Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Mission is possible..Tom Cruise..Mission Impossible 4

The latest in the long line of Mission: Impossible films, is as thrilling as the first four. Tom Cruise returns to the role of Ethan Hunt, who is trying to stop a nuclear strategist from igniting a World War. It begins in Russia, with Cruise escaping from a Russian prison. Almost as soon as the film has begun, we're introduced to Benji, played by Simon Pegg, who instantly gives us the comic relief, from the action. After the Kremlin is destroyed, the Russians blame the US, and the US blame Ethan Hunt's team. So on the run from their own government after the President orders "Ghost Protocol." The other part of Hunt's team is, Jane (Paula Patton), and William Brandt (played by Jeremy Renner.) I was impressed at the whole sequence in Dubai, where at one point, Cruise scales the Burj Khalifa hotel (the current tallest building in the world.) Recently I read in the news that Cruise himself actually does this stunt himself although in the movie, he uses special gloves whereas in real life, he is in a harness. It was enjoyable, and kept me glued to my seat, harmless and fun action movie.


4/5

2011 In Film

One of 2011's most highly-anticipated movies...Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2

For Patrick's Reviews, 2011 has been big, it's our first full year for movies, starting with Tron: Legacy and ending with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows unless, we review something else. We start this post, with the blockbusters, Rango. It was probably one of Johnny Depp's better movies, besides the Pirates of The Caribbean trilogy. Then onto Rio, a forgettable animation about a macaw called Blu (played by The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg.) It was pretty dire. Now moving swiftly onwards, we come to Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth installment in the never-ending saga. Then The Green Lantern, another DC Comics movie adaption starring Ryan Reynolds. The summer blockbuster of the year, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2, was highly anticipated and didn't disappoint. Bridesmaids comes along next, as being probably my favorite movie of 2011, because of it's wit, charm and it's similarities to The Hangover. Coming hot on the heels of Bridesmaids as my favorite movie of 2011, The Inbetweeners Movie provides much of what Bridesmaids does, but gives you one final look at Will, Neil, Jay and Simon. The first old-fashioned movie, Jane Eyre we've reviewed, was well made with great filming locations but a little bit boring. Woody Allen's comeback went down a storm, Midnight In Paris was great, with Owen Wilson being surprisingly un-annoying as he usually is in films like Cars 2. Johnny English Reborn sees Rowan Atkinson of Blackadder fame on top form again as the hapless spy. Steven Soderbergh, presents Contagion, a gripping medical thriller that was unnervingly scary. Steven Spielberg's next outing, with the boy detective and his canine compadre, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn. Wallace & Gromit's animation company, Aardman gives us the animated festive film, Arthur Christmas. The dire, penultimate Twilight film, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 fails to impress us. Martin Scorcese's first child-friendly film, Hugo is a great adventure film. While the Shrek spin-off Puss In Boots, is a good fun animation. Finally at the end of the year, we get another Sherlock film, Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows. that as a great escapism movie from the hustle and bustle of Christmas.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Super sleuth...Jude Law..Robert Downey Jr....Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Since we last picked off from our old pal, Sherlock, he's been busy. As Watson says, "his web of conspiracy has expanded," as he's been tracing a series of bombings across Europe, and he's seeming traced it back to Professor James Moriarty (Mad Men's Jared Harris). As he enlists his newly-married pal, Dr Watson (again, played by Jude Law), he saves another one of Moriarty's intended victims, a gypsy called Sim (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo's Noomi Rapace.) The film crosses different continents as, Holmes tries to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Stephen Fry gets a small part as Sherlock's brother, Mycroft, a very different character from BBC One's Sherlock's Mark Gatiss. I think that Sim got much less speech than she should of and didn't really add much to the plot. Incredibly contrived, I think this second outing into the franchise manages to get away with it. 




3.5/5

Puss In Boots 3D

Fur will fly....Antonio Banderas....Puss In Boots.

This pleasant prequel to the Shrek saga is nice enough. It catches up with Puss, who is now a legendary bandit after being an orphan in a town to his surrogate mother, Imelda. He soon learns of some magic beans that Jack & Jill (Billy Bob Thornton & Amy Sedaris), have that can allow the user to plant a beanstalk just like the fairytale. Teaming up with his female counterpart, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Heyak) and his incredibly unreliable pal, Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) they search out to recover the beans, to get the magic eggs of the golden goose. It's funny, with lots of little cat jokes and the main characters are simple enough. Harmless in it's way, that's if your more of a cat person. I myself am.


3.5/5

Hugo - 3D

Hugo-a-go-go....Asa Butterfield..Jude Law...Hugo

Mark Kermode who writes for The Guardian often describes 3D as, "pointy pointy." He thinks that it's just things poking at you for no reason but Martin Scorcese's child-friendly film, Hugo, 'pokes' (ironically) that theory. It's a whirlwind adventure set in a Paris train station, it shows lonely orphan Hugo (Asa Butterfield), who's father (a Jude Law cameo, almost) perishes in a fire at a museum. Hugo fixes the clocks, as his job, while his reprobate uncle (Ray Winstone), who runs the clocks, techinically, spends his days drinking himself until his death. Soon Hugo befriends, friendly girl, Isabelle (Chloe Moretz). They have adventures in the station while trying to discover the mystery, of his father's final ongoing project, a mechanical man. They manage to evade the watchful eye of the stationmaster, played by Sacha Baron Cohen. I enjoy the sub-plot featuring, Richard Griffiths and Frances de la Tour. Ben Kingsley, comes in as Papa George, Isabelle's caring godfather, who is more than he reveals. The same can be said for Helen McCrory, who plays Mama Jeanne. Enjoyable stuff.


4/5

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

Trampling on the vamp.....Kristen Stewart..Robert Pattison

The saga continues in the ever-lasting Twilight trilogy. In this edition, Bella and Edward (Stewart, Pattinson) decide to get married, which is fine enough, although the dialogue from Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen is horribly twee and "OMG." The film tends to have unnecessarily graphic scenes which gets on your nerves when you think, they could have missed this out. The love triangle between Edward, Jacob (Taylor Lautner) and Bella is hotting up now their married. Edward takes Bella to his mother's island (?) and they soon discover that Bella's pregnant. Again another question mark. Within a couple of weeks it looks as if this baby is a giant egg inside Bella's stomach because it's is bulging (!). As it is a two-parter, there are at least 15 different parts when you put on your coat, because you think it's about to end, then you think it's got half an hour left. It drags on, and it's stupid. But stupidly enjoyable. 






3.5/5

Arthur Christmas 3D

Is the figurehead, figure-dead?.......James McAvoy...Arthur Christmas

In this Aardman CGI family film, it sees Santa, not as a jolly man in a red coat, but a symbol, and icon. The only thing is, there are several people fighting for the title. The current 'Santa' (Jim Broadbent) is getting old, and has pretty much left, everything to his technocrat son, Steve Claus (voiced by Hugh Laurie) because he practically doesn't know the use of a light switch. Now here's the other Claus, the 'Lost Claus' as the cinema posters say, Arthur (voiced terrifically by James McAvoy,) who still considers Christmas a festive time of good will but it's now turned to one big slick militarised operation. Enter Grandsanta, (voiced by Bill Nighy), who is the cranky old coot, that was once Santa, he sits in his armchair, watching 'Christmas' happen. He probably gets the best lines in the whole film. After a mishap occurs and a little girl called Gwen's (Ramona Marquez) present isn't delivered, it's up to the clumsy Arthur and the sprightly little packaging elf, Bryony (Ashley Jenson) to deliver Gwen's back before Christmas morning. An enjoyable Christmas treat, with a fairly good message.






4/5

In Time

Twisting time...Vincent Kartheiser..Justin Timberlake...Amanda Seyfried

With an excellent plot device, this film doesn't live to it's full potential and at least 50 minutes of on-screen foot and car chases doesn't help. Set in the future, it shows that people don't age over 25 and money is time, items cost time, like one example is a coffee is 4 minutes. A very expensive hotel is 1 year. It sees Justin Timberlake receive a century of time from a mysterious man who kills himself and suddenly be transported into an adventure where he kidnaps a billionaire's daughter (Amanda Seyfried) and takes her on the run. It spends one hour of the movie showing Seyfried and Timberlake running around getting into car chases while being pursued by a 'Timekeeper' (Cillian Murphy.) They become vigilante Robin Hood-style criminals, giving illegal time to homeless people, small children, anyone in need of it. It drags on a bit, and there are too many plot holes, (in the thin sliver of plot that's there) but it's stupid. Enjoyably stupid.




3.5/5

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn - 3D

 Mo-cap magic...Jamie Bell..Andy Serkis...Tintin

I didn't know what to expect when I entered the cinema. With very mixed reviews from "amazing" to "poor," I knew I would come out thinking with the same opinion as one of these reviews. But the people who said this film was bad, have got it completely wrong. They review this movie as a film, so was I until I realised it was a really good Tintin adventure. Probably not that a good film, but a great plot and if you haven't read Tintin you may be at a loss. It shows Jamie Bell as the boy detective himself, suddenly being thrown into an adventure all about a sunken ship with treasure aboard. He meets Andy Serkis who plays Captain Haddock, who's insanely drunkenness is much more of an issue than in the books. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost play the bumbling duo, Thompson and Thompson, their casting I think is due to Edgar Wright being on the writing team, he has worked with Pegg and Frost on a number of occasions. The Thompsons' don't get that much to do, although they have a little sub-plot of their own involving a pickpocket, (Tinker Tailor's Toby Young.) Daniel Craig plays a very Tintin-esque baddie, Sakharine, who has a very evil air to him, he even has a malicious hawk. The animation gives it, a nice touch and you can tell it's Steven Spielberg. He even throws in a funny little Jaws reference involving Tintin's trademark quiff. It's an Indiana Jones-style romp, but a very enjoyable romp. 




4/5

Anonymous

To see or not to see, that is the question...Anonymous

A political thriller, that has a hint of Blackadder and a whole lot of costume drama. Anonymous follows one of the most ridiculous conspiracies about Shakespeare being illiterate and not having written a single word ever. Obviously this is crazy and there is no solid evidence. You have to be a real diehard Shakespeare fan to see this unless your a middle-aged person who enjoys watching costume dramas but their hard to come by. The whole plot revolves around the idea that William Shakespeare was actually a cover for the 17th Earl of Oxford, played very well by Rhys Ifans. It's a fair theory but with nothing to hold the theory up, so you assume this film is just for laughs. Although it's not all about the whole 'Anonymous' plotline, but instead shows a lot of scenes with Elizabeth I, played by Vanessa Redgrave. Son of Timothy, Rafe Spall plays the bumbling and very annoying "real" William Shakespeare. It drags on a wee bit too long and there are countless historical inaccuracies but Sebastian Armesto does a decent job as playright, Ben Jonson. 

3/5

Contagion

Antiseptic action...Matt Damon...Contagion

Poor Gwyneth Paltrow, first she lands a job on Glee now she's being killed off in medical thrillers, what next for the poor woman? Oh yes, probably another fruit-themed child like Pear and another role in some Marvel-Iron Man spin-off. The movie begins with her sitting in an airport bar, feeling sweaty and nauseous, she merely throws these symptoms off as jet-lag and continues talking to her lover, conveniently not her husband, the unsuspecting Matt Damon. In fact, poor Beth (Paltrow) is actually one of the first people to get a contagious disease that originates from a pig. Sadly, she dies in the first fifteen minutes along with about five other people. So bring on the science experts, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard and Bryan Cranston are among the many. As the film progresses the audience becomes unsure about what type of movie it is, Wikipedia say, 'medical thriller' I disagree. It jumps between showing the downfall of society, with action and then into a biology lab where a series of tests are taken place. One of the highlights of this slightly uneasy film is Jude Law, with a fairly good Aussie accent. He plays Alan Krumwiede, a blogger who thinks he's gotten a great story by posting stuff about the video of one of the first people to die from the disease. It's enjoyable at times, slightly gritty at others and slightly unnecessarily horrific. I can't make up my mind about this film.




3.5/5

Midnight In Paris

Nostalgia Lane..Owen Wilson...Marion Cotillard..Midnight In Paris

Woody Allen is trying to reignite his film-making fame by creating this rom-com set in twentieth century Paris. He does this quite successfully. Owen Wilson, whom I don't find annoying for once, plays, Gil, a successful but distracted writer. He travels to Paris with his fiancee, Inez, played by an annoying Rachel McAdams because of Inez's father's business. Soon Gil finds himself encountering famous people from the last couple of centuries. Gil meets Pablo Picasso's mistress, the strikingly beautiful, Adriana played superbly by Marion Cotillard. As every night at midnight, surprisingly, he is drawn closer and closer into her world. He meets other famous people like Hemmingway (Corey Stoll) and Gertrude Stein, played by Kathy Bates. It's funny, charming but doesn't quite draw you in from the beginning. A genuine success done by Woody Allen.


3.5/5

Johnny English Reborn

Come in from the cold....Rowan Atkinson..Daniel Kaluuya...Johnny English Reborn

The sequel to 2003's spy-caper Johnny English is possibly the better of the two. It shows an aging Rowan Atkinson reprise his role as the bumbling James Bond spoof. Set five years after the first film, the year being 2008. After a disaster in Mozambique, he has retired to the Tibetan mountains, under the watchful eye of a monk. When MI7 calls him back into action it's a race around the world from England to Hong Kong to save the life of a Chinese premier. I like the nice little secret wink that English has with the 'Q' type man, Patch Quartermain, played by Tim McInnerny. A reunion with the Blackadder pair. They also give a nice pun on the sort of Shirley Bassey title sequence. There is also a pointless chase around Mayfair on an electric wheelchair. With some decent gags and a great script, this is an instant hit.


3.5/5

Dr Who. Series 6. Pt. 2 - The Wedding Of River Song

A simple solution.....Alex Kingston....Matt Smith....Karen Gillan

After this series, story-arcs and twists and turns we finally get an interesting finale, that ties up loose ends and sets new ones. Time has gone wrong and everything in history is mixed up, pterodactyls in Hyde Park, flying cars, Emperor Winston Churchill and Charles Dickens on BBC Breakfast. The Doctor is taken from the Holy Emperor Winston Churchill's office to a pyramid in Cairo where the things really kick off. Silents' escaping, thousands of people dying, Amy showing a rather bad-ass side to Madame Kovarian, to which she deserves. We see the return of Dorium Maldovar, the big blue guy who gets beheaded. There's an especially touching farewell to the Brig. Nicholas Courtney who played the famous character, passed away in February, and it's not just a last minute line, it also allows the Doctor to acknowledge, people do die. Although it's Doctor Who, and you can't kill the titular character, so in the end we're left with a very healthy Doctor, except everyone thinks he's dead. Amy and Rory know he's alive but can't find him and the Doctor has become a shadow man again. I feel the Ninth Doctor was like that, the end of David Tennant and all of Matt Smith just shows us, how much of a celebrity the Doctor is. Sadly Amy and Rory are coming back, which is ridiculous because David Tennant had Rose, Martha and Donna. So hurry up change the companions and speaking of changing the cast, the story-arc of Tranzalor and "the fall of the Eleventh (Doctor)" I'm really looking forward to the Christmas Special and the next series.




Who Rating: 5/5

Arrietty

A teeny tiny tale......Saoirse Ronan....Tom Holland....Arrietty

This latest creation by Hayao Miyazaki came in the summer rivaling big summer movies like Pixar's latest creation, the dire Cars 2 and the final Harry Potter. This rather gentle tale about a ill boy befriending a tiny person is derived from Mary Norton's The Borrower's tale. It may have it's cringe-worthy moments and silly music playing in the background but it really gets to the heart of the tale. Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, who last starred in the shockingly bad Hanna, redeems herself playing the titular character. She lives with her mother, (Olivia Colman) and her father, (Mark Strong.) Every night they go out and 'borrow' items like sugar cubes and tissues. But one night, something goes wrong and little Arrietty is thrust in an adventure. It has a very sad but peaceful ending. It also deals with the boy, who has a heart condition and is going to be operated on, which comes as a surprise. Visually stunning, with a slightly twee story, but gets away with it. 


4/5

Kes

Flying high....David Bradley....Kes

It's been nearly 42 years ago, since Ken Loach's radical masterpiece made it to the big screen, now all these years in the future people look back and take the form of Billy Casper (David Bradley) as an extraordinary deprived talented who discovers a symbol of beauty in a kestrel, Kes. In his flat in Barnsley where he lives, he sits with his drunken mother, who shows no love for him and his hideous brother, who constantly verbally and physically abuses Billy. He retrieves a kestrel and begins to train it, bonding closer to it ever time they train. Nobody sees his talent and his skill and cast him aside. The only person who reaches out to him is Mr Farthing, (Colin Welland), in a remarkable scene in Kes' shed home, where Billy describes nature and who it should be treated quietly and lovingly. Of course, not all of it is sad and quite a lot of humor comes from the evil P.E teacher, (Brian Glover) who presides himself as teacher, team captain, and player. There's a strong accent that you have to get used to but that's easy enough. This is a truly spectacular piece of film.


4.5/5

Dr Who. Series 6. Pt. 2 - Closing Time

The end is nigh......Matt Smith....Closing Time

The twelfth episode of Doctor Who is probably the most banter-ish episode this series, and probably my second best after, Tom McRae's The Girl Who Waited. It doesn't feature any of Moffat's "amazing" story-arcs, unless you count the last five minutes that I thoroughly enjoyed. It shows, Matt Smith, well and truly at his best, visit last year's series, The Lodger's Craig Owens, played by a very like able James Cordon. Instantly he's drawn to mysterious power failures and silver rats, darting around a department store. So instead of running off to Lake Silencio to his death, he stays and almost in the first ten minutes we see the villains of the episode, the Cybermen. I think this is a bit disappointment as normally the keep the baddies hidden from view until the climax. With loads of different mini gags, like Craig's baby, Alfie, in which the Doctor now announces he speaks, "baby" with his nickname as Stormeggedon, Dark Lord of All. Enjoyable banter with still the underlying series plotline, bad guy defeated by love. Lynda Baron has a lovely cameo as Val. Looking forward to next week.


Who Rating: 4/5

Jane Eyre

Plain Jane......Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender

It's nice to see another costume-type period drama return to the big screen, as we've been feasting on the era dramas of the BBC for a while. It gives us a flavor of Miss Jane Eyre, a orphaned child thrust into the folded arms of Mrs Reed, (Sally Hawkins), who instantly neglects her and sends her to a type of Hell school, run by several vicious teachers. The actress who plays young Jane Eyre, plays the character as well as her older self. After becoming a governess at Thornfield Hall, run by the very broody Mr Rochester, played superbly by Michael Fassbender. She is taken under the wing of Mr Rivers (Jamie Bell) in the future, and his two sisters. The whole film is run, starting from quite near the end, and lapsing back into flashbacks. Judi Dench is on top form, as housekeeper of Thornfield, Mrs Fairfax. The chemistry between Jane and Rochester is meant to be tricky, but I didn't think Fassbender and Wasikowska played their characters to their full acting potential. With some good scenes and a well filmed landscape, a thoroughly enjoyable drama.


4/5

Dr Who. Series 6. Pt. 2 - The God Complex

A major disappointment......Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill

Well, this week's Doctor Who didn't hit off. It began outside the TARDIS, already disappointing, I love a TARDIS opening and the mystery of when the Doctor and his companions exit, to see where they've landed. Instantly they realize their in an 80's-style hotel with a very unfunny irritating David Walliams in prostethics as Gibbis, a nurse named Rita, a geeky blogger (don't laugh!) called Howard and a gambler in hysterics called Joe. The lead monster is a Minotaur that is weirdly un-scary, that feeds on fear or something like that. It has an amazing plot principle, with everyones main fear in each room except sadly it doesn't live up to it's potential. Again we have the, a-baddie-that-doesn't-mean-to-be-a-baddie thing going on, similar to last week's Handbots. At the end theirs a big twist, giving the Ponds a big exit. The whole thing seems like a run-around adventure just to get the one final twist. Rita, is doomed from the moment the Doctor offers to take her along, meaning goodbye Rita, which is sad, to a point. An OK episode, that doesn't live to it's potential.


Who Rating: 3/5

Dr Who. Series 6. Pt. 2 - The Girl Who Waited

All by herself........Karen Gillan...The Girl Who Waited

Tom MacRae, his last creation for Doctor Who, was the Cyber horror way back in Series 2, has missed Doctor Who for a while. In a video, he bragged about this episode, and now I've seen it, he has the right to brag. This a masterpiece in Doctor Who history, alongside episodes like Vincent And The Doctor and The Doctor's Wife. None of those episodes feature Steven Moffat as the lead writer, not so cocky, now are we Mr Moffat? Horror writer, Neil Gaiman and of Blackadder fame, Richard Curtis provided the amazing talent for that. Surprisingly this is a very cheap episode, the trailer and the set is very expensive looking. With no guest actors unless you count Imelda Staunton as Voice of The Interface. With some really big tear-jerking performances. The cast really shine. 


Who Rating: 4/5

Outnumbered ~ Series 4. Housework

(out)numbering it's days.......Outnumbered

The problem with making TV shows featuring children in a sitcom is the ageing process. The hurdle that The Simpsons managed to avoid from episode one, by making Bart and Lisa never age. Whereas Outnumbered is different. Ben is starting to become irritating, Karen isn't cute any more and Jake is just too grown up. Tonight's episode, is a little better from last week's funeral-themed episode. It sees Sue take offence from some of the comments made by the males of the Brockman's and take Karen for a day out. This leaves Pete, Ben and Jake with the problem of the house; a hallway, "that doesn't bare similarities to war-torn Baghdad" as Sue would say, a dodgy washing-machine, Ben's cooking and Jake's homework. Sue thinks that she can have a lovely mother-and-daughter day out with Karen but instead the realisation of the fact Karen isn't that seven year old any more hits her. With Karen wanting to buy her mum tops that say, "Nice Tits" and getting her to try on hot pants, she decides that she wants to be sucked into the world of fashion. The person that has thrust this on nine-year old Karen is Tanya. Meanwhile Pete decides to fix the washing machine with a hammer and Ben makes pureed salad.


Sitcom Rating: 3.5/5

Dr Who. Series 6. Pt. 2 - Night Terrors

Are there really monsters?...........Matt Smith and Daniel Mays.....Night Terrors

Bearing similarities to an EastEnder/Doctor Who crossover, this episode starts off in a council estate in London, an ordinary one, with broken lifts, angry old ladies, miserable landlords and the fact, the bin men never come. It shows, a difficult couple, Alex and Claire (Daniel Mays and Emma Cunniffe), and how they struggle to live with their potentially disturbed son, George, played by a very irritating child actor, Jamie Oram. The Doctor receives a distress call, from George and they arrive at the estate, where they look for George for the first twenty minutes of the episode. Meanwhile Amy and Rory get transported to a dollhouse through a lift (eh?) and appear to be on the run through this house of horrors from creepy dolls that turn people into one of them. It's a emotional episode, that misses difficult Doctor Who story arcs like The Silence, and River. Although the last ten minutes is rather dreary and the actors become wooden (not just Karen Gillan.) To top this innocent episode off, there is a wee mention of The Doctor's forthcoming death.


Who Rating: 3/5

Dr Who. Series 6. Pt. 2 - Let's Kill Hitler

It's a quote thing....Karen GIllan, Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill

From a crop circle, to 1938 Berlin, to a full-size robot, Let's Kill Hitler is the very explosive beginning to a "new" series. In the first scene, we say Amy (Gillan) and Rory (Darvill) drive a Mini Cooper through a cornfield, where they meet The Eleventh Doctor, played extravagantly by Matt Smith. They get a new companion, Mels (played by Nina Toussaint-White), who has a very mysterious secret that we discover early on. The titular character, Hitler spends most of the episode locked in a cupboard. There's also a rather extravagant return of River Song (Alex Kingston), and a very-Sherlock style moment, (Steven Moffat also writes, a BBC series called Sherlock, he must have got confused.) An interesting episode, still as confusing as ever with more questions to be answered. Next week, is an odd-looking episode set in a house where a small boy is scared of the dolls in the cupboard.

Who Rating:

3.5/5

One Day

One day, you'll forget...........Jim Sturgess, and Anne Hathaway.....One Day

Beginning in 1988, One Day shows the two lives, of two lovers. They both start off graduating from Edinburgh University and sleeping together. Instead of keeping this as a boyfriend/girlfriend type of thing, they stay as friends and part ways. Emma, played by dodgy-accented Anne Hathaway goes off and works in a horrible Tex-Mex restaurant in London and starts her life, slowly and steadily while Dexter (Jim Sturgess, who sounds like a young Rupert Everett) starts off as a TV presenter. Her life, is calm, from the beginning onwards and she slowly crawls up the career ladder until she eventually completes the jobs she wants. While Dexter struggles to keep up his emotional-intelligence with his family, played by Ken Stotts and Patricia Clarkson. The script is interesting and every time they change a year, they script drops in little hints of what has happened between then and the previous year. Maybe 15 minutes too long, and a very loved-up chemistry but it's a so-so rom-com that deals with the fragile lives of two completely different people.


3/5

The Inbetweeners Movie

The "lad's" return.......The Inbetweeners Movie

With a gag-a-minute rate, this classic British comedy, shows the four lad's from E4's TV show, go from small to silver screen. It begins with poor Simon (Joe Thomas) being dumped, so they take this opportunity and the summer break, to go to Malia, for an all boys holiday. Except this is "The Inbetweeners," and of course, things don't go smoothly. With a God awful hotel and a unexpected incident at the pool, involving a girl in a wheelchair, and a small 9-year-old Greek boy who can't swim, the boys meet 4 girls, (Laura Haddock, Tamla Kari, Jessica Knappett, and Lydia Rose Bewley.) Laughs are high and this truly is, my film of this year. You'll be begging to go back to the cinema. 


4.5/5 

The Smurfs - 3D

Blue and babyish........The Smurfs

First, created by a Belgium cartoonist 40 years ago, the little magical blue people make it to the big screen. Sadly, my viewing of this feature was interrupted by the screaming of all the scared under-2's. The film starts off with "Narrator Smurf" (all the names are based on their personalities or habits) telling us to imagine a land "with no sadness," already, I was wondering, oh help, me. Hank Azaria comes in as the bumbling oaf of a baddie as Gargamel, the stupid sorcerer who chases the poor little Smurfs into a magic portal, only the main characters of course, that includes the likes of singer Katy Perry, who has several puns, based on her songs, "I kissed a Smurf and I liked it." It's a good summer holidays film, released a wee bit too late for the under 5's but no one older than that. Surprisingly the fact that Perry is in the movie also draws a crowd of teen's but there's no point, she just plays, basically the only girl in the movie. How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris stars as Patrick, a New York guy who works in a cosmetics company and is about to get a promotion. He and his pregnant wife, Jayma Mays of Glee fame accidentally receive the burden of the little blue people and must save them from Gargamel and his cackling cat, Azrael played by voice actor, Frank Welker. Good for the kids, but no one else.

2/5

Super 8 Review

Super 6...........Kyle Chandler, Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Ron Eldard

J.J Abrams has now officially made a name in the film industry. His first film, Mission Impossible III was not his own work, just the continued story of someone else, but his first proper movie, Star Trek was praised by critics everywhere. I too, say it my self and it is a remarkable piece of film-making. I know Star Trek is a never-ending saga but Abrams recreates this into being very watchable material. His next movie, Super 8, is pretty much on the same level as Star Trek except this time he's throwing award-winning director Steven Spielberg. With the success of these movies, Abrams is now making a wonderful career, with a proposed Star Trek sequel.                                                                                                                Set in a town called Lillian in Ohio, it shows Joe Lamb, a 13-year-old boy who has lost his mother in a steel mill accident. Troubled by the loss of his mother, Joe tries to fill the hole by starring in his friend, Charles' (Riley Griffiths) zombie-horror movie that he hopes to enter in a short film festival. The movie goes fine until one night, Charles, Joe and their friends (Zach Mills, Gabriel Basso and Ryan Lee) witness a train derailment. A co-star of Joe, Alice (Elle Fanning), whom Joe hides a crush on is nearly killed in the accident. The following day, the group, discover that the whole thing is an Area 51-style conspiracy because something dangerous was on the derailed train. The six try and uncover what's happening while the town faces panic, dogs going missing, people going missing and odd utilities like microwaves and car engines disappear. This film incorporates some much from such films as Spielberg's E.T (Extra Terrestrial) and The Iron Giant, Joe resembles Henry Thomas's E.T character Elliott and Eli Marienthal's The Iron GIant character, Hogarth Hughes. It is very emotional with a very diverse deep sub-plot featuring a struggle between the Lamb family and Alice's family. I would highly recommend this.


4/5

Bridesmaids Review

A gaggle of girls............Bridesmaids

The antidote to Sex And The City, this not so sugary rom-com, is cruel but warm at heart. It shows, thirty-something Annie, producer and actress, Kristen Wiig, living alone in Milwaukee, feeling depressed about being single, she usually turns to her mum (the late Jill Clayburgh) and her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph) whom she has known since childhood. Sadly, Lillian announces she's getting married, and Annie feels abandoned by her friend, banished to spinsterhood. Faced with being the maid of honor, Annie Googles' what being an honor entails. As Annie is in charge of Lillian's big day, she takes her fellow bridesmaids, to a dodgy alleyway Brazilian restaurant. All the while, Annie is vying with another bridesmaid, Helen Harris III (Rose Byrne) to be Lillian's best friend. This film has very funny moments, including the notable airplane sequence and the bridesmaids dress fitting. It ain't no chick-flick. 


4/5

Adele - 21 Album Review

Rolling in the fame................Adele

In 2008, Adele released her album, 19, her age at the time of production, since then she hasn't been that popular but in January of this year, Adele Adkins (known as 'Adele') rose to fame breaking musical records worldwide. Performing concerts, her own tour, the iTunes Festival, she has soared through the music industry. Her latest album (her second), 21, became a hit, the lead song, 'Rolling In The Deep' has been covered by the US TV series, "Glee" and played on radios and CD players nationwide. Rolling In The Deep is edgy, with good lyrics and a beat you can dance to, a good song. Rumour Has It, is slightly different with a slower beat and a little whoop from Adele in the middle and a slowed down section, it's much different. Set Fire To The Rain is an odd one. It starts off slow and calm but then speeds  and is fast. Don't You Remember is slow but high. A dance song definitely. A really good album that will go down in the ages as a classic. One to keep on your iPod permanently.


4/5

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (WARNING: SPOILERS) Review

The end isn't near, it's here...........Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter 7 Part 2

The long-awaited Harry Potter 7 Part 2 is here. With the film poster's telling us about what's to come, this film can't pack all the supposed magic of all seven books into one terrific movie. It is amazing with some great touches like Severus Snape, (Alan Rickman) being killed by Nagini, Lord Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) snake. With Harry still trying to fight the battle against Voldemort, he realises how much he is putting his friends in danger. And with some funny quotes by Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom, this film really puts the magic back into the series. The 19 years later sequence, is unnecessary but well acted. A nice little cameo of Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) plays well. The regular cast is back, Robbie Coltrane is marvellous as Rubeus Hagrid and Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange. These additions really set things up. The final fight scene is not to be missed. 


4/5

Cars 2 Review

"not" rod.....................Cars 2

This is our second review of a Pixar film, the first being the amazing Toy Story 3 and frankly, we're pretty disappointed. Our initial thoughts when the new trailer for Cars 2 was released was, "why make a sequel out of a bad movie?" Ask any Disney/Pixar fan and they'll say 2006's Cars was a flop - a skidmark in Pixar's golden reputation, so why make a sequel. The premises for this dodgy follow-up is that Lightning McQueen, voiced by Little Focker's Owen Wilson, is provoked into allowing a flashy Italian race car to challenge him to race in the fictional "World Grand Prix," run by the flashy, Miles Axelrod, voiced by comedian, Eddie Izzard. So they travel to Tokyo where the race begins. Enter, Michael Caine, voicing the not very lovable Finn McMissile, a secret agent, spy car (eh?) who discovers a plot conducted by the evil "Lemon's" to set race cars in their place by destroying them. A typical race soon becomes a whirlwind adventure for Tow Mater, voiced by Larry The Cable Guy who becomes embroiled in the spy subplot with McMissile and Holley Shiftwell, voiced by Emily Mortimer. The characters in this movie still fails to be lovable, exactly like the first movie - disappointing.


3/5

The Green Lantern Review

That green guy..........Ryan Reynolds in The Green Lantern

The history of the The Green Lantern film adaption began in December 2008 when the film was about to go into pre-production, however the desired director, Greg Berlanti pulled out. Luckily two months later, Martin Campbell, who directed 2006's Casino Royale, stepped into his shoes and so the long journey of putting a 1940 comic book onto the big screen began. With Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto, Justin Timberlake and Ryan Reynolds as the top options to play The Green Lantern himself. Finally Reynolds was picked and so filming began.                 The first thing that most people will think when they leave a cinema after viewing this film, is the speed of it. There are times, especially the romantic ones where everything goes at 1 mile an hour and your checking your watch every five minutes and then there are times, like the action ones where, you barely have to blink then thats the scene over.                                         Ryan Reynolds plays Hal Jordan, a fearless test pilot who is chosen by a magical ring to be a Green Lantern, (intergalactic policeman) and defeat an evil entity known as Parallax. With Peter Sarsgaard as the Elephant Man-lookalike secondary villain, Dr. Hector Hammond, and Blake Lively as Ryan Reynold's love interest. This film is another air-head superhero 3D extravaganza.


3/5

Kung Fu Panda 2 Review

Everybody was kung-fu fighting.........Jack Black in Kung Fu Panda 2

A sequel to 2008's Kung Fu Panda, is tired in some cases funny movie, doesn't exactly live up to the first film's reputation. It has a good baddie, I'll give it that, The Dark Knight's Gary Oldman stars as the evil Lord Shen, a vicious and disgruntled peacock who will try at anything to reclaim his rightful heir to the throne. For some odd reason all his henchmen are wolves, it's leader played by Danny McBride. The Kung Fu Panda, Jack Black stars as the fat but 'loveable' Po, a large panda who, if you've seen the first movie is the Dragon Warrior. In this movie, they battle Lord Shen and try and stop Shen from destroying China with his large cannon gun thing that doesn't make much sense. An OK, movie for the kids, but not for anyone above 10. 


3/5

Born This Way Album Review

Born again...........Lady Gaga....Born This Way

Lady Gaga launched her 2011 comeback way back in February with the single, Born This Way, which personally is my favorite track on this album. It appears a lot of morals have incorporated their way into this song. Like being true to yourself (Lady Gaga trying to keep up the good girl attitude after last year). Then came Judas (again another man's name in the title). Judas is similar to Born This Way except it has an even more confusing music video. Other songs like Hair and The Edge of Glory aren't very good. A good comeback from the Queen of Pop.

Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Review

Dancing King.......Diary of A Wimpy Kid 2

Surprisingly, Diary of A Wimpy Kid 2, manages not to succumb to the fate of most sequels. This is an enjoyable family film that leaves cinema goers wanting to see the sequel which would be Diary of A Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw. It also focuses more on the relationship of Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) and Rodrick (Devon Bostick). It is funnier and has less cheesy gags with Greg's best friend Rowley (Robert Capron) manages not to embarrass him. There is a Greg-in-his-pants sequence that is slightly crude but this film is enjoyable to watch and it does suck you in, and I didn't look at my watch once. A generally decent movie.


3.5/5

Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Review

The Never-Ending Story 4.........Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz

With promises of a fifth and sixth, the laboured Pirates of The Caribbean series is turning into the Harry Potter "trilogy" or 007 saga. Johnny Depp is hooked up with both of these sequels with a long contract. This next outing, begins in Ye Olde London, where camp Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) is gallivanting around from cart to cart trying to avoid good King George's men. Richard Griffiths plays our dear King who has set up a team to track down the fabled Fountain of Youth because he doesn't want anyone European (in this case, the Spanish) getting their hand's on it. Enter Penelope Cruz who plays Angelica, a friend or foe from Sparrow's past. She drugs him and he end's up on Blackbeard's (Ian McShane) boat, Queen Anne's Revenge on a Indiana Jone's mission for the fountain. It's pretty good for a fourth installment such as Shrek Forever After was. Let's just say, thank God they aren't making a fourth Toy Story. 


4/5

Hanna Review

I'm going in for the kill.......Saoirse Ronan in Hanna

Even with Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett in tow, this pathetic thriller fails to deliver. This confusing, bemusing silly Never-Ending Story. Irish star, Saorise Ronan stars as dodgy accented Hanna, who is raised in snowy Finland, wearing only animal fur. Then Hanna triggers a transponder and gets caught by the ginger pudding-bowl wicked witch, Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett). It's a whirlwind chase through different European countries. Eric Bana plays her father who lives with Hanna but then goes out to Berlin. This is a real dog's dinner of a movie. I wouldn't recommend it. 


2/5

Jig Review

Dancing Queen(s)........Jig

This 97-minute long documentary about the 40th Irish Dancing World Championships, is heart-felt for the first hour or so, but tails off into a Britain's Got Talent/The X Factor-esque technique, with drum beats and a screaming audience. In the first 50 minutes, it shows girls, boys, teenagers and teachers talk about how they discovered Irish dancing and how good they are at it. From Moscow to Rotterdam, its shows in some cases, compelling stories about people who have made giant changes in their lives to fit in their hobby. The final is in Glasgow, Scotland and the giant, puffy wigs, spray tan by the gallon, and diamante, sequined dresses are all set to dance on stage. 

3/5

Thor Review

Power problems......Chris Hemsworth...Thor

Thor is one of Marvel's not very well know superheros. He is known as the protector of humanity, this movie portrays him (at the beginning anyway) as a greedy, power/war hungry selfish God, who lives under the toe of his ageing father (Anthony Hopkins). They live in Asgard, the (sci-fi looking) 'capital city' of the Nine Worlds (one of which is Earth and our solar system), ruling these worlds and fighting off enemies like the unconvincing Frost Giants. Thor (Home and Away's Hemsworth), is cast off for trying to reignite a war and is hit by Natalie Portman, who recently starred in Black Swan (a very big gap between genre). This film is good but Thor gets a bit too touchy too quickly. With some love, hate, cry moments this hits the high point in blockbuster movies, with it going to number one on the UK film chart. 


4/5

Rio Review

High-fly sky guy........Rio

This must be Anne Hathaway's big comeback because the last thing she was in, was Love & Other Drugs, a dribbly rom-com. This stars Blu, a domesticated blue macaw, when I Wikipedied this, a blue macaw is 'critically endangered.' He and his owner are visited by a vet who takes them on a whirl-wind adventure to Rio De Janeiro, where they attempt to get Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) to mate with Jewel (Anne Hathaway), the only supposed remaining macaw. They get taken prisoner by illegal bird snatchers and they're vicious cockatoo Nigel (Jemaine Clement), from Flight of the Conchords. Apart from several dodgy songs by Will.i.am and Jemaine Clement, this is a good-natured film for the Easter holidays.


3.5/5

Hop Review

Cute but not cuddly......Hop

Like the Easter special of Alvin and The Chipmunks, this adorable seasoned movie is set up with all the usual cliches. The Easter Bunny is always a bunny and the 'Easter Factory' is on Easter Island inside one of the Moai's. Octopus-like Russell Brand stars in this themed-movie based on one bunny about to inherit the Easter Bunny title. So he runs away to Hollywood, where all stars go from rags to riches. 'That lady who wrote Harry Potter, wrote it in a ditch' was one of the unfunny quotes the film sprouts. James Marsden plays your twenty-something slacker, who gets chucked out of his house because he doesn't have a job. Instead of picking a real actor who is 20-ish, they chose Marsden who is 37. Eventually they meet but have to save the day from the evil Bunny, Carlos (voiced by Hank Azaria) who plans to overthrow the Bunny Empire. With one or two funny moments, this film is a bad movie dusted with sugar and spice. 


2.5/5