Classic Friday : Star Wars Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi (1983) 8/10

Starring : Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Alec Guiness, James Earl Jones, Frank Oz
Director : Richard Marquand
Running Time : 126 mins

While Darth Vader (Jones) is building a new Death Star, Luke Skywalker (Hamill) tries to rescue his good friend Han Solo (Ford) from the clutches of the evil Jabba The Hutt. Once free, the friends join up with the rebel forces once again and journey to Endor, where Vader’s forces have set up camp.

Not the best of the series, but definitely better than any of the recent instalments. This movie really felt like it was trying to appeal to kids, perhaps in a worthless attempt by Lucas to sell his forthcoming Ewok movies (man, they were REALLY bad!), but in spite of the obvious Muppet invasion and cutesy characters that felt kind of out of place, this is still a timeless movie that all kids will definitely enjoy.

You’ll like this if you liked : Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

Fireflies In The Garden (2008) 7/10

Starring : Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Carrie-Anne Moss, Julia Roberts, Ioan Gruffudd, Hayden Panettiere
Director : Dennis Lee
Running Time : 95 mins

Michael Waechter (Reynolds), on the verge of publishing his first autobiographical novel, journeys back to his family home for the funeral of his mother (Roberts) who dies in a car crash. Once home he is faced with memories of his traumatic childhood and of the treatment he received from his sadistic father (Dafoe).

This is a nice little movie that, though it doesn't go to great lengths to sell itself, does manage to give the viewer a good idea of how terrible Waechter's upbringing was. There are some good performances, particularly from Dafoe, and as usual Reynolds finds the humour in the script and plays it for everything it's got.

You’ll like this if you liked : Garden State

Stay (2005) 7/10

Starring : Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling, Janeane Garofalo, Bob Hoskins
Director : Marc Forster
Running Time : 99 mins

Dr Sam Foster (McGregor), a practising psychiatrist, is faced with a patient, Henry Letham (Gosling), who says he is going to commit suicide. As Foster tries to find ways to prevent his patient from killing himself, he finds his entire sense of reality falling apart and starts to suspect he may be going insane.

This is a very visual movie, with some very unusual camera usage that helps to keep the dreamy aspect of the movie going from beginning to end. Though McGregor's accent is a little distracting, this is a well thought through movie that will either intrigue the viewer to the point where they join in trying to solve the mystery, or else completely confuse you and make you want to switch off in disappointment.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Nines

Crank : High Voltage (2009) 6/10

Starring : Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Dwight Yoakam, Efren Ramirez
Director : Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor
Running Time : 85 mins

Chev Chelios (Statham) manages to survive falling from a helicopter without a parachute, but just when his luck is looking up, he is kidnapped by Chinese gangsters who remove his heart to that they can transplant it into their leader, replacing Chev's heart with a small engine. Once he regains consciousness, Chev sets out to find his real heart and kill the man who stole it!

This is such a ridiculous story that it's really hard to concentrate on what's going on. The fact that the silly plot is surrounded by over the top action sequences and bad acting really didn't help make this seem any better, but for those who like their action movies to border on the ridiculous this will most definitely appeal.

You’ll like this if you liked : Shoot ‘Em Up

Inside I'm Dancing (2004) 8/10

Starring : James McAvoy, Steven Robertson, Romola Garai
Director : Damien O'Connell
Running Time : 100 mins

Rory O'Shea (McAvoy) is a rebellious young man who suffers with muscular dystrophy. When he moves into a care home he meets Michael Connolly (Robertson), a man with severe cerebral palsy who can only truly communicate through the use of alphabet cards, but when Michael realises that Rory can under him when he tries to speak they form an unlikely friendship and end up moving in together.

I really enjoyed this movie, the two leads were likeable and didn't suffer from being self pitying characters. The story line was believable and didn't pander to stereotypes, and because of this what we're given is an engrossing, intriguing, and heartfelt tale of two men who have been given lemons by life but have still tried to make lemonade.

You’ll like this if you liked : Hallam Foe

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre : The Beginning (2006) 6/10

Starring : Jordana Brewster, Taylor Handley, Diora Baird, Matt Bomer, R Lee Ermey, Andrew Bryniarski
Director : Jonathan Liebesman
Running Time : 97 mins

Five years before the events of the original movie, Thomas Hewitt aka. Leatherface (Bryniarski) has just murdered a co-worker, and his step-uncle (Ermey) has murdered the Sheriff and taken his place. A group of four teens, two of them on their way to enlist in the Vietnam War, find themselves running from their lives from the twisted sheriff and his deformed nephew.

What would you expect from a prequel to a classic horror movie? Not much. This is a lacklustre affair that does little to help the viewer understand Leatherface and his crazy family. We do get a bit more insight into his uncle, but its unnecessary information and it does nothing to make us sympathise or even vaguely understand the family motivation. Not worth bothering with unless you really love slasher movies.

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

Classic Friday : Superman (1978) 9/10

Starring : Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Ned Beatty
Director : Richard Donner
Running Time : 147 mins

When his home planet is destroyed, a young boy is sent to Earth by his parents in a vain attempt to save his life. When the boy arrives on Earth, he is adopted by a farming family and brought up as their son, Clark Kent (Reeve), but soon it becomes clear that this is no ordinary little boy, and that he has more than human powers.

This is the best superhero of the 20th Century, and even today it looks amazing. Though there's a lot of back story to be told, and the movie is overly long, there is a definite passion for the characters in the writing of the classic movie that helped to make the superhero movie what it is today.

You’ll like this if you liked : Spider-Man

Wet Hot American Summer (2001) 8/10

Starring : Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Michael Showalter, Marguerite Moreau, Paul Rudd, Zak Orth
Director : David Wain
Running Time : 97 mins

It's 1981 and it's the last day of summer at Camp Firewood, which means it's the last chance for the boys and girls staying there to score with someone so they don't have to lie about their time at camp. As the teens desperately try to find anyone who will so much as snog them, Beth the camp director (Garofalo) discovers that some space wreckage is going to hit the camp, potentially killing everyone!

Very much in the vain of Dazed And Confused, this teen comedy takes a variety of characters and lumps them together in one locale, telling briefly parts of their story as the movie progresses. Primarily the story focuses on camp director Janeane Garofalo and the astonomist-next-door David Hyde Pierce as they try to impress each other by learning each other's trade, but the slapstick sotries of the teenagers really make this movie work.

You’ll like this if you liked : Dazed And Confused

Sex Drive (2008) 8/10

Starring : Josh Zuckerman, Amanda Crew, Clark Duke, Seth Green, James Marsden
Director : Sean Anders
Running Time : 105 mins

In a desperate attempt to final lose his virginity, Ian (Zuckerman) steals the collectors item car belonging to his brother Rex (Marsden) and decides to drive half way across the country with his best friends Felicia (Crew) and Lance (Duke) in order to have sex with a girl he met online.

This is a great little movie, much in the vein of the American Pie movies. In spite of the road trip style of plot, there is an actual plot underlying the toilet humour, and the characters are likeable while still being completely over the top. There are some great performances from the guest stars, and anyone who ever had an awkward experience as a teenager will sympathise with the story.

You’ll like this if you liked : Euro Trip

Scooby-Doo And The Alien Invaders (2000) 7/10

Starring : Scott Innes, Mary Kay Bergman, Frank Welker, B J Ward
Director : Jim Stenstrum
Running Time : 74 mins

In the third of the direct to video Scooby-Doo series, Scooby (Innes), Shaggy (Innes) and the rest of the gang are driving through the desert when the see what appears to be a flying saucer. As the gang ask questions of the locals, they learn of mysterious lights that have been seen in the night sky and start to suspect that there may be a sinister reason behind all the strange goings on.

Although not as good as Zombie Island or The Witch’s Ghost, this is still an excellent animated tale. There are all the clues and creepy goings on you’d expect from Scooby-Doo, with the added twists that sometimes the spooks really are spooks. This isn’t as scary as some of the other instalments, so even very young kids can watch this without too much to fear.

You’ll like this if you liked : Scooby Doo On Zombie Island

Urban Legends : Final Cut (2000) 6/10

Starring : Jennifer Morrison, Matthew Davis, Hart Bochner, Loretta Devine
Director : John Ottman
Running Time : 94 mins

When film student Amy Mayfield (Morrison) decides to make her final project a horror film based on urban legends, a series of similarly themed murders begin to take place on campus.

Basically this movie felt like it was cashing in the popularity of the same years Scream 3. Here the cast try to poke fun at the film industry with a couple of weak one-liners, and the deaths just become more and more predictable. There's a pretty much no-name cast (Jennifer Morrison possibly being the most famous, although Joey Lawrence of Blossom fame makes an appearance, and it features a very young Eva Mendes), but when it comes to teen horror flicks, it's all about the death toll. Definitely only worth watching if you're obsessed with the late nineties-early noughties resurgence of the teen horror.

You’ll like this if you liked : Scream 3

Pride And Prejudice (2005) 7/10

Starring : Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Tom Hollander, Rosamund Pike, Judy Dench
Director : Joe Wright
Running Time : 122 mins

When Jane Bennett (Pike ) becomes involved with a wealthy land owner, her sister Elizabeth (Knightley) finds herself continually subjected to the company of the mans friend, Mr Darcy (Macfadyen), a man who becomes increasingly grating on her, but slowly, and for no apparent reason, she starts to warm to Darcy as she discovers many of the stories about his past are either exaggerated or not true.

Stylishly this is a beautiful film, although some of the early scenes are too long and feel like they're there just to show off the setting. Knightley isn't too bad as Elizabeth, but Macfadyen's Darcy is terrible. At no point could I understand why anyone would like his personality-free character, and does nothing to endear himself to anyone and in fact just seems to get less tolerable as the movie progresses. If only his character had been played differently, this could have been a real treat.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Other Boleyn Girl

Classic Friday : My Neighbour Totoro (1988) 8/10

Starring : Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning
Director : Hayao Miyazaki
Running Time : 86 mins

Satsuki (D. Fanning) and her little sister Mei (E. Fanning) move to the country with their father while their mother recovers from an illness in hospital. There they discover a secret world of creatures, ranging from dust balls to cat buses, and they make firm friends with a strange creature named Totoro who leads them on their magical journey around their world.

This is such a beautifully filmed animated feature. Miyazaki is really in his element as he creates the creatures that inhabit the magical world that this film revolves around. Beneath the magic there is the sad story of the sick mother whom the father is forced to travel to look after, and the girls, left to their own devices most of the time, are forced to create the magical world they visit. Children and adults alike will thoroughly enjoy this masterpiece.

You’ll like this if you liked : The Cat Returns

W. (2008) 7/10

Starring : Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell, Ellen Burstyn, Richard Dreyfuss
Director : Oliver Stone
Running Time : 130 mins

From an early age George W Bush (Brolin) had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. He had a serious drinking problem and he was overlooked by his father, but soon it becomes clear what could turn this unassuming young man into one of Americas most controversial presidents to date.

Based on some of the cast members that were in this movie, for some reason I was expecting a slapstick comedy, but I should have known that with Oliver Stone at the helm this was going to be something of a long-winded biopic. The movie flips back and forth in time, showing Bush in 2004 as he struggles through his re-election, and back to his formative years where he was something of a tearaway. Worth watching, but don't expect big laughs.

You’ll like this if you liked : Frost / Nixon

Holes (2003) 7/10

Starring : Shia LaBeouf, Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Patricia Arquette, Tim Blake Nelson, Dule Hill
Director : Andrew Davis
Running Time : 112 mins

Mistakenly accused of theft, partly thanks to a family curse, Stanley Yelnats (LaBeouf) is sent to a juvenile detention centre in the middle of the desert where he and his fellow detainees are expected to dig holes as a way of building characters, but Stanley and his friends soon discover that the reason behind the hole digging is actually related to an old local myth that claims that there is hidden treasure somewhere out amongst the sands.

I enjoyed this movie, in spite of its confusing narrative. For no immediately obvious reason, and without so much as a segue, the story keeps jumping back to the story of Kissin' Kate Barlow (played by Arquette), but soon enough it becomes clear where the narrative is going with the leaps. There are some pretty descent performances all round, and it's nice to see an original Disney movie for a change instead of a remake, even though it is still based on a book.

You’ll like this if you liked : City Slickers

The Mad (2007) 8/10

Starring : Billy Zane, Maggie Castle, Shauna MacDonald, Evan Charles Flock
Director : John Kalangis
Running Time : 83 mins

In a small town a strange form of steroid is being used on the local herd of cows - unfortunately the side affect of the beef is that it turns anyone who eats it into a mindless murderous zombie, and only doctor turned holiday maker Jason Hunt (Zane) and his family are left unaffected, finding themselves forced to fight for their very lives!

This movie is played for pure laughs and I was a surprised as the next person to find myself laughing along. Zane's deadpan delivery is pitch perfect and the rest of the cast really do help with their reactions to situations that he seems to find almost everyday and usual. Well worth checking out, and don't be mislead by the zombie sounding plot - this is still great viewing even if you're not a fan of zombie movies.

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

Star Trek (2009) 9/10

Starring : Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin
Director : J J Abrams
Running Time : 132 mins

A crew of Romulans from the future travel back in time in search of Spock (Nimoy), who they believe is responsible for the destruction of their home planet. Their plan is to destroy the planet Vulcan by drilling to its core and creating a black hole as a result of its destruction, but in doing so they change the course of history.

This is possibly the greatest sci-fi movie in recent years. The fresh new cast pay respectful homage to the originals, with Urban in particular doing a fine job as McCoy, whilst giving new dimension to the characters and the franchise. This isn’t just for Trekkies, this could be enjoyed by anyone who loves action movies laced with comedy, A great addition to the franchise.

You’ll like this if you liked : Star Trek : First Contact

A Love Song For Bobby Long (2004) 5/10

Starring : John Travolta, Scarlett Johansson, Gabriel Macht, Deborah Kara Unger
Director : Shainee Gabel
Running Time : 124 mins

Pursy Will (Johansson) returns to her childhood home following the death of her mother only to discover that her mother’s friend Bobby Long (Travolta), an ageing writer with a terrible drinking habit, is claiming that her mother left him part of the house in her will, as well as another man named Lawson Pines (Macht), and they have no intention of leaving.

This was a pretty pointless movie, and Travolta didn't even come across as slightly believable as the ageing alcoholic. This isn't helped by the fact that this is the main focus of the movies storyline, and even the usually wonderful Scarlett Johansson could do little to rescue this movie from anything less than mediocrity.

You’ll like this if you liked :

Classic Friday : Beverly Hills Cop (1984) 8/10

Starring : Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, Lisa Eilbacher, Steven Berkoff, John Ashton, Ronny Cox
Director : Martin Brest
Running Time : 100 mins

Detroit detective Axel Foley (Murphy) travels to Beverly Hills to investigate the death of his best friend, but his unusual style of police work doesn't go down well in the rich suburb, and the local police department assign him officers to keep an eye on him and ensure he doesn't show up their police department.

This movie truly made a household name of Eddie Murphy as a lead actor in his own right. Here he is at his charming comedic best, and hasn't reached the stage where he is able to parody himself - something which can get a little old. The supporting cast, particularly Reinhold and Ashton, are all superb and keep Murphy grounded in a movie that could have quite easily spiralled into stupidity at any moment.

You’ll like this if you liked : 48 Hours

First Born (2007) 7/10

Starring : Elisabeth Shue, Steven Mackintosh
Director : Isaac Webb
Running Time : 98 mins

When she falls pregnant, professional dancer Laura (Shue) gives up her career to become a full time mother to her newborn child, but with little support from her husband Steven (Mackintosh) and her mother living on the other side of the country, Laura soon starts to distrust everyone she meets and her overactive imagination soon starts to run away with her…

I was expecting this to be some sort of horror film, perhaps on a par with The Omen, but this was nothing of the sort. Instead of an overt horror, we are given something far scarier – a psychological melodrama that brings us into the life of a woman suffering from post natal depression who believes, rightly or not, that people are out to get her and her baby.

You’ll like this if you liked : Danika

Original Sin (2001) 7/10

Starring : Antonio Banderas, Angelina Jolie, Thomas Jane
Director : Michael Cristofer
Running Time : 112 mins

Wealthy Cuban exporter Luis Anton Vargas (Banderas) is desperately in want of a wife, so he decides to place an advert for one in the USA. When Julia Russell (Jolie) shows up in response to the ad, Luis immediately falls for her and they decide to marry, but soon Luis starts to suspect that Julia is not the woman she claims to be…

This could have potentially been a good film, but by concentrating too much on sex and nudity and not on the intricate plot, this fell down a little along the way. Still, any film in which Jolie gets her tits out has to be worth a few points (pun intended) so whay not check this out!

You’ll like this if you liked : Casanova

Imagine Me And You (2005) 8/10

Starring : Piper Perabo, Lena Headey, Matthew Goode, Celia Imrie, Anthony Head, Darren Boyd
Director : Ol Parker
Running Time : 94 mins

Newly married Rachel (Perabo) meets a flower seller named Luce (Headey) and finds herself oddly attracted to the woman. Rachel's husband Heck (Goode) decides it would be good for Rachel and Luce to become friends, not realising that his wife may be attracted to the lesbian shop keeper.

This was actually a pretty decent movie with some interesting characters and a likeable story. Even though many of the characters were stereotypes, this didn’t stop the story from remaining both entertaining and heart warming, and it was really the supporting cast who made this film what it is.

You’ll like this if you liked : Lost In Translation

Breaking And Entering (2006) 7/10

Starring : Jude Law, Juliette Binoche, Robin Wright Penn, Martin Freeman, Rafi Gavron, Ray Winstone
Director : Anthony Minghella
Running Time : 114mins

Following a number of break-ins at his place of work in King's Cross, young architect Will Francis (Law) follows one of the criminals responsible back to their home, but instead of reporting the crime he starts an elicit relationship with the boys mother, a Bosnian refugee named Amira (Binoche).

I was surprised that I enjoyed this movie. Despite a rather basic plotline, this was filled with characters who felt real – though perhaps a little exaggerated – and made for good viewing. The ending felt a bit too Hollywood for this kind of movie, but I think I can forgive it for that.

You’ll like this if you liked :

Step Brothers (2008) 7/10

Starring : Will Ferrell, John C Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn
Director : Adam McKay
Running Time : 106 mins

When Nancy Huff (Steenburgen) and Robert Doback (Jenkins) get married, they find themselves sharing a house with their respective forty year old sons Brennan (Ferrell) and Dale (Reilly). The new brothers despise each other, and become increasingly protective of their parents, until they find common ground in regards to Brennan's younger brother Derek (Scott).

This is one of those gross out movies that can either be a hit or a miss in most peoples books. There are some cringeworthy moments, but on the whole Ferrell and Reilly manage to keep their juvenile and mildly backward characters both likeable and irritating from start to finish.

You’ll like this if you liked : My Best Friend's Girl

Classic Friday : There’s Something About Mary (1998) 9/10

Starring : Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, Lee Evans, Chris Elliott
Director : Bobby & Peter Farrelly
Running Time : 119 mins

When Ted (Stiller) realises that he is still in love with his high school sweetheart Mary (Diaz), he hires a private detective named Healey (Dillon) to track her down, but when Healey decides to have Mary for himself he convinces Ted that she is everything he wouldn’t want in a woman.

This is possibly the greatest and best loved comedies of the 1990s. The story is so silly, and everyone remembers at least a couple of scenes from this off the top of their head. The slapstick is spot on, the performances are excellent, and the conclusion of the movie is exactly what it should be. Simply put – fantastic!

You’ll like this if you liked : Kingpin

X-Men Origins – Wolverine (2009) 7/10

Starring : Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Liev Schreiber, Dominic Monaghan
Director : Gavin Hood
Running Time : 107 mins

James Logan (Jackman) is a mutant, with a healing factor and bony claw that come out of the back of his hands. After he accidentally kills his father, he and his step-brother Victor Creed (Schreiber) run away from home and ultimately join a government group comprised of mutants. However, Victor’s murderous tendencies soon come to the fore when he murders Logan’s girlfriend, but the two soon have to fight side by side when they are faced with a new enemy – Weapon XI (Reynolds)!

This wasn’t that bad – I’m sure action fans will love it if that’s all they watch this for – but it really messed around with comic book continuity. Destroying the character of Deadpool by turning him into a one-dimensional killing machine might have been bad enough, but the relationship between Wolverine and Sabretooth made no sense as they clearly didn’t know each other very well in the X-Men movies, yet grew up together here.

You’ll like this if you liked : X2