Bungle-9 Reviews

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

The critics get it wrong yet again

[7/10 · 27 May 2011]

I went in expecting to be disappointed, after the trashing the majority of the critics gave this movie. I came out quite happy actually, and so will you, probably.

While it's not on par with 'Curse' and not as humorous as the previous trilogy, it's still got more focus and less film-flam than the last two entries. At two hours it might seem a little long, but it's all full of story - a straightforward, focused story that maintains pace and direction throughout. The start is a little fuzzy, but by half way through the train is well on the right track.

Nice.

Most of the jokes fall to Depp who does a stirling job with Sparrow, whilst the tone of the rest is somewhat more adult, by which I mean "grown-up" as opposed to anything else. Less silliness. That's not a bad thing - I found the more adult nature of the film to be quite satisfying. There is plenty of adventure to be had here.

It also doesn't have Keira Knightley or Orlando Bloom in it. Another plus.

Penelope Cruz is feisty and sexy and everything Knightley wasn't, though if anything Ian McShane could have been a lot more intimidating than he was. That said, he was adept at barking orders and being reasonably menacing, though his relationship with his ship could have been expanded a little. Geoffrey Rush made the most of his diminished role, and the way his story is resolved, despite it looking a little silly at the start, is quite neat.

All in all this is a satisfying entry into the series and proof yet again of how the cynical critics are out of touch with the wider audience.

Jumper (2008)

Poor, should have jumped from the cinema

[5/10 · 17 February 2008]

I'm going to make it quick so you can make a quick decision when deciding to see this or not.

What has it got going for it? Great effects, interesting exploitation of the teleportation idea, a decent performance from Jamie Bell, a good score, a good soundtrack and Samuel L. Jackson, the US equivalent of Michael Caine.

What's it got against it? Unclear shaky cam action, poor dialogue between the male and female leads, little characterisation, irritating editing, wooden performance from Christiensen, wooden performance from Bilson, no chemistry between the two, poor pacing and no sense of passage of time. Also Samuel L. Jackson doesn't swear.

So there you have it. I'm sure you can decide by weighing up those lists. If you like eye candy or any of the people starring in it in the hope that one day they may be waiting for you for real instead of a wall poster when you arrive home some day, then perhaps you'll get something out of it. If not, save your money and see something better instead. There is so much more to choose from!

Mr. Liman, you've lost your Bourne Identity.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Doesn't "cut it" for me

[6/10 · 26 January 2008]

I'm not a big fan of musicals unless the music isn't typically that of a musical if you get me - for example The Blues Brothers, O Brother Where Art Thou and Chicago are amongst my favourites in the genre.

What do I not like about this movie - I felt that it was poorly paced, spent too long on certain plot points that could have been covered more efficiently and the character setup was a bit slow. The music I found wasn't particularly memorable and conflicted with the dark tone of the story and characters too much to pull me into the universe. I did notice that some themes were reprised at different points to make an emotional and musical mark, which is good musical practice, but a day after having seen it I can't recite a single bar from it.

What does it have going for it then? Well it looks fantastic, very grim and dirty. Performances from the leads - Bonham Carter, Depp, Spall, Rickman, Baron Cohen - were good and committed. It was also a good choice to have the actors do their own singing, to make it a bit more believable. The killing scenes were disturbing, which is a good thing as that is what you'd be looking for in this kind of deal, and sometimes they were dealt with a bit of black humour, also a good thing. I thought that the final frames, even though they were grisly, were beautiful and poignant.

All in all a mixed bag for newbies. If you like musicals, worth a watch. If you're already a fan of the musical, worth a watch. If you're not fussed on musicals, there's probably still something in it to make it worth going to see.

Beowulf (2007)

Enjoyable yet flawed

[7/10 · 10 December 2007]

While there are some conceptual things about this movie that I don't really agree with, such as modelling the faces of the actors in acute detail in CG instead of just using the actors themselves, I found that I enjoyed it a lot more than what I thought I would.

The graphics themselves are very impressive and almost photorealistic (which isn't necessarily a good thing, see previous comment). The film was more hardcore horror than what I thought it was going to be, which made it all the more surprising and entertaining for myself. I am very glad to see that Zemeckis hasn't settled into a groove and is trying new things cinematically, some of which are very evident here.

The voice acting was interesting - my guess is that as the Celts originated from Saxony it would make some sort of sense to have the actors put on different forms of Celtic accents, apart from Jolie's stereotypical Russian business and Winstone's broad London brogue. Given the pedigree of the writers it's not surprising that the script is very well written - not childish in the least, more engaging and adult than that. To be honest, I am very glad to see a major Western company putting in the effort to make a CG film that isn't aimed at children.

At points the film slows down to a laboured chug as some characters are developed. These moments are somewhat forgettable when the next action sequence comes along and amazes you. Trust me, they are amazing. Some complain that the movie isn't true to the poem and the whole story, to which I say well Frank Miller's 300 is based on such a story, yet takes many liberties, and I would put this movie in the same vein as this. It doesn't set out to be a perfect rendition of the poem.

Basically this is a very entertaining, adult movie with a bit of God of War about it, which is a very good thing. Definitely worth a watch.

Transformers (2007)

Tremendous fun

[7/10 · 26 July 2007]

I've been looking forward to this movie ever since they started thinking about it. I had such high hopes, then they announced that Michael Bay was going to do it. There was a collective "Uh-Oh" from everyone at this announcement given the trail of bad movies he's given us over the years. Over the course of production, the scares kept coming - Megatron's design, no Frank Welker, no Soundwave, Optimus as a different style of truck etc. Hopes started to become dashed. Until the movie came out.

I went to a special preview screening, found a good seat and sat down to enjoy the show, trying to forget all the negativity surrounding the movie and trying to clear my head to have an open mind. The film started. From the very opening moment when Optimus Prime started speaking, I was smiling from ear to ear. Optimus is back! So many memories and feelings flood back to me.

Bay made a good decision in getting stuck straight into the action. When I saw the very first transformation I just went "wow" in the cinema from the awe of watching it happen. The effects were amazing. All the transformations were amazing, for that matter.

The film was also really funny - funnier than I expected. Shia LaBoeuf does a fantastic job as the awkward hormonal teenager Sam and puts in a really convincing and funny performance. Josh Duhamel is passable as the typical standard GI Joe movie marine, though thankfully keeping his shouts of "move" and "go go go!" etc. to a minimum. Jon Voight is...well...Jon Voight. He's not bad, but his character is one of those that won't exactly stick in your head. John Turturro was incredibly funny as the Sector 7 agent Simmons, very over the top, although perhaps a little miscast. Megan Fox is true to her name as the human eye candy in the movie with an interesting back story, though her acting impact is perhaps less potent than that of Shia's. There is a very funny scene with her in Sam's bedroom though. Bernie Mac is also a legend.

Who cares about the humans though? We're here for the robots! The transformations were all amazing. The effects are really second to none. Megatron's design was interesting - I didn't think it was great but I'm sure it could have been a lot worse. Frenzy is funny as the angry little spy robot. Prime is brilliant and exudes leadership, but the lips thing...I'm sorry, but it just didn't wash. However, he speaks his lines like we all remember him, especially those lines that are little nods to the original series. Hugo Weaving does an alright job as the voice of Megatron, but I didn't feel it was particularly menacing - more like a standard bad guy voice.

There are a few gripes I have with the movie - not enough Megatron, not enough Starscream, the lubricant thing, Prime's lips, calling Brawl Devastator instead, the lack of the original theme music in any form outside the credits, the obvious product placement (some parts look like pure car adverts), the thinness of the other human plots (the hacker group working on the sound was pure silly) and sometimes the screen was just a little too busy.

Despite all this, the movie is clearly and easily Bay's best. Say what you want about him, he's given us some awful trash in the past, but occasionally he can put in some nice touches and exciting action, and this movie is tailor made for him. Do not expect the next Citizen Kane or Star Wars - just go in and have some fun. Well worth a watch.

Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.

Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Good fun but not really a Die Hard movie

[7/10 · 7 July 2007]

This was a good movie. Good action, funny lines, lack of reliance on CG effects, evil eyed bad guy as well as Kevin Smith's most awesome cameo ever. I think I got my money's worth. I loved the way Marco Beltrami kept the good old themes of the now passed Michael Kamen in the show.

However I think Bruce Willis let me down a bit. The John McClane I remember was crazy, funny and with plenty to say, but here Willis just cruises through with perhaps one or two purely McClane moments.

The film also suffers from some really sucky ADR dubbing work. On many occasions you can plainly see someone's lips moving one way but what you hear is completely unrelated to what you see. I swear I saw one guy wiping his mouth with his sleeve and I could still hear him go through his sentence clearly.

Where's the macho arguments that we saw in the first three movies? Where's the attitude that McClane had and was evident between him and Samuel L. Jackson in the third? All these things are missing. Also McClane's use of his trademark line in this movie is such a cop out it made me die a little inside. And now McClane can jump from a burning truck onto concrete and walk away minutes later. Silly can be good, but sometimes it went a bit too far here.

Seems I'm the only one to see this.

All in all it's good fun, quite tight and provides good escapism, but it's not without its problems.

Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

Slick, cool, funny and fun - just what you ordered.

[7/10 · 10 June 2007]

I saw the first one, didn't see the second, then I saw this. It was a Sunday night out to the cinema, and I wanted something relaxed and entertaining. This film fitted the bill perfectly. It has Soderbergh's clear taste for style present with all his wonderful imagery and colour schemes everywhere, David Holmes' sassy soundtrack complimenting the cool subject matter and Eddie Izzard of all people!

The setup is a little hard to follow with some quick-cut editing and fast talking in the planning stage, but after that the rest runs as smooth as silk. Perhaps a little too smooth - some things seemed a little convenient and nothing seemed to go wrong, i.e. there was no sense of threat or danger. The ensemble cast is fantastic to see but they all seemed a little too comfortable and devoid of character (even Pacino) but these are the only things that seem to detract from this great piece of entertainment.

It's funny, both witty and slightly goofy, visually stimulating and downright cool and entertaining, just what the doctor ordered. I can't really compare this to the second one as I haven't seen it, but I really enjoyed this one.

Sunshine (2007)

Hit and miss but ultimately refreshing

[8/10 · 13 May 2007]

I enjoyed this film a lot. Comparisons to Event Horizon and 2001 aren't without merit, but this is put together in a way Paul WS Anderson couldn't dream of. I was particularly surprised at Chris Evans' performance - having only seen him in Fantastic Four, I was glad to see him pull off a believable role in this which is so much different than Johnny Storm. I'm having a hard time with Cillian Murphy's American accent though - why didn't they just let him speak with his Irish accent? The American one is perhaps a little overwrought and doesn't really suit him.

I loved the atmospheric, psychological setting of the story here. Credit to Underworld for providing the music and proving to me there there is a lot more to them than Born Slippy. The sound design can be quite intense at times - there's very little chance of you falling asleep!

There are silly elements which are hard to forgive, and towards the end it becomes a little "what's happening?", although the film is a feast for the eyes and ears and well worth the watch.

Ghost Rider (2007)

Entertaining but lacks soul, ironically...

[6/10 · 11 March 2007]

I walked into a showing of Ghost Rider with the baggage of the bad reviews and other comments weighing on my subconscious, so I tried to leave my brain at the door and just enjoy it for what it was. I'm glad I did. There were plot holes, dodgy acting, lacks of character...but at the end of the day I was there for the action, the effects and the fun.

Nic Cage for me didn't seem to really believe in his role - he sort of spoke his lines and...well that's about it, he spoke his lines. Eva Mendes was better, with more conviction, as well as a considerable cleavage which I wasn't going to complain about. Were the huge dollops of silly outweighed by the entertainment of the show? I'm not so sure.

All in all I was entertained but not particularly stimulated by the movie. It's a Saturday night out (or in with a beer) kind of flick - unoffensive fun with great effects. Ultimately it just depends what you're looking for.

Night at the Museum (2006)

Does exactly what is says on the tin

[7/10 · 6 January 2007]

I'm just back from seeing this film and the impression I'm left with is.....great fun! Clearly it's aimed mostly at slightly older kids, but there was something here for everyone. Robin Williams does a good turn as Roosevelt, although at the end of the day it is just Robin Williams that the more experienced viewers will see. Some nice cameos along the way, although Ricky Gervais...he felt a little miscast and he basically plays the same guy he does everywhere, so again it wasn't the character I saw, it was just Ricky Gervais.

Still this is a good fun movie, I love the contrasts between the human sized world and that of the little people, for example an explosion seeming large to them but really tiny to us. Some naughty innuendo is afoot, as well as one or two references to other movies like Brokeback Mountain (keep your ears peeled for that one).

All in all great fun, the actors seem to have a blast although some of them were a bit thin. Nice effects, some tender moments, some of it is a retread of old territory, but ultimately I didn't care. It's just good fun!

Final Destination 3 (2006)

Final Desination again

[4/10 · 7 December 2006]

To summarise this movie - think of the first movie, replace the lead character with a girl and replace the plane with a roller-coaster. Put this all together and what do you get? Final Desination 3: Lack of Originality.

Fine, you can leave the brain at the door, go in and watch the spectacle of people getting killed in new ways if that's what you really want to do. This makes it more of a date movie, which is fine. Those looking for a shocking new horror should probably look elsewhere however, as this film is basically the first one all over again.

For the most part the acting is decent and the whole film is generally competently put together. For me though it just seemed a bit of a churned out cash-in.

Bottom line - for a date movie or a no brainer to put on while you and your significant other cuddle on the sofa, not a bad choice. Anyone else may want to steer clear.

Entourage (2004–2011)

Sex and the City, for men (generalisation)!

[10/10 · 16 November 2006]

This show does for men what Sex and the City did for women that watched it. Alright, that's a sweeping generalisation, but there is an iota of truth in what I say. This show has all the ingredients that appeals to the modern heterosexual "bloke" or "lad" - flash cars, sex, hi tech gear, gorgeous women, fame, money, movies, music and frequent nonsensical discussions about hypothetical nonsensical things, as well as an element of brotherhood between the main parties. The four main characters (again similar to Sex and the City) are played with complete conviction, helped considerably with consistently sparkling scripts and dialogue. Everyone has a favourite, and mine simply has to be Johnny Drama, who's like the Samantha of this show.

It also has to be commended for utilising Jeremy Piven's magnificent facility for swearing. It's hard to find a guy that can swear as well as him, and I love the fact that Ari and the rest of them trade insults so casually yet get along so well. Let's face it, this show has some of the best swearing and made up swear words ever!

I love it. I can't stop watching it. You should watch it too.

The New World (2005)

Good, although laboured and ponderous

[6/10 · 16 October 2006]

You have to be really, really in a precise mood to watch this movie and get the most out of it. Malick's style is very prevalent and instantly recognisable to anyone who has watched The Thin Red Line (shots of nature, character narrations), which is a more fulfilling film in my view.

The premise is a love story between the famous explorer John Smith and the impudent Pocahontas set against the backdrop of the beginnings of a new nation. The story takes its time and never feels forced, but is quite poorly paced and feels laboured and a bit overwrought.

If you want to watch this movie, bear in mind what you're in for - a slow burning romantic drama which is beautifully filmed and masterfully crafted, though it does take a good bit of effort to sit through the whole thing.

Robin Hood (2006–2009)

Sheer over-hyped rubbish

[3/10 · 8 October 2006]

So Chris Moyles was hyping this programme incredibly on his Radio 1 show. I should have known better than to listen to an employee of the BBC who probably hadn't seen the show already. From the start we're treated to cheesy action, ridiculous camera-work and inappropriate editing. Robin Hood comes back from The Turk and yet looks all nice and clean with a perfectly trimmed beard and haircut. Keith Allen is a small saving grace in the show that is otherwise turgidly acted. Some parts were good, but on the whole it was just a bit too silly for me. It's not really much of a replacement for Doctor Who. No amount of quick camera zooms or swishy sound effects or slo-mo can make up for the dullness of the programme.

IMO of course.

Judge Dredd (1995)

A guilty pleasure

[6/10 · 5 October 2006]

I have to admit liking this movie. If you watch it without thinking too much about the dark, gritty 2000AD pretext there's a good time to be had here. Yes there is cheesiness and tacky lines ("I AM THE LAW!!") and bad acting, but my goodness they do it well. It's a bit like Snakes on a Plane - if you go in expecting it to be a bad movie then you'll probably enjoy it. I love the music though. Really. It has a theme that sticks with you after it's finished. Good action too.

All in all - for me this is a guilty pleasure. I don't gain enlightenment by watching it, but I do have a fun time and I'm entertained. What more could you ask for? Citizen Kane of the future? Sit down with some munchies, drinks and popcorn and enjoy the show.

Severance (2006)

Bloody good show

[8/10 · 7 September 2006]

British horror movies are really kicking the ass of the majority of sequels and remakes Hollywood is puking out these days. We have The Descent and Shaun of the Dead and now we have Severance, which is a bloody good show. The anti-cliché mentality and the unconventional use of music work well in this movie, which is somewhat progressive yet contains some tried and tested horror genre tricks. In general this movie is very funny and scary in equal measure, especially in some cases where you are laughing like crazy then suddenly seeing something scary! One brief moment that stuck with me in particular isn't scary or funny, but very heart wrenching. I won't spoil it, but it was very contrasting and emotional compared to the rest of the film.

Well arranged, well acted and generally well put together piece of work. One for the DVD collection. 8/10

Monster House (2006)

Unflinchingly fun movie!

[8/10 · 12 August 2006]

Just got back from seeing this - Monster House is an all out fun movie for all ages with some fantastic visuals and great innovations. The animation is top notch, and Kenan controls like he's been in the game for years. I'd recommend this to anyone that has a heart. It maybe wasn't as funny as I thought it was going to be, as well as a little predictable, but it's done so well that these can. Great music from Pipes, particularly in the climactic sequence which in itself is superbly done. The monster house is very well animated and even slightly scary. I guarantee you'll have a good time if you go and see this movie, provided you're not a prude that has to think everything has to be realistic and believable. Pure escapism.

Bottom line, go see it!

Miami Vice (2006)

A bit underrated but not comparable to Heat or Collateral

[7/10 · 6 August 2006]

Miami Vice is aesthetically typical Mann fare - passionate love scenes, great music, with a fantastic (recently developed) visual style (e.g. hand-held hi-def cameras). Some great action scenes are involved too, but are too far and few between for those hoping for an action flick.

There are some major issues with it though. Mann seems to have trouble making his high concept of the story watchable and followable. His idea is sound, but he's operating on a level that's somewhat alien to the audience, so it can be a little hard to follow at times. Keep your wits about you.

Also, there is a lack of character present, where people come in to say lines directly related to the story, but few develop the personae of the characters themselves. Some things are said quite quickly, generating a "wha?" reaction from viewers. There were one or two really bad edits that I noticed as well - Mann can't seem to decide whether to make his movies documentary-esquire or straight up, as there are both kinds of work here.

All in all the patience pays off spectacularly at the end, but was it really worth it? You decide. I think it's a little underrated on IMDb, but not as good as some of Mann's previous efforts, namely Collateral and Heat. I'd give it 6.5/10, but that rating ain't available so I'm rounding it up to 7.

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Good but not great

[6/10 · 19 May 2006]

I saw this tonight with someone who had read the book (very quickly), and they enjoyed it more than I did I think. Not to say that I didn't enjoy it. The music was good, the composition was very good. Ron Howard has carved out a niche or trademark in the "the solution appears to the protagonist using CGI and stuff" for himself. A lot of the actors were on autopilot though, namely Hanks and Reno. Bettany and McKellen put in good, solid performances.

Some things were just a bit convenient to me, not to mention one or two plot holes but I really can't be bothered going into them here. I also don't understand the controversy here - did the Church whine regarding the first and third Indiana Jones movies?

Anyway, there were one or two moments where it seemed like the end but it continued for just a little longer, and character development was somewhat thin but not completely amiss.

All in all, not a waste of a night out, a definite critic-proof movie, although more of an OK thriller than a revelatory, iconic piece of work.

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Hi-Octane, Action Packed, Roller-coaster Ride, name your cliché...

[7/10 · 14 May 2006]

I had reasonably high expectations for this seeing as our man JJ Abrams was behind it, and I'm not disappointed. Viewers will be taken on a very thrilling and enjoyable ride through the world of fantasy international espionage. It's a bit like a mix of the previous instalments - smart enough with lots of good action. Some of the writing is particularly sparkling with freshness. Abrams creates moments of tension that are so involving that you can feel your butt-cheeks tightening up on your seat.

Love him or hate him, Tom Cruise does his usual best as Ethan Hunt with good old reliable Ving Rhames as his ever-cool intel guy. Hoffman was understatedly excellent in his role as the villain, whilst Crudup and Fishburne did their thing, although there was some lack of character.

Some influences from Lost are apparent, not least the music (which is neither surprising nor a bad thing). There is the traditional M:I twist involved which is a bit confusing, but if you think hard enough you should be able to get it. Special effects were excellent, especially with a certain item that occurs in each of the movies.

The ending was...well it's JJ Abrams and co., and when you watch Lost there are more questions than answers. All in all definitely worth seeing regardless of what you think of Cruise and his recent antics, a good night-out movie full to the brim with action and suspense. 7/10.

Silent Hill (2006)

On par with Resident Evil, if not slightly better

[7/10 · 24 April 2006]

Saw this last night - my hopes were reasonably moderate given that I'd been looking forward to it since discovering Roger Avary and Christophe Gans were involved, and I have to say I wasn't disappointed. That's not to say I thought it was fantastic - there was a fair bit of bad stuff in it, such as Radha Mitchell's unconvincing acting and some of the lines she was given, and the whole Sean Bean part which was tacked on at the studio's "request".

That said, it was very enjoyable, freaky and disturbing enough with a cracking climax, although the end was slightly annoying. A lot of people said they were confused - it's not really that confusing as long as you take a moment to think about who's who and whats happening. Just think of parallel dimensions and manifestations of spirits etc. I have to say the climax (as opposed to the end) was definitely memorable. Also, Gans demonstrates his amazing eye for aesthetics, and the sound design is also excellent. I'd give it 6.5 out of 10 (rounded up to 7) - one of the better game adaptations yet.

V for Vendetta (2005)

A very entertaining fusion of genres

[8/10 · 20 March 2006]

A lot of the bad criticism of this movie is based along the lines of "it refuses to define itself" or "is it an actioner or is it a social commentary or what". I personally don't believe that these are valid criticisms. I had absolutely no issue whatsoever with the fact that this film assaults many themes at once. The action was great. The acting was very competent. The music was excellent. Some people point out plot holes, but at the end of the day we shouldn't really care.

This is the sort of film you can take any way you want - an actioner, a love story, a political message. Basically it has followed the recent trend of fusion in art amongst many other things, and I think in this case that it works well.

It does get a little confusing in places but if you pay enough attention then you should be able to get the general concept of what's happening. I heard Jonathan Ross really didn't care much for this movie - tough luck Wossie!

The Matador (2005)

Not bad, not extraordinary

[6/10 · 4 March 2006]

I think the reviews for this film are a little overrated. I'm risking a high number of "This comment wasn't useful" marks, but whatever I'll say my peace and leave it at that.

It's billed as comedy, but I found that the elements of humour lacked the punch necessary to make me laugh. Instead I found myself trying to laugh and then asking why. Some parts were funny enough, but not enough to describe this movie as a comedy.

The characters played by Brosnan and Kinnear are fairly well played out and developed, and the bond between them is strange to say the least. The two are well supported by Hope Davis is Kinnear's wife. Some nice artistic touches from Shepard, such as intercutting scenes of a bullfight matador with Brosnan's character getting up to something.

The soundtrack is a little cliché at times and there are one or two little twists towards the end, although if you had been paying attention throughout and have watched enough twisty movies they're not too hard to figure out before they happen. One of them is a little double- twisty so maybe Shepard knew that it wasn't hard to figure out.

All in all competent, wrongly advertised and not massively memorable.

Doom (2005)

Some interesting moments flanked by reams of rubbish

[5/10 · 26 January 2006]

These days (hopefully not forever) game movies suck. That's stating the obvious of course, but I feel it still has to be said. This movie isn't really much different. I didn't think it was as bad as it was made out to be by a lot of people, but still hardly worth paying to see. The simple fact of the matter is that they fiddle too much with the source material which in most cases is very good, as with Doom 3. Here, rather than the demons of hell being unleashed on Mars, we have a convoluted "Resident Evil" style plot focusing on people changing into things rather than demons that already existed.

There were some interesting moments in the movie however, such as the C-24 based beings choosing the bad people to infect - I think this could have been expanded on a bit - as well as The Rock having some pretty cool lines to deliver and Richard Brake putting in a good performance as Portman. Unfortunately the crap seems to outweigh the good stuff. Rosamund Pike had the same wide eyed po-faced expression throughout and delivered her lines with no expression whatsoever, Karl Urban's accent was a little dodgy, a big pseudo- Matrix style fight at the end which made zero sense...the list goes on.

Overall I'd say it's not awful, but I can't recommend it for anyone other than those looking for a cheap gory thrill that is instantly forgettable. I could say that it's "Aliens" done wrong, but I wouldn't want to disgrace the good name of Cameron's great piece of work by making any sort of comparison - positive or negative - to this movie.

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (2005 Video Game)

Fantastic

[4 December 2005]

This really is a fantastic game. The sheer variety of gameplay that is gradually revealed throughout the game keeps the player's interest from beginning to end, never getting boring. The characters are all very well developed and the voice acting is top-notch, adding to the depth of the characters - watch out for Dimitri, he's my favourite character with all his jive talk! You picking up on what I'm throwing down??

Responsive controls, intuitive control system, great music (that sometimes picks up on themes from Sly 2), smooth graphics and some really funny dialogue make this game hard to fault. You don't necessarily have to play the previous instalments in this series to enjoy this game, although there are a few little references that veterans would appreciate. The whole 3D glasses gimmick doesn't work very well, although thankfully you have the option of playing those scenes in normal view.

I can thoroughly recommend this game to those who liked: Ratchet & Clank, Splinter Cell/Metal Gear Solid (the stealth element) and Jak and Daxter to some degree.

Contrary to what one reviewer stated, this isn't necessarily the last in the Sly Cooper franchise - it could be the end, but it is left in such a way that a sequel is most definitely possible.