Home / Latest Reviews / Review Library
Now Playing / Coming Soon / BLOG / Top 20 Lists
Hong Kong Cinema! / Film Fests / FAQ / Favorite Links

Hop (2011)
Starring: Russell Brand, James Marsden, Kaley Cuoco
Director: Tim Hill
Plot: Reluctant to take on the mantle of Easter Bunny from this father, a teenage rabbit escapes to Hollywood to find fame as a rock & roll drummer, only to drop in on a very human slacker who's already in over his head.
Review: If the kid-friendly comedy Hop bears an uncanny narrative resemblance to Alvin and the Chipmunks (i.e. a by-and-large rehash, that is), it's because it was meant to: director Hill did both, and he's on automatic mode here, delivering another by-the-numbers affair meant exclusively for children. Pratfall, slapstick, broad humour, all get thrown into an Easter version of a bad Christmas movie as E.B. (Easter Bunny, get it? yes, that's the level of cleverness here) plays the sweet lovable slacker trying to avoid responsibility. It's all so straight and G-rated that Hallmark would have signed off on it - a surprising choice, then, for bad-boy comedian Brand to be asked to voice the bunny only to neuter him. Mardsen plays the slacker into pure silliness, and the rest of the cast is really only there to support the animated characters. A computer-animated candy-factory opening sequence exhausts the film's ingenuity, and the only character to root for is the villain of the piece, a Latino-sounding chick who organizes a coup to take over the Easter Bunny role. Hard to believe that this was written and produced by the same guys who did the witty, enjoyable Despicable Me. Shame. Hop probably has just enough action and silliness to keep young ones amused, but that sure can't be said of their parents who have to sit through this.
Comedy: 4/10

Paul (2011)
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen
Director: Greg Mottola
Plot: Two British sci-fi geeks make a pilgrimage to America's UFO heartland in a rented RV only to get involved with an escaped alien desperately trying to get back home.
Review: Science-fiction nerds rejoice! Not since Galaxy Quest has a Hollywood movie better understood the humorous workings of the SF junkie, and never with such empathy. Written by and starring the Brit comedy duo of Pegg and Frost (the two responsible for the cult parodies Shaun of the Dead and the hilarious Hot Fuzz, and avowed sci-fi nerds themselves) with director Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland) on board, this is a road trip movie that plays up the laughs but still has its heart in the right place. References to sci-fi flicks are on the menu and clichés abound - we've got an non-kid friendly version of E.T. trying to get home while being pursued Starman-like across Roswell by Men in Black, to conclude in a Close Encounters like ending... with Sigourney Weaver in a cameo appearance no less! Surprisingly enough, all this melting pot of ideas works more often than it fails. What really keeps it afloat are the characters; Pegg and Frost have banter and chemistry down pat, making for a likable, if unlikely, pair of heroes; SNL star Kristen Wiig does a charming supporting performance as the kidnapped, country-girl love interest; and Jason Bateman proves effective as the tough-nosed, unstoppable special agent stuck with two incompetent assistants. The diminutive CG alien, voiced to perfection by Rogen, is supposed to get the biggest yuks, but that's not the case; he has some zingers, for sure, but he's more an excuse (or the glue) for everything else; considering the strength of the cast, that's actually a good thing. It's a little too slapdash in its shotgun approach to comedy to be a keeper, but as a good-natured spoof by people who care about the genre, Paul mostly hits the mark.
Entertainment: 7/10

Agora (2009)
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Max Minghella, Oscar Isaac
Director: Alejandro Amenabar
Plot: In ancient Egypt under Roman rule, a female philosopher leads a group of disciples fighting to save the wisdom of the Ancient World as violent religious upheavals between the pagan Romans and the new Christians spill into the streets.
Review: A big-budget swords-and-sandals epic that wears its anti-religion message on its sleeve, Agora wants for nothing in the matter of Hollywood production values. Alas, director Amenabar's latest effort is disappointingly missing the spark - and character depth - that drove his previous works like Open Your Eyes, The Others and his masterful The Sea Inside. Instead of the thought-provoking, subtle or stylish attention we've come to expect, he's resorted to melodramatic short-cuts and the same ham-fisted methods used in Hollywood to get his point across, something that does his film - and the audience - no favors. Loosely based on real people and incidents that took place in the 4th century AD - and most specifically the famed female philosophy professor and atheist Hypatia - the film plays out on a grand scale, with lots of opportunities to capture the decadence and architecture of ancient Alexandria. It's all an exploration of how religion - and specifically Christian imperialism - and mob mentality always bests reason, and how people are swept away as the tide of change overcomes loyalties. It's fertile ground for compelling drama; too bad the characters feel so one-dimensional, despite the efforts of its able cast, with a script that provides only wooden dialogue and irritating contrivances. At the heart of it all is Weisz as the brilliant astronomer Hypatia, but her performance - or perhaps the overall setting - lacks any soul, much like the rest of the movie. It all looks pretty, for sure, but it's all basted in such irritatingly condescending melodrama. Amenabar can't be blamed for reaching too high with Agora, but it's disappointing to see such a challenging idea come out so blandly in his hands.
Drama: 4/10

The Iron Lady (2011)
Starring: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Alexandra Roach
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Plot: An aging Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, recalls the highlights of her political life and the sacrifices she made to get there.
Review: Margaret Thatcher is undeniably one of the most important, interesting and influential personalities of the 20th century, and her life was rife for a expose and British drama. Surprise, then, that instead of the typical BBC made-for-TV affair the filmmakers have gone in a different direction, putting the focus on her decline and current state, a bittersweet tale on what happens after one is on top of the world. Even more unusual is asking an American actress to take the part. Then again, Meryl Streep is anything but a typical American actress; she's Hollywood royalty through-and-through, a consummate artist who can make any role her own. And once again she hits it way out of the park, disappearing into the part as if she was born to play it, deservedly winning her third Oscar for an uncanny, mesmerizing performance. The makeup and prosthetics are perfect, easing her transformation from fiery Prime Minister to a woman humbled by age. Unfortunately, the film itself isn't up to her performance. Director Lloyd (who worked with Streep on the very differently themed musical Mamma Mia!) carefully avoids an examination or commentary on her politics, seeking instead an affecting portrait of the strong-willed leader who led the nation through massive union strikes, draconian saving measures and the Falkland skirmish. Flying quickly through the major events of her political life in a series of flashbacks we get only a cursory understanding of her personality and accomplishments. Kudos perhaps for Lloyd trying a different kind of narrative from the usual straight-forward bio-pic; it's a well-written, sensitive affair that shows much empathy for its titular character but lacks the weight to truly capture the woman and her times. Streep's work here is worth the price of admission alone, however, and for that The Iron Lady deserves a strong recommendation.
Drama: 7/10

War Horse (2011)
Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Tom Hiddleston, Emily Watson
Director: Steven Spielberg
Plot: After raising a horse and losing him to fund his family's farm, a young Brit enlists to go fight in the Great War in the hopes of finding his steed.
Review: A sweeping, old-fashioned war drama, War Horse promises larger-than-life emotions on a grand tapestry. Based more on Michael Morpurgo's young adult novel than the award-winning theatrical adaptation, it follows the lives of different participants - farmers, soldiers and victims - on both sides of the conflict as touched by its titular animal. Intentionally, this looks and feels like a classic 1950's Hollywood epic, and there's no denying the visually arresting imagery and impressive craftsmanship that went into making the movie. Spielberg has always been a master at manipulating emotions and getting an audience reaction, but here it seems his bag of tricks fails him. Indeed, the film comes out like a mangled blend of All Quiet on the Western Front and The Black Stallion, its saccharine sentimentality and war melodrama leaving a bad aftertaste. And that's disappointing coming from the director of such superb dramas like Schindler's List and the gritty World War II drama Saving Private Ryan. In fact, this is probably the only Spielberg movie that's actually boring: the opening 40-minute Act's most exciting scene is seeing the horse plow a field and even an actress like Emily Watson can't make it any better. This is just not great drama. Things pick up as the Great War starts and the horse changes hands between different people who come and go, somehow interacting with the horse's life in war torn France in stories that are meant to convey a picture of the hardships from both sides of World War I. Alas, they are never quite engaging and fail to provide any real insight. That said, the horse is beautiful and his fighter spirit drives the movie, especially in a masterfully executed race through the devastation of No Man's Land, one of the only sequences that lifts up the movie from blandness. The other highlight is a memorable scene where an English soldier and a German officer walk out of their respective trenches and join efforts to free the steed caught in barb wire, then toss a coin to see who brings him back. These moments are much more humanistic than the main plot of a Boy and his Horse.
Drama: 5/10

Rango (2011)
Voices: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Ned Beatty
Director: Gore Verbinski
Plot: After being thrown out of his glass aquarium in the middle of the desert, an ordinary chameleon winds up in a lawless Wild West town where his tall tales of daring deeds accidentally gets him nominated as sheriff.
Review: Pitching the elaborate piñata that is Rango must have been quite an exercise: see, it's a computer animated Western spoof that ransacks a handful of classic pictures like Chinatown, High Noon and Clint Eastwood's The Man With No Name series, throws in a dash of the French comics Lucky Luke and blends it into a cartoon world filled with anthropomorphic lizards. Producers must have been lining up (not!). Thankfully, the presence of director Verbinski, re-teaming with his The Pirates of the Caribbean lead actor Depp, must have helped give it the green light, and we're all the better for it. The stylish art direction, the zany characters (motion-captured, no less), the hilarious dialogue, slapstick comedy and energetic action sequences along with the super-slick animation and photo-realistic backgrounds from special effects house ILM (the Star Wars guys) sure give Pixar a run for its money. To this Verbinski - working off a clever, absolutely hilarious script that mines the deep-rooted fears of every actor - adds a layer of satire, orneriness and sophistication that's incredibly refreshing, moving from playful to the grotesque without missing a beat, channeling the gonzo artistry best described by Hunter S. Thompson (himself parodied by Depp in two films). And counting the Western references are a hoot, too, as is the damn catchy opening titular tune. Leading the cast of solid performers, Depp lends his voice to the thespian chameleon (or, in this case, quite a few voices, as his character improvises his way out of one mess after another) and he's terrific. All this helped make Rango the Oscar winner for Best Animated Film of 2011, and deservedly so, proving that Hollywood animated films aren't just for kids anymore. One of the funniest and coolest movies of the year, animated or not.
Entertainment: 9/10

Colombiana (2011)
Starring: Zoe Saldana, Michael Vartan, Callum Blue
Director: Olivier Megaton
Plot: After witnessing the deaths of her parents as a child living in Bogota, a young woman becomes a stone-cold assassin in order to find the drug lord who ordered the crime.
Review: Colombiana starts off with a bang: A suspenseful, stand-out opening act sees our heroine, as a child, eluding her pursuers through the hilly streets of Bogotá to make her way to her uncle in New York. You'd be forgiven to think that this might actually be carried throughout the film, but from there on, the film stumbles back to the clichés and the silliness of similar genre flicks written and produced by Euro action-mogul Luc Besson, whose output of B-movie action-thrillers like the Taxi and The Transporter series, delivers on the promise of a fun 100 minutes. Headed by a solid, B-list actress, it's slick and decently paced, with enough action to satsify genre fans. Indeed, much like Taken was a showcase for Liam Neeson, Colombiana is one for Saldana - in an acrobatic performance, she's asked to emote and look vulnerable on occasion, but mostly she's asked to fit in a skin-tight outfit and kick-ass, both of which she does with wild abandon. The handful of action sequences are well executed, highlights including a well-planned stealth assassination of a drug lord protected in a police station and the bullet-filled final showdown as she takes down a heavily-armed cartel - and their boss - single-handedly. Director Megaton at least shows less of the disjointed comic-book narrative that marred his last outing, the workable actioner Transporter 3, and allows for some breather between the action, at least enough for the script to throw in an unnecessary romance into the mix to - perhaps - give audiences an emotional attachment to the character. Nice try, but not in this film. Despite the cast's attempts, Colombiana just doesn't have anything new to bring to the table. It's a fast-food flick that's all empty calories: fun while it lasts but quickly forgotten.
Entertainment: 6/10

Bridesmaids (2011)
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Rose Byrne
Director: Paul Feig
Plot: Attempting to fulfill her maid of honor duties for her best friend's wedding, an out-of-work, single pastry chef has to contend with a rich, popular rival bridesmaid and her own crumbling life, but her poor choices threaten to upend the entire wedding.
Review: Out to prove that women can be just as raunchy as their male counterparts, Bridesmaids follows in the footsteps of producer Judd Apatow's own male-centric comedies like Knocked Up and The 40-Year Old Virgin. As helmed by filmmaker Feig (best known for his TV series like Freaks & Geeks and Arrested Development), the film offers similar doses of R-rated dialogue, lewd comedy, zany slapstick and poignant melodramatic moments that we've come to expect, except from the female perspective. The stereotypes are all here: a giddy bride-to-be, a rich rival, a socially inept overweight step-sister, a naive young bride, a disenchanted mother... It's typical stuff, setting up multiple pratfalls and gross situations, each more embarrassing than the next. There's even a nice-guy, laid-back cop for some romantic interlude - one our heroine has to screw up, of course - but what really makes it stand out is the terrific chemistry between the actresses, giving their friendship an added authenticity, even as the actual events aren't. Foremost is Saturday Night Live alumni and co-scripter Wiig, in her first leading movie role, who breezes through the most embarrassing moments of dialogue and nonsense with ease. No matter how bad things get, life can always get worse, as her attempts to one-up her rival - or, in fact, just being herself - seems to cause disaster at every turn. Her breakdown at the pre-wedding reception is priceless, as all her own personal frustrations spew out in rage against her BFF. If there's one down side it's that the humor and situations are too similar to shenanigans we'd see in The Hangover and its ilk, with a melodramatic middle-act that could have been edited out for a smoother run. Still, Bridesmaids was a critical and box-office smash, and it proves that women can have just as much fun, and get into just as much trouble, on screen as their male counterparts. Hollywood, thanks for waking up.
Comedy: 6/10

Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)
Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore
Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Plot: After his wife admits to having an affair and proclaims to want a divorce, a middle-aged, straight-laced man seeks to rediscover his manhood with the help of a suave ladies' man who teaches him how to pick up girls at bars.
Review: A romantic comedy for 40-somethings that has humour, heart, smarts and a dramatic center is a rare breed indeed, but add one stellar example with Crazy, Stupid, Love. Sure, the premise is contrived and the structure may be a tad formulaic, but by digging deeper and allowing its main characters their human frailties, it comes out as a funny shaggy-guy story, with entertaining (albeit embarrassing) situations - a perfect fit, indeed, for its leading man Carrell who plays vulnerable and appealing with sure-fire ease. Directors Ficarra and Requa (whose first collaboration was the bizarrely amusing box-office flop I Love You Phillip Morris) somehow keeps all the various plots and sub-plots involving different relationships, from Carrell's believable manhood makeover at the hands of alpha-male Gosling, to the puppy love of Carrell's 13-year-old son to their baby-sitter, who's actually infatuated with Dad. It all makes for a madcap comedy of errors, but the best part is that the film finds the humour in their situations despite the heart-ache not because of it. Alas, in true rom-com fashion, the level of coincidences goes to the extreme as the script insists on surprising us (and getting some final jokes in) by weaving everyone together in a "let's tie all loose ends" denouement - it's admittedly amusing, but it also makes the film too obvious in its resolution, something it had up to then avoided. No matter, strong dramatic and comedic performances from leads Carell and a reliably superb Moore, as the ex-married couple, the still-up-and-coming Gosling (sizzling as the ladies' man, and showing good comic timing to boot) and Emma Stone (cute as always), as well as supporting parts from Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon make for an engaging ensemble cast that you can't help rooting for, no matter what side of the fence they are on. A keeper.
Entertainment: 8/10

In Time (2011)
Starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy
Director: Andrew Niccol
Plot: In a future where time is the only currency and the rich can live forever, a blue-collar worker gets an opportunity to mingle with the elite and decides to bring them and the system tumbling down.
Review: The Gen-Y sci-fi action thriller In Time feels like something from the 1970's, a movie about big ideas meant to reflect present woes presented in a slick, modern Hollywood package. The principal idea of living on earned time, the fear of knowing exactly when you're going to "time out" is intriguing and well thought out, a powerful metaphor of our current society's class struggles and the imbalance of wealth that is more immediate than many a drama. Following on his low-key sci-fi drama Gattaca and the under-appreciated Lord of War, writer/ producer / director Niccol engages in another high-minded effort with success - at least in the first half hour, as he sets up the plot. Unfortunately, it falls into B-movie tropes and clichés mid-way through. The insipid, banal story of the two lovebirds turned into an unlikely Bonnie & Clyde pair of bank robbing Robin Hoods never feels right, nor does their relationship, something additionally marred by a dead-end sub-plot involving a small-time local hood. Perhaps the producers thought the tale needed more action to make it into the mainstream but the seemingly after-though use of car chases, gun fights and lots of running - mostly in a last-second rushes - does the story further disservice. As a vehicle for Timberlake, it's actually not bad, proving that the young actor has the right chops to be a leading man. In supporting roles, Seyfried under-whelms as the rich-kid gone "savage" and Murphy comes off the best as an obsessive veteran "time cop". Whatever the reason, what could have been another sci-fi milestone in Niccol cap ends up no more than a tired, clichéd actioner. Heck, I can see the TV series on the Sci-Fi Channel now. Too bad.
Entertainment: 4/10

Margin Call (2011)
Starring: Zachary Quinto, Paul Bettany, Kevin Spacey
Director: J.C. Chandor
Plot: On the same day as a corporate-wide down-sizing, a financial firm discovers the world is on the brink of a crisis leading to an intense night of decision-making by the highest levels of the business that will stretch everyone's ethical *standard*.
Review: Inspired by the events that led to the 2008 financial meltdown, Margin Call is an even-handed look into the world of the Wall Street conscious, a world where greed, fear and cunning intermingle on a daily basis. Writer / director Chandor's script neither demonizes nor swoons as events unfold, and if he tries to clarify the complex mechanisms behind international funds, he refuses to pander to expectations nor to pigeon-hole the people who work in, or simply "work", the system. As the reality starts dawning and more higher-ups get called in, we see the struggles - both internal and external - that drives the final decision, and the tension is as palpable as any well-tuned thriller. Having an impressive cast sure helps: Quinto shows a certain naiveté as the risk analyst who's connected all the pieces and gets swept up in events; Spacey excels as the head trader wrestling with his conscience; Bettany is the alpha male who's seen it all; and Jeremy Irons is formidable as the amoral president who only concern is to save the company. They're also well supported by the likes of Demi Moore and the always dependable Stanley Tucci as high-end executives taking the fall, among others. All these characters are saved from caricature, each of them showing a certain vulnerability as the final decision gets made to protect the market or be the first domino that will drive it to the ground. A financial thriller seems an odd match of genres, but Margin Call succeeds in being one of the best mirrors into the world of Wall Street, and definitely one of the smartest.
Entertainment: 8/10

Tower Heist (2011)
Starring: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda
Director: Brett Ratner
Plot: When the staff of a posh New York high-rise - and their pension - fall victim to one of its tenants, a sleazy Wall Street businessman, they conspire to rob his appartment for payback.
Review: The blue-collar comedy Tower Heist has lots going for it, including a timely revenge-against-Wall Street vibe, and a terrific A-list ensemble cast of comedians and Oscar performers. Any high aspirations are quickly dispelled, however: this is more like Ocean's Eleven younger, louder cousin, a movie that's addled with a bland, tired script that doesn't do it's A-list ensemble cast any favors. Still, the movie moves along at a decent pace, and the able cinematography and editing keeps it moving along without getting boring; it's just that even hack commercial director Ratner (Red Dragon, Rush Hour) should have been able to do better than this. That's especially true when it comes to the titular caper involving disguises, a double-cross, the usual humorous incompetence and a Ferrari dangling by a high-rise window; it has its moments, but in large it feels banal and rather long-winded. At least the leads do OK, with Stiller playing to type and Murphy channeling some of the spunk of his old 48 Hrs persona - or at least wwe can see it from a distance. On the supporting side, Matthew Broderick and Casey Affleck who are along for the ride aren't used well, though Alda, as the slimy, rich Wall Street crook comes off the best, followed by an able turn by Téa Leoni as the lead FBI agent assigned to the case. Tower Heist isn't a bad movie, and this gang of comics makes even the lousiest of jokes go down easily, but it's a contraption that plods when it should fly.
Entertainment: 5/10

TRON: Legacy (2010)
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Plot: 20 years after his father's disappearance, a young man stumbles upon his dad's old lab and gets transported into a virtual world where he meets an unlikely ally trying to stop an evil program that is 
Review: A direct sequel to the cult favorite Disney film, TRON: Legacy ups the ante in every aspect and comes up a winner. Sure, the plot is made up of head-bending mumbo-jumbo, but the eye-popping action sequences and the solid story-telling captures our interest from the exhilarating opening heist to the inevitable drop into the heart of the machine. And it's in the virtual world - crafted out of blue-tinged lines of light - where the movie really takes flight: we get an opportunity to re-visit the stuff that made the first one a stand-out, only enhanced with all the CG whiz-bang technology Hollywood fx houses could muster. Stand-out sequences include reckless light-cycle races, a trip on train flying on beams of information, a dogfight with impossible aircraft, and lots of other silly stuff that will have nerds of every shape dizzy with delight. And though the post-production 3D is unimpressive, the Oscar-caliber special effects are mesmerizing and as visually impressive as the 1982 original was in its heyday thanks in part to an aesthetic inspired by the original film, 2001: A Space Odyssey and countless modern video games. Director Kosinski, backed by the team that brought the first one to life, has easily bested his template, giving us a sci-fi adventure that's full of spectacle and thrills. He's also helped by a bang-on cast, led by the rebellious Hedlund and a grizzled old Bridges, with strong supporting efforts from a sexy Wilde as a scrappy virtual construct, Michael Sheen playing it over-the-top as a rogue entertainment program, Bruce Boxleitner returning in a cameo and, er, Bridges (or a freaky CG created younger version of him) as his ageless computer avatar gone bad. Grand, thrilling and visually stunning entertainment, TRON: Legacy is big-budget fun done right.
Entertainment: 8/10

The Guard (2011)
Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong
Director: John Michael McDonagh
Plot: A seemingly laid-back, boorish Irish policeman is thrown together with an uptight FBI investigator to solve a brutal murder that may lead to a delivery by an international drug-smuggling ring. 
Review: Whatever category The Guard is squeezed in - offbeat buddy-cop comedy, Irish-flavored crime drama - it's a modest-budget, quirky affair with very British (sorry, "Irish"!) sensibilities that's just bloody good fun for mature audiences. And unlike the recent bevy of British Isle gangster flicks, this one plays it strictly (ok, almost strictly) for laughs, and it's great, smart fun. American audiences expecting that top-liner Cheadle is the hero will be surprised to see he's only got a secondary role. Sure, there are some amusing fish-out-of-water scenes, as his Yale-educated FBI agent comes to terms that this ain't Kansas anymore. But he's just added heft to the real centerpiece, the marvelous performance from Gleeson, a laid-back, Columbo-like cop who's into whoring, boozing and cursing but has a keen human instinct for his job. And yes, there's a lot of cursing to go around, best delivered with a thick Irish brogue. Playing to and against type of the naive, racist Irishman, Gleeson's unorthodox policeman is spirited, contrarian, amusing and easily worthy of his own TV series. The script - full of great dialogue, comebacks and witty zingers - plays this schizophrenic nature to best effect, and Cheadle as the straight-man in this comedy duo, is left (just like us) wondering if this local cop is "motherf* smart or motherf* stupid". Even the three vicious drug traffickers play it against type - they're crooks who quote Nietzsche and complain about the sad fact of cops on the take - led by an amusingly macho supporting performance from Mark Strong. The film plot itself involves a rather routine story about drug smuggling, murder, blackmail and rural police corruption, but it's delivered with Celtic flair and a tinge of melancholy. Writer / director McDonagh's first film shows a good grasp at the storytelling and getting his actors to perform their very unconventional characters. And with Gleeson at the center of a constant barrage of cynical, profane and sometimes screwball scenes involving the eccentric locals, even that routine feels somehow fresh and new. A pleasant, unexpected little gem.
Entertainment: 8/10

Endhiran (India - 2010)
Starring: Rajnikanth, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Danny Denzongpa
Director: S. Shankar
Plot: A scientist builds a super-powered android in his own image in the hopes of aiding humanity, but when a freak accident has it falling in love with his creator's bride-to-be, it falls for the machinations of an evil competitor who programs it for destruction.
Review: As the most expensive - and most lucrative - blockbuster in Indian cinema, the fx-heavy Endhiran (or Robot) proves that Hollywood isn't the only show in town for big, boisterous entertainment. Better still, you get two movies for the same ticket price: the first is a light-hearted sci-fi romantic comedy while the second is a much darker, Terminator-inspired thriller. Even with a running time of almost three hours (typical for Indian blockbusters), the film never overstays its welcome, mostly because the script throws just about every robot situation at us, from Asimov's laws to slapstick with a good dose of action and special effects, even including some interesting questions about God, Machines and the perplexity of humanity. Heady stuff, for sure, but it's never quite been so well wrapped up in mainstream entertainment, with fight choreography is by Hong Kong legend Yuen Woo-Ping, special effects from some big-name fx companies, and epic production values. And only in a Bollywood film can all this mixed in with such music-video interludes as "You're My Guinea Hen" with the leads and dancing troupe dolled up, gyrating at the site of Inca ruins (Machu Picchu, no less) or doing the Roboto in a glitz-laden stage show. For sure, the sometimes ill-advised, crude fx and stunts doesn't advantage our suspension of disbelief, but it's not for lack of trying by writer / director Shankar; there's more invention and whacked-out cybernetic action than most American fare would ever dare, such as a gang fight in (and out of) a moving train and - the real highlight - the 30 minute finale when the Robot and his duplicates magnetically attach and form various shapes to wipe out the attacking Indian Army. If this had come out 15 years ago, it would have been a hit even State-side. Clearly, it's meant as a vehicle for its star: In his dual roles as scientist and robot, Rajnikanth does pretty well, but Western audiences probably won't understand why the short, pudgy actor is such a "superstar" in his native India (yup, he's even billed as such). Not so surprising is the swooning male audiences will show in the screen presence of ex-Miss World Bachchan, herself an accomplished (and prolific) actress. Audiences will definitely appreciate the filmmaker's efforts to milk the gamut of its robot subject, and in truth it does all add up to some goofy fun, especially when viewing with a like-minded crowd.
Entertainment: 7/10

Killer Elite (2011)
Starring: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro
Director: Gary McKendry
Plot: When an Omani sheik kidnaps his ex-partner, a hired Aussie killer is forced to assemble a team to assassinate the three SAS soldiers who killed the sheiks eldest sons.
Review: Moviemakers (and audiences) can't seem to get enough of go-to action guy Jason Statham it seems, and Killer Elite, his latest, is another thoroughly acceptable popcorn flick. Supposedly inspired by the true-life events depicted in Ranulph Fiennes' book, screenwriter Matt Sherring has crafted a cool action thriller that's smarter than the typical action thriller. There's probably little that's left of any "truth" save perhaps the original premise (and even then!) but in the capable hands of first-time director McKendry it's all testosterone fun. The film takes every opportunity to show the dirty deeds done, cheap or not, on both sides of the fence, as the game of cat and mouse between killers and the SAS team assigned to stop them plays out across Europe and the Middle East, amidst a background of political expedience, with the film showing a nice throwback '80s feel. Sure, the dialogue is a sometimes cringe worthy festival of clichés, but the action set pieces are finely executed and well integrated in the story, with some highlights including the opening assassination, fisticuffs in a hospital X-ray room and a three-way fight with Statham still attached to a chair, among a myriad of others. As the killer-with-a-conscience, Statham shows he's still definitely at ease with this type of role - no big stretch from the dozens he's done so far - and he's dependably charismatic and exciting to watch on screen. Owen - no stranger to action flicks after the over-the-top Shoot 'Em Up - also proves to have the right chops as the determined ex-SAS agent trying to stop him. Though getting top billing, De Niro only appears in the bookend sequences of the film as Statham's veteran partner, but it's a meaty supporting role. True, with such a triumvirate, a better, more believable movie should have been made, but it still delivers the goods. As long as audiences go in knowing that the "true" story is probably all pure baloney, Killer Elite is worth a recommendation, with enough action, suspense and cleverness to keep genre aficionados involved in the proceedings.
Entertainment: 6/10

Jane Eyre (2011)
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Judi Dench
Director: Cary Fukunaga
Plot: In 19th century England, a young governess falls for her handsome but rough, wealthy employer but must come to terms with a terrible secret that he's been hiding.
Review: How many times can Charlotte Brontë's 1847 classic novel Jane Eyre be adapted to the screen? If this latest version is any indication, as many times as filmmakers have something new to bring to the tale. Underlying Brontë's terribly romantic novel was the message that a strong, independent woman could make her own way in the world, a revelation when it was first published, and that theme is at the forefront here as well. On the flip side was also a story about madness and loss, and eventual redemption. In the hands of director Fukunaga both sides of the coin are captured in a vibrant, emotionally poignant film that resonates, filled with sumptuous visuals and a intriguing flair for the narrative. With masterful care, he enhances the tale's Gothic terrors to ghost story-levels, opening up the story and adding intrigue to pique the interest of a new generation. Most importantly, he also imbues the relationship between the young governess and wealthy nobleman with a palpable tension and, ultimately, dangerous passion that smolders under the Victorian veneer of "appropriate" social conduct. Much of the kudos for the latter surely goes to the two terrific leads: Wasikowska completely enchants as the titular, outspoken young woman and Fassbender thoroughly seduces as the mysterious, roughly charismatic rich bachelor. A vigorous, riveting drama, Jane Eyre is proof positive that there's always room for a new interpretation of old classics.
Drama: 9/10

Moneyball (2011)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Director: Bennett Miller
Plot: Faced with a losing streak and not enough money to compete with the major baseball teams, the Oakland O's general manager Billy Beane attempts to put together a team an on a budget based on statists to draft his players.
Review: Loosely based on the true-life book by Michael Lewis entitled Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, Award-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian have given their dramatic spin on the story and real-life personalities of the Oakland A's one-year shake-up. Much like Sorkin did for Facebook in The Social Network, some facts go by the way side in order to make for a better film, but the kernel of the truth is there, and what a story it is for anyone even remotely interested in baseball, or anyone interested in the drama of big-league microcosms. Director Miller's sophomore effort after the impressive Capote shows a deft touch at bringing the pressures, back-room culture and conflicts between intuition and statistics to the fore while still keeping a light touch to keep the narrative snappy and engaging, letting the sharp dialogue and effective, restrained visuals tell the story. It's also a ready-made vehicle for leading man Pitt, who also produced. He anchors the film with a soulful, relaxed performance with the occasional crack into explosive anger that shows the conflict of the central character, former ball-player and the team's general manager Billy Beane. He's surrounded by a solid cast, including Hill in a rare serious role as the young, naive assistant GM and Hoffman as the confrontational team manager. Put this one in the league with the better baseball films of the past decade - Moneyball certainly is the smartest.
Drama: 7/10

The Help (2011)
Starring: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain
Director: Tate Taylor
Plot: A young inspiring writer decides to write a tell-all book detailing the point of view of the African-American maids who work anonymously for their white employers.
Review: Based on the popular debut novel by Kathryn Stockett, The Help is an easily-digested, impossible to contest, and quite likable tale on the injustices that took place in the American South in the 1960's, just as the civil rights movement was spreading its wings across the lower states. The book riled a few critics, not so much by the content but by being a story about second-class citizens and black-empowerment as told by a young white female, told by a white woman, no less. Well, those critics won't be changing their tunes with screenwriter / director Taylor's adaptation, a typically mainstream affair that hits all the clichés on both sides of the fence. Yup, it's pure Hollywood melodrama, but it sure knows the right buttons to press to get viewers' reaction, setting up situations for its myriad of cardboard characters to expose the good and the bad of Caucasian house-wives and the hardships of the maids stuck with them. But what could have been a Hallmark movie-of-the-week ends up quite a bit more thanks to some solid performances: though the charming Stone headlines the movie's share of fine actresses, it's Oscar-nominated Viola Davis who stands out as the true heroine; showing the seething anger of her peers, she is the heart and soul of the story. Too bad, then, that the movie insists on taking the focus away from her and her peers to linger on the less interesting tale of its white denizens. Still, The Help may not be memorable, but its heart is in the right place, opening up a window into a time not so long ago that many have forgotten about, or - for younger ones - never really knew; for that, at least, it's a worthwhile endeavor.
Drama: 6/10

Confessions (Japan - 2010)
Starring: Takako Matsu, Yoshino Kimura, Masaki Okada
Director: Tetsuya Nakashima
Plot: A grieving school teacher sets into motion a hideous plan for revenge against the teenage students who murdered her four-year-old daughter.
Review: A stunning social drama hidden behind the auspices of a terrifying psychological thriller, Confessions is perhaps the most harrowing "mainstream" film you're likely to see all year. Based on Kanae Minato's novel, it's nasty piece of work, exploring the dark side of the country's youth culture in a bitter tale of "victimization, torture and reckless apathy", with the superb script ably capturing the story's complex narrative and layered characterizations. Indeed, our attention is grabbed from the very first scene, as the demure young school teacher explains to her restless, undisciplined class that she has infected them with HIV, and that attention is kept right through the flashbacks, confrontations, unraveling of lives and escalation of violence until the final act of revenge. It's a punch-to-the-gut picture of how Japanese society has devolved and how teens have lost their way, influenced by growing peer pressure in our Information Age. And it's a universal statement on ostracized youth, as American headlines can attest. Most impressively, everything here works to perfection: the slick, stylish visuals, the story structure, the cinematic techniques... and director Nakashima (Kamikaze Girls, Memories of Matsuko) hits it on every count, even getting some remarkable performances out of his young cast. Revenge is a plate served cold, and this is the proof. Truly remarkable edge-of-your-seat filmmaking with a story in place that will not leave anybody untouched. Smart, clever and important stuff that makes for a compelling and unforgettable experience.
Drama: 9/10

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde
Director: Jon Favreau
Plot: A mysterious stranger walks into a frontier town immediately getting on the wrong side of the local sheriff and a hard-nosed rancher, only to join forces to save some villagers from kidnapping alien saucers bent on exploiting the Earth.
Review: More Bonanza than Unforgiven, the summer tent pole movie Cowboys & Aliens gives audiences exactly what the title promises, mixing the gunslingers of the Wild West with a bug-eyed-alien invasion, while the clichés of both genres abound. Coming from the director of Iron Man, you'd think there'd be a bit more humor, character development and care put into the big-budget, special-effects driven production. Alas, it's mainstream pedestrian fluff all the way. Gone are any indication of the original comic's sly parallels to the exploitation of the European settlers in America, all traded in for a no-risk approach to the film's high-concept idea. Alas, this is all concept and little content; despite the solid cast and big budget, the Wild West bits are tired and the sci-fi bits ill-conceived. Some of the action sequences are mildly fun, but there aren't enough of them, and the scrpt isn't interesting enough - dialogue-wise or ideas-wise - to hold our interest through the slower patches. Instead of zinging the odd clash of six-shooters and lasers just falls flat. Craig's Man With No Name routine is more akin to his James Bond role (he even gets a nifty space-age gadget on his wrist) but he does the strong, silent type just fine. Ford, as the tough-as-nails rancher with a heart of gold, doesn't quite come off as well. In fact, all the character set-up from the first hour seems to be squandered for naught in an under-whelming last act centering on an ill-conceived showdown that has lots of movement but few thrills. As a popcorn movie, Cowboys & Aliens delivers little on its expectations; with Favreau at the helm and his two leads, one would have expected more than just a pedestrian summer flick.
Entertainment: 5/10

The Devil's Double (2011)
Starring: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi
Director: Lee Tamahori
Plot: A young Iraqi soldier dreaming of becoming an engineer is forced to become the double of Saddam Hussein's sadistic son, plotting the time when he can escape his fate.
Review: Based on the true-life story of Lastif Yahia, from his own book, The Devil's Double is a harrowing story of Hussein's eldest son and the regime that supported his every whim. If only half the account - dramatized or not - is true, this was indeed a terror-filled time. After a string of high-profile bombs, director Tamahori (Die Another Day) finally gets another stab at the first good story material since his debut feature Once Were Warriors brought him acclaim. In his hands, the tale comes off as a sort of Baghdad-centered Scarface, with a disgusting - if necessary - focus on the violence and degradations done at the hands of this untouchable sociopath. Just like Brian De Palma's cult classic, the tale vacillates between slick, entertaining theatrics and shallow drama - it gives a bloody depiction of unconscious cruelty and the climate of fear and decadence surrounding its titular "Devil". But though the story is worthy of cinematic treatment, by making its hero so upstanding and its villain so despicable it comes off as a shallow retread of history that misses an opportunity for a far more interesting character study and personality clash. Despite its limitations, the film manages to hook you in at a visceral level, and the pacing never lets up. At the center of it all stands the bravura double-performance from Cooper in both the unhinged, over-the-top role of the sadistic, psychotic Uday Hussein and the more controlled role of his double Latif Yahia. The special effects work to get his two halves to interact so well on screen is just as uncanny. Cooper's breakout dual role will probably be the real attraction down the road, but for trying to shed some light on its subject - no matter how modified for mainstream consumption - The Devil's Double is pretty powerful stuff.
Drama / Entertainment: 7/10

Legend of the Millennium Dragon (2011)
Voices: Ryuji Aigase, Satomi Ishihara, Kentarô Itô
Director: Hirotsugu Kawasaki
Plot: A young Japanese boy is magically whisked 1,200 years in the past, discovering he has inherited the ability to control a powerful dragon that can shift the tide in the war between humans and demons.
Review: Japan's animation industry continues to produce note-worthy cel-animated films, and the latest fantasy adventure Legend of the Millennium Dragon is worthy of note. Think of it as Princess Mononoke light. The story itself is pretty standard fare - young boy finds great power and courage facing incredible odds - and the themes of Man vs. Nature are typical anime fodder. But that's secondary to the grandiose settings, and its handful of epic battles, anchored as they are in typical, small personal moments, all presented with style and fluid animations. Following his first directorial effort, the interesting Spriggan, writer / director Kawasaki's roots as an animator (most importantly on Akira) are apparent: the character designs are interesting (especially the wispy demons, the Oni) and the visuals, using clean, minimal lines verge from picturesque to impressive, especially in the climactic battle where giant stone samurai confront the titular many-headed dragon. With a little more thought to the story, and a little more care on pacing and character interactions, the film could have been a real hit. As it stands, it's a nice example of the anime craftsmanship of its filmmakers, and that, at least, makes it an entertaining Japanese fantasy.
Entertainment: 6/10

Midnight in Paris (2011)
Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Michael Sheen
Director: Woody Allen
Plot: While in Paris with his fiancée, a disillusioned Hollywood writer trying his hand at a serious novel magically embarks on a daily midnight trip to the roaring 20's, meeting a slew of famous writers and artists along the way.
Review: Much like auteur writer / director Woody Allen's later films embraced London and Barcelona, Midnight in Paris is a love letter to the amazing city that is Paris, with its meandering streets, cafés, and its aura of romance and magic. It's comic-actor Wilson's turn to take on the typical self-effacing, opinioned Woody Allen role; pining for a different life than what his status-conscious future bride wishes, his wide-eyed bewilderment and easy-going attitude immediately ingratiates him to the audience. Similar to his other fantasy film The Purple Rose of Cairo, our protagonist get transported - Twilight Zone-like - into another world. Hob-nobbing on a first-name basis with the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dali, he (and Allen) gets a chance to wax nostalgic on this fantasy vision of Paris in its 1920's "golden age", a past that existed only in our imagination. But what a trip it is; buoyed by a superb cast including Michael Sheen as a fake intellectual yearning to bed his fiancée, a delectable Cotillard as the muse and cameos from Kathy Bates and Adrien Brody who go head first in their performances as Stein and Dali, the film is filled with snappy dialogue and humor. Add to that some strong production values recreating the parties, the old Folies Bergères and Maxim's, among others and you've got a travelogue into Paris' past and present that's sure to inspire further trips to this city of lights. If the morale is predictable - there is no better time than the one you live in - it's still a whimsical, entertaining affair from start to finish. It's not Allen's best, but it's probably his most mainstream and enchanting in a while.
Entertainment: 7/10

Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
Starring: Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Gary Raymond
Director: Don Chaffey
Plot: Legendary Greek hero Jason leads a band of soldiers and adventurers in his quest to find the fabled Golden Fleece, facing perils and monsters at every turn.
Review: The fantasy-filled Greek-based adventure Jason and the Argonauts gained popularity with the baby boomers and X Generation thanks to its many TV broadcasting in the 70's. As with many things of our childhood, nostalgia plays a big part in our fondness for old films, and viewing them in adulthood unfortunately dispels the magic. That's the case here. For sure, the film won't be remembered for it's clichéd script that dumbs-down the Greek mythologies for easy consumption, nor for the acting despite some fine cameo performances. The reason the film is considered a "classic" adventure film is for the still-impressive effects and stop-motion creatures provided by the master of the genre, Ray Harryhausen. The talking masthead, the flying harpies, the colossal bronze warrior are all wonderful creations and the climactic, intricately-staged battle with sword-wielding skeletons is a must-see. This may feel somewhat outdated by current computer-created or -enhanced special effects standards, but it's still a marvel to behold. Alas, the narrative is plain dull despite some campy fun, keeping our attention with some difficulty while we wait for the next special effect sequence. Director Chaffey will always be remembered for two movies, One Million Years B.C. starring the nubile Raquel Welch and this film, but his limited cinematic career (he went on to become a sought-after TV director) can be understood with this pedestrian helming effort. For a better example of Harryhausen's work in similar Greek settings see the original Clash of the Titans (1980) or, better still, the all-time classic The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, a film that - hopefully for my own childhood memories - will stand the test of time.
Entertainment: 5/10

Contagion (2011)
Starring: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Plot: As an unprecedented, deadly epidemic sweeps the world, an international team of government agencies and medical staff race against time to find the origin of the disease and an applicable vaccine.
Review: As bio-thrillers go, Contagion is probably the slickest, most realistic one ever made by Hollywood. It's a slick, smarter, and slightly more terrifying version of Outbreak, with certainly less fun to be had, unless it's to try to guess who of the elite casting gets to bite it next. There sure are a lot of scares - grabbing a bus pole or bar nuts has never been this freaky - but the film eschews easy moral lessons and clichés in its apocalyptic scenario; in our hyper-connected world, a new disease can ravage the world population in no time at all. Are we ready for the consequences? Director Soderbergh (Traffic, Ocean's Eleven) knows how to grab our interest, and his storytelling abilities and directing prowess are clearly evident, giving the film some gritty realism. All of this is way plausible from Day 1 to Day 188, from the start of the infection, the quick spread, to the world panic and race for a remedy. It's a smart script that raises many questions and fears. Too bad, then, that it doesn't have more teeth as, ultimately, it doesn't quite come off as exciting or scary as it started out to be - millions die off-screen, and the horror, and the film, is presented in a way that's too cold and surgical, despite the quick windows into many different personal lives and stories. Plus too many characters, no matter their Oscar credentials or their good performances, means there's not enough time for any emotional attachment. That aside, Contagion makes good as an efficient, ensemble medical thriller that's rooted in reality.
Drama: 7/10

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe, Marisa Tomei
Director: Brad Furman
Plot: A slick for-hire lawyer who works from the back of his Lincoln sedan defending small-time thugs lands an easy, big-money case when a rich Beverly Hills playboy is accused of attempted murder only to discover his client has plans of his own.
Review: A pulp novel given the appropriately pulpy cinematic treatment, The Lincoln Lawyer is a no-nonsense Hollywood popcorn flick. There's little that's really unexpected here, and mystery buffs will have guessed the ending early on, but there's enough meat to make for a decent legal thriller, especially as defendant and lawyer come to odds in a deadly match of manipulation. Nothing too fancy on the direction side, but Furman keeps things speeding along with just the right amount of TV-level court procedural clichés and cinematic panache. Based on the first in a series by best-selling crime novelist Michael Connelly, you can see how this would have made a decent TV series with this movie as a pilot - at least if it weren't for the star power attached. And the latter is a good catch: McConaughey is perfectly cast as the suave, egocentric and slimy lawyer whose easy charm and legal smarts makes him a perfect advocate for criminal scum until he gets a crisis of conscience; the movie wouldn't be half as interesting without him. Solid supporting turns from Tormei as the ex-wife, Phillippe as the rich playboy defendant and William H. Macy as the P.I. help, among others, makes for easy viewing, too. An above-average time-waster for crime hounds.
Entertainment: 6/10

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Kastriner
Director: George Nolfi
Plot: Chance encounters leads to blossoming romance between a young politician and a ballerina, but mysterious forces keep them apart, until they get one last chance to escape Fate.
Review: Taking inspiration from a short story by acclaimed SF author Philp K. Dick, The Adjustment Bureau is a supernatural thriller that puts the theme of determinism versus free will front and center. The adaptation is a tale of coincidence-laden and ultimately forbidden romance, as threatening men in fedoras who have been controlling human achievement for millennia take notice of the couple and attempt to keep them apart. Writer / director Nolfi's minimalist but sumptuously shot vision of the tale is effective and intriguing, putting enough paranoia and sci-fi elements into play. The narrative falters somewhat in the middle but an off-kilter atmosphere to the proceedings keeps our interest. The supernatural mystery and a climax with a daring chase scene to keep it from being just a cute - and admittedly effective - romantic drama. For both parts, the real success rests on the two leads; as the ballerina and up-and-coming politician, the wonderful, radiant Blunt and an especially sympathetic, charming Damon truly make sparks fly, making you care for their relationship and attempts at escaping from a dire fate. Ultimately, the theological underpinnings and the film's thriller aspects devolve into preposterous silliness, but that doesn't change the perfect match-up and evident chemistry between Blunt and Damon, and for that love story The Adjustment Bureau is worth a look.
Entertainment: 6/10

Unknown (2011)
Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Plot: Awakening in a Berlin hospital after a near-fatal car accident, a scientist discovers that someone else has taken on his identity and that no one, not even his wife, recognizes him, a traumatic event that forces him to uncover the mystery of who he is with his only ally, a young taxi driver.
Review: Much like his previous horror entries, Orphan, House of Wax, director Collet-Serra's Unknown is a slickly produced, rather one-note thriller that aims to please but not truly impress. It's a briskly-paced entertainment vehicle for its star, serving up a dollop of well executed action sequences including some brutal fights, a car chase and enough suspense to keep it engaging. And within those confines, Collet-Serra keeps the narrative revved up and the mystery going as long as the script allows. The film does hold our attention as it moves from a psychological (even metaphysical) thriller that gets more convoluted and violent as its hero's investigation unravels, thanks mostly to Neeson's everyman persona and screen presence. Comparisons with his other Euro-thriller Taken is inevitable, and he's clearly better than the shoddy thriller trappings around him, elevating the film from mere B-movie status. Some decent supporting actors, including Kruger, Jones, Aidan Quinn, Frank Langella and Bruno Ganz, playing an old Cold War investigator to perfection. If the main twist is pretty much telegraphed by the mid-way point, it's still an entertaining mystery while it lasts. Just don't expect Unknown to make a lasting impression.
Entertainment: 6/10

The Mist (2007)
Starring: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden
Director: Frank Darabont
Plot: As a mysterious fog drops down on a small town, a small band of citizens band up in a supermarket to fight for their lives against all kinds of deadly other-dimensional creatures hidden in the mist.
Review: Based on the Stephen King novella of the same name, The Mist is a high-priced sci-fi-horror B-movie made as political allegory, a gory exploration of Small Town America under siege. However you take it, writer / director Darabont, best known for his other King adaptations The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, takes a much nastier tale this time around yet brings the same dialogue-heavy pacing, slick production values and neat special effects to the table. The story is more than just the fear of the unknown (though there's lots of that with varied, insect-like or tentacled monsters coming out of the inter-dimensional mist), it's also the study of mob dynamics under dire situations. Peeling away at the thin fabric of civilization brings up the dramatic tension between the survivors, stuck in a supermarket microcosm, when fear and mob mentality overcome good judgment; the real monsters aren't out there, they're us. Here the script pushes all the expected buttons, and Harden plays the religious fanatic with a bellyful of hellfire to the scary hilt as she influences the townsfolk to turn on one another. Alas, while King makes this work on the written page, it's not so easy on the screen, and much of it just doesn't click. Still, if the one-note characters - headlined by a strong turn by Jane as the unwilling hero out to save his kid - and the creature chills are often familiar, Darabont does use the fear of the unseen to good effect, and the suspense if often palpable along with the townsfolk hysteria. And if the thrills are limited to guessing who is going to bite it next, and by what manner of creature, it's all preamble for the real kicker, a final scene that may well leave an indelible mark on audiences; it's an evil, heart-wrenching twist that makes for a memorable - if depressing - payoff. It's rare to see smart horror films that have something to say, and rarer still to see a big budget Hollywood production attached to people like King and Darabont with such a nihilistic streak. Add that to the pulp entertainment value in its premise and The Mist comes off as a worthwhile effort.
Entertainment: 7/10

Super 8 (2011)
Starring: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler
Director: J.J. Abrams
Plot: While filming their own backyard zombie movie during the summer break, five high school friends witness a train crash that initiates a series of unexplained events in their small town, events that turn for the worse as the army barrels in.
Review: A throwback to the summertime fantasies of our youth, Super 8 is a joyful, exciting and splendidly executed mainstream monster movie that has more heart, and intelligence, than any half-dozen of this year's blockbusters. As directed by geekdom's favorite director of his generator, J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III, the Star Trek reboot), this feels like an 80's movie through-and-through - and that's a compliment. Most particularly, this is an homage to vintage Spielberg, coming off as a modern combination of E.T. and Close Encounters with some Jurassic Park vibe (read scares and violence) thrown in. No surprise, then, that Spielberg has a producer credit. This is a work of love from director J.J. Abrams - who, just like Spielberg before him - was an avid young director of Super 8 movies in his backyard, and he's managed to bring back that nostalgia of a more innocent time with great attention. Themes of grief, family, father-son relationship, first loves are bound together in an adventure filled with heart, mystery and stupendous special effects. With a soundtrack filled with popular 1979 tracks, an energetic score, a good dose of humor, melodrama that tugs at the heartstrings in the best of ways and a young cast of characters that don't cloy at the audience, it's a film that holds to the best of a long tradition of Hollywood story-telling. An elegant, well produced and completely enthralling affair that will charm and thrill audiences, no matter their age, Super 8 is a wonderful addition to Abrams' canon.
Entertainment: 8/10

Merantau (Indonesia - 2009) 
Starring: Iko Uwais, Sisca Jessica, Mads Koudal
Director: Gareth Evans
Plot: A young martial arts trainee heads for the big city in hopes of opening a silat school but soon finds himself embroiled against the criminal element when he jumps in to protect a young stripper against her pimp.
Review: A national silat champion in 2005, Indonesian martial artist Iko Uwais was re-discovered by Welsh director Evans and asked to join his production company as his leading man. The result of their first association is Merantau, a capable, visually interesting Asian actioner with European sensibilities that does show promise for better features in the future. Structured like many similar films of the genre from the 1980's, the beginning is slow going as we're subject to dramatic exposition introducing the characters and situations; young man leaves rural town to make his way in the big city, meets young woman who's in trouble with criminal element, girl gets nabbed by nasty villain (in this case a powerful Euro-trash rapist) and you've got the set-up for a mostly satisfying final act of brutal mayhem. And the action here is pretty good, what with its Tony Jaa-inspired choreography and Bruce Lee inspired showdown, with each brutal, bone-crunching fight trying to top the previous one. Not quite as memorable (or quite as smooth) as the movies it imitates, perhaps, but eminently watchable. The failure, however, is everything leading up to the action. For one, there's too little of it for the first 45 minutes, with director Evans more inclined in bringing a moody, deliberately-paced picture of the working-class population's hardships, sequences that just ring fake no matter the intentions. Still, if the coming-of-age story isn't quite gripping, there's enough action in Merantau to satisfy most genre fans - at least until the next new thing comes out.
Entertainment: 6/10

Space Battleship Yamato (Japan - 2010)
Starring: Takuya Kimura, Meisa Kuroki, Toshirô Yanagiba
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Plot: After an interstellar war with a mysterious adversary leaves Earth a ravaged radioactive desert, the crew of the last human warship take a journey of last hope to the enemy's home planet to secure a device that can heal our own.
Review: The live-action adaptation of Space Battleship Yamato is a surprising, FX-heavy Japanese production that's big on entertainment, if not logic, successfully capturing the grandeur if not the complexity of the original, popular 1970's animated series. A leap of faith is usually required in cinematic sci-fi, in this case how a WW2 battleship can be revamped for space flight, or how coincidences, blind luck and last-second chances (without talking about the deus ex machina plot points). It's a welcome return to the grand old space opera; in terms of visuals, the modern revamping of the Battlestar Galactica series comes to mind, with a large dollop of the typical melodrama required in Japanese anime flicks. The target are young adults and mainstream director Yamazaki knows the drill: likable but un-developed characters, hectic pacing, some off-the-cuff humor and as many action set-pieces as you can afford. Fact is, the special effects are actually quite good, with enough well-executed space battles and explosions, laser blast and miscellaneous other sci-fi shenanigans to keep audience interest during the 2 1/2 hour runtime. That the producers and filmmakers also managed to compress dozens of episodes into a single feature film is actually quite impressive, though rabid fans will complain about the missing details and subplots. The actors take all of this very seriously, no matter what silliness the script asks for or what blue screen creature or effect appears in post-production. The last act is a bit of a drag, as a small team of armed Earthers storm the technologically superior enemy planet, but that's a small quibble. Fans of the anime series or sci-fi flicks, and even audiences just looking for a good time will be entertained.
Entertainment: 7/10

Winnie the Pooh (2011)
Voices: Jim Cummings, Craig Ferguson, John Cleese
Directors: Stephen J. Anderson, Don Hall
Plot: Eyeore has lost his tail, Pooh quests for a bellyfull of honey, and the friends of Hundred Acre forest mistakenly plan on capturing a fictitious monster "Back Soon".
Review: Disney's latest attempt at adapting the A. A. Milne's classic childhood tales of Winnie the Pooh to the big screen is a hit, and better in every aspect to the 1977 outing, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The immediate realization is that this all feels like an old-school animated production, what with its hand-drawn animation, minimalist backgrounds, the languid pacing and friendly simplicity of its characters... and in this case that's a compliment, especially as it stands so far apart from the recent slate of dizzying, loud, 3D kid movies. Directors Anderson and Hall have made a strong literary translation here and brought back the laughs and whimsy of the original illustrated stories while imbuing the proceedings with things Milne would never have thought of: Pooh's dreams of honey have him swimming and singing in the golden stuff, and Milne's written words actually have a physical presence that interact with the characters, often to hilarious effect. Nothing really happens as the plot consciously meanders like a child's imaginary adventure, but there's enough slapstick to keep younger kids entertained, and enough tongue-in-cheek humor to keep their parents amused. Clocking at under an hour, it's hard to think of this as worthy of a "full length" theatrical outing, but it's a perfect length for home viewing, and the extra ten minutes of end credits are enlivened by further Pooh and friends shenanigans. An imaginative, intelligent and thoroughly charming family film that should be high on every family's viewing list. 
Note: To my surprise, my 6-year olds actually enjoyed and laughed more watching this than they did the recent Puss in Boots, and that's probably the best indication of a successful family movie. Kudos to Disney for taking a chance on going back to its roots!
Entertainment: 8/10

Tales from Earthsea (Japan - 2006)
Voices: Timothy Dalton, Willem Dafoe, Mariska Hargitay
Director: Goro Miyazaki
Plot: A prince, on the run for having attempted to murder his father, joins a wandering mage investigating the upheavals in the world balance of magic and ecology that forced dragons to reappear around the nations of Man.
Review: Loosely based on the young-adult fantasy series by award-winning author Ursula K. Le Guin, Tales from Earthsea could have been the start of a superior anime series adapting the author's tales of myth and magic, of wizards and dragons, for a broader audience. Alas, the film is more of a hit and miss effort, mixing in some strong ideas and sequences with what appears to be a thrifty production, and a haphazard script that leaves gaping holes in the plot. For his first animated effort, director Miyazaki clearly tries - as he can - to step into his father's shoes, the legendary Hayao Miyazaki. While its not up to the classic status of his dad's top-rated (and top-grossing) animated features like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, the Studio Ghibli aesthetic for the characters, pacing and crisp animation is undeniable, and the strong fantasy element combined with its very earthy approach makes for an entertaining effort - but it's not for everyone. While the first act takes it time to present a fully-formed, often beautifully rendered exotic world, there really is little that takes place; same for the second act, which meanders in a message of the simple pleasures of rural life. The languid pacing is a welcome departure from the hectic Hollywood films, but while this would usually work to create an emotional bond with the characters, it feels ill-placed on a fantasy adventure, especially when if feels like the feature lacks in the "adventure" department. And unlike much of the rest of the film, the climactic confrontation between young prince and dark wizard is rather vicious, scary and overlong, and clearly not meant for kids. There's no denying the exemplary choice for the voice actors, however, including Dalton and a menacing Dafoe as the two competing grand mages, or the conceptual ideas out in place - if never fully formed - or the promise of a more engaging tale. It's just disappointing that Tales from Earthsea ends up a missed opportunity, but perhaps future efforts will help find the younger Miyazaki's own voice.
Entertainment: 6/10

Death Note (Japan - 2006) 
Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Asaka Seto
Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Plot: Upon receiving a mystical notebook that kills people whose name is written in its pages, an idealistic law student decides to rid Japan of criminals and becomes the focus of a manhunt as a young genius detective tries to help the police to identify and capture him.
Review: Based on the popular Japanese comic-book series (manga) of the same name, Death Note (part one of a planned-for two-movie set) is a supernatural thriller with a great concept: what if you were given the power of life and death? How would you use it? And what would you do to keep it? Director Kaneko, best known for his slick, modern reboot of the giant-turtle monster with the Gamera trilogy, keeps things moving along if a little stiff. His treatment of the material is more cerebral, perhaps, than most of the J-horror fare of the past decade with the usual scary atmosphere replaced by brightly colored scenes that are more akin to music videos; this is definitely more comic-book than horror movie. Indeed, the angel of death, a 10-foot computer-animated tall goth-demon in rock-star clothes, is more goofy than scary, playing second fiddle to his human "partner" and goading him to greater excesses. However, Kaneko knows to play up the cat-and-mouse game between the two intelligent teens, each trying to guess the other's identity through a series of schemes and deductions, with shades of Infernal Affairs. Adding some depth is the way society treats the mysterious vigilante, supportive at first just before things turn ugly; there's also a certain sense of impending anarchy, as the veteran cops struggle to discover the identity of supernatural killer who leaves no traces, no longer able to protect its citizen. The movie flails when it focuses on its protagonist, a non-too-sympathetic, idealistic young law student who quickly becomes drunk with his new-found powers. Though Fujiwara exudes teen cool, perhaps a better actor would have made him at least more appealing, especially in his descent to the Dark Side, or perhaps the intent was for him to be the villain of the piece; either way there's more frustration than suspense in having him elude the detectives on the case. Still, apart from some character-development scenes that miss the mark, Death Note is an entertaining enough romp that will keep audiences on its toes until the film's climax and inevitable cliff-hanger, setting the second, concluding part.
Entertainment: 5/10

Death Note: The Last Name (Japan - 2006)
Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Takeshi Kaga, Shidô Nakamura
Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Plot: On the hunt by the law, a teenager given the power to kill anyone by writing their name in a mystical book conceives of a diabolical plan to throw off suspicions when he discovers a second teen with a similar power.
Review: Following right after the Death Note's cliffhanger, The Last Name is a direct continuation of the original adaptation of the 12-book manga series. The exposition has all been made before, so the sequel conjures up even more convoluted plans for its teenage villain to escape justice at the hands of the genius, eccentric detective. The focus remains on the anti-hero of the piece as he manipulates the angels of death and the people around him, including a cute, bubbly teen pop idol with a serious pathological problem regarding criminals who has gotten hold of another book. His descent into an ego-maniacal power trip is indeed scary, as his victims move on from hardened criminals to anyone who stands in his way. The filmmakers needed to raise the stakes for the second-go, and they've added more characters, more ludicrous but clever twists, and more bodies - of course - but somehow it ends up falling flat. The suspense of the first film fails just as the tale loses its originality. As the admittedly sprightly narrative goes on, there's more frustration than suspense in having him elude the detectives on the case. Still, director Kaneko (the Gamera trilogy reboot) does keep up the pace even if his treatment is rather pedestrian and more in line with a TV series than a movie, and he knows enough to let his cast ham it up as required by the script. Fans of the original graphic novel may get a hoot out of seeing the cat-and-mouse game play out on screen, but for the rest of us one Death Note movie would have been enough.
Entertainment: 5/10

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) 
Starring: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane
Director: Rob Marshall
Plot: Pirate captain Jack Sparrow embarks on a quest to find the fabled fountain of youth only to discover that the villainous Blackbeard and his beautiful daughter are after it too.
Review: Milking it for everything its got, the third sequel On Stranger Tides takes another stab at the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and its clear this boat has little wind in its sails. Based on a story by novelist Tim Powers, this latest summer tentpole flick plays out like Disney's idea of an family-friendly remake of Aguirre: the Wrath of God. The film goes back to the original installment's less bloated storytelling style, yet the now familiar situations, paper-thin tale loosely connecting a series of swashbuckling or special effects sequences seem hackneyed, and there's something moribund in this latest adventure. The expected actions sequences are in full force, and the stunts still retain our attention, but the pirate action - waving cutlasses and all - gets repetitive, and there's a sense that we've all been here and seen that before. In fact, lots of elements are thrown in - a zombie crew, a legendary pirate, a romantic entanglement, a ship magically commanded by a cutlass, etc. - but all with little overall effect. Giving the reigns to an action comedy franchise to musical director Marshall may not be the worst idea ever - you need movement and pacing in both genres, and if nothing else Chicago and Nine had it - but it sure didn't work here; his theatrical roots are still too entrenched to make it out of the stage and into the open water. Ever since Barbossa this franchise has flailed in setting up its villains, and Ian McShane's Blackbeard comes off like a pushover. But the main attraction of the series is squarely on Depp's swaggering, foppish Captain Jack Sparrow, and he and Rush easily slip back into the skin of their respective single-note characters, and it's still fun to watch these actors ham it up. As a love interest, Cruz is a nice addition replacing Keira Knightley but she plays second fiddle to, well just about everyone, and we sure miss her usual sass. The original film proved that the pirate movie could be revived, and there's enough fun in On Stranger Tides to make it worth a look before it walks the plank. For sure, the resounding box office success of the film will ensure that more sequels will be made, hopefully with more verve than this one.
Entertainment: 5/10

Green Lantern (2011)
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively and Peter Sarsgaard
Director: Martin Campbell
Plot: After a dying alien confers to him a mystical ring that bestows amazing powers, an irresponsible test pilot realizes that he's now part of a universe-spanning peace-keeping force just as a cosmic evil force descends on Earth.
Review: Apart from Batman, DC super-heroes haven't had a good run recently in live-action cinema - the Superman reboot failed, Jonah Hex was DOA, and many other plans never took off. It's a galling comparison to Marvel's own comic-book adaptations that have seen constant success (Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, etc.). Green Lantern was to put DC back on the map, and indeed the sci-fi-based stories of Green Lantern and the GL Corps make for great blockbuster fodder: the comics balance the personal sacrifices and courage of its players with the grand, other-worldly adventures. Alas, whereas the special-effects driven storyline is appropriately cosmic, the more personal Earth-bound plot never really takes off. Blame it on a script that constantly vacillates in tone and can't get away from Hollywood clichés, or that doesn't make its central character interesting enough. A tired sub-plot involving a mad scientist who uses newly-gained powers to settle his jealousies regarding a love triangle with our hero and his girlfriend feels like filler and falls flat, while the main threat - a civilization-killing entity that lives off fear - is given little real treatment. The GL universe is also pretty confusing for audiences not in the know - years of back story are relegated to a one-minute narrated exposition. For sure, director Campbell was an inspired choice for the adaptation, having proven his chops on such terrific reboots such as The Mask of Zorro and the Bond thriller Casino Royale. And various parts work great, especially the galaxy-spanning adventures of the GL team, created with some marvelous, colorful special effects work. Yet though it's visually interesting Campbell can't get the rest of the film to mesh together, and there's no feeling of impending doom or real tension. Reynolds' charm is still in evidence, even if it's smothered by the demands of the script, and Lively makes for a smart romantic interest. Minor supporting roles by Tim Robbins as a sleazy senator and Angela Bassett as a government scientist barely register, but Mark Strong, under purple make-up, plays perfectly to type as Sinestro, GL's comic-book nemesis who is set up in a post-credit sequence as the sequel's villain. Green Lantern has its moments, and it's a decent attempt at an origin story, but it's finally a rather disappointing foray into the character considering the wealth of material and filmmakers involved. Hopefully a sequel is still in the cards - it's a worthwhile franchise.
Entertainment: 6/10

Sucker Punch (2011)
Starring: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Jena Malone, Carla Gugino
Director: Zack Snyder
Plot: Institutionalized by her abusive stepfather, a young girl retreats into alternate realities to cope with her surroundings, eventually gaining the courage to plan an escape with her fellow inmates.
Review: The marketing campaign pushed Sucker Punch as being the ultimate male fantasy Girls-With-Big-Guns flick, a sort of "Alice in Wonderland with machine-guns", one filled with improbable situations, kick-ass action, incredible computer-generated flights of fancy and, well, girls in skimpy outfits. For sure, the film offers all of that in spades, and director Snyder (with the CG-heavy 300 and Watchmen under his belt) is the man to make it happen on screen, bringing his knack for stunning visuals to work once again. But what's going to get its target demographic audience in a tizzy (or at least mightily confused) is that there's also a tale of women in an insane asylum woven in amidst these hectic sequences, a tale that plays out like an nightmarish version of Girl, Interrupted, or a shallow version of Shutter Island. That all of this is going in various stages of alternate realities, with the narrative jumping out of its own internal logic by having scenes play out with its deranged heroine, makes for a mix that doesn't quite gel into a single cohesive movie. The standout moments are the fantasy sequences in samurai Japan and a bizarre steampunk-inspired WW1, both of which are compelling and fun, thankfully breaking the slick but manipulative melodrama. In these latter parts the film, blessed with a grunge remix of eclectic New Wave hits from the Eurythmics to Bjork, also takes certain cues from the heavily stylized Moulin Rouge, at least in the moments when "reality" is meant to set in. But while these moments elevate the first half of the film, the repeated nature of the action - albeit in a castle guarded by a fierce dragon and another on a distant planet - just makes it a tad tedious. The cast of hotties, led by the innocent-looking Browning, does well enough, with supporting actors Carla Gugino vamping it up to hilarious extremes and Scott Glenn adding a touch of class and cool in a minor Yoda-like supporting role. Perhaps it's just not consistently way over the top as 300 was, or perhaps the search for meaning and a stronger tale of grrrl power just doesn't work with the comic-book inspired premise. Whatever it is, Sucker Punch comes off as a failed experiment that's only half an entertaining film. For some, that may be enough.
Entertainment: 5/10

Fast Five (2011)
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson
Director: Justin Lin
Plot: Trying to stay low in Brazil but ending up pursued by a ruthless local drug lord, a band of car thieves turn the tables on him by going after $100 million of his money - if only they can avoid capture by a relentless federal agent.
Review: After a dismal first sequel and a second that was in name only, the F&F franchise hit its stride with the fourth installment, Fast & Furious, and shows its legs with the latest chapter, Fast Five, encompassing the main elements that drove people into theaters in the first place, namely Vin Diesel, guns, jaw-dropping stunts and - oh, yeah - fast cars. When those are the focus, the film works wonders. The action - and there's a lot of it - is inventive and indeed fast & furious; the train robbery in the first act is thrilling, the few gunfights and foot-chases are good, showing off some good stunt work, but none are more over-the-top than the climactic heist sequence involving a chase through the streets of Rio de Janeiro with two muscle cars towing a 10 ton steel vault and leaving a carnage of smashed police cars and wrecked buildings in their wake. Completely silly, but also thoroughly entertaining. Most every character from the series - at least those left alive - make an appearance here; and while Vin Diesel and Walker sleep-walk through the whole affair, newcomer Johnson, as the elite federal officer set to take them down, chews the scenery with aplomb. Alas, when the film tries for emotional heft, it fails: The melodrama and yawn-worthy character interactions, meant to create a sense of family and bond with the team of outlaws, just pans putting the brakes on what should have been a nitro-fueled, 90-min ride from start to finish - instead it adds an unnecessary 30 minutes of tedium. The script just doesn't really care about its heroes; the dialogue is corny and the jokes are as flat as the characters. Still, if returning director Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow, Fast & Furious) can't make his ensemble cast click, he sure does have the knack for making it all big-budget slick and filling it with flashy action and superb cinematography, making the best of his Brazil location shooting. And that's why we keep coming back - it's broad, shallow, dumb fun. More please.
Entertainment: 7/10

Funky Town (Quebec - 2011)
Starring: Patrick Huard, Justin Chatwin, Paul Doucet
Director: Daniel Roby
Plot: In 1976 Montreal, the lives of eight people come together in their seach for stardom and relationships in the era when disco was king.
Review: A tale of the Quebec music industry, the cool Funky Town is a piece of 70's disco-era Montreal history as told through the eyes of a diverse group of denizens. Among them is the peacock TV host who's got it all but can't get enough; the Italian dancing sensation torn between coming out and his parent's expectations; the French-Canadian record producer looking for a way out and a quick buck; the gay Anglo queen lost in his own importance but desperate to find love; and the gorgeous but talentless supermodel worried that the gravy train has passed her by. And while all these poor souls try to connect, in the background is the political turmoil of an independent Quebec and the upcoming Referendum. Director Roby imbues the events and the overall movie with shades of Saturday Night Fever and Studio 54, but it's also a very Quebec endeavor, with its own flavor and appeal. It's also a pretty slick, well-paced drama of lives lost to the mistresses of fame, obsession, ego and money. The strong local cast is headlined by star Huard who's at his best when doing charismatic, sometimes pitiable bastards, and he's terrific here; his drug-induced, and ego-induced, crash-and-burn from king of the hill to scum is familiar but still packs a punch. Add to this a great soundtrack - covers of the popular originals - and you've got a winning combo that's both entertaining and engaging. If only it had something original to say, Funky Town would really have been an ensemble drama to stand up and take notice. As it is, it's still worthwhile but ultimately forgettable.
Drama: 6/10

Solomon Kane (2009)
Starring: James Purefoy, Pete Postlethwaite, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Max von Sydow
Director: Michael J. Bassett
Plot: Having renounced violence for fear of his immortal soul, a once-bloodthirsty privateer of noble birth is forced to return to his homeland and take up arms against an evil sorcerer who has kidnapped a young girl under his care.
Review: Based on the 1920's pulp magazine adventures by Conan writer Robert E. Howard, this first film adaptation of Solomon Kane makes for a splendid sword and sorcery epic. From the opening sequence as Kane storms a middle-east palace, evil glint in his eyes, and ends up confronting the Devil's Reaper, audiences know they're in for a treat. Writer / director Bassett (who first proved his chops on the capable WWI horror Deathwatch) doesn't disappoint, providing an origin tale of redemption that has its share of bloody, swashbuckling action and dark fantasy without short-changing the story or his main character. There's lots of imaginative bits here, especially in combining the supernatural elements with a gravitas that would be appropriate for a costume drama. Some highlights include a walk through a room filled with mirrors containing evil spirits, a flight from dark tunnels filled with vampire-like creatures and a climax against a giant fire demon, all of which mesh seamlessly into the tale and background. Filmed mostly in the Czech Republic, the gritty, atmospheric visuals capture an appropriately spooky version of 16th century England, and a feeling that evil is indeed lurking right around the corner. The charismatic Purefoy - dressed up in black, including flowing cape and distinctive black hat - makes for an intriguing hero, a man who knows the atrocities he's capable of (and done) and fears for his immortal soul, but forced to take up arms to save an innocent. You actually care for his internal struggle, even as we know that (and gleefully admire how) he will plunge back into a violent spree to get to his goal. It's lack of success at the box-office means we won't see further adventures of what could have been a fine franchise; that's to bad, but at least this is a fine effort that's worth looking for.
Note: For some unfortunate reason, despite the fact that the movie came out on DVD in Europe in 2010, the movie rights haven't passed on to the Americas. The only way to see this is on imported DVD. Shame.
Entertainment: 8/10

No Strings Attached (2011) 
Starring: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Kline
Director: Ivan Reitman
Plot: After waking up passed-out on the couch of an old flame, a yong man on the rebound accepts a no-strings-attached sex-only relationship with a girl he's been infatuated for ages, only to discover that keeping it simple is pretty complicated.
Review: An amusing romantic-sex-comedy that's slightly above the average Hollywood fare, No Strings Attached sneaks past our expectations and actually ends up being quite enjoyable and engaging. Having made his name with such successes as the classic Ghostbusters to the dud Evolution, director Reitman proves he can re-invent himself from his big-budget comedy past to helm a pretty good rom-com. Portman is in full cute mode as the smart-but-clueless young medical resident, and it's easy to see what she sees in Kutcher, whose likable klutz shtick is in full swing. The two actors actually have some pretty good chemistry together, including some more honest and raunchy scenes than usual, which makes all of this eminently watchable and on more than one occasion even intimate. Even more surprising, the script skims the usual genre clichés - from the eccentric, comic-relief supporting cast, to the boy-meets-girl-loses-girl-and-finds-her-again plot and everything that goes around it - yet still makes it look new. A subplot with Lake Bell, playing the neurotic, love struck co-worker adds a nice twist - she's so awkward but sincere that you're rooting for her as much as Portman. And Kline, as the egocentric, pot-smoking, aging-star dad who tries (disastrously so) to do right by his son is just hilarious. No Strings Attached is ultimately quite forgettable, but it's frothy formulaic fun while it lasts.
Entertainment: 6/10

Troll Hunter (2010)
Starring: Otto Jespersen, Robert Stoltenberg, Knut Nærum
Director: André Øvredal
Plot: A group of students investigating a series of bear killings in Norway end up tagging along a mysterious hunter who claims to be going after rogue Trolls.
Review: Clearly inspired by The Blair Witch Project and its higher-production-value modern counterparts, the Norwegian horror / fantasy flick Troll Hunter was a big hit in its native Europe. Shot in college-level documentary style, the film is peppered with bizarre interviews, "candid" revelations as to the science that plays with the mythology, and tidbits on an overall government conspiracy at foot. In trying to keep the spirit of a BBC travel log, there's also a lot of nice shots of the Nordic countryside during the long trips down country roads hunting for signs of the beasts, something that occasionally bogs down the narrative. With the first revelations of the the gigantic, dangerous trolls hiding in the forests and mountains, the film shows roots more in dark fantasy than horror. The creature effects can be a bit unintentionally cheesy, but there are some really exciting moments, too as we get to watch how you put down such powerful beings (hint - UV light and a sledgehammer works wonders). However, the film succeeds best not when the camera tries to catch (and just as often escape) the giant creatures but when capturing the world-weary cynicism of its real subject, the veteran titular character, superbly played by Jespersen. The idea probably would work better as a shorter subject as the limitations become apparent when forced into feature-length treatment. Still, if the movie isn't quite "cinema-vérité" enough to pull you in as was the filmmakers intention, Troll Hunter is still an interesting high-concept flick to keep genre fans well enough entertained.
Entertainment: 6/10

Your Highness (2011)
Starring: Danny McBride, Natalie Portman, James Franco 
Director: David Gordon Green
Plot: The slacker, black-sheep younger son of the king must join forces with his heroic brother to save his future sister-in-law from a dark wizard, trying to find some redemption for his life along the way.
Review: Fantasy films are always a hit-or-miss affair, and combining them with comedy usually proves difficult. Case in point: the disastrous, immature and cheap Your Highness, a film that's a black eye in the career of everyone who's come in contact with it. The movie is intentionally vile and vulgar; in fact, it goes to great lengths to be so (cue in a scene where the hero's brother has to jack off a muppet-looking wizard, among other jokes). But where recent films with such a focus and audience have been successful by being honest (American Pie) or crazy (the Jackass series), this film is calibrated, mechanically stupid, its only raison d'être to lift up its pompous, useless hero (writer / actor / funnyman McBride, given too much leeway) to star status - it fails. Worse, it's just devoid of any laughs, and not even ones that would elicit chuckles from the MTV-era teens. Though the script is the main offender, the affair is also poorly executed and quite contrived; it's a shame that director Green, who showed so much promise as a dramatic director with George Washington and Undertow, has taken a right turn to this incompetent Hollywood junk. Apart from McBride's career-dive, the rest of the cast actually does OK: Franco gives even the corniest scenes his all, Portman proves she should be in a better movie, and Zooey Deschanels plays cute as the damsel in distress. It's a good cast in a poor movie, and their agents should be fired for letting them flail here. As for the fantasy-comedy redemption story (who cares?), the characters (you're kidding, right?), the production values (cable TV does better than this!), the effects (admittedly better than the movie has a right to) or any redeeming qualities (jobs were created?), well you sure ain't going to find them here. The only original part is the opening credit sequence, which has more energy and verve than the rest of the flick. Unwatchable.
Entertainment / Comedy: 2/10

Of Gods and Men (Des hommes et des dieux) (France - 2010)
Starring: Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale, Olivier Rabourdin
Director: Xavier Beauvois
Plot: Under threat by Islamic fundamentalists during the Algerian civil war of 1996, a group of monks stationed with an impoverished community must decide whether to leave or stay.
Review: Inspired by the real-life disappearance of several French monks from an Algerian monastery in 1996, winner of the César for Best Film, and Grand Prize at Cannes, Of Gods and Men is a drama that comes with high acclaim and the promise of a short cinematic window into themes of religion, tolerance and faith. The inevitable clash between monastic Christians and their peaceful village neighbors against the incoming tide of Islamic fundamentalism (and "terrorists") takes small steps, with the unrest of the outside world abruptly intruding on their idyllic lifestyle. The cast - made up of some terrific French veterans, especially leader Wilson and aging medicine-provider Lonsdale - is impeccable, believably pious and camera-friendly. Alas, the pacing is so languorous and the scenes so repetitive that it's hard to stay focused on the message. Case in point, one of the final sequences is a "Last Supper", where the monks enjoy each other's company, silently, knowing of their inevitable doom, the camera lingering (and lingering) on their reactions as Swan Lake plays. It's supposed to a heavy, emotional scene, but it comes off as galling. The real disappointment is that director Beauvois (The Young Lieutenant) has crafted a deliberate, capable and well-intentioned film, that stresses the monks' simple life of devotion to God and their faith - something that's well captured but eventually tedious - but he misses providing a thoughtful view of the complexities of the culture clash. A more tightly edited feature would have made the point just as well, and would have made more of an impression. As it stands, Of Gods and Men is still a worthwhile drama, but it should have been more.
Drama: 6/10

Mars Needs Moms (2011)
Starring: Seth Green, Joan Cusack, Dan Fogler
Director: Simon Wells
Plot: After seeing his mom being taken away by Martians, a high-spirited kid stows away in their spaceship then joins forces with a lost grown-up and a rebellious alien teen to save her.
Review: Badly marketed and shunned by the public, the hugely expensive 3D sci-fi family adventure comedy Mars Needs Moms is unjustly maligned: adapted from the picture book by Bloom County creator Berkeley Breathed, it's a mish-mash of '50's drive-in movies, Star Wars and others, it's a familiar tale told with verve and heart that's eye-popping and fun, if never quite memorable. The tale has its harsh moments that might be disturbing for smaller kids, such as the fate of previous kidnapped moms (vaporized!), the dystopian Mars, the palpable fear of being caught in a strange place; on the other hand there's a cute robot, silly (and furry) male aliens and its share of slapstick. A lot of time and effort was spent on the motion capture technology to get the humans and aliens seem just right, a process producer Robert Zemeckis used on his own films like The Polar Express and Beowulf; the character movement is indeed smooth and life-like, but it's all overkill on such an escapist cartoon. Thankfully, director Wells (whose other sci-fi credits include the interesting but flawed recent remake of The Time Machine) balances the intense in-your-face action (with the best 3D effects coming in the form of tumbling from mile-high garbage chutes), the mostly clean humor (not a gross-out joke in sight!) and the melodrama in capable manner. It ends by delivering a gush of sentimentality as our young protagonist gains a deeper appreciation for his Mom - it's an unexpectedly wrenching moment after all the video-game action and '80s-references jokes. Thirty-something Green plays (if not voices) the 12-year-old youngster, and Cusack has the mom part down pat, but it's funnyman Fogler who really steals the show as the real hero of this tale. Deemed a massive box office bomb, Mars Needs Moms is much better than most of the kiddie fare out there and will hopefully find an audience on DVD.
Entertainment: 6/10

Battle Los Angeles (2011)
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Plot: A group of Marines, led by a veteran Staff Sergeant forced back into the line of duty and a young Lieutenant, are sent to recover a handful of civilians caught in the middle of Los Angeles as it's being overrun by alien invaders. 
Review: Pitched as a blend of Independence Day and Black Hawk Down, a soldier's street-level view of an alien invasion, Battle Los Angeles wants to be a gritty, serious take on battling an unknown enemy. The opening bits do provide some intriguing elements, as the aliens land in War of the Worlds fashion, CNN reporting their striking near cities like meteors, quickly driving out the unprepared humans. As the soldiers move in, they're confronted by E.T. foot soldiers, with nary a high-tech machine around. In fact, as presented, they're interchangeable with just about any international army - say the Russians or China invading LA, using similar weapon technology and tactics. Apart from the mystery of why they invaded (something never answered), the suspense and interest dies out pretty quickly knowing they're on equal footing - why have aliens at all? There's lots of activity, however, and director Liebesman does pretty well in giving the narrative a "you-are-there" feel of urban combat, capturing the chaos of combat with lots of medium shots, shaky cam and quick edits that pervaded the Bourne sequels. But we never get emotionally involved; the whole affair is so cliché, so predictable, that it feels like re-heated fare, a hodge-podge mix of better sci-fi and war movies. By the time the admittedly tense climax comes around, though, we've given up. It doesn't help that the grunts are all interchangeable, expendable fodder for the shallow script, and the character development is typically cardboard-thin, even in terms of an action film. The reliable Eckhart does his best with the squad leader role given to him, and Rodriguez once again plays to type as a no-nonsense soldier, but these parts could have been played by anyone. District 9 proved that solid, engrossing alien invasion films can still be made with a tight budget and big aspirations. There's some serviceable entertainment to be had but, sadly, Battle Los Angeles spent its big-budget money on the wrong stuff and doesn't have the smarts or the originality to be anything but an ably-made, cookie-cutter endeavor. 
Entertainment: 5/10

Red Riding Hood (2011)
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Lukas Haas
Directors: Catherine Hardwicke
Plot: A young girl falls for her secret childhood friend, an orphaned woodcutter, but starts having suspicions of his identity when the werewolf that has haunted her village for decades starts taking victims that are closer to home.
Review: A modern take on the classic children's fairy-tale, Red Riding Hood promises a female-empowerment, coming-of-age horror story given the Twilight treatment. Alas, it mostly fails in garnering any interest save for the occasional striking visual. Director Hardwicke made a splash with her first feature, Thirteen, showing well-conceived young female characters dealing with real situations and hard choices. This latest effort couldn't be further from that auspicious beginning and comes off as a tired, clichéd medieval-era retread of her own vampire-led Twilight adaptation. The pacing is admittedly deft and the candy-colored visuals are pretty enough, but the film lacks for a better script. With the romantic vagaries of its dew-eyed heroine with two young beefcake beaus, the theater-worthy sets, the vacuous melodrama and the down-played horror elements, it's clear that its target demographic lies with pre-pubescent tweens. The B-list cast - including such thespians as Oldman, Hass and Virginia Madsen - play second fiddle to the young actors, whose looks and affirmations of love are meant to set hearts aflutter... at least between scenes of slick, big-budget horror and stylish amounts of gore, thrown into the mix in hopes of captivating the male audience. Unfortunately, the red-herring filled mystery of the werewolf`s human identity - and the atrocities committed to find it - is barely enough to hold our interest. Young adults may lap this up, but everyone else will remain non-plus.
Entertainment: 4/10

The Transformers: The Movie (1986) 
Voices: Orson Welles, Robert Stack, Leonard Nimoy
Director: Nelson Shin
Plot: Two warring factions of robots face off in a deciding battle when an evil mechanical planetoid approaches their home world, consuming everything in its path.
Review: The 1980's Transformers TV show was an obvious tie-in / commercial for Hasbro's line of toys, but it was such a success that a whole new set of toy models were created - and what better way to push these than with a full-length theatrical feature? Enter The Transformers: The Movie, a fast-paced, male-friendly space opera filled with battles, lasers, melodrama, silliness and more new robots than you can shake a stick at. The entire adventure is bizarre and disjointed, with sub-plots existing only to introduce new characters, or so it seems to anyone that isn't a fan of the 1985 series that spawned it, or to any adult not in the flux of nostalgia. Also bewildering is the reaction to the on-screen death of its heroic good guy Optimus Prime, an event early in the movie that sent kids crying, and many parents furious. A big feature needed a big villain, and so the planet-sized, planet-eating Unicron was created, voiced by no other than Orson Welles, in one of his last performances. Also worth a ponder is how the filmmakers got a voice cast that includes Robert Stack, Leonard Nimoy and Eric Idle. Ah, to be a kid again and see all this for simple entertainment instead of what it was meant to be: a crass commercial aimed to push more toys on hapless young boys. Still, if you can keep from losing your marbles mid-way through, there's some cheap thrills to be had. Kids will gobble this up, but adults have been forewarned.
Entertainment: 6/10

Sanctum (2011)
Starring: Richard Roxburgh, Rhys Wakefield, Alice Parkinson
Director: Alister Grierson
Plot: Caught in a massive underwater cave system by a flash flood, a team of divers and explorers must battle the elements and the unforgiving cave itself to escape.
Review: Very loosely based on real events, Sanctum was meant as a adventure into the unexplored cave system, an excuse to expand the use of the 3D digital technology that made Avatar such an immersive experience. Alas, meant to be seen in 3D, the tale loses some of its appeal when presented flat for home video, where there is no longer an excuse for the poor script and directing. The premise - that of a group of people joined, and then separated in survival - has always held filmmaker and audience interest, from Titanic to Lifeboat, but this feels more like a movie of the week - think a more gritty version of the family-friendly 3D Journey to the Center of the Earth - with none of the verve, polish or strong storytelling that we expect from executive producer Cameron. The actors - especially Roxburgh - give it their best, but get short changed by a script that is more interested in the experience of cave diving than in its characters, as cardboard-worthy as they get, leaving audiences without an emotional anchor to the tragedies. The poorly managed and clichéd melodrama doesn't help either, even as the script kills off its team members for added heft, nor does the obviousness of the well-lit Australian sets (yup, no real Papua, New Guinea caves here). Director Grierson can't portray the needed tension or claustrophobia required for this kind of film to work - for that, audiences would be better served with the horror flick The Descent, whose first, non-supernatural half beats the wetsuit off this exercise in missed opportunities. Not a bad piece of work, but a National Geographic or BBC documentary on New Guinea's incredible, eerily magnificent open cave is more trilling and more striking than Sanctum can hope to achieve.
Entertainment: 3/10

The Sanctuary (2009)
Starring: Michael B., Russell Wong, Intira Jaroenpura
Director: Thanapon Maliwan
Plot: A young seller of fake Thai antiques gets involved in saving true national treasures when he gets embroiled in a double-cross between American soldiers of fortune and a rebel general.
Review: Marketed as a type of Indiana Jones adventure meets Ong Bak, The Sanctuary starts right but skids off to typical B-movie pastures. The plot involving stolen Thai artifacts, villainous American mercenaries and some supernatural force aiding in our hero's martial arts training is just damn tired. Thankfully there's action galore to be had, and at a compact 80 minutes there's not too much filler to drive audiences to sleep through the banal plot and characters. If the editing doesn't allow for the wow factor we've come to expect from Asian genre flicks, the well-choreographed and ably shot fight sequences do show off some strong talent exchanging powerful blows. They may not be spectacular in the way Thai compatriot Tony Jaa impressed international audiences, but they'll keep most action aficionados entertained. Leading man Michael B. is a great stunt man and martial arts expert, for sure, but he has little presence, and his female sidekick isn't much better. The bad guys, on the other hand, headed by a swave, deadly Wong, know to elevate their performance to camp, and show more personality than all the more decent folk combined. The Sanctuary isn't a must-see by any means, but for fans of Thai action flicks or martial arts ones in general, it's a pleasant enough time-waster.
Entertainment: 5/10

Despicable Me (2010)
Voices: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand
Directors: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Plot: A criminal mastermind relegated to second-rate capers decides make his mark by doing the crime of the century: stealing the moon - only he needs the help of a trio of orphaned girls to pull it off, and being a Dad is harder than he ever expected.
Review: Looking on the side of the bad guy is refreshing and it can sure be fun especially if it's Despicable Me, the latest computer-animated feature from the producers of the Ice Age franchise. They've learnt a thing or two, more ably melding the funny business and the sentimentality without making it feel forced. Without stealing any thunder from Pixar, the computer animation and weirdly shaped characters are stylish and slick, and wholly adequate for the job, but it's the deft storytelling that makes it work. The film is full of exuberant silliness and comic-book antics, and scenes such as our anti-hero going against every expectation of his suburban neighbors is priceless, as are his desperate attempts to sneak into his rival's HQ. Throwing in such kid-friendly cartoon fare like shrink rays, squid shooters, and a multitude of bizarre, jelly-bean-like one-eyed minions and you've got a sure-fire family hit. And older ones will enjoy it too, thanks to a large dose of humor that flip-flops between clever and cynical, occasionally into the juvenile, yet somehow still gets more laughs than most animated features. The adopted girl scouts are impossibly cute and smart, and are great foils to the unlikely single parent, a real modern-day Grinch. The voice acting is also good, with the likes of Carell as the villain who discovers a heart, Segal as his new, younger nemesis, and Julie Andrews who surprises as the hero's criminally-minded, scary mother. It's not perfect, but Despicable Me is imaginative, well written, darn funny and even tugs at the heart-strings. That's a rare, and welcome, combination.
Entertainment: 7/10

Ong Bak 3 (Thailand - 2010)
Starring: Tony Jaa, Sorapong Chatree, Nirut Sirichanya
Directors: Tony Jaa, Panna Rittikrai
Plot: After being captured and beaten to near-death, a martial arts expert is saved by villagers who teach him the power of meditation and bring him back to health, preparing him for battle against a supernatural warrior who has taken over the region.
Review: Starting immediately after the previous chapter's cliffhanger ending, Ong Bak 3 concludes the two part period story started with Ong Bak 2. Together, they make for an ambitious, epic film of revenge and redemption that is unfortunately too concerned with tedious Buddhist philosophizing and melodrama, something that distracts from the intricate martial arts choreography. Indeed, this second act involves lots of mumbo-jumbo as our once-broken hero returns to the path of righteousness and wisdom - yeah, that may be a stretch, but not more so than the un-subtle camera shots hinting that he's the Buddha re-incarnated. No surprise, then, that the film was infamously marred by production issues, artistic disagreements and a leading man who decided to become a monk early on. But forget about all that - if you can put up with the all-too familiar plot, long-winded training / re-habilitation scenes and other vagaries, the real attraction are the riveting action sequences, and they're worth the price of admission. Martial arts prodigy Jaa (here also credited as co-writer, co-producer and co-director) once again shows off his incredible fighting skills, this time going up against his Thai action colleague Chatree (best known for Dynamite Warrior). The stunts - if not as jaw-dropping as the original - still impress and show that Jaa and company have not lost any of their prowess. The entire affair is also enhanced by solid production values and superb - often striking - cinematography, making even the boring parts look good. Better paced and executed than its direct predecessor, the capping chapter in the series still doesn't hold a candle to the ground-breaking modern-day-setting Ong Bak, but as a martial arts epic it delivers the goods.
Entertainment: 6/10

The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Voices: Vincent Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin
Directors: Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson
Plot: The greatest mouse detective of London investigates the kidnapping of a master toymaker, leading him and his comrades to a diabolical plan to replace the Queen and steal the crown.
Review: Based on Eve Titus's children's mystery book Basil of Baker Street, itself borrowing heavily from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, The Great Mouse Detective has a promising premise but lack-luster execution. This was the last animated feature from Disney's "slump" years after Walt's passing in the mid-60's and its shows: there's imagination and dashes of daring, but the film still seems constrained by a mostly leaden pacing and dismal cartoon animation that marred the previous decade's output. Fans of Doyle's famous detective will get some small kick at the in-jokes regarding the literary character, but things don't really start moving until at least the half-way point when the chase is finally on, leading the heroes into a spooky toy store, an impossible-to-escape-from mouse-trap and Buckingham Palace. As for the voice acting it's OK, if mostly uninspired, but Vincent Price - as the dastardly Rat nemesis - does his usual over-the-top performance; too bad it's not with better material. This was a springboard for co-director Clements who went on to usher in Disney's animation revival with the way-more endearing, colorful and entertaining features like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. The Great Mouse Detective has its moments of mystery and suspense, but it's no family classic: either too scary or too slow-going for kids, there's just not enough invention, thrills or laughs for repeat viewings.
Entertainment: 5/10

Somewhere (2010)
Starring: Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning, Chris Pontius
Director: Sofia Coppola
Plot: A hard-living, womanizing Hollywood actor re-examines his priorities and his life after his 11-year old daughter drops in for an extended visit.
Review: Somewhere fits squarely in the indie art-house drama category, which means it will be missed by most everybody, and that's a shame. Director Coppola, herself daughter to legendary Francis Ford Coppola - is no stranger to the vagaries of Hollywood life captures. Returning to some of the themes of her masterful Lost in Translation with her fourth film she captures with few words and little flourish a revealing look at the other side of fame, the one that isn't in the tabloids. Some audiences may be put off by how slow things move - indeed some may get impatient to get to a story - but the deliberate, European-influenced pace and narrative style allows for close observation and realization of the emptiness of a star's life and their isolation even as they're surrounded by luxury and people. Dorff plays to type and shows off some surprising dramatic chops as the selfish, ego-centric actor, living the stereotypical life of a star with his fast car, willing women, and jet-set travels. Yet even as he's adored by millions, no-one truly understands him, and only one person actually loves him for who he is. Indeed, his life is defined by his love for his daughter - played superbly by Elle Fanning - something he eventually comes to realize. At the heart of the film is their loving relationship, a down-to-earth sharing of experiences between two beings who are in on a larger joke. A bitter-sweet little movie that's well worth the effort.
Drama: 8/10

The Green Hornet (2011)
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, , 
Director: Michel Gondry
Plot: The playboy heir to an LA newspaper teams up with his late father's young assistant - a martial arts expert and mechanical genius - to fight crime as a masked duo in a souped-up car.
Review: Considering the Green Hornet's long history - first created as a 1930's radio serial, evolving to a color TV series - it's not surprising Hollywood decided to attempt another big screen franchise. With a surprising choice of director Gondry at the helm - best known for such quirky, intellectual fare like Be Kind Rewind and the masterful Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - you also know it won't be standard fare. Gondry may not be in familiar waters helming a big-budget action comedy, but his quirky style and interesting visual choices adds some spice to the otherwise straight-forward adventure. Taking cues from all the recent Marvel superhero movies, the movie also impresses with its slick production values, muscular car chases, and lots of cool fist-fights and gunplay - and these all work just right, especially when the ultra-cool, tricked-out-a-la-James-Bond super-car aptly named Black Beauty gets the lion's share. Unfortunately, as co-written and starring its personable, loud-mouthed lead, it's a Seth Rogen movie that suffers from too much Seth Rogen - his slacker persona is perhaps the element that works the least here, and the pacing suffers from too much emphasis on him, either in his general antics, in a sub-plot involving his own father issues or in his miserable attempts at seducing new employee Cameron Diaz. Trying to combine genres, the film suffers by trying to be both an Apatow-styled comedy and a witty take on the comic-book genre, neither of which ends up being engaging enough to be truly special. More interesting is Chou as Kato (the Robin to Rogen's Batman) a role made famous by Bruce Lee in the 60's live-action TV series, but he's clearly kept in the sidelines. Some intriguing cast choices also pepper the film, such as a bland Waltz as a violent but un-threatening villain, Tom Wilkinson as Dad, Edward James Olmos as the onerous editor, Edward Furlong as a junkie and an un-credited cameo by James Franco as a criminal upstart in an amusing Tarantino-esque intro scene. The studio should be applauded for getting an unexpected team of filmmakers aboard, and The Green Hornet is still entertaining, but with Gondry at the helm one expected something more original, or at least more memorable than this.
Entertainment: 6/10

*Classic* A Night at the Opera (1935)
Starring: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle, Allan Jones
Directors: Edmund Goulding, Sam Wood
Plot: A con artist joins forces with two brothers to confront an arrogant opera singer bound for glory in Manhattan, using outrageous methods in an attempt to upstage him with a tenor living in his shadow.
Review: Comedy is subjective. What one person enjoys, another one will hate. What we appreciated as children sometimes doesn't live up to our fond memories. Such is the case with A Night at the Opera, the fifth feature film starring the classic trio of the Marx Brothers, a movie often cited as not only their best comic outing (having left behind their more absurdist shenanigans) but also one of the best comedies to ever come out of Hollywood. That it's B&W and was made in the 1930's shouldn't make a difference - funny is funny. When I was young, I remember almost pissing myself laughing each time the movie aired on PBS. The Marx Bros' were irreverent, eccentric and terribly funny, managing to show great wit in dialogue with one-line zingers and amazing physical skill in the slapstick and acrobatics. Alas, as an adult the film doesn't live up to the fond memories of my childhood. Perhaps it hasn't aged well - or perhaps I haven't. The scenes that I remembered are still there: Groucho and Chico tearing up a contract piece by piece as part of negotiations, the crowded shipboard stateroom, the gypsy-led song-and-dance to "Cosi Cosa", the hotel bed-switching sequence to elude the police, and the opera climax as the trio wreck an Opera performance with Harpo swinging on fly ropes to the tune of Verdi's Il Trovatore. There's romance, musical numbers, solid production values, and lots of poking at high society and high culture. It's still an entertaining, often amusing piece of filmmaking but instead of the roars of laughter I expected to have, I could only manage the occasional guffaw and smile. Film buffs and an older generation will still appreciate the zaniness on display, and A Night at the Opera is admittedly a classic, but I can't help but see the movie with a sense of nostalgia for a time when I truly thought this was the epitome of funny.
Comedy: 6/10

Megamind (2010)
Voices: Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill
Director: Tom McGrath
Plot: After finally defeating his arch-nemesis, a super-villain faces his biggest challenge when he creates a new super-hero to relieve his boredom.
Review: An amusing, if uninspired, spoof on superhero movies - most especially Superman - Megamind milks the tale of a misunderstood Bad Guy with a heart of gold. But unlike the similar-themed Despicable Me (another 2010 release), this one lacks a distinctive style and true heart, feeling more like a mass-produced, cookie-cutter product than others of its ilk. Not that there's anything too wrong with that: the computer animated style is slick and very reminiscent to Dreamwork's own Monsters vs. Aliens; the voice cast, led by Ferrel and Fey, are terrific, and Brad Pitt - as the city's hero Metro Man - is just a great casting coup; and there's lots of super-powered mayhem and violence along with the gags. Perhaps the most interesting bit is the villain's sidekick - a sentient fish-in-a-bowl atop a hulking mechanical body. Too bad the rest of the movie - leadened by a predictable script - couldn't come up with something else just as good. And it's not a family film: there's too much violence for small kids, while the many talking bits - including a romantic interlude that actually wins our sympathy for the misunderstood "villain" of the piece - won't keep their attention all the whole way through. Megamind won't survive multiple viewings, but for a more mature audience there are chuckles galore if no real laugh-out-loud moments, and the movie's narrative - and execution - is witty enough, and characters surprisingly charming enough, to keep your attention.
Entertainment: 6/10

Shrek Forever After (2010)
Voices: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Walt Dohrn
Director: Mike Mitchell
Plot: Taking advantage of Shrek's mid-life crisis, a villainous Rumpelstiltskin tricks him into erasing his existence, casting him in a world where he was never born, Rumpelstiltskin is king and Ogres are persecuted.
Review: The supposed last entry in the very successful fairy-tale wrangling franchise, Shrek Forever After shows signs of fatigue, but still manages the right amount of laughs, adventure and sentimentality to make it an appealing affair in its own right. Taking clear inspiration from It's A Wonderful Life, the story gives our hero a chance to re-introduce himself to familiar characters (giving the only real laughs for those familiar with the past films) while providing the necessary fairy-tale moral and the latest in 3D computer animation. For sure, the pop references (in this case a vast amount of which stems from The Wizard of Oz) and the general Shrek shtick are now-all-too-familiar. But if the quips aren't quite as zingy, the humor not so forthcoming, and the groove well-worn, once the necessary opening exposition is done with the pacing proves to be tight enough and the story engaging enough to make for an entertaining outing. The filmmakers also judiciously kept some of the twists and events pretty dark and creepy considering this is aimed at family fare, one of the elements (apart from the sarcasm and evident irony) that made the past entries more palpable to more mature audiences. And the cast and characters are back and in fine form - Myers, Diaz, Murphy, Banderas - but it's story editor Walt Dohrn that really surprises in a delightfully nasty turn as Rumpelstiltskin. He's clearly the series' most interesting villain, and he steals every scene from the big green guy. Too bad the movie wasn't about him. The lack of originality isn't surprising (why risk a winning box-office formula?) but with a little more care and risk-taking, it could have been a fine send-off. As it is, Shrek Forever After does get a big climax, but it all too soon fades from memory.
Entertainment: 6/10

Love and Other Drugs (2010)
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Judy Greer
Director: Edward Zwick
Plot: A charming, womanizing pharmaceutical salesman meets his match when he falls for a free spirit, a young woman suffering from Parkinson's who won't let something like love tie her down.
Review: Love and Other Drugs is a slick, well-paced affair that consistently engages despite its shift in tone. Indeed, what's starts off as a light drama ends up squarely in the romantic comedy genre mid-way through (complete with a comic-relief supporting cast), to veer again into relationship melodrama. It's a strange venture for Zwick, a director who's better known for such macho, politically charged adventures as Glory and Blood Diamond, until you remember his roots: the 1986 dramedy About Last Night. Updating his look at relationships of (and for) a new generation (or at least a new decade), the film also crams in a social commentary on the evils of the pharmaceutical industry and their underhanded schemes to make profits. The parallel commentary on the '90s attitudes of love and cutthroat sales don't necessarily fit into one another (except to give our hero a final life choice, perhaps), but they both make for entertaining stories. It's not a deep tale of love in the time of Viagra, by any means, but it still works. But the real heart of the film are the two absolutely charming and affecting leads; as good as they are separately, Hathaway and Gyllenhaal are even better together. In fact, it's rare to see such chemistry between two young stars, but these two just click. And we get to see quite a lot of them, too (nudge-nudge), as they frolic in bed or - shockingly for an American affair - just lie around naked to have a talk post-coitus. With its humorous touches, European sense of a adult sexuality and its two charming leads, Love and Other Drugs is a refreshing, consistently enjoyable entry in the romantic drama genre.
Entertainment: 7/10

Faster (2010)
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Carla Gugino
Director: George Tillman Jr.
Plot: Tracked by a veteran cop and an egocentric hit man, an ex-con immediately sets outs to avenge his brother, murdered in a double-cross after a bank heist years before.
Review: For the most part a straight-forward, gritty and engaging revenge thriller, Faster feels more like a slick remake of a 70's movie than an ADD-edited action movie - and that's a good thing. In a very different type of outing from his Men of Honor, director Tillman avoids getting lost in camp, giving the right sensibility to the genre fare: sure there's tension as well as the mandatory brutal fighting and gunplay sequences, yet these are fewer and shorter than one would expect. In fact, there's more attention to providing depth to its characters, making the movie more involving and dramatic than your average, mindless B-movie. The mystery behind his crusade of revenge is uncovered in flashbacks as his list of victims grows, but it's predictable and eventually the script gets lost in less involving sub-plots - especially in the middle section - up until a tense confrontation with one of his targets, a man who has changed his life around. Surprisingly, Johnson has made few forays into the action genre, so it's a nice treat to see him properly cast as the unstoppable ex-con-of-few-words hell-bent on some bullet-ridden justice. And he sure drives a cool muscle car, too. Thornton brings the only real drama to the affair, slumming it as a dope-addled detective looking for one last break, and Gugino gives a nice supporting role as a fellow cop. As low-key action thrillers go, Faster fades from memory pretty quickly but while it lasts it's a welcome return for its leading man.
Entertainment: 7/10

Burlesque (2010)
Starring: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Stanley Tucci
Director: Steve Antin
Plot: A small town girl dreaming of the big time in show business ends up as a waitress in a burlesque club, waiting for her chance to join in as a dancer and singer on stage. 
Review: The latest cinematic musical, Burlesque, definitely has the right pedigree - two pop star divas, a bevy of dance numbers, and enough funny stuff (intentional and not) to make it work. Channeling Cabaret, however, doesn't mean it's a classic by any means; for that it's clearly missed the mark. The story of small-town-girl-makes-good-in-big-city is generic and more than banal, as is the story's required romantic plot (here it's channeling Showgirls!) - and the script gives some laughable dialogue. Thankfully writer / director Antin puts as much energy and humor in the production as he can muster and this, along with the double-dose of cheesiness, make up for much - and some of those one-liners are pretty good. If the choreography is not very inventive and the songs never quite catchy, the muscial numbers do have the glitz and naughtiness you'd expect from a burlesque revue. Head-liner Aguilera excels in the song-and-dance bits, and clearly her talents is on display during these sequences; the rest, not so much, though even a good actress might have struggled with the paper-thin characterization. The aging Cher looks as scary as ever, and it looks like she's had too much botox - her facial expressions are hard to discern - but she can still sing a storm. Tucci, however, is simply terrific and a joy to watch in every scene - sure he's repeating his stereotypical gay-man role he did so well in The Devil Wears Prada, but he gets more laughs than all the other characters combined. It's too shallow to make it enticing, but Burlesque has enough camp and pizzazz to make it a cult favorite. Too bad it feels like a missed opportunity.
Entertainment: 5/10

Summer Wars (Japan - 2009)
Voices: Michael Sinterniklaas, Brina Palencia, Pam Doughtery
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Plot: As a favor to a girl he likes, a young programmer agrees to pretend to be her boyfriend during her family reunion, but when a dangerous artificial intelligence tries to take over the Web, he an her family must oppose it at all costs.
Review: A critical and box-office hit in Japan, Summer Wars is a surprisingly effective - and endearing - family drama filled with high-tech adventure. Despite the familiar elements, director Hosoda (who did the award-winning The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) refuses to follow the typical clichés of the genre, and the plot is thick with ideas and opportunity. Taking notes from anime master Hayao Miyazaki in his care in portraying the the clan's family dynamics, yet gives it a life of his own; if there are too many characters to get into any depth on any one, they still feel more than single-dimension creations. The main theme here - the "War" of the title - isn't the one fought with bits and bytes but the disparity between the traditional and the digital; the 90-year old matriarch's home and well-kept gardens is in stark contrast to the modern world, and the cell phones and laptops seem to be an intrusion. But instead of losing their humanity in the Web, the people here keep their individuality, their sense of belonging, and fight for a common goal against an impending technical apocalypse. As for the frenetic, video-game battles in cyber-space, they're pretty much on par with the zaniest Mario Bros fare we've known and loved from the land of the Rising Sun - the zany avatars are scarily cute, the odds daunting and the battles impossible. They don't push the bar, but then the film's real focus, and winning element, is on the emotional bond between the living. Relying on cel-based animation throughout allows for broader strokes and more care to the story - silent moments in the "real" world are easier to accept when the images are not digitized to eye-blistering degree, while the computer-aided (not created) bouts in the parallel world are stylized and fluid. It might just have been a budget constraint, but the film is all the better for it. Fun, engaging and quirky like the best of the anime genre, Summer Wars is one of the best anime features of recent years. 
Entertainment: 8/10

Inside Job (2010)
Director: Charles Ferguson
Plot: Starting from the housing bubble pop, a look into the corrupt Wall Street culture that led to the 2008 financial meltdown, a crisis that cost over $20 trillion, millions of jobs and nearly resulted in a global financial collapse.
Review: Most of us don't quite understand what exactly happened to cause the financial crisis of 2008 - the worst since the Great Depression of 1929. What exactly went wrong? Where were the government regulators? Didn't we learn from past mistakes, such as the S&L scandal of 1989? The Oscar-winning Inside Job has the answers, and it's a damning one. Following up on his 2007 doc No End In Sight (which slammed the Bush administration and made the Iraq war clear to many) director / provocateur Ferguson takes his righteous indignation (and whip-smart intellect) looking for accountability. Taking his search to the US, Europe, and Asia, he goes straight to the jugular during interviews with key experts and many of the people responsible for the current state of disarray. From detailing the financial instruments known as derivatives, to the increasing deregulation by successive governments in cahoots with rogue financial businesses like Goldman Sachs, to a detailed description of the deceptions and frauds instigated by an elite few, we get a terrifying picture of a global economic system that's - at best - so complex that no-one can determine the impact of singular events or - at worse - has become the playground for rich Wall Street bankers with no morals. With incredible access to the world economic experts, politicians and businessmen that shaped the current system, Fergusson gives us an unprecedented, absolutely horrifying look at Wall Street greed, excess and plain stupidity. Perhaps the worse part of all is that the people who got us into this mess are still walking free, their millions intact, and their stooges still set policy in high government positions. It's a travesty. A slick, fast-paced carnival ride into the biggest economic fiasco in history, Inside Job will leave you flustered and angry - as we should be.
Documentary: 8/10

Buried (2010)
Starring: Ryan Reynolds
Director: Rodrigo Cortés
Plot: After his convoy is attacked, a civilian US Contractor working as a trucker in Iraq is buried in a coffin and held for ransom, with a cell phone his only lifeline to the outside.
Review: A film where all the action takes place in a box, with only one actor on screen, probably doesn't sound very suspenseful. And so the surprise with Buried is that it's exactly that - a low-budget thriller that uses inventiveness to make up for its restrictions. Sure, the expected mainstream clichés do make their appearance - the cell phone has poor reception and a draining battery, there's dwindling oxygen, crawling critters... you get the idea. But what the script also has is tension brought on by a plot straight from Iraq headlines, one that's also a mystery, piecing together the clues to explain his predicament, how he go there, and why - and most of all, how is he going to get out. Unlike other films, or other directors' take, Spanish director Cortés ensures the camera and the audience never escape the confines of the coffin during the film's entire running length, a taunt 90 minutes of "real time" narrative; there are no flashbacks, cut scenes or anything that distract from the tight confines of the minimal set. There are lots of cinematic flourishes, of course, to keep things visually interesting: light plays a big part (coming from various sources such as flashlight, lighter, cell screen, etc), as does the sound editing (there's no score) and the use of some extreme close-ups. It's all to make sure the feeling of claustrophobia and panic is perfectly captured, and it does. At the heart, though, is Reynolds who proves his capabilities as an actor; no matter the direction, you need to believe his desperation to get taken in by the story, and he does a fine performance that gives the script its due. There's no easy resolution here, and the final twist - if not unexpected - is still a doozy. And that's perhaps the best thing of the film; despite its limited mainstream appeal, it's a smart take on the subject and a mostly original genre entry. It's not Shakespeare, but it's unflinching, edge of your seat entertainment.
Entertainment: 7/10

Carlos (France / Germany - 2010)
Starring: Édgar Ramírez, Alexander Scheer, Alejandro Arroyo
Director: Olivier Assayas
Plot: The real-life story of the Venezuelan revolutionary dubbed “Carlos the Jackal” whose operations of terror and assassination spanned the globe from the 1970’s to the late 80’s.
Review: From all counts, Carlos (his "nom de guerre") was a brazen, audacious - and finally egotistical - young man who spouted anti-imperialist ideology and joined the ranks for the Palestinian cause, quickly proving himself a smart, if rogue, operative who loved the media spotlight. Rising quickly through audacious missions of assassination and terror, the film intricately presents what is the highlight of the film, and of his career: the raid on the 1975 OPEC meeting and the ensuing political repercussions (and failures) for its captors. And that's where the film excels: it's not only a dynamite portrait of this international assassin but also a intriguing look at the Middle-Eastern political landscape, as he changed “handlers” and operations from Irak, to Libya, to anyone who would still pay for his services - no matter the cause. As directed by French director Assayas (Irma Vep), this audacious, globe-trotting adventure into the career of one of Europe's most wanted men is a standout; though Assayas presents the events surrounding his career with vivid, well-researched (and often scary) detail full of violence and sex, it's the script's sub-text and portrait of its subject, warts and all, that really grabs our attention. Though edited from the three-part, 330-minute TV series into a 160-minute theatrical feature, the film version loses nothing of its hypnotic allure. And the cinematography, from the washed-out, sun-drenched Middle-East to the 70's-era streets of Europe, is impeccable. At the center, though, is Ramírez who brilliantly portrays the infamous terrorist in each of his three stages of adult life – as a fearless young idealist, as a glory hound and, finally, as a pariah and political liability. Through him, we see the a young man full of spit and vinegar change into a sad middle-aged man who's been made irrelevant by the changing social and political landscapes. A bravura biography that is less dramatized than we care to believe, Carlos is his definitive cinematic biography.
Drama: 8/10

Let Me In (2010)
Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Kodi-Smit McPhee
Director: Matt Reeves
Plot: As bizarre murders hit a small New Mexico town, a fragile, bullied 12-year-old boy finds a kindred spirit in his new neighbor, a strange young girl who just happens to be a vampire.
Review: A respectable American remake of the spellbinding 2008 film Let The Right One In, itself an adaptation of the Swedish novel of the same name, is for the most part a copy of the original - only made in English for local consumption. Much like its predecessor, this version is an atmospheric, very different take on the Vampire genre that makes careful use of its limited dialogue and special effects to help enhance the story. Though the vampire lore is left intact - there's murder, supernatural feats and lots of blood - the story is, foremost, a drama of an improbable friendship between a bullied, lonely 12-year old boy and a much older vampire, trapped in the body of a young girl. Balancing between terror and tenderness, the two child actors do well in their respective roles, and capture the required sensitivity and naturalism for the relationship to work. The sepia-tinted look proves to be visually adequate to the tone of the story, too, and director Reeves (Cloverfield) provides a slickly shot product in a manner that reminds one of recent remakes of 1970's horror. The downside to this version is that the pacing feels more deliberate (read "slow") than it should, the child actors aren't up to the mesmerizing quality of the original children, and the script insists on explaining things better left unsaid. Be that as it may, understatement is not a Hollywood forte, and for audiences new to the story Let Me In will prove to be an original experience that lives up to its tagline as a "dark and violent love story". For more adventurous audiences, a search through video store shelves to see the more exciting original, Let The Right One In, is definitely in the cards.
Entertainment / Drama: 6/10

A Night to Remember (1958)
Starring: Kenneth More, Ronald Allen, Robert Ayres
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Plot: A depiction of the events and the disastrous consequences of poor preparation that led to the eventual sinking of the Titanic on her maiden voyage in April 1912 from the perspective of the passengers and crew.
Review: Based on Walter Lord's meticulously-researched book, and the clear inspiration for James Cameron 1997 blockbuster Titanic, A Night to Remember is perhaps the most straight-forward and revealing depiction of the 1912 maritime disaster ever put to the screen. Where it may lack some of the technical and stylish flourishes of its successor, it makes up for in similarly lavish decors (it was one of the most expensive British films of the time) and a less melodramatic view of the events and of the era's social injustices - and it packs just as much of a punch for it. Like all the best disaster films, the movie presents a multitude of characters from different backgrounds and social standings, all thrown into a desperate situation. Sticking as close to the facts as possible and interspersing events with a multitude of true anecdotes, however, means the film rings of authenticity and proves that reality is more compelling than any drama. Working from a tight, suspenseful script by acclaimed thriller writer Eric Ambler, director Baker's no-nonsense approach provides a you-are-there feeling of urgency to the proceedings, and a better understanding of all the human failings - from pride and inexperience to the unprecedented industrial-age hubris from both the crew and passengers - that led to such an incredible loss of life. More than 50 years after its release, A Night to Remember is still the definitive account of the most infamous maritime disaster in history, an intelligent, vivid drama that is a strong antidote to the Hollywood attempts at its recreation.
Drama: 8/10

Winter's Bone (2010)
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Garret Dillahunt 
Director: Debra Granik
Plot: A teen living in a closed Missouri community is forced to find the whereabouts of her estranged father, a local meth maker, before a judge evicts her and her young siblings from their house.
Review: Based on the brutal 2006 novel by Daniel Woodrell, Winter's Bone is a potent, unflinching look at the poor rural families of the Missouri backwoods, a place where an unwritten law of silence keeps the community in check. The film grabs you from the very start with its stark, chilly cinematography and intimate portrayal of the closed community, a place where mistrust is prevalent. Director Granik doesn't shy away from the brutal realities of this society, one where inter-breeding, poverty and generations of secrets has poisoned all who live there. It's a violent, male-dominated world, clearly, but it's the power structure created by the women, working and manipulating behind the scenes, that is the most intriguing. The film is constructed like a murder mystery replete with suspects and dangerous situations, but our heroine is no detective. Indeed, our guide through this harsh landscape is a sharp 17-year old teen who's older than her years, and whose hard-headedness and perseverance - mostly brought on by desperation - pushes her to confront the criminal subculture, where questions can get you beaten up, or worse. The young Lawrence is simply spell-binding in a performance as rugged as her surroundings, showing only a few instances where her inner child breaks through her hard exterior. In the end, the tragedy is that she's not only a product of this society, but she's one of them as well. The rest of the cast is quite convincing, too, with her volatile, junkie uncle - vividly portrayed by John Hawkes - being the most memorable; he's her only support, but he's scary as the people she's going after. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, and well worth the accolades.
Drama: 8/10

Power Kids (Thailand - 2009)
Starring: Nantawooti Boonrapsap, Sasisa Jindamanee, Pimchanok Leuwisetpaiboon
Director: Krissanapong Rachata
Plot: Four children tutored in Thai martial arts infiltrate a big-city hospital seized by well-armed rebels in order to retrieve a donor heart for their youngest member before he dies of cardiac complications.
Review: From the makers of such Thai action hits as Ong Bak and Chocolate, you could almost call Power Kids an "Ong Bak" for the pre-teen generation, with the expectation of a family-friendly martial arts comedy in the vein of 3 Ninjas... except that amongst the kid-friendly slapstick humor and melodrama is enough brutal fighting, bloody gun-battles and general viciousness - especially in the second half of the film, when the story turns serious - that the film would get slapped with a PG-13 before it ever got to local theaters. The production values are only so-so, and first-time director Racheta hasn't got the hang of proper pacing, but it moves along well enough to avoid looking around for the fast-forward button. The kid (and adult) acting isn't great by any means, and the plot and script are feeble at best, but the martial arts choreography featuring the four young, pint-sized Muay Thai pros is something to behold. Indeed, if not quite up to the incredible, intricate stunts of their older brethren, there's still more high-powered kicking, face-beating, and bone-crunching, window-shattering hand-to-hand combat than most Hollywood knock-offs can muster. With a running time shorter than most animated features (it's under 75 minutes) and enough fight sequences to keep genre fans entertained through the non-action lulls, Power Kids is an entertaining-enough genre flick for fans looking for a late-night action fix - just don't bring the kids.
Entertainment: 5/10

The Tourist (2010)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Paul Bettany
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Plot: A mysterious woman whose boyfriend has stolen millions from a gangster takes up with a complete stranger, an American widower on his way to Venice, to shake off both Interpol and the criminals by making them think he's the thief.
Review: After making such an impression with the powerful East-German-set drama The Lives of Others, the 2007 Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, it's perhaps clear how German writer / director von Donnersmarck could have gone so wrong with a romantic-comedy-thriller starring two of cinema's biggest stars, Jolie and Depp. Based on the 2005 French thriller Anthony Zimmer starring Sophie Marceau, he clearly set out to modify his adaptation in order to do an old-fashioned Hollywood romantic thriller, replete with an easy pacing and retro-like stage lighting. We could almost see Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn playing this in the 1960's... Wait, in fact, they did: it was the 1963 classic Charade, a film that had more verve, cosmopolitan style and entertainment value than this latest "remake" could ever hope for. The limited action set-pieces don't help bring any needed excitement to the proceedings (the most impressive of which are a ho-hum chase through Venice rooftops in pajamas and a rather silly, speed-less waterbus race across the city's canals), and the cast of supporting, chasing characters - from the bulldog Bettany as a Scotland Yard inspector and Steven Berkoff as a Brit billionaire surrounded by Russian thugs - don't leave much of an impression. The real mystery isn't so much where Jolie's character's loyalties are as much as how von Donnersmarck managed to make two if the most glamorous of actors bring out so little chemistry on screen - it's a crime. Still, there's some residual charm in seeing these two beautiful actors spar and somehow fall for each other. And few can help but endear to Depp's character, a math teacher and widower who's caught up in so much more than he could possibly have expected. Unfortunately, any goodwill that has been amassed over the course of the film disappears with the final revelation; it's a complete cheat, dismissing all that's gone before and insulting its audience. Way to go, D.
Entertainment: 4/10

Collapse (2009)
Starring: Michael Ruppert 
Director: Chris Smith
Plot: Documentary explores the apocalyptic predictions spanning the crises in economics, energy, environment and more of cop-turned-reporter Michael Ruppert, who postulates that our dependence on oil - in all its forms - is leading us to social collapse. 
Review: Economic crisis, overpopulation, oil dependence and the fall of the world's industrial and economic infrastructure - all these subjects tie into one assured, eye-opening, frightening and all-too believable apocalyptic scenario offered by Michael Ruppert, the subject of the documentary Collapse. An ex-LA cop and self-titled 30-year investigative journalist, Ruppert claims to have predicted the 2008 financial crisis and has culled facts and analyses that supports his main claim, that we've reached "peak oil". The idea goes something like this: one, the products derived from oil are ever-present; two, our society is based on infinite (continued) growth and can only be sustained as long as oil production continues; three, we've reached the peak of oil production and reserves are now dwindling, no matter the efforts to find new reserves; conclusion: we have started a spiral into disaster, where our belief in infinite growth is colliding with the fact of finite resources. Worse, there's little we - or the governments - can do, or are willing to do, to prevent it. Doomsayer, alarmist, paranoid, prophet or thinker, whatever words used to describe him, his analysis is hard to refute, and it's shocking in its realization - forget An Inconvenient Truth: this is the true End of the World. Culled and edited from 15 hours of interview (in fact, mostly monologue), documentary director Smith (American Movie, The Yes Men) gives a no-nonsense portrait of the man in the headlights. Ruppert makes an impassioned, well-researched and well-thought out plea to wake up before it's too late for us as individuals - it's already too late for us as a society. When he's not ranting, he's chain-smoking and thoughtful and - as superbly, compellingly captured by the camera - he's incredibly vulnerable, too, an angry, lonely, broken man whose anger at the establishment belies his own isolation. Perhaps that's the portrait that Smith wants to invoke to downplay the words, but it's not the messenger that impresses, nor the movie despite its flourishes and montages, as much as the devastating message: The world establishment is one big pyramid scheme that's going to topple and bring us all down with it. What are we doing about it?
Documentary: 8/10

Fish Story (Japan - 2009)
Starring: Vincent Giry, Gaku Hamada, Atsushi Itô
Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura
Plot: In 1975, a punk-rock band records a ill-fated song that affects the lives of those that hear it changes and, 37 years later, changes the course of history as a comet hurls towards Earth.
Review: Adapted from the writings of Isaka Kotaro, Fish Story is the somewhat droll, multi-narrative tale of a pop song and how it saved the world. Bookended by a story of impending Armageddon (reference intended), as two music fans wait for the eventual end of the world, the film presents three different plot-lines in different eras, all with a sci-fi tone to them. The most interesting, and most realistic, is a dramatization of the creation process of the failed, amateur-league punk-rock band and their manager, culminating into a fateful recording session. The tale of the band and its members could have been enough to make a movie, but the reason for the rest of the disjointed stories isn't clear until the very end, when they all prove to be somewhat loosely connected by this one catchy tune. There's a good cast here all ably directed by Nakamura, and the occasional weirdness makes for quirky, humorous story-telling keeps it watchable. Alas, it's too leisurely paced to be fully engaging, and perhaps too off-kilter to make it to the mainstream. Still, perhaps music can save the world in the most unexpected of ways, and every act of resistance against greater forces (no matter what they are) defines us as human beings. Fish Story may not be up to that ambitious premise, but it's an easy-going, offbeat affair that's worth a gander.
Entertainment: 5/10

The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Starring: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo
Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Plot: Two teens conceived by artificial insemination and living with their two moms, a middle-aged lesbian couple, track down their biological father and bring him into their family life with dramatic repercussions.
Review: A sentimental, well written and well acted modern-day drama with indie roots, The Kids Are All Right may appear to be perfect fodder for high concept comedy. What's refreshing is that it's an exploration of sexuality, modern-day social mores, and the idea of the post-nuclear family with all its ups and downs - with a nice, balanced dose of humor, too. At the heart of the movie is the intricate relationships between the characters and most especially the pairing of Bening and Moore as, respectively, serious Family-Earner Mom and Stay-at-Home-New-Age Mom. The two actresses are splendid and convincing, and their pairing never feels less than authentic. In supporting roles, the teenage kids, especially Mia Wasikowska, are well-adjusted and endearing. Ruffalo, well, he's not really asked to make much of a stretch in playing the cad, and comes off as a tool to push the right buttons in this family's ties. Director Cholodenko (Laurel Canyon) takes some calculated risks with the subject matter and gets that extra effort from her cast, but by trying to appeal to mainstream audiences, she never quite reaches the potential in her material. In the end, the movie does a fine job of playing the heartstrings and manages to have a fresh viewpoint to boot, mostly thanks to its excellent star pairing and too-rare portrait of a stable and loving lesbian couple. It's not brash enough or revealing enough in its dealings with its characters to be Oscar material (no matter its nomination for Best Picture) but it's a nice, easy-going family drama that has as many laughs as it has tearful moments.
Drama: 7/10

Cargo (2009)
Starring: Martin Rapold, Michael Finger, Claude-Oliver Rudolph
Directors: Ivan Engler, Ralph Etter
Plot: A young medical officer, the only one awake on a cargo ship carrying building supplies to an unmanned space station, begins to feel that she is not alone on-board, raising questions as to what their cargo truly is.
Review: An independent Swiss sci-fi flick, the ambitious, epic-scaled Cargo is quite a rarity as far the European genre goes. The fact that it's a pretty darn good film is even more impressive. Doing well with its limited budget, the visuals of space-faring vessels and cold interiors allows the film to drip with the same claustrophobic atmosphere that has become standard fare ever since Alien first scared us silly back in 1979. Less an Alien clone, however, than an answer to the under-rated Sunshine, the film strives to keep its twists within the realm of believability. There's nothing supernatural here, and the monsters are of the human variety. Though the real "secret" conspiracy is pretty much telegraphed from the get-go - complete with modern-day concerns of terrorism and ecological collapse - the game of cat-and-mouse is well enough executed, and the mystery in engaging enough to keep our interest. If the over-plotted ending isn't quite as satisfying - there's too many coincidences added just to ratchet up some clichéd suspense during a space walk - most of the film does deliver the goods. And for that, Cargo is worth a look for discerning sci-fi enthusiasts.
Entertainment: 6/10

TRON (1982)
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner
Director: Steven Lisberger
Plot: After his body is forcefully digitized into a virtual world, a hacker joins forces with the emobidment of a security software to thwart the plans of a power-hungry, self-aware computer program.
Review: Hailed as the first true cyber-fantasy, TRON was somewhat of a flop on its initial release, though for tech-geeks everywhere (young and old) it was a glimpse at the future of movie-making. The story itself is pure Disney family-friendly hokum, and the actors - including a way-too-young Bridges, in complete nerd mode - clearly don't take any of this seriously, nor should the audience. It's the use of what was state-of-the-art computer graphics back in the early 80's (along with other more classic animation and effects) that really marked it as a watershed motion picture. The film also distinguished itself with its conceptualization of avatars interacting in a virtual world (an event that didn't become common-place until decades later) and its stylized vision of what that world would be. Sure, director Lisberger may have focused too much on these evocative, surreal visuals to the detriment of the characters, but there's a sense of wonder and adventure that remains as the "programs" fight their way to the Big Boss villain, even for us jaded 21st century audiences. The most memorable scenes, however, are those of the gladiatorial scenes of video-game combat, as our heroes are forced to fight to the death with light disks, get chased by virtual tanks, and - best of all - compete in light cycle races. This last one, in particular, became synonymous with the franchise and spawned its own popular video game. Even if TRON may feel somewhat quaint by current blockbuster standards, it's an important milestone in FX-driven cinema and still a hoot to watch.
Entertainment: 6/10

The American (2010)
Starring: George Clooney, Paolo Bonacelli, Violante Placido
Director: Anton Corbijn
Plot: After an attempt on his life, a veteran assassin hides out in the Italian countryside but his attempts at laying low are thwarted by an assignment to build a made-to-order weapon and his growing attachment to a local prostitute.
Review: An unexpected, mature thriller adapted from Martin Booth’s 1990 novel A Very Private Gentleman, The American is a small-scale Hollywood confection with a decidedly European flair. Structured like a Sergio Leone western (there's even an unsubtle reference to Once Upon A Time in the West), the film takes a "less is more" approach. Indeed, director Corbjin (Control) has created a film that looks and feels like a movie made in the '70s; it's perfectly, deliberately paced, and the atmosphere of constant paranoia and potential danger adds great suspense, with little explanatory (or otherwise unnecessary) dialogue. There's minimal use of music, too, allowing for the striking cinematography and editing to take the forefront. The sleepy Italian village, with its sinewy, barely lighted cobbled streets and rural feel, is a character on its own, adding to the film's down-to-earth feel. If your expectation is for spectacle or action, then stay away: the three action sequences are violent, powerful and quickly over; they exist more as a reminder of the overhanging danger than for their own sake. The real selling point, however, is the film's leading man. In a departure from his charming rogue persona, Clooney comes off admirably as the brooding hit-man looking for redemption, a man filled with coiled tension who must constantly look over his shoulder. Many comparisons have been made to Alain Delon's character in the Jean-Pierre Melville's French thriller Le Samourai, and it's a good one. There are only a handful of supporting characters, but they're well fleshed out: Bonacelli, as a friendly local priest who dispenses psychological platitudes, Thekla Reuten as a glamorous fellow assassin, and the ravishing, sweet Placido as his romantic liaison who has as much screen time topless as not. If there's a downside it's that the film is not commercially viable for the mainstream, meaning many audiences won't get a chance to see it. For everyone looking for a remedy to the fast, loud blockbusters of the summer, The American is just the ticket.
Entertainment: 7/10

Easy A (2010)
Starring: Emma Stone, Thomas Haden Church, Stanley Tucci
Director: Will Gluck
Plot: After faking losing her virginity to a fellow student to help his social standing, a clean-cut high-schooler becomes the focus of increasing gossip and enmity when she decides to perpetuate the rumors to advance her social and financial standing.
Review: Much like Clueless was a comic adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma made for teen audiences, so Easy A is for the classic Nathaniel Hawthorne novel The Scarlet Letter. But where the former wallowed in the silliness and naiveté of its central character, Easy A instead focuses on a young woman whose clearly smarter than the people around her, and whose well-thought choices showing off her girl-power are an affront to her peers - the humor is that, unlike the audience, they don't get the joke. Of course, the book's themes of adultery, religious hypocrisy and criticisms of social mores are somewhat diluted to fit under the auspices of a modern-day high school environment, where rumors can spread with just a few texted words and a student's reputation is easily ground to dirt. Referencing the original work often, the parallels are clearly established giving the film an added heft. Producer / director Gluck (whose only other directing credit is Fired Up!) proves adept at balancing the teen angst and comedy that seems to escape most Hollywood filmmakers, and he manages his stellar cast with aplomb. Indeed, the supporting players are a hoot with the likes of Church (the cool literature teacher), Kudrow (the bitchy student counselor) and the too-good-to-be-true pairing of Tucci and Clarkson as the smart, funny and way-too-understanding parents. The main attraction, however, is the oh-so-expressive Emma Stone who easily manages a winning, sympathetic performance. Smart, engaging and entertaining, Easy A is a superb example of a mainstream teen comedy. Now why can't Hollywood produce more of these?
Entertainment: 7/10

Home / Latest Reviews / Review Library
Now Playing / Coming Soon / BLOG / Top 20 Lists
Hong Kong Cinema! / Film Fests / FAQ / Favorite Links