John Carter

When you settle yourself down to watch John Carter, don't make yourself too comfortable as you're about to be catapulted into another world which may leave you catching your breath as you come to grips with the unfolding story of John Carter. In the opening scenes, we find ourselves not on Earth but where the story will take place, Mars, or known in the movie as Barsoom, where the Red Martian war between the cities of Helium and Zodanga rages.

From here we're thrown back to the 19^th century to Earth where we find our star, former military Captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who has become disillusioned with everything in life with no other purpose but to seek out the rumoured gold hidden in the mountains. His search though brings him something other than riches as he finds himself transported to Barsoom and it's not long before John finds himself the center of attention to the planet's inhabitants and captures the hope of Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) as Helium's savior as well as her own.

John Carter, which is based on Edgar Rice Burrough's Barsoom book series, is comparable to Star Wars in the sense of its creative uniqueness but it fails to match the same high standards on screen. You feel you are playing catch up from the start as names are being thrown around while the action is intense which makes it hard to get your bearings for awhile. Taylor Kitsch plays John Carter well but there are occasions where you feel he comes across a little wooden when delivering his lines. His co-star, Lynn Collins, never strikes as a princess in peril and it feels like there is a lack of chemistry between the two stars and there is little opportunity for the audience to become emotionally connected with the characters.

Word is coming out that Walt Disney's big production is looking at a $200 million loss but despite it being on the verge as being labelled a very expensive flop, John Carter is what it is. It is visually spectacular and  has a highly imaginative story which is absorbing in its own right and has enjoyable moments and plenty of action scenes. The problem is that it won't leave a lasting impression and in several months it will be one of the forgotten movies of the year which it is already becoming and that is without The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers yet hitting the big screens.

The Vow

What makes us love? It's not our heart but our memories is the conclusion 'The Vow' delivers with this love story which was inspired by true events. It is a tale which, while not as memorable and as powerful as the Notebook', still has the ability to pull at the heartstrings, trigger the tears and captivate you its romantic spell.

Set in Chicago, Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum) are a young married couple very much in love. Paige is an aspiring artist and Leo has put his passion for music into owning his own record company. They are a pair that seem to have everything they could ever need and want.

Their relationship is built on a foundation of happiness and trust but within a single moment, all of that is stripped away from the couple when they're involved in an accident which causes Paige to lose all her memories over the last several years, including everything to do with Leo. Suddenly Leo has a wife who doesn't know anything about her husband and finds everything about their life together strange and unfamiliar to what she used to remember.

Barely knowing herself, Paige slowly finds the urge to slip away from her life with the stranger that proclaims to be her husband and settle back into a life built on familiar memories with old friends and her family harder and harder to resist. Leo is left with no choice but to fight to keep his wife and try to make her fall in love with him all over again.

Rachel McAdams is great as Paige who struggles to come to terms with her memory loss but that shouldn't be a surprise; at a glance, she is the stronger name on the cast list and is a solid actress who consistently delivers an engaging performance in which every role she slips seamlessly into. However, her character in 'The Vow', despite the differences, still carries all the fundamental characteristics which she has portrayed before in 'The Notebook' and 'The Time Travellers Wife' so while you are engrossed by her efforts and forget that it's Rachel McAdams you are watching, you can't help but feel you've seen this woman suffer through a tragic love story before.

It's surprisingly Channing Tatum who should deservedly take the plaudits for his starring role in 'The Vow'. His portrayal as a man who once had everything he ever wanted but is now fighting to keep hold of his marriage while it continues to slip from his grasp no matter what he does is excellent. You find yourself feeling his heartache, wondering what he could do to win his wife over and praying that at some point his efforts will eventually trigger her memory and restore their love. More than just a pretty face, Channing has taken himself to a new level beyond what he reached in 'Dear John'.

All in all, 'The Vow' is a very good movie which is well-told and doesn't leave the audience feeling overwhelmed or underwhelmed and hits all the right notes.

War Horse

Friendships come in all forms and none are stronger than the relationship which develops between a man and his horse in this heart-warming and tear jerking story brought to us by Steven Spielberg in his latest Oscar candidate.

Albert Narraccot, (Jeremy Irvine), is a simple boy from Devon who strikes up a bond with a young horse who he names Joey. It is a relationship that blossoms as a delightful understanding forms between the two but the looming World War I between England and Germany descends, breaking up the pair as Joey is sold to the cavalry for war while Albert has to stay behind due to being too young. But Albert gives Joey a parting promise that they will be together once again and he will find him.

We are taken through Joey’s path in war; a story which reaches out to you as you watch him create new friendships which he is willing to put his own life on the line for, risk the cruelty of men while finding care in others and fighting to survive in conditions only a miraculous horse could do. All while Albert tries to keep the promise he made.

It is a tale wonderfully told by Steven Spielberg which engrosses you from the opening scene. Jeremy Irvine and the rest of the cast which includes Emily Watson deliver a solid, believable performance but it is all in a supporting role to the real star. It is a shame horses can’t be considered for Oscars because if they could, Brad Pitt and George Clooney would be facing stiff competition from a certain horse named Joey.

The Descendants

George Clooney delivers his best performance yet in this compelling story of a man whose world is collapsing around him.

When his wife is involved in a boating accident placing her in a coma, Matt King (Clooney) has to take on the role as ever present parent in his two dysfunctional daughters’ lives, Alexandra and Scottie, a role which he has not been used to due to being always so busy at work. Along with his domestic crises, he also has the pressure of his family’s heritage resting on his shoulders as he has to make a decision on whether they need to sell the land or not.

The audience in drawn in further to Matt’s growing turmoil when things take a turn for the worse with his wife and he is informed that she’s not going to live. He has to deliver the news to his family and friends but what he doesn’t expect is to receive news in return that his soon to be dead wife was having an affair on him.

The movie is nominated for four Oscars, including a Best Actor nod for George Clooney, and rightly so. George Clooney draws us in and lets us share in his emotional turmoil yet keeps us on the edge of sinking into a depressive state by delivering a sense of humour which is threaded throughout the telling of the story brilliantly done by director Alexander Payne who is also nominated for an Oscar for Best Director.

The Descendants is one of the best movies of 2011 and deserving of its Oscar nomination.

The Lincoln Lawyer

Matthew McConaughey is Mick Haller; a slick lawyer who only cares about where his next pay check is coming from and regularly defends accused criminals.  His methods are unorthodox and he conducts his business from the back of his chauffeured Lincoln.

But the big pay day is on the horizon when one of his friends comes to him with a case that potentially could bring him in a lot of money; a rich kid, Louis, (Ryan Phillippe) is accused of beating up a prostitute.  An accusation which the kid denies and claims he’s innocent; a detail of no interest to Mick.  All Mick is interested in is the financial reward if he wins the case.  The case though isn’t as straight forward as it seems and when it takes a personal turn, Mick finds himself facing more than he bargained for.

The Lincoln Lawyer is a thriller based on the bestselling book by Michael Connelly and director Brad Furman does a good job of bringing the story to the big screen.  It is filled with action, twists and good dialogue and the actors deliver star performances.  Particularly McConaughey who arguably delivers his best performance yet and is reminiscent to his earlier work in ‘A Time To Kill’.

Battle: Los Angeles

Once again, the world is being invaded and the human species is facing the threat of being exterminated.

It begins when a swarm of meteors hits Earth at a variety of locations and lands in the sea just off twenty of the planets major cities.  But these meteors aren’t what they seem and it isn’t long before extra-terrestrial life starts emerging from the waters.  Their objective; to destroy all human life and take our planet.

With the world at war, Sgt Michael Nants (Aaron Eckhart) is given the responsibility of leading a troop of marines into the warzone that is Los Angeles with the mission of trying to save those that need saving.  A group of civilians are hiding at a police station and it is up to them to go into enemy held territory and rescue them before the Air Force strike the area.

A glance at the trailers would really tell you all you need to know about Battle: Los Angeles and give you an idea if it’s for you or not.  It doesn’t have any deep or any real storyline within it and the action isn’t as fast paced as you would have imagined but there is enough of it to enjoy and the movie offers great visual effects.  It reminded me at times of watching somebody play the video game ‘Call of Duty’ and it’s probably those game players who will like Battle: Los Angeles the most.

Hall Pass

Midlife crisis hits in the Farrelly brother’s latest movie, Hall Pass, which stars Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis.

Forty somethings Rick (Wilson) and Fred (Sudeikis) are married and living the suburban typical life but their growing tired of it and wondering where their youth went.  They’re not the only ones getting tired as their wives are getting irritated by their lack of commitment to them and their lives.  So, (as if this would ever happen), they offer their husbands a week off from their lives, their families, their responsibilities and them.  A hall pass.  A pass that allows them to do whatever they want for one week without their knowledge and no questions asked.  They don’t dwell on their offer for long before accepting it.

I find these type of movies run along a fine line where they can be brilliant, such as The Hangover, Wedding Crashers and American Pie, or they can be just too much and too over the top, such as Hall Pass.  The idea behind the movie is good because Rick and Fred are typical true to life guys who have reached a point in their lives where they feel unappreciated and undesired but the jokes supporting the story are crude and oversexed.  In saying that, that’s not saying it doesn’t have its enjoyable moments and it will have its market; appealing to anybody who is under 18 and also any guy who wishes his other half would offer him a similar pass.

Fair Game

Sean Penn and Naomi Watts star in this political thriller that is based on a true story of actions that took place eight years ago.

Valerie Palme (Watts) works for the CIA but when her husband, Joe Wilson (Penn), writes a damning article regarding the Bush administration and their war in Iraq, the government get retribution by leaking her identity which attracts a lot of unwanted attention for Valerie and discrediting her husband.  The lives of her co-operatives are put at risk, her career is destroyed and her family is hounded by the media.  Armed only with the truth, Joe and Valerie fight back against the government and feel the strain on their lives and marriage as they attempt to bring those at the White House to court and clear their names.

The fact that it’s a true story is gripping and Penn and Watts do an excellent job in conveying the heart and frustration of the story to us.  It is well written but takes a while before it ever really gets going and thriller wouldn’t be the best word to describe Fair Game as it goes at a steady pace throughout.

The Adjustment Bureau

We live in a predetermined world where we have no control over our own fates and our destinies are mapped out.  If we fall off these paths, then there are those whose job it is to make sure we get back on track.  This is what happens when David Norris (Matt Damon), an up and coming politician meets ballet dancer Elise (Emily Blunt).  Despite there being an instant connection between the two, they were never meant to be together and it isn’t long before their relationship brings the truth of the world they live in to the front and The Adjusters intervene.

The Adjustment Bureau runs along a similar idea to the Matrix where our lives are not our own and not everything is as it seems.  This movie makes you think outside the box and keeps you gripped.  There is a romantic story imbedded within the sci-fi story which helps to keep the movie grounded and is made believable with a convincing performance from both Damon and Blunt.  Definitely worth seeing.

Rango

Johnny Depp has given us memorable characters such as Captain Jack Sparrow, Sweeney Todd and now follows them up with a brilliant performance as Rango.  Rango is a lizard who is used to the life of luxury within his tank but has to face up to hard times when his life of a sheltered pet chameleon accidently comes to an end when he falls out of his tank on a highway and finds himself stranded in Dirt.  A town in the Wild West.

Pampered but not entirely useless, Rango fortuitously manages to defeat the feared hawk that has been terrorising the town and it lands him the job as sheriff.  Relishing the role, the actor in him rises to the occasion and he embellishes his role by pretending to be a feared gunfighter.  But it’s not long before it all goes awry when the town turns to him to sort out their water problems and an adversary in the shape of a land baron forms.

Rango is a good fun animation with plenty of humour and a good but simple plot that everybody can follow.  Despite not being on screen himself, Johnny Depp makes the character his own and his timing is perfect.  Adults will certainly take more out of Rango than children will and parents be warned, there is a darker element to Rango than most animations and characters do perish.

The Rite

Ireland’s own Colin O’Donoghue stars opposite screen legend Anthony Hopkins in this supernatural thriller.

Michael Kovak (O’Donoghue) is a seminary student who has gone to the Vatican to try and understand and study exorcism.  It looks to be all in vain though as he is considering dropping out for his belief is in doubt.  This leads him to Father Lucas Trevant (Hopkins), an unorthodox exorcist who has a wealth of experience, in an effort to rediscover his faith.  Together, they investigate a case of a pregnant woman who is suggested to be possessed by a demon.  It is a case that will question both their beliefs and is only the start of the turmoil they’re about to endure.

Hopkins has seemingly lost his way in recent years with his movie choices and it is no different here.  The Rite isn’t bad, but it isn’t good either.  It’s predictable and for a movie that promises thrills and screams, it offers few.  Hopkins give a good performance as always, especially when he turns sinister, and O‘Donoghue does himself no harm with his own performance but unfortunately they have nothing to do with story which is where The Rite lacks.

I Am Number 4

Three are already dead, and now it’s his turn to die.  The bestselling book has made it to the big screen in this movie adaption which sees John (Alex Pettyfer) battling to stay alive.

The movie centres around John and Henri (Timothy Olyphant) who is John’s guardian.  John isn’t an ordinary teenager but a being from another planet.  Nine of them, as infants, were sent to Earth with their guardians when the Mogdorians set about destroying Lorien, their planet.   Each assigned a number, the children can only be killed in sequence but the Mogdorians are determined to exterminate every single part of Lorien and have already killed the first three and are now hunting John.  John though is tired of running.  All he wants is to fit in to society and be with Sarah (Dianna Agron), a sweet normal girl who he’s fallen in love with.  Fortunately John isn’t completely helpless for as the Lorien children grow and reach adulthood, they start to develop supernatural powers.

Twilight meet X-men.  This teenage genre is fun and entertaining but not for everybody just like the book was.  It has plenty of action, a romantic element and is played by good-looking people, yet despite all these sure fire ingredients to make a blockbuster, there is a lack of substance that fails to take it to that elite level Twilight dwells in.  Nonetheless, still a good watch.

Drive Angry 3D

John Milton (Cage) has landed in hell with sins to pay but he manages to escape with the intentions of avenging his daughter who was murdered at the hands of a satanic cult.  But a vengeful vendetta turns into a rescue campaign because his infant Granddaughter has been kidnapped by the cult so they can sacrifice her at the next full moon.  Aided by Piper (Amber Heard), he does all he can to stop this from happening while also trying to evade the ‘Accountant’ (William Fichtner) who is on his own mission to bring Milton back to hell.

Nicholas Cage seems to be driving further away from his Oscar past in this over-the-top 3D action event.  That doesn’t mean Drive Angry is bad, it’s just never going to win any awards.  Drive Angry is simple; it’s fast paced and ferocious and will leave you struggling to catch your breath.  It is a movie filled with cheap thrills such as huge explosions, great car chases and fight scenes but if you take it for what it is and what it’s intended to be, then they all work to make an entertaining movie.

Paul

It’s been just over three years since the last Simon Pegg and Nick Frost collaboration, their last being Hot Fuzz, but they’re now back on the big screen with Paul.

Paul is an alien who has been kept locked up in a military base for over 60 years.  His usefulness to the military operation is coming to an end though and Paul, not wanting to wait for a decision on his future, takes it into his own hands and escapes the compound.  Needing a ride desperately, he hops onto a RV that’s going his way which is owned by Graeme Willy and Clive Gollings.  Graeme and Clive eventually come around to the fact that Paul is an alien and against their better judgement, go up against federal agents in an effort to get Paul back to his mother ship so he can go home.

Paul, played by Seth Rogen, is the star of the movie.  His fun loving, carefree attitude and foul language is a refreshing change from all the other ‘I want to eat you’ alien movies.  Pegg and Frost, as always, have brilliant chemistry together and combined with Rogen, make Paul a very enjoyable and amusing movie.

Big Mommas House Like Father Like Son

Martin Lawrence reprises his role as Big Momma in the third instalment of the Big Momma’s franchise.  Hopefully it’ll be the last.

FBI agent Malcolm Turner has to put on the wig once again when his stepson, Trent (Brandon T. Jackson), witnesses a murder.  Deciding he needs to be placed into protection, he throws Trent into an all-girls school in disguise, posing as Chairmaine.  However, Trent struggles to adjust to the life as a woman and it is down to Malcolm to keep him from blowing his cover while at the same time, not giving himself away.

I didn’t find the first Big Momma’s House funny, or the second one, and this third instalment felt more like an endurance test rather than anything else.  But I’m not twelve and I realise it’s not my type of humour so if you liked the prequels to Big Momma’s house, then the likelihood is that you’ll like this one too.

Yogi Bear

The well-known picnic basket stealing moronic bear has made it to the big screen in this fun filled animated adventure. 

Yogi (Dan Aykroyd) and Boo Boo (Justin Timberlake) put their differences aside with Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh) when their home is placed under threat.  The Mayor has decided to sell Jellystone Park to the logging companies, leaving Yogi and his friends only a week to try and save their home.  Putting their heads together, along with documentary maker Rachel (Anna Faris) they form a plan to stop the sale going through but Yogi can’t stick to the plan which inevitably creates trouble.

Yogi Bear is for the young audience.  For the older audience looking to have some reminiscent memories of their Saturday mornings in front of the TV, you might find yourself disappointed as Yogi and Boo Boo don’t carry that loveable charm that they had in the cartoon.  What matters though is the younger generation seemed to enjoy it though and laughed plenty at all the mischievous moments Yogi created.

Sanctum 3D

“What could go wrong?” is a line from Sanctum.  The answer; when you’re exploring uncharted caves and a cyclone hits, then everything can go wrong.

Director James Cameron brings us Sanctum which is a man vs elements movie that is inspired by a true story.  A team of explorers, led by Frank McGuire (Richard Roxborough), set off in Papa New Guinea’s Esa-Ala caves where one of the biggest network of caves in the world may be located.  When a flash flood hits the cave and blocks their planned exit, it forces Frank and his team, which includes his son Josh (Rhys Wakefield), to delve deeper into the caves in search of another.  But one by one the water is picking them off and all they have to rely on to survive is their wits and each other.

This thriller is a different kind of thriller to past movies.  It’s like The Descent, except without the monsters, so the thrills come from the claustrophobic situations that the characters face and it does well to terrify because of the realistic possibilities that the movie holds.  Because of what it is, most will find this movie gripping, but after a while may grow tired of watching the same situation taking place just in different part of the caves.

Just Go With It

If you’re into Adam Sandler movies, then just go with it.

We kick off in the ‘80s where we meet Danny (Sandler), a heartbroken young man who has discovered that his fiancée is sleeping around.  Fit to only drown his sorrows, he seeks comfort at a bar but his embellished heart-breaking story and his wedding ring reels in a gorgeous woman.  Move along twenty years and we see Danny is a rich and successful plastic surgeon with a wedding ring on his finger which he uses only to help him attract women.  A wrench is thrown into his perfected plan when he falls for Palmer (Brooklyn Decker) and not able to come clean about not having an evil soon-to-be ex-wife, he begs his assistant Katherine (Jennifer Aniston) to pretend to be his evil wife along with posing as the father of her two children.  This leads to a holiday in Hawaii with everybody but as Danny’s web of lies keeps developing, he starts to see that love was always there right in front of him.

Human emotions aren’t taken into account as you have to believe that Palmer would want to meet Anniston, go on a holiday with her and be fine with her going on a date with her new boyfriend.  That aside, juvenile laughs are a plenty, including heimlich attempts on a sheep and as I stated in the opening line, if you like Adam Sandler and are into romantic comedies then you should just go with it.

Gnomeo and Juliet

Shakespeare’s love story has been brought to life in this animated showing with the parts of Romeo and Juliet being played by garden gnomes.

Gnomeo (McEvoy), the son of Lady Blueberry (Maggie Smith), lives in the garden of Miss Montague (Julie Walters).  Just over the fence in the next garden resides the Blueberry’s sworn enemy, Lord Redbrick (Caine).  The two gnomes despise each other but when Redbrick’s daughter, the adventurous Juliet (Blunt), goes out one night in search of an orchid, she bumps into Gnomeo and a spark immediately forms between the two which blossoms into love.  Can their love withstand though the pressure of their families at war?

Just like in Toy Story, the gnomes come to life when their owners aren’t around which gives the characters a likeable charm.  For those that ever found the story of Romeo and Juliet too much, Gnomeo and Juliet is done with the younger generation in mind.  It runs smoothly and is easy to follow and in summary, very enjoyable.

The Fighter

For those that live in the shadow of their siblings, this is the movie for you to go see.  For those that don’t have such a problem, this is still the movie for you to see.  From the very first moment, Christian Bale enhances his Oscar credentials by giving a gripping performance in this true story of a man’s will to win that immediately ropes you in and doesn’t let go until the final bell is rung.

Struggling boxer Mickey Ward’s (Mark Walhberg) career can’t seem to get going due to constantly being screwed over by the irresponsibility of his drug addicted older brother and local boxing legend Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) and his mother Alice (Melissa Leo).  Tied down by his allegiance to his family but going nowhere fast, Mickey’s life and career take a drastic change after the introduction of Charlene (Amy Adams).  She sees that in order for him to succeed, he must first overcome his biggest hurdle which is his family.  Her love and belief in him makes him believe that not only can he succeed but maybe he can finally step out from Dicky’s shadow.

The entire cast delivers a powerful performance which has been rightfully rewarded with Oscar nominations, even though Walhberg has wrongly been overlooked.  The one thing that has to be said is that those looking for a boxing movie might be disappointed as this is more about fighting against a dysfunctional family in pursuit of a dream and even though the boxing is the theme, it is not the heart and soul of the movie that drives it on.