GI Joe
In the moment of watching it, I was reasonably entertained. Decent fun saturday morning cartoon type of a movie. I'm sure if I really think about it, and if I watched it again I would find fault after fault, but I'm just gonna let it be.
The Ugly Truth
Cruder than I was expecting (not that there's anything wrong with crude, just surprising in a romcom). Some poor portrayals of people, especially women, but watchable, with plenty for cynics, such as me and my friend, to mock.
The Time Traveller's Wife
Decent film, handled the silly premise well, the scenes where he talks to his wife when she was 6 weren't as creepy as I thought they'd be. Doesn't really try to explain or expand on the hows and whys of the time travel, free will v fate etc. but this isn't the film for it.
Pretty decent film.
Aliens in the attic
Harmless and forgettable fun. More for the kids though.
Bandslam
The promotion for this film made me think it was a cheap attempt to capture the high school musical, especially with the focus on Vanessa Hudgens. Then I discovered it was directed by Todd Graff who is responsible for the indie cult Camp.
I was surprised, this didn't have the usual tone that kids films have. There ere a lot of similarities to Camp, the main character was a kind hearted boy who is never himself always trying to please everyone, the romance story follows the typical format but does so in a way that feels fresh and doesn't overshadow the story.
The way the film treats romance is kinda how it treats it's main story in that it follows a familiar pattern, but feels original.
Like with Camp the film builds, it took me a while to get into it, but as the film progresses I enjoyed it more and more.
Don't let the Vanessa Hudgens heavy promo put you off this. It's a pretty decent film.
Bit of a movie dump, but here goes:
Usual Suspects (Sky had it on in HD - still awesome) 10/10,
Twelve Monkeys (BBC had it on in HD, even more awesome) 10/10,
Knowing (How does Nicholas Cage get work?, dreadful ending) 2/10,
The Happening (How does Marky Mark Wahlberg get work? film smells of cheese) 1/10,
Harry Potter + the Half Blood Prince (Long, but 2nd only to Azkaban) 8/10.
Dance Flick
I think it's important to note the Wayans brother left the ...movie franchise after scary movie 2 and had nothing to do with the god awful meet the spartans or epic movie. So, while this is not going to challenge your favourite spoof's place in your heart please don't think it will be as much utter dross as those other ones.
I knew only a couple of the films they spoofed, but it seemed to me to have more of a story than '[whatever] movie', it was much less a string of topical skits as it was a more traditional spoof that has it's story and sticks to it.
It's not great, but it is definitely way way way better than date/epic/disaster movie/meet the spartans
Got Doubt back - thought it was absolutely brilliant. Amy Adams was perfect (as usual) and Meryl Streep was very good indeed (if always looking like Paul O'Grady). Seymour-Hoffman's character was excellent, and it really made you think whether he would have done it or not (I think he did) - and it really challenges your prejudices. Can definitely understand why it was Oscar nominated.
The Taking of Pelham 123
I can't remember seeing a Denzel Washington film that I didn't enjoy and I just got back from seeing this latest one. I thought it was well up to his usual standard, even if he does often play a very similar sort of character in different roles. This film was reasonably fast moving with a pretty good story, twists and turns that I (at least) wasn't expecting. Just the right level of violence and tension too.
One pet hate I have in films is when the guy is ready to shoot, but delays and the targets gets away. Always happens in Bond films. That didn't happen in Taken and it doesn't happen in this film.
TOP TIP: I went with my son to see this at Orion Burgess Hill, despite promising myself every time I go there to boycott the place until they get some comfy seats. Bloody agony again tonight
Wanted - Pretty strange really. Concept similar to the Matrix only slightly more interesting and had potential to go places. Rubbish special affects and storyline that kind of falls to pieces. Jolie looks hot in it though. 5.8
21 - Film about card counters in Vegas. Kevin Spacey in poor film shock! The support acting and the dialogue did not provide as much tension as it could have done. Shame. 6.0
Gubbins story about "good" werewolves (who don't eat people) and "bad" werewolves (who do). Rhona Mitra plays a woman bringing up her young son in a small town town where the majority of her friends and neighbours are "good" werewolves. Once a month, on the full moon, they all have to chain themselves up in S&M-style gear in their basements to stop themselves running amok and eating people when they turn.
And we're asked to believe that, in 13 years living in that small town infested with werewolves, she has NO CLUE that all this is going on around her and is of course "shocked" when she eventually discovers the truth. Duh. Shoddy effects, ludicrous plot and samey fight scenes complete the "entertainment".
Utter shite.