Ice Age: Continental Drift

Sailing on ice...

A lot has happened since the release of the original Ice Age when Manny, Diego and Sid first met. This time around, their existence is threatened when their continent begins to break apart, forcing everyone to have to flee from their established homes. However, things go a little wrong resulting in Manny, Diego and Sid being caught up in a battle against a pirate ape, Captain Gutt.

For those who have not been keeping up with all the release of the Ice Age series, going to view the latest installment should not prove to be any hindrance into the overall world that has been created. Sure, the relationship between the protagonists may not be fully understandable but each's unique personality is unveiled very early. This ensures that you do not have to think too much and you can let yourself go for the adventures which ensues. This is not to say that Continental Drift is devoid of any tangible story, it is just not a unique or promising one. In short, the main characters are trying to get back to their families (well Manny at least) and this brings up the tried and tested theme of family bonding. There is a good lesson here to be taught to kids, though parents are most likely going to ignore the fluff. Thankfully, the film does have its fair share of good laughs. Most is aimed at kids which can provide the odd smile but then at times the writers do their best and it shows. Continental Drift is not a minute-by-minute comedy affair, but every aspect of the story and writing do adequately fall into place.

The voice acting is a lot of fun, mainly due to the performances by Ray Romano, Denis Leary, and John Leguizamo. The rest of the actors are by no means bad, for they all feel and sound comfortable in the roles assigned to them. This brings about a voice talent that fits well within the mould of the story itself allowing dialogue and comedy to be presented in a clear manner without ever sounding incompetent.

Technically, the film is pretty good. The animation is crisp and clear though lacking any noticeable advances in the medium. The 3D is not too bad itself: it is never distracting nor does it particularly standout or enhance the experience. But what was pretty fun was the full 4D effect. Moving chairs, water vapour being sprayed on you and air passing by your skin. While 4D is not something new to anyone who has experienced it, it did feel like it enhanced the film-watching experience. I cannot imagine it being suitable to all types of films, but in the case of a 3D animation like Ice Age, the film begins to feel more fun for it.

As an animation aimed at children, the worse the film receives is some name calling and some relatively non-violent action scenarios.

Ice Age: Continental Drift can be seen as a somewhat tired film. It's story is not particularly strong nor is the comedy always engaging. But it wades through these rough seas to make an impact that is adequate enough to keep your interest through to the film's conclusion. Add in some nice looking animation and the bonus 4D (if you are lucky) and the end result is something that can be enjoyable if you allow it to be.


6/10

Something Borrowed

Case gone cold...

By her 30th birthday, Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin), a dedicated attorney, bemoans the fact that love is not in her court. Her best friend Darcy (Jennifer Hudson), however, is closed to being married to Dex (Colin Egglesfield) whom Rachel met in law school. After a few drinks together Rachel confesses to Dex that she always had a crush on him which leads to both sleeping together. With Darcy's wedding not long away, Rachel finds herself in dubious territory.

Something Borrowed had the potential to be a multifaceted affair. On one hand it is your average romantic comedy and on the other it offers a portrayal of ethical issues surrounding love. It is a pity the latter is downplayed to a rather basic understanding of the issues. The narrative does its best to help the viewer identify with Rachel and it is not difficult to do so for the first third. She is the good girl who is studious and in love with a guy who she feels is too handsome for her, but loses him to her best friend who always has to be better than her. This sort of identification begins to fall away with Rachel's self pity, which is thankfully attacked by her long time friend Ethan (John Krasinski), and her rather willingness to engage in an affair. While the ending is not something new for the genre, it is quite surprising how the film appears to glorify the act of cheating to the point of it being acceptable. There are no dire consequences to actions and so the narrative becomes unfortunately one dimensional. That said, there is no denying the fun factor associated with the romantic comedy nature of the film so it is not all bad.

Thankfully, the actors do a decent enough job of keeping the story afloat. Goodwin and Egglesfield are perhaps not quite up to par with Hudson and Krasinski. This is easily due to Hudson having the most exciting role and Krasinski stealing scenes with his humour and charisma. This merely leaves the more romance orientated and weak dramas scenes for Goodwin and Egglesfield to wade through.


Considering the thematic elements expressed in the story, sexual content is fairly tame and without nudity. Violence is only really shown through a horror film being watched by some characters and language is on the tame side.

There is potential to push past the romantic comedy genre, but the story of Something Borrowed is light hearted to its detriment as the possible avenue to build a thought provoking tale is never really attempted. Additionally, not all of the actors are given the strongest material to work with and this becomes evident when the best scenes require particular characters. On a simple level Something Borrowed does work, but with such pressing issues alluded to early on in the story it is saddening that nothing comes of them: something blue indeed.

6/10

Screen date: 8 July 2011
Release date: 8 July 2011

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

On slowing tides...

On the way to hopefully finding the fountain of youth, Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) finds himself in a dire predicament when he is captured by his ex-lover Angelica (Penélope Cruz )and the nefarious Blackbeard (Ian McShane). They require Jack's help in finding the fountain in order to save Blackbeard while trying to avoid the clutches of Barbossa (Gerofery Rush).

As a sequel to the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, On Stranger Tides attempts to refresh the series by concentrating on an uncomplicated narrative. Instead, the film takes a page out of the original film in the series but not quite as successfully. There are a few plots being weaved together but they all come up short in execution which ultimately threatens the potential of various associated characters. The core reason is due to the lack of detailed exposition. The most problematic of these is the love story between Philip (Sam Claflin) and the mermaid Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey) which is evidently undeveloped and unimportant to the overall narrative. Their growing love lacks tangibility and it becomes frustrating when their conclusion becomes a guessing game for the audience. There are various plots developed but they are underwhelming and this hurts the film as the action sequences alone cannot stop the odd scene from dragging along. For the most part the film is a fun watch but just not a particularly great one.


The acting is passable enough as Depp and Rush convey their characters in a similar fashion to older films. Cruz and McShane add positively to the cast with the former bringing some zest to the film while the latter does bring the expected arrogance to Blackbeard. Claflin and Berges-Frisbey are not able to be quite as convincing. However, this is mostly due to their limited capacity in the film, which comes from the limited nature of their respective plot on the overall narrative of the film. On Stranger Tides also sports a far less noticeable and capable supporting cast when compared to the original trilogy which is disappointing, so the chance to offset the major situations in the film to the lesser cast is next to impossible.

There is an extensive use of CG throughout the film and predominately with good results. What is a strange decision is to have a large portion of the film shrouded in darkness. A lot of the film deals with enlightenment, either by faith or common humanity, but the filmmakers attempt to ensure you do not feel the same way as the lack of visibility can, at times, hinder the viewing experience.

The film contains no sex though the mermaids are clearly naked even though nothing explicit is shown. Language is mild at best as it is more in the name-calling variant. Violence comes in a variety of forms but deaths are mostly tame.

On Stranger Tides appears as a semi-reboot of the series, being more in liking with the original film and therefore losing the unnecessary scale At Worlds End attempted to provide. But the simplification has gone perhaps a little too far with a thin narrative and a thin cast of characters that ultimately fail to ignite. At its best, On Stranger Tides has everything that made the franchise good, but these moments are never frequent enough or long lasting making the film like spotting a mermaid: if you blink it will most likely be gone; and that just may well be a good thing.

6/10

Screen date: 20 May 2011
Release date: 20 May 2011

Liefling, die Movie

Bottled ambition...

December vacation proves a bounteous time for students as they leave all the worries of work and education in favour of relaxation. One such student, Jan (Bobby van Jaarsveld0 discovers that this holiday period is a life changing event when he meets Liefling Marais (Like Berning), the daughter of his professor. Jan is instantly intrigued by Liefling and begins to court her, unaware that Melanie (Marlee van der Merwe) has her eyes on him.

Modern Afrikaans cinema is generally divided into two categories: the more conservative dramas that provide an expose on Afrikaans culture and the liberal comedies that are fairly risque in nature. Liefling, die Movie tries a different approach as a musical, as it attempts to balance both traditional Afrikanerdom while appealing to the youth. The story is lighthearted and easy to follow, but it wavers with poor development, both in terms of the narrative and characters. Characters are never built up beyond stereotypes, though they are given an alternate perspective to help build some depth, and any development they do have is entirely rushed. This impacts on the story as it becomes difficult to appreciate the relationship between Jan and Liefling as ti is glazed over: the film tries to imbue the characters with a Romeo and Juliet sense of intellectual and instantaneous love but it never really clicks until much further in the film. Their are secondary love stories taking place simultaneously, though they are predictable and unnecessarily take away screentime from the couple that matters.

The acting is, on a whole, a stronger quality of the film, but not by much. Primary characters have enough zest for you to care about them while secondary characters merely enjoy themselves instead of really gelling with the material. This is not entirely problematic as the casual nature of the acting does go hand-in-hand with the carefree atmosphere provided. It is difficult to pick out individuals as no one really outshines anyone else. That said, where Bobby and Lika lack in experience, they make up for in energy.

As expected of a South African film of this kind the film quality is lacking. It is factor that can be overlooked but this does not stop some strange choreography choices. There is the odd scene among every few songs which comes across as downright silly in comparison with the rest due to lazy editing and poor choreography. Thankfully, this occurs only occasionally as the remainder of the film is filled with musical segments, though they are lacking in passion when compared to the likes of High School Musical or Phantom of the Opera.

While this may seem strange to say, there is just too many musical numbers and very little downtime between them. At many intervals a handful of songs will be packed right next to one another with little context connecting them. In fact, there is such an urgency to cramming the film with songs many scenes which should include basic dialogue become musical. One such scene revolves around Liefling being awaken by her mother just for her to break into song about how she wishes to have a husband and that only an Afrikaner man will do. Yes, it ends on a humourous note, but it shows the inability of the filmmakers to strengthen the music with some normative dialogue sequences.

While more conservative than liberal, Liefling, die Movie is pretty much void of any objectionable content.

Liefling, die Movie is an intriguing avenue of exploration for Afrikaans films in a commercial sense for the entire South African audiences. One need not be Afrikaans to appreciate the simple story and music presented, but the film is not without some glaring issues which hold it back. The accumulation of too much music is the biggest culprit which effects the rest of the issues: characters are underdeveloped fail to accompany the lighthearted story into something more. That said, Liefling, die Movie is by no means a poor film, but one which is drowned in the overzealous enthusiasm of its creators.

6/10

Screen date: 21 November 2010
Release date: 19 November 2010

(Movie poster provided by iGeek)

Eclipse

Finally getting some blood...

While Bella (Kristin Stewart), Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) continue their heated love triangle as to what is best for Bella's future, the nearby city of Seattle is caught within a mysterious string of killings and disappearances. The Cullen family fears the worse, as they are not sure whether the problem in Seattle is related to Victoria (Bryce Dallas-Howard) or the Volturi but nevertheless, they decide that it is best to take precautions in case they get caught up into a situation they may not be able to control.

Eclipse continues the Twilight Saga in a far tighter manner than both its predecessors and this allows for a far more effective use of the Twilight mythology. New revelations are made about the cultures of the vampires and werewolves and this aids the film with a more cemented supernatural feel. Additionally, certain minor characters are allowed to voice their respective pasts: this aids the film's narrative with added character depth as well as giving these characters a vital role in the events to come. The overall narrative is structured reasonably well with two poignant story arcs taking place and ultimately fuse by the end. However, the events in Seattle only provides a simple distraction to the poorly conceived love story which is clearly holding back the series. Thankfully, the love triangle in the film escalates into a stronger conclusion than expected, but that does not stop it being rough around the edges and filled with character development that seems out of place. The romance is also portrayed far too positively with the apparent negative consequences of such oppressive love going unacknowledged. Speaking of which, an apparent theme of selfishness can be ascertained from the primary characters yet it is never utilised strongly enough to help connect the characters. The narrative is commendable, in light of the previous attempts, and definitely a step in the right direction for the final two movies.

With added improvement to the story, it seems rather disappointing that the acting of the central three figures continues to just fall short. Stewart continues to proceed in a dull manner and by this stage it may just be what her character is truly like: but scenes of romance are never able to excite as you would expect of the vampire genre. Sure, the intent behind the love which surrounds the characters is understandable but it continues to lack feeling from Stewart though she does build life in the final arc of the plot. Pattinson is not much better but his acts of jealously do admirably convey the sort of sinister nature which belies his character's love: pity the film never plays on this. Lautner continues his surprising performance from New Moon but the script never really allows him to further his contribution. Minor characters continue to strengthen the acting ensemble but it is a pity that those who represent the Volturi, are either limited to a few minutes or are completely absent.

Another slight improvement is in regards to the computer animation, which flows slightly better this time around with the live-action; a soundtrack that does not always feel tacked on for commercial profitably as orchestra highlights some of the high moments in the film; and directorial control that makes for a more well-rounded experience in which some decent action sequences are allowed to come to life.

Language is in running with previous films with its minimal and tame use. There is no nudity but sexual overtones are slightly stronger in Eclipse than seen in the previous films. The violence factor has been increased rather noticeably, either via implication or actual on-screen events. There is a greater emphasis on action but the lack of blood in death scenes stops it ever being overly violent.

The Volturi may not grant second chances, and for the Twilight franchise that is a good thing. Third time lucky it definitely is as Eclipse is a marked improvement over both the original Twilight and New Moon, mostly because the overall quality is better. The narrative has more depth; the actors appear to be getting a grasp of their characters, and all while the balancing of melodrama with action takes place. The story offers interesting depth and developments which ultimately become underused and so it is unfortunate that no facet of the film is really as strong as it should be given this is the third film in the series.

6/10

Screen date: 30 June 2010

Release date: 30 June 2010

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Dampened sand...

When it discovered that a nearby holy city may be manufacturing weapons for enemy states of Persia, Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his brothers decide to attack the city in order to stop the treachery. When King Sharaman of Persia (Ronald Pickup) arrives Dastan offers his father a gift that ends up poisoning him. Dastan is suspected of murder and so he flees along with the captured Tamina (Gemma Arterton). Dastan soon discovers that he is possession of a powerful dagger that gives its bearer the ability to rewind time.

The Sands of Time is based upon the 2003 video game of the same name but there are few similarities shared between the two. For starters, the narrative is completely different but that does not stop certain story elements from the game sneaking into the odd scene of the film. Fans will definitely appreciate this aspect but their disappointment in the lack of faithfulness to the original game can be understood to some degree. While adaptations always bring about fun possibilities by never been entirely accurate, Prince of Persia forgoes a tale of the Prince finding redemption in place of a tried-and-tested tale of the protagonist attempting to clear their name of some terrible act not of their doing. This inevitably leads to a variety of locales in place of the single castle which contextualised the game and ultimately feels less unique then the premise of the film allows it to be. That said the story works just fine even though it loses direction on the odd occasion. It falls victim to being predictable at times but a decent mix of humour and some workable action sequences keep the experience from never being dull. On a side note, the film does get some depth from its political allusions to the US invasion of Iraq.

The cast can appear unorthodox considering it is a group of Westerners playing Persians and without any changes to speech. Though considering the original game contained a British speaking Caucasian protagonist, the casting come across more like a stylised option rather than a lack of desire to authenticity. The actors do a reasonable job but consistency is somewhat of a problem. At times the actors come across as flat but thankfully there is a charm to Gyllenhaal, intrigue with Arterton, and workable humour from Alfred Molina which prevents the acting from being poor. The chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Arterton only ever finds ground with their constant quips so their romance never feels involved enough by the films end.

The film is littered with computer animation and many acrobatic manoeuvres. The animation is an on and off affair but thankfully does more right than wrong. The scale of some of the imagery is wonderful such as the establishing scenes of the holy city and especially the Hourglass of Time itself. Though, the scenes involving the reverse of time appear underdeveloped. The acrobatic sequences are fairly enjoyable affairs but they are more akin to the Prince of Persia spiritual successor Assassin's Creed rather than the original game itself.

As a Disney film you can expect that nudity and sexual content play no role in the film. The same goes for language while the violence, frequent and somewhat lengthy at times, is relatively bloodless and involves a variety of weaponry slashes and stabbings.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is an intriguing take on its source material, albeit an obviously commercial one. Perhaps, the creators felt that the original plot was not marketable enough and for all intents and purposes they are most likely correct. The problem for the film is its lack of individuality in a stream of Hollywood blockbuster titles: it is just a pity that with a workable plot and metaphorical imagery that the film never reaches the height of its proposed fantastical nature. Granted, the narrative, acting, and base level sense of wonder gets the job done and makes for a fun time. Though, you would think that if the creators themselves had access to the mythical Dagger of Time, they could have gone back and given the film the needed sharpening it deserves.

6/10

Screen date: 21 May 2010

Release date: 21 May 2010

Iron Man 2

Less sparks reveal the metal...

Six months after Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) unveiled to the world that he was Iron Man, Stark has created an era of peace between the super powers of the world but he is faced with increasing pressure from the government to allow the military use of the Iron Man suit for military application. This does not come at a good time for Stark as competition from a rival, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), is continued by the strange appearance of Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke). Vanko poses a threat to Stark as he shares the same knowledge on how to build the arc rector on which the Iron Man suit works.

Iron Man 2's story shares a little too much similarity to that of the original. Like the first, Iron Man 2 is not aggressive as it bathes itself in some quick humour and a rather silly middle-arc. This keeps the comic book feel of the source material unlike The Dark Knight, for instance, which attempted to rework Batman into a more real world setting. That said, Iron Man 2 does a great job of seeming real with some potentially viable politics occurring: the US government wanting the Iron Man suit for military application makes sense. In addition to this, Iron Man 2 does a decent job of setting in motion the upcoming Avengers film. Nevertheless, the film's narrative falters in two distinct ways: familiarity and lack of focus. The problem this time around is that the villains, and their motivations, are too familiar to that of the villain in the first film. Both Hammer and Danko appear as two parts of Obadiah Stane from the first film, and like Stane before they want the technology behind the Iron Man suit. Granted, Danko is able to make the arc reactor himself due to an interesting sub-plot, which plays less into the story than expected, but the villains ultimately come down to just wanting what Tony Stark has. Consequently, the arrival of two villains also brings along a few more heroes including Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson) and the arrival of War Machine. While it is great to see the Avengers plot moving ahead, it results in less glory time for Iron Man himself. By the film's closure, it feels as if Iron Man had not done enough with so many different characters getting perhaps a little more screen-time then they ought to. There was talk of re-shoots having to take place for the film and it shows at times: with so many characters and villains, the films pacing can feel offish on the odd occasion because there is just a little too much for what the story is trying to convey. Perhaps if structured a little more like The Dark Knight, in terms of villains and heroes, Iron Man 2 would have been a bit more coherent, but I suppose it just was not 'part of the plan'. Nevertheless, it is a workable story that keeps things going but it could be a lot tighter.

On the acting front there is a lot more to be desired, but there are still some slight issues. Downey Jr. and Paltrow slide back into their respective Iron Man characters with relative ease. It is also great to see how both build upon their characters as the character development allows them to: Downey Jr. is able to emphasise the despair and narcissist feeling he has about his own individual mortality, whereas Paltrow's gives Pepper Potts the more assertive nature she needs to keep Tony Stark in check. While their romantic relationship is not as strong as it could be, it is noticeable from their scenes together. Don Cheadle replaces Terence Howard from the first film and does a respectable enough job. The rest of the cast are adequate to a point with Rockwell overacting his role with decent results, Johansson being a little dull with hers, and Rourke not having nearly enough screen time to be a menacing villain.

The computer graphics are nice to look at but are never overly convincing. While they work there are odd occasions where the texturing on the Iron Man suits appears too cartoon-like. That said they look great in action scenes, of which there should have been more, while the special effects only prove to enhance the overall graphics.

Much like the first film, there is little in terms of swearing and no nudity beyond revealing outfits. Sex is merely referred to in passing while the violence, with some mild blood in the odd scene, is pretty similar to the first film with explosions, gunfire and hand-to-hand combat taking place.

Iron man 2 is a fun film but it is just not as good as its predecessor. While the basic plot resembles that of the original, Iron Man 2 is far too ambitious for its own good. The new heroes do not develop strongly enough and take away vital screen time from Iron Man. Likewise, the new villains feel underused and ultimately never pose any real threat, especially when they are easily outnumbered and outmatched by the heroes. The narrative is not focused enough and the action sequences are never as spectacular as they should be. Nevertheless, the narrative introduces some interesting developments and gets the basic ideas across to the audience, while the actors do a good job. Like Quantum of Solace, Iron Man 2 feels like a weak middle ground for a possible satisfying conclusion: the potential is there.

6/10

Screen date: 1 May 2010

Release date: 1 May 2010

Alice in Wonderland

Late for tea ...

While attending a party on a Victorian estate, Alice Kingsley (Mia Wasikowska) becomes interested in an apparent white rabbit she sees. Upon following the rabbit, Alice finds herself caught up in a magical world unlike reality known as Underland. Alice believes she is dreaming, but with the help of the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) she learns that she is needed to help stop the Red Queen's (Helena Bonham Carter) reign of terror.

Alice in Wonderland can, on first appearance, seem like a remake of the original story on which it is based. But as the story develops it becomes clear that it is a sequel of sorts following the life of Alice now that she is older. The narrative is divided into two parts, namely the Victorian setting which opens and closes the film and that of Underland of which the film is mostly comprised. There is a very interesting point of departure in how both worlds become important for Alice's development as a woman in Victorian London but the relation is just poorly implemented on Tim Burton's part. Though, it must be said that Alice in Wonderland is merely Lewis Carroll's original story just with a Goth coating and with less thematic depth: in fact it is perhaps one of Burton's least original and weakest in terms of narrative fecundity but the feminist undertones are noticeable. It should be noted that character development is perhaps the weakest point of the film with no character really showing off any tangible development whatsoever. It could be argued that Alice does grow as a character and this is what allows her to make the decisions she does in the end, but these actions only portray her original feminist ideas, rather than any self-reflection on her part of the society in which she lives. In a rather bizarre twist, the seriousness of the final act of Underland is finished by a rather unappealing, albeit slightly funny, act which hurts the more film then it helps. Humour becomes a largely hit-and-miss affair with some being plainly unfunny, though the Red Queen allows for some good laughs.

That said, the acting is a mixed bag with some actors getting their respective character spot on and others seemingly unable to do so. Alice and the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) are sadly examples of the latter which is disappointing since it is with these two that the film carries itself. Wasikowska may be able to look the part but she is far too subdued in her emotion and tone range for the feminist Alice, while Hathaway gets herself wrapped up in poor overacting. On the reverse there are some great performances to be seen with the Red Queen and the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry). Both are wonderful performances and easily help elevate the film's overall quality as Carter shouts out the most hilarious line of the film over and over without any dulling effect as Fry oozes a charisma that is sure to put a smile on your face. Lastly, there is Depp as the Mad Hatter: Depp comes across as playing his usual eccentric character which feels a little tiresome at times these days. On top of this his character's vocal change shows hint of his Jack Sparrow character which breaks the illusion of the film. Nevertheless, Depp does showcase why he is a talented actor but he never really does anything exciting to make the Mad Hatter that much different to previous roles.

On the opposite side of the spectrum the physical nature of the film looks and sounds delightful with some good use of computer animation and music. It is never on par with the likes of Avatar in terms of lushness, but there is a distinct cartoon feel which resonates well for the film: just as great as Fry is as the Cheshire Cat, so is the physical manifestation of the character an appealing sight. There are however some shortcomings such as wonky movement animation on the rare character and some major texturing issues resulting in some average looking character models. The added 3D elements in the 3D version of the film lack life and are unimaginatively used for the sole purpose of having the film released at 3D cinemas.

The film contains no sex, nudity or language. Violence is in small dose with some sword fighting which results in a creature having its eye taken out and another losing its head but it is far from being termed 'violent'.

'Wonderful' would be far too much praise for Burton's adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic story. Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory before, Alice in Wonderland shows why Burton's version of an existing story is not always a good one. The narrative lacks depth with feminist dealings being the only core concern; character development is unheard of; and the overall acting ensemble do not do the overall cast justice. That said the computer animation serves the film's source material adequately enough; the musical score is worth noting and the film offers a potentially fun experience: it just lacks the wonder it so desperately needs.

6/10

Screen date: 06 March 2010
Release date: 06 March 2010

The Wolfman

Incomplete transformation ...

After learning that his brother has disappeared, Lawrence Talbot (Benecio Del Toro), returns to his family estate to find that his brother was the victim of a ferocious attack. Lawrence decides to find out what happened to his brother all while trying to juggle relations with his brothers fiancée, Gwen (Emily Blunt), and his alienating father, Sir John (Anthony Hopkins). Inevitably, Lawrence is attacked in the same manner as his brother but manages to survive. This only leads to him being cursed with a transformation into a werewolf during a full moon.

1880's England is a lovely sight to behold from the opening minutes of the film and the gloomy weather, architecture and somewhat sombre tone of the film only go to visually highlight the very important Gothic themes with which the film will utilize. Thankfully this remains a constant throughout the film for the narrative does not. The story starts off interestingly enough with increasing debate as to whether a beast or lunatic is going around killing people. The plot thickens when it is discovered that Lawrence himself was placed in a mental asylum when he was younger and the introduction of Scotland Yard inspector Aberline (Hugo Weaving) gives the film the very sense of mystery it needs. Though Aberline does very little in terms of tangible investigation as the film's opening few arcs fall away to some very quick plot reveals. And this is one of the major problems with the film's story as a whole: so much is revealed so quickly that the last third to quarter of the film contains nothing for the narrative beyond a poorly conceived romance between Gwen and Lawrence. This, in turn, only happens because character development in terms of relations is not fully realized. If anything, the asylum arc of the film is very enjoyable next to some fun, albeit rather violent, action sequences. And the inclusions of some genuinely good horror elements add to the dynamic, even if lacking, narrative.

The acting performances are also somewhat on the weaker side. Del Toro and Blunt seemed somewhat distracted. Of course the death of Ben Talbot (Simon Merrells) lingers over both of them but their melancholy never feels real. Both do become progressively better by the films end but never really enough to show what both are capable of. Hopkins has an intriguing role as the protagonist's father who lives in the family estate by himself but his character lacks the emotional impact to allow much from Hopkins. Weaving is the best of the lot and gives his character the life he needs to appear as both a concerned inspector of the law, while also a figure that could potentially see his duty as above common humanity. Weaving's character is not explored enough so his screen time can feel limited at times.

On a better note the technical aspects of the film are quite compelling. The very bleak look of the films setting hits hard the atmosphere that is to be expected from the remainder of the film. The CGI and special effects are largely good enough to help capture the Gothic essence but there is the odd moment where it seems poorly implemented, such as when there is a close-up of the werewolf running at a high speed. Architecture is used well with costume design clearing indicating towards as faithful a recreation of 1880's England as possible. Lastly the look of the werewolf himself is workable and exudes a promising menacing force for a monster film.

There is no sex and almost as little use of language. There is no direct nudity but a female character is shown from behind without a top on. Violence makes up for what is missing however, with some violent, bloody and gory sequences involving decapitations and other more beastly attempts at mutilation. As expected, these are all done during the night which somewhat blankets the violence but nevertheless it can be quite explicit even though the deaths are not lingered on for long.

There is much to love in the opening half of The Wolfman as it sets itself up for a potentially thrilling finale. But for all the intense Gothic atmospheric inclusions that the film uses for its foundation, such as the costume design, CGI and scale of the visual treat that is 1880's England, it nevertheless falls apart by the films end. If you wish for a dark and bloody exposition on a werewolf then you should be satisfied, but that does not stop some underwhelming performances and a thin narrative from impending the transformation of excellent ideas into an excellent film. At one point Sir John exclaims: 'The beast will have its day' but for now The Wolfman will have to do until that day comes.

6/10

Screen date: 10 February 2010
Release date: 12 February 2010

Avatar

A spectacle without spark ...

In the distance future, the human race have discovered a unique planet, Pandora, in which a humanoid alien species, the Na'vi, exists. A highly valuable natural resource can be harvested from Pandora, and great lengths are taken to gain some control of the planet. Jake Sully, a paraplegic war veteran, is offered the chance to take part in a mission to help communication links between humans and the Na'vi by using an 'Avatar' which resemble the Na'vi in appearance. This involves him accidentally getting into the position of getting to know the Na'vi as well as possible in order to eventually persuade them to allow the humans to extract Pandora's valuable natural resource.

There is an obvious colonialist subtext which clings to the narrative of Avatar from the film's opening minutes and this is quite possibly the most rich the narrative ever becomes with little else to provide much depth to the films essence. The story for Avatar is interesting but it is far too cluttered with linear directions on how the film should flow from one scene to the next that by the credits it feels like Avatar has accomplished very little. This is mainly due to the lack of insight provided into the world of Pandora and even the nuances of the Na'vi themselves. Both are explored purely on a foreign viewpoint and it can be argued that this works in conjunction with the world being presented by the human character of Jake, but even when he begins to fuse his being with that of the Na'vi, not much more is presented to the viewer. There is a lot going for the film but it is disappointing that more is not made of it. Another problem lies with the Na'vi themselves. Their language, voices, dress code and cultural mannerism lack any distinct criteria beyond metaphorical elaboration. The Na'vi are, simply put, a mere fantasy retelling of the indigenous tribes of Africa or even American Indians. While this does help the colonialist theme of the film and in making the narrative appear more real, it nevertheless makes the story less unique and only disregards any originality the Na'vi could have as a species. It does not come as a surprise then that the human protagonists are mainly Caucasian and the Na'vi counterparts are African or Native American.

Acting is a slightly better department but the actors don't have much to work with as characters fall into defined stereotypes and the odd lines of dialogue lack consistency. Giovanni Ribisi is one of the more spirited actors but he plays a conventional power hungry executive: he becomes representative of the two-dimensional nature of the villains. Caricatures do not stop there but they are less identifiable in the heroes of the story. Worthington provides a more delicate approach to his character showing a clear distinctness in tone between his human and Na'vi selves. This does become questionable at times when even at times of unease his human self appears somewhat lackluster. Zoe Saldana is a pleasure to watch, even though she is a Na'vi, and this is purely because she is more in tune with her character than any other actor. At the end of the day, character development is on the weak side, with one character seemingly deciding to make certain decisions even when little evidence was provided for the character to do so. This also goes as far as character relationships being glazed over, even by the last third of the film where characters seem closer than originally expected.

From a technical standpoint the musical score and computer generated imagery work wonders. The music definitely adds to the emotion and feel of the film heightening the more sad and courageous moments while also aiding in scene transition. The computer imagery is staggering in scope encompassing an entire environment. There is the odd scene where textures lose their realistic look but it is in the quality of the animation of characters, creatures and flora where Avatar shines.

While sex is implied, there is no nudity beyond the Na'vi wearing little in terms of clothing. Language consists of mild profanities and the odd blasphemous term, while violence ranges from a variety of gunfire and stabbings among others; violence is never gory with minimal blood visible, though some acts can be a little extreme.

Avatar is an ambitious film and it deserves to be so with the majestic landscape of Pandora, and her inhabitants, nearly being adequate substitutes for reality. With the well conceived musical score, Avatar has the technical factors nailed but it all falls apart when the film's core narrative is added to the mix. For all the possibilities available, the film forgoes depth for simplicity and convention. If anything, Avatar is an enjoyable film but an enjoyable film with substance that does not equate to its hype.

6/10

Screen date: 18 December 2009
Release date: 18 December 2009

Paranormal Activity

Slow chill ...

A young couple on the verge of engagement encounters what appears to be a supernatural entity in their house. Katie (Katie Featherston) makes note of being haunted by a shadowy ghost of some sort for her entire life and this spurs Micah (Micah Sloat) to decide that it would be a good idea to try and get video evidence of this phenomenon.

Paranormal Activity covers nearly a month period in which the protagonists attempt to film their experiences while being haunted. It starts off relatively slow and continues so until around the last third of the film. The narrative never covers everyday but only those in which some ghostly activity at night takes place and a few scenes documenting the next morning. As a result, the film ends up being slightly shorter than expected but the run time works well in condensing the overall experience into what it aims to achieve: uneasiness in the audience. Paranormal Activity is not devoted to scaring at every possible turn but rather in creating an overall tense atmosphere for its finale. Advertisements seem to suggest otherwise but anyone expecting the usual horror affair may be left disappointed, and deservedly so as the horror sequences are sporadic and short. However, the events that occur have a realistic nature to them, granted you believe in the supernatural, and this cranks up the uneasiness associated with the horror.

Though Paranormal Activity is more than just a documenting of some unexplainable event as it also provides an intriguing perspective into the breakdown of a relationship. Katie is completely horrified at what is taking place yet Micah never really takes it all that seriously until later into the film. This conflict of view begins to erode at their relationship and this becomes integral to the greater understanding of the film. The narrative is not entirely ambiguous as other supernatural texts, but enough will be left unanswered to prompt further discussion on certain actions and scenes in the film.

While not performed by complete professionals, the acting is pretty decent and believable enough. The contrast of views between Micah and Katie are easily apparent, and the nuances in each character is performed adequately by the respective actors as Katie is serious and scared while Micah wavers from being jocular to devoted concern. The level of acting does decrease at times but considering the offering at hand it is not overly problematic.

The film has a budget of around $15,000 and does obviously show with the hand-held camera perspective used for the film. With this sort of restrictive camera application horror scenes have to be quite calculated. Nevertheless, the style of the film results in longer than expected intervals between horror moments.

While language usage contains merely a handful of F-words amongst others and violence limited to one or two non-graphic scenes, there is no nudity or sexual content.

Unlike the horror genre in general, Paranormal Activity is never about its different parts but rather the experience as a whole. Combined with a somewhat slow narrative pace, Paranormal Activity becomes a film that is both interesting yet frustrating. This will surely result in a clear divide between those who appreciate it and those who felt that the activity of going to see the film was wasted.

6/10

Screen date: 12 December 2009
Release date: 11 December 2009

Blood: The Last Vampire

Life sucked dry ...

Working with a mysterious organisation known as the Council, Saya (Ginanna Jun) is on a quest of vengeance to kill the most powerful demon in existence, Onigen (Koyuki). Saya's search leads her to a military base in Tokyo where she befriends Alice McKee (Allison Miller), a student whose persistence leads her to discover that demons are living amongst humans.

The narrative of Blood: The Last Vampire is an on-and-off affair. The initial setup is quite intriguing but the potential for a deep narrative sadly never materializes into anything tangible. The film does have a lot going for it, combining past segments with Saya's search for Onigen while factoring in political tension between the military and the Council. None of these elements go beyond the simple matter of establishment and the core reason for this is a weak script. By the film's end it becomes obvious that the script is undeveloped and the final running time of a mere 90 minutes becomes evident of this claim. The film needed to be longer by at least 30 minutes so as to allow the core elements of the story to be developed. Saya's past is glazed over, especially with one character that is pivotal to Saya's younger life being mentioned only to be dismissed as unimportant by the script a minute later. More back story would have only helped develop Saya as a character but as far as characterisation goes, the film gets the job done. The internal politics and the detective mystery nature of the film which are hinted at could have added wonders to the plot enhancing Saya relationships with other characters while trying to build mystery to the demonic forces at hand. Nevertheless the film does attempt some fleshing of the plot with the help of the character Alice McKee. The problem with this is that Alice works too much as this voice of reason, with two noticeable scenes where it is difficult to understand how she knew exactly what was going on or what to do. All-in-all, the narrative works well until the 3rd quarter of the film where events begin to enter the fray at random; it also doesn't help that the ending is on a weak note but the film, nevertheless, carries a unique enjoyment factor to it.

Acting is perhaps one of the better elements of the film. There is no award winning performances but the actors convey the emotion required of their characters. Jun is both brooding and lonely; Miller is spunky and afraid even though her scenes of enlightenment are somewhat stale; Koyuki has a stint of subtle evilness; while Cunningham is aptly suited as the cool headed lead investigator for the Council.

Disappointingly, and easily a nod to a low budget, is the very poor standard of computer graphics. The two main uses of this are when the demons turn into their true forms and when blood sprays during fighting sequences. The latter is forgivable since while the blood does not look genuine by any means it gives the film a stylized appeal. However, the CG for the demons is truly bad and almost unwarranted. The demons are lazily designed and considering that the adaption does not stick true to the source material, the demons could have easily been changed as well. Demons have three forms throughout the film: a human form; a demon form; and a semi-demon form which is easily more menacing and believable then the demon form itself.

In fact the fight scenes which involve the CG demons are easily the most poor of the lot: there is no vigour to them and they feel more like filler than anything else. However the remainder of the action is pretty well handled. The camera can be jerky at times but never to point where you'll be left wondering what happened. Unfortunately, the final action sequence is a let-down resulting in little in terms of raw action and the best action scene does not even involve Saya. In the end, the fighting in Blood: The Last Vampire is both part good and part bad and it is saddening that it does not remain at an adequate level of quality.

There is no sex or nudity to be found in the film, and language is used rather sparingly while including the odd blasphemous term. Nevertheless, the film sports quite a lot of violence and while it is never overly gory as some films in the same genre, it is still pretty violent. Violence includes some gunfire and sword fighting, with the latter including a collection of normal strikes, stabbings, beheading, decapitations and a character having is hands cut off. Most of these scenes include the spraying of blood though as mentioned earlier these are done in with stylised computer graphics.

Blood: The Last Vampire is a 90 minute film of an original 45 minute animation, and is easily 30 minutes too short. All the basics are covered, such as the acting, action and narrative but they are never explored with much depth or diligence. The acting is workable with a few sore spots; the action can be quite fun to watch when the director seems to care; and the narrative falls somewhat short after having many promising points for discussion. There is niche likeability to the overall structure of the film which helps it chances, unfortunately this structure is lacking in substance resulting in a film which could easily have been so much more.

6/10

Screen date: 09 October 2009
Release date: 09 October 2009

Surviving Evil

Decent horror flick deserving of better ...

A TV documentary crew, responsible for a wide selection of programmes on surviving in different terrains around the world, attempt their latest shoot on a remote jungle island in the Philippines. While filming, the crew come across some strange sightings unknown that the island is home to the bloodthirsty Aswang.

From the opening credits it is evident that Surviving Evil was filmed on a low budget and very little is done to hide this fact, however the film does get slightly in quality after the first few minutes. The story itself is nothing new and is reminiscent of the Hills have Eyes 2 combined with Cannibal Holocaust, though it never gets near as gory as either. There are a couple of subplots, one of which helps the main plot along, but they have very little impact on the story as a whole and serve more to add depth to the characters and their relations with one another. Though even this is a lost cause with there not being enough screen time for true character interaction to occur. The plot is ultimately thin but with the workable pace and real intent on scaring the audience, it is never as glaring a problem as it could be.

The acting side of things is fairly competent. While Billy Zane, Colin Moss and Natalie Mendoza take up the bulk of acting, the other actors persevere in making as much of the script as possible. Still this doesn't stop some weak acting at times but on a whole the cast are reasonable and definitely make up for the films other shortcomings.

The biggest of which happens to be the cinematography. Director Terence Daw is unfortunately no professional having directed only television series many years ago. He attempts to do justice to the locales but to little effect with little effort going into wide or panning shots. Still he is able to gt the ferocity and quick tension of the violent attacks well enough without having to resort to full on bloody violence gore. His build up to the climax is fairly paced and the barrage attack with occurs to the crew makes for an exciting watch.

There is no sex or nudity though violence and language are constant throughout. Violence is bloody but most gore is shown from corpses with the horrors sequences raining from quick cuts to darkened views on the action. Language variety is low though the F-word is muttered a good few times, mostly in bunches.

There is a peculiar likability to Surviving Evil even when it is clearly far from being the best in its genre. And perhaps this is due to an acting ensemble that really try to make more of the film then there should be. When you factor in some fairly entertaining horror moments, even though they're mild by modern comparisons, you have a film that deserved a more experienced director and more money for production. It is a pity that the film is getting little in terms of publicity and this is most likely due to the film being half produced by a South African company. If the chance arises you should give Surviving Evil a chance: it's not great but you may be pleasantly surprised.

6/10

Screen date: 17 July 2009
Release date: 10 July 2009

New York

A terrorist film lacking spark...

With the advent of 9/11 forcing the American government to clamp down on terrorism, innocent Muslims live in fear that they may be suspected of terrorist attacks when in reality they do not even condone the act itself. Omar (Neil Nitin Mukuesh) is arrested by the FBI but not because he is a terrorist suspect, but rather so that he can be used to spy upon the leader of a terrorist group working within New York. Omar soon discovers that he has to spy upon his best friend from college, Sam (John Abraham), but does so in order to prove his friends innocence.

The 9/11 wave of films have more or less past and New York happens to be one of the first Bollywood films to tackle the subject. This becomes a slight problem as the film's core theme lacks the contemporary nature to truly challenge political alignments. Though, the film still uses its narrative to good effect by highlighting the jadedness of Omar's current predicament with the lightheartedness of his college years. It is a well formed juxtaposition of Omar's life and highlights just how different the world has become for him. But beyond this the narrative is fairly simple while Omar attempts to become accustomed with Sam's life in order to aid the FBI with their investigation. There are no musical and dance sequences, which would have detracted from the experience, but the cued music in certain scenes do not work to full effect. There is a track in the first half which losses vibrancy a good few minutes before the scene ends, and another track in the latter half of the film which does not suit the mood at all. Though the film never becomes a tight thriller, these oversights lessen the chances the film does have. Finally the film suffers from an overload of political views: first America is seen in a negative light for torturing Muslims and then the films moves to Muslims standing up against terrorism to make a better life for Muslims in America, to name but a few of the issues. These two core messages keep playing until the conclusion and whenever the film appears to be pro Muslim it undercuts this peaceful tone with America hate before Obama as president. The film's themes are muddled, but worse yet they are themes that have already been debated: New York offers nothing new for audiences to engage with.

The ensemble of actors in New York is good but the skill rarely exceeds expectations, but rather all are merely competent enough to see the film through. Abraham is more believable with his fun-loving college self then he is as a man who could be running a terrorist group. However praise must be given to him with his scenes involving him locked up for being a suspected terrorist: the anguish and pain he expresses feels real, but it is just a pity this sort of emotion is not carried throughout the film. Mukesh has a similar transition feeling more believable when defending himself and trying to fix everything then he is in other scenes. Kaif's role, while prominent compared to other films, is still lesser compared to her two male counterparts. Though she does feel more comfortable in this role then she has in previous where it feels like she is wasting any talent she may have. Rounding off the cast is Irrfan Khan as FBI investigator Roshan: he is not the lead but you sort of wish he was. He is a far more the more capable actor and he brings a pedigree to a film which deserves to better then it ends up being.

Considering its subject matter New York is not quite as violent as expected. There is no sex or nudity and language is virtually unnoticed.

New York is an interesting film or should be: its subject matter and political messages all seem rather unnecessary these days. It is great to see a Bollywood film dealing with post 9/11 experiences but it is geared in the wrong way and even confused at the ideology it wishes to have. The narrative shows signs of artistic nature but is too linear in its approach. The actors work with their respective roles but besides Kahn they are not consistent in delivering at their best. New York is a competent film but it is just not refreshing.

6/10

Screen date: 26 June 2009
Release date: 26 June 2009

White Wedding

An enjoyable though simple tale...

The soon-to-be-wed Elvis (Kenneth Nkosi) and his best friend and best man Tumi (Rapulana Seiphemo) are on route from Durban to Cape Town to attend rehearsals for Elvis's wedding. However their journey does not go according to plan as both Elvis and Tumi struggle to find their way across the country, and they meet up with Rose (Jodie Whittaker), a doctor from England, who is trying to return to home.

The narrative for White Wedding is not exactly something unheard of but it makes for a refreshing tale in traditional South African cinema, usually concerned with Apartheid, crime or other negative aspects of modern society. Instead, White Wedding is far more casual and relaxed though this is not to say that its issues are not serious. The central three characters all suffer from some form of anxiety in regards to relationships. Elvis is devoted to his wife Ayanda (Zandile Msutwana) but as the story progresses he becomes jealous that his wife might be spending too much of her time with her ex-boyfriend. Tumi has no interest in marriage and his flirtatious habits make his prospects at a long term relationship difficult. Rose, on the other hand, learned that her fiancée was being unfaithful. Evidently it is relationships which become the film's prime concern. Another issue at the heart of White Wedding is racism and the ideal of an equal society.This issue is played upon by much of the comedic nature of the film. Strangely, while the film has comedy throughout and is marketed as such, the comedy never overrides the dramatic elements of the text. In many respects, the comedy becomes situational, playing upon South African societal norms, such as Elvis and Tumi vising a bar in an Afrikaans town. It all makes for good, clean fun even if the film proves too idealistic for its own good. The acting is, in general, quite good. Nkosi feels comfortable with his role though he tends to overact on the odd occasion, and Seiphemo is as solid as always. Whittaker is a surprise casting, giving the film somewhat of an international appeal, and while she is not acting at her best she does her job well enough. Msutwana is the only of the cast who appears somewhat off-putting. Throughout she is workable but she goes through the odd scene once and while as monotonic.

The cinematography feels too simple and expected, though strangely this is not a bad move on part of the director Jann Turner with her directorial debut. Turner goes about refreshing African cinema, and proves to rather make a sound film instead of allowing it to be plagued by a poor script, story or acting. She will undoubtedly free her style once she gets more used to creating movies instead of her usual television shows.

Apart from the occasional mild swearing, there is no content which sensitive viewers would disapprove of.

White Wedding is not an excellent comedy but as the sum of it's parts, its worth a watch. The story is simple though lacks subtly in explaining its messages and the acting is commendable though it does wane at times. While strictly a comedy to be enjoyed by South Africans it does have some international appeal. However the film should be viewed as a drama with a good does of comedy rather then a strict comedy, and perhaps by not being so conservative with style and form, White Wedding could be enjoyed by all.

6/10

Screen date: 03 May 2009
Release date: 29 April 2009

Dragonball Evolution

Fun, but weak and short...

As an apprentice, Goku (Justin Chatwin) is under the guidance of his grandfather, Gohan (Randall Duk Kim), in martial arts but finds it difficult to adjust to a normative social life. While trying to balance his training with his inept attempts at flattering Chi-Chi (Jamie Chung), Goku becomes caught up in a search with Master Roshi (Chow Yun-Fat) and Bulma (Emmy Rossum) for seven Dragonballs which are to help him save the world from Piccolo (James Marsters), a creature bent on destroying the world.

Based upon a manga and anime, Dragonabll Evolution is not going to win praise for faithful adaptation. Much has been altered, mainly due to the medium being used, but ardent fans will be disappointed. That said, the story is not anything wholly original: Goku is an apprentice who is given the almighty task of saving the world from an evil tyrant, nevertheless the adaptation is intriguing. This film has been given a more close-to-home feel with Goku attending a normal high school and everyday cars are driven, but many elements are amiss. Characters become caricatures of themselves: Bulma is too Lara Croft and Yamcha comes across as too much of a beach bum, and as such characters become less like their original versions. The adaptations work as far as giving an alternative universe to the Dragonball universe, though Goku's most powerful energy attack is given a rather strange twist.

Nevertheless the core problem with Dragonball Evolution is time: the film is simply too short to tell the tale it wishes to tell and a consequence of this is that story arcs develop way too quickly. For instance, the love story between Goku and Chi-Chi, as cute as it may be because two individuals were able to fall deeply in love in such a short time, in not conducive to the overall story as their quick fall into love serves no purpose whatsoever. Even the mystery around the Oozaru lacks any buildup and gets answered under two lines of prose. These are just two of countless elements which occur far too quickly and are never given time to mature, like character development and motivation, making the film far too aimless. Paradoxically enough, the editing department is far too loose and never strict enough to keep scene integration fluid and quick. This all adds up to a film which clearly did not have enough time in its post-production phase: Dragonball Evolution was released earlier than it ought to have.

The acting department is commendable with the actors seeming as if they enjoyed their roles somewhat, but this does not stop some noticeable bland acting. Chatwin begins off on a slow note and, like a few of his peers, appears to act in a rather scripted way. The acting becomes more natural as the film develops but it's disheartening that Fat and Kim overshadow the entire cast. Of course some strange dialogue choices and overemphasis on characters quirks makes it difficult for the actors to truly make their respective character work.

In many respects, director James Wong tries t to make the film feel like a cartoon when he should be focusing on making it a straight live-action. He is not a bad director by any means but his cinematography does not make the action scenes, in which little there are, feel explosive. They feel weak in order to seem non-violent and in here is another gave mistake in the film: it aimed at a younger market then it ought to be.

There is no sex or nudity, except from Roshi's appeal into swimsuit magazines, and language is rare with violence being far too tame to warrant the term 'violent'.

Dragonball Evolution is not a very good film, but it is neither a poor film. There is a clear desire to make the film as successful and enjoyable as possible but the planning and execution is heavily flawed. The story feels ripped from countless other martial arts film, albeit the grandeur of powers the main characters can wield, and the acting or direction never impresses on a high level. The adaptation is not faithful but it needn't be, for Dragonball Evolution ultimately fails because there is not enough time to tell the story it wishes too. With some clear direction and better planning the sequel can be a better received film, but for what it is worth Dragonball Evolution is enjoyable enough on its own terms.

6/10

Screen date: 17 April 2009
Release date: 09 April 2009

Fast and Furious

Original parts need reworking...

When an oil truck hijacking goes wrong, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) is forced to leave his girlfriend, Letty (Michelle Rodirguez) and his current crew. However it is not long until he is brought to Los Angeles in order to infiltrate a high speed delivery service under the control of Ramon Campos. At the same time, Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker), an FBI agent, has been following a trail of drug deliveries and his investigation leads him to Campos.

A sequel to 2 Fast 2 Furious and a prequel to Tokyo Drift, Fast and Furious brings back the cast of the original to give the series a reboot of such, as if Tokyo Drift did not attempt the same feat already. As such, Fast and Furious is very much on par with the first two films: it goes back to home territory in America, and ditches the drifting for pure speed racing. Though there is only a single race in the entire film with various chase sequences, so the main appeal of the film, street racing, is not entirely utilized to full effect. Nevertheless, Fast and Furious does attempt to tell a reasonably interesting story. Reasonably because it never really works by the film's end. The story does not take long to give an emotional pull for the audience, but it pans out rather uninterestedly. Toretto and O'Conner have their own agendas' in the main story arc but it becomes far too neatly wrapped. Any calamities brought about by the first two films, such as O'Connor's betrayal of Mia, are brushed aside and given far too conventional, and easy explanations. Make no mistake, Fast and Furious is all about style over substance.

The acting department is not entirely better, but credit must be given to a cast that does indeed try to get the film's feel right with their respective characters. But neither Rodrigruez, Brewster, or the main two, Walker and Diesel, feel anything more then caricatures. And this is a great pity as the script wants to give them more depth but it becomes overshadowed but moderate acting and a weak attempt at story telling; an average script with some weak dialogue doesn't help matters for the actors either.

Though while the film lacks depth it does make up for in its method. The entire film oozes sex appeal from the main cast, the many scantily clad women engaging in rather intimate situations, and the lineup of vehicles. The latter does not play as much of a visual importance as seen in Tokyo Drift which is an indication of the film's more character driven narrative. Car sequences mainly revolve around chases with only a single race event taking place. While races would have made for more exciting set pieces the chases do their job at entertaining. Credit must be given to director Justin lin, who provides some stunning cinematography. He is also quite knowledgeable to invoke symbolism into his filming style for a few scenes. One such has O'Connor, on foot, chasing after a man: the scene is shot in quite a jumpy and jagged manner. However the car sequences are far more smooth, as if the main characters are more in their element while riding a car, then they are as themselves.

There is no sex or nudity, beyond two focuses on two different sets of lesbians kissing and fondling and many provocative outfits and dancing. Violence is never intense but the car sequences show enough wrecked damage. Language is kept down to mostly scatological terms with no hard swearing.

It might be cliched, but Fast and Furious is both fast and furious though it becomes painstakingly obvious as the film develops that it lacks self-control. It is great to see the old cast return but it all feels like a rather forced effort to relive the glory days of the original. The story tries too much to make all characters comfortable with one another; the acting is never up to standard; and there is sadly only one race scene. The director is really the only person who kick starts the films engine: it is a decent film, but it requires a good load of tuning if it wants to score big.

6/10

Screen date: 11 April 2009
Release date: 09 April 2009

The Day the Earth Stood Still

More an ad than movie...

As an unknown force begins to rapidly make it's way to Earth, the United States government attempts to thwart the object with the help of various well established scientists, one such being Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly). With just over an hour to devise a plan the scientists come up empty handed and are forced to witness the destruction of Washington. Must to their surprise the unknown force slows down and settles on earth with little destruction and is seen in the form of a gigantic sphere. A humanoid figure going by the name Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) leaves the sphere and impresses upon Benson the imminent eradication of humankind.

The opening of the film, set may years before the events which occur in the present time line, is meant to serve as a sort of teaser to the main story. However the opening is not engaging and lacks any form of mystery. The scene itself could have been shorter and better used in the middle arc of the film in the form of a flashback or explanation. This would have cut a few minutes off the run time as the film feels a little too long for almost no reason. As for the story itself, it is quite simplistic. Even with the global warming undertones the film presents there is little to engage audiences on an intellectual level. The story does have some noteworthy moments, such as when it is discovered as to the real reason for Klaatu visit Earth and his role in this plan. But far too little is developed and the film suffers for it. The ending is as well quite contrived and doesn't give the full impact of the environmentalist messages. As such the story feels washed out and more like an an attempt at holding a protest sign then actually going out and physically doing something about the problem at hand.

On the acting front the film delivers a fairly decent effort. Reeve's character is essentially emotionless, and while Reeves himself is not the most talented actor it does feel harsh to say that he was aptly suited for the role when he has shown at times in his career his ability to act. That said, he was aptly suited for a being who could not feel, but merely decipher the world through sheer logic. This is a contrast Connelly's character who is dealing with some emotional situations, especially with the death of her husband. Connelly performs well enough but due to script problems it becomes difficult for her to make the character more believable. The last of the in actors is Jaden Smith. Jaden's character is in a nutshell, a brat. But a brat who does undergo development. Jaden does a pretty decent job with the role but like the previous two actors, the script really falters in allowing the audience to have a connection with the character. Ultimately the characters feel more like tools just to get some theme across. That theme is pretty blatant and materialises into nothing audiences haven't been exposed to before. As such, the plan to replace character involvement for another aspect of the film does falls flat.

From a technical aspect the music does work though it is nothing special. It is perhaps not eerie enough when it should be eerie, or jolted enough in scenes of panic and action. However the CG elements range from good to mediocre. When special effects are added the CG can be quite appealing to the eye, such as the sphere which is used for transportation by the aliens. But the countless CG models used on military helicopters, mainly, is quite bland. While it is not evidently noticeable, praise must be given to the 3D modelers for hiding the bad CG behind an array of smoke and/ or darkness so that the models look more adequate then they ought to. at said, the CG used towards the end of the film is consistently good.

There is no sex, minimal side nudity with is not at the least graphic, minimal language and minimal violence, which involves mainly military procedures.

The Day the Earth Stood Still is a film which falters because of its direction. Yes there are factors in the film which don't work but these mainly occur because of the director's approach to the subject matter. The script is not fueled enough to give life to the characters and this becomes an evident difficulty for the actors. The story is far too linear focusing more on tying to masquerade environmentalist messages, instead of trying to intertwine these messages into a story with some substance. Even the CG is a touch-and-go sort of situation. That said the film is not a total failure: it has it's moments. The special effects do look nice at times, and the script does up itself at the rare moment, but it all could have been so much more.

6/10

Screen date: 12 December 2008
Release date: 12 December 2008