Two Little Boys (2012) 7/10

Starring : Bret McKenzie, Hamish Blake, Maaka Pohatu, Filip Berg
Director : Robert Sarkies
Running Time : 102 mins

When Nige (McKenzie) accidentally kills a backpacker on a late night drive, he turns to his childhood friend Deano (Blake) to help dispose of the body. It isn’t long before his one-time best friend starts causing more trouble for Nige, culminating in him wanting to murder Nige’s new best friend Gav (Pohatu).

This could have been so much fun if the methods of getting rid of the body had have been more imaginative. The failed bromance between McKenzie and Blake is what does manage to keep this watchable, and the progressive insanity of Blake keeps you guessing as to what madcap idea he will come up with next. Fans of Flight Of The Conchords will be please to see that McKenzie has more than one string to his bow as his character here is very different, and Blake manages to remain both funny and sinister throughout the movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Sightseers

We're The Millers (2013) 8/10

Starring : Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts, Nick Offerman, Kathryn Hahn, Will Poulter, Ed Helms
Director : Rawson Marshall Thurber
Running Time : 119 mins

When minor drug dealer David Clark (Sudeikis) gets his stash stolen, his supplier Brad Gurdlinger (Helms) forces him to pick up a shipment from Mexico and deliver it to him. In order to avoid suspicion, David ask stripper Rose (Aniston) to pose as his wife and, along with homeless girl Casey (Roberts) and his teenage neighbour Kenny (Poulter) pretending to be their kids, they hire an RV and head across the border. But it isn’t long before the real owner of the drug shipment finds out and tries to kill them.

This was pretty funny, though a little long, with some good performances and nice cameos throughout. Sudeikis and Aniston make a great on screen partnership, and it’s nice to see Sudeikis in a lead role. Poulter is great as the loser neighbour kid and comes across as a young Lee Evans, and Roberts is okay, though not outstanding. Fans of movies like Due Date or The Hangover will love this not-quite gross-out comedy, so enjoy.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Joneses

Moulin Rouge! (2001) 6/10

Starring : Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh
Director : Baz Luhrmann
Running Time : 128 mins

It’s 1899, and a young English writer named Christian (McGregor) travels to Paris, France to join the Bohemian revolution of the time. There he discovers a night club called the Moulin Rouge and falls for one of the star dancers, Satine (Kidman), who mistakes him for an investor. Their love affair, however, meets with challenges as the real investor, The Duke (Roxburgh), loves her too and wants to keep them apart by any means possible.

This musical drama takes a lot from Shakespeare, with its play within a play mirroring what is happening in real life, and its use of modern music is interesting, but it’s a little over long and at times quite boring. Musical fans might find this fun, but other movie goers will struggle at times to maintain interest in this average movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Mamma Mia!

Bad Neighbours (2014) 7/10

Starring : Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Carla Gallo
Director : Nicholas Stoller
Running Time : 97 mins

Suburbanites Mac Radner (Rogen) and his wife Kelly (Byrne) have a new born baby and have just settled in to a new peaceful neighbourhood, but when a college fraternity move in next door they discover that their quiet life is being disturbed nightly and when the police won’t do anything about it they soon find that they have entered a battle of wills with the college kids to see who will survive the crazy plots to get rid of the other neighbour.

This comedy has its moments, and feels at times like a modern day Animal House, but the fact that the couple complaining about the childish behaviour of their neighbours are just as childish can at times cause them to lose any sympathy I might have had for them. Fans of Rogen and Byrne’s other comedies will enjoy this, and many might be surprised that Efron is turning into something of a comedy star himself.

You’ll like this if you liked : Role Models

Nothing But The Truth (2008) 7/10

Starring : Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Angela Bassett, Alan Alda, Vera Farmiga
Director : Rod Lurie
Running Time : 107 mins

Political reporter Rachel Armstrong (Beckinsale) sees an opportunity to further her career and possibly win a Pulitzer by writing a story claiming that the President ignored vital information from an undercover CIA agent, but when she names the agent in the report she is arrested for contempt for not naming her source, and finds her civil rights under threat.

This courtroom drama really shows how ridiculous the American legal system can be. So, there’s one rule that says you can plead the Fifth Amendment so as not to incriminate yourself, but then there’s another rule that says you can claim that by pleading the Fifth you are committing treason? How does that work? As the movie progresses, Beckinsale’s character finds her life going down the toilet, and although this could have been done in a less obvious way it is still an interesting view of how one person can stand against their government on a principle. Plus the twist in the tale, though predictable, is still affective and touching.

You’ll like this if you liked : Fair Game

Straight A's (2013) 6/10

Starring : Ryan Phillippe, Anna Paquin, Luke Wilson, Riley Thomas Stewart, Ursula Parker
Director : James Cox
Running Time : 89 mins

Recovering alcohol and drug addict Scott (Phillippe) returns to his home town after ten years in and out of rehab after being prompted by the ghost of his dead mother to return to his family and make amends with his brother William (Wilson), who married his childhood sweetheart Katherine (Paquin) after Scott left her at the altar. He is met with little tolerance from his brother and sister-in-law, but makes an unlikely friend in his nephew Charles (Stewart).

This drama is pretty basic, and doesn’t really go anywhere for over an hour, but then we are faced with the true reasons behind Scott’s visit and this becomes something of a tearjerker. His influence in visiting seems to have been to bring the rest of his family closer together which, I guess, worked reasonably well. This isn’t very deep, and doesn’t explore the characters as much as it could have, and some more humour would have been nice, but it’s watchable.

You’ll like this if you liked : Life As We Know It

Heaven (2002) 7/10

Starring : Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi, Remo Girone
Director : Tom Tykwer
Running Time : 98 mins

Following the death of her husband from an accidental drug overdose, Philippa Paccard (Blanchett) decides to take vengeance against one of Italy’s biggest drug dealers by planting a bomb in his office. When the attempt on his life fails, instead killing an innocent man, his two daughters and a maid, she finds herself being charged as a member of a terrorist organization. Police translator Filippo (Ribisi) decides to help her escape when he looks into her background and discovers she is not a terrorist, and he finds himself falling for her.

Although slow paced, this is an interesting movie that manages to keep the viewer’s interest in what will happen to the main two characters. The only thing that is fast paced about this movie is the relationship of Philippa and Filippo, who quickly fall for each other, and Filippo risks his career for Philippa without even knowing that much about her. This is a pleasant enough romantic drama that clearly delivers what it sets out to accomplish.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Next Three Days

The Nut Job (2014) 6/10

Starring : Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl
Director : Peter Lepeniotis
Running Time : 80 mins

After being exiled from a local park by his fellow animals, a selfish squirrel named Surly (Arnett) discovers a nut store filled with goodies that will keep him going through the winter. Realising the difficulty of securing the cache on his own, Surly strikes up a deal with squirrels Andie (Heigl) and Grayson (Fraser) to go halves on what they can get, but little do they realise that the nut store is a cover for a team of bank robbers.

Although the animation is nice enough, the characters don’t really spring out as individuals other than in a purely superficial sense. The voices aren’t anything memorable, and the silly appearance by Psy singing Gangnam Style in the end credits seemed weird to me. The concept is interesting, with the bank robbers finding themselves under attack by wildlife trying to rob their hideout, but the lack of impressive characters made this an easily forgettable movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Over The Hedge

Aftershock (2012) 6/10

Starring : Eli Roth, Andrea Osvart, Ariel Levy, Natasha Yarovenko, Nicolas Martinez, Lorenza Izzo
Director : Nicolas Lopez
Running Time : 90 mins

Whilst on holiday in Chile, a group of tourists find their lives in terrible danger when an earthquake hits. Initially some are killed, and the quakes subside, but as a result a local prison is damaged and all of the criminals escape, leaving the surviving tourists wondering which will kill them first; the quakes or the criminals?

To be honest, this could have been worse, but rather annoyingly the makers decided that a natural disaster wasn’t enough to play with, and instead through in a prison break to make things even harder for the cast of characters. This starts off looking like a rip off of The Hangover, even having one cast member looking almost exactly like Zach Galifianakis (which may or may not be intentional), but after about half an hour when the nightclub starts to cave in, events turn to disaster for everyone involved. This is worth watching if you like disaster movies, but be warned that this is over the top nonsense at best.

You’ll like this if you liked : Hostel Part II

Runner Runner (2013) 6/10

Starring : Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton, Anthony Mackie, Ben Affleck
Director : Brad Furman
Running Time : 92 mins

When Princeton student Richie Furst (Timberlake) discovers that he has been conned out of his money by an online gambling site, he takes a trip to Costa Rica to confront Ivan Block (Affleck), the illusive billionaire who runs the website. Apparently impressed by his ability to spot the con, Block offers Richie the chance to make an immense fortune by working with him, but when the FBI turn up at Richie’s door, he finds himself having to decide who he can trust.

This over-the-top thriller makes a man who runs a gambling site look like a Columbian drug lord. On the whole these sites are harmless, so why Affleck’s character chooses to torture people to make his money is beyond me. And the FBI agents were no better, basically beating up on a guy they want to help them out. Timberlake and Affleck are okay in this, but by no means is this Oscar worthy or even really noteworthy. Don’t bother if you’re expecting a great thriller, but try it out if you can live with watching a mediocre one.

You’ll like this if you liked : 21

Hesher (2010) 8/10

Starring : Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Devin Brochu, Rainn Wilson, Piper Laurie, Natalie Portman
Director : Spencer Susser
Running Time : 102 mins

Following the death of his mother, TJ (Brochu) finds life difficult, what with his father Paul (Wilson) suffering from depression and the school bully hassling him all the time. So when he runs into a man called Hesher (Gordon-Levitt) – who, uninvited, moves into his house – and also falls in love with a checkout girl called Nicole (Portman), he finds his life getting even more complicated.

There seems to have been a trend for these kind of movies coming out of the States in the last decade or so, where there is little plot and everything is based around characters and their reactions rather than any particular linear events that might come along to interrupt their lives. Saying that, this is still a really good film that really allows Gordon-Levitt to show that he is so much more than just Tommy in Third Rock From The Sun. Some great performances all round, even if some of the story didn’t really gel quite as well as it could have.

You’ll like this if you liked : Mud

Jack Ryan : Shadow Recruit (2014) 6/10

Starring : Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Kenneth Branagh, Keira Knightley
Director : Kenneth Branagh
Running Time : 106 mins

CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Pine) uncovers a possible plot to collapse the United States economy and travels to Russia to investigate Viktor Cherevin (Branagh), the man whose company holds the suspicious funds. But as his investigation continues he discovers that the plot may have far more deadly repercussions than merely affecting the economy...

Knightley really ruined this for me, mainly because I couldn’t tell if she was trying to put on the worst plumy American accent ever or if her natural accent has just started to slide further west across the Atlantic. Fans of Clancy’s books might feel cheated that this is an original script and something akin to a prequel of the series, and some of the violence used in the film feels completely at odds with the subtle plan to ruin the American economy. Still, if you like ridiculous Mission : Impossible style movies then this might keep you entertained once it gets going.

You’ll like this if you liked : Mission : Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Precious (2009) 8/10

Starring : Gabourney Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey
Director : Lee Daniels
Running Time : 110 mins

Sixteen year old Claireece Precious Jones (Sidibe) is kicked out of school when she gets pregnant by her father for the second time and is forced to attend an alternative school where she is taught by the oddly named Blue Rain (Patton) who tries to show Precious and the rest of the girls in her class that they aren’t stupid and that they can have a future.

This story starts off as a tale of hope, but as it progresses some of the hope seems to dwindle, especially when Precious receives some devastating news about her health. For the majority of the time the acting is solid and feels real, and the supporting cast – including a barely recognisable Mariah Carey – put in some great performances which make this an effective and memorable movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Blind Side

The Hangover Part III (2013) 6/10

Starring : Bradley Copper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor, Justin Bartha, John Goodman
Director : Todd Phillips
Running Time : 100 mins

When his father Sid (Tambor) has a heart attack and dies, Alan (Galifianakis) is taken to the hospital by the Wolfpack, who believe he needs to be treated for his mental issues. But on the way, they are attacked and Doug (Bartha) is once again kidnapped by a gang who demand the others deliver the recently escaped from prison Mr Chow (Jeong) to them or they will kill him.

This was a horrible end to an otherwise great series, with a plot that has little or nothing to do with being hung over. I think the main problem with this apparently final instalment of the series is that it focuses too much on the character of Alan, who works as a secondary characters but falls apart when too much attention is placed on him. We are given an unlikeable insight into not only Alan, but the rest of the Wolfpack who, it seems, become even less likeable when they sober up. Their drunkenness worked well in the previous movies as an excuse for them, but here they have no excuse for being so unpleasant. I’d advise simply watching the mid-credits scene, which basically is what this whole movie should have been.

You’ll like this if you liked : Due Date

Mona Lisa Smile (2003) 7/10

Starring : Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ginnifer Goodwin, Dominic West, Juliet Stevenson, Marcia Gay Harden
Director : Mike Newell
Running Time : 120 mins

It’s 1953, and when Katherine Ann Watson (Roberts) takes a job at Wellesley College teaching art history to young girls, she is horrified to discover that so many of these brilliant women are going to choose a life as a wife and mother rather than using their intellect to pursue the careers they are studying for. Her attempts to teach them how to view things differently is embraced by some of her students, but formidable student Betty Warren (Dunst) causes no end of problems due to her disliking of anything she deems subversive.

This wasn’t a bad movie, though it was basically Dead Poets Society for girls. The performances are on the whole effective and interesting, with a very nasty role for Dunst. Roberts could have been better, but in a way by being a pretty flat character she makes the rest of the cast seem more lively and effective as the movie progresses. The only bad thing I’d have to say about this movie is that Roberts character has barely any effect as she tries to change the lives of the girls she teaches, and it is more events themselves that cause them to change their view of the world.

You’ll like this if you liked : Dead Poets Society

That Awkward Moment (2014) 7/10

Starring : Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B Jordan, Imogen Poots, Mackenzie Davis, Jessica Lucas
Director : Tom Gormican
Running Time : 95 mins

When Mikey (Jordan) discovers that his marriage is falling apart, his two best friends Jason (Efron) and Daniel (Teller) agree to stay single to help him through his ordeal, but it isn’t long before the three womanisers meet women that they want to spend more than just a one night stand with.

The three main characters (or at least Efron and Teller) are about as unlikeable as you can get, yet the story of these womanisers finally settling down is actually pretty good, even though the one-liners do at times feel rehearsed. It’s hard to believe that any of these guys could possibly woo any woman into their bed (especially Teller whose character has all the charisma of a damp sponge), but this just leads us into what is basically a story of three boys growing up and realising that life isn’t all about scoring with chicks and who can lay the biggest number.

You’ll like this if you liked : No Strings Attached

Being Flynn (2012) 6/10

Starring : Robert De Niro, Paul Dano, Julianne Moore, Olivia Thirlby
Director : Paul Weitz
Running Time : 102 mins

Aspiring writer Nick Flynn (Dano) takes a job in a Boston homeless shelter, where he encounters his father Jonathan (De Niro) after over twenty years of being absent from his life. When Jonathan takes up residence in the shelter, Nick starts to worry that he might end up like his father.

This slow paced drama really wastes some of the talents involved; turning what could have been a nice look at the life of a young man who wants nothing more than to not turn into his father into an at times boring melodrama. Dano and De Niro do their best with the material available, but the subtlety of Dano morphing into his father is partly spoilt by the choice to make De Niro mentally unstable, when Dano shows little sign of a similar affliction, and really doesn’t do the memoir on which this is based justice.

You’ll like this if you liked : Margot At The Wedding

The Numbers Station (2013) 6/10

Starring : John Cusack, Malin Akerman, Liam Cunningham
Director : Kasper Barfoed
Running Time : 89 mins

When he fails his psych evaluation, black ops agent Emerson Kent (Cusack) is given a seemingly simple task of looking after the well being of code announcer Katherine (Ackerman) and the remote numbers station to which she is assigned, but it isn’t long before what first seemed to be an easy task turns into his most dangerous assignment yet.

This movie is simply a case of poor casting. Cusack really didn’t feel like he was the right person to play the lead in this thriller, and Ackerman is just too good looking to be holed up in a remote numbers station. The plot is one that I’ve come across plenty of times before, with the added twist of Cusack being an assassin that doesn’t like assassinating people anymore but finding himself forced to kill over and over again.

You’ll like this if you liked : Mercury Rising

The Ledge (2011) 7/10

Starring : Charlie Hunnam, Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson, Terrence Howard
Director : Matthew Chapman
Running Time : 101 mins

Detective Hollis Lucetti (Howard) is called in to talk down Gavin Nicholls (Hunnam), a man attempting to jump from a building. As he tries to persuade him not to jump, Lucetti is told the reasons behind Nicholls suicide attempt – he is being blackmailed into killing himself to save someone else’s life.

It's probably the climax of the movie that makes it so interesting. This pits religious fanaticism against stubborn atheism in a most unusual way. By threatening Hunnam, Wilson tries to prove that his religious beliefs are stronger than Hunnam’s belief in his love for Tyler, but what transpires forces the viewer to question who is right; the man who believes in an afterlife or the man who is willing to leave this life to save a loved one. Some interesting thoughts can be found here, but a lot of the execution is a little one-sided.

You’ll like this if you liked : Phone Booth

Mr Peabody & Sherman (2014) 9/10

Starring : Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann
Director : Ron Minkoff
Running Time : 93 mins

Super intelligent dog Mr Peabody (Burrell) won the right to adopt a human boy, Sherman (Charles), and together they travel through time with the aid of a machine called The Way Back to learn more about their world, but when school bully Penny Peterson (Winter) hijacks the time machine they find themselves having to prevent the very destruction of reality itself.

This is a fun and, surprisingly, educational movie that manages to mix humour and action with expert ease. It’s nice to see a remake that is so well done and actually pretty decent, plus the amount of puns were so groan worthy that you couldn’t help but laugh. Granted, Sherman did say he didn’t get it a few too many times for an apparent genius, and the relationship between Sherman and Penny moved far to unrealistically unless you look at it as a friendship based on what Sherman could get for Penny, but all in all this is a very entertaining kids film with enough to keep adults amused as well.

You’ll like this if you liked : Free Birds

The Contractor (2007) 6/10

Starring : Wesley Snipes, Eliza Bennett, Lena Headey, Ralph Brown, Charles Dance
Director : Josef Rusnak
Running Time : 95 mins

Years after a failed operation in which he allowed the escape of a terrorist cell leader, former CIA agent James Jackson Dial (Snipes) is approached by his former boss Jeremy Collins (Brown) with news that the escaped criminal has been captured in London. Dial is given the opportunity to take him out, but when things don’t go according to plan, Dial finds himself on the run when Collins frames him for murder.

Snipes gives his usual level of performance as the man framed for something he didn’t do, but in this movie he actually did commit a murder, just not the one he’s being chased for. On the surface the plot sounds complex, but it is actually a little hokey and generic with the crooked cops and helpful kid thrown in to really make this as simple as possible. Fans of Van Damme and Seagal will enjoy this, but if you prefer your action movies complex and character driven, then steer clear.

You’ll like this if you liked : Shooter

The Way, Way Back (2013) 7/10

Starring : Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Liam James
Director : Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
Running Time : 104 mins

Fourteen year old Duncan (James) is forced by his mother Pam (Colette) to spend the summer at the summer place that belongs to her boyfriend Trent (Carell). There he makes friends with water park manager Owen (Rockwell) – a forty-something big kid who loves to wind people up – and finds himself realising his isn’t as big a loser as he once thought himself to be.

Like many other movies, such as Little Miss Sunshine or The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, this movie is more about a mental journey for the characters rather than actually having a plotline. Thankfully there is some light humour from Rockwell, and although James isn’t the strongest of leads, the supporting cast and their changes through the movie make this a pretty fun drama.

You’ll like this if you liked : Youth In Revolt

Hulk Vs (2009) 6/10

Starring : Fred Tatasciore, Matt Wolf, Steve Blum, Graham McTavish, Grey DeLisle, Nolan North, Bryce Johnson
Director : Sam Liu & Frank Paur
Running Time : 83 mins

Hulk (Tatasciore) is lured to Asgard by the evil Loki (McTavish) to destroy his brother Thor (Wolf) by separating the Hulk from Bruce Banner (Johnson) and taking control of him. Then, when Hulk shows up in Canada, he finds himself facing off against Wolverine (Blum) who thinks he is responsible for the massacre of a village, but soon discovers that those behind the attack are his old Department H colleagues.

These two Marvel comics short animated stories, combined into one feature, are nowhere near as good as they could be. The animation is great, but the characters are a little lacking. Fanso f Hulk, Wolverine or Thor will enjoy seeing them in action, but basically that’s all there is to it on the whole – the Versus Wolverine story doesn’t even really have an ending.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Invincible Iron Man

The Other Woman (2014) 8/10

Starring : Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Don Johnson
Director : Nick Cassavetes
Running Time : 110 mins

Carly Whitten (Diaz) accidentally discovers that her new boyfriend Mark King (Coster-Waldau) is married when she meets his wife Kate (Mann). The two soon team up when they discover that Mark has been cheating on them both with sexy twenty-something Amber (Upton), and the three of them come up with a ploy to pay him back for his infidelities.

This is a likeable movie that people seem to brand as a chick flick. Personally I see this as a comedy revenge movie that is perfectly acted and filled with humorous scenes. I loved the relationship between Diaz and Mann, and how Mann latched on to the woman who normally she would see as an enemy but instead saw as an ally, a sounding board and a window into her husband’s secret life. A funny comedy that may not contain many surprises but it certainly makes up for that with laughs.

You’ll like this if you liked : This Is 40

Big Top Scooby-Doo! (2012) 7/10

Starring : Frank Welker, Mindy Cohn, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle
Director : Ben Jones
Running Time : 78 mins

In the eighteenth of the direct to video Scooby-Doo series, Scooby-Doo (Welker) and the gang take a vacation to Atlantic City, but when they discover that a string of jewel robberies - in which the victims have reported that a werewolf committed the crimes – have been linked to a circus that has been travelling the country, the gang soon find themselves involved in another mystery as they go undercover in the circus.

This is one of the better Scooby movies of recent years, with a nice bit of double bluff when the criminal is revealed. Fans of Scooby-Doo will enjoy this, but kids who like mystery movies and might not usually watch Scooby should give this a go too. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come and upcoming Scooby movies will be just as good.

You’ll like this if you liked : Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo

Oculus (2013) 7/10

Starring : Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Rory Cochrane, Katee Sackhoff
Director : Mike Flanagan
Running Time : 103 mins

Kaylie Russell (Gillan) attempts to clear the name of her brother Tim (Thwaites) who was committed to an institution eleven years earlier, after being accused of killing their parents. The truth, according to the siblings, is that a haunted mirror was responsible for controlling the minds of their parents and forcing them into violent deadly acts.

This slow paced psychological horror feels, at first, as if it is just a standard flick that uses spooks and clever camera tricks to garner scares out of people, but the beauty of this is it has so many layers if you care to look for them. You can either read it as it is presented – a family is tormented by a haunted mirror that gets them to kill each other – or you can see this as a clever movie that actually presents a haunted mirror that tricks people into thinking that events have happened when they are all in their head. Did the murders even take place? Or are the kids and their folks doomed from the moment they first looked in the mirror and never recovered? Decide for yourself.

You’ll like this if you liked : Mirrors

Green Lantern : Emerald Knights (2011) 7/10

Starring : Nathan Fillion, Jason Isaacs, Elisabeth Moss
Director : Christopher Berkley, Lauren Montgomery & Jay Oliva
Running Time : 84 mins

With the planet that houses the Green Lantern Corps being under threat from an enemy who wishes to destroy them all, the Lanterns evacuate the planet until their enemy can be stopped. Hal Jordan (Fillion), the Green Lantern of Earth, tells stories to new recruit Arisia (Moss), about the previous Lanterns, hoping to comfort her as they flee what had become their home.

Like Batman : Gotham Knights, this movie is more a series of stories connected by the Lantern Corp, explaining their origins and history for those who don’t already know. Unlike Gotham Knights, the animation here is consistent, which helps avoid the eye strain of multiple animation types. If you’re looking for a flowing story, then this won’t be for you, but if you’re happy to watch a series of vignettes with a common link that culminates in an action packed conclusion, then this will be right up your street.

You’ll like this if you liked : Batman : Gotham Knight

RoboCop (2014) 7/10

Starring : Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael K Williams, Jennifer Ehle, Jay Baruchel, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Samuel L Jackson
Director : Jose Padilha
Running Time : 118 mins

When Detroit cop Alex Murphy (Kinnaman) is badly injured, he is transformed into a half-man half-machine cyborg by a company called OmniCorp who want to introduce their robotic law enforcers into the United States. However, unlike their robot military drones, their new RoboCop holds on to its humanity even as it discovers just how little of his human side is left.

The strength of this remake lies in concentrating on the creation of RoboCop rather than just how much damage he can inflict on criminals. The moments with Murphy having to cope with being more machine than man, and realising that his basically a head with an arm, are the best moments of this movie. Fans of the original might be disappointed by the toned-down violence, but fans of futuristic sci-fi will love that the focus is on the science.

You’ll like this if you liked : Elysium

Les Miserables (2012) 8/10

Starring : Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen
Director : Tom Hooper
Running Time : 158 mins

Escaped criminal Jean Valjean (Jackman) finds himself on the run from single-minded Inspector Javert (Crowe) for eight years, soon taking a new identity and the role of mayor in a small French town. Having failed to help a working class woman named Fantine (Hathaway) after she is fired from her factory job, Valjean takes it upon himself to take care of her orphaned daughter against the background of the French Revolution.

I was actually surprised that this was quite enjoyable, not being a huge fan of conventionally dramatic musicals (I do have a soft spot for comic musicals such as Little Shop Of Horrors and A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum). The actors perform wonderfully in this overly-long movie which, if you can sit through the almost three hours of practically non-stop singing, remains entertaining with lyrically pleasing songs that easily depict exactly what is happening without creating too much exposition.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Phantom Of The Opera

In A World... (2013) 7/10

Starring : Lake Bell, Fred Melamed, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Demetri Martin, Rob Corddry, Alexandra Holden, Nick Offerman, Geena Davis, Eva Longoria
Director : Lake Bell
Running Time : 93 mins

Vocal coach Carol Solomon (Bell) is tired of living in the shadow of her father, famed trailer voice-over actor Sam Soto (Melamed), so she decides to try and become a voice over actor herself. When she is offered a lucrative job, everyone is stunned, including her father who jealously tries to steal the job from under her.

This is a movie that raises a very interesting point – why don’t more movie trailers have female voices over them? Bell expertly directs and stars in this comedy drama that explores love, life, and the competitive streak parents find they have against their own children. There are some slow moments, but the performances more than make up for this, as does the original and refreshing subject matter.

You’ll like this if you liked : Drinking Buddies

Puncture (2011) 7/10

Starring : Chris Evans, Mark Kassen, Michael Biehn, Brett Cullen, Marshall Bell, Jesse L Martin, Kate Burton, Vinessa Shaw
Director : Adam & Mark Kassen
Running Time : 100 mins

Mike Weiss (Evans) and Paul Danziger (Kassen) are lawyers who are hired by a nurse named Vicky Rogers (Shaw). She tells them of how she contracted AIDS from a needle stick, and that her friend Jeffrey Dancourt (Bell) has invented a retractable needle that will bring needle stick cases down from thousands to zero, but hospitals will not buy the needles. As they investigate they discover a monopoly on medical supplies that ignores progress in favour of value.

Scarily based on a true story, it is terrifying to think that hospitals would rather save a few bucks than protect their staff. There’s a little too much focus on the drug habits of Chris Evans character, which didn’t feel that necessary for the action to move ahead, but I guess if the person he is portraying had a drug habit the writers shouldn’t just ignore the fact, plus it becomes important towards the end. This is slow in places, and there are moments where it feels like someone has forgotten the point of the movie, but this quickly gets back on track and makes for an informative and dramatic watch.

You’ll like this if you liked : Extraordinary Measures

Cuban Fury (2014) 8/10

Starring : Nick Frost, Rashida Jones, Chris O’Dowd, Olivia Colman, Ian McShane
Director : James Griffiths
Running Time : 98 mins

As a child Bruce Garrett (Frost) and his sister Sam (Colman) won a number of salsa competitions, but after Bruce is beaten up for wearing outlandish costumes he gives up on his passion. When he meets his new boss, American Julia (Jones), he finds himself falling for her and, upon discovering that she loves salsa dancing, he decides to refresh his skills. But competition for Julia’s affections lies in the guise of co-worker Drew (O’Dowd) who will stop at nothing to get into her pants.

This likeable romantic comedy allows Frost to literally take the lead and really show his comedy genius without the help of his often-partner Simon Pegg. The supporting cast work wonders in this simple tale of love and salsa, with O’Dowd being an interesting and definitely unlikeable foil for Frost’s advances on Jones, with Jones managing to portray a character that is perfect for that played by Frost. A must see for all fans of rom-coms.

You’ll like this if you liked : Shall We Dance

Bad Kids Go To Hell (2012) 7/10

Starring : Amanda Alch. Marc Donato, Augie Duke, Roger Edwards, Ali Faulkner, Jeffrey Schmidt, Cameron Deane Stewart, Ben Browder, Judd Nelson
Director : Matthew Spradlin
Running Time : 93 mins

A group of school children find themselves in Saturday detention for various levels of bad behaviour, but when one of them collapses during an impromptu séance, the kids find themselves terrified for their lives as they all start acting out against each other.

I’ve read a lot of reviews for this teen comedy-thriller that have said just how terrible it is, but I actually thought it was pretty enjoyable. The plot soon explains itself when we realise towards the end what this group of kids are actually responsible for and the over-the-top bad kid identities of each character works beautifully. Fans of late nineties teen horrors like Scream or The Craft will enjoy this movie that hails back to the good old days of silly scary movies.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Hole

Machete Kills (2013) 6/10

Starring : Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard, Carlos Estevez, Damian Bichir, Mel Gibson
Director : Robert Rodriguez
Running Time : 104 mins

Machete Cortez (Trejo) is offered United States citizenship by the American President, Rathcock (Estevez), if he kills a man named Mendez (Bichir) who plans on launching a nuclear attack on Washington DC. Machete soon finds himself facing off against a weapons dealer named Luther Voz (Gibson) stationed in Mexico, who plans to set off a nuclear war before escaping into space.

This movie is so over the top it beggars belief, but it’s supposed to be. With villainous contraptions that turn people inside out, 3D sex-scenes that are reminiscent of Rodriquez’s broken film moment in Planet Terror, and some of the hammiest acting ever committed to film, not to mention the unconcealed rip-offs of Star Wars, this will appeal to those who find these sort of parodies hilarious. But be warned, some will not realise that this is a parody and feel that this is a badly scripted Van Damme-esque flick with little potential.

You’ll like this if you liked : Black Dynamite

3 Idiots (2009) 8/10

Starring : Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani
Director : Rajkumar Hirani
Running Time : 172 mins

Two friends reunite to visit their friend Rancho (Khan) at their old college, where their teachers frowned upon their attitude towards work and life as they chose happiness over the expectations of their families. Rancho was responsible for teaching them not to do what others expect of them and instead to follow their dreams or run the risk of facing suicidal tendencies due to pressure from those around them.

This fun comedy drama will no doubt divide many people into three camps – those who absolutely love it, those that think it’s over rated, and those that though it was just okay. Personally I’m in the last camp, finding that there were moments of old school slapstick that were quite funny, but that some of the characters were on too much of a pedestal to feel real. Worth watching, and there isn’t that much singing throughout, with what there is being relevant and not just random.

You’ll like this if you liked : Dead Poets Society

X-Men : Days Of Future Past (2014) 8/10

Starring : Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Peter Dinklage
Director : Bryan Singer
Running Time : 130 mins

With their lives in perpetual danger from the mutant hunting Sentinels, the X-Men send the consciousness of Wolverine (Jackman) back to the seventies to try and derail the Sentinel programme before it can begin by preventing the death of Dr Bolivar Trask (Dinklage) at the hands of shape-shifting mutant Raven (Lawrence), an event which pushed the programme through congress and convinced the public of the danger of mutant kind.

Although an at-times confusing movie that might force many people to give up if they think too much, this is a decent action flick that allows fans to see some of the lesser used characters from the comic books take centre stage in the Sentinel-filled future. The plot is complicated, but if you just let it flow over you, you will no doubt enjoy the error filled time-travel nonsense that manages to be so engrossing.

You’ll like this if you liked : X-Men : First Class

The Words (2012) 8/10

Starring : Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana
Director : Brian Klugman & Lee Sternthal
Running Time : 103 mins

Struggling writer Rory Jansen (Cooper) has been writing his novel for three years, but can’t find anyone who is willing to take a chance on him and publish his work. When he receives an old briefcase as a present from his wife Nora (Saldana), he finds inside the manuscript for a novel. Reading it, he realises just how good it is and, through a misunderstanding, gets the book published as his own work. When he meets an old man (Irons), the actual author, he is faced with a life-defining decision...

Jeremy Irons really makes this film with his slightly sinister yet defeated performance, but to be fair the entire cast are pretty impressive. I especially enjoyed the ambiguous ending that, although it does lean in one particular direction, leaves the actual conclusion of the story open to interpretation. Fans of Cooper and Saldana will find them especially good in this drama that really gives them a chance to prove themselves.

You’ll like this if you liked : Being Flynn

)

Stranded (2013) 5/10

Starring : Christian Slater, Brendan Fehr, Amy Matysio, Michael Therriault
Director : Roger Christian
Running Time : 88 mins

A team of astronauts, led by Colonel Gerard Brauchman (Slater), find themselves caught in a meteor shower that damages their moon base and released a deadly gas into their air supply. When crew member Ava Cameron (Matysio) is sent out to repair the damage, she is infected by a spore that impregnates her and she soon gives birth to a shape-shifting beast that takes on the form of one of the crew members and goes on a killing spree.

There is mention in the beginning of this movie that the gas that is escaping into the ship may cause hallucinations, so it would have been nice if the alien turned out to be an hallucination, but at no point does anyone actually have any visions, and the alien turns out to be real. There isn’t even an attempt at double-bluffing the audience. The disappointing lack of special effects aside, this wasn’t the worst movie I’ve ever seen, but the script could have done with some serious tweaking to make the characters a lot more believable.

You’ll like this if you liked : Dark Star

Million Dollar Baby (2004) 7/10

Starring : Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Jay Baruchel
Director : Clint Eastwood
Running Time : 133 mins

Boxing trainer Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) is reaching the end of an incredibly successful career, so when Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) - a thirty-something waitress who has decided on the spur of the moment to take up boxing – he refuses to train her, but his estranged relationship with his daughter leads him to take more of an interest in Maggie’s professional standing and takes the reigns as her trainer. It isn’t long before Maggie starts winning every fight she competes in...

Fans of fight movies will enjoy this twist on the traditional tale – not only do we have a female fighter, but she is hardly an underdog as the tale unfolds. The fight scenes are convincingly done, and some of Eastwood’s instructions to Swank on how to fight did make me chuckle. Worth watching, and the last half an hour or so is incredibly sad and moving.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Wrestler

Anchorman 2 : The Legend Continues (2013) 6/10

Starring : Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Christina Applegate
Director : Adam McKay
Running Time : 125 mins

When Ron Burgundy (Ferrell) gets fired from his new reader job in San Diego, he is forced to leave his wife Veronica Corningstone (Applegate) and head to New York for a job on the world’s first 24-hour news station. There he brings back his old friends from his glory days and together they create a news room unlike any other.

I’m a big fan of the original Anchorman movie, and was shocked it’s been left almost a decade before making a sequel. Sadly part of me wishes that the sequel had never been made. As with The Hangover Trilogy, familiarity breeds contempt, and what were once loveable rogues and likeable idiots are now just annoying rogues and intolerable idiots. Fans of the original will shudder at the complete lack of humour that large sections of this movie contain and will be wishing they could turn back time.

You’ll like this if you liked : Talladega Nights : The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby

Upside Down (2012) 7/10

Starring : Jim Sturgess, Kirsten Dunst, Timothy Spall
Director : Juan Diego Solanas
Running Time : 108 mins

On twinned worlds where two forms of gravity exist uniquely to each planet, budding chemist Adam Kirk (Sturgess) falls in love with Eden Moore (Dunst), a girl from the other world. The social standings and incompatible gravities of the two planets conspire to keep them apart, and an event occurs that leads Adam to believe Eden has died. So, when he sees her on TV, he decides to take a job that will allow him to interact with the inverse planet so he can try to find her again.

This movie about star-crossed lovers takes an unusual twist by having them live on incompatible worlds. This works pretty well overall, with Sturgess putting in a likeable performance as the man trying to win his amnesiac girlfriend back after ten years of being apart, and the general look of the movie is both interesting and impressively well though through. The only annoying part of the movie was all the English actors putting on American voices, especially Sturgess who also provides a voice-over narration that really accentuates his poor American accent.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Time Traveller’s Wife

Pacific Rim (2013) 7/10

Starring : Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day. Burn Gorman
Director : Guillermo del Toro
Running Time : 132 mins

When a fissure opens beneath the Pacific Ocean, opening a portal to another dimension, a number of giant monsters known as Kaiju start coming through and wreaking havoc on cities all over the world. In order to battle them, mankind create giant robots called Jaegers which require two pilots, but even these prove ineffectual when the monster begin to adapt and the programme is closed down...

Basically this is a big budget Godzilla movie with a bit more imagination. There are a variety of beasts shown, each of them pretty original, and the action doesn’t really stop. If you love your action movies big and beastly, then this is definitely for you, but even though there is a story line and character development – which to be honest I was surprised to see in this kind of movie - don’t expect anything too intelligent.

You’ll like this if you liked : Godzilla