Classic Friday : 48 Hrs. (1982) 8/10

Starring : Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Annette O’Toole
Director : Walter Hill
Running Time : mins

San Fransisco cop Jack Cates (Nolte) is out for vengeance when a number of cops are murdered by some known criminals. In order to track them down, Cates is given permission to join forced with criminal Reggie Hammond (Murphy) who is allowed out of prison for just two days to help catch his former partners who screwed him out of some money and left him to rot in jail.

This is the first feature film for Eddie Murphy, and he really shines as an unknown in the fantastic buddy movie. The dynamic of cop and crook, combined with their obvious differences in upbringing, works incredibly well here, and many films have desperately tried to copy this formula with differing levels of success.

You’ll like this if you liked : Lethal Weapon

American Pie Presents Band Camp (2005) 7/10

Starring : Tad Hilgenbrinck, Arielle Kebbel, Jason Earles, Crystle Lea Lightning, Omar Benson Miller, Jun Hee Lee, Eugene Levy
Director : Steve Rash
Running Time : 95 mins

After playing a prank on the school band, Matt Stifler (Hilgenbrinck) is forced by his guidance counsellor to join the band at the yearly band camp so he can learn respect for them. Instead, Stifler uses the opportunity to make a video of the band geeks to sell to the public – Bandeez Gone Wild!

This was better than I expected, even though Hilgenbrinck is doing an impression that lies somewhere between Seann William Scott and Jim Carrey. This did feel old school in a kind of Police Academy style, and the humour isn’t so gross out to be disgusting.

You’ll like this if you liked : Police Academy 3 : Back In Training

Labour Pains (2009) 7/10

Starring : Lindsay Lohan, Luke Kirby, Chris Parnell, Aaron Yoo, Bridgit Mendler, Cheryl Hines
Director : Lara Shapiro
Running Time : 89 mins

When she is faced with being fired from her job, desperate Thea Clayhill (Lohan) decides to pretend to be pregnant so that her bosses will worry about unfair disposal. As the lie grows, Thea is forced to keep up the lie for the next five months and starts padding herself out to fake her pregnancy.

This wasn’t as bad as I expected. All the reviews seemed to indicate that this would be absolutely awful, and the fact that it went straight to DVD in the UK wasn’t a good sign, but it was reasonably enjoyable and the story was likeable and fun to watch. Worth giving a go, and don’t judge it on it’s bad reviews.

You’ll like this if you liked : Baby Mama

Ella Enchanted (2004) 8/10

Starring : Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Cary Elwes, Aidan McArdle, Joanna Lumley
Director : Tommy O’Haver
Running Time : 92 mins

In a far away magical kingdom called Frell, a young baby named Ella (Hathaway) is given a gift from a fairy – the gift of obedience. Unfortunately this means that she has to do whatever people tell her to, no matter how much she doesn’t want to. When she gets older, and her mother dies, her father remarries and she is forced to live with her two terrible step sisters who soon realise that Ella has to do what she’s told and take full advantage of the matter, and so Ella decides to seek out the fairy that gave her her gift and ask her to take it back.

This is a fun filled family movie that has plenty of humour and fantasy comedy moments. Fans of Shrek will enjoy the nods to fairy tales and modern culture alike, and the premise of someone being compelled to do whatever they are told is both timeless and original.

You’ll like this if you liked : Shrek

Adventures Of Johnny Tao (2007) 6/10

Starring : Matthew Twining, Matthew Mullins, Chris Yen, Kelly Perine, Lindsay Parker, James Hong, Jason London
Director : Kenn Scott
Running Time : 86 mins

Half of an ancient spear is turned into the neck of a guitar by little known singer Jimmy Dow (London). His son Johnny (Twining) now makes ends meet by charging people to look at the guitar, but when the other half of the spear is discovered by one of Johnny's friends, an ancient Chinese demon is released that is hungry to destroy anyone that stands in its way.

This movie was desperately trying to be something it couldn't quite achieve being. The plot was simple enough and has been done before and since, but the acting was sub par, the characters weren't really that enthralling, and the action was a little bit boring. Still, fans of martial arts supernatural action movies (?) will probably find this good enough.

You’ll like this if you liked : My Name Is Bruce

Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day (2008) 9/10

Starring : Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Lee Pace, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Shirley Henderson
Director : Bahrat Nalluri
Running Time : 92 mins

When she is unfairly dismissed from her job as a governess, highly conservative Guinivere Pettigrew (McDormand) lies about her references to start a new job and finds herself whisked into the confusingly sordid life of American singer and actress Delysia Lafosse (Adams) and, in spite of her conservative nature, takes quite a shine to her.

I didn’t know what I’d make of this movie which pretty much seems to have flown under the radar since its release, but I was amazed at how much I enjoyed it. The acting is solid, the characters are likeable, and Lee Pace’s British accent was good enough to make me doubt he was American. The sets did put me off a little, as there was something a little too American about them, but in spite of that I thought this was simply put a great period comedy drama.

You’ll like this if you liked : Bright Young Things

Classic Friday : The Ladies Man (1961) 7/10

Starring : Jerry Lewis, Helen Traubel, Pat Stanley, Kathleen Freeman
Director : Jerry Lewis
Running Time : 95 mins

When his girlfriend leaves him for another man, Herbert H Heebert (Lewis) develops a fear of women. He decides to try to take his mind off women by getting a new job at a boarding house, only to discover to his horror that all the tenants are beautiful young women.

This is a vibrant looking movie, with a staggeringly enormous set and plenty of set pieces to keep the audience engrossed. Lewis is a little understated at times, actually allowing some of the women to take the lead in many scenes, but it his inimitable charm that keeps this movie full of life. This movie is typical of Lewis’s solo career, and could prove a good jumping on point for those not familiar with his work.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Bellboy

Boot Camp (2007) 7/10

Starring : Mila Kunis, Gregory Smith, Peter Stormare, Regine Nehy
Director : Christian Duguay
Running Time : 96 mins

Sophie (Kunis) is a teenager who acts out against her parents, specifically her father, in any way she can, but one day she is snatched away and drugged and finds herself in Camp Serenity – a boot camp in Fiji her parents have organized for her to go to – where the kids are treated like prisoners and are habitually abused and indoctrinated into the islands way of thinking.

This movie plays out like The Lord Of The Flies, with lots of unnecessary suspicions leading to violent outbursts. Some of the scenes had the potential to be hard to take, but thankfully the director chose to film this as tastefully as possible. The acting is a little sub par in places, but this is still a reasonably intriguing movie in spite of its slap dash layout and open ending.

You’ll like this if you liked : Kids

The Crazies (2010) 7/10

Starring : Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker
Director : Breck Eisner
Running Time : 97 mins

Sheriff David Dutton (Olyphant) of the small town of Ogden Marsh, Iowa, is faced with a nasty situation when the residents of his town all start turning into violent maniacs. Joining forces with the last four unaffected town’s folk, Dutton tries to discover the source of the infection and possibly find a cure.

This wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but I also thought it might be quite funny. Sadly this was more like 28 Days Later than Slither, and basically played like a zombie movie. There’s nothing here that will really stick in your mind, except possibly for the writers notion of the American government caring little or nothing about the American people. Worth watching if you like zombie flicks, and it also might be worth comparing to the 70s original.

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

Stay Alive (2006) 8/10

Starring : Jon Foster, Samaire Armstrong, Frankie Muniz, Jimmi Simpson
Director : William Brent Bell
Running Time : 85 mins

When one of their friends dies, a group of teens discover amongst his belongings a computer game called Stay Alive. As they play it to commemorate their friends passing, they realise that his death may well have come as a result of playing the game, and they all start dying off in the same manner that they died in the game.

This is a great idea for a horror movie. The CGI monsters in this aren't supposed to look that convincing, which actually makes them more frightening. There are lots of familiar faces, some of which I'm sure people have wanted to see die for years, and there's even a background plot line on why the game is killing the teens, rather than just having it kill them randomly. Well worth checking out, even if you normally avoid teen horrors.

You’ll like this if you liked : Final Destination

Hero Wanted (2008) 7/10

Starring : Cuba Gooding Jr, Ray Liotta, Norman Reedus, Kim Coates
Director : Brian Smrz
Running Time : 95 mins

After being left for dead during a bank robbery, along with a female bank teller, Liam Case (Gooding) tracks down the thief and brutally murders him. Thinking his nightmare is finally over, Liam then finds himself the target of the bank robbery associates who want revenge against him for what he did.

This has all the blood and violence you'd expect in a revenge movie, but it was just too confusing to keep track of what was going on. The fact that the bank teller Gooding was in love with and his dead wife were so similar also caused me confusion, especially in addition to the flashback sequences. Worth watching, but you really need to concentrate.

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

The Time Traveller's Wife (2009) 8/10

Starring : Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston
Director : Robert Schwentke
Running Time : 108 mins

Henry DeTamble (Bana) suffers from a rare illness that causes him to travel uncontrollably back and forth through time, and his only constant is the love of his life, Clare Abshire (McAdams), who he eventually marries. But poor Clare is faced with a life in which she never knows when her husband will be around or indeed how old he will be.

I thought this was an enjoyable movie. Bana and McAdams are likeable throughout, and as an audience you really feel for McAdams as she is faced with an unsure life with Bana. Don't expect a happy ending, and don't expect to side with the characters in all their decisions, but I definitely expect most people to find this an enjoyable romance.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Notebook

Classic Friday : Clueless (1995) 8/10

Starring : Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd
Director : Amy Heckerling
Running Time : 93 mins

Cher Horowitz (Silverstone) is a vapid teen who is doing badly in her school work, so she decides to match make two of her teachers in the hope that, if they have some romance in their lives, they might go easy on her grades. At the same time she takes new girl Tai (Murphy) under her wing and tries to give her a makeover in an attempt to teach her who she should hang out with.

This movie is something of a guilty pleasure, but anyone who says they've seen it and didn't like it has to be a liar. Loosely based on Jane Austen's Emma, this romantic comedy plays all the clichés to the hilt and creates a number of stereotypical yet memorable characters that will stay with you for a long time.

You’ll like this if you liked : Pretty In Pink

Coyote Ugly (2000) 6/10

Starring : Piper Perabo, Adam Garcia, John Goodman, Maria Bello, Izabella Miko, Tyra Banks, Bridget Moynahan, Melanie Lynskey
Director : David McNally
Running Time : 100 mins

Aspiring song writer Violet Sanford (Perabo) moves from New Jersey to New York to pursue her dream of becoming a singer song writer, and to make ends meet she takes a day job as a bar maid at an up and coming nightclub called Coyote Ugly, a move she makes in a vain attempt to rid herself of her stage fright.

This movie was okay, but a little over rated. My own pet peeve was that the writers seemed to think that the first appearance of The Punisher was worth enough to get Violet the money she needed, but if I ignore that point then this is a reasonably mindless chick flick which passes the time.

You’ll like this if you liked : Cocktail

Starship Troopers 3 : Marauder (2008) 7/10

Starring : Casper Van Dien, Jolene Blalock, Stephen Hogan, Boris Kodjoe, Amanda Donohoe
Director : Edward Neumeier
Running Time : 106 mins

Johnny Rico (Van Dien), now a Colonel, is called upon to help fight the bugs once again when his friend and one-time lover Lola Beck (Blalock) is stranded on the bug planet known as OM-1 with public hero Sky Marshal Omar Anoke (Hogan), a man with a terrible secret that no-one can possibly guess.

This was so much better than the straight to video sequel that looked like it had run out of lighting budget by the second scene. Although Rico isn't really the main character in this, it's nice to have someone from the original show up again to try and make us forget the second instalment. With much more of a Verhoeven feel to it, this is a pretty good attempt at reliving the glory of the original.

You’ll like this if you liked : Pitch Black

The Bounty Hunter (2010) 8/10

Starring : Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Gio Perez, Joel Garland
Director : Andy Tennant
Running Time : 106 mins

Ex-cop turned bounty hunter Milo Boyd (Butler) is offered his dream assignment when his ex-wife, reporter Nicole Hurley (Aniston), jumps bail and he has to track her down, but the news story that Nicole is pursuing could end up getting them both killed.

This is basically a romantic version of Midnight Run, but in spite of it's unoriginal story this is still a very entertaining yarn. This is the first rom-com I've seen in which Gerard Butler isn't completely miscast, and Aniston is pretty much on form playing her usual characters, so all in all this is an above average romantic romp.

You’ll like this if you liked : Midnight Run

Brutal Massacre : A Comedy (2007) 7/10

Starring : David Naughton, Brian O'Halloran, Gerry Bedknob, Gunnar Hansen, Ellen Sandweiss
Director : Stevan Mena
Running Time : 95 mins

Horror movie maker Harry Penderecki (Naughton) hasn't had a hit movie in a number of years, and is forced to focus all his attention on his new movie, Brutal Massacre, in a last ditch attempt to be respected in Hollywood once more, but things don't go according to plan.

This was very much a poor man's Kevin Smith movie, even going so far as to employ Brian O'Halloran of Clerks (and pretty much nothing else) fame. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of comedy moments and over the top shenanigans, but even though I enjoyed this I think there is only a niche market of others who would too.

You’ll like this if you liked : Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back

Pathology (2008) 6/10

Starring : Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Weston, Alyssa Milano, Lauren Lee Smith, Johnny Whitworth
Director : Marc Scholermann
Running Time : 95 mins

Bored with college life, a group of medical students decide to make life interesting by placing a bet amongst themselves; to see which of them can commit the perfect murder and actually get away with it. But as the stakes get higher, things start to get a little personal.

This movie came straight out of left field. What starts off as a simple medical drama soon turns into an all out no holds barred gore fest with enough violence, blood and guts to keep even the most die hard splatter movie fan happy. Sadly, the acting is a little weak and what could have otherwise been an interesting twist ends up falling a little flat.

You’ll like this if you liked : Hostel

Classic Friday : The 'burbs (1989) 8/10

Starring : Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher
Director : Joe Dante
Running Time : 97 mins

While enjoying a much needed and much deserved week off from work, Ray Peterson (Hanks) starts to suspect that his new neighbours, the Klopeks, might have a terrible secret. No one has ever seen them, and in the middle of the night they can be heard digging in their back yard. When he decides to take matters into his own hands and investigates, he discovers something very strange about the people next door...

This is probably Tom Hanks last great comedy, and is usually overlooked by many of his fans as it was made on the border of his transition into serious acting. The simple plot is very funny, and Dante's use of mixing horror with humour harks back to his work on Gremlins. A great comedy that everyone should see.

You’ll like this if you liked : Gremlins

Knowing (2009) 8/10

Starring : Nicolas Cage, Chandler Canterbury, Rose Byrne
Director : Alex Proyas
Running Time : 122 mins

When his son Caleb (Canterbury) is involved in the opening of a fifty year old time capsule at his school, Professor Jonathan Koestler (Cage) is faced with a list of numbers, corresponding to the dates of catastrophic events, their death toll, and the location of the event. As he investigates further, he discovers that some of the predicted events haven't happened yet and he believes he may be able to prevent them.

I was actually surprised that this was such an action packed and engrossing movie that keeps you gripped to the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Unfortunately it does get a little weird in the last fifteen minutes or so, but if you try not to let that spoil it then you might find this to be pretty good.

You’ll like this if you liked : Dreamcatcher

100 Feet (2008) 8/10

Starring : Famke Janssen, Bobby Cannavale, Ed Westwick
Director : Eric Red
Running Time : 95 mins

Following a stint in prison for murdering her abusive cop husband in self defence, Marnie Watson (Janssen) returns to her home under house arrest, not being allowed to move more than 100 feet from her ankle tags sensor, but once she's alone in the house she discovers that her dead husbands spirit has possessed the building and plans on exacting his revenge for being murdered.

This was a surprisingly engrossing horror-thriller that manages to sneak the violence up on you by being pretty tame for the majority of the movie. The acting isn't anything special, but the script is tight and the action comes quick and fast.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Entity

Scooby-Doo And The Legend Of The Vampire (2003) 7/10

Starring : Casey Kasem, Frank Welker, Nicole Jaffe, Heather North
Director : Scott Jeralds
Running Time : 72 mins

In the fifth of the direct to video Scooby-Doo series, Scooby-Doo (Welker) and the gang travel to Australia to see their friends the Hex Girls perform in a musical contest held at Vampire Rock, but when some of the acts start disappearing, including the Hex Girls, the gang go undercover as one of the bands to try to find out what’s going on.

The format of these movies has changed back to the format of the original series, with no real monsters and just guys in suits to contend with. Although this is basically an excuse to bring back the Hex Girls from Scooby-Doo And The Witch’s Ghost so that they can perform a few more songs, this is still a fun movie which kids will love and adults can enjoy too by trying to solve the mystery.

You’ll like this if you liked : Scooby-Doo And The Witch’s Ghost

Impact Point (2008) 5/10

Starring : Brian Austin Green, Melissa Keller, Linden Ashby
Director : Hayley Cloake
Running Time : 85 mins

Professional volleyball player Kelly Reyes (Keller) finds herself the focus of attention from journalist Holden Grant (Green) when she loses an important semi-final match. Soon she finds herself dating Holden, but when she hears that one of the opposing team has been killed in a hit and run accident, Kelly starts to suspect that Holden has something to hide.

Yet another basically plotted movie, with an obsessed fan killing off the competition of the object of their deluded affection. Setting it at a volleyball tournament could either be seen as desperately mindless or a stroke of genius as you are soon distracted by the scantily clad volleyball players and hardly notice the ham acting and tenuous script.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Deal

New Moon (2009) 7/10

Starring : Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke
Director : Chris Weitz
Running Time : 131 mins

Edward Cullen (Pattinson) tells Bella (Stewart) that he and his family are moving away, and Bella takes it very badly. After months of failing to get over Edward, Bella decides to take her mind off things by buying a motorcycle and asking her friend Jacob (Lautner) to help her repair, but they soon become attracted to each other.

This was better than the first movie - mainly because Pattinson wasn't around as much to spoil things - and having a new romantic interest for Bella, one with more of a personality, was refreshing to say the least. Fans of the original will definitely enjoy this, but new fans could be won over by this improvement, as long as they can keep from laughing at Pattinson's painted on abs.

You’ll like this if you liked : Twilight

Classic Friday : The Godfather (1972) 8/10

Starring : Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall
Director : Francis Ford Coppola
Running Time : 176 mins

Michael Corleone (Pacino) returns from fighting in the war to attend his sisters weding. His family business, basically trading favours in return for respect, is something he doesn't want to be involved in, but when a rival family want to start selling drugs in spite of the protests from Don Vito (Brando) - the head of the Corleone family - Michael is forced to become more involved in the family business than he ever planned to be.

This movie is definitely ahead of its time, even though it is set in the past, but to be fair it is a little over-hyped for what it is. There are some nice touches and some genuinely shocking moments, but combined with an overly long runtime and some honestly poor acting from Brando, and this is realistically speaking not that impressive a film.

You’ll like this if you liked : Goodfellas

Blonde And Blonder (2007) 5/10

Starring : Pamela Anderson, Denise Richards, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Meghan Ory
Director : Dean Hamilton
Running Time : 96 mins

Idiot blondes Dee Twiddle (Anderson) and Dawn St Dom (Richards) become firm friends when they accidentally steal a plane during a flying lesson, but soon find themselves in trouble again when they are mistaken for a pair of female assassins for hire.

When bad acting is combined with bad scripting, you'll usually end up with a film like this. Having said that, I've seen movies that were a hell of a lot worse than this that were much better known. Anderson and Richards do their best, but it really isn't good enough to make this anything more than a female led Dumb And Dumber with some elements of Police Academy thrown in for bad measure.

You’ll like this if you liked : Who's Your Caddy?

From Paris With Love (2010) 7/10

Starring : John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak
Director : Pierre Morel
Running Time : 88 mins

French Ambassadors assistant James Reece (Meyers) is teamed up with special agent Charlie Wax (Travolta) when there are alerted to the possibility of a terrorist attack in Paris. As they travel through the criminal world in search of information, James discovers that he has actually been targeted by the same group that are planning the attack.

Having heard a great deal of negative press about this movie, I was pleasantly surprised after watching it. Granted, it's not Oscar material, and Steven Seagal could easily have played the Travolta role, but fans of action movies with silly story lines and predictable twists will no doubt enjoy this offering.

You’ll like this if you liked : Taken