104, Faster

So this movie actually came from now where, no trailers, no idea!! I know "The Rock" is starring in the new Fast & Furious movie due out this year but "Faster" on IMDB was labelled as a 2010 release?  anyway, Randomness over and onto the movie.

Firstly Dwayne,  Now back in the WWE for a while all prepping up for Wrestlemania XXVII he is definitely back to his normal uber-muscly self.  He is HUGE in this one, playing an ex-con back robber on the hunt for the gang that ambushed and killed his Brother after a bank raid.  So he's a nasty, but as with the best movie, one we are on side with.  As with Fast 5, he plays a cop but we all know even though he's the good guy we are rooting for Walker & Diesel to get away - and the same with this one.  Yes he's the bad guy but when the "competing" cop assigned to the case turn out to be drug addict, generic loser Billy-Bob Thornton (In the movie that is - Loving the Thornton!) They do seem a little mis-matched.

Luckily there is another card to this deck, a successful British assassin, also assigned to take out Johnson as he starts picking off one by on the crew that originally took him down.

This is a gritty action movie - visually dusty, it is set mostly on the back roads of the more "under developed" USA and that makes this a great backdrop for this movie.  Thornton does not play New york Cop very well but in this he is brilliant.

Now onto the Cars, this could be a great intro to Fast 5 with Dwayne's choice ride being a 1970's Chevelle SS (OMG! Its a beaut!) and the Assassins being a hot Silver Ferrari.  Its easy to name the characters also, yes they have names but they are billed as Cop, Driver, Killer, Guard, Telemarketer, Receptionist etc - the list goes on which make the plot simple.

Cop wants Driver Dead. Killer wants Drive Dead.  Driver wants everyone else Dead.  Easy?  Good.

I really enjoyed it.  The Rock looks awesome and if like me your a true Wrestling fan from days gone by i am about as excited as the Peoples Elbow returning to the big screen as I am the 5th Fast & Furious movie and now I am all revved up and ready for some great Summer Blockbusters to fill the blog space.

There is a great twist at the end of this that some of you may work out, albeit not me!! and its worth it.

If Cars, Guns and a gritty story line are up your street then this is for you.  Think "Payback" but with a bit more meat in it.  That should get in you in the right frame of mind.

I cant really fault it - Loved it.

See this if........................Can you Smeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllll what the Rock is Cooking!

103, Limitless

I was lucky enough to get out to see this at a mid-week preview.  No Ad's, busy screen, loving it!!  The lead in this movie is Bradley Cooper.  So far, not a duff movie to his name.  Starting in TV, Bradley appeared in some minor roles, Wedding Crashers / Yes Man until the Hangover in 2009 where in my eyes he launched into greatness.  All About Steve, and The A-Team quickly followed and before we know it he's in everything! and deservedly so - specifically looking forward to The Hangover II due out later this year, Limitless was billed as a big budget, A-List cast with Cooper & De Niro heading Hollywood's finest.

But does it live up to the hype?

Well its good, but I am sure it could have been so much more!  The plot is quick to get going - mystery Drug that enhances brain productivity and the relationship between the main characters is explained early on but it seemed to all come too quickly.

I have moaned before about movies taking their time to get going and this is not exactly the opposite but he appears to go from Zero to Hero in about 5 minutes with no real focus on the climb to greatness.  In the story, the rise happens over 12 days but even so, a bit more of the partying and wealth spreading would not have gone amiss.

The main focus for this movie is once the Money & Skill are obtained, then the focus switches to the trials of keeping it, rather than getting it and the ever present side affects of the drug and others its affected play a heavy part. 

It's a good story and don't get me wrong, its a good movie but I just left the cinema feeling a little cheated.  Cooper has been outstanding in so many other movies and if anything this has probably undervalued him.  De Niro is great as the moneyman and they bounce fantastically off of each other but other than that it came across as a mediocre flick, maybe worthy of a DVD purchase once it hits the bargain bin but nearly £20 on a Blu-Ray?  Nope.

If like my wife, Cooper most definitely floats your boat then you will enjoy it - he is his normal witty, sometimes funny self but as said before - could have done more.

In my eyes his best role to date is as "Face" in the A-Team, a movie I purchased and watch continuously over and over again and he will have to go some to make me think otherwise.  If this is meant as an interim quickie between that and the Hangover II then its done its job - If its supposed to be deemed as a stepping stone to better things then granted, but if this is supposed to be a defining moment in movie history?  Well, its off the mark.

Cooper fan? Then you should watch it.  You will enjoy it for what it is.  If not, don't bother.

See this if........................................You like the Man - not the Movie.

102, The Lincoln Lawyer

Matthew McConaughey (forthwith to be referred to as MM) has had some pretty funny roles to date - although with not much happening since 2008 it was his Tropic Thunder appearance that has relaunched him and with 4 movies set to drop in 2011 we will be seeing a lot more of him very soon - and if this movie is anything to go by, I for one cant wait!

Everybody loves a good Court Room Drama, but most of the time that is all they are - this breaks the mould.  Its a gritty Street movie with a courtroom background.  The Lincoln part of the title refers to MM's car / office.  He travels everywhere in it along with his personal driver and the way clients book appointments seem to be pulling up along side him.

The case this time in question is a battery charge where the accused, Ryan Phillipe who, coming from a wealthy background expects immediate support from our defence attorney but this time MM cant turn a blind eye to whatever the "Facts" may be as the case seems and all too familiar with another from 5 years precious and our Lawyer must battle with his own demons to do whats right!

Cryptic enough? well, sadly I spoiled the ending of Battle: LA for most of you so this time I promise - no spoils!

Marisa Tomei is brilliant as the ex-girlfriend & mother of their daughter, separated due to to work differences (she's the prosecuting attorney) and although keeps alot more clothes on in this than she did in the Wrestler plays a blinder.  The ever young looking Ryan Phillipe plays the spoilt rich kid (again.....Yawn!) but after playing this same role time after time has finally nailed it and comes across conceited, dark and amazing!

The best character in this for me was William H. Macey as the investigator - he is quirky, funny and has madly long hair! but killer moustache aside, he is everyones favourite right had man and although to my knowledge has never held a leading role does what he does better than any supporting actor, ever.

Its gritty, funny & manages to capture the suspense of court alongside some street action and dodgy dealings.  The life of what could easily be any American (under the radar) Lawyer - cash deals, smart, witty and playing the game.

Its a nice break from Sci-Fi and Special Effects and although its not got the presence of "A few good men" the court scenes are captivating and inspiring.

No much to think about - everything gets explained eventually buts I loved it - Good Movie.

See this if...........................You like your legal battles served up nicely with your crime dramas!

101, Hall Pass

Most of us are nearly there - middle? aged men who still honestly believe we have all the pulling prowess we did 20 years ago! 

Well, some of us might however if the belly is getting wider, the hair is getting thinner and the musical tastes are appearing dated then chances are if we hit the clubs in the true light of day, making a bee line for the first hottie under 25 we would (sadly) come across as old, desperate pervs!! And that's the beauty of this movie. 

It takes a group of married, middle aged men who constantly ogle younger women, sometimes in direct view of their extremely tolerant wife's, unbeknown to them that they know....we think they don't know, but they know.

So, after a meet and greet where the wife's just end up laughing at the attempts of their over confident and under impressionable other halves trying to casually check out other women without being noticed that its agreed a "Hall Pass" is in order - it does not come lightly as its a "week off" from Marriage, a chance to get back out in the big wide world, free from responsibility or regret and sow whatever oats need a sowing before settling back into the rest of their lives.

And its exactly as you'd expect, Lots of man-gags. 

Day 1 - A lust of wine and steak in preparation for a night of clubbing and debauchery leaves them tired and exhausted by 9.30pm and by Day 2 its X-Box and video gaming that take preference. Day 3 and with half the week left the chat up lines taken from "how NOT to chat up Women" are going down like lead balloons.  Day 4 & 5 pass with no real danger of our guys getting any action, infact - if these guys did ever get approached they would probably miss the signs anyway. 

But when the cats are away its the mice who seem to be getting the attention with the Wife's spending a week with family seeming to get more attention then they bargained for and without knowing it are attracting a following of buff guys who are revelling in their mature beauty.

There is far more in this blog on the story than normal but I am sure they have captured this brilliantly.  Yes, as a race of middle aged, slightly bloated guys we feel we still could have any girl we wanted but come across cheesy and old whilst on the other hand, our lovely women who probably don't get enough compliments and time spent on them can easily pick up Mr Dreamy with just a small eyelash flutter and some vibrant lippy!

There are a few laugh out loud moments that are as disgusting as they are funny - take specific note to the Bathroom and Sauna scenes and the cast, which include Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate & Jenna Fischer are okay in the leading roles. 

For me its the smaller part actors that steal the show - Stephen Merchant is laughably the best with his Brit Geeky persona shining through in this and hang around after the credits for a 5 minute chuckle fest that is not to be missed.

The cert 15 rating is backed up by some full on nudity on both male and female parts and a certain scene will have the guys feeling inadequate and proud at the same time!!

Its toilet humour with a great moral.

See this if...........................................You think you could still be "The Man!" before reality kicks in.

100, Battle: Los Angeles

There is nothing, absolutely nothing I like better at the cinema than a great Sci-fi flick. 

Since my early years I have been enthralled by alien movies right back to Alien, Predator etc.  I don't know why, but if done right they are amazing - Independence Day is one of my all time favourite movies and last year we were given Monsters & Skyline which in my eyes, both failed to impress on epic levels.  Even a few years back with District 9 I have felt no one has actually made a great alien movie since Smith and Goldblum used a virus to take out a mother ship.

So - When I first started seeing the trailers for this a few months back I started to get a little sweaty with anticipation that my faith and love of this genre was soon to be restored.  Also, the humans should win which sadly we have failed to do at the cinema recently so whats the point!!

Luckily I was not wrong - Battle: Los Angeles is an epic, action fuelled roller coaster of an Alien movie with an invasion of earth that beats anything you will have ever seen on the screen before. 

The special effects are mind numbingly spectacular and performances from Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez and Ne-Yo (who was actually brilliant) made this movie not just visually stunning but an acting masterclass as well.

Its not too scary, not too jumpy and the U.S Marines certainly kick ass against a formidable opponent.  What I will say is that after the other two disasters from last year this was a fabulous breath of fresh air!

Every baddie alien race needs a mother ship and this has followed Independence Day brilliantly with the unknown species positioning itself over the globes major cities with a structured, organised attack with an aim to colonise the world and take advantage of the water available, making Earth with a 70% land / water ratio one of the only planets worth attacking.

The aliens are awesome, like before - organic matter with strong shielding and the ships and weaponry are beyond comprehensible.

It takes wit, bravery and determination in the face of almost certain destruction to be victorious and Eckhart and his band of warriors face danger like a dog on heat, striving to keep pushing forward and eventually, stand victorious.

Okay, so that may be a little spoiler but I'm an old fashioned movie buff who loves a happy ending and you all should know, this is a great Alien invasion movie so don't panic - you wont be wasting a penny!

The action kicks in before the screen has even faded up at the start and then its about 15 minutes of introduction before the remaining 2hrs movie really takes hold.  I had sweaty palms, aghast expression and even the annoying oiks behind me faded into nothingness as I watched, captivated from start to finish.

It definitely has its tragic moments and the "will they/wont they" situations are scattered vigorously between moments of rest bite, but its non-stop throughout and I totally loved it.

If you have been disappointed in Monster / Alien movies since the late 90's then pack up your popcorn and go and see this NOW - before it goes into the minor auditoriums.  Screen 1 - Go Tonight!

See this if...............................................Deep down, you know we should always win!!

99, Rango

OMG!!!  100 Movie Blogs.  Never thought I would make it.  Doing the math that's £850 on movie tickets, £200 on M&M's and about £255 on Cappuccino's.  (Or £243 with the cineworld pass!! - a bargain!)

So, what illustrious movie gets to be No.100 - Well, as you guessed its a kids movie but one that's a little different.

Jonny Depp never really does anything normally, even when given the lead in a the new animations its always a little darker and devious that say Gnomeo & Juliet or Toy Story 3.  Yes, Characters die, Yes, There is almost some swearing, Yes there are bats, snakes, spiders and a dodgy Turtle and Yes, Kids under 8 may be a little jumpy but on the whole its a thumbs up.

Rango is a pet Lizard (Chameleon) who, after a car crash ends up with his travel tank bouncing out a back window of a car travelling down the expressway of the Mohave Desert and our house lizard has to fend for himself with the real wild animals of the hot, drought ridden city of Dirt.

Depp is brilliant in this and adopts a voice style similar to that of legendary creations of Jack Sparrow & The Hatter - He is one of my favourite character actors and seems to only get better and better.

Reading down the cast list the names may not be that familiar the faces definitely are with the other lead being held up beautifully by Isla Fisher and secondary roles including Ray Winstone & Bill Nighy, believe me - the list goes on.

Its a little dark and I did feel about 3/4 of the way though it was becoming a bit drawn out, however you cannot fault the animation - its brilliant and its not been sucked into feeling the need to be done in 3D.  This shows that you can stay old school and still be visually awesome.

The music saw the same feeling bestowed upon me the fist time I led John Marston into Mexico over the Rio Grande (Red Dead Fans will know what I mean) and that subtle guitar is constant throughout with a quad of Mexican owls narrating our story from start to finish. 

There is plenty to keep the kids entertained throughout as Rango himself is hilarious as the wannabe sheriff, pitting more luck than judgement against some local town nasties until a plot, not too distant from that of the 3 Amigos reared its head and our average Joe has to take a real stand!

To be honest - and I have said this before - it did seem a little long for an animation but I think this needs to be thought of in a different light - Think more along the lines of a True Grit for the younger generation with some added talking animals and a cameo from who I completely believed to be Clint Eastwood until the credits roled.

A Wild West adventure that is a million times better than Wild Wild West (although most things are) and one that your beloved youngsters will watch from behind a pillow.  Its not that scary really!

So,  Depp fans will love it and the animation is some of the best 2D I have ever seen.

See this if.......................................animation does not always have to be sweet!!!

98, Unknown

I am trying to do my best not to make this the worlds shortest ever movie review!!  The reason for this is if I start actually chatting about the film, plot etc I may mistakenly give away one tiny detail of what happens and that would be unforgivable as the movie itself deserves every ounce of secrecy I can bestow upon it.

But Why? - Well, in my eyes there are a few movies in my lifetime that you would only ever watch once.  Not because they are not fantastic, on the contrary they are awesome - however once the twist is discovered they lose every ounce of the "edge of the seat" suspense that made them great in the first place.  Much like a one hit wonder, We listen to it once, love it - then put it into an archive, to be fondly remembered for the rest of time.

This is what Unknown does.  It is an absolutely fantastic film.  Liam Neeson just gets better and better and after roles in Taken & The A-Team I am convinced it will be awhile before he does a crap one!!  The rest of the cast is also superb as is the suspense and action throughout.

But I am resigned to staying tight lipped in relation to the plot and the ending.  You have to watch it while its at the cinema because if you fork out £15 on the Blu-Ray you will only end up watching it once and it will do nothing after but gather dust!!! 

Remember Sixth Sense? - Great movie but how many times have you seen it? - Whats the point? Plot spoiler takes the suspense out of it and seeing as its all about the finale build up, once known - it loses its appeal. 

Although what I will say is don't panic - Neeson is not dead!!

So - not so much a blog about this movie but what it stands for - see it to believe it - very gripping.

See this if..............................You nails need a' biting!

97, Drive Angry

Every now and again the best of us needs an escape!!  Being male, that normally involves a movie that's got guns, over the top action, random obscenities from the outset, nudity, sex (lots of sex), more guns, the devil and finally - awesome muscle cars.  tie that all in with an 18 cert so we know it will be done properly.

And so not be be gender specific - I know there are girls out there who this appeals to as well!!

If I said Drive Angry had all of the above then I would not be far wrong.  Yes the plots a bit dodgy, Nic Cage escapes from Hell to track down a cult leader who killed his daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter while the Devil send along his right hand man to bring him back.

The Devils helper is after Cage, Cage is after the cult and the cult are about to sacrifice the baby which is where the movie climaxes in an all out battle of Evil, Vs, Evil Vs, Evil.?

The Quote "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" kind of rings true in this and once the Devils Helper finds out the reason for Cage's escape gives him a little slack in pressing for a return to Hell and although does not directly get involved, has a slight helping hand in Cage doing the right thing.

so, the Sex, nudity and swearing is constant and pretty much throughout - which is actually pretty cool!!!  Cage is his normal, monotoned, dreary self with a dry wit a fast mouth but its William Fichtner (The Devils Accountant) and Amber Herd (Hot, Steamy accomplice) who well and truly steal the show.

Yes there are some dreadful one-liners, yes there is gratuitous sex and swearing that may seem out of place but its an 18!! and with that nowadays comes a level of un-required explanation as to why its there - it just is!!

So, Male / Female? - If I had to pick it would a Guy's movie but one with a possibility slight likability from the ladies in your life.  If watching blond barmaid's bouncing on Nic Cage floats your boat!! ;-)

Its a little tacky, but The cars rock!! and the sheer arrogance of the Accountant as well as his sheer power makes him extremely warming, even though he is the bringer of souls but that's whats cool about it, Maybe Hell could be cool with this guy in charge.  Amber has been in everything from The O.C to Zombieland and is rumoured to be in the new TV series, Playboy so being a real life hottie / bi-sexual might be one of her many talents exposed - along with two more that easily spring to mind!!!

The 3D is pretty good - there are a few "leap out" moments and Cage is plain old Cage - don't expect anything different.

I loved it - Hopefully you will too but only if you leave your dignity at the door!!

See this if............................................Queen said it best...."I want to break Free!!!"

96, I Am Number 4

Hands up who like superhero moves?...ME!  Hands up who though this was one?...ME

But its definitely not so pay attention!!!

Like you, I watched this trailer and thought that our young hero, previously only really famous for appearing in Storm breakers was some kind of Superman for a new millennium.

In reality, he's on the run from a group of badly tattooed villains from his home planet, seeking asylum on Earth with a warrior / protector and a lizard / puppy / big nasty pit bull monster for company.
(You will see what I mean!)

Plots simple, 1,2 & 3 have been hunted down and killed - Number 4 is next and to gain strength he has to identify his true powers and track down 5,6,7,8 & 9.  In this movie, only Number 4 & 6 turn up (but 6 is pretty hot!) which leaves room for a Police Academy's worth of sequels if they want too!

I wont lie, the first hour is pretty slow - its all about getting to know our hero, getting to know his powers and  jumping from town to town until he meets a girl that makes him want to stay and fight rather than run and hide.

The lead is played by Alex Pettyfur who as mentioned above is relatively unknown but for me it was "Die Hard 4" & "Hitman" legend Timothy Olyphant and the lesser recognisable Kevin Durand (Frank Dukes / Blob from Wolverine / Little John from the new Robin Hood) that steal the A-list limelight.

And Kevin is hilarious as the evil Alien commander.

This film has its chuckles, its sexy chicks and its slightly scary moments allowing it the same 12a Rating given to "The Hole" which in my eyes should have been a 15.

Number 6 (played by Teresa Palmer / Violet from Bedtime Stories) easily matches Pettyfur's male presence for eye candy and we have the expected Nerd, Homecoming King & geeky girl all in tow as well.  Imagine Twilight for the Ferris Bueller Generation?

Although a slow starter the story keeps you interested and entertained as Number 4, aptly given the generic name of John Smith learns his true meaning in life and experiences slight humour in discovering his powers.  Basically, he is hidden from a destroyed planet with the hope of rebuilding it at some point.

Granted, he is no Superman but I really enjoyed this movie and think by leaving it open for a few sequels may spawn a pretty good trilogy - although nothing appears planned so far!!

Its the last 40 minutes when the pace really kicks off and then its non stop action, explosions and awesome fight scenes right up until the credits.  Kevin Durand is awesome as the High Commander (I know, already said that!), seeking out Smith and with the "gill" like nostrils and slightly sarcastic sense of humour, along with not quite getting Earths take on reality he makes for a great baddie.

Maybe not one for the under 13's due to a slightly jumpy ghost train scene, this movie was a little ray of unexpected happiness - a bit of a dark horse and definitely a must see.

See this..............................you believe its not only Marvel & DC who can create Heroes!

95, Paul

To understand this film properly mean understanding the real Pegg & Frost.

They are genuine Sci-Fi geeks who have not only managed to capture what an alien movie is should really be all about but have tipped their cap to a number of front runners before then and if you look carefully, there are plenty of Star Wars references.  Two that immediately spring to mind is the music that the band are playing in the roadhouse - instantly recognisable, and secondly and not so easy to spot is the Han-Solo reference, shooting the intercom after breaking into the death-star - that's in here too.

There are nods also to Star-Trek, Alien and a great E.T conversation with Spielberg - watch out for them - I am sure there are more that I missed!!

And that's the beauty of this - this is not just some random Hollywood studio making an alien comedy - its two genuine sci-fans who have made this movie a true labour of love, aimed specifically at people just like them and its works brilliantly.

As far as plot goes its pretty basic - Two best (British) friends are on a road trip - taking in the Comic-Con (which I would love to go too) and then heading to some alien hot spots, ending in Roswell.

On-route they bump into Paul, a little green man who has been held in a facility for the best part of 60 years - unbeknown to us the government and Hollywood have used him for ideas and merchandise over time but now, with the help of a government mole he has escaped and uses Pegg & Frost to assist in getting him home.

I have recently criticised Seth Rogan as being the same character over and over, a Stoner / Dude who swears and seems to be cast in the same no-brainer role time after time - so surprise surprise when once more he is playing a smoking, weed loving, swear box of a character however this time its a little different - being a 4ft green alien somehow warms you back to Rogan and I am afraid to say that I don't think anyone could have done this any better.  He is funny, witty and loud and the reason this movie was rated a 15 is purely down to the swearing - which is excessive but funny with it.

Pegg & Frost are on fine form but ever since Spaced I am convinced they have not put a foot wrong, definitely together but even on solo exploits with Frost in "The Boat that Rocked" and Pegg in Star-Trek, MI3 and the currently in production MI4 they are my English heroes and I love them dearly!!

There are some great cameos in this though, Jason Bateman and Sigourney Weaver put in cracking, funny performances and Kristen Wiig as the Darwin hating, god loving disbeliever is hilarious.  Jane Lynch from Glee pops up for a few minutes in a role that could only have been written for her and finally, Bill Hader (who is also rumoured for Ghostbusters III next year along with Weaver) is laugh out loud funny as one of the bumbling FBI Agents.

Stay through the credits for some extra giggles but predominately if you love Sci-fi and the comic books that stem from the late 70's onwards then this movie is definately for you.

Play the game - look for the old movie references and make a point of pointing them to your partner when they pop up, most probably to her annoyance as I did!!

Not a bad word.  Great movie.

See this if.......................................................Sci-Fi RULES!!!

94, Gnomeo & Juliet

Possibly the oddest movie I have ever seen, this has taken a Shakespeare classic, already filmed a dozen times and re badged it with Gnomes!!

Actually, the story is pretty true to the original - two warring Neighbours, Capulet and Montague live in Verona Road.  One is a dedicated Red, the other Blue and this is mirrored in their house paint, garden layout and Gnome selection.  So, everyone knows the plot - star crosses lovers etc so basically this is all going to boil down to the cast and animation.

Animation first, its good - Very good.  The 3d is pretty impressive throughout and as I mentioned with Tangled, its going to be very hard nowadays to pass off a poor animated movie.

Plus its very funny - pretty much from the outset.  The comedy comes from Lucas and Jensen as well as the Flamingo, who was the only unrecognisable name for me (although after a bit of research he has voiced more cartoons than you would actually believe and is the voice of many a famous animated creation including Tigger & Pooh, Dick Dastardly, Taz & even Shredder from T.N.M.T!!)

And that leads me onto the rest of the cast list.

Firstly, Elton & David Produce and Executive Produce this movie with what I assume is Elton's production company behind it.  Its riddled with Elton tracks and even a gnome version of the rocket man himself pops up for a quick "Your song" rendition.

Ready, Here goes.............James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Maggie Smith, Michael Cane, Jason Statham, Matt Lucas, Ashley Jensen, Ozzy Osbourne, Stephen Merchant, Patrick Stewart, Julie Walters, Richard Wilson and Hulk Hogan!!! all I can say is that's a lot of salaries to cover so I hope this goes well!!!

Its a stellar movie, and its actually only 75  minutes long so just as you have worked out who everyone is, its over!! which is not a bad thing - because its so quick it does not feel drawn out and you would expect that with that many names they would have strung it out for maximum effect.  In reality, it takes a classic story, adds in a few comedy characters including a Ninja Juliet!! and makes adults and kids of all ages smile!!

Sometimes its nice to be in and out of a cinema in less than 90 minutes - plenty of the night left, kiddies happy and home in time for NCIS!!

Half Term is coming, its this and/or Yogi Bear so splash out this holiday and take them to see both!!

See this if.........................................Kids are driving you mad!!!

93, True Grit

I have never been a Western kind of movie buff.  I know they have been around since cinema pretty much began and drew some of the biggest audiences but recently its just not been my bag.  I might be wrong here but I think the last Western to hit the big screen was the "3.10 to Yuma" but alas I missed it.  The last one I saw and loved was Tombstone with Kurt Russell and since then either they have not been around or I have just avoided them.

So, how was True Grit going to be, well for a remake of a supposed John Wayne classic I was utterly blown away from start to finish!!

This is a Cohen brothers Movie and captures all of the essence of an old school Western.  There are no signals, (barring the modern cast etc) that this film is not from the classic age.  The un-educated cowboys who are constantly put in their place by an extremely well spoke 14 year old girl who wants to track down her fathers killer.

A Nice and simple plot, a great cast and some on-liners that make you chuckle along merrily that are mixed in with a close up "shooting in the face" and some hacked off fingers.

You have cowboy violence and a jovial road trip all in one place and even for those of you who, like me normally avoided Rawhide as a kid you should be easily impressed with this one.

Jeff Bridges is brilliant - drunkard, eye-patched and moody he speaks in an almost confusing tone with Matt Damon being about as different as you will ever see him.  Josh Brolin is only really in it for a short while towards the end but in this its the performance of Hailee Steinfeld that steals the show.

She is brilliant - holding her own easily against the big names that this movie attracted and doing it with a touch of class.  Hats off to you Steinfeld.  Well played.

This does not necessarily mean I am going to go out and buy as many Westerns on DVD as I can find with a new love of the genre but if another one comes out I certainly wont be too hasty to dismiss it as previously I would have.  An epic.........No, But a good cowboy movie, Yes.

And a far better title than the soon to be released Cowboy's & Aliens!!

Very much approved.

See this if.................................................you ever wanted to be a Cowboy (or Cowgirl!!)

92, Just Go With It

I was slowly getting to the point in my life where all Adam Sandler Movies seem to be the same, over and over again!!

Okay so maybe the locations and leading lady's change but normally he plays a single, rich laid back dude who ends up winning over a mum and her kids etc etc etc, So I was not entirely surprised when this one turned out to be more or less the same thing as above until I realised that this one is actually an extremely laugh out loud funny movie!!!

Rich dude uses a story of a "pretend" wife who beats him as a ploy to get hot girls after a bad marriage encounter.  Sandler then meets a potential match winner and she discovers the "family lie" but wants to hear its over from the non-existent wife.  In launches Aniston as his PA/Receptionist pretends to be the extremely high maintenance ex and mistakenly manages to rope the kids into it as well.

We end up on a huge vacation to Hawaii with a German Dolph Lundgren in tow (the funniest guy in the movie and luckily, not the real Dolph!) an extremely sexy girlfriend, a stunning Aniston who proves you don't need to be 23 to look amazing, 2 hysterical kids and a sensational tongue in cheek cameo from Nicole Kidman sending herself up something chronic.  Add in a "blink and you will miss it" Sean William Scott right at the very end and this is an absolutely side splitting film.

The jokes are old, the girls wear very little and Sandler just does not look "good looking" enough to pull a muscle, let alone the Aniston / Decker combo but its the Kids and the Cousin who steal all the comedy in this one.

The daughter is hilarious as the fake English boarding school kid and Sandler's cousin playing a dodgy German does not get a straight line in the whole charade.

There is no defining moment - it IS predictable but it does not matter, the title says it all.  Leave your brain and logic tucked up in bed, get in the car, go to the cinema and Just go with it!!!

See this if.................................................Rachel was your favourite "Friend"

91, The Fighter

So I am falling a bit behind, sorry.  I only realised this when I got to the cinema and there were 6 releases not yet seen so will try and catch up.  1st - The Fighter.

I did not know what to expect with this one.  Was it going to be "Rocky Returns?" Well, not exactly.

This film is wholly based around a true story focusing on the lives of 2 brothers.

The movie opens with a film crew following around Micky Ward and his older brother Dicky Eklund.  We are led to believe its to track the comeback fight of once local hero Eklund (Bale) who hit the big time once by putting down Sugar Ray Leonard.  In the background is the younger brother (Wahlberg) a two bit fighter who practically is the lap dog to the Mum and 7 sisters of the apocalypse (you will see what I mean).

In reality - HBO are not tracking the comeback fight but the effects of Crack, an addiction that has Bale hooked and relatively overlooked and ignored by his family.

It takes Amy Adams to show Wahlberg that there is bigger and better opportunities out there than dodgy back-hand fights set up by his family and after an all out rumble with police, it takes the incarceration of Bale for Wahlberg to find his true self and start to hit the big time.

So - plot sorted.  Now the characters.

This movie is all about the performances.  They are some of the best I have seen in years.  Initially, Bale comes across as a complete dick.  He is unrecognisable as the crack addict Eklund and the mannerisms, accent and sheer presence is jaw dropping.  Its only right at the very end of the movie, when the credits role and you see a brief interview with the real brothers that everything falls into place - at this time you understand that Bale not only captured the look and attitude of the real Eklund but got it so spot on that you could hardly tell the difference.  Awesome!

Now Amy, again - almost unrecognisable with barely any make up, she stands strong and proud against the warring clan of mother and seven sisters, defending her man and making him see that he is trapped by a close nit family who's focuses are on the lesser talented and drug addicted older brother.  A new side to her and one she does with true presence.

Every one's heart goes out to the dad in this - seeing the truth but too scared to stand up against the female clan!!  He gets his moment of glory and the "escape"  in the van is one of a few laughs this movie gets.

This is a moving true story - one that tugs on the heart strings and is a battle of family vs. career.  Whats right and whats good.  Bale is phenomenal.  Mark Wahlberg, another solid performance.

The only drawback - it must be a British thing but a lot of the dialogue seemed mumbled which was right for the story, location & accents but not so great to listen too.

There has not been a great Boxing movie since Rocky and before you ask, 2 3 4 & 5 don't count!

So, Boxing fan or not - there is very little action in the ring but when it comes - it is filmed in the "TV" style and makes for a great atmosphere - plus, its well shot and captivating but there is so much more to this movie.  This is a story two brothers, a heap of ugly sisters, an understated but still hot Amy Adams and some cameos from the real people involved (the cop/coach is the real guy who trained the real Micky Ward, Mickey O'Keefe!!)

Stay through the credits and it will all make sense.

See this if...................................you want to be inspired!!!

90, Sanctum

There are two types of people in this world.  The first, well they will be the ones who do this - memorised by the beauty of the underworld, dreaming of getting down there and diving, climbing and traversing - feeding their adrenaline fuelled lifestyle and always looking for the next adventure.

Then there is the other kind.  My kind.  The kind who go to the cinema and watch other people diving, climbing and traversing and watch in amazement at the sheer madness of these intrepid adventures.

But, for those armchair wannabe explorers is Sanctum a good way to pass the time?

Hell Yeah!!

I thought this would be yet another disappointing 3D movie with a dull story line - I mean, trapped in a cave? come on - how is that exciting but how wrong could I be!!

The plot is simple, an expedition to the awesome Esa-Ala caves in the south pacific goes horribly wrong when a tropical storm hits, blocking the only way out - the mission, go through uncharted territory to find an alternative route to safety.

And that's it! All through the film you are guessing who is going to get out?, who dies and how? and don't panic, no spoilers here - its just too gripping to give anything away.

As for the 3D - I was completely blown away, its amazing.  The depth of the caverns is truly caught on camera and for me, the best 3D movie yet and probably for a while to come.

Cameron manages to mix jaw dropping action with trouser wetting suspense and you are constantly just expecting something else to happen, which it often does.

For me to watch this just confirms my praise for those intrepid explorers who do this for work and pleasure, you have guts and deserve glory - and I can confirm, there is no way on earth I would put myself in these situation.

Only a few familiar faces in this one but it does not matter an inch - I was hooked and for a James Cameron film to last less than 2hrs - well it get to the action quickly, and does not let up.  Before you know it its over and you wonder where the time went.

I cant praise this any further - Its a great, captivating, beautiful movie with awesome acting, special effects and settings.

See this if..................................you're prepared to have your breath taken away.

89, Tangled

For those of you that read this blog expecting a critical analysis of the movie in question, detailed, precise and accurate then I will apologise in advance.

My own personal preferences on this one are going to be ignored and completely overlooked and if you want a critics review, check out Radio 1.  So what exactly am I going to write?

Well - its a celebration.

This is Disney's 50th full animation picture.  All those years since Steam Boat Willie puffed onto the Silver Screen, Disney have been delighting audiences world  wide - each time leading advancements in animation and technology and here we are, 2011 and Disney's take on the classic story of Rapunzel.

So can I argue the animation? - of course not!! with the competition from Dreamworks & Pixar constantly battling down then door its going to be tough trying to get a movie made that does NOT look awesome!!!

So lets talk the 3D - its really good!!! even the Lanterns might draw a tear from the hardest of you!!

The cast - Brilliant - Disney have once again made a character, this time a chameleon (even without voice!) steal a show with its eyes, emotion and tongue?  As for the voices - look out for a Hellboy (Ron Pearlman) appearance as one of the Stabbington Brothers and the main 3, (all predominantly TV actors) are smooth, funny and........well, Disney!

So for a non-critical blog I am starting to get a little critical!!  Okay, so in my opinion its not as laugh out loud funny as I thought it would be but please don't let that put you off.  Its not for you............its for your kids - and they will love it over and over again.

Disney captures amazing animation, great 3D & toe tapping tunes like it does time after time and the stars of this one are easily the wannabe dreamers (you will know who they are) - even though one does sound very much like Vin Diesel (but alas, its not).  Just picture him in an all singing / all dancing number in the tavern and this alone should put a grin upon your face!

Celebrate February in style - take the kids to see Tangled - Its the first time Rapunzel has made the big screen and the "added" plot lines, inserted to beef out a relatively short tale make this a wonderful family movie.

Definitely go for the 3D - don't be cheap!

See this if...................................Disney ever made you smile!!! at any age. :)

88, Hereafter

Tough one this.  Well, for starters the trailers easily lead you to believe Matt Damon is the lead role and yes, he is the most recognisable but this is a film of 3 parts - and the other 2 leading cast members are just as good, if not better in their performances as Damon.

But first a warning... This is a sad movie, with only a few moments of happiness dotted in between so hankies at the ready.

We start with devastating Tsunami wiping our what could easily be Haiti but is not listed as such - you cant fault the special effects and it is as brilliantly done as it is sad to watch.  This gives us lead Number 1.  A French TV presenter / reporter who survives the onslaught of the wave after having a near death experience.

Then we move to London - 2 twin boys living with their alcoholic mum and constantly pursued by Social Services, these young kids cover for their mum both at home and outside and try everything to help her out - its only after sad event number two takes effect and once again (hankies out) devastation hits their lives and we have our 2nd leading role.

Then its Matt's turn. A Psychic living in San-Fransisco.  Taking a factory job after living the life of a "medium" as he cant face a "life full of death" - much the the disappointment of  his older brother who sees it as a lucrative business rather then a curse that Damon lives with on a daily basis.

The movie follows these three individuals lives until they all end up in London and on a chance day, end up crossing paths - resulting in the answers each of them are looking for.

There is no twist and no underlying "light bulb" moment.  Its just a story of 3 people and the different ways they come to terms with their own life and death situations.

Cram this into 90 minutes and you would have quite a good movie, sadly its nearer the 2hr mark and you really start to feel it dragging along.  so, note to all of you - if you watch this and all 3 are in London - there is not long left!!

The stand out performance is from the kid.  He is absolutely hypnotic and maybe its his own circumstances that make you just want to pick him up and take him home.

Also, F.Y.I - a chunk of this is subtitled, mainly all of the French bits as a majority take place in Paris so be warned.

Weepy? Yes.  Too Long? Yes.  Good overall verdict? Why not!

There a few little smiley moments - the cooking classes are sweet but if any of my "first dates" ever went as bad as Matt's did then its a wonder I actually managed to get married!!

Its emotional movie and one that you should not see if you are feeling slightly tender but other than that - a nice story well told.

Well done Mr Clint Eastwood, nicely Directed.  Only next time, can we have "In the Line of Fire 2" please?

See this if..........................................you fancy a good old cry, even before the end!!

87, Gulliver's Travels

So this isn't the first time this has been tried.  Mainly in TV adaptations the story of Lemuel Gulliver has had both Richard Harris & Ted Danson take the lead but in this new twist for 2010 we meet an up to date Gulliver (Jack Black) who is portrayed as a bit of a loser trying to impress the girl of his dreams (and also senior office manager) by making up stores of travelling the globe and attempts to self promote himself out of the mail room.

He manages (with the help of a little plagiarism) to wangle a trip as a travel writer for the magazine to the Bermuda Triangle, while at the same time impressing the girl of his dreams and bagging a comfy little trip in the process.

Once there, things take a turn for the worse and Black ends up being transported during a massive storm to Lilliput, a land where people are no bigger than your finger and he becomes the hero of this small mystery kingdom after feeding them the same lie's and untruths that he did back in his home city.

However, his plan soon backfires and when faced with an actual "Mr Nasty" a 6in General with a 6ft Robot to back him up, Gulliver is quickly shown to be a true coward and sent to exile.

Its only when his Boss, who ends up setting out to Bermuda herself after uncovering Gulliver's lies ends up in Lilliput as well and after being taken hostage its up to Gulliver has to man-up and for once, be a true hero.

Plot sorted, and don't get me wrong its not a bad movie.  But for me, Jack Black is just not one of my top actors.  The Rock and Roll loving, slightly tubby, down and out nerd he seems to play so many times with the baggy shorts and ill fitting T's is back on the big screen and it just seemed like an all too familiar outing for him.

So, Hopefully there is a shining light that can make up for that and here they are.....

The stellar U.K cast is where its at for me.  Billy Connolly, James Corden, Emily Blunt & Catherine Tate as the Lilliputian royal Family totally steal the show and the humour is second to none.  But even they are overshadowed by one particular character.

General Edward, played brilliantly by I.T Crowd Legend, Chris O'Dowd.

Chris is brilliant as the egotistical, self righteous Edward and is not just funny but ridiculously so.  After other movie appearances such as love struck loser 'Simple Simon' in the "Boat that Rocked" and Blind Swordsman, Marco in Dinner for Schmucks,  O'Dowd proves that you don't necessarily need American A-Lister's to make movies work and he completely owns this one.

Its not an Oscar winner, and sadly again - disappointing 3D but I'm getting used to that now!!

See this if..............................U.K Comedy talent rocks!!! even on the big screen.

86, The Kings Speech

OBVIOUSLY I had to go and watch this movie.  But originally I was not planning on it. 

Why?

Well basically for me, a period drama is about as exciting as crochet class at a W.I meeting!  I could not honestly care what goes on at Downton Abbey and apparently there was a book written once about Pride & Lettuce?

So when I say "Period Dramas" are not my thing I REALLY mean, they are not my thing.

However, something about this one made both me and my wife want to take a look (and her love of period Dramas puts my own hatred to shame!)  So what was it?  Well - read on...

The lure of the dashing Mr Firth doing what he apparently does best? or even the inspiring Helena Bonham Carter playing the Queen Mum, fitter than anyone else had ever dreamed? maybe even a young Princess Margaret played by everyones most loveable child star from Outnumbered!  Or dare I say it, Wormtail portraying Churchill & Guy from Neighbours as the entitled heir to the throne?  The Legendry Gambon playing King George or Geoffrey Rush as Lionel - Friend to Royalty and speech therapist extraordinaire?

Could it be all of the above..............YES!

Everyone in this movie was practically perfect in every way.  You could not fault a single performance, and what really pleased me was the humour!  Its a funny movie!

Amazing.

I was hooked from the start - feeling like I was accompanying the Duke through his journey to the Throne and feeling his every torment with his stammer. 

Everyones funniest bit has to be the barrage of obscenities that reel off Firths tongue as smoothly as silk on a marble floor and it really opens your eyes that in fact - King or no King - everyone needs a few minutes in their life to let rip!!!

The Wallace Simpson story is also brilliantly cast and for me, not actually knowing that much of my own monarchy's history (sorry!) I actually felt amused, educated and pleasantly surprised at how much I embraced this film.

Its not going to be for everyone - but with an open mind and a love of film in all its guises this should strike a chord with most of you.  I hope he nails best Actor at the Oscars - its well deserved. 

Am I converted to Period Dramas? Absolutely NOT!!  There wont be a Kings Speech 2 so no need to go through it again - once was enough and the memory will end happy.

My Sundays are for Top Gear.  Downton Abbey can have its place on the other side.  not bothered!

I have seen the Kings Speech!!  Its an Oscar winner - I am proud to support it and if you are one of the 4000 people that have read this blog over the past 3 months in one of the 9 countries listed - then apologies if this bit of England gushing is too much for you - but what else would you expect?

Love this - Thanks to everyone who told me to see it - you were right!!!

See this if..................................RULE BRITTANIA!!!

85, Morning Glory

I remember catching the back end of this trailer as I hurriedly grabbed a last minute cappuccino from the kiosk and immediately asked about everything I missed - Harrison Ford in a comedy?!? that just does not happen so when Han Solo was set for cinematic humour I had to be first in line.

The story is simple, small-time successful producer (The lovely Rachel McAdam's) is fired due to cutbacks and bags her self a big city job as Exec Producer at flagging Breakfast show, Daybreak.  The crew are a little old hat, the presenters arrogant and on day 1, McAdam's manages to fire the lead male Anchor (Phil from My Family) leaving a bitter Diane Keaton flying solo.

The Channel director, Jeff Goldblum  tells her to get a new male Anchor and she goes after News Legend Mike Pomeroy, (Ford), who is regarded as the 3rd worst person in the world with a history of sincere, front-line reporting and the switch to "chatty" daytime tom foolery proves just too much for him.  McAdam's & Ford end up going head to head on every small detail until dropping ratings means an ultimatum from the top which results in a "do or die" transformation of the show to save their careers, reputation and jobs.

So, That's the plot - and Ford, McAdam's, Goldblum & Keaton are brilliant throughout.  Witty, funny, snappy and sarcastic.  They all gel really well.  A good job, well done.  There has been talk that Ford plays a copy cat of our own national treasure, Adrian Chiles and yes, the show is called the same thing but its purely coincidence.  The films way better!

Sadly, it does seem to take a bit of time to kick off.  Only about half way through do the laughs really start to come thick and fast and this is once McAdam's has changed things.  Then it really gets going - even Ford gets a few witty on-liners.

There a bunch of other well known faces, mainly minor roles but the crew get as many laughs as the leading cast as we see cameramen, weathermen and segment presenters also take part in what results in quite a good film.

Harrison is looking quite old now, much more so than Indiana Jones 4 and with only Cowboys & Aliens penned in for the rest of 2011 hopefully he has finally hung up the whip and gun!

See this if.............................................you're happy with a Slow Burner, but glad when it gets better!

84, Season of the Witch

Sometimes a good old historical romp is well received.  14th Century Knight's, battling for the Church in the Crusades, defeating army after army until one day the killing of innocents becomes too much and Cage & Pearlman decide to go rogue until they are picked 1 month on and rather than face imprisonment & death for desertion they agree to transport a Witch to a monastery for a trial and execution which should rid the land of the plague cursed down upon them.

So, all happy then!  Nic Cage & Ron Pearlman play the comrades in arms who agree to transport the Witch across country only aided by Tommy from "Snatch", a priest and a few others.  Cage is back to his long haired look with his not so funny one-liners and Pearlman is the hit first, speak later character who seems to tag along as a sidekick / body guard.

The Witch herself was quite a good performance, a young girl who keeps you thinking for the first half of the movie if she is good or bad until what I initially though would be a spine chilling, hex cursing, good old fashioned rumble in Ye Olde' World Jungle quickly becomes something quite different indeed.

Sadly, this is a slow paced, disappointing movie that could have been so much better.  As regular readers will know, I try wherever possible not to dish out spoiler alerts but deserves a little 'heads up'.

She's not a Witch.  That does not mean to say she isn't "something" - but alas, not a Witch.

So the real question is, do you want to spend 90 minutes going to see this and work out for yourself if the outdated special effects that would look as at home in "Jason and the Argonauts" as they do in this, 48 years later on is worth your hard earned time and money?

For me, Not so.  I am hoping that Cage's next outing in "Drive Angry" is better than this so heed these words - don't cancel any plans to fit this film into your diary.  If you end up lost, confused and at a Cinema with nothing else to see and its not raining, then go an watch it.  But if the sun is shining - work on your tan instead!!!

See this if......................................................its in Screen 8 - then you can snooze throughout!!

83, The Green Hornet

So, who knows who the Green Hornet was?  if not then let me offer a brief history lesson.

The Green hornet first surfaced in about 1940, then most famously came back in about 1966 (ish) with Bruce Lee starring alongside Van Williams in a program where two crime-fighters evaded crooks and cops alike to become heroes, albeit with out powers.

So, skip forward 40ish years and we have a Hollywood makeover that pits regular stoner / dorky leading man, Seth Rogan alongside newcomer Jay Chou as a rich son of a newspaper mogul who after his dads untimely demise puts aside his partying lifestyle to run the family paper.  Hooking up with ex-mechanic / regular coffee genius Kato his eyes are opened to a world of possibility and the pair of them decide to take on the criminal underworld whilst keeping the police guessing who's side they are on.

So that's the plot - before we cover Rogan & Chou lets look at the rest of the stars - my favourite in this is the brilliantly cast Chudnofsky, the criminal mastermind plays by Christoph Waltz (The amazingly creepy Hanz Lander from Inglorious Bastards)  He is phenomenal.  Cameron Diaz rocks up about half way through as the Temp P/A and Green hornet expert and there is a tiny cameo early on from current "127 Hours" James Franco (but it might not be......uncredited but it looks like him!!)  Eddie furlong appears for about 4 minutes as a crystal meth dealer and the Dad, played by Tom Wilkinson is again, great.

Now the cars!! - sorry but any film that has a Bugatti Veyron deserves a special mention and the Black Beauty is one car that I would have over my dream Lambo Gallardo if offered!!

That leaves 2 people.  Firstly Rogan.  Yes he co-wrote, produced and stars in this but even though he has a self named "fart gun" and lost a load of weight for this one he still comes across as a dick.  Zac & Miri, Superbad, Pineapple Express & Knocked Up cemented his career as the stoner / go-to guy for fat drug jokes and he is still yet to shake this tag-line.  however, the character he plays is a self centered, rich, spoilt brat so this matches him perfectly and once realism sets in you do slowly warm to him in this.  But he is by no means the star of the show.

Kato is excellent.  With homages to Bruce Lee throughout the entire movie that range from hand sketches of the dragon himself to a replica move of the infamous "1-inch punch" Jay has captured in essence the legendary martial performer and to Lee fans - this should appeal greatly.

I was expecting it to a slightly better "all-round" movie and as for the 3D - well that was total pants.  Not even worth commenting any further on.

Kato and Chudnofsky completely steal the show with the Black Beauty & Veyron coming in 3rd and 4th - Diaz is her normal Smokin self in my eyes takes 5th place.  Sadly, Rogan disappointed.  At least he gets a cut as producer and writer so if the movie bombs - he should at least pocket future royalties!!

Overall: (Highs) - quite funny, loads of guns and explosions, great cars and the lovely Diaz.  (Lows) - Rogan.

See this if.......................................Even without the powers - Superheroes float your boat!!

82, The Next 3 Days

So a new Russell Crowe thriller!!! Awesome.  Gladiator, Robin Hood, bring it on - great trailers, action adventure.Cant wait!!!

Only it takes Soooooooooooo long to get going.

I am sorry, I really wanted enjoy this one.  The plot was great in premise.  Loving wife and mother wrongly convicted for Murder, Husband defies the law to break her out and risks everything to get his family back together.

Okay, lets start at the end and work backwards.  The last 1/4 of this movie is fantastic.  Heart pounding action and chase scenes.  The: will they / wont they get away with the kid / without the kid? will his Dad drop them in it? Will he have the nerve to take down a drug dealer for cash? will he think it through? and most importantly - why does the Legendary pairing of Brian Dennehy & Liam Neeson have such minor roles!!!

All good questions and luckily, all get answered, but it is a real shame it takes the other 3/4 of the movie to actually get going.

Crowe we all know but its the "wife" role, played by Elizabeth Banks (Role models / Zac & Miri) who steals this one in my eyes.  Really good performance and perfectly cast.  Sadly, one of my newest, favourite actresses (Olivia Wilde) who after a few years as "Thirteen" in House MD and a recent major role in Tron: Legacy appears but in a really meagre casting - she can do much better than that!!!  Luckily when I speak, Hollywood listen and she is cast in a further 6 movies between now and 2012.  Cant wait!!

I am not going to give away any of this, purely because by the time the action kicks off you are either eating your own toes with boredom or have already made 3 toilet breaks and if anyone was to spoil the surprise at this late stage you might actually wonder why life is worth living!!!  to be honest - the long build up is worth it as the last part does make you sit up and pay attention so here are my words of wisdom.

Don't rush in early, it wont be too busy and the highlight of the trailers is that FINALLY the Gulliver's Travels Orange Ad has moved on and its time for Rio the Parrot to take up the next 3 months of our lives on a weekly basis.

See this if......................................Climaxes are you thing, even if it means a slow build up!! ;-)

81, Love and Other Drugs

Define Rom-Com?  To date, most are more romantic than comedic, hence the tag lines "Chick Flick" when we refer to them.  So wouldn't it be nice get a real Rom-Com that's flips the trend.  a full on Comedy, with romance added in, and a little tragedy?

Well, swap the romance for Nude Sex scenes and increase the tragedy levels by a thousand plus some hilarious jokes and you have described this movie beautifully.

Lets get the tragedy out of the way first.  It really does tug the heart strings and will make the more emotional of you shed a tear, although everyone loves a happy ending so rest assured (spoiler alert.............)

You get one!!

Yes, this film does focus predominantly on the illness suffered by Anne Hathaway's character which really does make you sit up and take note but whats great about this film is it's not all about that, and to be fair, is also one of the funniest comedies I have seen in a while.

Okay, Hathaway regarded as hot?  Well don't forget our "child friendly" actress has been in Hoodwinked, Princess Diaries,  Alice in Wonderland & Valentines Day (to name a few) and we have had to admire her charms from afar......but in all true Hollywood style each actress needs their "Helen Mirren" moment and this is hers. 

Full on, frontal nakedness....and lots of it!! so bear this in mind if you are planning to take your mum to see this!!  but there is also something for the ladies, Gylenhaall also bears most of his flesh too, so everyone's happy!!

Onto the comedy.  This is a laugh out loud funny movie.  Gylenhaall and Gad are responsible for most of the laughs.  Gad, the uglier, fatter younger brother is hysterical in his search for empty sex with beautiful women, a trait wholly adopted by his older sibling.  Oliver Platt is also on top form as the "mentor" sales rep and together, they are like the Three Musketeers gone wrong!!

The plot is a simple one, Single playboy and sales Jedi (Gylenhaal) stops at nothing to bag the sale and 9 times out of 10 this also means having to sleep his way to the top until he meets Hathaway, a Parkinson's sufferer who due to her condition seeks exactly the same thing.  Playing hard to get, Gylenhaal is determined to keep it simple but the humour, sex and beauty of Hathaway draws him into unfamiliar territory and our leading man has to weigh up whats most important in life.

Yes its a sad movie, But to find a movie that is as funny as it is tragic, as saucy as it is meaningful  is a rare treat.

Previously in my eyes Gylenhaal was a good actor but never captivated me as a true presence.  This movie changed my mind - he is awesome, funny and extremely likeable. 
Well played Jake.  Just need Maggie to follow suit now.

Also, and this is the best bit.  I now see Anne Hathaway in a different, better, sexier light.  More please!!!

I cant fault this one bit.  A chick flick for guys?  A Rom-Com that's not too soppy? A movie for all.
(just don't take the parents or kids!!

See this if....................................you want Funny, Sexy, Tragic & Romantic all-in-one.

80, The Way Back

Before I get started, lets state one thing.  If Action, Sex, Explosions, Comedy etc are your thing and you never deviate then this film is definitely not for you.

So whats left? What makes this film great?

Well, to be honest this is an extremely moving true story that really captures your imagination and the thought that it actually happened to a group of near strangers made it even harder to believe - but because it did, and it affected a group of WW2 prisoners in such a way that defies belief makes you sit back in awe of their achievement.

I loved this.

The Gulag, one of the worlds most severe prisons.  Deep in Siberia its the wilderness and desolate location that acts as the guards, not the guns, dogs and watchtowers. 

A group of Polish, American & Russian prisoners devise a way to escape, knowing that they would need to survive the 4000km trek to freedom.

Mark Strong is the brains behind the plan, although not venturing on the trek himself he makes a few inmates believe it can be done.  Its not until the arrival of Janusz, a young Polish guy accused of soviet spying who believes Strong's words and devises an escape. In tow are Colin Farrell, (a Russian career criminal) & Ed Harris (an American patriot), along with a few others who Janusz befriends inside.

Soon after they manage to escape, battling the severe Siberian winter(s) their trek takes them across Russia, Mongolia, into China and then via the Himalayas, onto India.  I checked it on Google Maps - that's a pretty epic journey!!

Along their way they meet a young girl, also on the run and decide to take her along.

Sadly, only 3 make it to India (No plot spoiler - it tells you at the start of the movie) but that does not necessarily mean the rest die - merely go separate ways? but there is some tragedy.  You will have to wait and see who makes it!!

I cant categorise this for you other than that it makes you really think about your own lives and what you would do in this situation.  Battle on for the thought of survival? Stay true to your moral beliefs leaving no man behind? realising that in the face of sincere danger you are stronger as a team?

It's epic.  Amazing scenery, beautiful acting and an truly amazing story.  If Historical or factual movies float your boat then buy a big bag of popcorn, settle down, leave the kids at home and revel in what is a definite future masterpiece.

On a Bank Holiday Tuesday, the cinema was full to capacity for this adventure and there was silence from start to finish.  Captivating, inspiring and beyond belief.

To those Gulag inmates of the 40's, I salute you.  Brave souls in the harshest conditions.

See this if...................................you believe cinema is more than guns and bombs!!

79, Meet the Parents: Little Fockers

When I first saw the trailers for this 3rd installment I thought it might have gone one movie too far.  It looked cheesy, over acted and a poor attempt to grasp the few remaining jokes that might of been missed previously with the over used one-liner of linking "Focker" to every imaginable everyday sentence. 

Growing very old!! 

However, I was pleased to find that the film makers managed to make me chuckle more to myself in this one than the other two combined.

Hopefully everyone knows the characters by now, Ben Stiller plays Gaylord Focker, a name much ridiculed by his wife's family and friends, mainly DeNiro.  A good few years has now passed from the the 2nd outing with young kids in tow and our hero, Gay (Greg) now heading up the nursing division of the local hospital.  Byrnes (DeNiro) suffers a minor heart attack and survives unbeknown to his wife and daughter. 
He relies on Greg not to spill the beans but asks him to take over running the "Family" to which Greg takes on will full Mafia gusto - highly amusing.

The star of this one though is Jessica Alba who plays the brilliantly named Andi Garcia, a medicinal drugs rep who is focused on bagging both Greg's endorsement on a new drug as well as the big guy himself.

As seems to be with the other two two movies all seems to start off fine, then Greg messes up and has to win back the affections of those he loves - in this one though his doting wife has his back the whole time and its Alba who is warned off as our loving husband and father stays true to his "Focker" roots. 

Streisand & Hoffman once again rock up as Greg's Parents with show stopping excellence and Owen Wilson excels himself as Kevin, the ex-boyfriend that every new boyfriend fears and is hilarious, even richer and more freaked out than the first one!!!

I think I was expecting too little in the way of new jokes and humour but it was the opposite, they managed to further develop the roles of the cast and if anything, made an improvement on the past two movies.

There are some great scenes but even though its aimed at "kids" there a few saucy bits and a lot of sex references that the younger viewer might not be accustomed too.  A lot will go over their heads but my youngest who is now 7, laughed along with the rest of us - albeit she didn't follow that much of it.

I laughed out loud and was pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

Well done Stiller & co.  I applaud you on not screwing it up!

See this if....................................You're bored of Turkey!!!  Merry Xmas xx.