The Boys And Girls Guide To Getting Down (2006) 6/10

Starring : Cricket Leigh, Kat Turner
Director : Paul Sapiano
Running Time : 93 mins

In this tongue-in-cheek look at the lives of a group of young clubbers looking for fun in the party spots of LA we are invited to observe the various pitfalls that may arise when going out on the pull or simply just looking for a good time through the consumption of copious drinks and various drugs.

This manages not to slip into out and out parody by coming across as a reasonably serious documentary. It’s only the content itself that proves that this is satirical look at the various club scenes that are out there and how it’s believed that an awful lot of planning goes into those poorly orchestrated nights out on the town. It has it’s moments, but overall this is a pretty amateur effort.

You’ll like this if you liked : It’s All Gone Pete Tong

Date Night (2010) 8/10

Starring : Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg
Director : Shawn Levy
Running Time : 102 mins

Phil Foster (Carell) and his wife Claire (Fey) are a typical married couple who try to keep the romance in their life alive by setting aside one night a week as date night, but when they take someone else’s reservations at a fancy restaurant they find themselves caught up in a case of mistaken identity that leads them into the criminal underworld.

This is one of those silly movies that are so popular at the moment, and I’m glad they are. The funfilled action and slapstick comedy combines perfectly to produce another hit movie that is filled with little chucklesome moments that are sure to appeal to anyone with a sense of humour.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Hangover

[Rec] (2007) 8/10

Starring : Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, Jorge-Yamam Serrano
Director : Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza
Running Time : 76 mins

News reporter Angela Vidal (Velasco) has been asked to cover a story on the local fire department and their typical work night. When she joins the crew on a simple call out to an apartment block where an old woman has trapped herself in her home, she and the firemen find themselves under quarantine and under attack from an unknown source of evil.

This is such a great movie. What starts out like a light hearted documentary about a fire department soon turns into a nasty outbreak movie where anyone can get infected, then finally turns into an out-and-out horror fest. True horror fans should be able to look past the subtitles and see one of the best horror movies of recent years. And if you can’t, it was remade as Quarantine.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Descent

Killers (2010) 7/10

Starring : Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Selleck
Director : Robert Luketic
Running Time : 95 mins

Whilst on holiday, Jen Kornfeldt (Heigl) meets Spencer Aimes (Kutcher), the man of her dreams, and soon the two get married and move in with each other. Unfortunately, Spencer used to be a government hired hitman and there’s now a price on his head. No-one can be trusted, and danger looms at every corner, even in a middle-class suburban neighbourhood.

This movie is highly reminiscent of Mr & Mrs Smith – the only difference is that this manages to pull off the comedy element in a much more successful fashion, thanks to a sterling comedy cast. Heigl and Kutcher make their relationship believable, while the supporting cast manage to pull off the appearance of both typical suburbanites and hired assassins.

You’ll like this if you liked : Mr And Mrs Smith

The Bank Job (2008) 6/10

Starring : Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Campbell Moore
Director : Roger Donaldson
Running Time : 108 mins

Desperate for a bit of extra money, dodgy geezer Terry Leather (Statham) takes a job from his associate Martine Love (Burrows) to rob a bank that’s apparently going to have its alarms off for a few weeks. Little does he realise that the real plan of his organiser is to get her hands on a safety deposit box that contains incriminating photos of a member of the royal family.

This movie was okay, but someone other than Statham might have better done it justice. The plot is intricate, yet executed in an almost lazy way that makes it seem far simpler than it really is. Shame on classic director Roger Donaldson for directing such a hamfisted heist movie. There is a lot of action in the second half, if you can make it past the first half, but this is only worth watching if bank robbery movies really tickle your fancy.

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

Sorority Row (2009) 8/10

Starring : Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Audrina Partridge, Carrie Fisher
Director : Stewart Hendler
Running Time : 97 mins

When a simple prank goes horribly wrong and results in the death of one of their sorority sisters, a group of teenage girls find themselves the target of a vengeful serial killer who will stop at nothing to kill them all.

This remake of a little known 80s slasher movie is actually pretty entertaining. The first accidental death comes as something of a surprise, and the subsequent murders are as entertaining as any you might find in Scream. The characters aren’t as one dimensional as in similar movies, and this helps flesh them out and make the movie far more gripping than it could have been. To be honest, I’m surprised there don’t seem to be any plans for a sequel...

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

Cop Out (2010) 6/10

Starring : Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Seann William Scott
Director : Kevin Smith
Running Time : 108 mins

Following a suspension for a bungled drug bust, New York cop Jimmy Monroe (Willis) is forced to try to sell his most prized possession – an extremely valuable baseball card – in order to pay for his daughter’s wedding, but when the card is stolen he is forced to enlist the help of his unorthodox partner, Paul Hodges (Morgan), to help him get it back in time.

It’s sad to see Kevin Smith directing what many would consider a sell out movie. The buddy cop movie is taken to a serious low as once-respected action star Bruce Willis is teamed up with one-trick-pony Tracy Morgan. It makes me wonder if the title is playing on the fact that all the respectable people involved in this movie have in fact copped out. Still, if you look passed the poor acting and the poor comic timing, this isn’t too bad a cop movie really.

You’ll like this if you liked : Showtime

Paranormal Activity (2007) 7/10

Starring : Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat
Director : Oren Peli
Running Time : 87 mins

A young couple move into their new home only to find their peace disturbed by strange noises, especially at night, but when they speak to some experts about what might be causing the noises they find that their home may be haunted by a poltergeist. In order to find out if this is true or not, they start to film themselves while they sleep in the hope of finding the source behind the noises.

Presented to appear as a real life horror documentary, this is a slow moving yet affective film. The two leads manage to keep the scare tactics realistic and don’t go too over the top, but the movie does tend to plod on at times which might make some people tune out before it gets to the really scary stuff.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Blair Witch Project

I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) 6/10

Starring : Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann
Director : Glenn Ficarra & John Requa
Running Time : 94 mins

Happily married Police Officer Steven Russell (Carrey) gets involved in a car accident which prompts him to re-evaluate his life to date. He decides that life is too short and comes out as a homosexual, and also starts to live the lifestyle of a conman. Eventually he gets caught and sent to prison where he meets and falls in love with Phillip Morris (McGregor) and promptly decides to devote his life to freeing the man of his dreams.

This slightly disjointed comedy caper lacks some of the humour you’d normally expect from a Jim Carrey comedy but still has all of the mad cap action. Carrey isn’t exactly likeable in the lead role, and it’s difficult to see what Russell sees in Morris, but a true story’s a true story so it least it has a feeling of not having been tampered with to suit Hollywood’s needs.

You’ll like this if you liked : Let's Go To Prison

Alice In Wonderland (2010) 7/10

Starring : Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway
Director : Tim Burton
Running Time : 109 mins

A grown up Alice (Wasikowska) is faced with a decision regarding her forthcoming nuptials, and while she is deciding what to do she falls through a hole that leads her back into the nightmare land of her youth, Underland. There she discovers her reason in life – to dethrone the evil Red Queen (Bonham Carter) and return the rightful White Queen (Hathaway) to her throne.

Filmed in typical Tim Burton style, this sort of sequel to Alice In Wonderland looks and feels impressive. Sadly it is stopped from being supremely excellent by an Alice that doesn't really do much acting and a Mad Hatter who does nothing but overact. Granted, I'm a big fan of Johnny Depp, but his over the top antics become a little bit unbearable as this movie progresses. Still, it's definitely worth a look.

You’ll like this if you liked : Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

Death Note L Change The World (2008) 7/10

Starring : Kenichi Matsuyama, Sota Aoyama, Shunji Fujimura
Director : Hideo Nakata
Running Time : 129 mins

L (Matsuyama), the mysterious detective responsible for investigating the infamous Death Note murders, has only twenty-three days left to live before the Death Note finally kills him. During this short period, he investigates a threat to humanity from a highly infectious virus that is planned to be unleashed on the world’s population unless he can stop the bioterrorist group responsible.

This is an intriguing finale to the Death Note series of movies as right from the start we already know the fate of the hero. Matsuyama continues to play his enigmatic role to a tee, and the supporting cast make this a downbeat yet action filled final instalment to a fascinating series of movies.

You’ll like this if you liked : Death Note : The Last Name

Shutter Island (2010) 7/10

Starring : Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max Von Sydow
Director : Martin Scorsese
Running Time : 139 mins

US Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) is tasked with the investigation of a patient who disappeared from the Ashecliffe Hopsital on the remote Shutter Island, but as he is faced with uncooperative staff and the sneaking sense that something is going on that he can’t explain, Daniels starts to question his own sanity and wonders if anything he has experienced is real.

This is one of those movies where, if your concentration slips, it’ll take a while to get back on track as to what’s happening. Thankfully it’s unlikely that any viewers concentration will slip in this sinister mind game thriller. The only problem was it was just too long, and despite having enough to keep your mind occupied, you won’t be able to stop yourself from glancing at your watch around the 90 minute mark.

You’ll like this if you liked : Secret Window

Kick-Ass (2009) 9/10

Starring : Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong
Director : Matthew Vaughn
Running Time : 113 mins

High school comic fan Dave Lizewski (Johnson) wants nothing more than to be popular, so he decides to become a super hero in spite oft he fact that he has no special abilities to speak of. As he delves further into the world of the masked avenger, he meets a father daughter team of do-gooders known as Big Daddy (Cage) and Hit-Girl (Moretz) as well as coming face to face with the evil criminal underbelly of the city in the form of Frank D-Amico (Strong).

This is by far and away the best comic book adaptation in a very long time. Even though Johnson isn't the best actor, that doesn't matter when you have a supporting cast including Nicolas Cage in his best acting role in decades, Chloe Moretz as the irrepressible Hit-Girl and even Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Mark Strong as the villains of the piece make this an unforgettable comedy action adventure.

You’ll like this if you liked : Hot Fuzz

Extraordinary Measures (2010) 6/10

Starring : Brendan Fraser, Harrison Ford, Keri Russell
Director : Tom Vaughan
Running Time : 107 mins

In a last ditch attempt to save the lives of their two children who are dying from a rare genetic illness called Pomp disease, John Crowley (Fraser) and his wife Aileen (Russell) enlist the help of unconventional research scientist Robert Stonehill (Ford), who may have produced an enzyme that could battle the disease if they can raise enough money for him to continue his research.

This is one of those slightly depressing feel good movies that the public love. Personally I found it a little to overplayed, especially by Ford who is almost as over-the-top-angry as he is in his upcoming movie Morning Glory. Fraser, however, plays it surprisingly well and, in spite of the Hollywood ending, he manages to keep his role as the anguished father as realistic as possible.

You’ll like this if you liked : My Sister’s Keeper

K-PAX (2001) 8/10

Starring : Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Mary McCormack, Alfre Woodard
Director : Ian Softley
Running Time : 116 mins

A mental patient who claims to be an alien from another planet named Prot (Spacey) finds himself in a mental institution under the care of psychiatrist Doctor Mark Powell (Bridges). As their relationship progresses, Powell starts to doubt his own explanations for why Prot believes himself to be a space alien and slowly starts to think that maybe Prot isn't as crazy as everyone thinks.

This was a surprisingly engrossing and entertaining movie that I thoroughly enjoyed. Managing to be a sci-fi movie without any actual science fiction made this all the more fascinating, and by keeping the ending ambiguous the writers and director manages not to spoil the whole point of the movie – blind faith.

You’ll like this if you liked : Michael

Leap Year (2010) 7/10

Starring : Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott
Director : Anand Tucker
Running Time : 100 mins

After a five year relationship with her boyfriend Jeremy (Scott), Anna Brady (Adams) decides to travel to Ireland to surprise him by proposing on February 29th, Leap Day, but her plans don’t go so smoothly when her flight is redirected and she has to rely on the help of unconventional Irish cabbie Declan (Goode) to get her to her destination on time.

In spite of being one of the most predictable romantic comedies I’ve ever seen, this was still a likeable romp. The chemistry is there between the two leads, but the speed at which their relationship blooms is a little too unrealistic. Not to spoil the plot, but they are pretty much at each other’s throats until the closing scenes of the film!

You’ll like this if you liked : The Ugly Truth

I’m Not There. (2007) 5/10

Starring : Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger
Director : Todd Haynes
Running Time : 136 mins

This mocumentary looks into the life of Bob Dylan and the many personalities he embodied throughout his decades spanning musical career.

Although enlightening, and featuring some wonderfully rye performances from those playing Dyaln, this was overlong and overplayed and inevitably boring. Die-hard Dylan fans will enjoy the insights into his life and the soundtrack is pure Dylan (which is unusual for a documentary style movie which would normally focus on talk rather than song), but overall is was just too long winded without being as insightful as it could have been.

You’ll like this if you liked : Nowhere Boy

The Book Of Eli (2010) 8/10

Starring : Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis
Director : Albert & Allen Hughes
Running Time : 118 mins

A lone drifter named Eli (Washington) travels across the American desert in a post-apocalyptic future where cannibals roam in search of food. Eli’s only true companion is a mysterious book which brings him his only real solace, but when he meets a man named Carnegie (Oldman) he finds his grasp on the book at risk.

Surprisingly I found this movie thoroughly enjoyable. As usual Oldman is brilliant as the apparent villain of the piece, but it is Washington’s performance eas the understated hero that makes the movie so interesting. He is suitably downbeat and manages to get us as viewers to like him without him actually doing anything to earn our trust.

You’ll like this if you liked : Mad Max