Dinner For Schmucks: Movie Review

Dinner For Schmucks: Movie Review

Dinner For Schmucks
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Bruce Greenwood
Director: Jay Roach
Taken from the original French film Le Diner De Cons (The Dinner Game) and Americanised, Dinner for Schmucks stars Paul Rudd as Tim, a mid level executive who's desperate to break through to the upper levels of the board room.
One day, he manages a break through by impressing his boss (Greenwood) over how to net a potential new client Mueller (David Walliams) and is invited into the upper echelons of the board room.
However, on arrival there, he's told of a monthly dinner hosted by his boss which he's duly invited to. But the crux of the dinner is that each of them has to bring an idiot along as a dinner date for their collective amusement - and it gets worse for Tim as he realises the boss picks a winning idiot to give a prize to.
That's where Steve Carell comes in - his IRS worker Barry is run over by Tim. And as Tim talks to Barry, he realises this taxidermist could be his in to win the Dinner. You see, Barry makes diorama and famous scenes with dead mice (eg the Mousea Lisa) and is clearly some kind of idiot in Tim's eyes.
But when Barry enters Tim's life, he brings a whirlwind of chaos and devastation causing Tim's girlfriend Julie to walk out on him and compound Tim's fears that Julie's having an affair with artist Kieran Vollard (a brilliant Jemaine Clement).
So Tim's life is in tatters - can it all be salvaged?
I have mixed feelings about this film (and no I've not seen the original French farce)- Paul Rudd puts in yet another good and likeable act - and Steve Carell is once again, another version of Steve Carell but starts to irritate a little as the film continues. However, it's nice they've made him a loser with a back story that's revealed near the end rather than just a goof.
Dinner For Schmucks is also slow to set up - it's all about the build up to the dinner and when it comes (very near the end), it's very very funny (probably the best part of the film) but it doesn't feel like that's the main thrust of the film. Although a running gag about Vollard knowing Nelson Mandela is funny in Carell's hands because of the idiot naif way in which he carries it out - he believes it's Morgan Freeman.
That's really the crux of this - if you find that funny, you'll like Dinner for Schmucks.
However Zach Galifianakis and Jemaine Clement are the best in this - Galifianakis of the Hangover film plays a man who believes he has mind control - and Clement's artist Vollard (complete with lank pony tail and general artist insanity) is another strong entry into Clement's continuing line of oddball characters.

Dinner For Schmucks can be best described as a meal which promises so much - in the end it resembles a buffet which initially has you salivating but ultimately leaves you wanting.

The Insatiable Moon: Movie Review

The Insatiable Moon: Movie Review

The Insatiable Moon
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Rawiri Paratene, Sara Wiseman, Greg Johnson, Ian Mune
Director: Rosemary Riddell
Shot on a shoestring budget when the Film Commission passed, The Insatiable Moon became a labour of love for those involved.
It's the story of Arthur (a tremendous powerhouse performance from Rawiri Paratene) who believes he's the second son of God and who frequents a halfway house run by Greg Johnson's Bob in Auckland's suburb of Ponsonby.
However, Arthur's life becomes permanently intertwined with Sara Wiseman's social worker at a time when the boarding house is threatened with closure.
With residents galvanized into trying to save their home from those who've got closed minds, the clock begins to tick - and Arthur starts to unravel.
The Insatiable Moon is a story of heart and compassion, populated with some truly brilliant and crowd pleasing performances from the central cast.
It's got audience pleasing moments throughout as well as some laughs but it's Paratene's impishness and charm which sees this film from beginning to end; with big eyes and a disarming grin, he's the heart and soul of the Insatiable Moon - and manages to bind the whole thing together.
However, he's nearly upstaged by a simply brilliant Greg Johnson as the halfway house owner Bob and Wiseman who imbue their roles with such class, it's hard not to be swept along by this heartfelt tale which is inspired by actual characters.

While some may consider that the film looks a little cheap in places and there may be split opinions over the handling of mental illness, it's a real credit to those involved that this project got completed - and once you get over those criticisms, it's more than likely you'll find a film which may engage you in ways you'd never expected.

Johnny English Reborn: Movie Review

Johnny English Reborn: Movie Review

Johnny English Reborn

Rating: 4/10

Cast : Rowan Atkinson, Rosamund Pike, Dominic West, Gillian Anderson

Director: Oliver Parker

Rowan Atkinson returns as the special agent Johnny English in the sequel to the 2003 flick which saw disaster given a new face of bumbling ineptitude.

When we first see English, he's in a Tibetan monastery trying to recover some sense of self worth after a disastrous mission he headed up in Mozambique ended up with the death of a president.
But when a plot to assassinate the Chinese premier is revealed, MI7, realizing their contact will only talk to English, is forced to recall him into service.

And so it appears Johnny English is the only person who can save the day - if he can pull his act together.

So a strong contender for one of the worst, most predictable films of the year emerges.

Johnny English Reborn feels like a throwback in so many ways; the gags are predictable and at times cringeworthy; in the monastery, English stands the opposite way to all the other monks during a work out; in an MI7 office, he falls off an inflatable back support ball and in a hidden base, he leaps around in a body bag only to jump into a wall. If you like that kind of humour, then this is the film for you.

Granted, these kinds of jokes were the sort of thing British film used to do some 20 years ago - and while nostalgia's a good thing, the relative lack of any kind of sophistication here feels like an insult to today's audiences.

In fairness, Atkinson, channeling his deadpan rubbery face, gives it his all and even manages a few laughs here and there - but even he can't save the averageness of the script from rising up and swamping everything on screen. However, I will concede there will be some who will enjoy this film - the awkwardness and deadpan is worked to maximum effect here but after a while, it starts to grate.

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole: Movie Review

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole: Movie Review

Legend of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
Rating: See below
Vocal cast: Jim Sturgess, Emily Barclay, Ryan Kwanten, Helen Mirren, Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush, Joel Edgerton
Director: Zack Snyder
So the second week of the school holidays are here and it's almost as if the film distribution gods know you've got a problem keeping the kids entertained.
To that end, releasing four days ahead of the usual date comes computer animated fare, Legend of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, loosely based on the books The Guardians of Gahoole.
Sturgess plays Soren a young barn owl whose life is full of the tales of the Guardians of GaHoole who legend says are there to protect the kingdom. But his brother Kludd (True Blood's Ryan Kwanten) isn't so impressed and is a little jealous of the way their father spends more time with Soren.
One day while the pair are learning how to fly, they're captured by two minions of the evil MetalBeak (Animal Kingdom's Joel Edgerton) who swoop them off to a dark far away part of the kingdom.
When the pair arrive, they find MetalBeak's preparing to raise an army of soldiers to take over the kingdom. Soren vows to escape, find the legendary Guardians and stop the attack but his brother Kludd finds that he has an allegiance to the cause...
And so the sides are drawn and the battle lines are put in place...
Firstly, let's just say Legend of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole is worthy of your time for several reasons; one, the fact the film is prefaced by a short called Fur of Flying starring Wile E Coyote and Road Runner (a real 3D treat) and two, the main film heralds the next level of animation.
Beautiful, sumptuous kingdoms are brought to life by stunning use of CGI; the owls themselves are given such depth and detail that they stand out. The landscapes and scenery are so wonderful that you're drawn into the kingdom of Gahoole with ease.

Coupled with a soaring soundtrack that evocatively captures every mood (from learning to fly to the final attack), it's clear the film makers have spared no expense.
And yet, to this adult's eye, it doesn't quite achieve as much as its potential would promise the story's somewhat light in terms of narrative and I'm still not 100% clear MetalBeak was doing with "owl flecks from owl pellets" and how their power could bring down the warriors and guardians.
That said, what Zack Snyder's achieved with this has really raised the bar even though scenes looked reminiscent of outtakes from Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in terms of look and feel of the warriors, his at times nightmarish world is an astonishing visual achievement.
(A word of warning: the tone overall is somewhat dark and frightening; so much so that the very young may be a little terrified by everything unfolding on the big screen)
But the panel of young reviewers enjoyed it heartily: Connor (17) thought "the whole thing was very good, very real although the story was a little muddled" and it made him "think twice about seeing another movie" (There's hints of a sequel at the end.) He thought the battle scenes and fight scenes were good (they're reminiscent of the 300 style of fighting; a sort of speedy, stop slow mo then speed up of clashing.) Overall 7/10
Jackson was a lot more enthusiastic giving it a 9 1/2 out of 10 - in fact, he hardly moved through the whole film he thought "the fight scenes were really good, the special effects were amazing" but he left the film pondering on how the owl blacksmith could make so many metal helmets for the fighter birds. Still it may have kept him quiet on the way home...

Rating from the kids overall: 8/10

Dr Who: Kamelion Tales: DVD Review

Dr Who: Kamelion Tales: DVD Review

Dr Who: Kamelion Tales
Released by BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment
Rating: PG
The King's Demons and Planet of Fire star Peter Davison as the fifth Doctor and mark the arrival of new companions in many ways.
The latest set collects this two stories together which mark the move to give the Doc a metal companion, Kamelion - who didn't quite work out in the way the creators had envisaged.
In the King's Demons, a four part adventure, the Doctor's brought face to face with Anthony Ainley's Master once again amid a plan to change history at the point the Magna Carta was signed; as the Doc investigates further, he comes across the robotic Kamelion who's been trapped by the Master.
In Planet of Fire, a four part adventure, it's all change in the TARDIS as the Doctor says goodbye to Turlough and discovers that the Master's been manipulating Kamelion from afar. Once again, it leads to a confrontation with the Master - and this time, it ends with the Doctor losing Kamelion in a way he never would have expected.
As the end nears for the release of the classic Dr Who series range (with rumour having it that every story will be out on DVD by the show's 50th anniversary in 2013), it's always the case that not all the best stuff is what's waiting in the vaults to be unleashed.
Sadly that's the case with these two releases - wonderfully remastered and restored (and in Planet of Fire's case, digitally given new effects) they may be but they can't polish the overall show's sagging quality.
However, it's the extras which once again save this set - and this time docos on the Kamelion idea with the original designers prove to be the saving grace. With a little bit of tongue in cheek pulled from hindsight, they reveal that the robot didn't quite go to plan and was prone to holding up filming.
It's a real eye opener to how the show was held back by the comparative lack of technology at the time - and how it shaped people's perceptions of the show (ultimately leading to its wobbly sets reputation.)
Add in decent commentaries from the main cast and a wealth of extra material and you've got a set which while it doesn't sparkle, it certainly provides enough bang for your buck.

Special Features include: The King's Demons: Audio Commentary; Kamelion: Metal Man - the history of the Doctor's robotic companion; Magna Carta - What exactly is the Magna Carta and what is its relevance throughout history and today?; Planet of Fire: Audio Commentary; The Flames of Sarn - cast and crew recall the production; Return to the Planet of Fire - director Fiona Cumming and designer Malcolm Thornton return to Lanzarote to revisit some of the filming locations; Designs on Sarn - designer Malcolm Thornton talks about his inspirations for the design of Planet of Fire - many more also exclusive features.

Rating: 5/10

The Other Guys: Movie Review

The Other Guys: Movie Review

The Other Guys
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan
Director: Adam McKay
Will Ferrell reteams with director Adam McKay (who made Ferrell famous in Anchorman, Talladega nights and Step Brothers) for this buddy cop comedy.
Ferrell plays Detective Allen Gamble, a mild mannered desk bound cop whose partner Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg) is an uptight ready for action, desperate to impress cop.
The pair suddenly find themselves thrust into the limelight and into a major job when their department hot shots (excellently played by Samuel L Jackson and Dwayne Johnson) are taken off an investigation (to say why would spoil one of the film's best gags).
But when these "other guys" are given the chance to step up and impress the department captain (played with great comic chops by Michael Keaton) by looking into the case of billionaire David Ershon (Coogan), not everything goes to plan&
It's another case of check your brain at the door and get ready for some silly chuckles with The Other Guys. If you do that, you'll be guaranteed a great time in the company of the hilariously deadpan Will Ferrell.
His at times caustic partnership with Wahlberg works well - even if Wahlberg spends most of the time shouting, it's a nice contrast with Ferrell's more laid back and annoying cop.
Where The Other Guys succeeds brilliantly is in its opening minutes - Jackson and Johnson have a great time deftly parodying every violent crime cop flick and the start of the film is guaranteed to leave you in stitches.
Some of that momentum is carried on - and once again Ferrell and Wahlberg's comments are destined for catchphrase status (eg "I'm going to climb over your anger wall one day - and it'll be glorious" and "Cap'n, I'm a peacock - you've got to let me fly" are just a selection of the many quotable lines) but sadly the plot just can't sustain itself to the end.
Thankfully though a smart ensemble cast - including a star turn by Michael Keaton as a TLC line quoting department head - manage to keep this film on the right side of hilarious parody.

If you want to just laugh stupidly for reasons that you don't always know why, then The Other Guys is another good solid addition to Ferrell's comic contribution - but he's yet to match his turn as Ron Burgundy in Anchorman.

Gordonia: Movie Review

Gordonia: Movie Review

Gordonia
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Graham Gordon
Director: Tom Reilly
A doco about one man's fight to keep a little part of West Auckland free from the red tape of district councils.
Shot over a seven year period, Gordonia focuses on Graham Gordon and his fight against the Waitakere District Council and their push to try and get him to clean up what's called in TV archive reporting, a hippy haven.
Graham's land is littered with cars and transients and offers a respite to those who can't find the peace they need elsewhere.
But, perhaps inevitably with that kind of description, you can see how that may cause clashes - and Gordon's accused of breaching environment court acts as well as various district council pushes.
So it all comes to a head - with council members and the police moving onto his land to clear it up - and clashes are on the cards.
Gordonia is an intriguing look at bureaucracy and how it's affected one life - and indirectly many more.
Tom Reilly's film making's non-intrusive and documents the human face of legislation very well - it's a sly eye onto how lives are irrevocably changed by people sat behind desks.
But it's also maddening at times because with continual no-shows from the district council for interview, he's left only to onscreen captions to give their point of view - and that's frustrating because there's never a 100% rational debate (which maybe there never will be.)
However, it's Reilly's access to his subject and the people who live on the land (whom Gordon wryly notes "most of them are a bit different" before Reilly cuts to a guy with a mullet smashing a car with a hammer) which gives this doco a human face and an easy accessibility.
Yet it's Gordon who's the hero of this - a man so apparently baffled by the council's refusal to grant permits or to submit to reasonable requests that he's probably likely to be cheered on by many who've suffered at the hands of a faceless office worker and the brutality of bureaucracy.
He's got an overt humanity and ease of character - he's the kind of guy who when the pressure's on in court turns to his friend and remarks on the tie he's wearing rather than the possibility of facing jail.

Gordonia is a real slice of West Auckland and equally an insight into office life and district plan politics - whether any of it changes when we become the Super city remains to be seen.