heartbreakers or Down With Love will enjoy the biting wit and well observed performances in this black comedy, particularly from Clooney himself. There's a nice opening scene with Geoffrey Rush that, although perhaps not that necessary, helps to establish the kind of people we as an audience will be dealing with.

You’ll like this if you liked : Heartbreakers

Mirrors (2008) 6/10

Starring : Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton, Amy Smart
Director : Alexandre Aja
Running Time : 107 mins

Ex-cop Ben Carson (Sutherland) takes a job as a night watchman at an abandoned department store, but soon finds his life and that of those around him in danger from malevolent spirits that live inside the mirrors of the store, and they begin stalking him and his family with the simple intent of ending their lives.

This had such great potential, but the writers and directors have clearly decided to go for the violent and gory aspect rather than making this genuinely creepy. The deaths are far too over the top for this style of film and, as an example, the death of Any Smart's character would have been far more effective if she had been forced to hold her mouth open while holding her dead under the bath water rather than have the demon basically crack her jaw off. I'd recommend looking for the original, Into The Mirror, before watching this nonsensical tosh - you'll just be sorely disappointed and confused by the ending.

You’ll like this if you liked : Silent Hill

Murder By Numbers (2002) 8/10

Starring : Sandra Bullock, Ben Chaplin, Ryan Gosling, Michael Pitt, Agnes Bruckner, Chris Penn
Director : Barbet Schroeder
Running Time : 115mins

Highly intelligent students Richard Haywood (Gosling) and Justin Pendleton (Pitt) decide to execute the perfect murder to prove to themselves and everyone else that they are smart enough to get away with murder, but through a series of overconfident errors they start to draw attention to themselves as they are investigated by detective Cassie Mayweather (Bullock) and her new partner Sam Kennedy (Chaplin).

It's fun to watch the two criminals in this movie as they make mistake after mistake in spite of their vast intelligence, but it is Bullocks determination to catch them, due to her own past attack by a serial killer, that make this ever the more gripping. It's a shame that her back story isn't explored further, but the primary story is really enough to keep the movie flowing.

You’ll like this if you liked : A Simple Plan

Ninja Assassin (2009) 8/10

Starring : Rain, Naomie Harris, Ben Miles
Director : James McTeigue
Running Time : 99 mins

A mysterious Ninja clan that trains its people from childhood to be hired killers finds itself under threat when one of its number, Raizo (Rain) decides to turn his back on them and instead seek out vengeance for those they have killed over the years. He soon teams up with Europol operative Mika Coretti (Harris), who has been targeted for death by the Ninja clan, and together they fight to take them down once and for all.

This has the sort of over the top violence that hearkens back to the action movies of the 1980s.The violence is perfectly suited for the subject matter and is well balanced throughout the movie. Fans of martial arts movies will thoroughly enjoy the action packed fight sequences, and fans of mindless violence will get a thrill from this.

You’ll like this if you liked : Punisher : War Zone

Classic Friday : Charly (1968) 8/10

Starring : Cliff Robertson, Claire Bloom
Director : Ralph Nelson
Running Time : 101 mins

A man named Charly (Robertson) – a kitchen worker with a low IQ – volunteers for an experimental treatment that will increase his intelligence, but as he becomes smarter his personality begins to change, and his outlook on life starts to become increasingly negative as he is faced with a world that considers him to be something of a side show attraction.

I thought I’d look back on this classic Oscar winner, seeing as there’s a remake in the offing starring Will Smith of all people in the lead role. This is a very well presented version of Daniel Keyes classic story Flowers For Algernon, and Cliff Robertson is incredibly believable as both the retarded and genius Charly. It’s a movie that is very much of it’s time, but it is so emotionally charged it has managed to survive as a great movie even today.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Green Mile

Fantastic Mr Fox (2009) 7/10

Starring : George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray
Director : Wes Anderson
Running Time : 90 mins

When his wife announces that she is pregnant, Mr Fox (Clooney) is forced to put his wild ways behind him and abandon his fondness for thieving from the local farming community, but it isn’t long before Mr Fox gets tired of being well behaved and decides to go after the farmers again. Unfortunately the farming community is sick of being robbed by the local wildlife and decide to put an end to the creatures once and for all.

This wasn’t the sort of film I imagine kids would enjoy, but it was likable enough in a typically Wes Anderson style. Fans of The Royal Tenenbaums will recognise Anderson’s character styling and his dead pan choice of tone, but after a while this can grate on an audience and it’s not surprising that the brains of some viewers might just decide to switch off.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Tale Of Despereaux

The Accidental Husband (2008) 8/10

Starring : Uma Thurman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Colin Firth
Director : Griffin Dunne
Running Time : 87 mins

When Patrick Sullivan (Morgan) is dumped by his fiancée following the advice given by celebrity radio host Dr Emma Lloyd (Thurman), he decides to take his revenge by ruining her relationship. His first step in doing this is to fake legal documentation that claims that he is married to Emma, meaning that she is unable to marry her fiancée Richard Bratton (Firth).

Although not particularly original, and being about as predictable as a romantic comedy can get, this was still an entertaining movie. Fans of romantic comedy will definitely warm to the characters in this move, although they may be a little too understanding of the situation they have found themselves in.

You’ll like this if you liked : Made Of Honour

Home Sick (2007) 4/10

Starring : Lindley Evans, Tiffany Shepis, Forrest Pitts, Bill Moseley
Director : Adam Wingard
Running Time : 90 mins

A man known simply as Mr Suitcase (Moseley) turns up at the home of a group of teenagers, carrying a suitcase filled with razorblades, and individually asks the teens who they would kill if they could kill anyone. Soon after the people they wanted dead are murdered, but then for reasons all their own the killers come after them.

This movie was terrible - it really hearkened back to the exploitative slasher flicks of the seventies, but with little or none of the panache. The plot made little or no sense, and the connection between Mr Suitcase and the killers is never really explained properly. There's a lot of unnecessary sex and violence which does little for the plot, but I suppose the violence did help a little to keep the movie even remotely bearable.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Boogeyman

Dimples (2008) 5/10

Starring : Reggie Lee, Michael McMillan, Ashley Peldon, Randy Spelling, Tasha Taylor, Madeline Zima
Director : Dusty DePree
Running Time : 91 mins

A group of teenagers on a road trip find themselves running for their lives when a crazed killer starts to pick them off one by one. One of the last survivors, a girl named Frances (Zima) finds herself in a house where a little girl is being held captive by a man she refers to simply as The Doctor, and she discovers that the killer is in fact some sort of evil demonic monster.

This was boring - it made little or no sense and the acting was incredibly poor. The attempt at creating a twist in the tale was so predictable, it would have been a bigger surprise if they had have gone with the obvious plot. Fans of slasher flicks won't even enjoy this uninspired nonsense, so steer clear.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Pumpkin Karver

Pandorum (2009) 8/10

Starring : Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue
Director : Christian Alvart
Running Time : 109 mins

Payton (Quaid) and Bower (Foster) wake up on board a spaceship with no recollection of how they got there or what they were doing. As they travel around the ship, trying to find out what happened to the rest of the crew, they slowly discover that they are not alone and that not only may they have been infiltrated by strange alien creatures but that they may also be suffering from a dangerous virus that, although not lethal, could lead to their demise.

This is a good old fashioned space horror, using the claustrophobic setting to heighten it's creepiness The creatures aren't particularly original, but the action is suspenseful and the inevitable conclusion of the movie carries not one but two surprises for the viewer. Fans of classic sci-fi horrors like The Thing or Alien will definitely enjoy this.

You’ll like this if you liked : Alien

Classic Friday : The Sure Thing (1985) 8/10

Starring : John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Anthony Edwards, Nicolette Sheridan
Director : Rob Reiner
Running Time : 91 mins

When Walter 'Gib' Gibson (Cusack) is guaranteed sex from a nameless bikini clad blonde hottie (Sheridan), he decides to travel across the country to California to sow his oats, but due to a college policy that forces people to car pool he is forced to travel with Alison Bradbury (Zuniga), who is also travelling to California to see her boyfriend, and on the way everything that could possibly go wrong for them does.

This sparked a number of similar movies, such as Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Overnight Delivery and Road Trip, but this is definitely one of the better versions. Cusack and Zuniga spark off each other to great effect, and the underlying moral of choosing actual romance over definite sex is a timeless one.

You’ll like this if you liked : Planes, Trains & Automobiles

The Lodger (2009) 8/10

Starring : Alfred Molina, Hope Davis, Shane West, Donal Logue, Simon Baker
Director : David Ondaatje
Running Time : 96 mins

Chandler Manning (Molina) discovers that a serial killer that he got put away and executed may not have been responsible for the killings when similar killings start happening after his death. With the pattern now making the police believe that the killer was inspired by Jack The Ripper, he 's led to the home of Ellen Bunting (Davis), a schizophrenic that has just taken on a mysterious lodger.

Although this had little or no budget, this was a pretty good thriller that has the viewer guessing who the killer is right up until the final scene, and even then it isn't one hundred percent clear. There's some good choices in direction and although the performances aren't fantastic this is still a good watch.

You’ll like this if you liked : Identity

I'm Through With White Girls (2007) 8/10

Starring : Anthony Montgomery, Ryan Alosio, Lia Johnson
Director : Jennifer Sharp
Running Time : 93 mins

Jay Brooks (Montgomery) is a graphic novelist who only likes dating white girls, but after one to many bad breakups he decides to give up on white women and try to find a black woman to date, but finding the right woman isn't easy even if he looks within his own race. However, when he meets Catherine (Johnson), a mixed black girl who shares similar interests to him, he realises that committing to one woman may be harder than just finding one.

This was a surprisingly interesting and thought provoking comedy. Montgomery and Johnson make a nice couple, and their collected issues with relationships and trust pan out into a well crafted story. It may sound like race is a pivotal part of this movie, but the real body of this movie is about commitment nad that really makes for a universally appealing tale.

You’ll like this if you liked : Chasing Amy

Master And Commander (2003) 7/10

Starring : Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, James D’Arcy, Edward Woodall
Director : Peter Weir
Running Time : 133 mins

It’s 1805, and Jack Aubrey (Crowe), Captain of the HMS Surprise has spent most of the war playing a game of cat and mouse with the much larger French battleship the Acheron. When the ship is badly damaged, Aubrey is forced to make a choice between heading back to Britain to admit defeat or remaining at the mercy of the French enemy.

I’m not a big fan of historical war films, especially those involving sea battles, but this was something a bit different. This concentrates more on the relationships between the crew members rather than the battles themselves which made for much more interesting viewing. The sea battles themselves were well choreographed, and made all the better by there only being a few of them. In spite of it's long run time, this is still one war film that is definitely worth a watch.

You’ll like this if you liked : Gallipoli

Get Smart's Bruce And Lloyd Out Of Control (2008) 7/10

Starring : Masi Oka, Nate Torrance, Jayma Mays, Marika Dominczyk
Director : Gil Junger
Running Time : 72 mins

Control agents Bruce (Oka) and Lloyd (Torrance) have invented the OCT – a material that can turn people invisible – and are due to present it to their bosses, but when it is stolen by Maraguanan spy Isabella (Dominczyk), the two scientists are forced to go into the field to get it back before their bosses find out.

For a cheap moneymaking spin off to a movie that didn’t receive that great a reception, I actually thought this was okay. It wasn’t ever going to win any Oscars, but it played out like an average episode of Chuck, which is pretty high praise in my books. The humour is basic, but that’s what you’d expect from something from the Get Smart school of humour. Fans of silly spy spoofs will most likely find something in this to enjoy.

You’ll like this if you liked : Get Smart

District 9 (2009) 8/10

Starring : Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, Vanessa Haywood
Director : Neil Blomkamp
Running Time : 108 mins

Almost thirty years after they arrived on Earth, a population of alien refugees are asked to leave their ghetto neighbourhood known as District 9, but during the mass eviction the head of the corporation employed to evict them, Wikus Van De Merwe (Copley), is contaminated with a substance that begins to change his DNA so that it matches that of the aliens.

The manner in which this was filmed is so interesting that it makes this feel like a documentary. Coupled with the use of unknown actors this is a very cleverly constructed movie that moves swiftly from documentary styles to all out action thriller. Copley is good in the lead role, and puts in a performance that is remarkably believable as well as, at times, comically funny. This is well worth checking out.

You’ll like this if you liked : Starship Troopers