Just William

Wild, crazy but thoroughly enjoyable.....Just William

Everyone knows the voice of Just William tales to be Martin Jarvis. The voice narrating William Brown's life. In a remake of the classic stories by Richmal Crompton, Daniel Roche, more commonly known as Ben from Outnumbered, stars in the lead role. His two other friends, Ginger and Henry, played by little known actors Robert A Foster and Jordan Grehs. Episode one: The Sweet Little Girl In White, sees William and "The Outlaws," his gang meeting Violet Elizabeth Bott (Isabella Blake-Thomas) for the first time. With some good gags about The Bott Sauce and Violet's "mucky" appearence. Also Violet-Elizabeth's mother is one to look out for.

4/5

Family Guy: It's A Trap

The saga finishes in style......Family Guy's It's A Trap

In December 2009, we were given Something, Something, Something Dark Side, a mediocre but passable parody of The Empire Strikes Back. Now one year later, we get It's A Trap, hugely-awaited by all "geeks." Return of the Jedi, is my favorite and I waited for this in anticipation. They slowly ran out of characters and improvised with several people out of The Cleveland Show and Klaus the goldfish from American Dad! It's very good in parts and there are some cracking jokes but it doesn't live up to the standards of the normal Family Guy laugh-a-minute standard.

4.5/5

Gulliver's Travels

Poor quality on a big size.....Gulliver's Travels

When I think of how a modern remake of Jonathan Swift's novel, I would think of Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland. A sharp twist of someone appearing in a magical land. We meet Jack Black playing Jack Black, a geeky nobody living in a New York mail room. He hides a secret crush on Darcy, played by Amanda Peet. He bluffs his way to a travel assignment in the critcally unsafe Bermuda Triangle. Black gets shipwrecked up a inward water tornado. This film has the worst cast I have ever seen. Many Channel 4 comedy viewers would recognise Roy from The IT Crowd as the villian. Loud-mouthed Catherine Tate and comedian Billy Conolly play the King and Queen of Lilliput. Gavin and Stacey's James Cordon, plays the Prince and Emily Blunt is the Princess. The actors are either British or putting on a British accent (Jason Segel). This film is either a damp squib on Jack Black's career or a wet blanket over the traditional story.

2/5

Fred: The Movie

Glory and wailing.....Fred: The Movie

The YouTube phenomenon, Fred Figglehorn (Lucas Cruikshank) expands from weak, plot less three minute "clips" to a 83 minute piece of.....farce. The teenage, socially awkward dork, Fred, is bullied at school and teased of his singing. Then Pixie Lott, British singer, appears as Judy, Fred's stalk victim. Three words and a letter: give it a miss.

1/5 

The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Journey of mediocrity......The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The chronicles gradually seeps into becoming another Harry Potter. The boys are all 22 with stubble and the girls have knee-length hair and are the front cover of the latest Vogue. This film has a promising opening with Edmund, played by Skandar Keynes, and Lucy (Georgie Henley) along with Eustace, Son of Rambow's Will Poulter. It is good stuff on paper and screen as the special effects are fairly fairy tale. The ending, they squeeze in a battle with an island and then a confrontation with "Jesus" sorry, the talking lion, voiced by Liam Neeson. Simple stuff, good on paper, and portrayed on screen in a decent manner but it doesn't have the charm of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. 

3/5

Megamind 3D Review

Seductive big blue head.......Will Ferrell's Megamind

Only a couple of months we had another animated comedy called Despicable Me, a irritating soppy piece of dribble that spouts a super-villain Gru, who slowly as the film progresses becomes a good guy. Now sees Megamind that is patched along the same lines. This time our baddie goodie faces an identity crisis. Cue, Brad Pitt as hunky, Elvis-haired superhero, who continuisly outsmarts Megamind's ludacris and stupid evil schemes. Megamind has fairly good lines but they are all ruined in the trailer. An interesting cast such as Tina Fey and Jonah Hill. A decent film but it doesn't have the charm and tecnique of Pixar.

3/5

Monsters Review

Are you my mummy?.........Monsters

Gareth Edwards, to put it is the anti-James Cameron. His octopus-like creatures are fair more beautiful and interesting than the mysterious Na'vi in Avatar. It shows Scoot McNairy (one shocker of a name), being told by his boss to babysit his daughter, Whitney Able, who is far from a pampered princess. She and him have each a mysterious background. The film is stylish and realistic, even though it is about aliens from outer space, it is really believable stuff. The film's not-so-dramatic finale shows the true beauty of outsiders and the monstrosity of the human race, this film depicts the two going through the Infected Zone. Known for it's five person crew and low budget so fair from the $23712 million-selling Avatar. It is so anti-Cameron (James, that is).


5/5

Rihanna - Only Girl (In The World)

Artist: Rihanna
Single: Only Girl (In The World)
Tracks: 2
Label: Def Jam
Only Girl (In The World) - Single
Rihanna brings out yet another single, unlike her previous song, Rude Boy. It's quite good with upbeat music. I think this song and Taio Cruz's Dynamite would make an excellent song. The music video is great. Another belter from Rihanna.

5/5

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Review

This is the end.......Harry Potter 7

It's here! The incredibly long waited finale of JK Rowling's series. To cut a long story short it wasn't that great. One, read the book, two, see the film or your completly scuppered. The film opens with The League of Evil, or Voldemort and his drinking buddies all at Malfoy's house getting drunk. No, they are plotting to kill Harry (yet again?), wait is that what I thought that was. They are trying to kill him, what is the meaning of this. Anyway, a wedding happens and then they're in London (?). The film gives you loads of jumps and to be honest it is too long waited to be perfect. Apart from a few minor details they stuck to the book plot pretty thickly.



4/5

Katy Perry Firework Single Album Review

Artist: Katy Perry
Single: Firework
Tracks: 1
Label: Capitol
Firework - Single
First of all, congratulations to newly-wed couple Russell and Katy. This new slowed down track was like many of her songs, really hard to adjust to. The beginning is, "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind wanting to start again?" It sounds so poorly written that it sounds like something someone sitting down in their kitchen and thinking, "lyrics, hum?" Then someone walks in with a plastic bag and saying, 'dinner's soon.' Hurriedly they note it down and begin more. It gets better with, 'baby, you're a fire---work!" I love it. It's not as ho hum as Teenage Dreams or as cheeky a bubbly as California Gurls. You'll be humming it next week this is a sure hit. Though on the charts she is behind Take That, Rihanna, Cheryl Cole and Black Eyed Peas! Even Katy and Russ themselves say, "this is their all-time favorite song ever of her album!"

4.5/5

4.5/5

Another Year Review

It's not just another film......Another Year

The film opens with Imelda Staunton sitting in a white room, depressed, unsure about her life, she says to the doctor everything she knows about what her life is about. She is asked to return and meet the counsellor whom we see is (Gerri) Ruth Sheen. She leaves, this woman (Janet) and returns to her husband (Jim Broadbent) Tom. Tom and Gerri (Tom and Jerry) are living a happy life. She's a counsellor and he's a geologist. This film sees four seasons (Another Year). Their son, (Oliver Maltman), Joe visits with his bubbly new girlfriend (Karina Fernandez) and then we meet in my opinion the star of the film, Mary. This film is deeply touching and I was crying half way through. The death of Broadbent's on-screen brother's (David Bradley) wife. It is sad at how things pan out especially Winter. I would recommend this 100%. Another classic to add to the collection.


5/5 (or more)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth Review

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth Jeff Kinney
RRP: £10:99
Type: Soft Hardback
Pages: 240pgs
Genre: Kids 10+
Diary of A Wimpy Kid 5
After the movie, Jeff Kinney decided, why don't I make more Diary of a Wimpy Kid. We last see Greg Heffley, reminiscing about his eventful summer holidays. The reader finds Greg two weeks after 'Dog Days' surviving the few hard last days of summer. He starts back school with a bang. I never thought to see puberty be put into a comic/kid's book. Most Wimpy Kid fans, thought, when the saw The Ugly Truth cover, why is he holding an egg. The egg is proven to be a experiment (though clever) wither boys can be caring fathers to their eggs. This is a short segment in the story and is unfortunately not followed through. It is not my favourite (my favourites being: Wimpy Kid 1, Rodrick Rules and Dog Days) because not much happens apart from the hilarious Lock-In scenario. I would recommend it to any fan though don't take my word as God if you know what I mean. It's good, another classic from Jeff Kinney.

4/5

Despicable Me Review

Despicable Daddy........Despicable Me

Finally the longly-anticipated Despicable Me is here! Surprisingly I wasn't expecting this. The number of trailers released feature little yellow men (one with one eye) having a brawl in front of a tall man and another of a boy who discovers a fake pyramid. You are first introduced to Gru, a tall lean super-villain who is competing to be the best super-villain of the year. It isn't a very memorable film put I like the pun where Gru has to go into the gent's toilet to access the Evil Bank (funnily with the line: formally the the Lehman Brothers in small lettering below). The film sees Gru, a Shrek-based figure who has no friends or anyone who loves him, his mother (marvelously played by Julie Andrews) who disgruntled him as a child adopt three little girls as a pawn in a game to retrieve a device from Vector, the top super-villian (Jason Segal).  It seems ridiculous to see comedian Russell Brand (whom is getting married to Katy Perry today) popping up as Gru's partner-in-crime. This film will bring the little ones crawling but a bit of a yawn-and-moan for over 10's.


3/5

The Longest Whale Song Book Review

The Longest Whale Song Jacqueline Wilson
RRP: £12:99
Type: Hardback
Pages: 320pgs
Genre: Children Fiction 10+
The Longest Whale Song
Another light and cheery number from Jacqueline Wilson. Although she is getting older and her ideas may not be as strong, the theme of The Longest Whale Song isn't a spin-off idea of one of the other books she's written. It stars another 8 year-old girl with ponytails, Ella Winters whose life is going great. A loving best friend, Sally, a heavily-pregnant loving mum, an expected baby brother and a dull and uninteresting step-dad. Apart from the last part her life is superb. But then sadly, her mum falls into a coma after giving birth, her wee brother's name is being mixed up, her best friend dumps here for the cruel Martha and the wicked Dory and she's stuck with her boring old step-dad, Jack! But soon Ella finds sanction in her whale project at school and she gets and adorable new pet gunea-pig, we can't tell you his name, gets a new best friend, Joseph and his tasty fudge and she meets her real-life dad! Will Ella's mum recover from her coma? Will the baby be named? And will their family ever recover?

4/5

KT Tunstall Tiger Suit Album Review

Artist: KT Tunstall
Album: Tiger Suit
Tracks: 11
Label: Virgin, Relentless
Tiger Suit - Album
In 2006, when KT Tunstall released the album, Eye To The Teloscope was a hit. The best songs was Suddenly I See and Other Side of The World. People enjoyed that album and where thrilled when "Tiger Suit" was released. My personal favourite in this album is Come, Get In, because of it's upbeat catchy theme. Then it's Glamour Puss and onto The Entertainer. A real musical treat, thumbs up for KT Tunstall!

4/5

Back To The Future Review

What year is this?.......Michael J Fox in Back To The Future

As most people don't know, Christopher Lloyd's character, Doc Brown started the stereotype of that wacky crackpot professor that has no idea what he's doing and practices his "inventions" on different people that always involves them pulling off a hat or something and having smoke pouring out of it and missing pieces of hair. In this 25th annivesary re-issue, none of the characters change but you still get that great enjoyment you had twenty-five years ago. Back To The Future stars Michael J Fox as Marty McFly, the cool stylish kid on the block in 1985 who gets to school by grabbing the end of the several multi-coloured vans and cars while the song - Huey Lewis and the News: The Power of Love - who gets involved for an unknown reason with Doc(tor) Brown (Lloyd). He then gets zapped back in time in a Delorian car while fleeing from several Libyian terrorists. This film is a great family fantasy film and was thrilled when I heard of it's re-issue.



5/5

Shadow Wave CHERUB Book Review

CHERUB: Shadow Wave
RRP: £12:99
Type: Hardback
Pages: 352 pg
Genre: Children/Teenage Fiction +12
Shadow Wave
The twelfth book in the major CHERUB series, Robert Muchamore has hammed it up at the end of Brigand's M.C, the eleventh book. With a quite brief, of what this book lies in stall. Over all, I don't think Muchamore ever looked back at this text and thought, 'yes, this is what I'm going to do.' Because he doesn't give half of what he promised. The first four or five chapters shows James Adams, the star character watching football and attending a certain wedding. Then it's a flashback to the leftover wreckage of a tsunami and the lead character is Kyle. Then it's Jame's mission to protect Tan Abdullah and his wife and kids on their trip to London! It's an interesting book with a great ending!

4/5

The Other Guys Review

Disappointing.....The Other Guys

As much as the reviews said I was sadly disappointed by this film. The Guardian said: "It was like a 107-minute comedy sketch." At times I agreed at others I didn't. I entered Cineworld thinking, I'm going to enjoy this. The plot was fairly good until a quarter of the way through when it went into a load of financial rubbish and suicides. Will Ferrell, as much as everyone loves a funny man, he failed to give the same performance as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (coincidentally is by the same director). Mark Wahlberg, though I have seen little of his films (The Lovely Bones and Date Night) produced the most comedy out of the duo and I thought the "relationship" between him and Sheila (Eva Mendes), Ferrell's on-screen wife. Detective Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Detective Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) are the 'other guys', the backbenchers who applaud the two biggest New York cops, (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L Jackson). Until one day they are brought into a large financial scam involving David Ershon (Steve Coogan). They have to stand up and be heroes despite the humorous laughs from their colleagues and boss (Rob Riggle, Damon Waynes. Jr, Michael Keaton) and their hilarious comments about Gamble's Prius car.


3/5

The Sorceror's Apprentice Review

Here's Nicky........The Sorceror's Apprentice

With a dash of Harry Potter and a tiny bit of the BBC's TV series Merlin, The Sorceror's Apprentice is pretty good for a cheesy kid's movie about magic with Nicolas Cage in it. It stars, the slightly irritating and annoying Jay Baruchel whom some people will recognise his voice from Dreamwork's How To Train Your Dragon. He plays, Dave Stutler, a geeky Physics student in New York who happens, one day when he is ten years old to encounter Balthazar Blake (Cage), who was one of Merlin's three apprentices. He explains that there is a prison in which Morgana le Fay (Alice Krige) is trapped waiting to be unlocked by Horvath (Alfred Molina), another evil baddie. The prison is in the shape of a Russian doll and is called a Grimhold. There is also a lot of love chemistry going on between Dave and Becky (Palmer), a girl from the university he is teaching at. The film lacks unpredictability and you always know what is going to happen. There are a few funny jokes and even a pun on Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse sketch Fantasia.


4/5

Scott Pilgram vs. The World

Beam me up, Scotty........Scott Pilgram Vs. The World

Imagine an American teen love story about a girl with an number of 'exes' and a comic book thrown into one, the thing you would get out the other end would be Scott Pilgram. This film is probably my favourite movie at the moment. It has action, violence (not that way), it has thrills. It stars Scott Pilgram (Cera), a lonely teen in Toronto, Canada, who is still getting over being dumped by Envy Adams (Brie Larson). One year later he meets Ramona Flowers (Winstead), a multi-coloured haired teen working as an Amazon.com delivery girl. He then discovers she has an extensive dating history and soon he is forced to battle, Ramona's seven evil exes. The League of Evil Exes is run by the mysterious Gideon (Jason Schwartzman), whom Ramona has a long previous relationship with. If I tell you any more it will ruin the story completely. Just look out for Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin), Scott's gay roomate.

Olly Murs Please Don't Let Me Go Single Review

Artist: Olly Murs
Single: Please Don't Let Me Go
Tracks: 1
Label: Epic, Syco
Please Don't Let Me Go
More pointless dribble from the ex-X Factor star who lost in 2009 to Joe McElderry, another useless singer. The lyrics are flat and bland. It is utter rubbish. I'm surprised it made it to number two on the iTunes chart. Hopefully by tommorow it will have died back and no one likes it anymore. This is the WORST THING I have ever reviewed.

0.5/5

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Review

Diary of a Wimpy Kid PG
Dir: Thor Freudenthal
Starring: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Steve Zahn, Rachael Harris
Running Length: 94 mins
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
When a director is asked to turn a 220 page book based on mainly cartoons the whole way through and hardly any conversations into a hour and a half movie, they must think, that's a tough one. How do I work that out? I think the director of Diary of a Wimpy Kid made a fairly decent effort to pull this one through. Though it lacked detail on the personality of the characters, it stuck to the plot pretty much and made brief references of the cartoon drawings that formed Jeff Kinney's book. Diary of a Wimpy Kid stars Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, a 10-12 year old boy (they don't actually say his age) who is starting American middle school. There his bullying brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick) gives him friendly advice not to speak, talk, sit or do anything. This film is in a way disgusting as a scene, not included in the book, where Greg on doing the toilet, Rodrick is hiding in the shower, Greg gets scared, you get my drift. Rachael Harris stars as his glamorous mother unlike the geeky glasses woman in the book who is almost a cameo in the film until the end. Steve Zahn plays the plain dad, whom doesn't say much and Connor and Owen Fielding play Greg's wee brother, Manny another small part. Another horror of his life is his pudgy best friend, Rowley (Robert Capron) who suddenly rises to fame after his success in the school newspaper and a tricycle accident. They decided to introduce a new character, Angie (Chloe Grace Moretz), whom doesn't appear in the book or has any significance in the movie. She is nor friend nor love interest. This film lacks that much humour besides the funny Halloween section. It's a decent in it's way kid's comedy.

3.5/5

Now 76! Album Review

Artist: A mix of the latest artists.
Album: Now 76!
Tracks: 46 on 2 discs
Label: Sony Music
Now 76
The latest combination of upbeat tracks from he lates artists. This album features the likes of Katy Perry (see below), Lady Gaga, Cheryl Cole, Usher, JLS and Kylie Minogue. This year also sees Katy and Kylie's dramatic comebacks. I loved most of the tracks but the likes of Professor Green and Yolando B Cool don't impress me. There is a couple of poor Justin Bieber tracks and Plan B will keep you in a jazzy feel. Jason Derulo appears with Ridin' Solo and Diana Vickers comes back with Once. I would recommend this to anyone for a beat to keep you moving.

4.5/5

Katy Perry Teenage Dreams Single Album

Artist: Katy Perry
Single: Teenage Dreams

Tracks: 1                                                                                          
Label: Capitol  
Teenage Dreams - Single
Another classic from the new Queen of Pop. Katy Perry has soared back into our CD players with the second Summer song after California Gurls. The chorus is catchy and comes along with her new album that hasn't been released of the the same name. It's of similar style to CG but with a slight twist at the beginning at the end. I would recommend this to any Katy Perry lover. I'll be surprised if it doesn't shoot straight up to number 1.

5/5

The Illusionist Review

Nicely done.......The Illusionist

When I first saw Belleville Rendez-vous, I was very young. The mobsters and the ugly bodies of the characters scared me, as most things did. The Illusionist was to me, visually amazing. How someone can paint all that I do not know. It seems similar to the Nick Park's Wallace & Gromit technique. The plot is very light and warm, it stars a magican (a French illusionist) who travels to Britain to act. He travels to Scotland and meets a female companion, a worker at a pub. Together they set off to Edinburgh with their small rabbit in tow. There life takes a turn for the worst and slowly things go from up to downhill. I, myself have visited Edinburgh many times and they got the city, picture perfect. I would highly recommend it and look out for Billy Boy and the Britoons.


5/5

Salt Review

Need's a little bit of pepper.....Angelina Jolie in Salt

The beginning stars Angelina Jolie being beaten mercilessly in her bra and pants in North Korea. As movie gains pace you realise they didn't need to include that. The film stars Bradjelina or Angelina Jolie as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent whom's life is going perfectly until one day a Russian defector, Orlov tells them of Day X, an operation organised by Orlov and his pals in the Cold War that will destroy the USA. He thens says one agent will carry out that task. "Her name is Evelyn Salt" Orlov says. "My name is Evelyn Salt" Jolie replies. "Then you are about to kill the Russian president." Then it gets confusing and Angelina Jolie changes sides throughout. There is some elements of it being over the top, the fact that she scaled a building with a heavy backpack and a dog. It's very enjoyable yet very violent and at times it suits a 15 certificate. Good but ridiculous in a way!
4.5/5

Marmaduke Review

Woof woof, oink oink..........Marmaduke

Marmaduke sees Owen Wilson as the friendly Great Dane who lives in harmony with his furry cat pal Carlos (George Lopez). The two live in Kansas with their owners, Phil (Lee Pace) and Debbie (Judy Greer) with their kids, Barbara (Caroline Sunshine) and Brian (Finley Jacobsen). Phil has a job selling pet food (where'd they get that idea?) who then gets an offer in California with a new boss. So the canine and his family pack up and head to the Golden Coast. Phil's boss (William H. Macy) Don Twombly (eh?) decides to arrange for their first meeting to be in the Los Angeles Bark (Dog) Park where he gets them to take their shoes off. There Marmaduke meets Mazie (Emma Stone) who instantly falls for him. The film spirals out and Marmaduke gets the American high school treatment. Then he meets Kiefer Sutherland as the big bully Bosco who has his sexy (in a dog way) girlfriend Jezebel (Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas) whom Marmaduke falls in love with. The film gets super over the top with a hilarious performance by Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Steve Coogan as Guiseppe and Raisin. This movie gets a bit over-the-top but is a great kid's film!


3.5/5

 

Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 Game Review

Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4
Developer: Traveller's Tales
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Format Reviewed: Wii                                                                        
Harry Potter Years 1-4
Based on the one of the most successful children's series ever made. Lego Harry Potter sees Harry, Ron and Hermione battle the evil Lord Voldemort who murdered Harry's parents when he was a baby in their first four years. This is another of the Lego games made following two Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Batman. The gameplay is quite fidgity and you can sometime get annoyed. As the other Lego games, there would be all the other characters that you could change into but in Harry Potter, you use the Polyjuice Potion to transform into any character you want. To collect people you have to search for a Lego block to buy it in Diagon Alley. Speaking of which, Diagon Alley is the HUB and you can walk around and even go to Borgin and Burke's in Knockturn Alley, the slightly dark wizard area. Most of the main characters have pets. Harry in the books and movies has Hedwig, his snowy owl except instead of a pet he has in Invisibiliy Cloak and Ron has Scabbers, his rat for the first three adventures and Hermione has Crookshanks. I was sad to see a small performance on Hagrid and Dumbledore's part. One of the characters you can be is Fang, Hagrid's Boarhound. This game is another hit in the Lego series, I can't wait untill years 5-7!

4.5/5

Eliza Doolittle Pack Up Review

Artist: Eliza Doolittle
Single: Pack Up

Tracks:1                                                                                           
Label: Parlophone 
Pack Up
Eliza Doolittle's single, Pack Up is my favourite track this summer. It's feel good, upbeat, danceable, everything you want for a good tune. Eliza boomed out of iTunes with her self titled album. Pack Up is slightly like something Lily Allen or Diana Vickers would come up with. It will surely leave you clicking your fingers and dancing around the kitchen or your garden. I found it so addictive, I took my iPod and went to the park to dance!

5/5

Ellie Goulding The Writer Single Review

Artist: Ellie Goulding

The single cover sold.

Single: The Writer                                                          
Tracks: 4
Label: Polydor
The Writer - EP 
Ellie Goulding burst out of iTunes in November 2009 with Under The Sheets then released Starry Eyed, her most famous song and then Guns and Horses. Now The Writer wasn't released with a lot of media coverage and it's not been on the radio that much. The song is very emotional with the sad chorus. The three other songs except the first are just remixes. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in a sad song. 

Shrek Forever After Review

Family man, the joys......Shrek Forever After

The final instalment in the Shrek franchise comes to audiences as a shock. The third was a disaster and adults sighed when Dreamwork's announced they were making a fourth. Oh, no, I have to drag my little boy/girl to this and torture myself throughout. But when different newspapers and magazines reviewed it as five stars, the spirits rised. And they were right. Shrek 4 is the best Shrek in my opinion. The first is closely behind. Kids will love the green huggable (?) ogre as he returns with his wife, his loyal donkey and their little cat. Shrek 4 sees the ogre (Mike Myers) having a mid-life crisis at his children's birthday party. Basically he blows a gasket. Outside he and Princess Fiona (Diaz) have a talk and Shrek admits he wants to be a fierce, feared ogre overheard by the scheming Rumplestiltskin (Walt Dohrn). He then tricks Shrek into surrendering his family life for a angry ogre for a day. Except in world, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) is a worker for Rumplestiltskin, Fiona is the leader of the rebelious ogre allegence called the Resistance and Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) is her fat plump pussy cat. The film is good with some classic jokes and Donkey appealing to all audiences with his humour but the witches, whom Rumplestiltskin is using as cronies might scare little kids.


4.5/5

Kylie Minogue Aphrodite Album Review

Artist: Kylie Minogue Album: Aphrodite

The album cover of Aphrodite

Tracks:12                                                                                            
Label: Parlophone
Aphrodite
Kylie Minogue and Madonna are in line with each other to be the Queen of Pop. Madonna's latest album Celebration had several hits but wasn't as popular as the success of Aphrodite. The title based on the Greek goddess of love, beauty and sexuality. The main song that became and single, All The Lovers has a catchy beat and is a personal favourite of mine. Aphrodite the title song, is good and has a lot of rhyming. Better Than Today is catchy but it varies the same tune. If your a dancer Can't Beat This Feeling is the one for you. Closer is like a drumbeat with Kylie singing in the background. Cupid Boy is a bit iritating but alright. Everything Is Beauiful is dance-able and the rest of the tracks are enjoyable. Since it's the summer holidays, lots of people will go on long car journeys which will be boring but if you listen to Aphrodite then it'll go by really quickly.

4/5

The Cardturner Book Review

The Cardturner 
£12:99p
Author: Louis Sacher
Type: Hardback
Pages: 352 pg
Genre: Children's Fiction +12

The red cover of the book!

The Cardturner 
Alton Richards is a 17 year-old boy who lives with his parents and his younger sister, Libby. Their family lives in wait for Alton's ageing, blind uncle to die so they can recieve millions in his will. I admit it doesn't seem a very nice subject but that's the funny part. Then one day, Lester Trapp, his uncle asks Alton to accompany him to his weekly bridge (not a bridge bridge, the game). Alton agrees because his parents force him so he will suck up to Lester and he will happily give them all his assets and thousands of dollars. Soon Alton starts to enjoy bridge and decides to learn it by watching Trapp play with Gloria his bridge partner. Soon he meets Toni, an attractive keen bridge player. Soon buried secrets are uncovered and romance blossoms. This is a great book for anyone looking for a good book or a good Louis Sacher book. The flaw of it is the small whale at pretty much every second chapter a reference to Moby Dick. That means that that there are going to give you bridge lessons. I read a few but then skipped them. There is pretty much 250 pages of fiction in it with 100 of bridge lessons.

4.5/5                                                                                                  

The A Team Review

The A Team? I thought that was over........The A Team

A revival of a 1980's TV show could surely spell disaster. if you want non-stop violence, go to the A-Team. The opening sequence is of the whole team in a 'tricky' situation which they then escape and flee. Hannibal, Face, Murdoch and B.A (Neeson, Cooper, Jackson and Copley) return to their U.S Army Base to meet General Morrison (Gerald McRaney) and Lynch (Patrick Wilson). Against the orders of Morrison, the A-Team go on a secret "Black Ops" mission to recover money plates to print counterfeit money. The mission is successful and the team return to find Morrison has been blown up in an army Jeep and the plates are gone with all evidence destroyed. The team know it is Brock Pike (Brian Bloom) and his men. An elite private securtiy team known "Black Forest" The team are arrested and sent to seperate physciatric hospitals and prisons. After breaking out and trying to clear their name, the team have a dramatic showdown on a cargo ship and in the LA Docks. There is some romantic chemistry between Face and DCIS Captain Charissa Sosa (Jessica Biel) which is very weak and limited. There is the absence of the original van which, gets a hammering at the beginning that I am disapointed. It is sad to see that the team assume Pike's superior is an Arab man in a turban. Is is racist or fact? The A Team is exciting to watch but at points you want it to speed up but it's OK.


3/5

Knight and Day Review

 Cameron Diaz: short, Tom Cruise: shorter....Knight And Day

Any movie with Tom Cruise could surely have to be an explosive action adventure with guns and fast cars and scenes where his female lead is strapped to a bomb but I found Knight and Day surprisingly different. Cameron Diaz brings the humour into the movie especially when she is drugged up with a truth serum and in the middle of a shoot-off, she says, "I want to have sex with you." Also they have a little fun with the technique of drugging Diaz in New York for instance and her waking up in Ausralia. So they can go across the world in ten seconds. Cruise plays Roy Miller, a seemingly normal man that bumps into June Havens (Diaz) at Wichita Airport. After several collisons they reach the gate where June isn't allowed on but Miller is. Eventually they reach the plane and June goes to check herself while Miller has a violent shoot off of everything onboard. He crashes the plane and June wakes up in bed. The film has several shoot outs on different motorways similar to Grand Theft Auto and a lot of switching countries until they get to the point. Roy Miller is a rogue agent who is forced into hiding Simon Feck (Paul Dano), a twenty-something man that invented a new type of Duracell, basically an ever-lasting battery. With FBI Agent Fitzgerald (Peter Sarsgaard) as another agent (not rogue this time?) who wants Roy's head and Maggie Grace with a cameo as April, ironically June's sister. April, June, get it? Knight and Day is great for someone who wants a bit of un-realistic action and humour, Knight and Day is for you.

3.5/5

Toy Story 3 Review

Welcome to toy town.......Toy Story 3

When Pixar decided to make a Toy Story 2, they were wary. Could they succeed in making another cartoon blockbuster or another complete flop. To their surprise, Toy Story 2 was great. Most adults and kids thought it was better than the first. Then in 2007, Edwin Catmull announced Lee Unkrich who was the second film's co-director would be the third's director. So the third film was in process. Toy Story 3 is the third instalment of Pixar's longest running series. Andy, who is has now turned 17, prepares to leave for college and has outgrown the gang of toys. After several failed missions to try and convince him to play with them they decide to pack it in a go to the attic. But when there is a garbage bag mix-up and everyone except Woody (Tom Hanks) is thrown onto the pavement. With a dramatic rescue, the whole team end up at Sunnyside Day Care Centre a day care for toddlers. Lead by the friendly-caretaker-esque Lots 'O' Huggin Bear (Ned Beatty) a.k.a Lotso. Barbie (Jodi Benson) who was once Molly's toy, not Andy's or the Tour Guide Barbie from the second film soon falls for Ken (Michael Keaton), Lotso's right-hand man. But soon when the lights go out and the toddlers go home, Lotso becomes a vicious bossy bullying bear that so that provokes the team to escape. With the return of Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Bullseye, this is a great funny kid's and adults movie. With an A-list cast of Whoopi Goldberg, Timothy Dalton and Bonnie Hunt.


5/5

Inception Review

Living upside down.......Inception

For some Inception may seem confusing and when I saw it I thought, oh no two and a half hours of utter dribble about Leonardo DiCaprio flouncing around with his girlfriend. But I was surprised and the plot thickened. Leo gave us what we wanted. Inception stars Leo DiCap as Dom Cobb, a thief who breaks into people's minds and steals whatever information they can find when most vulenerable. The plot gets a wee bit too complicated and there is a large chase scene with loads of different camera angles which gets you up from slumping in your seat. With the help of Ariadne (Ellen Page) they then visit a chemist, Yusuf who helps them target Fischer a large businessman who's father recently died in Sydney in Australia. On the 10 hour flight back to New York, they drug Fischer Senior and attach him to the dream machine then attach themselves. The film plunges into Fischer's dream which spirals into explosive action. Also there is the appearence of Marion Cotillard as Mal, Cobb's suicidal wife who killed herself thinking reality is a dream. I'm not going to spoil it so your going to have to see the rest for yourself.


4.5/5