Is Anybody There? DVD Review

Is Anybody There? DVD Review

Is Anybody There?
Rating: M
Cast: Michael Caine, Bill Milner, Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
1980s England - and in the stifling atmosphere of an old people's home, we find death and dementia not too far away.

10-year-old Edward (Bill Milner) lives in a care home run by his parents - but to get by on a daily basis, Edward has a morbid fascination with death - obsessed by the final moments of some of the residents, Edward spends his time recording their last dying breaths in an attempt to find out what comes after.

One day, while out walking and listening to the exit of an elderly resident on a pair of headphones, he's nearly run over by Michael Caine's ancient magician Clarence. The two form an unlikely bond as Edward realizes after Clarence tries to commit suicide, that he holds the secret to what comes next&

Is Anybody There? is a tear-jerker in parts - but thanks to a stellar performance from Michael Caine it avoids heading down the three hankies track. Once again, Caine manages to turn what could have been a fairly mawkish script into some truly emotive moments - there's pathos in spades here as Clarence first visits the home; he's shocked to realize that he will ultimately end up here but too weary to fight against the inevitability of his condition.

Bill Milner's Edward isn't a bad performance - while his morbid fascination and depressing endless questioning is a product of where he's been brought up, the sense of playfulness and earnest desire to learn about the afterlife and find some meaning in the world make the character rise above what could have been a tearful, doleful mire.

The only unwelcome note in Is Anybody There? is the family marriage melodrama which blights the final portion of the film - it's an unnecessary footnote to what's gone before.

Extras: None (disappointingly)

Rating: 7/10 

The Final Destination: DVD Review

The Final Destination: DVD Review

The Final Destination
Rating: R16
Cast: Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Mykelti Williamson
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
When Nick O'Bannon (Campo) gets premonitions at the local speedway of a whole heap of deaths thanks to a speeding flaming car hitting the grandstand, he manages to get himself, his friends and a few bystanders out of the park before it's too late.

Just seconds after they've vacated the track, catastrophe strikes and over 50 lose their lives as the envisaged accident takes place escape. However, with one of the bystanders killed within hours of the race track carnage, and thanks to a little help from the worldwide web, it soon becomes clear to Nick and his friends that their cards are marked and death is going to find them one way or another.

The Final Destination franchise lurches on with yet another tale of teens in peril - this time though, death's saved 3D as its preferred method of dispatching people. There's little to offer in the way of character development, plot or anything sensible - but for this franchise which started a decade ago, it's never really been about anything other than the deaths.

And while the use of this new digital technology sees some very impressive Bond style opening credits which mesh all the previous deaths from prior films, it soon resorts to having you duck and squirm in your seat as various deathly implements head towards you in the cinema. However, half the problem of this film lies with its characters.

Obviously underdeveloped and with little back story or attitudes which make you like them, it makes it difficult to care about any of those the Grim Reaper has his eye on. Even one of the main leads, an airhead jock, is so unlikeable that you don't really care when he meets his maker.

Mercifully short and with the 2D and 3D versions included in this release, there will be some who will absolutely love it - and there will be others (myself included) who hope this really is the end of the franchise.

Rating: 5/10

What Just Happened: DVD Review

What Just Happened: DVD Review

What Just Happened
Rating: M
Cast: Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis, Sean Penn, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Stewart
Released by Roadshow Entertainment

In this "satire" of Hollywood, Robert De Niro stars as Ben, a fading producer.As the film opens, Ben's just witnessed his latest film, Fiercely starring Sean Penn, being savaged at a test screening - and he knows this could signal the end of his time at the top.

As if that wasn't bad enough he's having trouble with his ex Kelly (Robin Wright Penn) and to give him a trio of troubles, his attempts to get Bruce Willis to shave off his bushy beard so their latest project isn't canned, are not going well.

So Ben finds himself in the middle of a life crisis - as well as a career one - can he pull any of it back?
What Just Happened isn't a bad film; it's just not as savage as it could be - while Penn and Willis play themselves, De Niro seems to play another more chilled out version of himself as he tries to juggle all the respective balls.

Given how successful The Player was at doing this kind of satire years ago(and it's inevitable these two will be compared) I have to admit I was expecting a little more caustic wit and biting satire about the industry.

Overall, coupled with a complete lack of extras, What Just Happened is somewhat of a disappointment - when you consider what kind of potential there was here, it's just a shame nothing more came of it.

Rating: 6/10

Date Night: Movie Review

Date Night: Movie Review

Date Night
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Ray Liotta, William Fichtner, James Franco
Director: Shawn Levy
Steve Carell and Tina Fey team up in this comedy about mistaken identity.
They're Phil and Claire Foster - a NY husband and wife whose suburban lives have been besieged by the mundanities of two point four children; for whom each day is a series of routines - including their Date Night which sees them ordering the same dishes week in, week out.
So, shocked by the news one of their favourite couples is about to divorce, Phil decides to shake things up to prevent their marriage from being the next casualty.
On the spur of the moment, he takes Claire to a swanky Manhattan restaurant and refusing to give in because he doesn't have a reservation, takes someone else's.
And that's where the problems start - because it turns out the reservation was for two people who have big problems with the law and pretty soon, the pair are out of their depth and fighting for their lives.
You would imagine Date Night would be the dream partnership on the big screen; both Carell and Fey are much loved in The Office and 30 Rock - and to be honest, they work well together on the screen; they're a plausible pair of long time marrieds who've lost their spark.
Fey is particularly funny - I have to admit to never having been 100% won over by her charms but she really has some hoot out loud funny lines; likewise Carell is his usual toned down self but again, thanks to some great lines, gets the chance to shine. The pair have such great ways of delivering the lines that gives it some sparkle; with both of them, it's down to inappropriate lines and odd comments here and there which really make this likeable duo work well.

But unfortunately this caper doesn't quite work as a story and I don't know exactly what went wrong with it; it's not a bad film, it's just a bit lacking that 5% magic that needs to make it gel. Perhaps it's because in parts it feels like a blockbuster (complete with a well shot chase scene) mixed in with some old fashioned comedy, but the sum of its parts don't add up.

While the chemistry between Carell and Fey is great, there's just something about the film which leaves you a little disappointed at the end of the night.

Kick Ass: Movie Review

Kick Ass: Movie Review

Rating: 8/10
Cast: Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Chloe Grace Moretz
Director: Matthew Vaughn
What if the superhero in your neck of the woods really was the guy next door?
And what if he really didnt have any special powers other than a desire to make a difference and live upto his love of comic books?
In Kick Ass, Aaron Johnson stars as Dave Lizewski, your average teenage boy who is at a loss as to why no-ones ever become a superhero. So donning an all over green body scuba suit, Dave aka Kick Ass heads out to the streets to see if he can make a difference.
And he does for about 2 minutes; before hes stabbed, beaten up and run over by a car.
However, after a spell in hospital and undeterred, Kick Ass heads back to the streets and becomes a sensation much to the disgust of local crime kingpin Frank DAmico (a brilliant Mark Strong) who vows to shut him down.
But DAmico has other problems in the form of 2 other masked vigilantes, Big Daddy (a superb Nicolas Cage) and his daughter protégé, Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz in an abusive star turn) who want revenge on DAmico.
When all of their paths cross, the would be superheroes find their lives changed forever.

Theres so much to love about KickAss granted, its not for everyone but this film, based on a comic book and adapted for the screen by Jonathan Ross wife, will have you laughing loud.
From Nicolas Cage brilliantly channelling Adam West as Big Daddy, through to Johnsons very rounded performance as the everyday kid who ponders why a nobody becomes a superhero, Kick Ass is a welcome addition to the comic book genre.
But what marks it out above the normal films is how its grounded in a reality as Lizewski notes you only need naivety and optimism to become a comic book hero as hes just your average guy, no radioactive spiders. Coupled with some very real violence (and one use of some boundary pushing language from the young Hit Girl, which offended some censors), this comic book adaptation embraces the reality of the superhero world and subverts your expectations.

Each kick, each punch, each beating has a very real effect on those who experience it and its this which may catch you off guard because you expect the heroes to survive every blow. And they all have issues too when Kick Ass realizes a new superhero in town is getting more attention than him, he looks to add a cape to his outfit to see if its giving him the edge; its this kind of layered detail which really brings the story to life.

Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) has done a great job with bringing this stylishly to the screen; along with a pumping soundtrack, cut scenes of fights and a truly brilliant flashback involving the best use of a comic ever committed to celluloid, Kick Ass really does reset the boundaries for the genre.

Forget Spiderman, X-Men, The Hulk et al Kick Ass is the new hero in town and having set such dizzying highs on the screen through some great action set pieces, it really does deserve to be your new favourite film.

She's Out of My League: Movie Review

She's Out of My League: Movie Review

Rating: 6/10
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve, TJ Miller, Nate Torrence
Director: Jim Field Smith
Jay Baruchel stars as Kirk, a weedy airport worker, whos downtrodden at work and unlucky in love.
Suffering from low self esteem, Kirk is the kind of guy who reckons hell never be a success in life or love.
Then, one day, this average Joe meets what his friends describe as a hard ten Molly (Alice Eve all teeth and blonde hair as well as other noticeable assets). Much to their surprise and Kirks the pair strike up a relationship.
But despite the best intentions, Kirk begins to fill with self doubt over why Mollys with him and that along with the doubts from family and friends threaten to sabotage their budding relationship.
Shes Out Of My League is a formulaic, sweet natured comedy with a few foul rough edges and some awkward moments.
Jay Baruchel plays the neurotic, self destructive loser with low self esteem issues with a lot of charm thanks to his gentle portrayal and recognisable everyman, this film never lapses too far into self parody and keeps one foot clearly in the charm camp.

Theres some laugh out loud moments which take you completely off guard and both the likeable leads make this film work. Its also nice to see the raw honesty of the relationship exposed and unlike most films of this genre, one of Kirks friends actually spends time actively encouraging Kirk to believe in himself and wills him to make it all work.

Shes Out Of My League wont win any awards what it will give you though is a diverting film for 100 minutes filled with unexpected laughs.

Clash Of The Titans: Movie Review

Clash Of The Titans: Movie Review

Rating: 6/10
Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Alexa Davalos, Mads Mikklesen
Director: Louis Leterrier
So, winter blockbuster season is upon us.
First cab off the ranks in the blockbuster stakes is this remake of the 1981 classic Clash of the Titans - this time, it stars Avatar's Sam Worthington.
It's set in ancient Greece and sees Sam Worthington as Perseus, the son of the ancient Greek god Zeus (a bearded Liam Neeson). Perseus is your average kind of guy; rejected by his human stepdad because his wife slept with a Greek god, he was cast out and given to human parents. But when they're killed by Hades, Perseus swears vengeance for them.
And with a background of mortals turning their backs on the gods, war is on the verge of breaking out between the immortals and the humans. Perseus finds himself on a quest to stop Hades (a whispering Ralph Fiennes) unleash hell on earth as payback for man turning their backs on the immortals. But Hades is hell bent on revenge - and not only on mankind but on his brother Zeus as well.
Will Perseus follow his fate - or will he save the day and the ancient world?
If you're au fait with Greek mythology (I'm holding my geek hand up here - and proudly I may add) then you'll appreciate the way the characters have been brought to life; there's all the subtle layers of hubris that the likes of Homer imbued his characters with; there's also the jealousy and the pettiness of the gods on full display here as they threaten to destroy the world because they're being ignored. It's a nice nod to the source material of this film (and even in one scene the original) which makes this version of Clash of the Titans so appealing. Coüpled with the fact that the story zips along nicely and doesn't bog you down with too much backstory, Clash is a fairly affable night out at the cinema.
Although judging by the amount of manly men on display here, certain sections of the audience will be wowed by Sam Worthington's performance (the majority of which appears to be spent scowling and glowering). The rest of the cast are okay but they're simply there as window dressing (Gemma Arterton as Perseus' protector Io, particularly is not the strongest and appears to have been brought in for her dusky looks) to the creatures and the story. Most disappointing is Ralph Fiennes' hammy Hades - he's whispering and doesn't really do much to convey menace (although the effects for Hades are pretty good).
The CGI in the film isn't too bad either (it's not earth shattering)- director Leterrier (The Transporter) does a good job of bringing some of the mythical creatures (such as the Pegasus, the Kraken, Medusa) to life - and some are given a nightmarish touch which may frighten some of the younger end of the audience.
But the biggest misfire on this film is to release it in 3D - it's a completely pointless decision. The decision was made retroactively after the film was made so it doesn't actually bring anything to the table by being converted to 3D - it's not been filmed with this in mind, it adds nothing to the stunning recreation of the Greek world they've created and it's a real let down.
Fans of the original 1981 version of Clash of the Titans (compelte with its stop motion animated creatures courtesy of the genius which was Ray Harryhausen) will enjoy this remake; that said, though, you don't have to be a fan of the original to come on board because this is simply blockbuster entertainment in its purest form. If you check your brain at the door and just fancy scenes of mythical creatures and testosterone fuelled fight scenes, then you're in for a good time because it's disposable fun. It won't win any major awards and won't leave you with masses to talk about after it's over, but that's not a bad thing.

Which sometimes is really all you want in a blockbuster after a long week at work.