How Do You Know (2010)

James L Brooks, now 70, returns to film making with How Do You Know, a film that cost a whooping $120 million dollars to make which is certainly quite a bit of money for a rom-com. Most of the cash went on the director and it's all star cast which include Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson and Jack Nicholson. The problem is the film made $8 Million in it's first week in the U.S and went pretty much unnoticed over here, the main reason being that the film isn't very good.....at all.

Lucy (Witherspoon) is part of a U.S softball team when she is surprisingly cut from the team, she is dating arrogant and dumb baseball player Matty (Owen Wilson) who is so stupid that the audience can't seriously imagine Lucy sticking with him, no matter how desperate she is. Witherspoon is great to watch and is good to see her back on are screens after some time off. George (Rudd) is a guy who's going through a tough time after being suspended from his job and dumped by his girlfriend. He meets Lucy on a blind date and together they try and sort out their lives. Of course in typical Rom-com fashion they start to fall for each other. Rudd has his moments in this film but most of the time come across irritating and boring. You would have to wonder if it's best for Lucy to have some time alone instead of messing with these fools.

Then there's Mr Jack Nicholson one of the greatest actors of his generation who's been in such classic films as Chinatown, Batman and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. As always you'd expect good things from him...they don't appear in this film. Jack plays George's Dad Charles who is somehow involved in his son's investigation of fraud. Jack is OK in this film but is rarely given any screen time and you can only imagine agreeing to be in this film and as a favour to the director and the massive paycheck he got. At one time Bill Murray was meant to play the role of the father, but I don't think this would have made the role any better or worse purely because the character is under written and basically not very good, especially for the calibre of actors attached to the role. The whole film feels like it knows as much about love as we do. So what's the point.

By no means is this awful but you'd expect so much better from the people involved. The film doesn't seem to have any substance which becomes very tiresome very quickly. Witherspoon saves this film from being a total mess as she gives a spirited performance throughout. It's just a shame the movie isn't as good as her.

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Brighton Rock (2011)

Graham Greene's 1939 novel about an ambitious young man's attempt to take control of the gangster world in Brighton and also his dark dealings with a young girl who happens to cross his path has been brought to life in Rowan Joffe's updated version. Sam Riley steps into the role of Pinky who was played by Sir Richard Attenborough in the 1947 original. Sam makes this role his own, looking convincingly evil, menacing and makes the audience genuinely not give a damn about him.

Rowan Joffe must be commended for putting his own spin on the classic film. He has brought the seedy gangland forward to the 60's with the town also gaining a new gang leader in the shape of Andy Serkis's cockney named Colleoni. Some of the scenes and feel for the film will be familiar to people who are fans of the Who's Quadrophenia. These adjustments are welcome as it gives the film a fresh take on the story instead of being a carbon copy of the original. Newcomer Andrea Risenborough does a great job in playing Rose as a shy innocent girl who seems trapped by Pinky, but then becomes a willing helper for a man who doesn't return the love she has for him. The role was originally going to be played by Carey Mulligan but dropped out to make Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. As talented as Carey is, I don't think her performance would of been any better then Andrea's. Legendary actors Helen Mirren and John Hurt are on hand to support and help Rose with Helen in particular being in fine form playing the role of Andrea's boss

The film though isn't without it's faults. This would be passed off as a typical gangster film if it wasn't for the religious nods to the novel. Of course most gangster films make references to religion in some way or another (a shoot out in a church.....possibly not). The problem is the film seems to have put these references in just for the sake of it and doesn't really fit in with the rest of the story. Also the film may put off some people for being that little bit too dark. Even Goodfellas had some comedy thrown in but you won't find any in Brighton Rock.

That said Rowan Joffe alongside Cinematographer John Mathieson  have made great contributions to the film, evoking a sense of the time and place that was the 60's. With Sam Riley's performance being genuinely unmissable and enough new ideas added to the original adaptation make this a worthwhile watch and a justified remake.

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The First Avenger: Captain America (2011)

The last Marvel superhero film to come out before next years The Avengers has finally arrived with it quite ironically being The First Avenger: Captain America. Super hero films have become a genre of their own over the last few years. With the exception of Nolan's Dark Knight films, none of them have been more anticipated or exciting to watch then the heroes from Marvel. Finally Captain America gets a go on the big screen before joining up with the rest of the gang.

The film follows American Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) who is a small, puny fella who wants to fight the Nazis in the war. Unfortunately Steve continues to fail the test to join up with his fellow Americans until a military scientist Erskine (Stanley Tucci) sees the good and inner strength in Rogers and decides to include him in a secret program that will give him super strength and speed. With the program proving to be a success Rogers becomes Americas first super solider, also know as Captain America.

Director Joe Johnston has managed to create a film that captures the innocence and hope in a different time to what we live in now. Joe has experience of making films in this time after making The Rocketeer and also working alongside Steven Spielberg for Raiders Of The Lost Ark and seems to be another good choice from the Marvel team. The movie starts off brilliantly, showing the trials Rogers has to go through and the evil triumphs of Schimdt AKA Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). The film also makes quite of few references to other Marvel films which include Thor and more so with Iron Man with Howard Stark AKA Iron Man's Dad (Dominic Cooper) helping to create Captain America. The narrative is good with the pace being just right without the audience getting bored and the characters are all well made and have the feel of a typical 40's movie. The film also looks fantastic even with the 3D still not being the best.

The problems start once the action scenes kick in. There isn't really a big action scene to speak of, with the scenes being choppy and only showing glimpses of Captain America and his soldiers fighting the Nazi's. I thought the train scene would be the big set piece would be the one where we get to see the Captain in all his glory. Unfortunately when it arrives it feels a bit slow and actually quite boring. Joe seems to be right at home when making a drama, but the film loses some of its glory when it comes to the action scenes. This can be disappointing as you expect good quality action in a superhero movie but they just don't happen here. It also doesn't help that Captain America is a pretty straightforward character. Again, you can understand this because that's how he was in the comic books and is no fault of the director or Chris Evans (who is the perfect choice for the role).

Also the ending has a lot to be desired. Captain America is a stand alone film and so deserves a proper
ending but the one we have here is just a climax that leads up to The Avengers. This is a really bad error as it robs Captain America of his glory and in some ways makes the mission he was tasked with seem pointless. But the film is still charming and enjoyable. All it's missing is some good action and a ending that the Captain deserves. Also make sure you stay till after the end credits to get a glimpse of next years The Avengers.

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Arrietty (2011)

Arrietty is the latest film from Studio Ghibli, the studio behind the magnificent Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. Arietty is based on the Borrowers which was a novel by Mary Norton and was turned into a film in 1997 starring John Goodman. However Hayao Miyazaki (Eastern animations Disney) sticks more closely to the novel, focusing on the three members of the clock family and the young boy who is dying of a heart condition.

Arrietty is stunningly beautiful and follows the story of family of 3 little people who live under the floorboards of a mansion just outside Tokyo. Mark Strong plays the voice of the father (Will Arnett is the voice for the US version) who is very strong minded and his only concern is the survival of his family. We also have Olivia Coleman who voices the mother. She is constantly on edge and worries deeply about her daughter Arrietty who is voiced by Saoirse Ronan. Arietty is very confident and practical for a 14 year old. She's constantly excited by her surroundings and yearns to go out and 'borrow' with her father.The little people are also know as The Borrowers as they occasionally venture into the human house and borrow (steal) from the homes occupiers, namely sugar and tissues.

Sho is the young human boy who is voiced by Tom Holland. Sho is staying with his aunt for a week as he awaits to have a heart operation that will hopefully save his life. Because of this, Sho has spent most of his life away from other children, but gains a special bond when he finally meets Arrietty. He does his best to try and help the family but it doesn't always go to plan.

Arrietty is yet another visually rich and detailed experience. Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (the youngest person to direct a Ghibli film at 37) has done a great job in learning from the master that is Miyazaki and has delivered a film that will delight people of all ages. The sense of scale between the borrowers and the human world has been greatly realised through perfect visual and sound design. A perfect example would be when a crow crashes through a house window as it tries to attack Arrietty. This scene shows off perfectly the scale that the borrowers live on. The regular themes from most animation films are here, including friendship, family and trust. It's a shame that the western world hasn't fully grasped the enjoyment of a Studio Ghibli film with only Spirited Away been the possible exception that has broke through and was thoroughly enjoyed and rightly awarded an academy award. Hopefully Arrietty will achieve a similar kind of success after breaking records like being watched by 7.5 million people in Japan.

Arrietty is a beautifully hand drawn film that is both visually stunning and a wonderfully told story. Quite possibly the best animated film you'll see this year.

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Tamara Drewe (2010)

Posy Simmonds graphic novel Tamara Drewe has been turned into an entertaining Comedy/Drama by director Stephen Frears. Frears has brought together a cast of up and coming talent and put them alongside veteran character actors and got them all spot on.

Gemma Atherton is the perfect choice the play the films heroine Tamara. Gemma plays a beautiful journalist who returns to her childhood home and causes nothing but chaos. Tamara used to be the villages ugly duckling who, while always confident, still had some insecurities about herself. Namely her nose. After returning to the little village in Dorset with a new nose and a new found confidence Tamara receives plenty of attention from 3 men who are all vying for her affection- Andy Cobb (Luke Evans), Ben Sergeant (Dominic Cooper) and Nicholas Hardiment (Roger Allan).

Nicholas is a philandering author who's long suffering wife, played brilliantly by Tamin Greig, channels her frustrations by running a retreat for writers and baking cakes. Also two bored schoolgirls (Jessica Barden and Charlotte Casey) watch all the trouble that's occurring in the village, even playing a hand in stirring up more trouble with their meddling. It's true what people say, don't mess with a 15 year old girl. Dominic Cooper and Luke Evans also give decent performances without neccsarily stretching themselves.
It would be interesting to know if Dominic Cooper is actully that good at playing the drums.

The graphic novel was first serialised in The Guardian, but has been moved to a more modern era for the film. Some of the characters can come across as a bit cartoony but this shouldn't disturb your enjoyment of the film. It's also quite refreshing to see a British film that isn't about gangsters, hoodies, aliens or all 3 at once.

Stephen Frears has made a intelligently funny film that is also touching and has a cracking cast that won't fail to make you smile.

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Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Baz Luhrmann's second feature is a bold and vigorous adaptation for the MTV generation. I first studied this film when I was 13 for English studies and it's fair to say I wasn't the films biggest fan. Possibly due the fact that I was only interested in football and the opposite sex. But I like to think I've grown up quite a bit since then (stop laughing at the back) and having watched Romeo and Juliet, I can now say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Set in the gangs and gun culture of Verona beach, the Capulets and the Montagues are two rival families that have hated each other for generations. A party is thrown by the Capulet's, where there teenage children Romeo Montague (Leonardo Dicaprio) and Juliet Capulet (Clare Danes) meet for the first time and quickly fall in love. Luhrmann has made a film that is hugely inventive, producing a fresh take on a story that has been told many times before. It's bold, full of energy that occasionally comes out of the original text through music (choir boys singing Prince, drag queens singing young hearts). But never fails to be accessible and the style feels right for the story being told.

The cast for the film is spot on. DiCaprio as always brings immense intensity and emotion to the role of Romeo. As far as I'm concerned this is the film that made him a super star, Titanic just took it to another level . DiCaprio was interviewed during the making of this film and said that he felt he made the right choice in joining this project and hopes to continue to make good choices throughout his career. Well with films like Inception, The Departed and Titanic I think it's fair to say Leo has made some pretty good choices. Danes is also great as Juliet. This was her first experience of performing Shakespeare and gives a very moving performance that plays off well with DiCaprio's intensity. I also have to mention Harold Perrineau who gives a brilliant, yet underrated performance as Mercutio. Originally the likes of Ewan Mcgregor and Christian Bale auditioned for the role before Luhrmann decided to cast a black actor. Harold's performance is so good that you just couldn't imagine any other actor in the role.

Lurhrmann made Shakespeare cool again after using his eccentric direction which pumped new life into a well-known story. Some people have said the film is just a gimmick designed to make English teachers seem cool and down with the kids. That may be the case but Luhrmann's vision seems on the money and only helped teenagers appreciate the role Shakespeare had on story telling and if I can be converted, then pretty much anybody can.

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Horrible Bosses (2011)

The run of decent comedies this summer is set to continue with Horrible Bosses which is a no holds barred comedy about 3 friends (Bateman, Sudekis and Day) who hate their bosses so plan to kill them using the help of a murder consultant who is played by Jamie Foxx and has possibly the best character name in recent comedies. Motherf***er Jones.

All 3 have had enough of their respected bosses taking advantage of them. Nick's boss Harken (Kevin Spacey) is a slave driver, Kurt works for Bobby Pellitt (Colin Farrell) who's obsessed with Kung-Fu and cocaine and finally Dale's boss (Jennifer Aniston) who continues to sexually harass him. All the characters have been cast brilliantly especially Aniston and Farrell who both play against type. It seems that Aniston has let her hair down somewhat and her performance is unlike anything you've seen from the former FRIENDS star.

Charlie Day is the new kid on the block but People who have seen Going the Distance may recognise him. He does a decent job but can occasionally come across annoying. Bateman and Sudeikis have been good value over the last few years and don't fail to deliver on the laughs again here. All 3 sometimes come across more stupid than they look and this maybe down to a few plot holes in the script but is no fault of the cast. It also won't be considered a genre classic but Horrible Bosses deserves the attention and plaudits as it achieves the modest goal of being a funny film. Yes there are funnier films out at the moment, but if you've seen them already then Horrible Bosses is worth checking out.

Not as funny as Bridesmaids and the cast is let down somewhat by the script. But anyone who is after a laugh on a Saturday night could do a lot worse then Horrible Bosses.

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Wall-E (2008)

Andrew Stanton's next movie after Finding Nemo is about a robot called Wall-E who is the only robot left on planet Earth and has the job of cleaning up the planet of all the rubbish left behind by humans. Wall-E's interest turns to a visiting robot called EVE who comes in search of life on the planet. This is still Pixar's most ambitious film to date (Up and next years Brave being possible exceptions) and probably why most people see Wall-E as Pixar's best.

Andrew proved that he is a very good director after the huge success of Finding Nemo and has made a film that is bereft of dialogue for at least the first 20 minutes but that is also breathtakingly majestic and intimate as well as being somewhat realistic. What I mean by realistic is he's made the audience think you're watching a live action film that has been made on another planet. Andrew brought in legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins to come in and help with the films sophisticated lightning schemes which gave the film it's 'realistic' look. Andrew also brought in sound wizard Ben Burrt who gave the film it's unique sound and made the world seem more believable.

The character of Wall-E is genius in it's design and a perfect example of the possibilities in animation you're ever likely to see. It's the little things that Wall-E does, his interest in human trash, the movements he makes that feel so human which will make you fall in love with him. Wall-E also has a certain sadness to him which comes across in his voice. You really feel for him when he meets up with EVE and falls in love (in a robot kind of way) It's at this point where the film is at it's most effective and evocative. Especially in the scenes where Wall-E takes EVE back to his crib. Not much has been said between the two robots but you get to see just how lonely Wall-E has become and that all he wants is a friend to share his treasures with.

The film suffers a slight stumble when the two robots depart from Earth and join up with the human race aboard the Axiom. It's here that Wall-E seems to get lost amongst all the new characters and is actually quite ironic that the humans on the ship don't feel as human as the robots in the film. Wall-E is also the first Pixar film to use live-action scenes. Originally Andrew and his crew had decided to go with green aliens instead of humans aboard the Axiom. A decision that he wisely chose to change for the final film. It's here that the film goes back to original Pixar territory in terms of storyline but is nevertheless, still very entertaining.

The fact that Pixar stuck it's neck out for this film is the one of the reasons why it's considered the best movie studio around. All Pixar had to do was sit back and make a film about butterflies and it would've still made an absolute mint at the box office. Instead Pixar made a film about a rusty old robot who didn't speak English and it went on to become the eighth highest grossing film of 2008. It also received 6 academy award nominations, the most of any Pixar movie and won the hearts of everyone who watched it. Easily one of my favourite films of 2008.

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Cars (2006)

Pixar was on a great run when it started out. Toy story was a phenomenal success which was followed by Bugs Life and Toy Story 2. All of them great movies. Next up for John Lasseter was his most personal film, Cars. John based it around his childhood of growing up and taking driving holidays with his Mom and Dad along the historic Route 66. The Pixar team actually took a trip through Route 66 to gather as much information as possible. Unfortunately the film just doesn't quite hit the same heights as other Pixar movies. Even now Cars is still considered to be the worst film made by Pixar. Having said that it's still better then most animation movies made by other animation studios.

The story centres around a shiny new race car called Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) who is a very arrogant race car and ends up trapped in a small town called Radiator Springs. It's here he learns the value of friendship and the importance of teamwork and community.

The world of cars is quite a surreal place with everything inhabited by automobiles. The designs are fantastic and are up to the standards we expect to see from a Pixar movie. Unfortunately the cars don't show enough emotion, not as much as the characters from the likes of UP and Wall-E anyway. This slight flaw makes the audience not care so much about the characters (I'm pretty sure the toy car of Lightning McQueen didn't sell as much as Buzz, Woody or Nemo). Which moves me onto my next point. This is the first film from Pixar that is aimed squarely at the kids which leaves the adults in the audience feeling bored. So with the cars not being able to show much emotion we have to rely on their voices to get their feelings across. As well as Owen we've got the pleasure of the legend that is Paul Newman who voices Doc Hudson and Bonnie Hunt who voices the Porsche named Sally. All do pretty good jobs but again don't really grab your attention and make you fall in love with these characters.

It's a shame that Cars has to be judged against other Pixar films because as a stand alone film, it's good family entertainment and beats the competition from other animation studios. It  Just isn't the instant classic you expect from Pixar. Fingers crossed things have improved in Cars 2.

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Drive Angry (2011)

Nicholas Cage is a tough actor to work out. Some people love him and will praise pretty much everything he does. I for one enjoyed his performances in the remake of Bad Lieutenant and Kick-Ass and I'm pretty sure everyone is a fan of Con Air and Face/Off....Then there's people who just can't stand him and with such performances like this one you can understand why.

This film has all the elements needed to make a great Grindhouse movie. It's got naked women, obscene action, devil worshippers and Mr Cage with another dodgy barnet. But for some reason director Patrick Lussier fails to pull all these elements together. Nothing feels original, which I suppose is the point of a grindhouse movie. But when one of the stand out action scenes is pretty much a carbon copy of another film (Shoot-em up) and isn't even as good, then it just comes off as lazy ideas with lazy direction.
Nicholas Cage's performance is another one that feels like he's their just to pick up his paycheck. There's no denying that when he's up for it, no one can touch him. But he plays a fairly dull character who seems to coast along whilst looking for his daughter. This film would of been a lot better if Cage had put a bit more energy into it. Where's the anger and the rage that we see in other films? William Fitchner on the other hand gives another good performance as The Accountant with the film improving greatly when he's involved. William has always been a great supporting actor and saves this movie from being a total shambles.

Disappointing film which was meant to be fun but turns out to be very boring. If you want to watch some decent Grindhouse movies then look no further then Planet Terror or Death Proof.

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Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)

It's hard to express my feelings for the Harry Potter franchise. I never read the books as a kid and as a 17 year old wasn't interested in watching 3 young children flying around on broom sticks and casting spells. As time has gone on my opinion has totally changed and I began to appreciate how special the films are to some many people and I've been eagerly awaiting the final instalment. I'm happy to say it doesn't disappoint and is a great way to end the series.

David Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves have done a great job in pushing as much detail as possible in this final film and giving the franchise the farewell it deserves. The film is action packed from start to finish with massive action scenes including a bank robbery with a dragon and the final battle between Lord Voldermort and Harry Potter. It's also great to see all the loose ends finally tied up. Will Ron and Hermione finally get together? Will Harry defeat Lord Voldermort? What is to become of Neville Longbottom...Thankfully all these questions and more will be answered.

The film is the shortest in the series but manages to keep the plot moving without having to cut anything important out. This film is more focused on the action then in previous film but you don't lose the emotional side of the story and characters as most of us have got to know them over the last 10 years. I say most because someone (who shall remain nameless) decided to watch this film without reading the books.....or watching any previous Potter film. The special effects are the best out of all the previous films with the battle at Hogwarts being the most impressive. As for the 3D it's getting a one word review......pointless!

The acting has never been better with Alan Rickman, Daniel Radcliffe and Ralph Fiennes giving the stand out performances. Daniel has never been better showing moments of brilliance unseen in the previous films. He has certainly shown that he is more then capable of having a good career in acting. Alan Rickman is again fantastic as professor Snape, giving the film it's most emotional scene as we finally find out what's really going on with him. Ralph Fiennes is finally let loose and does a great job in showing just how evil Lord Voldermort can be. The only downside is that the rest of the characters are nothing but bit part players which is a shame as it would of been good to see some other rivalries shown in more detail. Also characters that have been with us throughout the series are killed off without any real emotion. Again this is disappointing but understandable to a point as the film's main focus is on Harry and Voldermort.

This is the most action packed film in the series and provides good closure for anyone who has followed the story. The film is a great way to end the series and fully deserves the success it will undoubtedly receive. Just don't bother watching it in 3D.

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Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (2005)

The 4th film in the franchise is the first one to be directed by a British Director. One Mike Newell, who's previous films include Four Weddings And A Funeral and more recently the disappointing Prince Of Persia. Mike is able to deal with the special effects in this movie with great ease. Showing off with great scenes which include the Quidditch world cup, a dragon chase and a underwater scene. He also brings on the performances, showing a more personal side to the main characters and dealing with the "teenage years".  Shame he didn't tell Daniel and Rupert to get a hair cut but I guess having the 'student look' is all part of growing up.

This is also the first film to receive a 12A certificate. This is definitely not one for the kids. But for the maturing potter fans this will be more suiting to there tastes. The story is very dark (they seem to get darker everytime) and is definitely more focused on the horror aspect of the story, especially with the return of Lord Voldermort. Ralph Fiennes makes a creepy dark lord and gives the audience great anticipation for the fights and frights to come in the later films.

Also joining the cast are Brendon Gleeson who is excellent as yet another dark arts teacher called Mad eye moody and one Robert Pattinson (before his Twilight years) who plays handsome school boy Cedric Diggory. It's actually quite ironic how Hermione gives a wondering look to her friend the first time she sees Cedric.

The book is one of the biggest in the series and must of been hard for Mike and screenwriter Steve Kloves to cut  down. Even though the film is still at 2 and a half hours long a lot of of the story had to be cut including Harry's usual scenes with the Dursleys. Unfortunately it does show during the film as some of the editing can be quite choppy and seems to be in a hurry to get the audience back into the main story when moving in other directions. Luckily it seems to all come together during the last few scenes. Mike Newell seems to have changed the direction the franchise was heading, becoming more of a thriller then previous films which is by no means a bad thing as it makes the story a bit more interesting.

Mike Newell and co have done a decent job in cutting the book down to make a movie out if it. the effects are terrific and the characters still posses enough charm to make this another enjoyable Harry Potter film.

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Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban is considered by many to be the best book in the JK Rowling series. The story is more leaner and darker then the previous two films and sees Harry return to Hogwarts to find that Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped Azkaban Prison and is on the hunt for him.

With Chris Columbus moving on to pastures new (even dropping his role as producer) it was the turn of Alfonso Cuaron to have a crack at directing the next Harry Potter film and at the time, made the best film in the series. Cuaron gives the film much needed flair and wasn't afraid to trim the story down if needed (one of the criticisms of Columbus's two films). The film is much darker, not just in the tone of the story but also in the colour of the film. However the sets are spectacular with the SFX given yet another boost in terms of quality.

Two new actors have joined the story, Gary Oldman and David Thewlis. Both are terrific actors and gives this film the life needed in what otherwise is a pretty dark story. Once again Radcliffe, Watson and Grint give good performances and seem to be improving after every film. Special mention goes to Emma Watson who has a much meatier role this time round and handles it really well. It's great to see the 3 grow up in the movies with all three reaching their teenage years, but also improving as actors. Daniel Radcliffe has spoken many times about the good influence Gary Oldman was on him whilst filming and in my view there's no better actor to learn from.

When this film was released in 2004 it was hailed as the best film in the series to date with some people saying it's still the best one today (apart from the people who've seen Deathly Hallows Part 2). The SFX are even better this time round and is a much darker story. But this is still great family entertainment and will also be enjoyed by people who have yet to read the books. Just make sure you've seen the previous two before you settle down to watch this one.

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Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (2002)

Chris Columbus's last film in the Harry Potter Franchise Sees Hogwarts students Harry, Ron and Hermione try and uncover the mystery of the Chamber Of Secrets. A number of students become petrified and messages are left written in blood about the arrival of the "Heir Of Slytherin".

There is a certain assumption that people who watch this film have seen the original. It's a fair assumption to make as kids and (some) adults had been waiting to see this since leaving the cinema after the original. This means that they don't really need to explain everything in great detail and don't need to re explain Harry's back story. This films centres on one main story line with some added action scenes including another qudditch scene and a flying car chase.

As with The Philosopher's Stone the main enjoyment comes from the acting. Kenneth Branagh (Director of Thor) is the new teacher on the block and is perfect as vain dark arts teacher Glideroy Lockhart. Also joining the party is Jason Issacs who plays the villain Lucius Malfoy. Also the CG arrival of  Dobby (Toby Jones) proves to be a great success. Unfortunately this leaves Alan Rickman's Snape and Robbie Coltrane's Hagrid playing second fiddle to the new characters which is a shame as they provided the most entertainment in the first film. This also means that Daniel Radcliffe had to up his game in this film and does really well especially towards the last final scenes. This is the film that proved the 3 kids can actually act.

Of course fans of the book will be happy with the outcome of this film with only a few major cuts from the book being taken out for the film (so I'm told). The film is funnier, scarier and more action packed than the first movie with the special effects also been given a upgrade. For me it's still a tad too long and could become tiresome for some children. That said Chamber Of Secrets keeps the ball rolling for fans of the books and of movies in general.

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Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone (2001)

With the final chapter of Harry Potter being released this week I thought it best to re-watch all the previous Harry Potter films. Obviously there's no place better to start then The Philosopher's Stone.

First of all I can't believe how young Daniel, Rupert and Emma look in this film. It's amazing how quick 10 years can actually go. There was no way this film was going to fail with over 100 million readers of the book all eager to see this film when it was originally released at Christmas 2001. It sticks very close to the book and shows that director Chris Columbus got it pretty much spot in terms of the style of the characters and settings.

With the film having a big budget, it still decided to cast 3 unknowns for the lead roles. They were Daniel Radcliffe 12, Rupert Grint 13 and Emma Watson 11. All 3 nailed the roles perfectly and it's fair to say that no matter what other acting roles they get, they will always be know as Harry, Ron and Hermoine. The rest of the cast are made up of great acting talent with the likes of Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith and the late Richard Harris. Again all are fine actors but not the biggest film stars. None of this made a slight bit of difference to the audience. They came to see Harry Potter not movie stars.

Most of the big budget was spent on the sets and special effects with the standout scene being Harry's first Quidditch match. It moves at a very fast pace and thrills throughout the entire scene. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone had a major advantage over other blockbusters. It was always going to be  the start of a series so in a way it didn't need to become a massive money spinner all on it's own to receive the go ahead to make the rest. This means the film can take it's time with the book and not make unnecessary cuts. Instead it can develop the story and the characters at a more leisurely pace.

That said the film is over 2 and a half hours long and may prove a bit tiresome for the little ones in the audience. You may also struggle with some of the stories if you're not familiar with the books. But there is still plenty of action to be seen and the characters are so well acted that it guarantees a very entertaining film. I'm sure fans of the books couldn't wish for a better adaptation and was a great start to what will turn out to be one of the biggest film franchises in the world.

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Inside Job (2011)

Inside Job is a new documentary from former entrepreneur turned filmmaker Charles Ferguson and might well be the most important documentary you'll see this year. Ferguson asks Matt Damon to explain in ruthless detail of how the financial collapse occurred in 2008 by a group of elite bankers and how they still left with millions of dollars worth of bonuses.

Inside job is not always a easy documentary to follow but investigates the mystery of the banking world and gives us as much detail as possible on how it all went wrong. It starts off by showing us the bankruptcy of Iceland (once said to be the most stable financial country in the world) and how similar things were going to happen in New York which would affect the entire world. The recession we find ourselves in today is all down to illegal activity by banks and insurance companies which include Morgan Stanley and AIG (Manchester United Sponsor). They were basically giving out loans that they knew were never going to get re-paid by customers and then betting on that fact. So the average customer would lose their homes and life savings, but the CEO's of these companies would walk away with millions.

Inside job can be a very shocking film explaining that making money gives off the same chemical in the brain as cocaine. Ferguson repeatedly points out that none of these people had to give the money back. Instead spending it on Cocaine, prostitutes and private jets (one CEO owning 7 jets.....7!!) Inside Job is one of the most important and genuinely terrifying documentaries you'll see this year. But it also reminds people (if they needed reminding) that money talks. If you were not in that 1% in terms of wealth then you were going to get turned over. Simple as that.

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Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (2010)

Scott Pilgrim was another great film from 2010. It's just a shame hardly anyone went to watch it. Based on a comic book, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a aimless 22 year old who plays in a band called sex bob-omb (reference to the villian bob-omb in Mario games) Scott is dating a 17 year old school girl when he meets Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and falls head over heels for her. But to win Ramona's heart he has to defeat her seven evil exes.

This is Edgar Wrights first 'hollywood' based film after the success of Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz. It's also the first time he hasn't worked with his best mates Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. However, he has assembled a great up and coming cast which as well as Cera and Winstead also include Chris Evans, Brandon Routh and Anna Kendrick. I say up and coming because none of them could necessarily hold a film on their own (we shall wait and see how Chris Evans does in Captain America) But never the less it's still a great group of actors.

The great thing about this film is the style. With the help of Edgar's editors Johnathan Amos and Paul Machliss, cuts in the film are seamless and actually add the humour of the film. It's probably the closet film to Spaced in terms of the editing and style of the movie. It's possibly unlike an film out there right now and we'll possibly see a few copycats trying to mimic the style. People have talked about why video game based movies don't work and the simple answer is don't base them on actual video games. Edgar uses loads of little references from some classic games including Mario, Zelda and Final Fantasy. Even if you're not a gamer, you may not get every in game joke but you will still find this movie very funny.

The seven evil exes Scott has to fight include Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha), Lucas Lee (Evans) and Todd (Brandon Routh). All the exes play good roles but Brandon Routh is the scene stealer as he nails the Vegan Psychic with super powers. But all the cast seem fully realised even though they may only have a few minutes screen time. Cera and Winstead are both good with Cera playing the dumb Scott (which is the complete opposite of the roles Cera normally plays) but still manages to convince the audience that he can win Ramona.

This is a hilarious film which you could argue is Edgar Wright's best work to date. you don't have to be into video games to enjoy this movie because everyone can relate to growing up which this film shows perfectly.

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