Taken
Plot: Bryan is a former FBI agent now working security jobs to be close to his daughter, Kim, who lives with her mother and rich step-father. When Kim wants to go to Paris with her friend Amanda, Bryan reluctantly lets her. However, Kim and Amanda are ‘spotted’ at the airport they end up kidnapped and sold into the white slave trade. Bryan uses all his resources to track down the kidnappers and rescue his daughter.
My Thoughts: Even though this got a bad review in the paper, I actually enjoyed the story. Liam Neeson’s acting is a little wooden, but I did believe his relationship with his daughter. There is plenty of action, fights and gunfire. The story is simple, and a little bit too tidy; he manages to track the baddies down quite easily! Plus it was lucky that his daughter was the last one to be sold!
If you like a bit of thriller action and are not too worried about plot holes then this is worth a watch. Plus there is a cameo for Holly Valence (of Neighbours) playing a pop star!
Best Bit: The action in the construction yard (Don’t worry about how he got there) And I did like Bryan’s relationship with his daughter- especially at the birthday party.
Score: 7/10
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Taken
@ 2008-09-28 – 19:08:59
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Tropic Thunder
@ 2008-09-21 – 14:57:00
Tropic Thunder
Plot: A group of actors head off into Vietnam to make movie of the book of the survival of one Vietnam hero – Four-leaf Tayback(Nick Nolte). As the director Cockburn (Steve Coogan) struggles with the diva attitudes of his cast (Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Junior, Jack Black), Four-leaf suggests they send the actors into the jungle for real with hidden cameras, to get the real emotion! Once in the jungle, the actors find themselves in the middle of a drugs operation with real armed guerrillas! With hostages, explosions and over the top acting, will the actors manage to escape?
My Thoughts: There are laughs right from the very start of the movie as we see the actors in their most recent roles! My favourite was Satan’s Alley! The story is well developed even if it is a bit silly in places. However, the silliness is funny and you can’t help but laugh- like when Ben Stiller is made to perform his flop film ‘Simple Jack’. The interplay between the characters is very well done, especially between Alpa Chino and Kirk Lazarus, who is so into his character that he has had his skin surgically darkened for the role. Jack Black does well, but I felt his character was underused. There is even a great tongue in cheek role for Tom Cruise as a balding Jewish film producer!
ON the whole, this is a must see film - great comedy, scripting and acting.
Best bits: There are so many. The introductory previews; Steve Coogan’s Head (If you’ve seen it you know), ‘Simple Jack’, the backstabbing baby, and Tom Cruise pimping his style.
Score: 9/10 -
Pineapple Express
@ 2008-09-14 – 19:19:42
Pineapple Express
Plot: When pot smoking process server Dale witnesses a drug related murder he leaves behind a cigarette at the scene. The cigarette contains a rare blend of Marijuana known as Pineapple Express. Drug baron (and murderer) Ted Jones, traces the pot back to Dales dealer Saul (via Sauls dealer Red). From then on, both Saul and Dale are on the run trying not to get killed (by either Ted or his Chinese rivals) and enjoying some pot along the way.
My thoughts: The film started quite slowly and I was unsure how the story would unfold. However I was pleasantly surprised. Both Dale and Sean spend the film high which leads to some interesting male bonding exchanges and some paranoid conversations. Also there are some nice scenes with Dale’s college student girlfriend, especially when Dale eventually goes round to dinner. The interplay between the characters is well done (if a little bizarre at times) and there is enough action to keep you involved. The story is both ridiculous and touching (It’s basically a buddy movie with guns and explosions)
On the whole, it is an off the wall comedy that is definitely worth a viewing.
Best Bit: The cop car chase. When Saul puts his foot through the windscreen is the first moment that I laughed out loud!
Score: 7/10 -
Disaster Movie
@ 2008-09-13 – 20:19:44
Disaster Movie
Plot: Er…. Some lame movie/personality piss-takes in th guise of a comedy. Some fake meteors and some shaky camerawork supposedly add to the menace, as four teens (??) battle with armageddon and some bad spoofs
My thoughts: And I thought Date Movie was bad! Too any movie parodies that don’t really hit the mark. No story apart from the lame idea of the world ending. There was an interesting moment near the end with some Indiana Jones connection, but not much. The 8 year olds in the audience laughed at the burping Amy Winehouse. Could do a lot better. Even the end song about dating wasn’t inspiring.
Overall, I wouldn’t bother with it really.
Best bit: Amy Winehouse was interesting. And some of the cast were nice to look at.. And the fight with the Sex in the City girls (??) wasn’t awful.
Score: 3/10 -
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
@ 2008-08-30 – 20:34:53
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Plot: Anakin Skywalker and his new apprentice Ashoka Tano, have been sent to find Jabba the Hutt’s missing son, who has been kidnapped by the evil Dooku and is plotting to frome the Jedi for his kidnap. Meanwhile. Obi Wan has to convince Jabba that the Jedi are not involved so that they can secure the Outer Rim which Jabba controls.
My Thoughts: Firstly this is an animation and doesn’t use the voice actors of all the main characters- which is a bit of a let down. The story is quite simple and fun in places- especially with the Baby Hutt. There are some good action sequences but nothing outstanding. This feels more like an elongated cartoon than an animated movie. There is little emotion or heart to it- (except for the slight hint at the end when Padme got involved)
On the whole, a fun excursion back into the world of Star wars and fans will enjoy the new story, but your best to wait until it comes out on TV
Best Bit: Jabba’s camp and evil (Hooded claw anyone?) nephew Zero the Hutt. It’s pantomime really
Score: 6/10 -
Get Smart
@ 2008-08-26 – 11:50:48
Get Smart
Plot: Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell), a man who puts the anal in analyst, dreams of being a Control agent, just like his friend Agent 23 (The Rock). When the identities of the agents are leaked, he gets his wish and he teams up with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) to infiltrate KAOS headquarters and discover the truth about their nuclear activity. Together they uncover a plot to blow up the president.
My Thoughts: Get Smart was a great comedy spy show from the 60’s and in my opinion this film does capture that sense of fun very well. There are some nice comic moments, brilliantly played by Carell (you may have guessed but I am a fan) and some great action scenes. The plot is a little ‘lacking’ in depth- they do find the hideouts a bit too quickly! But the fun is in the action- such as the dance scene and crossing the lasers. There are a few silly moments which I could have done without – such as the scene in the cabinet room when the KAOS agent makes his threat.
This is definitely one to watch with the family, and I hope there are more in the pipeline
Best Bit: Lots to choose from. Definitely the dance off was a highlight and the car chase finale. But Steve Carell is excellent
Score: 8/10 -
The X-Files: I want to believe
@ 2008-08-16 – 10:28:33
The X-Files: I want to believe
Plot: Agent Scully and Mulder are asked to return to help the FBI when an agent goes missing, and a psychic Father Joe(Billy Connolly) leads them to a severed arm buried in the snow. The severed arm has wounds similar to the weapon found at the missing agent’s house. Mulder has to decide whether the psychic is real or is in fact linked to the crimes. Scully is far from convinced, especially when she finds out that Father Joe is a paedophile. Very soon there are more body parts uncovered and it leads to a rather disturbing conclusion.
My Thoughts: When I came out of the film there were people coming out moaning about how rubbish it was. And maybe I can see their point of view. It has good points and bad points. For the negative, the plot is around a psychic who can see through the eye of a killer and human vivisection. There are no aliens, no monsters, no chases and no gun fights (which is a relief because Mulder always lost his gun), but I my opinion the plot is true to old x-files as there were cases like this in the TV series. Also there was a sub-plot involving Scully, who is now a surgeon and has a case of a dying boy, who everyone (except her) feels they should let die in peace. This sub-plot distracts Scully from the main ‘chase’ of the film and therefore there isn’t as much interplay between Mulder and Scully. I can see why some viewers were disappointed by the film.
I was not disappointed by the film. I thought it was a very clever dark film that tapped into a more psychological aspect (regarding human nature), but you had to watch carefully. There were plot points that I was still trying to untangle even after the film had finished. There were moments of shock- (the first time I realised the guy had a woman’s arm! And the elevator shaft was unexpected. As a film, you don’t need to have seen the series, and it reintroduces Mulder and Scully back to the viewing audience. But I will be very disappointed if this is the only film they make! If it is (the last) then they have missed some great opportunities. I hope not, because one of the things the film has done is made me hungry for more.
Best bit: Scully confronts Father Joe after something he said to her. Oh, and the shot of President Bush’s photo- had the cinema laughing!
Score: 8/10
