Benjamin_Cox Reviews

Drive (I) (2011)

Stylish, brutal thriller with little actual driving - 82%

[8/10 · 10 February 2014]

Just occasionally, a film comes along and does its best to stump me. Not through a convoluted plot but more because I struggle to understand precisely what the film is trying to say. Maybe it's me being a bit thick but this is one film that works very hard to break free from normal Hollywood conventions and has me scratching my head. It's an easy film to admire - very well made, a killer electro-pop soundtrack and stacked with actors giving quality performances in a classic noir tale - but I can't help feel like I've missed something.

Pretty-boy Ryan Gosling plays an unnamed stunt driver based in LA who doubles-up as a getaway driver for Hollywood's criminal element. Maintaining an air of enigmatic mystery, he begins a relationship with his neighbour, waitress Irene (Carey Mulligan), and her son (Kaden Leos). But when the boy's father Standard (Oscar Isaac) is released from prison, he identifies the driver as a fellow professional and ropes him in to help him with robbing a pawn shop. But it quickly descends into a violent battle of wits against mobsters Nino (Ron Perlman) and Bernie (Albert Brooks), a battle that the driver seems destined to lose...

Anyone expecting a rip-off of "The Fast & The Furious" will be deeply annoyed because "Drive" is way more cerebral than any of that series. In fact, there aren't many driving sequences in the film although what is in there is brilliantly shot and have a old-fashioned, visceral feel to them. "Drive" is more about the characters than the cars - take any of the scenes where Mulligan is making gooey-eyes at Gosling where dialogue is forsaken and stark lighting illuminates their faces like passing street-lights. Gosling does a grand job of playing the driver who switches between cool, calm professional to loving, surrogate father and the relationship between him and his neighbours is believable and organic. But Brooks is just as good, playing very much against type as the brutal gang boss who can seemingly turn anything into a weapon. There is an underlying dark current to the picture that clashes with the possible romance brewing as viciously as the driver deals with anyone who get in his way. His is a classic anti-hero and combined with the retro-sounding music and neon-pink opening credits, "Drive" has a strong Eighties vibe to it that makes it feel reminiscent of other movies like "Bullitt" and "Vanishing Point".

Dark, brutal and as enigmatic as its lead, "Drive" is a high-quality curio that never fails to let go of your attention. For example, there is a shot of Gosling in his car where he just sits there, sun setting behind him and it took a good few moments before I realised that I was holding my breathe with anticipation. I just wish that I was smart enough to fully appreciate it because the ending felt like an anti-climax and the violence felt grimly excessive at times, such as the scene in the lift. What I do appreciate is the film's undeniable style and look - director Nicolas Winding Refn has pulled out all the stops to fashion a film that has a gritty and yet still beautiful feel to it - as well as the cast who do a fantastic job and the soundtrack which is worth tracking down. But like a Booker Prize winning novel, I just wish I had a bit more smarts about me to "get it".

Gosford Park (2001)

A slow, thoroughly British look at class and country life with a bit of murder thrown in - 86%

[9/10 · 25 September 2013]

While it's never floated my boat, "Downton Abbey" nevertheless has plenty of fans as over nine million UK viewers caught the premiere of its third season on TV. It might well be a well-produced drama of the sort the UK excels at but personally, I find such costumed outings rather dour, plodding affairs. However, this movie - with its Agatha Christie-style country house and a cast-list for the ages - offers something a little different. It still feels a little slow but it offers an authentic look at class, privilege and gender politics. It's also brilliantly written, directed and performed and is probably Roger Altman's best film after "MASH".

In 1932, Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and his trophy wife Sylvia (Kristen Scott Thomas) invite a number of guests over for a shooting weekend. Among their guests are matinée idol Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam) and his Hollywood producer friend Morris Weissman (co-producer Bob Balaban) as well as the Countess of Trentham (Maggie Smith) and her maid-servant Mary (Kelly MacDonald). As the weekend goes on, Sir William has to fend off constant attempts to secure his fortune from his guests while the gossiping house-staff, led by his butler Jennings (Alan Bates) and housekeeper Mrs Wilson (Helen Mirren), ensure that the weekend goes as smoothly as possible. Before long, a murder is committed but who is the guilty party? Is it head house-maid Elsie (Emily Watson) who has something to hide? Could it be enigmatic valet Mr Denton (Ryan Phillippe) or charismatic loner Parks (Clive Owen), the valet of Lord Stockbridge (Charles Dance)? Hopefully, Inspector Thomson (Stephen Fry) and his constable companion Dexter (Ron Webster) can crack the case before all the guests have to return home...

Like most murder mysteries, "Gosford Park" spends a lot of time filling the screen with details both relevant and irrelevant. In fact, the murder is arguably the most surprisingly thing about the film as so much time is spent with both upstairs with the party-goers and downstairs with the staff that it almost feels like a documentary at times. To prevent boredom from completely taking over, the film injects a good deal of humour into proceedings - Smith's cantankerous countess is witty and loaded with barbed asides while Fry's detective is as gloriously aloof as those he interviews, maintaining an almost Clouseau-like ignorance of the facts presented to him. But all the cast are superb - I've never seen this many British stars at once outside of a Harry Potter film - but this is a true ensemble piece as dialogue blends together to further enhance the authentic feel of the film. The script, penned by "Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes, leaves just enough to keep you guessing but because it spends so long setting the crime up, you sort of feel as though he's more concerned about writing a period piece as opposed to a mystery.

Although it won't be to everyone's taste, "Gosford Park" feels like a big-screen outing for Mrs Marple but without the silver-haired sleuth in attendance. Yes, it's brilliantly made and at times very funny but I wanted a bit more pace to proceedings. I honestly felt that once every red herring imaginable had been planted in the first hour-and-a-bit, Fellowes simply worked out yet another possibility and wrote that as the ending. And to be frank, the climax felt a little rushed and the least believable bit of the picture as nobody actually seems that bothered that they've spent the weekend with a murderer in their midst. Still, credit must go towards the look of the film which is spot-on and the actors who are all magnificent. In truth, the film is less a murder-mystery and more a realistic portrayal of life in a country house in the early 1930's. Fellowes almost feels nostalgic for such a time when ladies knew their place, their men could be utter cads without them batting an eyelid and both were wholly reliant on their staff, who held them in mock-respect as though their livelihoods depended on it - which they did, of course. It is as British as Earl Grey tea, cucumber sandwiches and strawberries and cream at Wimbledon - something which appeals more to foreign markets more than the UK where I'm from. After all, if the TV series "Midsomer Murders" can be a global hit...

Juno (2007)

A smart, sassy and brilliantly written comedy - 89%

[9/10 · 28 July 2013]

I've always said that if I can write a movie half as good as "Pulp Fiction" then I'd be happy. But as great as Tarantino's opus is, it still feels artificial. Vincent and Jules would never exist in real life and Mia's overdose would be all-too-fatal - in short, none of it feels like real life, however entertaining it may be. But this film, from debuting screenwriter (and first-class name-holder) Diablo Cody, manages to feel not just entertaining but almost autobiographical. With scalpel-sharp dialogue and blistering performances, this makes one of the best-written film I've seen become one of the very best.

Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is a sixteen-year-old high school student who discovers she's pregnant after one night's experimenting with her best friend Paulie (Michael Cera). After fleeing from an abortion clinic, Juno decides to go through with the pregnancy and give the baby up for adoption to a nice couple. Meeting up with musician Mark Loring (Jason Bateman) and his wife Vanessa (Jennifer Garner), Juno has no qualms at all about going ahead with the plan and relies on the help of her parents Bren (Allison Janney) and Mac (the always wonderful J.K. Simmons). But as the seasons pass and Juno's delivery date gets every nearer, will things ever be the same again for her, Paulie, her family or the Lorings?

It's easy to spot an actor or actress giving brilliant performances and while "Juno" is full of them, Page is simply superb as the quirky teenager, firing off one-liners like they're going out of fashion. Feeling like a living version of MTV's "Daria", Juno is smart, sassy and remarkably the most level-headed character on screen. Cera handles the role of the bewildered father-to-be with excellence too while Simmons and Janney have real fun with some of the lines - Bren's sparring with the ultrasound technician (Kaaren de Silva) is a rare scene that's performed to such a degree that not only did I wince at the verbal sparring but wanted to cheer for her afterwards! The film's soundtrack is also fantastic, scored by the artist Kimya Dawson who I'm not familiar with but will try to track down now. Her songs and lyrics have a beautiful simplicity to them that flow through the film like the changing seasons the characters find themselves in and turns what might have been a depressing story into one filled with a positive, life-affirming message.

So why does it miss out on a hallowed 90%+ score? I kinda felt that it lost its way a bit. I found it difficult to sympathise with Garner's overly enthusiastic mother-in-waiting and the ending didn't feel right either - at least, the adoption part. But by and large, this is a brilliantly written, directed and performed comedy about the various trials and tribulations about growing up faster than you'd wish for. It feels quite female-orientated and yet, I still would happily recommend "Juno" to anyone who enjoys an intelligent and all-too-plausible film that is the polar opposite of something like "Knocked Up". This has a sensitivity, a heart that governs not just what happens to the characters but has enough left to get its pro-life message across without being overly preachy. Page is a star with a real future ahead of her if this is anything to go by and I personally feel the Academy got it wrong by snubbing Page's Best Actress nod. It might be a bit 'indie' for some people but "Juno" is a film to be enjoyed, understood and celebrated for years to come.

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

Hits the target but misses the bull's eye - 73%

[7/10 · 11 July 2013]

This has been on my radar since it was released and at last, I can cross it off. I like John Cusack as an actor (though I'll forget about "2012" for the purposes of this argument!) and this had all the feel of a smart-aleck comic thriller that normally appeals to me. And it does but something's missing. It has witty dialogue, genuine laughs, an amazing soundtrack and surprisingly decent action but by being a jack-of-all-trades, it ends up a master of none. However, this is still worth your attention simply by being a little different from the usual Hollywood film about hit men.

Cusack plays Martin Blank, an experienced professional killer who finds himself beginning to question his career choice. After turning down an offer to join an assassin's union led by his rival Grocer (Dan Aykroyd), Blank is contacted by his broker (Joan Cusack) with an odd proposition - his ten year high school reunion is taking place in Grosse Pointe, Michigan at the same time as a job is required in Detroit. Reluctantly, Martin agrees while thinking he can make amends with Debi (Minnie Driver), the girl he stood up at the prom ten years ago. But Blank has other concerns - he is pursued to Grosse Pointe by a couple of feds (Hank Azaria and K. Todd Freeman), another hit-man wanting to collect the price on Blank's head (Benny Urquidez) and Grocer who doesn't take too kindly to rejection...

If you're not sure what to make of "Grosse Pointe Blank" then you're not alone - the film veers wildly from energetic action thriller to romantic comedy which, if I'm honest, slowed the film down something chronic. Cusack and Driver are a good couple though, with real chemistry between them that sparkles on screen. But as Blank's two worlds begin to collide, things seriously begin to unravel in the film. Take the moment when Blank is forced to rely on his school buddy Paul (Jeremy Piven) to dispose of a body - at no point does Paul react with horror the way I suspect I might, nor does he question the scenario at all. It's a shame because there is much to like - Aykroyd is brilliantly psychotic as Grocer while the film's blistering soundtrack (by Joe Strummer of The Clash, of all people) is a real winner as well. There are also lots of references to other movies from "You Only Live Twice" to "The Warriors" which help the movie barrel along.

"Grosse Pointe Blank" is a good film but I wanted something more. It isn't as original as it thinks it is and its split personality prevents the film from being a great action film. The romantic subplot works as well as the action scenes which are full of noise, fire and debris flying about the place. I also felt Alan Arkin was underused as Blank's long-suffering therapist and that more could have been made of the premise. A hit-man suffering a crisis of confidence has been covered before in many movies but I doubt that a high school reunion dance featured in any of them. I can just about recommend "Grosse Pointe Blank" simply by being a little different from other hit-man-related films out there. At least it's not anything as adrenaline-fuelled as "Hitman" or "Assassins" - both of which were disappointingly one-dimensional action outings - but it has a depth to it that I can appreciate. I just wished that it was a bit braver in the script and that it was as clever as it thinks it is.

The Losers (I) (2010)

More of a score-draw than a rout - 69%

[7/10 · 3 April 2013]

According to my IMDb profile (which I've only just managed to look at and an excellent feature it is too), nearly half the movies I've ever written about have been action flicks. No real surprise there - Hollywood continues to produce action films with startling regularity, each one with bigger explosions and more bullets than the last. But despite the shallowness, I confess that a good action movie can provide all the escapism and entertainment I demand even if my life hasn't been vastly improved as a whole. This movie was another one that piqued my interest with the trailer and like most action movies, it does enough to entertain without really stretching the medium as a whole.

In deepest Bolivia, a CIA Special Forces team are assigned to take out a nasty drug baron but try to abort the air-strike after spotting children being used as human shields. But their superior, a voice on the radio known as Max (Jason Patric), demands the mission be completed. Ignoring orders, they soon find themselves becoming a target for the CIA themselves and they quickly disappear off the radar for a while. So when team leader Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is contacted by an alluring woman (Zoe Saldana) with a plan to get them home and armed to the teeth for revenge, Clay soon persuades his colleagues Pooch (Columbus Short), Roque (Idris Elba), Cougar (Óscar Jaenada) and Jensen (Chris Evans) to join him. But can she really be trusted as the Losers soon find that Max has bigger fish to fry than a rag-tag bunch of apparently deceased soldiers?

Based on a comic series, "The Losers" feels remarkably like a slightly more humorous take on "Wanted". The film is crammed with slow-mo shots of explosions, gun battles and carnage erupting around the actors as they shoot, blow up and kung-fu-kick their way to the film's (faintly anti-climatic) final sequence. As a result, there isn't a great deal for them to do but Evans and Morgan do well, snapping off wise-cracks amid the chaos. Saldana, however, does her career a power of good - being the perfect blend of sexy chick and bad-ass heroine (which reminds me, I must watch "Columbiana"). The story doesn't really do much besides provide a variety of locales for each action sequence to take place although the stuff about Max's overall plan involving bizarre 'green' bombs is clearly nonsense. But the action is satisfying enough and isn't that what we want from an action pic?

True enough but "The Losers" fails to recognise a basic principal of action movies - context. Take "The Matrix", the spiritual basis for every action movie since (including this one) - would Neo's bullet dodging have meant as much if the story hadn't gripped us from the opening scene, that memorable chase over rooftops between Trinity and Agent Smith? "The Losers" can't make its mind up whether its a revenge story or whether there is a classic 'evil genius' story going on instead and as a result, it isn't as tense as it could have been. The humour also prevents tension building, although it makes the film more entertaining than "Wanted" which took itself way too seriously. Action fans would do well to watch this and personally, I'm looking forward to any sequel although judging by the film's poor box-office performance, that looks unlikely. It's not a bad film but one that just needed a bit less pyrotechnics and a bit more thought to it. Frustrating because I really wanted to like this more than I do.

Breaking and Entering (2006)

File under "Great acting in a dull movie" - 62%

[6/10 · 22 May 2012]

The dangers of indulging in a little dramatic movie like this every now and again is that too often, you get burnt. But before you start, let me state that this film does have several reasons that make it stand out from the crowd. Director Anthony Minghella knows how to shoot a film, thesps like Jude Law and Juilette Binoche have both experience and reputations to draw on and people like me still get a rush of blood thinking about Underworld's work for the soundtrack to "Trainspotting". It would be a rare day indeed if this sort of pedigree were wasted in some sort of plodding, unrealistic time-waster but alas, today is that day. Despite me ignoring my first impressions and sticking with it, this is one of those films where characters mumble lines of dialogue you'd never hear in real life and very little plot development makes any sort of sense.

Throwing himself into his work redeveloping the area around Kings Cross, architect Will (Law) struggles to cope at home with his half-Swedish girlfriend Liv (Robin Wright-Penn) and her semi-autistic gymnast daughter Beatrice (Poppy Rogers). After a break-in at his office, Will eventually finds the culprit - a fifteen year-old teenager from Sarejevo called Miro (Rafi Gavron) - and follows him home where he becomes enchanted by Milo's mother Amira (Binoche). As Will and Amira start seeing each other, Will begins to question his life while Amira slowly discovers what her son has been doing behind her back...

Like I said, there are things to recommend about "Breaking And Entering" and for me, the acting is the first noticeable plus. Binoche, Law and Wright-Penn are excellent as are most of the supporting cast, especially Rogers and Martin Freeman as Will's partner Sandy. The only fly in the ointment is Ray Winstone's horribly stereotyped cop investigating the break-in, who always feels like he's two seconds away from rolling over his car's bonnet and driving at high speed through some cardboard boxes. Other positives are Minghella's direction which gives the film a suitably urban feel to match the seediness of Kings Cross perfectly and the soundtrack by Underworld is just brilliant, without being intrusive. The ingredients were there but the film's leisurely pace and frankly odd story undermines all that hard work. Take the fact that Will & Sandy, instead of hiring security to look after their office, decide to spend the night in their car staking the place out but end up being bothered by prostitutes. The dialogue is also pretty poor - Law's character, who seems to spend an abnormally large amount of time staring into the middle-distance, delivers lines of such cryptic complexity that I had no idea what he was on about half the time.

In some ways, it reminded me of Binoche's English-speaking debut "The Unbearable Lightness Of Being" which is beautifully acted and directed but spend the entire duration going absolutely nowhere and ultimately ended up being a very pretty but dull film. "Breaking And Entering" suffers from similar problems, being far too pretentious and not nearly believable enough for me to care. In fact, Will's generally unlikeable nature put me off just as much and other than his good looks and the need to protect her son, I couldn't see what attracted Amira to him in the first place. I'm a great admirer of Binoche (in every respect) but this film doesn't really do much for her CV. "Breaking And Entering" might offer something for viewers used to dramas such as this but personally, I just wanted something to happen or quite honestly, for the film to abandon Will and follow Winstone's heavily-clichéd copper for a few hours while he cracked some heads down in the East End. Instead, the film stuck with a bunch of boring people doing not very much while I wondered how so many talented people could simultaneously have an off-day.

The Piano (1993)

A brilliantly filmed and performed love story that's a bit different- 86%

[9/10 · 10 May 2012]

Part of the downside of writing movie reviews is that on occasion, you are forced or compelled to watch some utter tripe. Movies that have little value as entertainment are all too easily found on the shelves of your local rental store or lurking hidden on TV schedules, ready to pounce on unsuspecting viewers. Thank God for that rare film that comes along that is not only beautiful to watch but also contains a powerful story lit up by electric performances and also offers a very different experience to other movies out there. This might be a little Oscar-friendly for some but that shouldn't detract from what is a haunting love story with the oddest of protagonists.

Holly Hunter plays Ada McGrath, a Scottish mute living in the mid-1800's who is married by her father to landowner Alisdair Stewart (Sam Neill). Together with her treasured piano and her daughter Flora (Anna Paquin), they are shipped off to New Zealand to spend the rest of their lives with Stewart. At first, Ada and Flora distrust Stewart after he leaves her piano on the beach but eventually, it is retrieved by Stewart's right-hand man Baines (Harvey Keitel), a fellow Scot who has integrated himself with the local Maori. As time passes, Ada's attention is diverted to Baines after he asks her to teach him how to play the piano and soon, their romance threatens to boil over and ruin everything.

You can always tell which performances have been recognised by the Academy - films like "Training Day" and "Monster's Ball" both feature actors that lift the film beyond mere drama. Hunter's in "The Piano" is another, giving a faultless performance as Ada, whose haunting looks stay with you some time after the film has finished. Keitel is also superb, being both fearless and sympathetic as Baines. But for me, this is director Jane Campion's masterpiece - it is just a wonderful film to watch, each shot feels painted and lit with painstaking effort. Take the shot of the piano on the beach or of Flora skipping over the hills singing. It looks fabulous, a real pleasure for the eyes and as the ears too as the soundtrack is equally haunting and most of it played by Hunter herself.

It might not be everyone's cup of tea but "The Piano" gives you something that you just don't get from most other movies. It's a wonderfully quirky romance that doesn't resort to quick titillation (as I suspect a male director would have done) but builds the tension nicely as the film progresses. It also offers a wealth of acting talent on display and then gives them a decent script to get their teeth into, meaning they have to do more than just deliver lines. It even gives your ears something pleasant to listen to, assuming that delicate piano notes are your thing - which they are. It's difficult to say that this is entertaining because it's more cerebral than that, like a Booker Prize winning novel. You might not get it first time and if you're not used to thinking about films then this will turn you right off. However, it's good to catch a film that really delivers and thankfully, "The Piano" is just such a film.

K-9 (1989)

A draft run for the slightly-better "Turner & Hooch" - 50%

[5/10 · 1 May 2012]

Why does Hollywood insist on pitching two movies against each other, despite the plots being remarkably similar? Remember "Dante's Peak" going up against "Volcano" or how about "Antz" taking on "A Bug's Life"? Well, here is the natural opponent to "Turner & Hooch" except that there are one or two other issues to contend with. First of all, Tom Hanks has been replaced with James Belushi, the ugly dog is now a much-more photogenic German Shepard and the laughs have nearly all dried up - not that "Turner & Hooch" had many to begin with.

Belushi plays hot-shot cop Dooley, obsessed with bringing down suspected crime boss Lyman (Kevin Tighe) to such a point that his girlfriend Tracy (Mel Harris) is considering kicking him out of her apartment. Determined to bring Lyman down, Dooley finds himself partnered with Jerry Lee, an eccentric police dog with a strong sense of personality. Unfortunately, Jerry Lee has a far greater impact on Dooley's personal life and before long, Lyman has gained the upper hand. Can Dooley and Jerry Lee overcome their differences and bring him down or will Lyman have the last laugh?

Given that Belushi spends, I guess, maybe 70% of this movie talking to a dog, your enjoyment of "K-9" will largely depend on how funny you find Belushi. Personally, he's just about as unfunny as Hanks was in "Turner & Hooch" but like "Turner & Hooch", the dog is the true star. He has the best scenes and gets the most laughs but the film-makers make the same mistake of making the dog act like a human - no dog I've ever met covers their face with embarrassment! The other let-down is the plot which is not only predictable but also so closely matches "Turner & Hooch" that I'm surprised there wasn't a law-suit. It's a fact that this was released a few short months before "Turner & Hooch" but it feels like an odd kiddie's film - having the whole drug-plot run alongside the comic chaos of an out-of-control dog working with an unconventional cop felt like a difficult marriage, especially when played for laughs as it is here.

It's never easy to compare two films so closely matched together but I'm afraid that "K-9" comes off a close second to "Turner & Hooch". It's not as funny, the dog doesn't appeal in the same way as the mutt in the other film and Belushi is a poor man's Hanks. It can't decide whether it wants to be a serious cop story or a straight-up comedy with a angry dog wrecking havoc but in the end, it became neither. The only real difference between the two is that the love interest in "K-9" is much hotter and there is no cop partner for Belushi to spark off, meaning he spends most of the film talking to a dog. And if that's what you want to spend 100-ish minutes watching then this is the film for you. Personally, I can't recommend it so for my money, the whole "cop-with-a-dog" sub-genre should be put to rest for a long time to come. Here's hoping.

Keeping Mum (2005)

An old-fashioned, gentle riposte to the likes of "Mary Poppins" - 77%

[7/10 · 13 April 2012]

Although farce is a universal comedic language, it's fair to say that nobody does farce as well as the English. From Oscar Wilde to Richard Curtis, the English sense of humour is strongly based in misunderstanding, misdirection and classic class stereotypes and this movie is a revival of such long-standing traditions. It might not be a riotous laugh but like "Calendar Girls", this is a gentle and almost relaxing comedic plod through the English countryside and offers a modern and black interpretation of "Mary Poppins" that Disney would certainly not approve of!

In the sleepy village of Little Wallop, Reverend Walter Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson) is struggling with his parishioners as well as trying to write the opening speech for a forthcoming conference. But away from the pulpit, things are even worse for his family - not that Walter is noticing. His wife Gloria (Kristin Scott-Thomas) is considering an affair with slimy golf instructor Lance (Patrick Swayze), his daughter Holly (Tamsin Egerton) has a succession of unsuitable boyfriends and his son Petey (Toby Parkes) is being bullied at school. Enter their new housekeeper Grace (Maggie Smith) who slowly begins to work her magic on the family. But Grace has plenty of dark secrets of her own and soon, her unusual methods of keeping the peace create more problems for Gloria than they actually solve...

There aren't many actors who are happy to play up to their usual characters but the cast of "Keeping Mum" all do a fantastic job, adding a worrying authenticity to proceedings but the star of the show is Smith who is simply wonderful as the naughty nanny with a mysterious trunk "full of memories". Swayze also does very well as the lecherous lover of Gloria, reminding you of what a fine actor he actually was. The story might not be the most disguised and you can't help but wonder how the truth was concealed to the characters for as long as it was. But it's a delightful pastiche of those English clichés of sleepy villages, nosey busy-bodies and murderous citizens reacting to the slightest provocation. It's like an extended episode of "Midsomer Murders" but with slightly more swearing and nudity - in fact, it sorta makes me feel that it's been produced more for a foreign market as opposed to a British one but it's not that's not a reason for me to dislike a film that generally is amusing, interesting and offers an antidote to overly sugary "nanny" films like "Mary Poppins" or "Nanny McPhee".

"Keeping Mum" might not be everyone's cup of tea but it is a recommended comedy crime thriller that reminds us to be careful of exactly what we wish for. As a bonus, it is also beautifully shot - I cannot recall a film that showed how truly amazing the British countryside can look, a real picture-postcard filled with rolling hills, sweeping coastlines and cottages with smoke-billowing chimneys and stone walls. "Keeping Mum" does for England what "Lost In Translation" did for Japan or "Y Tu Mama Tambien" did for Mexico. In addition to its stunning cinematography, it's a funny yet grisly film that will amuse most people although anyone expecting gut-busting belly laughs might want to look elsewhere. Still, this is much funnier that a lot of comedies out there so give it a try and wallow in some good, old-fashioned farce.

Wanted (2008)

Nowhere near as good as it could have been - 64%

[6/10 · 3 April 2012]

Haven't the Wachowski brothers got a lot to answer for? It seems that hardly a day goes by without another new action movie appears, created on a computer using footage shot in front of a green screen in a warehouse somewhere instead of using actors on location. And blow me, as if to illustrate my point, here is another one! Chock-full of all the ridiculous action you associate with CG-infused action flicks, this is one film that doesn't look too good if you peel away the pixels and gawk at what's left.

Wesley Gibson (a miscast James McAvoy) is a bored, weedy office worker who feels trapped in his dull and repetitive life. But before he can scoop up another handful of anti-anxiety pills, he bumps into the oddly-named Fox (Angelina Jolie) who throws him headfirst into a bullet-fuelled adventure. It turns out that Wesley is the son of a super-assassin, a member of a secret society called the Fraternity, who recruit Wesley in order to hunt his father's killer - a rogue member called Cross (Thomas Kretschmann). As Wesley's skills improve under the tutelage of Fox, the Fraternity's leader Sloan (Morgan Freeman) monitors the situation closely as Cross's personal crusade against the Fraternity threatens the organisation's very existence.

It sounds like it should have been an absolute winner but "Wanted" is the architect of its own demise. For example, I can go with the concept of the Fraternity and its thousand years' worth of assassination to "maintain stability in an unstable world". But why do the victim's names appear in weaving from the Loom of Destiny or whatever the damn thing was called? How did they appear before weaving was invented and why did it change to secret messages in textiles and why hadn't they updated it to something more 21st century? Never mind, the pretty CG provides enough distraction to stop you from looking into the plot too deeply while Jolie does her bit by pouting endlessly and occasionally flashing the flesh. As for McAvoy, he is not the sort of actor for this role - the first half of the film is spent whining and screaming a lot then when he realises he's actually a bad-ass, the abs come out and he can't go anywhere without a faintly silly grimace and a gun in each hand. The action, where it comes come, is certainly exciting but only possible in the mind of someone thinking in CG - vehicles don't behave the way they do here and I refuse to accept that you can make bullets go around corners by flicking your wrist when pulling the trigger. Nothing in this movie feels believable - granted, do any of these action films have the faintest whiff of reality to them any more - but when something is so fantastic and so "garnly", it stops being exciting and starts being stupid. Remember when you were a kid, racing your toy cars around the living room and crashing them into stuff? If you still do that then welcome to your dream film!

There are things to commend, however - the CG, while dominating almost every scene, is well done and director Timur Bekmambetov has a terrific eye for the amount of bloody violence shown on screen and how best to shoot it. There is a certain amount of enjoyment to be had, especially when the plot twist arrives and the film really seems to kick into gear but I can't help feeling that "Wanted" is a massive disappointment, that it should have been a film to rival "The Matrix" - something "Wanted" desperately to be - but ends up as yet another wannabe. The reasons for the failure are quite simple: the wrong leading man, excessively silly action scenes and a plot with more holes in than Katie Price's range of knickers. What it needed was a bit more restraint, a brain to tell the inner-child that cars don't flip as easily as they do here and a brief shot of Jolie's wet butt shouldn't be the sole recommendation of a movie. Sadly, with "Wanted" that's exactly what you do get but unless your taste in movies hasn't evolved since the time of your early teenage years then you'll probably find other films more worthy of your time.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)

A traditional but still funny comic caper - 76%

[7/10 · 29 March 2012]

For me, it's difficult to disassociate the name of Frank Oz with arguably his most famous role, the vertically-challenged Jedi master Yoda. Despite a career directing movies since the early Eighties, Oz will forever conjure up images for me of the wizened green whatever-it-is sitting in a director's chair screaming "Action, you will!". Fortunately, it would appear as though the Force is strong with this which feels like an old-fashioned screwball comedy but played for as many laughs as possible.

Lawrence Jamieson (Michael Caine) has carved himself a lucrative lifestyle on the French Riveria, conning the rich and the gullible of their cash along with the help of local policeman Andre (Anton Rodgers) and Lawrence's faithful butler Arthur (Darth Sidious himself Ian McDiarmid). But when brash American huckster Freddy Benson (Steve Martin) comes to town, Lawrence senses a threat and tries every trick in the book to get rid of him. Clearly, only one can operate on this particular patch so they devise a bet - the first to scam $50'000 from the beautiful Janet Colgate (Glenn Headly) stays while the other leaves town for good. And so the con is on...

The plot might seem a little old-fashioned but "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" remains a solidly entertaining comedy that has a decent enough story at its heart to keep you interested. Caine isn't the strongest comic actor but channelling David Niven is pretty much all that required of the role and he does this perfectly. Martin is also on top form, being much more animated than I remember and is just brilliant in some scenes - the point where he is pretending to be a paraplegic while Caine batters his legs with a cane to "test" his nerves is simply hilarious! Headly does a fine job too of being blonde enough to appear vulnerable but stubborn enough to resist their ill-placed charm. My only real concern is the ending which, whilst performed as well as the rest of the film, is signposted fairly early on and doesn't really surprise as well as it should.

Although it looks and feels much older than it is, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" is still a highly enjoyable comedy caper. It looks pretty, as you'd expect on the Riveria, and Martin and Caine make a decent double act. The script has plenty of comic moments to savour and although the ending isn't disguised enough, it still provides a wonderfully fitting climax to proceedings. Assuming you're not put off by the thought of Yoda being behind the camera, you'd do well to track down this genteel but bitingly funny film.

Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)

Not as good as earlier films but much better than recent efforts - 62%

[6/10 · 19 March 2012]

The first "Hot Shots", whilst not exactly bowling the critics over, remains a popular addition to the spoof genre. But despite having seen the original many times, the sequel had largely passed me by. I guess I wasn't that bothered by it - how many spoof sequels can you think of that match the original - but thankfully, I shouldn't have been that worried. By switching its focus from mocking "Top Gun" to the likes of "Rambo", "Robocop" and "Commando", the film retains its delightfully silly outlook on things but still goes for the jugular against a soft target.

Rock God from Mars Charlie Sheen returns as Topper Harley who has now left the military and is living a simpler life in a Tibetan monastery after having his heart broken by his former squeeze Ramada (Valeria Golino). But Topper is soon back in action after President Tug Benson (Lloyd Bridges) sends Colonel Walters (Richard Crenna) and CIA agent Michelle Huddlestone (Brenda Bakke) to get Topper leading a rescue mission in Iraq to free the guys who were sent to free the guys who were sent to free hostages from the first Gulf War. But as before, there is a saboteur in the side and soon, Topper must seriously rack up the body count in order to get the job done.

"Hot Shots: Part Deux" is not a film to take seriously - this is as stupid a film as I can recall. Like the first, it crams every scene with sight gags, one liners and slapstick and also like the first, a fair number do raise a smile if few out-and-out laughs. It isn't anything like as funny as its spiritual predecessors like "Airplane!" or "The Naked Gun", despite the director being one of the three responsible for them. However, it is funnier than modern spoofs like "Scary Movie" or "Meet The Spartans" but to be frank, I find the BBC News channel funnier than those films. Sheen is surprisingly funny as Topper, aping Sly Stallone perfectly despite launching a chicken from a longbow with intent, and so is Crenna who is basically playing his "Rambo" character for laughs instead. The rest of the cast do OK, mainly following Bridges lead but he does provide another link to the earlier, better movies. It's as if the film makers were pleading for legitimacy, saying that this is a proper spoof even if there is no Leslie Nielsen in it.

I understand that "Rambo"-style films aren't exactly hard to spoof but "Hot Shots: Part Deux" does a decent job of bringing them down a peg or two. It isn't a laugh-a-minute mickey-take but it does make you smile and remind you how utterly stupid most action movies from that era actually are. Even compared to the first "Hot Shots!", it holds up pretty well but I couldn't escape the sense that they were trying a bit too hard. What made the likes of "Airplane!" so special was the screenplay which was simply hilarious on its own. There was no need for special effects besides the crude aeroplane model being buffeted by lightning - the lines and performances were enough. Here, the gags are almost drowned out by the explosions and fire fights - each scene simply takes its cue from scenes in other films but replays them for laughs. Nothing wrong with that, as such, but I just preferred the earlier spoofs to these ones. And remember, it's been a long time since spoof movies enjoyed this level of success.

Equilibrium (2002)

Hugely derivative but still great fun - 75%

[7/10 · 13 March 2012]

Such was the power and influence of "The Matrix" when it was released that film companies were rushing to capitalise on its success with their own effects-laden, bullet-ridden blockbusters. And perhaps few films mimic their inspirations quite as closely as this one, although you can add "Fahrenheit 451", "Blade Runner" and others to the mix as well. It is derivative, almost to the point of parody, but the action and story more than make up for the lack of any depth or original ideas.

Welcome to the near future where humanity has recovered from the devastation of World War 3 using an emotion-suppressing drug called Prozium. The result of everyone taking this drug is that all human feeling - love, rage, anger, etc. - has been eradicated and society is operating under a totalitarian organisation led by Father (Sean Pertwee) where extremely violent Clerics have orders to hunt and kill anybody who expressed a sense of anything. One such Cleric, John Preston (Christian Bale), accidentally misses a dose of Prozium and slowly finds himself rediscovering his humanity and siding with the rebels underground and especially the condemned Mary O'Brien (Emily Watson), a Sense Offender that John brought in. But as John begins to realise what he must do, his zealous partner Brandt (Taye Diggs) begins to suspect the traitor to their cause...

Although this movie may have some good ideas at the core, "Equilibrium" concentrates on burying them beneath a wave of "Matrix"-style action which is called Gun-Kata in the film. No doubt about it, the film looks amazing and especially when Bale begins to fight the system, leaping about all over the place like Daffy Duck with a couple of Berettas. It is undeniably cool but it does detract from the story which is not only intelligent but worthy of your attention, despite some simply massive plot holes. Bale is a natural at suppressing emotion - which is what makes him so good as Batman - so is perfect in the role of Preston but Watson also does well, despite a limited amount of screen time. Diggs, however, felt a little out of place. I realise he's just another pretty-boy model who can recite lines when needed but why exactly is he flashing his perfectly white teeth in a grin when he's supposed to be suppressing all emotion? Just a thought.

Like another all-action blast (namely "Desperado"), "Equilibrium" might not be big or clever but it is a whole lot of fun although not as tongue-in-cheek as Robert Rodriguez's film. It's a strange cross between something like "The Matrix" and some older, more serious sci-fi like "Fahrenheit 451" or "Soylent Green". It's just a pity that more thought wasn't put into the script because it strives to be something like "Blade Runner" but ends up more like "The Island", another sci-fi film that had a promising set-up but decided to go down the route of excessive cinematic action scenes. However, "Equilibrium" is more entertaining than "The Island" - not only is the action more impressive but this film has a quality to it that belies its fairly modest budget. So long as you don't yearn for the sight of Carrie-Anne Moss in a leather catsuit, this is a solidly entertaining slice of sci-fi action but one that, with a bit more smarts to it, might have been right up there with its classic inspirations instead.

No Distance Left to Run (2010)

Unbalanced but a good account of a great band - 82%

[8/10 · 29 February 2012]

I was more than pleased to see Blur being honoured at the 2012 Brit Awards with a Lifetime Achievement gong. In the UK, it's easy to recall the recent Britpop battles between them and Oasis and the reinvention of the band into indie darlings and their subsequent break-up and reformation. But alongside the usual rock-and-roll story is a selection of cracking tunes from an era when British music really did rule the airwaves.

In case you've been under a rock for the last twenty odd years, Blur were a four-piece band from Essex led by singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Formed in 1989, the band had some small initial success before drifting off the radar as musical tastes changed. But in the mid-90's, they become one of the biggest acts in the country and became engaged in a vicious feud with Oasis, a rock band from Manchester. But as each band member became consumed with their own demons, the band began to fragment and drift apart only to reunite and begin playing again which would lead to a triumphant return on the biggest musical stage of all - Glastonbury...

"No Distance Left To Run" (named after one of their songs) covers Blur's journey from art college students to stadium legends, via a number of interviews with the band mixed with footage of past and present performances. For fans of Blur, this is simply brilliant as it captures the energy of the group's live appearances as well as the dedication of their still-fanatical fans. But the interviews with the band focuses mainly on Damon and Graham as they were the driving force behind the band as well as part of the reason for their eventual demise. With Damon hooked on heroin and Graham a lonely alcoholic, the band had nowhere to go and so they each went their separate ways. For me, the best moment in the film is their reappearance at Glastonbury and the emotional impact of that night is clearly etched on Damon's face as tens of thousands spontaneously burst into song.

While not as detailed as the documentary behind another of my favourite bands - the epic Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers doc "Runnin' Down A Dream" - there is a sense of things not being covered in as much depth as I would have liked. Damon's relationship and break-up with fellow musician Justine Frischmann is barely covered as is Graham's solo career and as I've eluded to, Dave and Alex don't get nearly as much screen time. But despite the fact that the band have probably had their hand in somewhere, this remains a strong account of one of Britian's biggest and best-loved bands of the last twenty years.

Payback (I) (1999)

Short-changed - 59%

[6/10 · 13 December 2011]

In preparation for the forthcoming festive period and the vast number of movies I imagine will be recorded, I guess that some hard disc space will need to be freed up. Of course, this means ploughing my way through a large number of movies in a short space of time so I started with this - a dirty and gritty crime film where Mel Gibson started to shed his carefully cultivated 'good guy' image. Seems like a long time ago since he enjoyed such a reputation but the problem I have with this movie is that it's trying too hard to be a neo-noir thriller when all it actually is is a depressing flick where bad people do bad things to worse people.

Gibson plays Porter, a professional career criminal with a talent for inflicting pain and a certified mean streak. But when he's betrayed by his old partner Val Resnick (Gregg Henry) and his wife Lynn (Deborah Unger) for the relatively modest sum of $70'000 and left for dead, Porter begins the long road back to recovery and revenge. But once he starts asking questions, Porter quickly finds that getting his money back is a little harder than he first supposed. First of all, he has a couple of crooked cops on his tail (Bill Duke and Jack Conley) plus Val's twisted mistress Pearl (Lucy Liu) and her goons as well. But Porter's biggest problem is that Val is a small cog in a big machine and Porter doesn't have many friends...

Essentially a retread of "Point Blank" (1967), "Payback" offers viewers a simple story attempting to be a classic film noir - faded palette, lots of cigarette smoke hanging in the air, a vast collection of low-lifes and scumbags and a narration from a world-weary protagonist. I can't call Porter a 'hero' because he's not - he's just as nasty and vicious as the criminals he's going after. Ultimately, I didn't care whether he got his money back or not and this is only part of the problem. The action took a bloody age to arrive and even then, only in fits and starts which left me feeling short-changed as did the film's short duration, despite the dumb-as-hammers plot. Performances are much better than the material deserved but Gibson is the only one to get any significant screen time. Henry probably has the second-most amount of screen time alongside his "Ballistic: Ecks Vs Sever" co-star Liu and trust me, the bullets act better than they did in that.

I should have enjoyed this more because it's right up my street and yet, "Payback" is missing the magic spark. It feels too grimy, gritty and seedy for its own good as if it will compensate for the lack of interest in proceedings. Like a pig rolling around in the proverbial, "Payback" is resolutely old-school without having any of the drama, appeal or excitement of proper crime thrillers like... hmmm, let me think "Point Blank". If you want a simple and short crime flick that's as grim as a cancer patient's chances then this will do the trick. However, if you're looking for a properly noirish thriller then I reckon you're better off looking elsewhere.

Gamer (2009)

Grim, depressing and brutally violent - 61%

[6/10 · 8 November 2011]

Another graduate from the school of "high-budget, low-brow action movies" (also known as "Crank" College) is this effort, which at least offers an interesting sci-fi twist to proceedings. The other thing I found interesting was that the philosophy behind such movies is to emulate video games and none more so than this. The trouble is, any statements about the impact of gaming and social networking is lost amid the bullets, bombs and blood.

Sometime in the future, mankind is obsessed with a new sort of gaming. Using technology invented by media mogul and multi-billionaire Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall), violent criminals known as Slayers are pitched against each other in a nightmarish battle where their actions are dictated remotely by unknown people. One such Slayer, known as Kable (Gerard Butler), is only three battles away from winning his freedom thanks to his controller Simon (Logan Lerman). But Kable has plans of his own - he just wants to clear his name and recover his wife (Amber Valletta) and daughter. But with Castle determined to keep control, and a mysterious hacker group launching cyber attacks against the system, what chance does Kable actually have?

I'm not normally one to get turned off by violence in movies but "Gamer" really does take things to extremes - gore, limbs and organs splatter all over the shop amid the explosions and chaos. Such visual nastiness doesn't really allow Butler much scope for any acting quality but at least he looks the part. Hall is much better but sadly, isn't on screen that much. The action scenes are what most viewers will want to tune in for and these are well-shot, visually exciting and actually feel like a video game. Like "Crank", the film's adrenaline-fuelled action really delivers. But whereas "Crank" is a laugh, "Gamer" is grim and depressing and I struggled to enjoy this movie as much.

If it were a bit lighter and not reliant on brutal violence, frequent nudity and an oddly old-fashioned view of the future (think Day-Glo colours and "Blade Runner"-inspired fashions) then "Gamer" might have scored higher. As it is, I found it a tad repetitive after a while and felt like I needed a shower afterwards. It isn't a pleasurable experience and personally, that's one of the most important things I look for in a film. If you're looking for excessive violence and a thrilling, body-filled blast then this will probably float your boat. But assuming that you're not a teenage boy obsessed with "Call Of Duty" then this will go down as a wasted opportunity. The questions it tries to raise about how we live our lives and the direction we're heading in as a society are swept under the blood-stained carpet and replaced with yet more bloodied corpses. A pity.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)

Entertaining but a bit shallow - 68%

[6/10 · 7 November 2011]

Disney must have figured that there were onto a good thing after the roaring success of "Pirates Of The Caribbean". Plunging headfirst into their rides and old movies for further inspiration, some bright spark must have reckoned that there was mileage to be made from arguably the most famous scene from "Fantasia". But whereas "Pirates..." made the most of its source material, this feels somewhat laboured although it is still an entertaining if somewhat shallow romp.

Lonely weirdo Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) is actually a powerful apprentice of Merlin, one of three that were battling the evil Morgana Le Fay (Alice Krige) when they were betrayed by Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina). Balthazar is faced with no choice but to imprison Morgana with the love of his life Veronica (Monica Bellucci) in a vase and then spend the rest of time searching for the only one powerful enough to defeat Morgana. Bizarrely, that turns out to be geeky New Yorker Dave (Jay Baruchel) who is a little reluctant to go along with it at first. But as he begins to realise the extent of his powers, Dave realises that he faces a race against time to try and save the world and get the girl (Teresa Palmer).

Deep and thought-provoking it isn't but "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is a perfectly decent family flick that won't upset too many people. Performances are surprisingly good - Cage is a lot more restrained than normal and Molina is a suitably grim villain. The plot is clearly nonsense but for once, it doesn't detract too much from the action and pyrotechnics on screen. And the effects are also pretty good but you'd expect that from a Disney film. The only real issue I have with it is that it's probably a bit too simple - it all gets wrapped up neatly by the end and I can't figure out why someone as geeky as Baruchel can pull someone like Palmer who looks like she should be arm-candy for the high school quarterback.

The other thing I take issue with is that there is a sense of desperation to it. By leaving it open for a sequel and basing itself on a brief segment in one of Disney's earliest outings, the whole thing feels like a big-name studio looking for a new franchise to fund now that "Pirates..." is running out of steam. But the only bit I could find that related to the source material was the scene in the underground lab - hardly enough to base a whole film on, let alone a franchise. I can't blame Disney for trying though but if there were going to try this hard, I wish they would make it a bit less obvious. But credit to them for producing an entertaining, rollicking adventure movie that is a perfectly acceptable summer movie for the family.

Jackie Brown (1997)

Everything in place but the magic - 73%

[7/10 · 7 November 2011]

For many years, this was the big one - the one that got away. As much as I enjoy Tarantino's movies, this one never really seemed to bother me much and so I was happy to give it a miss. I even bought it on DVD and traded it before I watched it. So using the benefits of a Sky+ box, I could finally give it a fair hearing but after all this time and given the fact that it is the follow-up to one of my favourite films of all time, could it really hope to compete?

Taking his cue from riffing off other genres, "Jackie Brown" is Tarantino's take of Seventies blaxploitation and introduces us to airline stewardess Jackie (Pam Grier), who should be doing better but finds herself increasingly held back by past mistakes. Her other source of income is running money for arms dealer Ordell (Samuel L Jackson) but things are about to take a turn for the worst. After being busted by ATF agent Nicolette (Michael Keaton), Jackie finds herself caught up in their plan to catch Ordell or face a long stretch behind bars. Trouble is, anyone double-crossing Ordell ends up dead pretty quick. But Jackie is a resourceful woman and begins making plans of her own, possibly involving her bail bondsman Max Cherry (Robert Forster)...

There is technically nothing wrong with "Jackie Brown". Performances are universally brilliant - even Chris Tucker's brief appearance isn't annoying - and almost as good as the funk and soul mix of the soundtrack featuring legends like Bobby Womack, the Delfonics and Randy Crawford. The soundtrack, you expect to be faultless in a Tarantino flick but his usual antics of playing with the chronology are kept to a strict minimum which means any who didn't get "Pulp Fiction" will not be confused by the plot here. The story, based on an Elmore Leonard novel, has the usual twists and turns but ultimately doesn't offer too much in the way of surprises which felt a little disappointing. But in truth, this is a great crime movie with brilliant performances and all to a fantastic soundtrack. What's not to like?

Well, Tarantino's films have a reputation for being close to the edge, for pushing boundaries and taking things to the extreme but "Jackie Brown" is none of this things. It feels too safe by Tarantino's standards as if he's afraid of offending anyone and as a result, it lacks the usual zing and verve of his other films. And while it keeps the Seventies vibe going, I never personally felt it was a blaxploitation tribute as strongly as "Pulp Fiction" paid homage to crime thrillers. I wanted to be gripped but I only stuck with it for fear of losing the plot. It's an easy film to admire but a difficult one to love and to be honest, I just didn't feel the magic.

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

A great film but better than "Toy Story 3"? Really? - 82%

[8/10 · 2 November 2011]

I remember reading, with growing anger, about some dissenting voices during the last Oscar ceremony who were whinging about Pixar claiming the Best Animated Feature yet again with "Toy Story 3". They reckoned that this should have got it instead but having seen it, I can't really see what the fuss is about. Don't get me wrong - it does give Woody and co a good run for their money and this is probably the best Dreamworks animation produced so far. But by sticking too closely to the usual story lines these films adhere to, it just falls short of greatness.

Young Viking Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) has a problem - actually, he has a few. He is a constant disappointment to his father Stoick (Gerard Butler) who is an enormous Viking warrior. He finds the love of his life Astrid (America Ferrera) is way out of his league. But worst of all, his village is plagued by dragons in all shapes and sizes. But after an encounter with a deadly Night Fury dragon, Hiccup quickly finds himself becoming friends with the beast. As time goes on, Hiccup discovers that everything he thought he knew about dragons is wrong but can they work together to combat the village's prejudices and an evil far greater than anyone imagined?

Dreamworks do things a little differently to Pixar - for example, they get a stellar cast to do the voices whereas Pixar get the best voices to fit the part. Thankfully, "How To Train Your Dragon" has a fairly small cast and they all do justice to the film. With the small cast, they probably had a few more pennies to spend on the animation which is truly beautiful. This is possibly where Dreamworks have the edge over their bitter rivals and honestly, this looks better than some non-animated movies. Water and fire look much wetter and hotter than they did in "The Last Airbender" (which damning this film with faint praise) and I understand that the 3D is also much better. For my money, this is the best looking animation I've seen since "WALL·E".

My gripes, in truth, are fairly trivial but they still distracted me somewhat. As my Scottish wife eloquently pointed out, the Scottish accents shouldn't have anything to do with Vikings from Norway and while I'm on the subject, the fact that adult Vikings spoke with a Scottish accent instead of a Californian accent like the children gave the impression of half-heartedness. The other let-down is the story which is yet another tale about a unlikely hero trying to be something they're not but after being true to himself, finds that he's more powerful than anyone supposed. In short, this is "Kung Fu Panda" in a Nordic setting and if that's what you're looking for then great. This is a really good family film, full of all the fun and excitement you could wish for and comes highly recommended. However, I just wanted it to move me like Pixar can and it didn't. But like I said, this is still a very good movie and one which you'll enjoy if you catch it.

Snake Eyes (1998)

Under-rated thriller from a first-class director - 76%

[7/10 · 27 October 2011]

The joy of having a Sky+ box is that all of those niggling movies you've waited ages to see, you can now record and watch at your leisure. And this is another one that has somehow remained on my To See list, although I'd be lying if I said that I could live without it. Still, it would be a shame to let precious hard disk space go to waste so I indulged myself with this glossy, too-clever-by-half thriller from one of Hollywood's great directors. And in spite of its lead actor tearing his way through the film like a whirling dervish, I still managed to enjoy it.

On a dark and stormy night in Atlantic City, dirty cop Ricky Santoro (Nicolas Cage) is present at the last big fight being held at a casino before demolition. With his military friend Kevin Dunne (Gary Sinise) by his side, Santoro is witness to the assassination of Defence Secretary Charles Kirkland (Joel Fabiani) and takes it upon himself to solve the case - seeing as the TV cameras are already there, there's surely opportunities to be made. But as he digs deeper, Santoro discovers a murky conspiracy seemingly involving everyone from the glamorous blonde sat next to him (Carla Gugino) to the boxer flat on his back in the ring (Stan Shaw)...

There is plenty to enjoy in "Snake Eyes", the first of which is the opening scene when the chaos begins to ensue. Being a long, single shot reminiscent of Hitchcock's "Rope" that has all the detail and clues you'll need to solve the case offers you a tantalising chance to figure out what's going on. Sadly, the case isn't that hard to crack because the principal baddie is quite easy to spot which does take the edge off somewhat. The direction and cinematography is quite brilliant - split screens and flashbacks gel perfectly well with each other as the story progresses but don't feel thrown in casually like they were in "Duplicity". The story, despite the culprits being obvious, is a winner up to the very end which feels badly written in haste and somewhat at odds with the professionalism that went before it.

The biggest problem, however, is Cage who acts like some random coke head has been let onto the set and told to go completely nuts. Santoro never feels much like a hero so at no point do you start to sympathise or root for him. Most protagonists in most movies do their deeds out of a sense of justice or kind-heartedness but with Santoro, you only ever feel like he's doing it for the money. But aside from a dodgy ending and a loose cannon for a lead, "Snake Eyes" remains a decent thriller that I'm glad I caught. I'm surprised that it has come in for harsher criticism - maybe De Palma's reputation precedes him and people were expecting another "Scarface" or "Carlito's Way". "Snake Eyes" is no masterpiece but it certainly isn't as bad as some have said. It's a good movie but one that misses out on greatness.

Mercury Rising (1998)

Yet another disappointing action flick - 59%

[6/10 · 26 October 2011]

For reasons that I can't explain, this has been on my "Must See" list for ages. I really don't know why - Bruce Willis action movies aren't exactly rare beasts and at some point, I figured that this had a plot that offered something a little different. Sadly, it turns out that it really wasn't worth the wait. It lacks the bluster of your usual Willis blockbuster and the story that I had high hopes for quickly finds itself becoming a gimmick.

Willis plays FBI agent Art Jeffries, an undercover specialist who finds himself demoted to monitoring radio transmissions after a botched hostage assignment. However, he quickly finds himself assigned to look for a missing child - Simon Lynch (Miko Hughes) who is an autistic nine-year orphaned after his parents are murdered. But Art quickly finds threat there is more to it than that - Simon had accidentally cracked a top secret code after it inexplicably appeared in the pages of a puzzle magazine and was being sought by NSA operatives led by the gravel-voiced Nick Kudrow (Alec Baldwin) and his murderous colleague Peter Burrell (Lindsey Ginter).

Being an odd hybrid of espionage thriller and fugitive actioner, "Mercury Rising" successfully manages to be neither. The action is satisfying enough when it turns arrive in fits and starts but there is an awful lot of dialogue to get through in-between. Willis can pretty much sleepwalk through these kinda movies and sure enough, he simply doesn't engage you enough to care. He's also completely shown up by his young co-star as Hughes is brilliantly and genuinely heart-wrenching as the tortured savant. However, the worst actor by far is Baldwin who seems to be eerily foreshadowing his portrayal in "Team America: World Police". At times, he's simply appalling as he mumbles his way through his lines as though paying tribute to Michael Madsen. Maybe it was he who distracted me from the story which seemed confusing and never really explained what was happening. For example, imagine you are an experienced FBI agent looking after an infant suspect. Would you happily hand the care of the child over to a complete stranger in a café (played here by Kim Dickins) while you popped off to meet an informant because I'm not sure I would.

"Mercury Rising" is annoyingly wasteful of its promising set-up, failing to deliver either a decent action movie or a gripping chase flick. It seems curiously restrained, as though it can't be bothered to be the nail-biting gripper it seems to aspire to. Maybe I'm being harsh on it given how long I've waited to watch it but for me, "Mercury Rising" is just as generic and forgettable as any other Nineties action flick. Shame, shame, shame.

Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman (2005)

A compelling, if disturbing, look at a tortured hangman - 71%

[7/10 · 27 June 2011]

It would be a particularly strange individual to claim that this is an entertaining movie. But entertainment isn't the point - some films challenge you and make you question the moral aspect of what you're seeing. And much like "The Reader" did, "Pierrepoint" is another film that asks more questions than it answers. It also features another fine performance from one of Britain's most under-rated actors but somehow, it didn't engage with me as much as "The Reader" did and struggled to avoid the stench and stigma of being a glorified TV movie.

Timothy Spall plays Albert Pierrepoint, a Lancashire grocery deliveryman who leads a double life as one of a number of executioners still operating in the UK. Quickly developing his technique and efficiency, Pierrepoint soon becomes considered the best there is which is why he is asked to Germany at the end of the Second World War to assist in hanging the various Nazi war criminals. Returning to his wife Annie (Juilet Stevenson) and his friend Tish (Eddie Marsan) as a hero, Pierrepoint's previously stoic nature begins to crack when the nation's views on capital punishment changes... and Pierrepoint finds himself doing the unthinkable.

Spall, one of the UK's finest actors, easily holds this tale of the tortured hangman together and gives the character a real pathos that I didn't expect. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect to this - it offers a dark, disturbing look at a man who took a strange pride in what must be one of the most unpleasant jobs on the planet. But as the inevitable stiff upper lip disappears (especially during the final half-hour or so), the film's views on capital punishment are all too visible. There isn't a laugh to be had anywhere, unusually in a British film, and anyone expecting a ray of sunshine should probably look elsewhere. There are one or two historical inaccuracies (Pierrepoint wasn't Britain's last hangman at all) but it's not exactly "U-571" when the Enigma coding machine was recovered by Harvey Kietel and Jon Bon Jovi. I just feel that although it's a well-performed and well-written effort, I can't imagine the sort of person who would want to watch it.

"Pierrepoint" can't really be faulted in terms of what is on screen - everything looks authentic, the actors do well in the roles and the script gives a melancholic, washed-out grey feel to the story which remains not only believable but oddly compelling. My issue is more with what the film is trying to say - capital punishment has been abolished in the UK for a number of years and something tells me that this isn't the sort of movie to shown in places like China or Iran where capital punishment still exists. I feel that the film could have told more of the story rather than ending when it did and also managed the time-line of proceedings a bit better - I didn't get any real sense of time passing, despite the rudimentary efforts of the dialogue. But "Pierrepoint" remains a curious little film, one with a strong message behind it but not the confidence to stand up and shout it.

Solomon Kane (2009)

Kane is able - 64%

[6/10 · 13 April 2011]

I made the mistake recently on complaining to the Work Geek that most of the movies I've seen recently were simply OK - nothing amazing, nothing awful. This led to him lending me this movie, filled with the sort of things he enjoys like bloody sword-fighting, mean-ass baddies and moody weather environments for the aforementioned sword-fighting. Trouble is, I demand more from these sort of hack-and-slash movies which is a genre standing isolated in the shadow of "Lord Of The Rings" after being sullied in the Eighties by the likes of "Red Sonya" and "The Beastmaster". Sadly, this is just the sort of adequate fare I've been trying to avoid but at least it provided me with suitably grubby, vicious entertainment for a while.

James Purefoy plays Solomon Kane, a medieval bad-ass with a couple of pistols and many tricks with a sword up his sleeve. After escaping from the Devil's Reaper who's sent to claim Kane's soul, Solomon returns to England and abandons his wicked past for a life of pacifism and solitude. But the Devil does not give up that easily and soon, Kane finds the land ravaged by murderous hordes led by a mysterious masked warrior and the sorcerer Malachi (Jason Flemyng). After vowing to rescue a puritan's daughter (Rachel Hurd-Wood) who is kidnapped by Malachi's followers, Kane must once again do battle against a vast number of enemies or face losing his soul and those closest to him.

It might not be the most original tale ever told but "Solomon Kane" does have one or two things to recommend. Firstly, it has a blisteringly central performance from Purefoy as the tortured anti-hero. I can't recall anything else he's been in but he gives Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn a run for his money. Secondly, Purefoy's supporting players all do their part led by the late Pete Postlethwaite and cameos from Mackenzie Crook and Max von Sydow. It also looks the business - muddy battlefields and ruined castles all have that authentic feel to them as do the costumes. The sword-fighting is also very well done - stunt-work is to be commended. Sadly, the film has some very rough edges and none more so when CG is involved - some aspects are simply appalling though others (like the fiery Hell demon towards the end) are better. The script needed to be a bit tighter as it rambled on through what felt like unnecessary scenes and the dialogue felt clichéd and lifted straight out of other movies of this type. It didn't surprise at all as the film continued the bloodshed as if that was all the film was about.

Having said that, this is still a good action movie that fans of fight scenes will appreciate. In a weird way, it reminded me of "Bad Boys 2" - scene after scene of quality action and stunt-work but sadly linked by a tired plot and dialogue you've already heard elsewhere. Of course it's entertaining but you're left with a feeling that it could and should have done more. Naturally, it's left open for a sequel but it needs to feel different and not tied to too many other films and clichés. "Solomon Kane" is a good, if somewhat wet and gloomy, hack-and-slash movie but I just wanted more from it and to be honest, I felt a little let-down.

Blood Diamond (2006)

The noisiest lecture I've ever seen but brilliant nonetheless - 90%

[9/10 · 15 March 2011]

Despite having been in my film collection for a long time, I can't really explain why I haven't watched this before now. The only other movie to suffer a similar limbo-like existence is "Jackie Brown" which I left for so long that I traded it instead of watching it. Still, better late than never and with a film as great as this, I'm glad that I gave it a chance. Remembered mainly for Leonardo DiCaprio's performance, this is an extremely rare action in that it manages to both entertain and educate at exactly the same time. And yet somehow, it has maintained a quiet, under-the-radar aura that belies its quality.

Welcome to Sierra Leone in 1999, where the rebel forces of the RUF - funded by the illegal trade in conflict diamonds - engage in a bloody civil war against the government. Amid the chaos, fisherman Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) is separated from his wife and family and ordered to mine for diamonds by RUF commander Captain Poison (David Harewood). After uncovering a huge pink stone and burying it, Solomon is arrested and finds himself working alongside mercenary-with-a-past Daniel Archer (DiCaprio) and American journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) in order to recover both the stone and his son, captured by Poison and brainwashed into becoming yet another child soldier.

As I said, "Blood Diamond" is an action film that works on many levels. Not only is it an explosive action film with war scenes reminiscent of stuff like "Black Hawk Down" but it also acts as a strong message about the hidden costs of conflict diamonds and the ugly greed that captivates so many. Not only this but the acting in this movie is almost in a different league to other films in this genre - DiCaprio is simply brilliant (take it from someone who works with a lot of people from that part of the world - his accent is faultless) but he is matched every inch by Hounsou as the tortured everyman caught up in a seemingly endless nightmare. The storyline between Archer and Bowen was a tad predictable but other than that, this was an old-fashioned adventure movie with fantastic action sequences and lit up with quality in the casting.

It might not be the easiest film to watch - the scenes of carnage brought by the RUF, especially, are savage and brutal - but like "Black Hawk Down", this is a simply unmissable movie for any action fan. But by also highlighting the numerous problems with conflict diamonds and the terror they are responsible for, "Blood Diamond" is a lot more effective at bringing the issue to your attention than any song by Kanye West. And also like "Black Hawk Down", this movie seems to be rather under-rated and forgotten about for reasons I can only speculate on. This was nominated for five Oscars not that long ago and yet, I can't remember hearing anyone tell me how good this was. Maybe it's sitting in everyone else's film collection and they haven't got round to watching it yet. If so, take it from me - this is a magnificent film and one that you'll kick yourself for missing.

The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)

Another Hollywood tribute to a bunch of much better films - 64%

[6/10 · 23 August 2010]

Assuming that martial arts epics are your thing and you insist that Steven Seagal films aren't that bad then the chances are that you'll already be salivating at the prospect of Jackie Chan and Jet Li working together. The rest of us will probably not care that much but having said that, it cannot be denied that the two of them are entertaining to watch and especially doing what they do best. However, people like me have seen a few of these now and in truth, this is little more than the usual chop-socky action tarted up with CG effects and a ridiculous story. Oh good...

I'll briefly summarise the plot but really, don't focus too much on it. Jason (Michael Angarano) is a Boston native obsessed with martial arts films and buys them from a strange old man in Chinatown. After the shop is robbed by street punk Lupo (Morgan Benoit), Jason flees onto the roof and falls off. However, he wakes up in ancient China with a staff, apparently belonging to an imprisoned Monkey King. Told by drunken master Lu Yan (Chan) that the staff must be returned, he finds himself trekking across the land with a silent monk (Li) and a beautiful female assassin (Yifei Liu) with a score to settle against the evil Jade Warlord (Collin Chou).

It's best not to take "The Forbidden Kingdom" too seriously because you'll only end up hating it. This is silly, stupid and a simple bit of fun. And it is - the fight scenes have the usual "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" tricks up their sleeves, full of fancy wire-work and excessive sound effects. The dialogue takes its cues from another source, full of "Kung Fu Panda" nonsense about "praying mantis against tiger". But the biggest problem, for me, was that none of it felt authentic. It's more of a tribute to the martial arts films of the Seventies and early Eighties - the opening title sequence confirms that - and it never felt anything more than a US remake of the likes of "Hero" or "House Of Flying Daggers". Personally, I'd preferred the whole thing in Chinese but then, it wouldn't have appealed to American audiences which this does. Also, I didn't like Angarano as a lead - I found him annoying, whiney and clearly channelling "The Karate Kid" instead of Bruce Lee.

I'm sure that martial arts fans will probably enjoy this more than I did but I do enjoy the odd foray into that territory. I loved "House Of Flying Daggers" but I didn't feel the same magic with this, mainly because it simply doesn't feel like an Asian movie - it's soaked in Hollywood gloss and it ruins it for me. Without the American influence and stupid time-travelling story (which I promised I wouldn't dwell on but it IS stupid and when the whole thing feels like a dream, what happens to the suspense and excitement?), this might have been another classic but personally, I found it daft and occasionally boring. If you have to see Chan & Li in the same film then this will suit you fine but honestly, I'd rather just watch one of their films separately.