Category: Film Reviews

Warner Brother Pictures

Observe and Report is not the funniest comedy you will see this year, it may even rank in the bottom three. It tells the story of Ronnie Barnhardt (Seth Rogen), the head security man at a Mall who struggles to keep the peace with the customers. When a flasher makes it presence known, Ronnie takes it upon himself to catch the man rather than leave it to the police, even if it costs him his job. There is also a side story of Ronnie looking for love with one woman who has no interest in him at all, while not acknowledging the fun loving pretty girl right in front of him.

There is something oddly familiar about this story line as a very similar one was recently created with Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Observe and Report however is created as an adult comedy rather than aimed at children. One of many problems with this flick is its lack of actual comedy. There are the rare moments when you may crack a smile, but for the majority it creates very little emotion, that is until certain elements appear that go beyond rational thinking. To have the film as a comedy is fair enough as there are some areas that can be quite comical, such as a naked middle aged man in a trench coat running and causing havoc in the mall. But, then you have some ridiculous parts such as the flasher getting shot! You would have thought that something a little funnier and light-hearted could have been created as a way to catch the man. This is not the only thing that makes little sense. The film also includes two security guards getting fed up of their jobs and going on a drink and drug expedition; snorting and smoking narcotics is one thing but showing someone shooting up is beyond anything imaginable.

I have no problem with films using the F word. In a horror flick it makes quite an impact to build terror and shock while in a thriller it expresses anger. In a comedy it can have the odd funny expression but in Observe and Report it is used so many times that it loses its effect. It makes your nose turn up it is used so dreadfully.

Anna Faris is known for her comical roles in the House Bunny, Just Friends and probably more significantly the Scary Movie franchise. With her role of Brandi she lacks the funny element that made her so enjoyable to watch in the past. Likewise, Seth Rogen was amazing in Knocked Up and more recently Zack and Miri make a Porno but as the lead role with this film he emits no real interest like his co-star.

Observe and Report lacks any real jokes and humour that it’s attempt alone is probably the funniest of elements.

Michelle Moore

Universal Pictures

If you are planning on seeing Fast and Furious then you are likely to have already seen the previous flicks in the series; The Fast And The Furious, which features the same cast, 2 Fast 2 Furious where we saw Paul Walker’s character take to the streets and reunite with an old friend and The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift which featured an all new cast and setting. Some see Fast and Furious as the forth instalment of the series, others such as myself disregard the third and see this one as a direct sequel to the second.

This instalment of the fast moving, gun shooting and car chasing action franchise sees Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) and Dom (Vin Diesel) reunited when a close friend is murdered. Cop and criminal team up on a revenge rampage, fuelled by rage, one determined to take the murderer in for his crimes and the other out for blood.

Director Justin Li wanted to keep the street racing image as real as possible in this film and has done an amazing job. He has been able to stay true to the subculture while keep an audience on their toes with explosions, flipping of cars and racing at the speed of light. There is some difference in the driving ability of Walker’s character here as he seems much more rugged as he races, taking back streets and driving off side roads. The aim of this film wasn’t to show as many brightly coloured and flashy cars as the previous flicks implied. Design may have been the most important factor for the films predecessors, but here, it is what is under the hood that counts, with both Walker and Diesel’s characters working on their own creations.

This is probably made out to be a male orientated flick due to its gun fire and fast cars, however much this may be true, the ladies are going to love it too, if not for the fast cars but for the actors. Paul Walker‘s boyish good looks and charm is great return to the big screen, after all it was The Fast and The Furious that gave him great success. When he changes from good cop turn bad cop, it gives a sense of a bad boy and drives all the ladies crazy. You probably wouldn’t expect much comedy from an action flick, but with the on screen partnership played out between Diesel and Walker there are some guaranteed comical remarks and a few funny nudges. Walker couldn’t help but let a few gorgeous smiles slip through, but somehow Diesel keeps a straight face as he makes a few funny comments.

This film made a viewer very anxious as it builds up the anticipation. You are left on the edge of your seat with shivers travelling though your body as the race is on to catch a murderer and the leader of a drug trafficking ring. No matter your age or gender or culture, Fast and Furious is an action packed movie not to be missed.

Michelle Moore

Metrodome

So-called crime thriller Fifty Dead Men Walking is a movie adaptation loosely based on the autobiography of Martin McGartland.

The movie is set in a period of time from 1987 until 1991, during this time Martin (Jim Sturgess), a street hustler from Northern Ireland, is recruited by the British police to infiltrate and spy on the IRA. When his true identity is revealed, the IRA is less than impressed and Martin is captured, tortured, escapes but ends up paying the price at the end. The film takes its name from a claim McGartland made in his book that he saved up to fifty lives during his time as an informant for the British police.

The settings and scenery to the film are very real with visions of beautiful open countryside’s and then streets with filthy phones boxes and building sites. There is gunfire and the occasional fighting scene but to be classed as a crime thriller you would have expected a bit more action and many more thrills. There is nothing that is able to fully engage you with the storyline. The shots move from one “job” to another, a quick in quick out succession and doesn’t fully establish an extensive scene so it is a little difficult to connect with anyone or anything. As Martin goes through some tough times there are some moments when you feel sorry for the character. He is doing what he thinks is best, trying to save the lives of the people he comes across on the streets, but ends up in a bad way for it. It is when Martin is tortured for being a traitor that you really start to feel for him, even so these scenes could have made much more of an impact if they had been extended.

Probably the worst thing this film has to offer is Rose McGowan‘s fake Irish accent as she plays Grace Sterrin. Even though there may be a few other cast members that had to adapt to the accent for the occasion, McGowan isn’t able to let it roll off her tongue as well as everyone else and she isn’t able to escape that American twang. Fifty Dead Men Walking is not one of the more gripping films released this year, but is certainly worth a watch nevertheless. The DVD will also feature commentaries, on set filming, deleted scenes as well as exclusive extracts from the book.

Michelle Moore

Momentum Pictures

For the four individuals present in this recent thriller, The Killing Room, signing up for a psychological research programme leads to them being subjects of a brutal, modern day version of the Project MKULTRA; a secret mind-control/chemical program that used a variety of methods, such as murder, to manipulate an individual’s mental state and brain function, monitoring their responses.

As the film commences, director Jonathan Liebesman instantly demonstrates what he can do. With such a tough exterior the film has a few jolts, firstly with a death scene. This, among a few others, is a moment that literally makes you jump out of your seat and your heart pound twice as fast as it should. When the onscreen characters get as stressed out as you with what they are seeing and experiencing, it stops your attention from dissipating from the screen. As the individuals begin to lose their minds, their sense of reality and all hope they will make it out of the room alive, you can really sense the destruction, the fright and terror building within the confinements of the room they are placed. Since the majority of the film is shot in an enclosed clinical medical unit, with the four individuals placed under a wide microscope with others viewing from outside, there is a sense of claustrophobia emitted, confinement and no way of escape.

As attempts to escape the room fail the individuals must play along with the games of the research leader. With themes having some likeness to Saw; trapped in a room with little method of escape as well as violence, shocks, and bidding farewell to the family, The Killing Room is an essential DVD for anyone one who wants to experience a terrorising voyage into the claustrophobic world of forbidden psychological experiments.

Michelle Moore

20th Century Fox
www.dragonballevolutionmovie.co.uk

Having never managed to catch Dragonball Evolution at the cinema, the thought of it being released on DVD at last was exciting, however my opinion soon changed. This live-action film adaptation of the Japanese Dragon Ball franchise was and still is something of a mind-boggling mystery.

Becoming a mix of Bullet-proof Monk, Karate Kid and The Matrix, it seems to get rather confusing rather quickly, especially considering there is a futuristic element to the film. There is an introductory speech on how an evil warlord, Piccolo (James Marsters) once descended upon the Earth during a solar eclipse and attempted to destroy it with his disciple, only to fail, become imprisoned by a group of monks and his disciple vanish. Some 2000 years later, Piccolo escapes and as another solar eclipse approaches, begins searching for the Dragonballs in order to make a wish to a magical dragon for the power to rule the Earth. It is up to 18 year old Goku (Justin Chatwin) and a few others he meets along his path to stop this from happening.

There is so much to this film that is left unexplained and therefore leaves anyone watching completely baffled. The opening for example on how the first battle proceeded is a mystery, as is how Piccolo escaped in the first place. The location of the film set is also unknown; there is a mix of characters and locations that don’t really seem to fix together. There is also a large jump from one minute looking for the remaining Dragonballs a few days before the eclipse to suddenly having no time left at all. The ending itself will be unanticipated, surprising and yet still unable to satisfy.

The make up and fighting methods are very reminiscent to the sorts of things you may recall from your childhood watching programmes such as Star Trek or even Power Rangers, which is not at all what was originally expected. “The first rule is there are no rules” just seems so lame after hearing it so many times over the years and with the ending being something of a disappointment the film was very much a let down.

There is something unsettling and unsatisfying about this film that leaves the pit of the stomach empty and unfulfilled.

Michelle Moore

Notro Films

‘Fermat’s Room‘ is a diluted Spanish version of ‘Cube‘. Four mathematicians are bought together by an unknown outsider ‘Fermat‘, with the goal of solving the most difficult enigma ever set.

The individuals all experts in their relative fields are invited to a room in a disused warehouse in the middle or nowhere. Here they are challenged to complete puzzles in order to prevent the room walls from closing in and killing them all.

So do these four brilliant brains crack the enigma? Well this is where the film starts to become a bit tedious and predictable. Gradually and weakly the story unfolds, creating minuscule amounts of tension which are unfortunately over acted and wrapped in a sort of unnecessary murder mystery cliché. This is unfortunate because we see good murder mystery on television practically every day, I mean look at ‘Jonathan Creek’, ‘Miss Marple‘ and ‘Poirot‘, you’d think Spain would have an equivalent televised production.

Even the puzzles that are set out for the “great minds” are ones we’re all familiar with, it never feels as clever or puzzling or even simple as it should be. Which means that all the possible tension that should be building never really does. Even after we work out what’s going on (pretty early in) it seems all too average, the ending becomes more disappointing as we realise that actually, there is nothing more to the puzzle than an overly basic whodunit, in fact, there was no real puzzle to begin with.

I found that one of the film’s key problems was that you just don’t care about the characters, which is why the inevitable unveiling lacked the tension and dramatic impact these films require. ‘Fermat’s Room’ just feels like a tired mash-up of a ‘Miss Marple’ meets (the brilliant) ‘Cube’. It would be better suited as a one off television drama, as it’s not as exciting or as clever as it thinks it is and is essentially sub-par ‘Jonathan Creek’.

Emily Paget

Behind the Screen – ‘No One Can Hear You Scream’
Alien and Poltergeist Screenings

www.somersethouse.org.uk

I don’t know about you but am I am crazy about all things supernatural and paranormal; ghosts, possessions, haunted houses, aliens and everything that goes bump in the night. So when the opportunity arose to see two of the most well know supernatural flicks out in the open at Somerset House and talk to horror experts and noted writers Anne Billson, Christopher Fowler and Alan Jones about their love of horror in a discussion called ‘No One Can Hear You Scream‘, I couldn’t resist the occasion.

When it comes to the horror genre, what is it that we love so much about it? What makes the films so terrifying, enjoyable and enthralling that no matter how frightened, shocked and disgusted we are by what we see, we cannot help but continue to watch. For the three mentioned horror fanatics above, the genre played such a large part in their lives growing up that they made careers out of discovering more about it.

For internationally renowned reporter on all things horror and science fiction Alan Jones, like many of us, it was the first horror film he saw that “embalmed” him into the genre and encouraged him to seek out similar films, to the disapproval of his parents. “My parents hated me to see horror films. Back then they couldn’t understand it. I have seen so many landmark movies like Rosemary’s Baby that I’ve had life changing experiences. I love the sadistic side of horror.” For distinguished journalist and film critic Anne Wilson, it was the TV showings of horror films and magazines that first grabbed her attention. “I grew up watching TV through the 1960’s. The first time I saw Dracula was on an episode of Dr Who. I read a lot of cinema magazines to find out about horror.” Novelist Chris Fowler found his first love of the genre through sequels, the thing dreaded by many nowadays. So whether your first taste was on the big screen, small screen or through the pages of a magazine the one thing we all have in common is that once we see a film and fall for the genre, we desperately need to see more.

When looking at what makes the genre so attractive and compelling to watch, and discussing our favourite horror film and the reasons behind why we adore the flick there are usually so many different answers. Some typical responses would be that horror films need just the right amount of blood, just enough violence, the occasional twist to keep viewers interested as well as credible and appealing characters. Most importantly, horror films need to be able to make a viewer feel something; whether it be making us scared, anxious or for Alan Jones, a film should be able to “bring back emotions forgotten” like Martyrs did for him.

Anne believes horror films should be able to give you goose pimples, like the Asian horror films did for her, while Chris believes a good tragedy is always effective. He also feels the locality of a film can be meaningful, something happening on your own doorstep. When Raw Meat first met his eye “I had to go to Russell Square Station“. It is films like this and Creep that bring the horror elements a little closer to home.

Like many of us, Alan wants “to see things I’ve never seen before“. This is something that is getting harder to accomplish in the film market. Yet according to Anne, Let The Right One In was able to do this for her. No matter what factors it is about horror that you adore and cannot get enough of, more often than not you have to see ten bad horror movies to be able to enjoy one extremely worth while good one.

We all appreciate films in different ways and Anne is one critic that can understand this better than anyone. “The Thing was the first film in ages that terrified me. I thought I would have to leave the cinema. I wasn’t a full time critic at the time, but had to ask myself if I had seen the same film as the critics as they hated it.” But that is the great thing about horror fanatics, and Alan agrees “what separates horror fans, is that if someone says it’s (a horror film) horrible, we still have to see it for ourselves.” The great thing about horror is that what may appeal to one person, will not necessarily be the aspect that someone else is looking for. Some of you may love a good torture flick, others want surprises and jumps, others the gore factor is what will satisfy your appetite.

When discussing one of the films from the screening, Ridley Scott’s Alien, we were all in agreement that this was a film of its time. Upon its release back in 1979 it became a sensation, spawning a successful Hollywood Sci-fi franchise. Chris explains, “even though I worked on it (on set), I didn’t know anything about it. They withheld everything. You went to a screening knowing only that it would be a sci-fi film“. Alan continues by explaining that it “shocked everyone. It’s regarded as a movie landmark. I knew the producer and was desperate to see it. The expectations were staggering.” At the time of release, Anne considered seeing it as a “right of passage. There was an amazing buzz. The trailer was terrifying and never gave anything away.” Alien proved to be pioneering, as it was the first of its kind to feature a strong female heroine, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). The depiction of this character as fearless made a significant impression, particularly in futuristic science fiction.

Poltergeist was the second film of the evening and was produced in the 1980s, in part by Steven Spielberg. Back when it was first released, it was a film that gave an audience a fright through something spectators hadn’t seen before with a mix of scares, shocks and scenes that were a little gross. Even after all the horror that we have seen in today’s cinema, bones and rotting corpses jumping out from underneath your house and such a young child communicating with another plane of existence still sends a shiver down your spine. For those of you, like myself, that believe in ghosts, we all know that they come in all shapes and sizes. Most are pleasant and wouldn’t hurt a soul. They are beings that like to play small tricks on people, just to let everyone know they are there. Then there are malevolent spirits, poltergeists, which aim to be spiteful and vicious towards anyone in the surroundings; this is the case with Poltergeist.

This event at Somerset House in conjunction with Bafta as part of Film4’s Summer Screen program is one experience that cannot be described. The ‘No One Can Hear You Scream‘ talk was a great opportunity to discuss a genre I adore and the reasons why so many other people adore it. You come to realise how the genre has changed over the years, and if it has made such an impact on you as it did for Alan Jones, Anne Billson and Christopher Fowler, you can really make a name for yourself discussing and writing about things that you love.

As for the screenings, sitting outside in central London on a summer’s evening is the only way to watch horror films, and in the company of some many others makes the experience even more memorable, and an experience I certainly recommend for next year. If horror doesn’t tickle your taste buds don’t worry as other evenings look into other films and genres so there will always be something to entertain.

To be a fan of films that deal with the supernatural, you don’t have to believe in other worlds, spirits and evil beings; you just have to have an open mind. If you are desperate for more horror than your stomach could handle, Frightfest is back this year running from 27th to 31st August 2009. You can find out more here.

Michelle Moore

Warner Brothers

If you are looking for something with a bit of magic, something you can drift off into a fantasy world with and watch as a mysterious story unfolds, then this is a film for you. ‘The Secret of Moonacre‘ is no ordinary fairy tale story with its emphasis of magic and fantasy. The film adaptation of the novel ‘The Little White Horse’ by Elizabeth Goudge is much more about family, putting all differences behind you and overcoming your pride.

It sort of reminds me of ‘The Never Ending Story’ with more importance on family and overcoming disputes between each other and less on magic and bringing a story to life. ‘The Secret of Moonacre’ follows the adventures of young teenage Maria Merryweather (Dakota Blue Richards), who when her father dies, is forced to leave the city and live with her uncle, Sir Benjamin Merryweather (Ioan Gruffudd), at his isolated country estate in Moonacre Valley. Her sole inheritance from her father is a book, but this is no ordinary book. It chronicles an ancient tale, the rivalry between two families – the Merryweather’s and De Noir’s, over a set of magical pearls. It is placed in the hands of Maria, Moon Princess to find the pearls and get the two families to put their differences behind them, overcoming a curse placed on Moonacre Village.

Gábor Csupó, who also directed ‘Bridge to Terabithia‘, directs this film in a similar fashion. There are a few comical moments in the film, such a minder with trapped wind, but the majority of the film is mesmerising for other reasons. The settings are even more beautiful with images of the large moon rising being striking, making the magic more dominant. There are some magical scenes, but not nearly as much as I expected, which was my exact opinion with ‘Bridge to Terabithia’. The there is the house slowing falling into disrepair, a dog with red eyes thought to be a demon dog by one family but magically a black lion, a small man moving at the speed of light and then the stars on a bedroom ceiling glistening, shooting (or rather falling) one by one; this element I would love for my own bedroom. Along with the beauty of the setting and scenery comes the hideously dreadful costume that may be worse than those worn in the Middle Ages, but somehow suits the time of the tale incredibly well.

There may not be as much magical sentiment than you may want from the film, but ‘The Secret of Moonacre’ is still a very enjoyable flick to watch and will be an experience for children and adults alike to enjoy.

Michelle Moore

Lionsgate Films
www.hauntinginconnecticut.com

There have been many horror films apparently inspired by or based on real events. ‘The Exorcist’, ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’, ‘The Amityville Horror‘ and ‘An American Haunting‘ are to name but a few that have been released and remade over the last forty years.

Each one has been terrifying in its own right. Knowing these events have actually occurred in some respect to an actual person makes the film frightening, which is the aim in the first place. These occurrences were obviously chosen for their freaky factor and can be enjoyed with a twisted mind, which the majority of the worlds population has anyway. In the case of ‘The Haunting in Connecticut‘, the “based on true events” statement appears with the credits at the start of the film and if this isn’t enough to make you shiver from head to toe then the story and images that follow will likely do it.

Told from the perspective of a disturbed yet miracle-believing mother, ‘The Haunting in Connecticut’ sees a teenage boy dealing with the late stages of cancer. When the trips to and from the hospital become very tiresome, the Campbell family rent a house in Connecticut. Little do they know that the history of the house will not be remaining the past, but returning for a hunting. What first seems like hallucinations bought on by the drugs Matt is taking for his condition soon become real when other members of the family begin experiencing things too; from seeing images in reflections off the mirror/TV to hearing noises and creeks and even experiencing poltergeist activity. It is these quick visions that on numerous occasions offer jolts and scares. As well as dealing with present events, the story looks into the history, which is still being played out in the house. Viewers are given an insight into the unpleasant goings on that used to occur in the premises. We find out about a young boy, Jonah, who was a medium and used to communicate with spirits, and a mortician that disrespected the bodies of the deceased.

This is one of those tales that doesn’t fully make sense until the end where you can place all the pieces together. How the history plays on the present day is a thinker at first, but in the end makes a practical sense. As the stories intertwine it’s the images that cause a few squints of the eye. They include eye lids being copped off, bodies walking around like zombies, corpses falling to the ground wrapped up like mummies you get in a museum and a boy exerting the ectoplasm associated with ghosts are sometimes very disturbing and quite shocking, especially the would inflicted on poor Matt.

‘The Haunting in Connecticut’ isn’t a blood fest, but more of a paranormal experience. From a lover of all things supernatural and horror infested I absolutely adored this film. It was slightly dark, but I liked the fact it played on the mind and got a viewer thinking and trying to place the piece together before revealing all at the end. I think it is well worth the watch.

Michelle Moore

Universal Pictures
www.publicenemies.net

I was a little apprehensive regarding the plot of Public Enemies at first, as the tale of a bank robber in the 1930’s on the run doesn’t really seem to flicker on my movie radar. However, as the movie goes into depth and looks at people being caught in extreme circumstances, J. Edgar Hoover exploiting outlaws and capturing them to elevate his need to make the Bureau of Investigation Federal and making John Dillinger American’s Number one public enemy, it actually gets much more interesting.

This is Michael Mann’s most ambitions and timely project to date. Within the fast and dangerous life of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), we experience fast moving cars, gunfire, escaping prison as well as being a bank robber in love. Mann has been able to create a believable 1930s, taking into consideration how men and women acted as well as courted and the law of the time. Even though this is based on the true-life events, I have to say I was a little disappointed in regards to the ending. Dillinger had an adventurous life, bank robberies, in and out of prison, falling in love, yet the way he made his depart from the world just seemed inadequate and disappointing, but who am I to mess with a film depicting true life events.

Johnny Depp is definitely the life and soul of the movie and the main reason for watching it. He has admitted that has he has had an interest with John Dillinger since childhood, so he was obviously perfect for the role. We have seen this gifted actor use his charm and magnetism to create many character personalities from Edward Scissorhands and Jack Sparrow to Willie Wonka and Sweeney Todd, he has pulled off roles from either end of the spectrum and earned both critical and popular acclaim for such roles. With the persona of Dillinger, possibly Americans most well known bank robber and a criminal that was able to outsmart authorities on numerous occasions, he was able to immersing himself into the role, put his heart and soul into creating a man with a tough exterior and an inner romantic and honest side. When bringing John Dillinger to the 21st century, Depp does so with a little bit of humour; cocky and confidant comments as well as an attitude to match. If you are not a Depp admirer, then still be excited by great performances by Christian Bale as F.B.I agent Melvin Purvis, Channing Tatum as Pretty Boy Floyd, Giovanni Ribisi as Alvin Karpis and Stephen Dorff as Homer Van Meter to but a few in a long line of exceptional actors.

Whether you are looking for action, adventure or comedy, you cannot go wrong with ‘Public Enemies’ as it has a fabulous cast, setting and director. With death of a hero came the birth of a legend, Depp brings John Dillinger back from the 1930’s.

Michelle Moore