Zombieland (2009)

Zombieland is a great film that can be mentioned in the same breath as the legendary Shaun of the Dead. After Shaun of the Dead other zombie films started to come out that were truly awful (think Zombie Strippers more then Land of the Dead). Some critics thought the Zombie genre had faded out, or more to the point, couldn't get near the quality of Edgar Wright's Zombie comedy.

Zombieland proved everyone wrong. By now, you've probably heard about the cameo (I still won't mention his or hers name just in case). You see, about half way through the film we get a 'surprise' appearance from a comedy legend who gamely starts taking the piss out of the other movies they've been in. What's so great about this cameo is that it's so unexpected and perfectly done that it puts all other cameos to shame. But thankfully Zombieland isn't just about that cameo. It also has big laughs, a great cast who are more 'fleshed out' (I'm so sorry) then you'd expect from zombie films.

The cast are brilliant. Zombie films always have certain characters that are just there to be eaten, but not Zombieland. Director Rueben Fleischer and his writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese have created four likable characters whose story you become totally invested in. Jessie Eisenberg plays Columbus, one of the few survivors of the Zombie outbreak and it's his storyline we follow from start to finish. During his quest to find his long lost parents he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) who's a big alpha male brimming with guts and swagger. We have the gorgeous Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin who play sisters that are con artists. You could argue that the girls parts are slightly underwritten but this doesn't effect the story, and in Woody Harrelson's performance (his best work in years) and Eisenberg's you have a great combo that plays out more like a buddy-cop movie then a zombie one.

Despite Zombieland being heavily stylised and relentlessly slick, it also has a heart to go with it's brains which makes the audience care about the story and survival of the main characters, not just how many zombies they can kill along the way (although they do indeed kill quite a few). In a genre that has definitely seen its fair share of stinkers, Zombieland can stand alongside the greats.

This isn't just a Zombie film, it's also a great film, with Fleischer showing great style and assured quality in his debut film. Zombieland is one of those films that can be watched again and again.

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Superbad (2007)

Yes, we know teen sex comedy films have been done to death, but when they are done as good as the likes of Animal House, American Pie and even this years The Inbetweeners you don't mind so much. In 2007, another teenage sex comedy was released that was loved by everyone and made stars of Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Emma Stone. That film was called Superbad.

The story follows 3 high school guys (Hill, Cera and Plasse) who are preparing to go their separate ways for college. They decide to go out and party as they think it's their last chance to get a girl drunk and have sex with them. Superbad is briskly paced with the jokes coming thick and fast. Each sequence is set up wonderfully for maximum comedic possibilities with the script capitalising on everyone of them.

Superbad was the latest offering for the Judd Apatow gang, who, at the time, produced the hits 40 year old virgin and Knocked up. The script was written by pals Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg when they were just 13 years old because they wanted to see if they could write a movie people would want to go see. There was no doubting that Superbad came with a lot of talent behind it.

The three leading lads are excellently cast. They may not be the best looking kids you've seen, but, what they lack in looks, they certainly make up for it in charm and comedy timing. People may have seen Cera's previous work when he starred in the great T.V series Arrested Development and will notice his role in Superbad is very similar. He doesn't have the big punchlines, instead using his body language and his facial expressions to get the laughs. Hill on the other hand is the complete opposite. He's loud, he swears a lot (he says the word f##k 84 times), and it's his initial idea to get some girls (Emma Stone and Martha Mac Issac) drunk so he can have sex with them.

Finally we have Mintz-Plasse who plays the third-wheel Fogel but he's better known as McLovin. He created the films best moments and I'm pretty sure people are still quoting 'I am Mclovin' today (well, I still do anyway). Most of Mclovin's story revolves around two police officers (Seth Rogen and Bill Hader) who are easily the worst policemen your ever likely to meet, but they sure know how to party. I should also mention Emma Stone who plays Jules and is the girl Seth wants to get drunk and have sex with. While Jules is more of a supporting role, there's no denying Stone's appeal in Superbad and it's no surprise she's currently the hottest female in Hollywood (also watch Easy A and The Help if you need anymore persuasion).

Superbad is an absolute riot that was arguably the funniest comedy of 2007. Watch it with some friends and have a right laugh.

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Rum Diary Trailer

The first trailer for The Rum Diary has finally, finally arrived. It's directed by Bruce Robinson and stars Johnny Depp, Amber Heard and Arron Eckhart. The Rum Diary is based in the novel by Hunter S. Thompson and follows the story of Paul Kemp (Depp) who is a journalist that moves to Puerto Rico trying to find his voice and writing intergrity. During his stay, Paul stumbles upon a real story which puts him on the trail of corrupt businessman named Sanderson (Eckhart) and his beautiful fiance Chenault (Heard).

First impressions of the trailer are good and seems to have captured the book well. Look at for Richard Jenkins Wig, surely one of the funniest things you'll see this coming winter. Rum Diary finally hits cinemas Nov 4th.

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Iron Man 2 (2010)

The first Iron Man came to us in the summer of 2008 and became a massive hit. It also made Robert Downey Jr a superstar and showed he can do big blockbuster films. When it comes to a sequel to the loved original, perhaps the most we can ask for is that it's just as good as the original. Unfortunately it isn't, but it's still a very enjoyable film.

This time the script is written by Justin Theroux who was recommended to Director John Favreau by Robert Downey Jr. The story once again follows playboy Tony Stark (Downey Jr) who looks like his having the time of his life, but secretly cracks are starting to show from the strain of being Iron Man. Meanwhile in Russia Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) is planning to destroy Tony Stark by creating a similar energy source to Iron Man's and become the villain Whiplash.

As with any sequel, it needs to be bigger and louder. Iron Man 2 doesn't fail to deliver with a ludicrous set-piece at the Grand Prix in Monaco. It also has a more action orientated villain in Whiplash. Rourke plays the role in a more serious tone then the rest of the cast. As sarcastic as Downey's Stark is, Rourke's Vanko is the complete opposite. It's an effective contrast as it makes Whiplash seem more sinister and dangerous. However, although Iron Man is darker then the original it's certainly no Dark Knight. Tony Stark is still out to have fun, focusing more on huge expos and cheerleaders instead of his inner demons. Of course there's nothing wrong with a fun movie, in fact you should embrace the fact that Iron Man 2 is solid entertainment. I just feel it missed a trick by only skimming the service of Tony's story between him and his father. The films climax is also rather disappointing as it feels like a re-run of the first. It would've been much better to have Whiplash out of the suit with just his huge electric whips.

Thankfully the film still has a lot of charisma. Favreau uses Downey Jr perfectly when not in the metal suit. He's quick witted, very likable and you continually want Stark to get with his assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Rourke does well as Whiplash but unfortunately spends most of the film in a warehouse which is not where we won't Whiplash to be. We want him causing havoc and threatening the perfect world of Tony Stark. We also have Don Cheadle who replaced Terrence Howard as Tony's best friend Rhodey. Not much has been said on why Terrence left the project apart from some reports claiming he had a fall out with Marvel Studios. It's a shame as Terrence did a great job in the original, but life goes on, and like Steven Soderbergh said 'If you can put Don Cheadle in your movie, then put Don Cheadle in you movie'. Finally we get Scarlett Johannson playing Black Widow and Sam Rockwell who just about steals the show as Justin Hammer. Scarlett does well enough and has a good action scene where she shows off her gymnastic skills. But she seems to have been put there alongside Samuel L Jacksons Nick Fury to advertise 2012's Avengers movie.

It's a shame as this is another downfall for the movie. Iron Man 2 as a whole feels like a big trailer for a film that at the time was still over 2 years away. Throughout the film we get tiny references to the likes of Captain America and Thor which is fine as long as it doesn't take anything away from the hero of the film. Unfortunately it does. This can be confusing for anyone who has seen the original but hasn't got the foggiest about the rest of the Marvel universe.

Iron man 2 is a fun filled action film with good performances from Rourke, Rockwell and Downey Jr. I just can't help but think that Marvel forgot that this is a Iron Man film and not a origin story for the Avengers.

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The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

The Lincoln Lawyer turned out to be a very surprising film. For starters, it has so many twists and turns you could easily make a trilogy of films (Hopefully we'll see more cases in the future). Secondly, and most important of all, Matthew McConaughey is quite good. Actually, no scarp that, he is very good.

For anyone who's a big fan of Family Guy, you should remember one episode in particular where we see Stewie tear McConaughey a new one for having one of the worst careers in Hollywood. The audience laughed because we all knew it was true. Matt has been in such turkeys as Fool's Gold, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Failure to Launch. But in Lincoln Lawyer McConaughey is fantastic. Maybe it's time he ditched the Rom-Coms and start making a few more serious films.

McConaughey plays Mick Haller who runs a law office out of his car. He's not your typical high powered lawyer but is a shrewd defence lawyer who's always got results. Rich guy Louis Roulet (Ryan Philippe) calls on Haller when he's accused of attempted rape and attempted murder. Haller takes on the case but soon realises that the case isn't as simple as he first thought when he finds that one of his old clients Jesus Martinez (Michael Pena) is somehow involved.

Directed with great style by Brad Furman, Lincoln Lawyer is the type of film that could of been made in the 70's. It's a big movie star film with an outstanding supporting cast playing a great selection of characters. With McConaughey and Philippe we also get William H Macy, Marisa Tomei, Bryan Cranston, Micheal Pena and Josh Lucas. As I said previously, McConaughey fits the role like a glove. His natural easygoing charm suits the role perfectly but  he can also slip into something much deeper and darker when the secrets start to unravel. Philippe embodies the essence of the spoilt rich kid who thinks he can control everything. All the supporting cast do well but special mention must go to Josh Lucas who is excellent as the rival prosecuting attorney.

This is only the second of Michael Connelly's novels to be made into a film (the last being Clint Eastwood's 2002 flop Blood Work). Hopefully we'll see more from Connelly's other crime novels in the near future.

Lincoln Lawyer is a solid crime film with great performances all round, especially from McConaughey who has never been doubted as a good actor. He's just made some terrible film choices.

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Red Tails Trailer 2 (2012)

A second trailer for Red Tails appeared online last week courtesy of MTV and this time seems to showcase more dogfights. This is George Lucas's first film that hasn't involved Star Wars or Indiana Jones for years. George cam up with the story way back in 1994. He has asked Anthony Hemingway to direct with George taking the executive producers chair.

The film is based on a true story about the Tuskegee airmen, a group of African American pilots during World War 2. These men were given second hand planes and the toughest missions but stood up to the challenge. After watching the trailer, the dogfights seem to be the most ambitious every created on film. The cast look very good with Bryan Cranston, Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr finally returning to do something respectable (Chris Moyles game show was a new low for Gooding). Red Tails should be heading to cinemas early 2012.

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Iron Man (2008)

Iron Man was Marvel studios first self-financed film and became the first film released in 2008 to pass $300 million at the U.S box office. It was also the last film special effects expert Stan Winston completed before his death. Iron man was the comic book film that went through years of development hell. Universal studios were originally set to make this film in 1990 (so glad they didn't). They ended up selling the rights to 20th Century Fox who then passed it on to New Line Cinema before Marvel finally decided to bankroll the movie themselves. Thankfully they did as who knows when this film would've got made, if at all.

Kudos must go to Marvel for bringing in Jon Favreau to direct and cast actors who, while all great names,  you wouldn't necessarily associate with big summer blockbusters. Jon Favreau brought in the likes of Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man/Tony Stark, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts (although reports suggest Jon originally wanted Rachel McAdams who turned down the role), acting god Jeff Bridges and relatively unknown Terrance Howard. Jon also asked his good friend Paul Bettany to lend his voice for Starks super computer JARVIS. There's no doubt that Favreau brought in a solid cast of actors.

But what about the story? Origin stories are always tricky to make. They always seem like a feature length movie that's advertising the start of a bigger and better franchise. X-Men definitely suffered from it and even Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins (surely people got the most excited when Batman reveals Jokers calling card?) Origin stories seem to be the way forward when starting a franchise these days. But, James Bond didn't need one, neither did Indiana Jones. I guess it's the sign of the times. If studios know they can make sequels from these films, then what better place to start then right at the very beginning.

That's not to say Iron Man isn't a good film, far from it. In fact it's a very good film. The problem is the film starts to fade once the origin story is complete. It also seems to be in a rush to finish off and start thinking about the sequel. The powerhouse cast don't fail to deliver in this film. Downey Jr is the perfect choice for Tony Stark (the fact that Tom Cruise was originally planning to play Stark does not sit well with me). Downey Jr is great at providing slapstick comedy but also gives Iron Man a soul. Then there's Jeff Bridges, his performance of main villain Obidah Stone is very bullish and convincing. Finally we have Gwyneth Paltrow who gives the film it's warmth and the scenes with Downey Jr have great chemistry. The suit itself is fantastic and ILM should be applauded for another great piece of work.

The only minor let down is the action scenes are too short. The final showdown is over far too quickly and the action scenes before that don't really show the Iron Man suit at it's full potential (Iron Man vs the Taliban, only one winner). But, it's a disappointment that's doesn't hinder the enjoyment of this film. If Iron man turned out to be a complete dud and failed miserably at the box office then there simply wouldn't be a Thor or Captain America or  Avengers movie. Thankfully Marvels gamble paid off.

Iron Man is a very enjoyable film that has great cast and a director who showed he can handle big summer blockbusters. Surely the sequel will be even better.....

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Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance trailer (2012)

The new trailer for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance trailer turned up online late last week, and what else is there to say about it except it already looks vastly superior to the original.

Directors Nevedine and Taylor have insisted this is not a straight forward sequel to the previous film, which is a good sign as the the first Ghost Rider wasn't the greatest. They've promised a comic hero unlike anything with seen before and after watching the trailer and seeing Cage's Blaze pissing in the wind like it's some sort of flamethrower you can't really argue with them. This time we see Nicholas Cage becoming anti-villain Johnny Blaze instead of it all being CG created. The trailer shows us plenty of Ghost rider, but we also get a glimpse of Johnny Whitworth as Blackout and Idris Elba as Moreau. The guys gave Twitter an exclusive introduction before showing off their new trailer which is below.

You'd expect nothing less then exploding cars, high speed chases and action that will melt your face from the guys that brought us the Crank films. We shall have to wait and see if they continue that trend when Ghost Rider is released on February 22, 2012.

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Kick-Ass (2010)

Bravo to Matthew Vaughn. When he originally pitched the idea of Kick-Ass to the big hitters in Hollywood everyone turned him down flat. The adaptation of Mark Millar and John Romita Jr's  dark comedy comic book was deemed too violent, especially with one of the main characters being a 12-year old girl in a superhero costume who goes round slicing people up and using the C-word. But Matthew isn't known for lacking in confidence and decided to finance the film himself (with a little help from his celebrity friends) and get it into cinemas. Thankfully he managed to pull it off because Kick-Ass is one of the most entertaining films of 2010.

The story follows hapless teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) who decides to fight crime and become a superhero. After becoming a Internet phenomenon, he quickly realises he's in way over his head when he comes up against a ruthless mobster named Frank D'amico (Mark Strong), but two genuine superheros Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) turn up to help Kick ass.

In a way Kick-Ass is a love letter to other comic book films. it's similar to 2009's Watchmen in terms of its outlook of the genre. The fact that no studio would back this film proved to be a advantage to Vaughn as he got to make a film that's ultra violent, darkly funny and entertaining without anyone looking over his shoulder.

It starts with Dave buying a green costume off the Internet, he puts it on and looks nothing more then a weedy vigilante. But it gave Dave the confidence to go out and fight crime. Obviously things don't turn out as planned with Dave getting his ass kicked from a couple of petty criminals. This results in Dave going to hospital where the doctors decide to put metal plates over his bones (clear as day reference to Wolverine). This encourages Dave to go out again and become the superhero he always wanted to be. However, this brings a lot of attention from D'amico after his people are being killed by a unknown superhero. D'amico believes it's Kick-Ass who is responsible and uses the help of his son (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) who becomes Red Mist and tries to lure Kick-Ass to his father. What D'amico fails to realise is that the real culprits are Big Daddy and Hit Girl.

It's this father-daughter relationship that really moves the plot and the action scenes forward. This is Cage's best work in ages. He seems to have actually enjoyed playing the role of Big Daddy. He hilariously mimics the slow-down, camera hogging delivery of Adam West's Batman from the 60's TV show and has a great one shot action scene which shows that Cage still has what it takes to be a action star. Special mention has to go to Chloe Moretz who is excellent as Hit Girl. Chloe seems mature beyond her years and gives genuinely funny one liners but also shows that Hit Girl is still a kid.

Aaron Johnson also does well in his first action role. He gets the audience to follow his story and has the final say in the great OTT final action scene. But this is Vaughn's movie. He has showed he can handle controversial material in the past with Layer Cake and his producer role on Lock, Stock. but with Kick-Ass, Vaughn showed he can also handle big action scenes and big up there with the big boys of action cinema.

Kick-Ass is one hell of a thrill ride. It's ultra violent and entertaining throughout. Simply one of the best films of 2010 and the return of action star Nicholas Cage.

 

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The Guard (2011)

Brendan Gleeson is normally the supporting actor in big international films, with probably his most famous role as the Harry Potter dark arts teacher Alastor 'mad-eye' Moody. but he's also been in other great films including Braveheart, Gangs of New York and In Bruges. Finally he gets to play the lead role and does fantastic. Writer and Director John Michael McDonagh showed that a film without the likes of Brad Pit or Johnny Depp as the lead could be made, become profitable and most importantly, be a great film to watch.

Gleeson plays Gerry Boyle, an unconventional policeman in the west of Ireland. Gerry investigates, what first seems to be a seemingly random murder. FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) arrives in Galway to conduct a large operation against a well-organised drug smuggling ring. Both have to learn to work together to solve the crime.

We first meet Gerry at the site of a stupid car crash created by drunken kids. He searches to drunken joyriders, making sure they're all dead before taking drugs they have on their persons and using them for his own consumption. Gerry is the kind of guy who is very smart but acts like a child (he goes to Disneyland on his own to get his photo taken with Goofy) He also spends his time off with 2 young prostitutes dressed in fetish police uniforms and has a shot of whiskey with every pint of beer. He's the kind of police officer that makes Bad Lieutenant look like the cop of the year, but he also has a good knowledge of his town and Colombo-style insight into every investigation. His partnership with Everett is a strange one to say the least. They first meet at police headquarters, Gerry puts his hand up during a briefing and asks 'I thought only black people were drug dealers' When asked to explain himself, Gerry only turns round and says 'Im Irish, racism is part of my culture'.

Cheadle has the brilliant knack of looking offended without really showing it. The comments from Glesson aren't supposed to be taken seriously (he's not actually a racist), but wants be taken seriously as a police officer and never apologisies for his comments. Cheadle and the main villains Mark Strong and Liam Cunningham all do good jobs in the roles given to them but this is Gleeson's movie. He gives a performance that is up with the best you'll see this year and one that deserves a nomination or two come awards season.

The story is simple one that works very well because of the characters McDonagh's created. Every actor gets great material and all have memorable one-liners. The guard is an unexpected surprise and a great alternative to the other summer releases.

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The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec (2011)

The latest film from Luc Besson is Amelie meets Indiana Jones that gets away with it's own ridiculous storyline on account of being very charming and exciting. The story is set in Paris 1911, when a Pterodactyl hatches in a museum and begins terrorising the town, clueless detective Caponi (lellouche) seeks the connection between the Jurassic tyrant, a mad old professor (Nercessian) and reporter Adele Blanc-Sec (Lousie Bourgoin) who's also on the pursuit of locating ancient artifacts for a personal mission.

Luc Besson is a big comic book fan and has done a great job of bringing Jacques Tardi's Adele Blanc-Sec serials to the big screen. Besson adapted two of Tardi's serials (Adele Et la Bete and Momies En Folie), it's a great, fun ride with a plucky and determined lead (Bourgoin) who has a sense of a modern spirit in a picturesque pre world war setting where the ladies wear big hats and even bigger dresses.

Adele is fearless and a proper heroine who isn't interested in love, appearances or anything that doesn't benefit her adventures. She is played wonderfully by Louise Bourgoin, giving a refreshing performance which holds the film together. Louise has brilliant comic timing, delivering great one-liners and looking gorgeous throughout. The rest of the actors are all fine, giving fairly straight performances through playful set pieces which include a scene with a guillotine and the kidnapping of the President's dog.

This is the sort of film that will appeal to people of all ages and is so imaginative that it's hard to guess what's going to happen next. Besson and his good friend and regular director of photography Thierry Arbogast and production designer Hugues Tissiandier have created a beautiful world set in  early 20th century Paris that also has wonderful re-animated dinosaurs (who you actually feel quite sorry for) and mummies. Adele Blanc has something for everyone.

Don't let the subtitles put you off. Adele Blanc is a great film that offers thrills, humour and good acting that's also stunning to look at.

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Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

Cowboys & Aliens starts off pretty well, we see gunslinger Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wake up in the middle of the desert, beaten, with no memory of how he got there. On his wrist is a new steel bracelet that wouldn't look out of place in a James Bond movie (it's a alien weapon, just in case you were wondering) and that's pretty much as good as it gets. It looks very nice and very pricey, with Indiana Jones teaming up with James Bond to shoot some Aliens western style. But even Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig can't save this film from being a big disappointment.

Director Jon Favreau did a great job at bringing Iron Man to the big screen and was tasked to work with what seems like a dozen producers and writers (Steven Spielberg, Damon Lindelof, Robert Orci, Ron Howard to name a few) and I think this affected the making of the movie. You know, too many cooks and all that. Jon Favreau's movies always showed a bit of cleverness and charisma but C & A hardly has any. Jon brought in cinematographer Matthew Libatique (Black Swan) to make sure the western/Sci-fi mash up looks great, and it certainly does.

Daniel Craig makes a great cowboy, giving a performance that is nothing like James Bond but Favreau originally wanted to cast Robert Downey Jr as the main cowboy and I can't help feeling he would of put a bit more life into the movie. Harrison Ford plays a wealthy cattle baron who you just know is going to have a softer side come in the end of the movie. Finally we have Olivia Wilde who plays a woman who isn't all she seems. Also along for the ride are Sam Rockwell and Paul Dano who give decent supporting roles. There's certainly no denying that C & A has a very talented cast.

The problem is the screenplay doesn't take any chances. For starters its a fairly basic story with most of characters being a cliche of western films which I know is the point, but when the aliens are so, well, underwhelming it becomes a very boring film very quickly. The action scenes are mildly thrilling but don't stand up to the likes of Transformers, Thor and Super 8. Also the reason why people are abducted isn't really explained. They capture humans to apparently learn how to kill us but when it takes just a bite to the neck whats the point of all that probing?

There's also not one character that audience can really connect to. Daniel Craig is supposed to be that guy but the script never allows us to see him behind all that gun slinging and staring into the distance.
Cowboys & Aliens should've been fun, it even has a fun title, but that's where the fun ends. The film is far to serious and the characters have no life in them. It should've been a wild and exciting ride with colourful characters and great action scenes with huge aliens. Instead we a get a lifeless film with half decent action and characters the audience couldn't really care less about.

With all the talent behind Cowboys & Aliens this should of been great. It turns out to be the biggest disappointment of the summer.

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Eagle Eye (2008)

Eagle eye is a ridiculous movie, but never boring. There's loads of action crammed into 10 minute segments, more so then you'd get in your average action movie. Eagle Eye doesn't have a objective, it has a totally illogical plot but makes up for it with it's sheer volume of action and special effects.

The story is about Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) who is framed as a terrorist following the death of his Twin brother. Once arrested by the FBI, he is helped to escape by a female caller and asked to go on a mission with single mom Rachel (Michelle Monaghan)

Director D.J Caruso and Shia teamed up for the second time after the surprising success of Disturbia and have made a film that is highly enjoyable but also plays on are everyday fears: the fear you are constantly being watched by computers and the government. As with most thrillers, the enjoyment comes from the set-up and Eagle Eye is no different. Someone or something is controlling all electrical devices including traffic lights, McDonald's signs and construction equipment and using them to direct Shaw and Rachel in their mission. While all this is happening FBI agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton) is in hot pursuit and is willing to do anything to bring them down.
This is where the film is at it's most fun, with the woman on the phone turning the couple into unlikely action heroes.

We don't really get to know the main characters with only a couple of scenes giving us some kind of back story, which is fine as the action is non-stop. Shia and Michelle carry the bulk of the film on their shoulders and both give reasonably good performances. Shia has always been likable and puts his natural charm and confidence into his performance. Monaghan is always a dependable actress and shows she can do action scenes with the best of them. Both have a good acting partnership and seemed game for trying anything with reports stating they did 80% of their own stunts. Billy Bob and Rosario Dawson handle the supporting roles and do all that is needed of them, which is to constantly look angry and shoot a gun every now and again.

The action scenes have a satisfying physicality to them, showing off high speed car chases and fist fights at airports. Caruso shows he's capable of doing action, relentlessly pounding the audience with action and keeping everything moving quickly. It's just a shame that the story is ridiculous and gets even more so once all the plot twists start coming together. Luckily with this much entertainment you will hardly notice or even care.

Eagle Eye is a fun and enjoyable film that has plenty of action. But, if your looking for a story that makes sense, you won't find it here.

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Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)

Rise Of the Apes represents a big Hollywood studio trying to reinvigorate a franchise that know one has talked about since Tim Burton's awful remake 10 years ago. This new movie is a prequel to 1968 Planet Of The Apes, but it wants to stand on it's own two feet and be recognised as a alternate story and also as a great summer blockbuster. Thankfully it manages to achieve it's target and surely become the surprise hit of the summer.

The film follows Will Rodman (James Franco) who is researching a cure for Alzheimer's by using chimps as test subjects. Will takes home a baby Chimpanzee after it's mother died due to a failed experiment. Cesar, the Chimp, shows great intelligence and starts to question his place on a human run planet. After meeting other Apes at a impound, Cesar decides to build an army.

Ten years ago, Tim Burton failed miserably at remaking Planet Of the Apes, now, Rupert Wyatt gets a shot at adding to the Ape saga with a alternate version of how Apes came to rule the world. Fans of the original will be pleased with the many references to the original (Caesar playing with a Statue Of Liberty puzzle, the opening scene, a exact recreation of the when the apes captured Heston.) For those who have yet to see any of the Ape movies, this film is a good starting point.

Regardless of  what other critics are saying, the 'human actors' in the film are all OK, giving well intentioned performances for what are basically supporting roles. Make no mistake, the Gorillas, Chimpanzees and orangutans are the stars of the film. Or more precisely, the actors who play the Apes are the stars. Andy Serkis who plays Caesar gives one of the best performances you'll see this summer. No other actor can do motion capture as good as Serkis and his performance makes Caesar the most sympathetic and fully realised character in the film. He owns this movie.

The film is short on action, with the majority of the film showing Caesar growing up and what happened to make him want to fight humans. It's not until Caesar gathers his army of Apes and sets out to the Golden Gate Bridge that the action kicks in. But when it does, you'll get to see a great action set-piece that shows the humans having absolutely no chance of beating these Apes.

Audiences will find Rise Of The Apes an enjoyable film that's also a solid entry into the franchise. It's emotional, exciting and above all entertaining. After the early success of the film in America, expect sequels to come over the next few years.

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Easy A (2010)

Emma Stone was on the cusp of greatness for a while before Easy A came out last year. Emma was just wonderful in Superbad and Zombieland but Easy A put her truly on the A-list and gained her the roles she deserves with this years The Help and The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012.

Easy A is a reworking of the Scarlett Letter with the story now being set in a modern California high school. Emma Stone plays Olive, a girl who is a nice, smart girl but not the most popular until another student asks her to help him hide is homosexuality by pretending to have sex with him. Of course when word gets out, Olive gains the sort of attention that most girls would try and avoid and does her best to try and clear her name.

Teenage films come out every year and of course not all of them are great. However, there are some generally great films which include Clueless, 10 Things I hate About you and Mean Girls. All of those films made stars of their actors who include Alicia Silverstone, Heath Ledger and Lindsay Lohan. You can now add Emma Stone to that list. Like those films, Easy A is a film with laugh out loud (or lol if you like) moments. The dialogue is hilarious and like all good teenage films the supporting cast are fantastic giving the like of Thomas Haden Church, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson great roles. I can guarantee that when you finish watching this movie you'll wish Stanley and Patricia were your actual parents, no matter how much you love your folks. Also for reasons I can't explain I found the Woodchuck Todd scene towards the start of the film absolutely hilarious. Seriously could watch that scene over and over again.

Going back to Emma Stone, Olive is the perfect role for her. She has brilliant comic-timing, with the writers allowing the character to breathe and be the funniest in the film (apart from Woodchuck Todd)
It's a role that Emma deserves and she absolutely nails it.

Easy A is one the best teenage films in recent years. Simple as that.

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Never Let Me Go (2011)

Mark Romanek's latest is a Sci-Fi film without being a Sc-Fi film. Based on Kazuo Ishiguro's 2005 novel of the same name and adapted for the screen by Alex Garland, this film has the seductive lure of a classic coming of age romance that seems to be taking place in a parallel universe.

The story is about 3 children who grow up at Halisham boarding school. Like all pupils who attend the school, the three have a very particular destiny, one they don't truly understand until later in life. One of them, Kathy, played by the excellent Carey Mulligan, narrates the story, telling us what happens when she and her friends Ruth (Keira Knightley) and Tommy (Andrew Garfield) who she loves, move out of the school and into the cottages where Ruth becomes a carer.

Right at the start of the film Garland tells us there has been a medical breakthrough during the 60's which has dramatically extended life expectancy for humans. This tells the audience straight away that this isn't our world. There is also little touches in the film that shows a different world including the Halisham students wearing wrist tags that they must use to register their whereabouts, even in adult life. It's fair to say that Kathy and her friends are trapped.

Screenwriter Garland sticks closely to the letter and spirit of Ishiguro's novel. He incorporates some of the dialogue straight from the book without overwhelming the human drama or Romanek's visual take on Britain. Romanek does brilliantly, adding his own style and re-creating a world that seems lost. Yes it's partially imagined, but also feels real. He also gets the best out of his actors. Knightley is strong and subtle as the selfish Ruth, Garfield captures Tommy perfectly, showing us an awkwardness and loneliness that may come in handy for next years Amazing Spider-Man. But it's Mulligan who is the start of the show, giving us a performance of real quality and shows that she is at the top of her game.

It's a beautiful film which sticks closely to the novel and provides an intelligent story with a hint of science fiction. To call this a Sci-Fi film for the ladies would be unfair to all involved, especially the 3 main actors who produce stunning performances. The film will however leave you with more questions then answers.

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